Mime-Version: 1.0 Date: Tue, 23 Jan 1996 17:23:22 +-100 Reply-To: Christian explanation of the Scriptures to Israel Sender: Christian explanation of the Scriptures to Israel From: Teus Benschop Subject: ChrExp, The Scriptures opened, 67 To: Multiple recipients of list CHR-EXP Contents ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Exodus 12:1-20 - The Lamb 2. 1 Timothy 6:3-5 - False teachings 1. Exodus 12:1-20 - The Lamb ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Weekly reading: Bo; Exodus 10:1 - 13:16 In this chapter we read of the lamb of the Passover. In the New Testament this is applied to Christ. 1,2 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you. Moses did nothing of himself, but he followed the command of the LORD. That is what we again read here: "And the LORD spake unto Moses". He obeyed the voice and command of God, and did nothing according to own will. Let we learn from this, do the same and also reject all own desires; let us do that what God asks of us, and forget the whole rest, including ourselves. What was it, that God spoke to Moses and Aaron? He said that this month should be unto them the beginning of the months. "It shall be the first month of the year to you". This month is called Abib, or Nisan, containing a part of March and of April. This month, that is the month of their deliverance our of Egypt, that house of bondage and slavery. The month of their deliverance would be the first month unto them. A period was brought to a close. A new period began; a period of new life after their death in the iron furnace of Egypt. And the month wherein their new life began, was the first month of the year; a new month. "This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you". All was made new. God made all things new to them, including their times and years. Likewise makes God all things new to us, when He has delivered us from the bondage of Satan, hell and death. See it in the Israelites: after their freedom, they began a new start. A new life lay before them. When God regenerates us, a new life begins for us. God makes all things new. "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.", 2 Cor. 5:17. When anyone is in Christ, all old things are vanished; a new period commences. "This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you." 3 Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: Let every man, in the tenth of this month, take a lamb. This lamb could be taken from the sheep or from the goats. "Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats", Exod. 12:5. This lamb was an example of Christ, the Lamb of God. Christ was the Lamb, given to us by God. John will tell it to you: "The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world", John 1:29. Christ is the Lamb of God. Through His work, He takes away the sin of the world. Everybody who looks at Jesus in faith, will have his sins carried away by Him, and will receive the perfect righteousness of Christ instead of that. Also Paul testifies that Christ is the real lamb of the passover. "Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us", 1 Cor. 5:7. 4 And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb. Each household should kill a lamb, but if there were too few people to eat the whole lamb that evening, let then more people of more households eat of the same lamb. 5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: The "lamb shall be without blemish." It shall be pure, because God is pure. Our defiled works don't please Him. Only pure works are acceptable for Him, but these are not found among us. The lamb shall be without blemish. Also Christ, the real Lamb, was without blemish. According to Peter, the believers are redeemed, not through silver or gold, "but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot", 1 Peter 1:19. Christ is the real Lamb, without blemish. And also Pilate, the judge, declared Christ innocent. The lamb also should be "a male of the first year", said God. It should be neither too young, nor too old. The lamb should be one year old, in the vigorous time of its life. Also Christ, when He offered up Himself, was not too young, neither too old, but He was in the strength of His life. He was around thirty years old when He began to preach on earth, and few years later, He was crucified; a man of about 33 years old. 6 And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. The lamb shall be kept from the tenth day until the fourteenth day. During that time, it will be shut up, but at the end of that period, the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it. When? They shall kill it in the evening. We find a remarkable similarity between this lamb and between Christ. The lamb should be kept for some time. Though it lives, yet it awaits its death during those four days. So Christ, during his time of preaching on earth, awaited His death. Many aimed at His death. "And as he said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things: Laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him". Luke 11:53,54. Jesus was as it were shut up between His enemies, but since it was not yet His time, they were unable to harm Him. The lamb of passover was shut up during some time, and in the mean time everybody prepared the tools to slaughter it; they prepared the knifes and the dish for the blood, and the place where it should be killed. But they had to wait until the fourteenth day; and then they killed it. See this in Christ. They prepared themselves to kill Him, but His time, the fourteenth day, wasn't yet fulfilled. We also read that "the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening." Looking at Christ, we see that the whole assembly, who were standing by, cried: Crucify Him! crucify Him! And also we, sinning daily, have our part in crucifying Him. It is because of our sins that He suffered, and was killed at the cross. Yes, indeed, it is true, the whole congregation shall kill Him. At what time should the lamb be killed? They shall kill it "in the evening". Or, better, they shall kill it "between the two evenings", that is in the afternoon, between three and the setting of the sun. It is in this time that Christ died on the cross. "And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? (...) Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost." Matthew 27:46,50. About the ninth hour, that is about three, Jesus cried, and some time later He gave up the ghost. So, our Lord was killed between the two evenings. 