Bible Talks

Exodus 12:37-51; 13:1-1637And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, beside children. 38And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle. 39And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought forth out of Egypt, for it was not leavened; because they were thrust out of Egypt, and could not tarry, neither had they prepared for themselves any victual. 40Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years. 41And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt. 42It is a night to be much observed unto the Lord for bringing them out from the land of Egypt: this is that night of the Lord to be observed of all the children of Israel in their generations. 43And the Lord said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the ordinance of the passover: There shall no stranger eat thereof: 44But every man's servant that is bought for money, when thou hast circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof. 45A foreigner and an hired servant shall not eat thereof. 46In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth ought of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof. 47All the congregation of Israel shall keep it. 48And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof. 49One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you. 50Thus did all the children of Israel; as the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they. 51And it came to pass the selfsame day, that the Lord did bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their armies. (Exodus 12:37‑51)
1And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 2Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine. 3And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the Lord brought you out from this place: there shall no leavened bread be eaten. 4This day came ye out in the month Abib. 5And it shall be when the Lord shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee, a land flowing with milk and honey, that thou shalt keep this service in this month. 6Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to the Lord. 7Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days; and there shall no leavened bread be seen with thee, neither shall there be leaven seen with thee in all thy quarters. 8And thou shalt show thy son in that day, saying, This is done because of that which the Lord did unto me when I came forth out of Egypt. 9And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that the Lord's law may be in thy mouth: for with a strong hand hath the Lord brought thee out of Egypt. 10Thou shalt therefore keep this ordinance in his season from year to year. 11And it shall be when the Lord shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites, as he sware unto thee and to thy fathers, and shall give it thee, 12That thou shalt set apart unto the Lord all that openeth the matrix, and every firstling that cometh of a beast which thou hast; the males shall be the Lord's. 13And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his neck: and all the firstborn of man among thy children shalt thou redeem. 14And it shall be when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What is this? that thou shalt say unto him, By strength of hand the Lord brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage: 15And it came to pass, when Pharaoh would hardly let us go, that the Lord slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man, and the firstborn of beast: therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all that openeth the matrix, being males; but all the firstborn of my children I redeem. 16And it shall be for a token upon thine hand, and for frontlets between thine eyes: for by strength of hand the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt. (Exodus 13:1‑16).
AS the children of Israel journeyed, they passed by Rameses —that great treasure city which they had built for Pharaoh. And, dear young Christian, this is just like what we have to do if we are going to be in the path that is pleasing to the Lord. Once we were slaves to sin and Satan, anxious to have all our treasures here, but as Christians we are called out of this Egypt-world, and our treasures are in heaven. The more we lay hold of our heavenly treasures (the un-searchable riches of Christ), the more willing we shall be to give up the empty vanities of this scene. The children of Israel gladly left Egypt, for it had been a place of slavery to them, and they had Canaan before them. How much better is our heavenly home, and it is eternal!
God said of the Passovers, "It is a night to be much observed unto the Lord." Dear Christian, should we not feel this, though in a deeper and fuller sense, concerning the "night" which the Lord Jesus passed through for us at the cross of Calvary?
The Passovers was to be kept by each family where all the males were circumcised, whether strangers or Israelites—as long as they were circumcised. There was but one law for both. The one title to that feast was circumcision, the sign of death, figuring the death of Christ, and only those who took that place had a right to eat the Passovers. So now, only those who know that Christ died for them have a right to eat the Lord's supper. This is our only title. But our title is not a figure—it is a reality! It is the death of Christ appropriated to one's own personal need.
Because of the wondrous deliverance granted to the children of Israel, they were told that the firstborn was to be the Lord's., Of course in Israel it was a law—they must own the Lord's claim —but in Christianity it is the constraint of love. When we think of what the Lord has done for us, of the mighty cost of our redemption, surely we feel that we belong to the Lord, "Ye are not your own, ye are bought with a price." 1 Cor. 6:19, 2019What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. (1 Corinthians 6:19‑20). May we who are saved do as the Macedonians of old, who "first gave their own selves to the Lord." 2 Cor. 8:55And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God. (2 Corinthians 8:5).
God told the children of Israel that the remembrance of this was to be upon their hands—affecting all they did; for a memorial between their eyes —guiding them in all that attracted their eyes; and in their mouths—the subject of their conversation. In other words it was to affect their whole life from then on, and so the knowledge of Christ as our Saviour should affect our whole life.
Every firstling of an ass (donkey) was to be redeemed with a lamb, and all the firstborn of their children were to be redeemed, too. An ass, as we know, is a very stubborn animal, and since we are so stubborn, God compares each one of us to an ass (Job 11:1212For vain man would be wise, though man be born like a wild ass's colt. (Job 11:12)). Either the ass must be redeemed or it must die, and so with every sinner: either he must be redeemed or he must die. Either he must take shelter under the shed blood of Christ, or he must spend eternity in the lake of fire, which is eternal death.
Messages of God’s Love 5/8/1949