"This month [this new moon*] shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you" (Exodus 12:2).

* In Hebrew, "this month" means the “first day of this new moon.”

Immediately after declaring the New Year, God explained that purpose of the new calendar was for the Passover lamb:

"On the 10th of this month they are each one to take a lamb for themselves. . .'" (Exodus 12:3)

The Israelites had to switch to the new calendar to prepare for the Passover and their departure from Egypt.

The Plague of Darkness

During the ninth plague, the darkness engulfed the entire Egypt for three days: the 12th, 13th, 14th day of the first month.

So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days (Exodus 10:22).

Indeed, our God is the Almighty who governs not only light but also darkness!

Even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you (Psalm 139:12).

During these three days of darkness, Egyptians could not tell the TIME at all because they couldn’t know if it was night or day.

They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, . . . (Exodus 10:23)

However, in Goshen where God's people lived, the Israelites still had the night and day.

. . . but all the sons of Israel had light in their dwellings (Exodus 10:23).

In this way, God separated His own people from the Pharaoh's.

"And I will put a division between My people and your people. Tomorrow this sign shall occur" (Exodus 8:23).

Since the Israelites had light, they knew exactly what DAY and TIME to prepare the Passover lamb as God commanded them.

"On the TENTH of this month, each man is to take a lamb for his family . . ." (Exodus 12:3)

"And you shall keep it until the FOURTEENTH DAY of the same month. . .

. . . then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel is to kill it at TWILIGHT" (Exodus 12:6).

We must "take" the Lamb, our true bridegroom.

"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves.

"He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.

"He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him" (John 6:53-56).

Let us get ready and "take" our eternal bridegroom, Jesus Christ.

"Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready" (Revelation 19:7).

During this season of Lent, let us switch to God's calendar and truly prepare our Passover Lamb for us and our households.