“THE Lord will never forgive me, He never can; I have cast Him out, and I am sure He will cast me out. He never can forgive me, I am sure! “The speaker was a middle-aged lady of foreign birth, who had just heard me preach the gospel in a large hall in the North of England, some years ago.
The subject before us that evening had been the Paschal lamb of Exodus 12. The question had been raised whether the blood on the lintel and the lamb roast with fire were, or were not, to be rightly viewed as figures of Christ land His atoning work.
In order to prove the object of the Spirit of God, in thus telling us of Israel’s redemption by blood, I had unfolded in detail the fourfold testimony to Christ, as the Paschal Lamb, which the New Testament gives us.
The first witness was John the Baptist, of whom it is written, “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me” (John 1:29, 3029The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. 30This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. (John 1:29‑30)). If, in the type of Exodus 12, a lamb were necessary, here, indeed, was manifestly seen the anti-type, the Lamb of God come into this world to take away the sin thereof. The Baptist marked out Jesus in this way as God’s Lamb.
The second witness was the apostle John, who, called by the Lord from his usual avocation as a fisherman, had followed Him in His pathway, and at length saw Him die. He it is who says, “Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs: but one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith there came out blood and water. And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe. For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A BONE OF HIM SHALL NOT BE BROKEN” (John 19:32-3632Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him. 33But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs: 34But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. 35And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe. 36For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken. (John 19:32‑36)).
The quotation here of Exodus 12:46,46In 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. (Exodus 12:46) “neither shall ye break a bone thereof,” indisputably shows that the type found its full answer in Jesus, when hanging on the cross. His bones were not broken. As to this, another witness, David, had given confirmatory prophetic testimony when he wrote, “He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken” (Psa. 34:2020He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken. (Psalm 34:20)). But, though His bones were not broken, out of His pierced side came blood and water—the blood that makes atonement God-ward, the water that carries the sense of purification and cleansing man-ward.
A third witness we found in the apostle Paul, who wrote so emphatically, “FOR EVEN CHRIST OUR PASSOVER IS SACRIFICED FOR US” (1 Cor. 5:77Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: (1 Corinthians 5:7)). This unmistakably identifies the Passover lamb with the Person of the Lord Jesus, so that whatever lesson the type might carry the full answer thereto is found in Christ.
Yet another witness we found in the person of Simon Peter, fisherman and apostle, who, after years of company with Christ, later wrote to his brethren, “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers: but with the precious blood of Christ, as of A LAMB WITHOUT BLEMISH AND WITHOUT SPOT: who verily was fore-ordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God” (1 Peter 1:18-2118Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, 21Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. (1 Peter 1:18‑21)). No language could more clearly identify the type of Exodus 12 with Christ as being the antitype. Redemption, not by silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, was Peter’s point, and that blood flowing from a “lamb without blemish and without spot,” the very language used of the pass-over lamb in Exodus 12.
It having been made abundantly plain that Exodus 12 was a striking figure of the Person and death of Christ in one aspect, we looked at the salient points of the chapter, and saw that, because of sin, the sentence of death lay on the firstborn, and the only way to avert death was to have the witness of death having been already undergone by a substitute—viz., the blood of the lamb—sprinkled upon the lintel and upon the two side posts of the door of the house in which the firstborn was. That done, God could say, “And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt” (Ex. 12:1313And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. (Exodus 12:13)).
We further saw that it was not enough that the blood of the lamb should be shed. Though that had taken place, if the blood were still in the basin, and not on the lintel, there was no salvation. It was an absolute necessity that there should be the implicit obedience of faith to God’s injunction. His orders were― “And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blond that is in the bason and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the basin; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning. For the Lord will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the Lord will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your house to smite you” (Ex. 12:22, 2322And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning. 23For the Lord will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the Lord will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you. (Exodus 12:22‑23)).
The difference between the blood in the basin and the blood on the lintel is vital. Many people today are content to leave the blood in the basin, as it were: that is, they believe that Jesus has died, and died for sinners, but they have never reached the point that He is interested in them personally, and has died for them. They have never reached Him, had faith in Him, and known Him, consequently they have not used the bunch of hyssop, and sprinkled the blood, so to say, on the lintel and side posts of their own hearts. The traditional faith of Christendom in the fact of the death of Christ, which they quite concur in, does not mean salvation; there must be the individual appropriation of His death. Now the use of the bunch of hyssop (typical of faith, repentance, and self-judgment) secures that. Unless the blood be sprinkled, salvation is not assured, but the moment the soul, in faith, appropriates Christ’s death God delights to save. “When I see the blood I WILL PASS OVER YOU,” is His word to the anxious soul. Peace has been made by the blood of Christ, and is enjoyed by the soul that rests simply on Him and on what He has accomplished in His atoning death.
