LECTURE 4. — Exod. 12., 15., and 16.
AS we said before, Exodus is the book of redemption; salvation is all of God. God’s Word is given to form faith upon. The daily amount of evil would overwhelm, but we hold fast the truth that as this people was brought up harnessed out of Egypt by God, we see them to be the subject of His grace. Being found in our proper place before Him is our strength. Nothing can overcome us as long as we can pray, because nothing can overcome God. There may be pride of heart, self-sufficiency, conformity to the world, &c., for which God may leave us a while to prove we cannot do without Him; but this once learned and confessed, He lifts us up, overcomes for us, and restores us by His grace.
In chapter 12. we get the people put under the privilege of the blood: their security perfect: He prepared to redeem; all contingencies are provided for. Everything is concluded and included in redemption, from the first moment of spiritual life till we shout “Hallelujah” in glory. “Of Him and to Him and through Him are all things.” We are apt to think what we have is our own; we are, or ought to be, only dispensers — a blessed privilege — faith and grace are as needful for the rich to dispense, as in the poor to receive: have it in God.
They were to date their chronology (ver. 2) from the day of their redemption. We never did live till we were born again: people in covenant relation alone, who have passed under the protection of the blood. “Bitter herbs eaten with it,” through much tribulation, &c. The blood on lintel and doorposts without, they retreated within and there were to abide. Doubtless after it was done as bidden many were within wondering, anxious, perhaps some doubting if it was distinctly visible, &c., troubled perhaps with their thoughts about it, but their security rested not upon their thoughts, but on God seeing the blood, and what He sees, He sees forever; His watchfulness, His character is our safeguard.
We name Christ’s work and God’s Word “That our faith and hope may be in God” the soul feels no evil, resting and counting on His omnipotence, omnipresence, wisdom, and love: the living God our true portion. We fall back upon the fact that we have to do with the living God. It is our positive position: nothing can happen to us but God sees it; nothing can spring up in the course of time but God foreknew it; there’s our safety, that’s our peace. How happy our portion! What power in these truths to sustain the soul in trouble; realizing them we shall fear no evil. Peace is perfect, no circumstances can touch it, and it is just here we are landed who have fled for, refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.
The grand thought of being under the shelter of the blood is, the Lord will not suffer the destroyer to come near. A thousand fears might possess the heart; the answer is, “The Lord will not suffer.” So with us, how unworthy soever, how miserable soever about ourselves, no matter, God sees the blood upon the purged conscience. Fear not if sincere in heart, anxious for the genuine experience in the heart and not for the credit of religion before men, God will keep, God will comfort. He says, I see the blood upon thy conscience, My child, and it is enough; the work, the way is Mine, to go forward is thine. I know what I have to do, I will not fail, do you according to My Word.
God is sufficient for our troubles to-day; live to-day with God, go through it with Him; walk through the trials of it, and above them if you can, and leave to-morrow. You may never see it; leave yesterday and to-morrow alike alone. We spend hours in useless regrets; past sins, past failures occupy us, instead of to-day’s business. Don’t repine about yesterday or anticipate to-morrow. Paul says, forgetting the things behind, &c. Observe, God had undertaken to bring them in. He speaks of them as settled in and their children yet unborn as occupying lands they planted not, houses they builded not, before they were free or the wilderness passed.
In chapters 15. and 16. we have the redeemed people brought under process of education, being taught to know God; brought into the wilderness to learn God; brought where there was nothing for the eye to rest on, no ostensible resource, outside everything that could be leaned upon, to learn the resources they had in the living God, who created all things, was above all things, could act for them in their circumstances or above them, or could do without them. Thus to live upon God alone. And what are we brought to Christ for, but to learn God. And why are we left here? To learn more of Him. He has revealed Him to this end. But it is a most difficult thing to learn because we do not deal with Him. We do not seek to have acquaintance with Him. Our apprehension of Him would not be so slow if we did. But He will have us learn Him, and we are brought into difficulties that we may learn what resources there are for us in God. Yes, day by day to find something fresh in God, through daily increasing trial it may be; and that is why we are left in trials, that we may learn God’s way of meeting them. The rich man is taught not to trust in his riches, the poor to be raised above his circumstances, the true levelling system bringing blessing to each; the one to look to God for what he wants (e.g., the ravens), the other for grace to dispense what he has.
