THE PASSOVER
OF THE PASSOVER
As the Lord's supper has been substituted in the place of the Passover, of which mention has been made, it is proper that we should here introduce some remarks in reference to the passover. The principal things in reference to the passover are included in the following questions:
I. What was the Passover?
II. What was its design or use?
III. What are the points of resemblance between the Paschal Lamb and Christ?
IV. Has it been abolished, and what has succeeded it?
I. WHAT WAS THE PASSOVER?
The Passover was the solemn eating of a lamb, which God enjoined upon the Israelites in order, that this rite being annually observed in every family, might be a memorial to them of their deliverance from Egypt, and that it might especially declare to the faithful their spiritual deliverance from sin and death by Christ, who was to be slain upon the cross, and to be eaten by faith. Or, it was a sacrament of the ancient church, which was to be celebrated according to the command of God in every family of the Jews, by the yearly slaying and eating of a lamb a year old, that it might be a memorial to them of the great benefit of their deliverance from Egyptian bondage, and that it might also be a seal of the promise of grace touching the forgiveness of sins on account of the sacrifice of the Messiah.
The Greek πασχα is derived from the Hebrew pesach, which means a passover, derived from pasach, which signifies to pass over. This sacrament and feast was so called from the passing over of the angel, who seeing the blood of the lamb sprinkled upon the upper door post of the Israelites, passed over, and spared their first born, whilst he slew all the first born of the Egyptians. The history of the institution of the passover is contained in the twelfth chapter of the book of Exodus. God
commanded that the slaying of the lamb should be accompanied with certain and various rites. The lamb had to be a year old; a male without blemish; it had to be separated from the flock by the family on the tenth day of the first month called Nisan, or Abib; it was to be slain four days after, or in the evening of the fourteenth day of the same month; the blood was to be sprinkled upon the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses of the Jews; then it was to be roasted with fire, and eaten whole, and in haste, with unleaven bread and bitter herbs. Those that ate it, stood with their loins girt, their shoes on their feet, and with their staff in hand. Of this rite the Lord said, "It is the Lord's passover."
"And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses, where you are, that when I see the blood I may pass over you." (Ex. 12:11, 13.)
This feast God commanded the Jews to celebrate with great solemnity every year, at which time seven days were devoted to its observance. "And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord, throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever. Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread," &c. (Ex.
12:14, 15; see also Ex. 12:17, 18; 23:15. Levit. 25:5. Deut. 16:1.)
II. WHAT WAS THE DESIGN OF THE PASSOVER?
There are five ends specified in the twelfth chapter of Exodus, on account of which the Passover was instituted.
1. That the blood of the lamb sprinkled upon the door posts might be a sign of the angel passing over them, and of the preservation of their firstborn. "And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where you are, and when I see the blood I will pass over you." (Ex. 12:13.)
This end, after the first performance of the rite, and the passing over of the angel, ceases, although the analogy of it remains for ever: for God formerly spared, and now spares the faithful for the sake of the blood of Christ; by which we mean that he remits their sins, as is taught in the next object specified.
2. That it might be a type of the sacrifice of the Messiah yet to be offered, or that it might be a sign of the deliverance which would be wrought out by Christ, and so be a sign of God's grace to the church. This was the chief
end of the yearly passover. This is proven by the following arguments. "A bone of him shall not be broken." (John 19:36.) This type John declares was fulfilled when Christ's bones were not broken upon the cross.
Therefore the lamb was a type of Christ, and of his sacrifice. Again:
"Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us." (1 Cor. 5:7.) The paschal lamb, therefore, signified Christ, and the sacrificing of it, signified the sacrificing of Christ. Again: the church understood the signification of other sacrifices, that they were types of the sacrifice of the Messiah; for the ancient fathers were not so destitute of reason as to seek the remission of sins by the blood of bulls: much more therefore did they, by faith, behold in the paschal lamb the Messiah, and his sacrifice. Lastly,
John calls Christ "the Lamb of God;" and "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world;" (John 3:29. Rev. 13:8;) because he was adumbrated by that lamb which was slain at the Passover.
3. That it might be a memorial of the first Passover, and deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt. God desired that the remembrance of such a great benefit should be preserved among his people, lest their posterity might become ungrateful. "Seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread therewith, even the bread of affliction; (for thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt in haste) that thou mayest remember the day when thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of thy life." (Deut. 16:3.) 4. That it might be a bond which would unite public assemblies, and perpetuate the ecclesiastical ministry. "And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation," &c.
5. That it might be a sacrament which would distinguish the people of God from all other nations. "There shall no stranger eat thereof." "And when a stranger shall sojourn with you, and will keep the passover of the Lord, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near, and keep it, and he shall be as one that is born in the land; for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof." (Ex. 12:43, 48.)
III. WHAT ARE THE POINTS OF RESEMBLANCE BETWEEN
THE PASCHAL LAMB AND CHRIST?
A consideration of the resemblances between the rites which God commanded to be observed in regard to the Paschal Lamb, and Christ, contributes very much to the confirmation, and illustration of the chief end of the Passover.
A comparison between the Type and the Thing signified
THE TYPE WAS,
THE THING SIGNIFIED IS,
1. A lamb from the flock 1. Christ a true man. Is. 53:2, 3, and John 1:14.
2. Without blemish, set apart 2. Without sin. Is. 53:5, 7, 8. Heb. 7:26.
3. To be slain and roasted.
3. Who suffered and died. 1 Cor. 5:7.
4. No bone was broken.
4. He died without having his bones broken. John 19:36.
5. Was slain in the evening.
5. In the end of the world. Heb. 1:2; 9:26.
6. The posts were to be sprinkled with blood, 6. His satisfaction is imputed unto us. Is. 53:5. Rom. 3:24.
7. That the destroyer might pass over the houses of the Israelites.
7. That we might be delivered from eternal death. Heb. 2:14.
8. It was to be eaten, and that in every family.
8. There must be an application of Christ to every one by faith. Rom. 1:17.
John 6:47.
9. It was all to be eaten.
9. According to all the articles of our faith. Tim. 3:16.
10. Without leavened bread.
10. Without hypocrisy. 1 Cor. 5:8.
11. With bitter herbs.
11. With the endurance of the cross. Matt. 10:38.
12. With haste, and in the attire of travellers.
12. With a desire to progress in the Christian life, and with the expectation of eternal life. Luke 8:15. Heb. 13:9, 15.
13. By the circumcised alone.
13. None but the regenerate eat him, and to these alone is he profitable, and they alone receive not the sacrament to their condemnation. John
6:56. Heb. 13:10. 1 Cor. 11:26.
HAS THE PASSOVER BEEN ABOLISHED?
That the ancient Passover, with all the other types which prefigured tha Messiah which was to come, was abolished at the coming of Christ, is evident, 1. From the whole argument of the Apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrews respecting the abolishing of the legal shadows in the New
Testament. "The priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law." "In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old." (Heb. 7:12; 8:13.) 2. From the fulfillment or these legal shadows. "These things were done that the Scriptures might be fulfilled.
A bone of him shall not be broken." "Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us." (John 19:36. 1 Cor. 5:7.) 3. From the substitution of the New
Testament; for Christ, when he was about to suffer, and die and sacrifice