“For the LORD will pass through to strike the Egyptians, and when he sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you.” (Exodus 12:23, ESV) For several generations the children of Israel lived in Egypt, although their status had shifted through the years. Joseph, who had once guided Egypt through a great famine, was long forgotten. The Israelites were now slaves and life was hard. Centuries earlier, God had given Abraham the promise of a permanent homeland. In Genesis 13:15…