What does Exodus 12:49 mean?
Commanding there to be a single law for all people, native-born or foreign, seems trivial to a modern, post-Christian culture. Yet the context makes this comment remarkable. God is referring to observance of Passover (Exodus 12:12–14). This event is crucial to the identity of His chosen people (Deuteronomy 14:2). In that time and place, it would be expected that only those physically born into the nation could be included. However, the Lord offered a path for anyone to be assimilated into the family. This was tied to circumcision (Genesis 17:10–14). Those who responded to the Lord in faith could become fully accepted members of the nation of Israel. This is demonstrated in the stories of Rahab (Joshua 6:25) and Ruth (Ruth 1:4; 4:10–12) and their legacies (Matthew 1:5; Hebrews 11:31).This law is consistent for all people: only those who are circumcised may participate in Passover. Later instructions from God will highlight this inclusive and fair-minded approach (Leviticus 19:34; Numbers 15:29).