Passover - Death of the Firstborn: Exodus 11-12

Sacrifice and Coherence

In this section, Jonathan Pedro discusses the concept of sacrifice in relation to the coherence of the world. Sacrifice is necessary for things to exist properly.

The Importance of Sacrifice

• Sacrifice is necessary for coherence in the world.

• Giving oneself up to something beyond oneself is necessary for reaching one's highest potential.

Introduction to Symbolic World

In this section, Jonathan Pedro introduces the Symbolic World website and community.

New Features on Symbolic World Website

• The new Symbolic World website includes a blog, reading list, and community accessible directly on the website.

• The community can be accessed by anyone who subscribes to Symbolic World.

• Subscribers at different levels of patronage can access the community by putting in their email address and receiving a reset link for their password.

New Gifts for Subscribers

• New gifts are being offered to everyone who subscribes, even at the level of free subscriber.

• More courses will be announced soon, including Richard Roland's course on Beowulf.

Exodus: Death of the Firstborn

In this section, Jonathan Pedro discusses Exodus chapter 11 and its relation to Passover and Easter. He focuses on the death of the firstborn as it relates to new beginnings and identity creation.

New Beginning with Passover

• The death of the firstborn is related to a new beginning.

• The symbolism in Passover has to do with a new beginning and purity.

• The lamb chosen must be eaten completely, leaving no remainder, to manifest identity and beginning.

Sacrifice of the Firstborn

• The animals chosen for sacrifice must be year-old males without defect.

• The sacrifice of the firstborn is related to a new beginning in a strange way that will be explained later.

The Lord's Passover

In this section, the speaker discusses the instructions for eating the Passover meal and being ready for a new beginning.

Eating the Passover Meal

• Roast the lamb over fire with bitter herbs and bread without yeast.

• Eat all of it and do not leave any until morning.

• Gird your loins, wear sandals, hold staff in hand, and be ready for a new beginning.

Symbolism of a New Beginning

• Gather things together to have focus and identity.

• Fully consume the lamb or burn it as a holocaust.

• Marking those inside with blood on doorposts identifies them for this new beginning.

• Being marked by an identity helps avoid death, fragmentation, breakdown, and scattering.

The Firstborn of Egypt

• The firstborn represents the seed of Egypt and its identity.

• The blood on houses where you are will protect from destructive plague.

• The firstborn is an image of Egypt itself.

The Passover and Communion

In this section, the speaker discusses the relationship between the Passover and Christian communion. He explains how both rituals involve memory, participation, and identity.

The Significance of the Blood of the Lamb

• The firstborn acts as a principality that carries the father into the future.

• The Blood of the Lamb on Israelites' doors marks their identity and preserves their seed while Egyptians are judged.

• God instructs Israelites to commemorate Passover as a festival of the Lord for generations to come.

Memory, Celebration, and Identity

• Passover marks Israelites' identity and is celebrated every year to maintain their new beginning.

• Celebrating national holidays or events that mark one's identity helps maintain its reality in life.

• Christian communion involves memory and participation in Christ's sacrifice through bread and wine.

Eating Bread Without Yeast

• For seven days during Passover, Israelites must eat bread made without yeast.

• Yeast is a living thing that makes bread grow over time but is cut off from Israel during Passover.

Understanding Yeast

In this section, the speaker discusses yeast as a strange substance that is like a parasite. He explains how it works when making bread.

What Is Yeast?

• Yeast is like a bug or parasite that needs to be kept alive when making bread.

• It is added to bread dough to make it grow over time before baking.

The Festival of Unleavened Bread

In this section, the speaker discusses the significance of the Festival of Unleavened Bread and its relation to identity. He also talks about the importance of following certain instructions during this festival.

Significance of Unleavened Bread

• The Festival of Unleavened Bread is significant because it marks the end of one identity and the beginning of a new one.

• During this festival, people are required to remove all leaven from their homes as it represents that which comes from outside and can corrupt their identity.

