Hi everyone, it's Aunt Frenita.
And we're studying Lesson Two.
"A Night To Remember"
Our message is: Celebrations help us remember what God has done for us.
The memory verse for this week is from Psalm 77, verse 11.
It says, “I will remember the deeds of the Lord”
Birthdays are usually fun celebrations.
How do you celebrate your birthday?
Are there any special days that you celebrate in your town or country?
Perhaps you have a national day where you celebrate some big event in your country’s history.
These celebrations help us remember important things.
Moses turned his back on Pharaoh’s palace and began the walk back to Goshen
the part of Egypt where the Israelites lived.
Pharaoh’s voice still thundered in Moses’ ears.
“Get out of my sight!” Pharaoh had bellowed.
“I never want to see you again.”
Moses knew the time had finally come.
He pulled his robes a little higher and walked a little faster.
He thought about all that had happened since the time God had first appeared to him.
He had performed miracles in Pharaoh’s court
and asked Pharaoh to let the Israelites go free.
Pharaoh had not been impressed.
All Pharaoh could think of was what would happen if Egypt lost all its slave labor.
There had been the nine plagues.
the Nile River turning to blood,
the frogs, the gnats,
the flies, and all the rest.
Pharaoh had come close to letting the Israelites go a time or two,
but in the end he always refused.
Now. . . . This would be the end.
They would be leaving Egypt soon.
Very soon.
Moses quickly called the Israelites together to give them God’s latest message.
“Listen,” said Moses, “and follow these directions very carefully."
"Each family must select a perfect lamb—a one-year-old male."
"Four days from now, at twilight,"
"the father in each family is to sacrifice the lamb and save some of its blood."
"Each father is to dip a hyssop branch into the blood"
"and use the branch to put some of the blood on the sides and top of the door frame of his house."
"After the blood is on the doorpost, no one, absolutely no one, is to go outside again until morning."
“It is very, very important that you do this,” said Moses.
“At midnight the Lord will pass through the land of Egypt."
"He will strike dead the firstborn in every house that doesn’t have the blood on the doorstop;"
"from Pharaoh’s palace to the prisoner in the dungeon."
"But the Lord will pass over the houses that have blood on the doorpost."
"Do you understand?"
A murmur of understanding rumbled through the crowd.
“Then take the lamb into the house and roast it whole,” continued Moses.
“Eat it with bitter herbs and bread made without yeast."
"If anything is left over, burn it in the fire."
"Do not try to save leftovers."
"If your family is too small to eat a whole lamb, get together with a neighbor and share it."
"But both of you must put blood over your door frames."
Again, the crowd murmured its understanding.
“There’s one more thing,” instructed Moses.
“Eat standing up, with your coat and shoes on and with your staff in your hand."
"Eat quickly."
"It will be the last meal you eat in Egypt."
"The Lord will set us free."
Moses watched as the families headed home to select a lamb for the meal.
This is the first Passover, Moses thought.
We will celebrate what God is about to do for us.
But we will celebrate the Passover again next year,
and then we will be celebrating what God has done for us.
We will be free!
Then that year and every year after that,
we will remember God’s goodness in leading us out of slavery.