Exodus 12:22-27 "And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning. For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you. And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever. And it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the land which the LORD will give you, according as he hath promised, that ye shall keep this service. And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service? That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the LORD'S passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped."
The LORD was going to pass through the land and smite those who had held His people captive. However, the children of Israel could not just be out roaming the land while this was taking place. The destroyer could not enter where the blood of the lamb was upon the doorposts and the lintel. To be protected by it, the children of Israel had to be in the house.
This reminds me of the time when the spies went into Jericho. There was a harlot there named Rahab who hid the spies and then helped them to escape. She lowered them from the wall of the city using a scarlet thread. The spies told her to bind the thread in the window of her home and to gather all of her family. They would spare those that were in the house, but if they were out in the street they would die.
This should not be misunderstood as a teaching that our obedience affects the ability of Jesus’ blood to wash away our sins. What it does teach us is that we need the blood of Jesus to cover us, even in our obedience. Without the blood of the Lamb, our labors are in vain. It was not remaining in the house that protected the children of Israel (even though that was a requirement from the LORD). It was still the blood that protected them in their obedience.
Beloved of the LORD, let us obey Him with reverence and understanding. Let us live our lives in a manner that honors Him, knowing that deliverance from the destroyer is by the blood. Let us show every day that He is our Saviour and be quick to tell our children what we mean by our service to Him. May we be blessed to hear the LORD’s command, see His mighty power, and bow our heads and worship!