Marah — the tree cast into the waters is typical of Christ. Christ must be in the water before it is drinkable by His people: unless Christ can be brought into everything it is Marah. We are absolute gainers by bringing Him into everything, more love, more kindliness.
Elim — this redeemed people do behave wondrously; flesh is flesh, we cannot trust it; all testimony to it is one. We need not experience, if we would but have faith. What God says is bad, believe it to be so; we don’t want to prove it. Confession to our liability to fall is power neve to fall; it is then for God to keep because we have thrown ourselves upon Him.
“Would to God we had died,” &c. (chap. 16:3). It is possible for believers to look after fleshpots. Who is safe then? They whom God keeps. Trouble came, and they forgot the blood; trial absorbed them. Nature never did credit God and never will. Unbelief; never still, would rather go back into Egypt. In railing against Moses they railed against God, regarding people and circumstances and not God. Yet He shows Himself ever the same. There may be nothing around us to encourage us, we can lean upon none; but God even in these days will get a place in some hearts, and make us glad to boast in Him, aye, and rejoice that we have nothing else to boast in. How did God answer? Did this conduct weary or astonish Him? Did it take Him by surprise? Infirmity only brings out more grace. “I will rain bread from heaven for you,” and this to prove them. Oh, what a mercy that He knew what was in us before it came out: when we fail, He meets us, so as to cause us to bless the hand that left us to fail and bring out such grace. Even now we may be largely fed in the word to “prove” us.
We are often passing judgment on others, and think they will have to suffer such and such things, and are astonished we do not see the judgment come upon them for their careless walk, &c. But lo! some fine morning we hear of great blessing happening to them, and so He brings them back in grace. That is God’s way — not His saints’. He shows them His glory, this is His remedy, we are taken up in resurrection beyond nature. Risen in Christ, we ought to have done with all expectations from ourselves; having Christ, we have to be conformed to His image. Resurrection has settled the question now, it had not then — Christ’s death is the end of nature. Pharaoh knew “I am the Lord” in one sense, Israel know “I am the Lord” in another sense. God shows Himself as their heavenly and gracious Father that they might know Him. The saints would not talk about God as they do, if they knew Him; He says, Look at My love, — talk to Me — if “I spared not My Son,” will I not freely give? think you I would withhold from you any good thing? By all that I have done, by all that Christ has suffered, I claim your confidence.
Quails — the quantity suits the person. God fills us according to our measure. Paul had immense capacity, and he got it met. The weak and strong alike have what they need. Everything taught us that we shall have need of: meet it is that grace given should be proved. We are sometimes foolish enough to waste time wishing we were others, whom we think have more grace, but we shall have no lack, God gives to each his measure.
Manna — given day by day, but unbelief acting upon our character and not on God’s will, lays up. We should not be living upon past experiences and saying, “I was so happy;” we should be as happy to-day. We have God and Christ and the Holy Ghost for to-day, and we should grow happier every day. Where we shall be to-morrow, God only knows; let us depend upon Him, that is what we want, to trust Him and grow in dependence. “It bred worms and stank” when kept, not so on Sabbath, kept by God’s ordinances; the Holy Ghost can make old truth very unctuous, whilst new truth sought simply for knowledge is quite powerless. We can live upon very little with His strength and power, until we come unto the mount of God (Horeb). Nature is no better in the people taught of Himself (John 6:4949Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. (John 6:49), &c.). They turned out worse than their fathers, it is written for our benefit. Let it lead us to have done with nature. God has acquitted us. Christ died for us. The Holy Ghost works in us, but flesh to the end is all bad — good or evil, alike profitless. Let us not seek to polish what is radically bad. Paul speaks of concision and circumcision; let us not go about to mangle and hack it and expect good of it after all; it was cut off by the cross of Christ. Let it be cut off.
We have no life but in resurrection. There is no bettering ourselves. Thus we go down in our own estimation. We confess to sins of commission, sins of omission. See Christ bearing all and have done with it. Judge all as God has. Throw all props away and settle on God’s foundation, Christ Jesus.
In Hebrews 9:44Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant; (Hebrews 9:4) we see the manna was laid up in a golden pot, and what was it? — a memorial of the people’s sin; but it was put under the mercy-seat, as also Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of stone; three memorials of sin and unbelief, locked out of sight, under the mercy-seat. God blessing above all: we have no power against sin like seeing grace in the mercy-seat triumphing over all our waywardness, rebellion, unbelief.