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Israel were slaves; their lives were made bitter; their burdens were crushing and severe. The reader is
earnestly advised to read Exodus 1 to 6, noting 1:11; 2:11; 5:4,5 and 6:7 for references to their burdens; and 1:14;
2:23 and 6:6 for their bitterness and bondage.
Israel in Egypt set forth in vivid colours the state of mankind dominated by sin.
When the time drew near for Israel's redemption, the Lord spake to Moses on this wise:
PROMISE.Õ"I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage,
and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm" (Exod. 6:6).
PASSOVER.Õ"It is the sacrifice of the LORD's passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in
Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses" (Exod. 12:27).
There are one or two items of vital importance to the understanding of the type we must now consider.
(1) A new beginning.
"This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you" (Exod.
12:2).
Israel's year begins in October; Passover was instituted in April, consequently Israel had two new year days in
one year. Every believer in Christ has a similar experience. He has his ordinary birthday, but he has his spiritual
birthday, when he passed from death unto life, from Adam to Christ, from the ranks of the lost to the ranks of the
saved. New life begins with the sacrifice of Christ. It has no connection with any ceremonial or observances, either
made by ourselves or for us by others. Reader, if you still stand in need of newness of life, seek it of the Lamb of
God Who bore the sin of the world.
(2) A personal Saviour.
In Exodus 12:3 the sacrificial lamb is spoken of as "A lamb"; in verse 4 as "THE lamb", and in verse 5 as "YOUR
lamb". At first you may be satisfied to believe that Christ is "A" saviour. If this is all, if He is one among many,
salvation is not yours:
"A just God and a Saviour; there is NONE BESIDE ME" (Isa. 45:21).
"Look unto ME, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, AND THERE IS NONE ELSE" (Isa. 45:22).
Perhaps you have already realized the pre-eminence of Christ. No other so-called deliverer competes with Him
in your estimation. You are not far from the kingdom, but remember the statement:
"Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble" (James 2:19).
Nothing avails, if Christ be not my Saviour, my Sin-bearer; unless I can say with the apostle Paul:
"The Son of God, Who loved ME, and gave Himself for ME" (Gal. 2:20).
(3) The one thing needful.
"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" (Exod. 12:13).
The children of Israel had many advantages over the Gentile world, as may be seen in the following extracts
from scripture:
"What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? Much every way: chiefly, because
that unto them were committed the oracles of God ... Israelites, to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory,
and the covenants" (Rom. 3:1,2; 9:4).
It would not have availed the children of Israel on that dreadful night in Egypt, however, to have exhibited any
or all of these undoubted advantages: