Page:An Exposition of the Old and New Testament (1828) vol 1.djvu/302

270 were to eat it in haste, (v. 11.) and to leave none of it until the morning; for God would have them to depend upon him for their daily bread, and not to take thought for the morrow. He that led them, would feed them.

III. Before they ate the flesh of the lamb, they were to sprinkle the blood upon the door-posts, v. 7. By this 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, v. 12, 13. 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. Moses does not mention the fulfilment, in this chapter, yet he speaks of it, Numb. 33. 4. It is very probable that the idols which the Egyptians worshipped were destroyed, those of metal melted, those of wood consumed, and those of stone broken to pieces; whence Jethro infers, (ch. 18. 11.) The Lord is greater than all gods. The same angel that destroyed their first-born, demolished their idols, which were no less dear to them. For the protection of Israel from this plague, they were ordered to sprinkle the blood of the lamb upon the door-posts, their doing of which would be accepted as an instance of their faith in the divine warnings, and their obedience to the divine precepts. Note, 1. In times of common calamity, God will secure his own people, and set a mark upon them, they shall be hidden either in heaven or under heaven; preserved either from the stroke of judgments, or, at least, from the sting of them. 2. The blood of sprinkling is the saints' security, in times of common calamity; that is it that marks them for God, pacifies conscience, and gives them boldness of access to the throne of grace, and so becomes a wall of protection round them, and a wall of partition between them and the children of this world.

IV. 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, of necessity, for many days after they came out of Egypt, v. 14..20. The appointment is inculcated for their better direction, and that they might not mistake concerning it, and to awaken those, who perhaps in Egypt were grown generally very stupid and careless in the matters of religion, to a diligent observance of the institution.

Now, without doubt, there was much of the gospel in this ordinance; it is often referred to in the New Testament, and, in it, to us is the gospel preached, and not to them only who could not steadfastly look to the end of these things, Heb. 4. 2. 2 Cor. 3. 13.

1. The paschal lamb was typical; Christ is our Passover, 1 Cor. 5. 7. (1.) It was to be a lamb; and Christ is the Lamb of God, (John, 1. 29.) often in the Revelation called the Lamb, meek and innocent as a lamb, dumb before the shearers, before the butchers. (2.) It was to be a male of the first year, (v. 5.) in its prime; Christ offered up himself in the midst of his days, not in infancy with the babes of Bethlehem. It denotes the strength and sufficiency of the Lord Jesus, on whom our help was laid. (3.) It was to be without blemish, (v. 5.) denoting the purity of the Lord Jesus, a Lamb without spot, 1 Pet. 1. 19. The judge that condemned him, (as if his trial were only like the scrutiny that was made concerning the sacrifices, whether they were without blemish or no,) pronounced him innocent. (4.) It was to be set apart four days before, (v. 3, 6.) denoting the designation of the Lord Jesus to be a Saviour, both in the purpose and in the promise. It is very 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. (5.) It was to be slain, and roasted with fire, (v. 6..9.) denoting the exquisite sufferings of the Lord Jesus, even unto death, the death Of the cross. The wrath, of God is as fire, and Christ was made a curse for us. (6.) It was to be killed by the whole congregation between the two evenings, that is, between three o'clock and six. Christ suffered at the end of the world, (Heb. 9. 26.) by the hand of the Jews, the whole multitude of them, (Like,Luke [sic] 23. 18.) and for the good of all his spiritual Israel. (7.) Not a bone of it must be broken, (v. 46.) which is expressly said to be fulfilled in Christ, (John, 19. 33, 36.) denoting the unbroken strength of the Lord Jesus.

2. The sprinkling of the blood was typical. (1.) It was not enough that the blood of the lamb was shed but it must be sprinkled, denoting the application of the merits of Christ's death to our souls; we must receive the atonement, Rom. 5. 11. (2.) It was to be sprinkled with a bunch of hyssop, (v. 22.) dipt in the basin. The everlasting covenant, like the basin, is the conservatory of this blood, the benefits and privileges purchased by it are laid up for us there; faith is the bunch of hyssop by which we apply the promises to ourselves, and the benefits of the blood of Christ laid up in them. (3.) It was to be sprinkled upon the door-posts, denoting the open profession we are to make of faith in Christ, and obedience to him, as those that are not ashamed to own our dependence upon 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, Rev. 7. 3. There is a back-way to hell, but no back-way to heaven; no, that is a high-way, Isa. 35. 8. (4.) It was to be sprinkled updn the lintel and the side-posts, but not upon the threshold; (v. 7.) which cautions us to take heed of trampling under foot the blood of the covenant, Heb. 10. 29. It is precious blood, and must be precious to us. (5.) The blood, thus sprinkled, was a means of the preservation of the Israelites from the destroying angel, who had nothing to do there where the blood was. 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, Rom. 8. 1.

3. The solemn eating of the lamb was typical of our gospel-duty to Christ. (1.) The paschal lamb was killed, not to be looked upon only, but to be fed upon; so we must by faith make Christ our's, as we do that which we eat, and we must receive spiritual strength and nourishment from him, as from our food, and have delight and satisfaction in him, as we have in eating and drinking, when we are hungry or thirsty: see John, 6. 53··55. (2.) 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. Is Christ divided? Those that gather much of Christ will have nothing over. (3.) It was to be eaten immediately, not deferred till morning, v. 10. To-day Christ is offered, and is to be accepted while it is called to-day, before we sleep the sleep of death. (4.) It was to be eaten with bitter herbs, (v. 8.) in remembrance of the bitterness of their bondage in Egypt; we must feed upon Christ with sorrow and brokenness of heart, in remembrance of sin; this will give an admirable relish to the paschal lamb; Christ will be sweet to us, if sin be bitter. (5.) It was to be eaten in a departing posture; (v. 11.) when we feed upon Christ by faith, we must absolutely forsake the rule and dominion of sin, shake off Pharaoh's yoke; and we must sit loose to the world, and every