New mercies call for new memorandums, Deuteronomy 16:1, Abib, that is
the spring of the year. From this time the Israelites began their
year. It should seem that before this period they reckoned their new
year after gathering in the fruits of harvest, perhaps about what we
call September.... [ Continue Reading ]
CONTENTS
This Chapter becomes exceedingly interesting to the Christian Reader,
in that it contains an account of the institution of the Jewish
passover. And whoever considers what Paul the apostle hath said of the
Lord Jesus Christ, whom he expressly calls our Passover, will be very
earnest to obser... [ Continue Reading ]
Was not this typical of the Lord Jesus? Is he not uniformly known
through all scripture as the Lamb of God? See Rev_13:8; Rev_5:6-9;
Rev_5:12 then John 1:29. Four days before the Lamb was to be killed in
the passover, he was to be separated and set apart for this service:
from the 10th day of the mo... [ Continue Reading ]
Doth not this express the communion of the faithful? 1 Corinthians
10:3.... [ Continue Reading ]
Was not the spotless state of the Lamb intended as an emblem of the
immaculate holiness of the Lord Jesus Christ? 1 Peter 1:19; Hebrews
7:26. And was not the precept concerning the age of the Jewish lamb,
intended to show, that he whom this prefigured should offer himself in
the prime and strength o... [ Continue Reading ]
The whole congregation being concerned in the Jewish sacrifice, became
a striking figure that the whole synagogue of the Jews should engage
their hands in the death of Jesus. Luke 22:1. And still more striking:
all the congregation of Israel being concerned in the sacrifice of the
lamb, became a pre... [ Continue Reading ]
What a striking allusion is here in the sprinkling of the blood, to
that of the blood of the Lord Jesus. See Hebrews 12:24. Teaching as
expressively as possible, that his precious blood must be applied as
well as shed and personally applied to each soul too, as the blood of
the lamb was to every hou... [ Continue Reading ]
Was not this eating of the lamb a representation that as the
Israelites ate of their sacrifice so the true Israelites now
spiritually eat the flesh, and drink the blood of Christ their
sacrifice. John 6:51. The roasting of the Lamb with fire; did it not
prefigure the agonies of Christ in the garden... [ Continue Reading ]
The whole of the lamb became a striking figure that nothing short of a
whole Christ can be sufficient for salvation. Reader! do notice this;
and may the Lord the Spirit teach you and me from it that we need a
whole Saviour, not a partial one.... [ Continue Reading ]
That nothing was to remain until the morning manifested the
earnestness with which true Israelites receive Christ and suffer
nothing to remain in his person, offices, or character uninteresting
to them. 2 Corinthians 6:2; Hebrews 13:11.... [ Continue Reading ]
The state of departure here described becomes a beautiful figure of a
soul when receiving Jesus, in turning his back upon the world and
everything in it. Hebrews 13:13; Philippians 3:20; Micah 2:10.... [ Continue Reading ]
Behold, the hour of visitation! Numbers 32:4.... [ Continue Reading ]
Reader! do not overlook the doctrine of this verse, neither forget
that it is twice named, here and in Exodus 12:7, as if the Holy Ghost
intended to teach us that the blood of the sacrifice must be applied
as well as spilt. An unapplied ransom is no ransom. An unapplied
Saviour is no Saviour. Hebrew... [ Continue Reading ]
Sweet memorial! and well may it be a feast when we celebrate that
precious death which is the life of the soul. 1 Corinthians 5:7;
Isaiah 25:6. Well may we keep it forever, and cry out, Lord, evermore
give us this bread.... [ Continue Reading ]
This precept is again repeated to intimate its importance. Exo_13:6;
Exo_23:15; Exo_34:18.... [ Continue Reading ]
Reader! observe the solemnity of these holy convocations. Then turn to
Leviticus 23:1, where the precept for the observance of them is no
less than nine times repeated. Then turn to the New Testament and
remark what is said of similar circumstances. Hebrews 10:25.... [ Continue Reading ]
As the feast of the passover prefigured a deliverance from sin by the
death of Christ who hath thereby delivered his people from the wrath
to come: so the feast of unleavened bread typified his holy life; by
which in the unleavened purity of a perfect righteousness, he hath, by
doing as well as by d... [ Continue Reading ]
If the Reader will calculate, he will find that the fourteenth day at
even was the night of deliverance from Egypt. And the one and
twentieth day perhaps was the day of their passage through the Red
Sea. Exodus 14:29.... [ Continue Reading ]
This threat was given before, Exodus 12:15. So infinitely important,
in the sight of God, is the unleavened, unmingled sacrifice of Jesus.... [ Continue Reading ]
Here the service begins for which so solemn a preparation had been
made. And the Holy Ghost, to teach us the importance of it, gives it
to the church again by his servant the apostle Hebrews 9:19.... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe the cause of safety, the blood upon the lintel: not in bolts,
