The Pulpit Commentary — Exodus — Volume 1 — Section 268

or even many, of II class are meant. I am the centre and source of all real unity-thfl the Lord, R..thcr 118 in eh. vi. 8, "Age.inst one "perfect and sufficient sacrifice, 11.nd obla- o.11 the gods of Egypt I will execute judg- tion, and s11.tiBfaction for the sins of the ment, I, Jehovah." whole world"? The Church re'luires an Vor. 13.-The blood sha.11 be to you for 11 Easter communion of all her members, pro- token, otc. 'fhe blood was not to be a token claims that on that day, Christ our passover to tho Israelites, but to God for them. Trans- being slain, we a.re to keep the feast ; and late-" and the blood shall be 118 a token for thus, so far as in her lies, me.into.ins the festi- you upon the ho11Ses that you a.re .there." It val e.s "an ordinance for ever," to be observed shall distinguish the houses in which you through all her generations. dwell from the others. I will pasa over you. Ver. 15.-Seven de.ye There is no indi- This is the emphatic clause. God would pa.<ls cation th11.t the week of seven days Wll-'l ad- by, or over the house on which the blood was, mitted by the ancient Egyptians, or even spa.re it, slay none of its inmates; and from known to them. Apparently, the nation this action of His, the lamb itself, e.nd the which first adopted it was that of the Baby- feast whereof it Wll-'l the principal part, were lonians. Abraham may have brought it with to be termed "the Passover." It has been him from "Ur of the Che.ldees;" aud from proposed to connect the Hebrew pesach with him it may have passed to Jacob, and so to the Egyptian pesh, " to stretch, or extend Moses. That the week wll-'l known in the (protection)"; but the name "Tiphsach," family of Abraham before the giving of the borne by the place of passage over the Eu- la.w, appears from Gen. xxi.x. 27, 28. Un- phrates (I Kings iv. 24), would seem to leavened bread is typical of purity of heart, indicate that "crossing," or "passing over" leaven being an emblem of corruption (Matt. is the primary meaning of the root. xvi. 6--12; I Cor. v. 7). "Leaven," says Vers. 14-20.-Hitherto the directions given Pluta.rch, " comes from corruption, and cor- have had reference, primarily and ma.inly, if rupts the dough with which it is mi.,:ed; and not wholly, to the first celebration of the every fermentation seems to be a putrefac- Passover on the night preceding the Exodus. tion." The primary command to celebrate Now, it is announced, (1) That the obser- the first p11Ssover with unleavened instead of vo.nce is to be 1111 annual one ; 1111d (2) That leavened bread (ver. 8), must be attributed it is to be accomp1111ied with certain addi- wholly to this symbolism. But the perma- tional features in the future. These are (a) nent institution of 11 " feast of unleavened the eating of unleavened bread for seven bread," to last II week, had a double bearing. days after the killing of the Passover ; (b) Partly, it was designed to deepen and inten- the putting away of leaven out of the sify the conviction that corruption and im- houses ; ( c) the holding of meetings for purity disqualify for religious service; but it worship on the first day 1111d the last ; 1111d was also partly intended as II commemoration (d) the observance on these days of II sabba- of the fact, that in their hasty flight from tical rest. Egypt the bread which they took with them Ver. H.-This de.y shall be to you for 11 was unleavened (ver. 3!), 1111d that they were memorial. Annual festive.ls, in commemora- forced to subsist on this for several da. ,s. tion of events believed to have happened, (Compare the double meaning of the "bitier were common in the religion of Egypt, 1111d herbs," noticed in the comment on verse 8, ad probably not wholly strange to the religious fin.) The requirement to "put away leaven ideas of the Hebrews. (See the "Introduc- out of their houses" is probably intended to tion " to this chapter.) They were now re- teach, that for family worship to be accept- quired to make the Hth of Abib such o. day, able, the entire household must be pure, and and to observe it continually year after year that to effect this result the head of the 11 throughout their generations." There is household must, so far as he can, eject the commendable faithfulness in the obedience leaven of sin from his establishment. Who- still rendered to the command e.t the pre- soever eateth . . . shall be out off' from sent day ; 1111d it must be confessed that the Israel. Expelled, i.e., from the congregation, strong expression-throughout your genera- or excommunicated. If II man wilfully trans- tions and a.s an ordinanoe for ever-excuse gresses 1111y plain precept of God, even though to o. greo.t extent the reluctance of the Jews it be II positive one, he should be severed from to accept Christianity. They have already, the Church, until he confess his fault, and however, considerably varied from the terms repent, o.nd do penance for it. Such was the of the original appointment. May they not "godly discipline" of the primitive Church; one day see that the Passover will still be a.nd it were well if the Churches of these truly kept by participation in the Easter modem times had more of it. eucha.rist, wherein Christians feed upon II the Ver. 16.--0n the first day there shall be Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" an holy convocation. After the Paschal meal -the antitype, of which the Paschal lamb 011 the evc11ing of the 1!th of Abib, there was was the type-tho true sustenance of souls- to be a solemn assembly of the people on the  TRE BOOK OF EXODUS. [cH. XII, 17-20.