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T H E K I N G ’S B U S I N E S S
These verses contain the laws which were to regulate the life of Israel in connection w ith th e Passover and th e set ting ap a rt of th e first born of. Israel. God’s promise was sure. God’s leading, definite. Obedience was th e one thing demanded then and it is th e one thing which God demands now. (11 :1 , 2) Ph araoh and his people had been given every opportunity to repent. Even th e divine patience had ceased to endure th e ir hard and cruel and deceitful hearts. The final and decisive plague was announced, and described w ith accuracy; bu t before its actual inflic- OOMMENTS tion several days elapsed, th a t th e peo- FROM THE pie of Israel m ight be prepared for the COMMENTARIES exodus. One important- step was the V. V. Morgan asking (not “ borrow ing” ) of jewels, the most easily carried form of wealth, from th e Egyptians. It was only rig h t th a t th e Hebrews should have a little re tu rn for th e ir long service, and what th e ir m asters gave them was far less th an th e ir due.— Peloubet. (1 2 :1 1 ) It was an e x p ia tio n ,'th a t is to say, it was' the acceptance of an innocent victim for a guilty soul. It was a feast, for th e soul of" th e faith fu l Israelite was made glad as be looked upon God’s provision for redemption. It was a memorial, for it was to be kep t th roughout all the genera tions to come, an incident to be told and retold by paren t and child. It was a prophecy, for it looked forw’ard to a g reater Passover.—-Evans. ( 1 2 : 6 ) The “ evening” here means sometime between the tim e of th e sun’s beginning to decline and th a t of its set ting, say abou t 3:00 P. M. F o r th e typical application to Christ compare John 19:19 and Matthew 26:46.—Gray. (1 2 :8 ) W hat should be done w ith th e blood (7)?- How was th e flesh to be cooked and eaten ( 8 )? “As th e sacrific ing of th e lamb is a symbol of the redemption by which the death penalty due by one is paid by another, so th e eating of i is a figure of the participation in pardon, acceptance and full blessedness consequent on the atonem ent being made and th e law being satisfied.”—Gray. (12 :9 , 10) I t would appear from th is th a t th e lamb was. to be roasted whole and entire, excepting doubtless th e in testin al canal. There was to be no breaking of its bones (John 1 9 :3 3 ). This “was strikingly expressive of the unity of th e sacrifice, of the salvation it pre-figured, and the people who partook of it (Psa. 34:20; 1 Cor. 10 :17 ). Nothing should rem ain of th e lamb lest it should be put to a superstitious use, and also to prevent putrefaction, for it was not meet th a t anything offered to God should see cor rup tion (Psa. 1 6 :1 0 ).— Gray. (12 :13 ) -W hen I see th e blood I will pass over you. It was no t th e ir ch aracter th a t saved them , n eith er the mercy of God in th e ab stract, nor th e ir faith and obedience, con sidered as a m eritorious act, bu t th e actual sprinkling of the blood upon th e door posts. W ithout th is they would not have been in th e will of God, and His mercy could not have been operative towards them . No m a tte r th e degree or in telligence of th eir faith which led to th e sprinkling of the blood, it was th e la tte r divinely-ordained token which was th e means of th e ir deliverance. Nothing could more strik ingly set before us the tru th about the application of Christ’s blood to our guilty conscience as a means of de liverance from th e w rath to come (Rom. 3:24-25; Eph. 1 :7 ). It is not our character, neith er the mercy of God tow ards us in th e ab stract nor the streng th or intelligence of our faith , bu t th e application of th e blood to our souls, th a t saves. Do not pass th is lesson w ithout satisfying your self th a t th is has become tru e to you, and* th a t you have by faith displayed th e token (Acts 4 :2 7 ).—Gray. (12 :1 4 ) One of the most wonderful proofs of Christian ity is th e exact parallelism between this crowning event of th e Old Testament, th e Passover, and the crowning event of th e New Testament, th e sacrifice upon Calvary of th e Lamb of God. In th e blackness of m idnight, while sin was a t its highest, He also died, w ithout blemish, and not a bone of im was broken. In the Lord’s Supper we ea t His flesh symbolically and d rink His blood, and remember w ith worshipping g ratitud e how he has saved us from th e bon dage and death of sin.—Peloubet. (12 :26 ) The children should be thoroughly instructed in divine things. Every home ought to have a fam ily re-
