None of you should go out of the entrance of his house until morning.—Ex. 12:22.

In the tenth plague upon Egypt in Moses’ day, the firstborn of the Egyptians were killed, but those of the Israelites were spared. Why? Jehovah had given the Israelites instructions for survival, which included the words in today’s text. (Ex. 12:7) Which firstborn among the Israelites would have dared to ignore such God-given instructions by going outside a house marked with the blood splashed on the two doorposts and the upper part of the doorway? We therefore have reason to think carefully about our personal situation. Are we actually inside Jehovah’s arrangement of spiritual protection? When the great tribulation strikes, tears of joy and thankfulness will stream down the faces of those who have sought such protection. For others, there will be only tears of sorrow and regret. w 5/15/06 11, 12