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Chapter 24
The Passover
[This chapter is based on Exodus 11; 12:1-32.]
WHEN the demand for Israel's release had been first presented to the
king of Egypt, the warning of the most terrible of the plagues had been
given. Moses was directed to say to Pharaoh, "Thus saith the Lord,
Israel is My son, even My first-born: and I say unto thee, Let My son
go, that he may serve Me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I
will slay thy son, even thy first-born." Exodus 4:22, 23. Though
despised by the Egyptians, the Israelites had been honored by God, in
that they were singled out to be the depositaries of His law. In the
special blessings and privileges accorded them, they had pre-eminence
among the nations, as the first-born son had among brothers.
The judgment of which Egypt had first been warned, was to be the last
visited. God is long-suffering and plenteous in mercy. He has a tender
care for the beings formed in His image. If the loss of their harvests
and their flocks and herds had brought Egypt to repentance, the children
would not have been smitten; but the nation had stubbornly resisted the
divine command, and now the final blow was about to fall.
Moses had been forbidden, on pain of death, to appear again in Pharaoh's
presence; but a last message from God was to be delivered to the
rebellious monarch, and again Moses came before him, with the terrible
announcement: "Thus saith the Lord, About midnight will I go out into
the midst of Egypt: and all the first-born in the land of Egypt shall
die, from the first-born of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even
unto the first-born of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all
the first-born of beasts. And there shall be a great cry throughout all
the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it
any more. But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move
his tongue, against man or beast: that ye may know how that the Lord
doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel. And all these
thy servants shall come down unto me, and bow down themselves unto me,
saying, Get thee out, and all the people that follow thee: and after
that I will go out."
Before the execution of this sentence the Lord through Moses gave
direction to the children of Israel concerning their departure from
Egypt, and especially for their preservation from the coming judgment.
Each family, alone or in connection with others, was to slay a lamb or a
kid "without blemish," and with a bunch of hyssop sprinkle its blood on
"the two side posts and on the upper doorpost" of the house, that the
destroying angel, coming at midnight, might not enter that dwelling.
They were to eat the flesh roasted, with unleavened bread and bitter
herbs, at night, as Moses said, "with your loins girded, your shoes on
your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it
is the Lord's Passover."
The Lord declared: "I will pass through the land of Egypt this night,
and will smite all the first-born in the land of Egypt, both man and
beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment. . . .
And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are:
and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not
be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt."
In commemoration of this great deliverance a feast was to be observed
yearly by the people of Israel in all future generations. "This day
shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the
Lord throughout your generations: ye shall keep it a feast by an
ordinance forever." As they should keep the feast in future years, they
were to repeat to their children the story of this great deliverance, as
Moses bade them: "Ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the Lord's
Passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt,
when He smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses."
Furthermore, the first-born of both man and beast were to be the Lord's,
to be bought back only by a ransom, in acknowledgment that when the
first-born in Egypt perished, that of Israel, though graciously
preserved, had been justly exposed to the same doom but for the atoning
sacrifice. "All the first-born are Mine," the Lord declared; "for on the
day that I smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt, I hallowed
unto Me all the first-born in Israel, both man and beast: Mine they
shall be," Numbers 3:13. After the institution of the tabernacle service
the Lord chose unto Himself the tribe of Levi for the work of the
sanctuary, instead of the first-born of the people. "They are wholly
given unto Me from among the children of Israel," He said. "Instead of
the first-born of all the children of Israel, have I taken them unto
Me." Numbers 8:16. All the people were, however, still required, in
acknowledgment of God's mercy, to pay a redemption price for the
first-born son. Numbers 18:15, 16.
The Passover was to be both commemorative and typical, not only pointing
back to the deliverance from Egypt, but forward to the greater
deliverance which Christ was to accomplish in freeing His people from
the bondage of sin. The sacrificial lamb represents "the Lamb of God,"
in whom is our only hope of salvation. Says the apostle, "Christ our
Passover is sacrificed for us." 1 Corinthians 5:7. It was not enough
that the paschal lamb be slain; its blood must be sprinkled upon the
doorposts; so the merits of Christ's blood must be applied to the soul.
We must believe, not only that He died for the world, but that He died
for us individually. We must appropriate to ourselves the virtue of the
atoning sacrifice.
The hyssop used in sprinkling the blood was the symbol of purification,
being thus employed in the cleansing of the leper and of those defiled
by contact with the dead. In the psalmist's prayer also its significance
is seen: "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I
shall be whiter than snow." Psalm 51:7.
The lamb was to be prepared whole, not a bone of it being broken: so not
a bone was to be broken of the Lamb of God, who was to die for us. John
19:36. Thus was also represented the completeness of Christ's sacrifice.
