這九種災害代表對埃及各類偶像的攻擊（包括尼羅河、太陽、青蛙、蒼蠅等等），現在上帝要攻擊法老自己了，祂的方法是：警告每一家埃及人的長子都將暴斃（包括法老之子），除非以色列百姓獲釋。為了逃避這個可怕的審判，逾越節時，每一家以色列人都殺羔羊為長子代死，恐怖的死亡之夜後，法老下令希伯來人離境，愈遠愈好，長期盼望的「出埃及」就此開始。從此逾越節成為一年一度的救贖紀念日，紀念上帝的子民脫離埃及為奴之地。

        「以前我對記人名是最沒辦法的了！」一個人跟他的朋友說，「但是自從我上了卡內基記憶法之後，一切就改觀了！」
        記憶，就是它會告訴一個人，他妻子的生日其實是昨天！上帝知道祂的子民很快就會忘記他們歷史中的重要時刻──諸如逾越節和出埃及──除非有人提醒他們，使他們記憶猶新，所以祂命令全國百姓的日曆上圈出這個重要的日子，年年謹守，好讓以色列人對上帝偉大的拯救永誌不忘，同時也提醒他們，上帝的拯救意義何其重大。
        在過去的一年當中，在你與上帝來往的生命裡面，有沒有一個值得每年都紀念的日子？如果沒有，在你的日曆上圈出一個值得慶祝的日子（你的生日就是一個最好的日子），邀請全家人來回顧，慶祝上帝在你身上的作為以及現在正在動工的部份。

想像你加入以色列人中過逾越節
        當滅命的天使經過埃及全地時，給每個家庭帶來了惡耗──長子之死，卻越過了門框塗血的以色列人，所以以色列人還很活躍，然而他們十分清醒、儆醒和順服，吃逾越節的羔羊、隨時穿著鞋、拿著隨身携帶的東西，準備一聽到上帝的命令就離開！

如果上帝想到我們的時間和我們想到祂的時間一樣少，你想會怎樣？

English

        Each of the preceding nine plagues has represented an attack on an object of worship in Egypt (the Nile, sun, frogs, flies, etc.). But now God attacks Pharaoh himself by warning that the firstborn of each Egyptian household (including Pharaoh's) will die unless the people are released. To escape the terrible judgment, each Israelite household observes the Passover by substituting the death of a lamb for the death of their firstborn. After a night of horror and death, Pharaoh commands the Hebrews to leave, and the long-awaited Exodus begins. Passover henceforth becomes an annual memorial of the redemption of God's people from their Egyptian bondage.

        "I used to have a terrible time remembering people's names," admitted one friend to another, "but no longer! Not since I took that Sam Carnegie memory course ..."
        Memory. It's what tells a man his wife's birthday was yesterday. God knew that His people would quickly forget great moments in their history unless their memories were refreshed. So He commanded the nation to circle the important date of the Passover on their calendars and observe it yearly in order to keep the memory of God's great deliverance fresh and vital to them.
        Do you have an annual date on which you review all of God's dealings in your life over the past 12 months? If not, circle a day (your birthday is an excellent time). Make it a time of reflecting, remembering, and rejoicing for what God has done, and is doing, in your life day by day.

Pictures in the Passover . . . for Israel and for You
        As the Lord passed through Egypt, bringing death to the firstborn in every family that did not have the bloodstained doorposts, the Israelites were also active. Rather than sleeping, they were awake, alert, and obedient, feeding on the Passover Lamb—with their shoes on their feet and their staffs in their hands—ready to move at God's command.

What would happen if God remembered us only as often as we remembered Him?