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"roast," neither eaten "raw," or rather not properly cooked (as in thehaste of leaving),
nor yet "sodden with water" - the latter because nothing of it was to pass into thewater,
nor the water to mingle with it, the lamb and the lamb alone being the food of the
sacrificialcompany. For a similar reason it was to be roasted and served up whole -
complete, without breakor division, not a bone of it being broken, (Exodus 12:46) just
as not even a bone was broken ofHim who died for us on the cross. (John 19:33, 36)
And this undividedness of the Lamb pointed notonly to the entire surrender of the
Lord Jesus, but also to our undivided union and communion in andwith Him. (1
Corinthians 10:17) So also none of this lamb was to be kept for another meal, but
thatwhich had not been used must be burnt. Lastly, those who gathered around this
meal were not onlyall Israelites, but must all profess their faith in the coming
deliverance; since they were to sit down toit with loins girded, with shoes on their feet
and a staff in their hand, as it were, awaiting the signal oftheir redemption, and in
readiness for departing from Egypt.
A nobler spectacle of a people's faith can scarcely be conceived than when, on
receiving theseordinances, "the people bowed the head and worshipped" (12:27).
Any attempt at descriptioneither of Israel's attitude or of the scenes witnessed when
the Lord, passing through the land "aboutmidnight," smote each firstborn from the
only son of Pharaoh to the child of the maidservant and thecaptive, and even the
firstborn of beasts, would only weaken the impression of the majestic silenceof
Scripture. Such things cannot be described - at least otherwise than by comparison
with what isyet to follow. Suffice then, that it was a fit emblem of another "midnight,"
when the cry shall be heard:"Behold, the Bridegroom cometh." (Matthew 25:6) In that
midnight hour did Jehovah execute"judgment against all the gods of Egypt," (Exodus
12:12) showing, as Calvin rightly remarks, howvain and false had been the worship of
those who were now so powerless to help. That was also thenight of Israel's birth as a
nation "of their creation and adoption as the people of God." (Isaiah 43:15)Hence the
very order of the year was now changed. The month of the Passover(Abib)
becamehenceforth the first of the year. The Paschal supper was made a perpetual
institution, with suchnew rules as to its future observance as would suit the people
when settled in the land; and itsobservance was to be followed by a "feast of
unleavened bread," lasting for seven days, when allleaven should be purged out of
their households.
Finally, the fact that God had so set Israel apart in the Paschal night and redeemed
them to Himself,was perpetuated in the injunction to "sanctify" unto the Lord "all the
firstborn both of man and ofbeast." (Exodus 13:1-7) When at last this "stroke"
descended upon Egypt, Pharaoh hastily called forMoses and Aaron. In that night of
terror he dismissed the people unconditionally, only asking that,instead of the curse, a
"blessing" might be left behind (12:32).
(^)