Exodus 12:13: God said, ‘Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt’.
The word ‘plague’ here is ‘negeph’ in Hebrew, which means ‘a trip (of the foot), infliction of disease, put to worse, stumble, strike, or hurt’. In Oxford’s English dictionary, plague can mean ‘a deadly infectious disease, large number of pest invading an area, annoyance, damage, suffering, discomfort, trouble, or difficulty upon somebody/something’. As you can see, a plague doesn’t just mean an ‘infliction of bodily disease’, but it can also happen to a home, a household, a family, a business, one's finance, or one’s belongings.
Are you in a situation where you’ve tried everything you knew how (to remedy it), but the ‘trouble’ seems to have no end? Or do you feel you are always having ‘bad luck’? Well, what the world calls ‘good luck’ or ‘bad luck’, the Bible calls ‘favor’ or ‘plague’, and the good news is you don’t have to live in ‘plague’ anymore!
As a believer, know that Jesus has already borne all your ‘plagues’ (or whatever ‘trouble’ that seems to have no end) on the cross. So, not only is there no condemnation when you are in Christ (Romans 8:1), there should also be no plague when you are in Christ! (Exodus 12:13) Will you believe for it? Will you be conscious of the blood of Jesus shed on the cross for you, and also consciously come under it?
In Exodus 12:13, God said, “When I see the blood, the plague shall not be on you”. He never said, “When I see your hardwork/self-effort/self-determination”, or even “When I see your devotions to Me, or how long you pray”, but He said “when I see the blood, the plague shall not be on you”. This blood here is a ‘picture’ of the blood of Jesus shed on the cross 2,000 years ago. In fact, this ‘blood’ is the very foundation of your Christian life, and it’s only from this foundation, your devotion (or faithfulness) to Him comes forth!
The ‘blood’ here speaks of redemption (you were bought back), where you can be ‘at one’ (reconciled) with God again. When you are 'at one' with God again, His favor flows to you, and His righteousness is imputed to you. Thus, no plague shall be on you anymore. In Exodus 12, Moses was commanded by God to tell the Israelites that ‘every household shall take a lamb without blemish, a male of the first year (firstborn), and then kill it on the night before the Passover’ (Exodus 12:3-6). This is a ‘picture’ of Jesus, the unblemished, innocent Lamb of God, the firstborn over all creation (see Colossians 1:15-18) being sacrificed on the cross.
And then, on that evening, the Israelites were told to ‘take some of the blood and put it on the doorposts (and on the lintel) of the houses where they eat it’ (Exodus 12:7), and they shall ‘eat the flesh, roasted with fire, and whatever remains of it shall be burned in its entirety’ (Exodus 12:8-10). This is also a ‘picture’ of Jesus’ death on the cross, where His blood was shed at the cross. The ‘doorposts’ here in Exodus 12:7 is a ‘type’ of the ‘wooden cross’ where Jesus’ blood was shed 2,000 years ago, and we know that Jesus also gave Himself as a ‘burnt offering’! (Hebrews 10:5-10)
And then, on that evening, the Israelites were told to ‘take some of the blood and put it on the doorposts (and on the lintel) of the houses where they eat it’ (Exodus 12:7), and they shall ‘eat the flesh, roasted with fire, and whatever remains of it shall be burned in its entirety’ (Exodus 12:8-10). This is also a ‘picture’ of Jesus’ death on the cross, where His blood was shed at the cross. The ‘doorposts’ here in Exodus 12:7 is a ‘type’ of the ‘wooden cross’ where Jesus’ blood was shed 2,000 years ago, and we know that Jesus also gave Himself as a ‘burnt offering’! (Hebrews 10:5-10)
Beloved of God, Jesus has indeed paid a high price to redeem you on the cross. In fact, He didn’t pay 1 million dollars, 2 million dollars, or even 50 million dollars as a ransom for you, but He paid with His life! The blood here speaks of Jesus’ very own life, and it was shed so that you have the forgiveness of sins (Ephesians 1:7). He knew you can never repay this debt of sin by your own self-effort. That’s why He came down, and that's why you need Jesus.
And not just that, He has also carried every punishment (judgment) of your sins on the cross. So, instead of you being 'punished', He was 'punished'. And instead of those ‘plagues’ falling on you, it fell on Him at the cross. Such is His amazing love for you! He loves you so much that He's willing to 'pay this price' for you, though none of us deserve it. He has indeed paved a way out for you, and even when He was being crucified, He still thought of you till the end.
And not just that, He has also carried every punishment (judgment) of your sins on the cross. So, instead of you being 'punished', He was 'punished'. And instead of those ‘plagues’ falling on you, it fell on Him at the cross. Such is His amazing love for you! He loves you so much that He's willing to 'pay this price' for you, though none of us deserve it. He has indeed paved a way out for you, and even when He was being crucified, He still thought of you till the end.