nor bars, nor strength within; but the blood without. What a precious
consideration to the true believer, on whose heart the blood of Jesus
is sprinkled. See that sweet scripture, Titus 3:4.... [ Continue Reading ]
What Israelite, that knew his mercy in the distinguishing grace of God
between him and the Egyptian, but must gladly renew the remembrance of
it, every year! And what true believer among Christians who knows and
experiences the love of Christ in delivering him while so many know it
not, but must rej... [ Continue Reading ]
Reader! if you are a parent, learn from hence how to encourage your
little ones to seek information concerning the great things of God. If
they ask you what is meant by the Christian passover (I mean the
service of the Lord's Supper?) Oh! tell them that it commemorates his
precious sufferings and de... [ Continue Reading ]
Reader! recollect the rebellion of Israel, Exodus 5:21, and here
observe the change. Since that, God had been preparing them for the
blessing which their long expectation unsatisfied had made them
despair of. And are you and I better than they? May we find grace to
bow the head and worship, and like... [ Continue Reading ]
Now the awful stroke is felt: and what a midnight cry was heard in
Egypt. See Exodus 4:22. Reader! pause, spiritualize the history, for
it is truly awful, and think what a midnight cry will be in the soul
when God shall arise to shake terribly the earth! Psalms 96:6.... [ Continue Reading ]
Reader! connect this verse with Exodus 1:22 and when you have done
this, see how sure, whatever men count slackness, the judgments of God
are. But do not overlook the spiritual sense of this judgment. Alas!
what are temporal visitations to eternal.... [ Continue Reading ]
The prophet saith, let favour be showed to the wicked yet will he not
learn righteousness. But when the Lord's judgments are in the earth
the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. Isaiah 26:9.
Compare this conduct of Pharaoh's with what is related of him Exodus
10:28.... [ Continue Reading ]
Reader! did you never observe the fear and terror that there is a
times in the ungodly at the sight of the godly? See that scripture,
Genesis 31:52.... [ Continue Reading ]
Some men have been very fond of caviling at this, as if the Israelites
robbed the Egyptians. But read that scripture, Psalms 105:37 compare
Exodus 1:11. And then judge righteous judgment.... [ Continue Reading ]
Compare this with Genesis 46:27 then calculate the distance of time
between those periods, not more than 200 years, and observe how the
Lord's promise to Abraham was fulfilling. If the number of women and
children were both together equal to the men, then were there no less
an army that went up out... [ Continue Reading ]
However poor this was a sweet morsel.... [ Continue Reading ]
I beg the Reader to remark with me God's faithfulness. Not an hour
beyond the time predicted to Abraham, Genesis 15:13. There it is said,
four hundred years, and here four hundred and thirty: but if the
Reader will count back he will find the thirty years included, if
calculated as it must be from t... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe what stress the Holy Ghost lays upon the exactness of the
time, as if to show to man God's uprightness.... [ Continue Reading ]
Seasons of mercy are precious seasons and worthy to be recorded.
Judges 5:11. Reader! do not overlook the spiritual sense of this
mercy. If indeed you yourself know anything of a deliverance from a
worse state than Egyptian bondage, even the bondage of sin and death,
you will not need a memorandum f... [ Continue Reading ]
Let us pause to remark that in the old church, as well as in the new,
there could be no communion with God without an union with Christ. 1
Corinthians 10:21.... [ Continue Reading ]
If we explain this by the gospel, Paul gives the sense of it.
Colossians 2:11.... [ Continue Reading ]
Happy those that are as Paul hath described, Ephesians 2:20.... [ Continue Reading ]
The Holy Ghost hath sweetly caused this scripture to be explained in
reference to the Lord Jesus. John 19:36.... [ Continue Reading ]
I think that here is set forth some early tokens of the Lord's love to
the Gentile church. How sweetly since that time have the mercies
towards that church been extended. Galatians 4:27 with Isaiah 54:1.... [ Continue Reading ]
The sacred historian feels himself so much delighted in recording
those mercies that he knows not how to break off: but ends the chapter
with again repeating them. So thought David, Psalms 108:1. But with
what additional rapture should we sing again and again of the
blessings of spiritual redemption... [ Continue Reading ]
REFLECTIONS
Reader! you and I can hardly enough contemplate the Lord's goodness to
Israel as recorded in this chapter; and never can we sufficiently
adore the divine mercy, when we consider our interest in it. Oh! what
a night of deliverance did the Lord work for them after the rigorous
bondage of... [ Continue Reading ]