The meeting closed. A long after-meeting, in which numbers of anxious souls were dealt with, had also come to a conclusion when, as finally the latest stayers were passing out, I accosted a lady whose face I noticed was very troubled. She had heard the exposition of Exodus 12, and been deeply affected by it.
“Well, is it all right with you, and have you peace with God?” I asked her.
“No, it is not all right with me,” she immediately answered, with a foreign accent; and added, “Oh, sir, may I have a private conversation with you?”
“You are a foreigner,” I rejoined. “Have you understood the preaching of the Word of the Lord tonight?”
“Oh yes, fully. I am French, but I have been several years in England, and have understood you perfectly. Will you speak with me privately?”
We got together alone, and then it was she immediately burst into tears, and used the language heading this paper. To her impassioned and repeated assertions that the Lord had cast her out and would never forgive her, I replied that it was very unlike Him to treat any troubled soul, like her, in that way, and inquired why He should thus deal with her.
“It is because of what I have been, and what I have done,” she replied. “I made a great sin, and He cannot forgive me. I will explain it to you. I was brought up in France. Part of my family were brought up as Roman Catholics, I and others were brought up as Protestants. I found no rest or joy in either religion or the world, and some years ago I changed my faith and cast Him out, and I became a Roman Catholic.”
“And did you find happiness and peace in that change of religion?”
“Oh, no; oh, no. I found only deeper misery, but I feel I have so sinned thereby He will never forgive me; He must cast me out”
“Let us hear what He says,” I rejoined, and quietly read to her, “‘I am the bread of life; he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.... All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.... And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day’ (John 6:35-4035And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. 36But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. 37All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. 38For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. 39And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. 40And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. (John 6:35‑40)). Now, listen to Him. That is what He says: He came down to do His Father’s will, ‘and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.’”
“But I do believe that He is the Son of God,” said she through her tears.
“You do truly believe Him to be such?”
“Yes, indeed, I do believe that Jesus is the Son of God.”
“I am glad to hear that,” I replied, “for it is God’s will that ‘every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life.’ You may be certain He won’t cast you out if you believe Him to be God’s Son.”
“But I do believe He is the Son of God,” was her fervent reply, as she still wept bitterly.
“Good,” I rejoined. “Now, let us see how, in His lifetime, He treated a weeping woman like you.” We turned and read together the tale of the sinner at the feet of Jesus recorded in Luke 7. As we read it she exclaimed, “That is just like me.” I pointed out to her that all she did was to come to Jesus and listen to His words, while she never spoke a single word, nor did she even pray that we know of. She was silent in her tears and heard His precious words spoken to her, and what He said to her was this, “Thy sins are forgiven... Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace” (Luke 7:48-60). The reading of these words brought divine light, comfort, pardon, and peace to the soul of my listener. With a clasp of her hands she said, “Thank God, He will not cast me out. He receives me, He forgives, He saves me.”
The storm was over, joy filled her heart, and tears of thankfulness rolled apace down her cheeks. A few other servants of the Lord nearby now joined us, and asking her whether we should give Him thanks for her salvation, she said, “Oh, do,” and dropped on her knees. Her heart, however, was so full that ere anyone could break the silence, she burst out in a rapture of praise and thanksgiving to the Lord for His mercy to her soul, in a fashion I have rarely heard before or since. It was touching indeed to hear her thank the Lord for His mercies to her guilty soul. She had sinned greatly, but greater than her sin was the grace that met and saved her.
I have often seen her since, still rejoicing in the Lord.
Reader, have you yet tasted the grace of this precious Saviour? If not, do not delay. Begin the New Year with Christ. Trust His precious blood shed on the cross. For you He died. Fall down before Him now, as He again speaks to you of redeeming grace. Believe in and bless Him. The gift of eternal life He makes yours the moment yet trust in Him. Henceforth confess Him boldly, ant seek to live for Him who died for you.
W. T. P. W.