• Eating anything with yeast in it during this festival will result in being cut off from the community.

Instructions for Celebrating

• The festival lasts for seven days, starting on the 14th day until the 21st day.

• To celebrate, people must eat bread made without yeast.

• During Passover, people must slaughter a lamb and put its blood on their door frames so that God will pass over their homes when he strikes down Egypt.

Importance of Remembering

• It is important to remember where you came from and your origin to maintain your identity.

• Participating in ritual helps people stay connected to their identity.

Maintaining Identity Through Ritual

In this section, the speaker emphasizes how ritual participation helps maintain one's identity. He also talks about how remembering one's origin is crucial in staying connected to one's identity.

Staying Connected Through Ritual

• Participating in ritual helps people stay connected to their identity.

• The Israelites bowed down and worshiped as the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron.

Remembering One's Origin

• It is important to remember where you came from and your origin to maintain your identity.

• When children ask about the significance of a ceremony, it is an opportunity to remember one's origin and pass on traditions.

Passover Sacrifice

In this section, the speaker discusses the Passover sacrifice and its relation to the end of Egyptian time and the beginning of a new identity.

Significance of Passover Sacrifice

• The Passover sacrifice marks the end of Egyptian time and the beginning of a new identity.

• The blood on door frames during Passover ensured that God would pass over their homes when he struck down Egypt.

Importance of Following Instructions

• People must follow certain instructions during Passover, such as slaughtering a lamb and putting its blood on their door frames.

• Following these instructions is crucial in maintaining one's identity.

Enacting Identity

In this section, the speaker discusses how identity needs to be enacted and remembered in order for it to remain real. The speaker also talks about the story of the Lord striking down all the firstborn in Egypt.

The Importance of Enacting Identity

• Identity needs to be enacted into the world and remembered in order for it to remain real.

• Pharaoh recognizes that something new is being born but doesn't fully understand it.

The Story of the Lord Striking Down All Firstborn in Egypt

• At midnight, the Lord struck down all the firstborn in Egypt from pharaoh who sat on the throne to the firstborn of prisoners who were in dungeons and even livestock.

• Pharaoh and all his officials got up during the night and there was a loud wailing in Egypt for there was not a house without someone dead.

Leaving Egypt

In this section, Moses is summoned by Pharaoh who tells him to leave with his people. The Israelites take their flocks and herds as well as articles of silver and gold from Egyptians.

Leaving Egypt

• Pharaoh summons Moses and Aaron and tells them to leave with their people.

• Egyptians urge Israelites to hurry up and leave or they will all die.

• Israelites take their dough before yeast is added, carry it on their shoulders, knead it throughout troughs wrapped in clothing.

• Israelites ask Egyptians for articles of silver, gold, and clothing which they are given because God made Egyptians favorably disposed towards them.

• Israelites journey from Ramses to Sukkoth with 600,000 men on foot besides women and children.

Identity and Mixture

In this section, the speaker talks about the problem of identity and mixture in the book of Exodus. The importance of removing yeast from oneself is also discussed.

Problem of Identity and Mixture

• The problem of identity and mixture is all through the book of Exodus.

• The question of how to balance inside and outside, identity and stranger is going to be all through.

• There are many waves of weaning out outsiders joining with Israelites in different ways.

Removing Yeast from Oneself

• It's important to understand that they leave with a mixed multitude.

• Only those who have removed their outer garments are allowed to participate in this identity.

• Any stranger who wants to participate has to be circumcised.

Regulation of the Passover Meal

This section discusses the regulations surrounding the Passover meal.

Regulations for Eating the Passover Meal

• No foreigner may eat it.

• Any slave bought must be circumcised before eating it.

• A temporary resident or hard worker may not eat it.

• It must be eaten inside the house.

Categories for Eating the Passover Meal

• Do not take any of the meat outside the house.

• Do not break any of the bones.

