to the employment. Christians must be baptized, ministers must be ordained; we must first give
ourselves unto the Lord, and then our services. The Levites must be cleansed. They must be clean
that bear the vessels of the Lord. Moses must sprinkle the water of purifying upon them. This
signifies the application of the blood of Christ to our souls by faith, that we may be fit to serve the
living God. God declares his acceptance of them. All who expect to share in the privileges of the
tabernacle, must resolve to do the service of the tabernacle. As, on the one hand, none of God's
creatures are his necessary servants, he needs not the service of any of them; so none are merely
honorary servants, to do nothing. All whom God owns, he employs; angels themselves have their
services.
Chapter 9
Chapter Outline
Of the Passover. (1–14)
The removals of the Israelites. (15–23)Verses 1–14
God gave particular orders for the keeping of this passover, and, for aught that appears, after
this, they kept no passover till they came to Canaan, Jos 5:10. It early showed that the ceremonial
institutions were not to continue always, as so soon after they were appointed, some were suffered
to sleep for many years. But the ordinance of the Lord's Supper was not thus set aside in the first
days of the Christian church, although those were days of greater difficulty and distress than Israel
knew in the wilderness; nay, in the times of persecution, the Lord's Supper was celebrated more
frequently than afterward. Israelites in the wilderness could not forget the deliverance out of Egypt.
There was danger of this when they came to Canaan. Instructions were given concerning those who
were ceremonially unclean, when they were to eat the passover. Those whose minds and consciences
are defiled by sin, are unfit for communion with God, and cannot partake with comfort of the gospel
passover, till they are cleansed by true repentance and faith. Observe with what trouble and concern
these men complained that they were kept back from offering to the Lord. It should be a trouble to
us, when by any occasion we are kept back from the solemnities of a sabbath or a sacrament.
Observe the deliberation of Moses in resolving this case. Ministers must ask counsel of God's
mouth, not determine according to their own fancy or affection, but according to the word of God
to the best of their knowledge. And if, in difficult cases, time is taken to spread the matter before
God by humble, believing prayer, the Holy Spirit assuredly will direct in the good and right way.
God gave directions in this case, and in other similar cases, explanatory of the law of the passover.
As those who, against their minds, are forced to absent themselves from God's ordinances, may
expect the favours of God's grace under their affliction, so those who, of choice, absent themselves,
may expect God's wrath for their sin. Be not deceived: God is not mocked.