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1994-03-02
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09756
#21-29 The plague of darkness brought upon Egypt was a dreadful
plague. It was darkness which might be felt, so thick were the
fogs. It astonished and terrified. It continued three days; six
nights in one; so long the most lightsome palaces were dungeons.
Now Pharaoh had time to consider, if he would have improved it.
Spiritual darkness is spiritual bondage; while Satan blinds
men's eyes that they see not, he binds their hands and feet,
that they work not for God, nor move toward heaven. They sit in
darkness. It was righteous with God thus to punish. The
blindness of their minds brought upon them this darkness of the
air; never was mind so blinded as Pharaoh's, never was air so
darkened as Egypt. Let us dread the consequences of sin; if
three days of darkness were so dreadful, what will everlasting
darkness be? The children of Israel, at the same time, had light
in their dwellings. We must not think we share in common mercies
as a matter of course, and therefore that we owe no thanks to
God for them. It shows the particular favour he bears to his
people. Wherever there is an Israelite indeed, though in this
dark world, there is light, there is a child of light. When God
made this difference between the Israelites and the Egyptians,
who would not have preferred the poor cottage of an Israelite to
the fine palace of an Egyptian? There is a real difference
between the house of the wicked, which is under a curse, and the
habitation of the just, which is blessed. Pharaoh renewed the
treaty with Moses and Aaron, and consented they should take
their little ones, but would have their cattle left. It is
common for sinners to bargain with God Almighty; thus they try
to mock him, but they deceive themselves. The terms of
reconciliation with God are so fixed, that though men dispute
them ever so long, they cannot possibly alter them, or bring
them lower. We must come to the demand of God's will; we cannot
expect he should condescend to the terms our lusts would make.
With ourselves and our children, we must devote all our worldly
possessions to the service of God; we know not what use he will
make of any part of what we have. Pharaoh broke off the
conference abruptly, and resolved to treat no more. Had he
forgotten how often he had sent for Moses to ease him of his
plagues? and must he now be bid to come no more? Vain malice! to
threaten him with death, who was armed with such power! What
will not hardness of heart, and contempt of God's word and
commandments, bring men to! After this, Moses came no more till
he was sent for. When men drive God's word from them, he justly
gives them up to their own delusions.
09765
* God's last instructions to Moses respecting Pharaoh and the
Egyptians. (1-3) The death of the first-born threatened. (4-10)
#1-3 A secret revelation was made to Moses while in the presence
of Pharaoh, that he might give warning of the last dreadful
judgment, before he went out. This was the last day of the
servitude of Israel; they were about to go away. Their masters,
who had abused them in their work, would have sent them away
empty; but God provided that the labourers should not lose their
hire, and ordered them to demand it now, at their departure, and
it was given to them. God will right the injured, who in humble
silence commit their cause to him; and none are losers at last
by patient suffering. The Lord gave them favour in the sight of
the Egyptians, by making it appear how much he favoured them. He
also changed the spirit of the Egyptians toward them, and made
them to be pitied of their oppressors. Those that honour God, he
will honour.
09768
#4-10 The death of all the first-born in Egypt at once: this
plague had been the first threatened, but is last executed. See
how slow God is to wrath. The plague is foretold, the time is
fixed; all their first-born should sleep the sleep of death, not
silently, but so as to rouse the families at midnight. The
prince was not too high to be reached by it, nor the slaves at
the mill too low to be noticed. While angels slew the Egyptians,
not so much as a dog should bark at any of the children of
Israel. It is an earnest of the difference there shall be in the
great day, between God's people and his enemies. Did men know
what a difference God puts, and will put to eternity, between
those that serve him and those that serve him not, religion
would not seem to them an indifferent thing; nor would they act
in it with so much carelessness as they do. When Moses had thus
delivered his message, he went out from Pharaoh in great anger
at his obstinacy; though he was the meekest of the men of the
earth. The Scripture has foretold the unbelief of many who hear
the gospel, that it might not be a surprise or stumbling-block
to us, #Ro 10:16|. Let us never think the worse of the gospel of
Christ for the slights men put upon it. Pharaoh was hardened,
yet he was compelled to abate his stern and haughty demands,
till the Israelites got full freedom. In like manner the people
of God will find that every struggle against their spiritual
adversary, made in the might of Jesus Christ, every attempt to
overcome him by the blood of the Lamb, and every desire to
attain increasing likeness and love to that Lamb, will be
rewarded by increasing freedom from the enemy of souls.
09775
* The beginning of the year changed, The passover instituted.
(1-20) The people instructed how to observe the passover.