(3 ) THE PERPETUATION, vs. 24-27 “Ye shall observe * * * th is * * * ordinance * * * forever” v. 24. The feast was to be perpetually observed as a testimony to the fact of th eir being objects of God’s favor and the subjects of God’s love, and' as a rem inder of the method employed in th e ir deliverance. The story, was never to grow old, bu t was to be kep t fresh by a yearly observance of th e feast. This is a type of our memorial, the Lord's supper, bu t how different! No law for us as to where, or when, or how it is to be observed, b u t all those who are un d er th e blood and who delight to thu s remember th e ir Lord, are asked to “Do this— till I come.” (4 ) THE PARTICIPANTS, v. 28 “The children of Israel * * * did as th e Lord h ad commanded,” T h e,secret of Israel’s failu re is found here. The mixed multitude, w ithout regard to th e ir relation to God,— th e “hangers-on”—participated in the Passover, as is the case w ith so many “ church-members” in these days who have never been consciously “ born again,” and who are not un der th e blood, bu t under th e condemnation of God. This tru th should be emphasized, for many are u n taugh t and have been urged to un ite w ith the Church, who have never been united, by faith in His shed blood, w ith Christ. (5) PHARAOH AND H IS PEOPLE PUNISHED, vs. 29, 30 “The Lord smote all th e first born in th e land of Egypt” v. 29. The judgm ent of God came as prophesied. God never fails. He will do what He says He will do and as He says He will do it. There is no respect of persons w ith Him. The palace, the prison house and th e pauper’s hovel all felt the blow of God’s judgm ent. They would not obey. They m ust pay th e penalty. It is so today (John 3:36) P h araoh ’s command was explicit. “ Get up and get out, all of you, w ith your possessions.” He has been driven to obedience and craves Moses’ blessing. W h at a different story m ight have been w ritten had Ph araoh given heed to God’s demands! W h at a different life history would be w ritten of men and women today if they were only willing to hear and hqed God’s demands. (7) THE PEOPLE SPOIL THE EGYPTIANS, vs. 34-36 “They borrowed of th e Egyptians” v. 35. It was a hu rried departure, w ithout stopping even to bake th e ir dough, and they took advantage of th is oppor tun ity to obtain some recompense for th e ir unpaid service by borrow ing ( “ asking” would be b etter) of th e Egyptians jewels and raim en t which the Egyptians were glad to lend (give) them . Glad, indeed, in time of judgm ent will peo ple be to do anything to save themselves. ( 8 ) THE PILGRIM JOURNEY, vs. 37-42 “And th e chil dren of Israel journeyed’.’ v. 37. The power and grace of God are manifested in the pic tu re given us here. Six hundred thousand men would mean over th ree million people. In 430 years Jacob’s fam ily and servants had multiplied to this number. This is bu t a type of the pilgrim journey for th e saint toward Heaven (1 Pet. 2:11 )
“H e t h a t b e l i e v e t h o n t h e S o n h a t h e v e r l a s t in g l i f e ; a n d h e t h a t b e l i e v e t h n o t t h e S o n s h a l l n o t s e e l i f e ; b u t t h e w r a t h o f G od a b id e t h o n h im .” ( 6 ) PHARAOH DEMANDS DEPARTURE, vs. 31-33 “Rise up and g et you fo rth ” v. 31.
“D e a r l y b e lo v e d , 1 b e s e e c h y o u , a s s t r a n g e r s a n d p i l g r im s , a b s t a in f r om f l e s h l y l u s t s w h i c h w a r a g a in s t t h e s o u l .” (Luke 12:35) “L e t y o u r l o i n s b e g ir d e d a b o u t , a n d y o u r l i g h t s b u r n in g .” - (Eph. 6:13-18) (9) THE PASSOVER ORDINANCES AND PROMISE FOR THE FUTURE, 12:43; 13:22 “This is th e ordinance • f th e passover” v. 43.
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