[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.
Take every man a lamb - In each of their families, or
two or three families, if they were small, join for a lamb. The lamb was
to be got ready four days before. and that afternoon they went, they were
to kill it, (Exodus 12:6,) as a sacrifice, not strictly, for it was not
offered upon the altar, but as a religious ceremony, acknowledging God's
goodness to them, not only in preserving them from, but in delivering them
by the plagues inflicted on the Egyptians. The lamb so slain they were
to eat roasted (we may suppose in its several quarters) with unleavened
bread and bitter herbs; they were to eat it in haste, Exodus 12:11, and
to leave none of it until the morning; for God wouldhave them to depend
upon him for their daily bread. Before they eat the flesh of the lamb,
they were to sprinkle the blood upon the door - posts; by which their houses
were to be distinguished from the houses of the Egyptians, and so their
first - born secured from the sword of the destroying angel. Dreadful work
was to be made this night in Egypt; all the first - born both of man and
beast were to be slain; and judgment executed upon the gods of Egypt, Numbers
33:4. It is probable the idols which the Egyptians worshipped were defaced,
those of metal melted, those of wood consumed, and those of stone broke
to pieces. This was to be annually observed as a feast of the Lord in their
generations, to which the feast of unleavened bread was annexed, during
which, for seven days, they were to eat no bread but what was unleavened,
in remembrance of their being confined to such bread for many days after
they came out of Egypt, Exodus 12:14- 20.There was much of the gospel in
this ordinance:
-
The paschal lamb was typical. Christ is our passover,
5:7,and is the Lamb of God, 1:29.
-
It was to be a male of the first year; in its prime. Christ
offered up himself in the midst of his days. It notes the strength and
sufficiency of the Lord Jesus, on whom our help was laid.
-
It was to be without blemish, noting the purity of the Lord
Jesus, a lamb without spot, 1 Peter 1:19.
-
It was to be set apart four days before, noting the designation
of the Lord Jesus to be a Saviour, both in the purpose and in the promise.
It is observable, that as Christ was crucified at the passover, so he solemnly
entered into Jerusalem four days before, the very day that the paschal
lamb was set apart.
-
It was to be slain and roasted with fire, noting the exquisite
sufferings of the Lord Jesus, even unto death, the death of the cross.
-
It was to be killed by the whole congregation between the
two evenings, that is, between three o'clock and six. Christ suffered in
the latter end of the world, Hebrews 9:26, by the hand of the Jews, the
whole multitude of them, 23:18.
-
Not a bone of it must be broken, Exodus 12:46, which is expresslysaid
to be fulfilled in Christ, 19:33,36.
-
The sprinkling of the blood was typical. 1st, It was not
enough that the blood of the lamb was shed, but it must be sprinkled, noting
the application of the merits of Christ's death to our souls; 2dly, It
was to be sprinkled upon the door - posts, noting the open profession we
are to make of faith in Christ, and obedience to him. The mark of the beast
may be received in the forehead, or in the right hand, but the seal of
the lamb is always in the forehead, Revelation 7:3. 3dly, The blood thus
sprinkled was a means of the preservation of the Israelites from the destroying
angel. If the blood of Christ be sprinkled upon our consciences, it will
be our protection from the wrath of God, the curse of the law, and the
damnation of hell.
-
The solemn eating of the lamb was typical of our gospel duty
to Christ. 1st, The paschal lamb was killed not to be looked upon only,
but to be fed upon; so we must by faith make Christ ours, as we do that
which we eat, and we must receive spiritual strength and nourishment from
him, as from our food, and have delight in him, as we have in eating and
drinking when we are hungry or thirsty. 2dly, It was to be all eaten: those
that, by faith, feed upon Christ, must feed upon a whole Christ. They must
take Christ and his yoke, Christ and his cross, as well as Christ and his
crown. 3dly, It was to be eaten with bitter herbs, in remembrance of the
bitterness of their bondage in Egypt; we must feed upon Christ with brokenness
of heart, in remembrance of sin. 4thly, It was to be eaten in a departing
posture Exodus 12:11, whenwe feed upon Christ by faith, we must sit loose
to the world, and every thing in it.
-
The feast of unleavened bread was typical of the Christian
life, 5:7,8. Having received Christ Jesus the Lord, 1st. We must keep a
feast, in holy joy, continually delighting ourselves in Christ Jesus; If
true believers have not a continual feast, it is their own fault. 2dly,
It must be a feast of unleavened bread, kept in charity, without the leaven
of malice, and in sincerity, without the leaven of hypocrisy. All the old
leaven of sin must be put far from us, with the utmost caution, if we would
keep the feast of a holy life to the honour of Christ. 3dly, It was to
be an ordinance forever. As long as we live we must continue feeding upon
Christ, and rejoicing in him always, with thankful mention of the great
things he has done for us.
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