(21-28) The death of the first-born of the Egyptians, The
Israelites urged to leave the land of Egypt. (29-36) The
Israelites' first journey to Succoth. (37-42) Ordinance
respecting the passover. (43-51)
#1-20 The Lord makes all things new to those whom he delivers
from the bondage of Satan, and takes to himself to be his
people. The time when he does this is to them the beginning of a
new life. God appointed that, on the night wherein they were to
go out of Egypt, each family should kill a lamb, or that two or
three families, if small, should kill one lamb. This lamb was to
be eaten in the manner here directed, and the blood to be
sprinkled on the door-posts, to mark the houses of the
Israelites from those of the Egyptians. The angel of the Lord,
when destroying the first-born of the Egyptians, would pass over
the houses marked by the blood of the lamb: hence the name of
this holy feast or ordinance. The passover was to be kept every
year, both as a remembrance of Israel's preservation and
deliverance out of Egypt, and as a remarkable type of Christ.
Their safety and deliverance were not a reward of their own
righteousness, but the gift of mercy. Of this they were
reminded, and by this ordinance they were taught, that all
blessings came to them through the shedding and sprinkling of
blood. Observe, 1. The paschal lamb was typical. Christ is our
passover, #1Co 5:7|. Christ is the Lamb of God, #Joh 1:29|;
often in the Revelation he is called the Lamb. It was to be in
its prime; Christ offered up himself in the midst of his days,
not when a babe at Bethlehem. It was to be without blemish; the
Lord Jesus was a Lamb without spot: the judge who condemned
Christ declared him innocent. It was to be set apart four days
before, denoting the marking out of the Lord Jesus to be a
Saviour, both in the purpose and in the promise. It was to be
slain, and roasted with fire, denoting the painful 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. Not
a bone of it must be broken, which was fulfilled in Christ, #Joh
19:33|, denoting the unbroken strength of the Lord Jesus. 2. The
sprinkling of the blood was typical. The blood of the lamb must
be sprinkled, denoting the applying of the merits of Christ's
death to our souls; we must receive the atonement, #Ro 5:11|.
Faith is the bunch of hyssop, by which we apply the promises,
and the benefits of the blood of Christ laid up in them, to
ourselves. It was to be sprinkled on the door-posts, denoting
the open profession we are to make of faith in Christ. It was
not to be sprinkled upon the threshold; which cautions us to
take heed of trampling under foot the blood of the covenant. It
is precious blood, and must be precious to us. The blood, thus
sprinkled, was a means of preserving the Israelites from the
destroying angel, who had nothing to do where the blood was. The
blood of Christ is the believer's protection from the wrath of
God, the curse of the law, and the damnation of hell, #Ro 8:1|.
3. The solemn eating of the lamb was typical of our gospel duty
to Christ. The paschal lamb was not to be looked upon only, but
to be fed upon. So we must by faith make Christ our own; and we
must receive spiritual strength and nourishment from him, as
from our food, see #Joh 6:53,55|. It was all to be eaten; those
who 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. It was to be eaten at once, not
put by till morning. To-day Christ is offered, and is to be
accepted while it is called to-day, before we sleep the sleep of
death. It was to be eaten with bitter herbs, 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. Christ will be sweet to us, if sin be bitter. It was to be
eaten standing, with their staves in their hands, as being ready
to depart. When we feed upon Christ by faith, we must forsake
the rule and the dominion of sin; sit loose to the world, and
every thing in it; forsake all for Christ, and reckon it no bad
bargain, #Heb 13:13,14|. 4. The feast of unleavened bread was
typical of the Christian life, #1Co 5:7,8|. Having received
Christ Jesus the Lord, we must continually delight ourselves in
Christ Jesus. No manner of work must be done, that is, no care
admitted and indulged, which does not agree with, or would
lessen this holy joy. The Jews were very strict as to the
passover, so that no leaven should be found in their houses. It
must be a feast kept in charity, without the leaven of malice;
and in sincerity, without the leaven of hypocrisy. It was by an
ordinance for ever; so long as we live we must continue feeding
upon Christ, rejoicing in him always, with thankful mention of
the great things he has done for us.
09795
#21-28 That night, when the first-born were to be destroyed, no
Israelite must stir out of doors till called to march out of
Egypt. Their safety was owing to the blood of sprinkling. If
they put themselves from under the protection of that, it was at
their peril. They must stay within, to wait for the salvation of
the Lord; it is good to do so. In after-times they should
carefully teach their children the meaning of this service. It
is good for children to ask about the things of God; they that
ask for the way will find it. The keeping of this solemnity
every year was, 1. To look backward, that they might remember
what great things God had done for them and their fathers. Old
mercies, to ourselves, or to our fathers, must not be forgotten,
that God may be praised, and our faith in him encouraged. 2. It
was designed to look forward, as an earnest of the great
sacrifice of the Lamb of God in the fulness of time. Christ our
passover was sacrificed for us; his death was our life.