CHAPTER XII. 1 The beginning of the year is changed. 3 The passover is instituted. 11 The rite of the passover. 15 Unleavened bread. 29 The firstborn are slain. 31 The Israelites are driven out of the land. 37 They come to Succoth. 43 The ordinance of the passover. ND the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, 2 This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you. 3 ¶ Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a 'lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: 4 And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb. 5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: 6 And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. 7 And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. 8 And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. 9 Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof. 10 And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire. 11 ¶ And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and shall eat it ye in haste: it is the LORD's passover. 12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. 4 13 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. 5 14 And 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 for ever. 15 Seven days shall ye eat unleavened 17 And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever. 18 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even. 19 Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses: for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger, or born in the land. 20 Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread. 21 Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the passover. 22 And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning. 23 For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you. 24 And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever. 25 And it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the land which the LORD will give you, according as he hath promised, that ye shall keep this service. 26 And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service? 27 That 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. And the people bowed the head and worshipped. 28 And the children of Israel went away, 30 And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead. 31 ¶ And 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. 32 Also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone; and bless me also. 33 And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste; for they said, We be all dead men. 34 And the people took their dough before it was leavened, their 'kneadingtroughs being bound up in their clothes upon their shoulders. 35 And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: 36 And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians. 37 And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, beside children. 38 And 10a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle. 39 And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought forth out of Egypt, for it was not leavened; because they were thrust out of Egypt, and could not tarry, neither had they prepared for themselves any victual. 40 ¶ Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years. be observed of all the children of Israel in their generations. 43 And the LORD said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the ordinance of the passover: There shall no stranger eat thereof: 44 But every man's servant that is bought for money, when thou hast circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof. 45 A foreigner and an hired servant shall not eat thereof. 46 In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth ought of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof. 47 All the congregation of Israel shall 12 keep it. 48 And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof. 49 One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you. 50 Thus did all the children of Israel; as the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they. 51 And it came to pass the selfsame day, that the LORD did bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their armies. WE are here presented with some more particular directions given by the Lord to Moses, for him to instruct the people, previous to their deliverance. These are as remarkable in their nature, for the end proposed, as the previous judgments had been wonderful for the punishment of Pharaoh. Our object must be to improve them. Suppose we here ask a question. If the Lord were determined to deliver his people from their bondage and oppression, and bring them to the promised inheritance, why should he effect that deliverance in the way here described? Why not at once lead them out 41 And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the self-in safety, and conduct them forward in trisame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt. umph? Why inflict so many desolating judgments upon Egypt? Why bring forth Israel in such an astonishing manner? Why should they take a lamb and kill it? Why take the blood of that lamb and sprinkle it upon the door posts of their houses? Why should the blood of that lamb, thus killed and sprinkled, guarantee the safety of all that were in the house where the blood was seen ? And why, where that blood was not sprinkled, should the sword of the destroyer be felt, and the cry of the midnight slaughter be heard? So they were commanded; so they were promised; so they acted; and so it came to pass. But why? In answer to this question, let us propose another. Might not the Lord have intended by these wonderful events, to teach us, in what manner he will deal with men respecting their eternal state? Are we not warranted by other parts of Scripture to draw this conclusion? For instance, if all Holy Scriptures "are able to make us "wise unto salvation" (2 Tim. iii. 15), these Holy Scriptures are able so to do; and the great truths connected with our salvation may be gathered from them. Let us see. That passover, was slain for us. His blood was shed What precious lessons, then, and what interesting records are these! How should we “read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them," that we may avoid the doom of the wicked, "and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, through Jesus Christ our Lord!" CHAPTER XIII. Take the dealings of God with wicked Pharaoh, as a specimen of his future dealing with all the finally impenitent and wicked; and then how plain is that part of the truth made! Are we not told, that there shall be "indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile?" (Rom. ii. 8, 9.) Upon whom will that judgment fall? Upon "them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but A2 Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, obey unrighteousness." (Rom. ii. 8.) The Lord Jesus will be "revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ." (2 Thess. i. 7, 8.) And they "shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power." (2 Thess. i. 9.) These sinners, thus destroyed, will have treated the gospel of Christ much in the same contemptuous and unbelieving manner as Pharaoh distinguished the messages of God by the hand of Moses; and so they perish. Take again, on the other hand, the provision made for Israel's deliverance; and you may see at once a beautiful type of the means provided for our salvation. Is not Jesus Christ the true Paschal Lamb? He, as our 1 The firstborn are sanctified to God. 3 The memorial of the passover is commanded. 11 The firstlings of beasts are set apart. 17 The Israelites go out of Egypt, and carry Joseph's bones with them. 20 They come to Etham. 