A Quick Overview of the Passover Story

Passover is the account of God using Moses to lead his people out of slavery in Egypt. While this amazing story is traditionally read during the Passover Seder, read it ahead of time if you’re unfamiliar with it.  Even if you are, reading it again will get your heart in the right place in preparation form Passover and may reveal something new God wanted to show you!

Our children always watch The Prince of Egypt at least a few times during the Passover season. They pretty much know it by heart, but it never fails to bring up some great conversations about different aspects of the story.

The Passover itself can be found in Exodus 12, but start in Exodus 3 and read through chapter 15 for the whole story. While this summary can be read during a Seder or used for a brief re-cap, there’s no substitute for the bible version, so make sure to read it and take time to marinate in the awe of it sometime. Its message is life-changing!

Here’s a basic chapter breakdown (very paraphrased):

• Exodus 3: God talked to Moses from the burning bush.  He told Moses he had heard the cries of His enslaved people and of His plan to rescue them from Pharaoh in Egypt.  He told Moses that Pharaoh wouldn’t listen at first, but he would later after he saw the wonders God would perform. 

• Exodus 4: Moses came up with some excuses as to why he shouldn’t be the one to carry out God’s plan.  God got a bit miffed that Moses tried to get out of the job, then assured him he was well-equipped and the right man to lead the exodus of His people.  Moses left for Egypt, and his brother, Aaron, met him along the way.  Aaron told the Hebrew people of the plan when they arrived in Egypt.

• Exodus 5: Moses and Aaron appeared before Pharaoh and told him they were sent by God to take His people out of Egypt.  Pharaoh then had his taskmasters increase the work of the Hebrew slaves.  The Hebrew people turned on Moses because he’d caused them even more grief by angering Pharaoh.  Moses questioned God because of the harsh circumstances brought on the Hebrew people.

• Exodus 6: God told Moses He knew what He was doing and that He would do exactly as He said.  Moses attempted to tell all of this to the enslaved people, but their spirits had been broken and they refused to listen.  God once again told Moses to ask Pharaoh to let the people go but Moses was hesitant.  God said, “I’m God.  I say do it anyway”.

• Exodus 7: God said, “Go and tell Pharaoh to let the people go.  His heart will be hardened, and he won’t, but I will multiply my signs and wonders in Egypt.  Also, do that miracle I told you to”.  Before Pharaoh again, Moses threw down his staff, which turned into a serpent.  Pharaoh again didn’t listen.  God then told Moses to tell Pharaoh that the Nile River would be turned to blood.  Moses dipped his staff in the Nile, and it turned to blood, and everything died, but Pharaoh again didn’t listen.  God said to tell Pharaoh that a massive frog infestation was next.

• Exodus 8: God told Moses to tell Aaron to stretch his staff out over the waters of Egypt and frogs covered the land when Aaron obeyed.  Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and told them to ask God to take the frogs away.  Moses cried out to God about the frogs.  The frogs died and were piled up and made all of Egypt stink.  Pharaoh hardened his heart again.  God told Moses to have Aaron strike the dust and, when he did, it turned into gnats, which filled the land of Egypt.  The next plague was of flies.  They ruined all the land of Egypt, except Goshen, where the Hebrew people lived.  Pharaoh agreed to let the people go but changed his mind once God removed the flies.

• Exodus 9: A plague was brought on the Egyptian livestock and they died.  Still Pharaoh didn’t let the people go.  A plague of boils and sores followed.  It again only affected the Egyptians and Pharaoh again refused to let the people go.  God said He could’ve wiped the Egyptians out by now but hadn’t so He could show His power.  The next plague was hail, which destroyed everything and everyone that wasn’t protected.  It only fell on Egypt, not Goshen.  Pharaoh agreed to let the people go, then again changed his mind.

• Exodus 10: Two plagues were sent in this chapter – locusts to destroy the rest of Egypt’s land and a terrible darkness.  Again, Goshen was spared.  Pharaoh still refused to free the slaves.

• Exodus 11: Moses warned Pharaoh that the next plague would be the death of the firstborn of all Egypt.  Both livestock and humans would be affected but the Hebrew people would be kept safe.  Pharaoh still did not let the people go.

• Exodus 12: The Passover begins. God told Moses and Aaron the instructions to give the Hebrew people for protection from the plague of the firstborn.  They were to slaughter a lamb and paint its blood on the doorpost or their house.  Instructions were given for the cooking and eating of the meat and this was called God’s Passover.  When God brought this plague onto Egypt, the blood on the doorposts caused Him to pass over the homes of the Hebrew people.  God repeated the command to observe this Passover Feast forever many times in this chapter.  Pharaoh finally caved and let the Hebrew people go.  They fled Egypt.

• Exodus 13: God commands the people to set apart every firstborn for Him and gives further instructions for the observation of Passover.  God led the people to the Red Sea in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.

• Exodus 14: Pharaoh realized what he had done and went after the Hebrew people to bring them back.  The people were then trapped between the Egyptians and the Red Sea.  God miraculously divided the sea so His people could cross, then closed the divide on the Egyptians as they followed, drowning them.

• Exodus 15: Moses and his sister, Miriam, sang songs of praise to God for saving them and bringing them out of Egypt.  They then headed into the wilderness as God’s free people.

It’s such an awesome story, isn’t it? I can’t help wondering what took Pharaoh so long. I’d like to think I’d cave long before the 10th plague, but it does say God hardened his heart, so there’s that. Please read about the Passover and the Exodus with a heart softened to hear what God has to teach you through it. Don’t let it become so familiar that you miss God’s supernatural glory in all of it!

Did you find this summary helpful in your Seder or Passover preparation? Leave a comment below!