7 And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. We read here of the ceremonies of striking the blood on the posts of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. But nowhere else we read that they ever repeated this. This also applies to some of the ceremonies in the next verses. So, it can be that these ceremonies were only instituted for that one time. Note that the blood should be on the posts of every house, wherein they were. A man could not rely on the blood struck on the posts of his neighbour's house. When every house had the blood on its posts, and one hadn't, then he was guilty. Every house, wherein they eat the lamb, should have the blood. This shows us that the personal application of the blood is important. When Christ's blood is shed for sinners, in general, that is not enough for us. It must be applied personally to each of us. We can't do it with the neighbour's faith, but we ourselves need Christ's blood. 8-10 And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof. And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire. "They shall eat the flesh in that night", namely the flesh of the lamb. We also need to spiritually eat of Christ's flesh, in order to have eternal life. For Christ said: "Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day." John 6:54. And, "He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him." John 6:56. They shall eat the flesh of the lamb, not raw, but "roast with fire." "Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof." Likewise the flesh of Christ is roasted with fire, namely with the fire of God's wrath. God's wrath against the sins is like a burning fire. And that fire burned Christ, so that He died because of our sins. In fact we should be roasted with God's fire, but Christ was killed in our stead. He was the Lamb of God, given for the sins of the world. The shall eat the flesh, together with "unleavened bread", denoting the newness of life. They had a period of slavery behind then, and now began a new life. So also we, being saved from the slavery of sin, let us life a new life with God, in Christ. "Therefore 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 Cor. 5:8. 11 And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD'S passover. You shall eat the lamb with "your loins girded", and with "your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand". All these things show that they should be ready for the journey. They should eat it, prepared to leave immediately after that. "Ye shall eat it in haste". Let we learn from this, that we also are ready to depart. Let we prepare ourselves for the coming of the Lord. Let we always keep in mind that this day can be the last one. "Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning", Luke 12:35. Let us do our work so, as if we expect this day to be the last one. Is there still some good to do to your neighbour? Do it then today, and don't put it off. 12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. The LORD will pass through the land to smite all the firstborn. This last plague will break Pharaoh, so that he will let the people go. Besides that, the LORD will also judge the Egyptian gods, so that they may see that there is but one God, the LORD, and none besides Him. All other gods are dead, are made of wood, stone, gold, silver; cannot hear nor see nor feel nor help. They all are dead, but our God is the living God, the Creator of heaven and earth. Let God then judge, besides the idols of the Egyptians, also our personal gods. Let he smite our gods, in order that we finally confess that the LORD is God. For some their belly is their god. But we know what is written: against all the gods, "I will execute judgment: I am the LORD." 13 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. They had to strike the blood on the posts of the door. "And when I see the blood, I will pass over you". Hence the name "passover", because God passed over the houses with the blood on the door posts. The blood will be a sign for the Israelites, to strengthen their faith. God promised to pass over them when there would be blood on the door. So, if anyone doubted, he could go out and look at the blood. When he doubted, his faith might be strengthened by looking at that blood. And also we, when we are not behind the blood of Christ, will be smitten. But when God sees Christ's blood, applied on us, then He will pass over us, and not destroy us. Fearful is it for the ungodly, who think to have no need of blood. Fearful is it for them, because they will be destroyed. Let we then seek to be safe in Christ. 2. 1 Timothy 6:3-5 - False teachings ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 3 If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; 4 He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, 5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. If any man teach otherwise, and does not consent to the wholesome words, I have taught you, he is proud and ignorant. If any man teach some doctrine different from the doctrine I have delivered you, the doctrine of Jesus Christ our Lord, he is a man without any knowledge. The false teachers are doting about questions and strifes of words, but forsake the wholesome words, which tend to godliness. If any man differs from sound doctrine, even the words of our Lord and Saviour, he is knowing nothing. He likes questions, whereof come envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings. He regards himself the solver of any doctrinal question, but his words don't promote godliness. Such are the proud and the ignorant. They think that they are wise, but their minds are corrupted. They think to have and profess the truth, but in fact they promote envy and strife. The real truth, however, brings peace; not strife. So, they think to profess the truth, but their works testify otherwise. Were they true professors of truth, they would make peace. But now they are destitute of every truth, and like the dispute. They forsake every good work, but fill their time with nothing. From such withdraw yourself, reader, in order that you may devote yourself to godliness. The false teacher thinks that he is wise; at least he wishes to be regarded wise. But in fact he is sick, namely of mind. Such teachers and heretics regard the simple doctrine of salvation too simple, and try to flaunt with higher astutenesses, and with new and unheard teachings. But they are sick of mind and reason, because they disregard and reject sound doctrine. "But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses." 1 Timothy 6:11,12. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- chr-exp@nic.surfnet.nl "A Christian explanation of the Scriptures to Israel" Institute Practical Bible-education Web: http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/ipb-e/ipbe-home.html Written by Teus Benschop -- t.benschop@pobox.ruu.nl ---------------------------------------------------------------------- file: /pub/resources/text/ipb-e/so: s-open-067.txt .