This is the last of the 10 plagues. However, unlike all the ones that came before, this one has a feast accompanying it - and God commands them to remember it forever. Nonetheless, it feels incredibly violent and graphic. What is God doing here? Do we worship a God of violence or One who heals the violence of this world? And if he is really healing it, how in the world does this final plague become a feast of healing for us today? For all that our society is facing, this passage seems especially timely.
Discussion Questions:
God clearly intended this violent event to be a positive memory for Israel. How would you quickly re-frame this story for a skeptic, who uses this story to portray a god of violence? How does this plague show that God is full of love and grace? Do you value and appreciate how God is portrayed in this story, or are you ashamed of it - wishing you could hide it?
God insists on some rather particular details for the sacrifice (vs. 5-11). Why would God purposefully choose such a fragile animal to sacrifice? Read Isaiah 53:7 and talk about the character of a sheep.
We’re more fragile than we want to admit. How much are you willing to admit right now? Can you be specific, as if pointing to dirt on your face?
Why would God focus on the "firstborn" and what is so important about that in the ancient mindset? Consider the following passages: Exodus 12:12, 29; 22:29-30; Numbers 3:11-13, 8:14-18; Genesis 22:1-14. How does Isaac represent the hopes and dreams of Abraham? How does God reverse this story with the cross?
God told them to paint their doorposts with blood. Had you considered the depth of violence in these images? Why would the blood "be a sign for you" (v.13) – meaning the people, not God? What is he teaching them? How does this bloody doorpost become shelter?
Nathan confronts David with a famous "lamb" parable in 2 Samuel 12:1-7, followed by David’s angry, self-righteous reaction. Why do we tend to be exceptionally sensitive to our own sins described in others? Nathan said to David, “You are the man.” What does your outrage about others say about you? Give an example.
Comparing Pharaoh's hard heart with David's heart of repentance (Psalm 51, esp. v.10), how do you respond when confronted with a mirror? To what degree are we in control of these extreme reactions? What are key elements that make all the difference between a hard or repentant heart? Tell a brief story from your own life that illustrates some or all of this.
What are some common ways in which mothers often sacrifice their own reputation (for example) so that their children might thrive? How did your mom embody this, or fail to do so?
What did you need to hear in the sermon?
