Chapter 35. Exodus 11, 12. The Paschal Lamb.
NINE plagues had God sent upon Pharaoh and his people, and yet his heart was hardened so that he would not obey God’s command to let Israel go. But God’s patience was now at an end, and He said to Moses: One more plague will I send upon Pharaoh, and not only will he let you go, but the people shall drive you hence, altogether. Speak to every man that he borrow of his neighbor, and every woman of her neighbor, jewels of silver, and gold and raiment. The Lord gave His people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent them whatever was asked of them. Moses said to Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord, about midnight I will go into the midst of Egypt, and all the first-born of the land shall die, from Pharaoh’s house to that of his servants, and of all the beasts. There shall be such a cry in Egypt as there never was heard nor ever shall be any more. But I shall not touch anything of the children of Israel, that you may know that the Lord makes a difference between the Egyptians and the Israelites. Thy servants shall come bowing before me, asking me to go and all my people, and after that I will go out. Then Moses went from Pharaoh’s presence in great anger, but the king would not listen to the warning and again hardened his heart, and would not let Israel go from the land.
The Lord told Moses and Aaron to speak to the children of Israel, saying: This month shall be the beginning of months for you. On the tenth day of this month let each man take a lamb, one for each house. If the household is too small invite your neighbor that all may have their share. The lamb must be without blemish, a male of the first year. You shall kill it in the evening, and take the blood and put it upon the two side posts and upon the door posts of the houses where they shall eat it. They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted with fire, with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. They shall be ready to depart when they eat it: their loins girded, their shoes on their feet, and their staff in their hand, and they shall eat it in haste, for I will pass over Egypt this night and will smite the first born of all the Egyptians. I am the Lord. And the blood shall be unto you for a token upon the houses where you are. When I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you when I smite Egypt. This day shall be unto you for a memorial, and you shall celebrate it each year, through all your generations. For seven days you shall observe this feast of the passover, eating it as I commanded you. And when, in later years, your children shall ask you: What does this mean? Why do we do thus? You shall tell them how the Lord smote the land of Egypt and delivered you.
When the people heard this message from the Lord through Moses, they bowed their heads, and worshipped, and did as the Lord had commanded them.
At midnight, the Lord smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt, as He had said, those in the palace, those in the dungeon, and the cattle; none escaped. But the Israelites, who had obeyed God’s word, and had sprinkled the lamb’s blood upon the lintels and door posts of their houses were safe inside. The destroying angel saw the blood and passed over them.
Pharaoh rose up in the night, he and his servants and all the Egyptians. There arose one great cry from them, for there was not one house where there was not one dead.
In that night, he called Moses and Aaron and said: “Go out from among my people, you and your children, serve the Lord as you have said. Take your flocks and your herds and be gone.” And the Egyptians urged the people that they go in haste, for they said, We shall all die.
So the Israelites took their belongings, their dough before it had had time to rise, bound their kneading troughs with their clothes and carried them on their shoulders. They carried also with them the jewels of gold and silver and the garments they had borrowed from the Egyptians. There were about six hundred thousand men, besides women and children, who went out of Egypt. A mixed multitude went with them, and also a great number of cattle. The children of Israel had been in the land of Egypt four hundred and thirty years according to the word of God to Abraham. In His wisdom, God saw fit to make them pass through great affliction that they might learn His power, His patience and grace in a remarkable way. And in this beautiful story of the deliverance of the Israelites, God shows us what had to be done in order that we might be saved. Like Pharaoh and his people, like the Israelites, too, all men (women and children too,) are under the judgment of God because of sin. Heb. 9:2727And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (Hebrews 9:27) tells us, “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” We have but to look around us to see how true this is. Death is the wages of sin. So judgment is hanging over every sinner, and except for what the Lamb of God has done for us, there is no salvation from it. The blood alone of the Lord Jesus, shed when He died on the cross, is that which saves us. God sees it upon each one who believes on the Lord Jesus, and He passes over him. The Israelites did not see the blood when they were inside, eating the roasted lamb, but the destroying angel did, and that was enough, they were safe.
Suppose there had been a house where the inmates in tears, were praying and crying to God to keep them from the destroying angel, but they had failed to sprinkle the blood as commanded, would they have been saved? No, for the Lord had said: “When I see the blood, I will pass over you.” So those who trust the Lord Jesus are safe inside. Nothing they can do is going to add to their safety. The judgment, the wrath of God, with all its awful consequences, is past. The “Lamb of God” was slain for them and they are free.
O! what Saviour is Jesus the Lord!
Well might His name by His saints be adored!
He has redeemed them from hell by His blood,
Saved them forever and brought them to God.
ML 11/28/1909