Circumcision and Identity

• Circumcision is a ritual act that joins one to become a child of Abraham and an Israelite.

• Joining in through circumcision is more important than being a physical descendant of Abraham.

Consecration of Firstborn Males

This section discusses consecrating firstborn males among Israelites.

Consecration of Firstborn Males

• Every firstborn male, whether human or animal, belongs to God.

• Commemorate this day as you came out of Egypt with no yeast in your borders on this day.

Significance of Observance

• The observance will be like a sign on your hand and forehead that this law is to be on your lips.

• The mark on your hand represents action while that on your forehead represents consciousness.

• The law will always be with you as a reminder that God brought you out of Egypt with his mighty hand.

Strange Consequence of Death and Passover

This section discusses how death can be transformed into something more than just a plague that kills Egyptians.

Consecration to God

• Consecrate every firstborn male, whether human or animal, to God.

• Commemorate the day you came out of Egypt with no yeast in your borders on this day.

Significance of Observance

• The observance will be like a sign on your hand and forehead that this law is to be on your lips.

• The mark on your hand represents action while that on your forehead represents consciousness.

• The law will always be with you as a reminder that God brought you out of Egypt with his mighty hand.

Sacrifice of the Firstborn

In this section, the speaker discusses the sacrifice of the firstborn in ancient Israel and its significance.

The Giving of the Firstborn to God

• The first offspring of every womb belonged to God.

• The firstborn males of livestock were given to God.

• The firstborn among sons were redeemed with a lamb.

Significance of Sacrificing the Firstborn

• Sacrificing the firstborn was necessary for separating Israel from Egypt and making it a nation that worships God.

• The sacrifice of the firstborn has to do with giving up something at the highest point or origin, which is necessary for coherence in the world.

• For things to exist properly, they have to exist in something beyond themselves. Anything that has unity must give itself to something else.

Examples

• In sports, actions such as dribbling, running, and passing are sacrificed for basketball's purpose.

Sacrifice and Society

In this section, the speaker discusses the concept of sacrifice and its role in society. He explains that sacrificing something valuable is necessary to anchor the value of everything else.

The Importance of Sacrifice

• The firstborn or highest aspect of something must be sacrificed to give value to everything else.

• Sacrificing the best people for a country's existence anchors the family and society together.

• Sacrificing the first part of a harvest maintains it as a pattern in society.

Ritualization of Sacrifice

• Sacrificial gestures can easily become ritualized, maintaining them as patterns in society.

• Tithing is an example of giving up the first part for God, manifesting different aspects of sacrifice.

Redeeming Sacrifice

• There is uneasiness about sacrificing something valuable, leading to substitution with something lower on the hierarchy.

• Christ's message was that one should sacrifice oneself instead of others or animals.

Conclusion

In this section, the speaker concludes by discussing how Christ's message heals imperfections in sacrificial systems by emphasizing self-sacrifice over sacrificing others.

Healing Imperfections

• Christ's message emphasizes self-sacrifice over sacrificing others or animals.

• Self-sacrifice becomes an anchor for society rather than sacrificing someone else.

The Symbolism of Sacrifice in Christianity

In this section, the speaker discusses the symbolism of sacrifice in Christianity and how it relates to the story of Christ.

Sacrifice as Self-Sacrifice

• The ascetics who give their lives in prayer to God represent a kind of self-sacrifice that becomes the seed for the church to exist.

• If you don't give up something valuable to a higher purpose, it will be taken from you. This is true for everything, including material possessions and talents.

Christ as Lamb and Firstborn

• Christ becomes both the lamb and the death of the Egyptians during Passover.

• Christ receives both the wrath of God and plays the role of Egyptian firstborn on Passover night.

• The crucifixion culminates and ends animal sacrificial systems, while commemoration bread eaten at Passover becomes joined with sacrifice itself.

Conclusion

• The crucifixion collapses all symbolism together, making it difficult to understand but interesting to contemplate.