The flesh was to be eaten. It is not enough even that we believe on
Christ for the forgiveness of sin; we must by faith be constantly
receiving spiritual strength and nourishment from Him through His word.
Said Christ, "Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His
blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth My flesh, and drinketh My
blood, hath eternal life." John 6:53, 54. And to explain His meaning He
said, "The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are
life." Verse 63. Jesus accepted His Father's law, wrought out its
principles in His life, manifested its spirit, and showed its beneficent
power in the heart. Says John, "The Word was made flesh and dwelt among
us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the
Father,) full of grace and truth." John 1:14. The followers of Christ
must be partakers of His experience. They must receive and assimilate
the word of God so that it shall become the motive power of life and
action. By the power of Christ they must be changed into His likeness,
and reflect the divine attributes. They must eat the flesh and drink the
blood of the Son of God, or there is no life in them. The spirit and
work of Christ must become the spirit and work of His disciples.
The lamb was to be eaten with bitter herbs, as pointing back to the
bitterness of the bondage in Egypt. So when we feed upon Christ, it
should be with contrition of heart, because of our sins. The use of
unleavened bread also was significant. It was expressly enjoined in the
law of the Passover, and as strictly observed by the Jews in their
practice, that no leaven should be found in their houses during the
feast. In like manner the leaven of sin must be put away from all who
would receive life and nourishment from Christ. So Paul writes to the
Corinthian church, "Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a
new lump. . . . For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us:
therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the
leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of
sincerity and truth." 1 Corinthians 5:7, 8.
Before obtaining freedom, the bondmen must show their faith in the great
deliverance about to be accomplished. The token of blood must be placed
upon their houses, and they must separate themselves and their families
from the Egyptians, and gather within their own dwellings. Had the
Israelites disregarded in any particular the directions given them, had
they neglected to separate their children from the Egyptians, had they
slain the lamb, but failed to strike the doorpost with blood, or had any
gone out of their houses, they would not have been secure. They might
have honestly believed that they had done all that was necessary, but
their sincerity would not have saved them. All who failed to heed the
Lord's directions would lose their first-born by the hand of the
destroyer.
By obedience the people were to give evidence of their faith. So all who
hope to be saved by the merits of the blood of Christ should realize
that they themselves have something to do in securing their salvation.
While it is Christ only that can redeem us from the penalty of
transgression, we are to turn from sin to obedience. Man is to be saved
by faith, not by works; yet his faith must be shown by his works. God
has given His Son to die as a propitiation for sin, He has manifested
the light of truth, the way of life, He has given facilities,
ordinances, and privileges; and now man must co-operate with these
saving agencies; he must appreciate and use the helps that God has
provided--believe and obey all the divine requirements.
As Moses rehearsed to Israel the provisions of God for their
deliverance, "the people bowed the head and worshiped." The glad hope of
freedom, the awful knowledge of the impending judgment upon their
oppressors, the cares and labors incident to their speedy departure--all
were for the time swallowed up in gratitude to their gracious Deliverer.
Many of the Egyptians had been led to acknowledge the God of the Hebrews
as the only true God, and these now begged to be permitted to find
shelter in the homes of Israel when the destroying angel should pass
through the land. They were gladly welcomed, and they pledged themselves
henceforth to serve the God of Jacob and to go forth from Egypt with His
people.
The Israelites obeyed the directions that God had given. Swiftly and
secretly they made their preparations for departure. Their families were
gathered, the paschal lamb slain, the flesh roasted with fire, the
unleavened bread and bitter herbs prepared. The father and priest of the
household sprinkled the blood upon the doorpost, and joined his family
within the dwelling. In haste and silence the paschal lamb was eaten. In
awe the people prayed and watched, the heart of the eldest born, from
the strong man down to the little child, throbbing with indefinable
dread. Fathers and mothers clasped in their arms their loved first-born
as they thought of the fearful stroke that was to fall that night. But
no dwelling of Israel was visited by the death-dealing angel. The sign
of blood--the sign of a Saviour's protection--was on their doors, and
the destroyer entered not.
At midnight "there was a great cry in Egypt: for there was not a house
where there was not one dead." All the first-born in the land, "from the
firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the
captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle" had
been smitten by the destroyer. Throughout the vast realm of Egypt the
pride of every household had been laid low. The shrieks and wails of the
mourners filled the air. King and courtiers, with blanched faces and
trembling limbs, stood aghast at the overmastering horror. Pharaoh
remembered how he had once exclaimed, "Who is Jehovah, that I should
obey His voice to let Israel go? I know not Jehovah, neither will I let
Israel go." Now, his heaven-daring pride humbled in the dust, he "called
for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, and get you forth from
among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve the
Lord, as ye have said. Also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have
said. . . . And be gone; and bless me also." The royal counselors also
and the people entreated the Israelites to depart "out of the land in
haste; for they said, We be all dead men."
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