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"Thus did all the children of Israel; as the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron, so
did they."
The faith that kept the passover found its warrant in the Word of God. We cannot too
insistently bring this forward. All sorts of things are said to be done by the Lord's people
"by faith", but it is difficult sometimes to find any warrant for their actions in the Word.
Heb. 11: 1 declares faith to be the substance of things hoped for; Rom. 10: 17 declares the
Word of God to be the substance of that faith. The passover in Exod. 12: is of divine
institution. Moses simply "did" what he was told. "And the Lord spake unto Moses . . .
saying . . . . . Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel" (Exod. 12: 1-3). The whole
passage (Exod. 12: 1-20) is the actual spoken Word of the Lord. Without break or
introduction verses 12 and 13 say:
"For I will pass through the land."
"When I see the blood."
The sprinkling of blood.
It is perhaps pardonable for the English reader to link these passages with the others in
Hebrews that speak of "sprinkling". We have:
(1)
The sprinkling of the water of purification (Heb. 9: 13).
(2)
The sprinkling of both the book and the people (Heb. 9: 19).
(3)
The sprinkling of the Tabernacle and its vessels (Heb. 9: 21).
These find their fulfillment in:
(1)
"The blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel" (Heb. 12: 24).
(2)
"Our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience" (Heb. 10: 22).
(3)
"Sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ" (I Pet. 1: 2).
All these references use the word rhantizo or rhantismos. The word used in
Heb. 11: 28, however, is proschusis, a word occurring nowhere else in the N.T.
Believing that the choice of words to express the truth is a part of that inspiration of God
which characterizes the Scriptures, we feel that it is fatal to profitable exegesis to
confound what God distinguishes. We have, however, the key to the problem.
Elsewhere we have sought to show the distinction that must be made between redemption
and atonement. Now all the passages cited above have reference to a people already
redeemed, whereas the passover speaks of the great act of redemption itself. There is no
reference to cleansing, dedicating or service in the passover. It speaks of deliverance;
consequently the record uses a distinct word. Instead, therefore, of linking Heb. 11: 28
with Heb. 12: 24, we have to make the following comparisons:
The passover and its sprinkled blood (Heb. 11: 28) must be compared with such a
passage as I Pet. 1: 18, 19: "Ye were, . . . . . redeemed ... with the precious blood of
Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot". The redeeming Sacrifice, and its
sprinkled blood, must be placed in contrast with "the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh
better things than that of Abel" (Heb. 12: 24), which refers rather to worship.