Chapter 5 Lesson 2 Mighty Signs

What is the enormous work that God has planned for Moses? What a challenge to return to a land where he was wanted for murder! He then had to go to the house of Pharaoh, where he had been raised, to demand the release of his people from slavery. He alone has been given the task to trust in God and lead the Hebrews to freedom.

Turn to page 36 in your textbook. Read paragraphs How were the Hebrews protected from the scourge of God? Read Ex 7:14 – 12 to find out the ten plagues. God, however, was not mean in killing the cattle, crops, etc.

These plagues were ways God showed that he is the one true God and no other things are to be worshiped (as Egyptians did).

“Behold the blood of the Covenant which the Lord has made with you.” The word passover comes from the Hebrew word, “pesakel” or Pascha, which means “crossing over.”

What is the feast of Passover? What sign did God command his people to observe? Passover is both a meal and a sacrifice. The lamb that must be slaughtered would have been worshiped by the Egyptians (so this was risky business). They sprinkled the blood on the doorposts as a sign of their obedience to God and their desire to be faithful. They ate the lamb in the Passover meal in preparation for their exodus from Egypt.

What is meant by the Paschal Mystery of the Lord? Jn 1:19 John the Baptist calls Jesus the Lamb of God. Mk 14:22-25 Jesus’ Last Supper was a Passover meal and Jesus referred to his Blood as “my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.” This relates to Exodus 24:8 “Behold the blood of the covenant which the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.” AS he said this, Moses threw the blood of the sacrificed animals on the people. Jn 19:13-14 Pilate condemns Jesus on “the day of preparation is when the Passover lambs were sacrificed. Jn 19: The soldiers give Jesus vinegar to drink which is soaked in a sponge that is placed on the end of a hyssop stick. According to Exodus 12:22, the Israelites were to use a hyssop stick to mark their doors with the blood of the Paschal Lamb. Jn 19:33 The soldiers did not break any of Jesus’ bones. According to Ex 12:46, the Israelites were not to break any bone of the Paschal Lamb.

Exodus The Exodus is the flight from Egypt. The Hebrews were freed from slavery to Pharaoh for union with God. They were called to worship God from the wilderness. We all live an exodus journey, in which we are freed from sin in Baptism to love God in our lives.