First Passover
167
are life.”
John 6:53, 54, 63
. The followers of Christ must assimilate
the Word of God so that it shall become the motive power of life and
action. By the power of Christ they must be changed into His likeness
and reflect the divine attributes.
The lamb was to be eaten with bitter herbs, as pointing back to the
bitterness of the bondage in Egypt. So when we feed upon Christ, it
should be with contrition of the heart, because of our sins. The use of
unleavened bread also was significant. The leaven of sin must be put
away from all who would receive life and nourishment from Christ.
So Paul writes to the Corinthian church, “Purge out therefore the old
leaven, that ye may be a new lump... . Let us keep the feast, not with
old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with
the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”
1 Corinthians 5:7, 8
.
Before obtaining freedom, the bondmen must show their faith in
the great deliverance. The blood must be placed upon their houses, and
they must separate themselves and their families from the Egyptians,
and gather within their own dwellings. All who failed to heed the
[192]
Lord’s directions would lose their firstborn by the hand of the destroyer.
How Faith Must Be Shown
By obedience the people were to give evidence of their faith. So
all who hope to be saved by the blood of Christ should realize that
they themselves have something to do in securing their salvation. We
are to turn from sin to obedience. Man is to be saved by faith, not by
works; yet his faith must be shown by his works. Man must appreciate
and use the helps that God has provided; he must believe and obey all
the divine requirements.
As Moses rehearsed to Israel the provisions of God for their de-
liverance, “the people bowed the head and worshiped.” Many of the
Egyptians had been led to acknowledge the God of the Hebrews as the
only true God, and these now begged to find shelter in the homes of
Israel when the destroying angel should pass through the land. Gladly
welcomed, they pledged to serve God and go forth from Egypt with
His people.
The Israelites obeyed the directions God had given. Their families
were gathered, the paschal lamb slain, the flesh roasted with fire, the
unleavened bread and bitter herbs prepared. The father and priest of