21 God guideth them by a pillar of a cloud, and a pillar of fire. ND the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine. 3 ¶ And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out from this place: there shall no leavened bread be eaten. 4 This day came ye out in the month Abib. 5 ¶ And it shall be when the LORD shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee, a land flowing with milk and honey, that thou shalt keep this service in this month. 6 Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to the LORD. 7 Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days; and there shall no leavened bread be seen with thee, neither shall there be leaven seen with thee in all thy quarters. 8¶ And thou shalt shew thy son in that day, saying, This is done because of that which the LORD did unto me when I came forth out of Egypt. 9 And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that the LORD's law may be in thy mouth for with a strong hand hath the LORD brought thee out of Egypt. 10 Thou shalt therefore keep this ordinance in his season from year to year. 11 ¶ And it shall be when the LORD shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites, as he sware unto thee and to thy fathers, and shall give it thee, 12 That thou shalt 'set apart unto the LORD all that openeth the matrix, and every firstling that cometh of a beast which thou hast; the males shall be the LORD'S. 13 And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a 'lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his neck: and all the firstborn of man among thy children shalt thou redeem. 14 ¶ And it shall be when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What is this? that thou shalt say unto him, By strength of hand the LORD brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage: 15 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh would hardly let us go, that the LORD slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man, and the firstborn of beast; therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all that openeth the matrix, being males; but all the firstborn of my children I redeem. 16 And it shall be for a token upon thine hand, and for frontlets between thine eyes: for by strength of hand the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt. 17 ¶ And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt: 18 But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea: and the children of Israel went up 'harnessed out of the land of Egypt. 19 And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him: for he had straitly sworn the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you; and ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you. We have seen the institution of the passover; and made some improvement of it. We have seen, also, how the Lord brought forth his people out of Egypt, as he had spoken. How wonderful was that deliverance! If you consider the destruction of the Egyptian firstborn, it was a deliverance from the midst of death. If you consider the covenant of God, it was a deliverance according to his promise. In the self-same day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the Lord went forth by their armies. Was that a night much to be observed by them? (ch. xii. 42.) How ought we, then, to remember what Christ hath done for our souls! What a price did he give for our ransom! What a salvation is that which he bestows! How exactly was the promise fulfilled which spake of that ransom, and foretold that redemption! Surely, we should praise the Lord for what he hath done for our souls! (Gal. iv. 4, 5.) In this chapter several points are to be noted and improved. Why were all the firstborn to be devoted to the Lord? And why was that dedication to be made immediately upon their deliverance? Doubtless, it was to remind them of what had been done for their release, when, for the purpose of bringing it to pass, the Lord slew all the first-born of Egypt; and how, that being accomplished, their first-born, instead of being destroyed, were taken by the Lord to be his portion in a peculiar manner. Thus the Lord's mercy to them, and his wrath upon his enemies, were at the same time to be significantly set forth, and perpetually kept in mind from generation to generation. Is not this part of Holy Scripture also "able to make" us "wise unto salvation, through faith in Christ Jesus?" (2 Tim. iii. 15.) Are not all believers in Jesus called the "church of the first-born, which are written in heaven?" (Heb. xii. 23.) Is not Jesus Christ himself, as the sacred head of that redeemed family, called "the first-born among many brethren?" (Rom. viii. 29.) Why is this? Surely to teach us how perishing sinners come to attain that blessedness; namely, through the costly sacrifice of the death of Christ: and from what dangers they have been rescued by virtue of that sacrifice; namely, from the curse of the law, and the wrath of God, due to their sins: and further, how that therefore they are the Lord's redeemed inheritance, and are to be devoted to his service and glory, since the Lord alone has done all these things for them. 1 God instructeth the Israelites in their journey. 5 Pharaoh pursueth after them. 10 The Israelites murmur. 13 Moses comforteth them. 15 God instructeth Moses. 19 The cloud removeth behind the camp. 21 The Israelites pass through the Red sea, 23 which drowneth the Egyptians. Again, why, when they came into the pro- AND the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, mised land, were they to keep this service with unleavened bread? Why, for so many days during the feast of the passover, was there to be no leaven seen with them in all their quarters? Does not the apostle tell us, when shewing how in the gospel sense we are to observe the Christian passover, he teaches us, that by unleavened bread are meant sincerity and truth? (1 Cor. v. 7, 8.) Were not the Israelites then reminded that they were to be really sensible of their great deliverance, and really devoted to the Lord by virtue of that deliverance? And are not we reminded that our profession, faith, hope, and dedication to the Lord, must be really sincere; and upon the same ground, namely, that Christ hath redeemed us to God by his blood? (Rev. v. 9, 10.) Further, why were they to teach their children these things, and to explain to them their meaning from age to age, and generation to generation? Doubtless, that their youthful mind might be duly instructed in all the great truths and events which were intimately blended with their existence and welfare. And surely this also teaches us that our children, and all the rising generation, are to be taught the truth as it is in Jesus; that, by the blessing of God, they may be interested in his salvation, and be devoted to his service. Moreover, why were even the very "bones of Joseph" to be carried up with them; but to prove that it was a complete deliverance? And then the Lord himself, by the pillar of a 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baal-zephon: before it shall ye encamp by the sea. 3 For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in. 4 And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, that he shall follow after them; and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD. And they did so. 5¶ And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us? 6 And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him: 7 And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them. 8 And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with an high hand. 9 But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pi-hahiroth, before Baal-zephon. 10 ¶ And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD. 11 And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? where |