Before studying these chapters we should understand the significance of the events described in chapters 4 to 10 in which Moses, the spokesman and messenger of God challenges the Pharaoh who represents not only the worldly power of a great state which holds a minority people in oppression, but the power of the gods of Egypt. The story, told in the vivid manner of traditional story-tellers, shows the contest of opposing powers. Superficially the contest looks very uneven as this man challenges the power of the Pharaoh, but because of what has been shown in Exodus 3 we know that the arrogance of the Pharaoh will be broken. As Moses remains true to his call to speak and act for God, God works through him and weakens the stubborn arrogance of the Pharaoh. It is possible to explain the plagues as natural occurrences within the geographical and climatic conditions of the Nile delta but this explanation does not affect the theological significance of the story. Through the manifestations of the plagues the power of the creator of the earth is revealed; the gods of the Nile and of the land of Egypt are shown to be powerless. The power of the word of God, spoken by Moses his servant, is revealed. As God's word is spoken, so God's power is seen in the events of human experience. God's promise to free his people is being fulfilled and the Israelites are beginning to learn what kind of God has claimed them to be his people.

This prepares us for chapters 11 and 12. In chapter 11 the final plague, which results in the death of the first-born children of Egypt and the decision of the Pharaoh to free the Israelites, is presented.

In 12: 1-36, the material is rather complex and we find the following elements:

(a) The command of the lord that the Passover Festival is to be kept as the opening of every year for the Israelites (verses 1-14)

(b) The command that the festival of unleavened bread is to be observed (verses 15-20)

(c) Moses' command to the Israelites on the night of the final plague to sacrifice a young animal whose blood was to be wiped on the door-posts of each Israelite house to mark the Israelites as the Lord's people when the Angel of Death passed over Egypt

(d) The description of what happened on that night, and how the Israelites left Egypt.

In 12: 37r39, the way in which the Israelites set out is described.

Verses 40-42 emphasize that the night of the escape from Egypt is to be remembered for all time and to be dedicated to the Lord. Verses 43-51 give further regulations about the observance of the Passover Festival every year.

In this chapter there is a fusion of the description of the original event of Israelite experience, in which the people saw God's power in action as their oppression in Egypt came to a sudden end, and the teaching about how this event was to be remembered 'for all time' amongst them. Let us look first at the original event and its significance for the people.