THE K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
53
him, is the acceptance of God’s way of deliverance. The passover lamb not only secured Isra el’s deliverance th rough th e sp rink led blood, b u t its flesh, which was roasted and eaten, supplied streng th for th e walk of th e redeemed ones. They were not delivered by the blood to rem ain in Egypt, bu t ra th e r by it they were set a t liberty to leave Egypt. It is Impossible to th in k of any Israelite going th rough th a t terrib le experience and having th e way opened up for him to get out of Egypt, and then choosing to rem ain there. And so th e man or woman, tru ly redeemed by th e blood of Jesus today, has no desire to remain in th e world, bu t only longs to leave it all behind, and get into th e promised life of blessedness th a t God has opened up. II. Tlje Memorial F east. The passover was in stitu ted as an annual feast. It was th e beginning of the sacred year of th e Jews. It brought to mind, year by year, God’s mercy, God’s love, God’s g reat deliver ance. It should have fostered faith in God’s prom ises and should have led every Israelite to renewed consecration and obedience. It is to th is day a stand ing testim ony to th e Gentile nations, for it is observed everywhere, the world over, by the orthodox Jew. In the Jewish home it was intended to pro voke questions on th e p art of the younger generation, th a t th e ir elders m ight recite to them the story of God’s goodness. Go back over the history of the Jew ish people, century afte r cen tury, to the tim e covered by our lesson, and you will 'find th is n ational land mark. Take the simpler memorial feast th a t our Lord Jesus in stitu ted , the last n igh t He was w ith His- disciples, before His death, and you can trace it also back th rough th e centuries, from our own day, to th a t Passover feast in the upper room. Let th e agnostic and the infidel attem p t to explain it as they
will, th ere it stands an uncontrovert ible fact, pointing backward to the cross and pointing forw ard to H is com ing. “Ye do show fo rth th e Lord’s death till He come.” H I. The Dead F irstbo rn . The sentence of death on the first born in all th e land of Egypt, which included Goshen of course, had been passed by God. Chap. 11:4-9. Only th e firstborn in the house protected by th e blood, was safe. Notice the con nection between v. 21 and v. 30. The Israelites escaped because a n o th er’s blood had been shed. “W ithout shed ding of blood th e re is no rem ission.” “How shall we escape if we neglect so g reat salvation.” The theme here is “ The P ilgrim Pas sage and P rotection.” W hat are the g reat fundam ental tru th s? Israel is to be redeemed,— a nation is to be estab lished. God is the HEART OF au th o r of a religious THE LESSON and ecclesiastical sys- T. C. H orton tern in behalf of His own people. A new era is announced, the day and the month proclaimed. All details are prescribed; the order outlined; all essentials pro vided. God never left it to men to in vent a religious system for th e worship of Himself. He ordained its ch aracter; He prescribed the offering, the manner and the methods, the times and the sea sons. The whole pictu re h ere is typical. The beginning of life is when man is born again. A new life; an identity w ith a new people. The lamb is a type of Christ (1 Cor. 5:7, 8). The blood is the foundation of rem ission of sins. “W ithout the shedding of blood th ere is no rem ission.” When sheltered under th e blood th ere is safety. It is not enough to eat of the Passover lamb; it is not enough to know Jesus Christ as th e perfect, sinless Man. A recent ser mon by a university professor says:
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker