CompleteConcise
In this chapter we have, I. The commands God gave to Israel, 1.To sanctify all their firstborn to him (v. 1, 2). 2. To be sure to remembertheir deliverance out of Egypt (v. 3, 4), and, in remembrance of it, to keep thefeast of unleavened bread (v. 5-7). 3. To transmit the knowledge of it with allpossible care to their children (v. 8-10). 4. To set apart unto God thefirstlings of their cattle (v. 11-13), and to explain that also to theirchildren (v. 14-16). II. The care God took of Israel, when he had brought themout of Egypt. I. Choosing their way for them (v. 17, 18). 2. Guiding them in theway (v. 20-22). And III. Their care of Joseph's bones (v. 19).
Care is here taken to perpetuate the remembrance,
I. Of the preservation of Israel's firstborn, when thefirstborn of the Egyptians were slain. In memory of that distinguishing favour,and in gratitude for it, the firstborn, in all ages, were to be consecrated toGod, as his peculiars (v. 2), and to be redeemed, v. 13. God, who by the rightof creation is proprietor and sovereign of all the creatures, here lays claim inparticular to the firstborn of the Israelites, by right of protection: Sanctifyto me all the firstborn. The parents were not to look upon themselves asinterested in their firstborn, till they had first solemnly presented them toGod, recognized his title to them, and received them back, at a certain rate,from him again. Note, 1. That which is by special distinguishing mercy spared tous should be in a peculiar manner dedicated to God's honour; at least somegrateful acknowledgment, in works of piety and charity, should be made, when ourlives, or the lives of our children, have been given us for a prey. 2. God, whois the first and best, should have the first and best, and to him we shouldresign that which is most dear to us, and most valuable. The firstborn were thejoy and hope of their families. Therefore they shall be mine, says God.By this is will appear that we love God best (as we ought) if we are willing topart with that to him which we love best in this world. 3. It is the churchof the firstborn that is sanctified to God, Heb. 12:23. Christ it the firstbornamong many brethren (Rom. 8:29), and, by virtue of their union with him, allthat are born again, and born from above, are accounted as firstborn. There isan excellency of dignity and power belonging to them; and, ifchildren, then heirs.
II. The remembrance of their coming out of Egypt must also beperpetuated: "Remember this day, v. 3. Remember it by a good token,as the most remarkable day of your lives, the birthday of your nation, or theday of its coming of age, to be no longer under the rod." Thus the day ofChrist's resurrection is to be remembered, for in it we were raised up withChrist out of death's house of bondage. The scripture tells us notexpressly what day of the year Christ rose (as Moses told the Israeliteswhat day of the year they were brought out of Egypt, that they might remember ityearly), but very particularly what day of the week it was, plainlyintimating that, as the more valuable deliverance, and of greater importance, itshould be remembered weekly. Remember it, for by strength of hand theLord brought you out. Note, The more of God and his power appears in anydeliverance, the more memorable it is. Now, that it might be remembered,
1. They must be sure to keep the feast of unleavened bread,v. 5-7. It was not enough that they remembered it, but they must celebrate thememorial of it in that way which God had appointed, and use the instituted meansof preserving the remembrance of it. So, under the gospel, we must not onlyremember Christ, but do this in remembrance of him. Observe, How strictthe prohibition of leaven is (v. 7); not only no leaven must be eaten, but nonemust be seen, no, not in all their quarters. Accordingly, the Jews' usage was,before the feast of the passover, to cast all the leavened bread out of theirhouses: they burnt it, or buried it, or broke it small and scattered it in thewind; they searched diligently with lighted candles in all the corners of theirhouses, lest any leaven should remain. The care and strictness enjoined in thismatter were designed, (1.) To make the feast the more solemn, and consequentlythe more taken notice of by their children, who would ask, "Why is so muchado made?" (2.) To teach us how solicitous we should be to put away from usall sin, 1 Co. 5:7.
2. They must instruct their children in the meaning of it, andrelate to them the story of their deliverance out of Egypt, v. 8. Note, (1.)Care must be taken betimes to instruct children in the knowledge of God. Here isan ancient law for catechising. (2.) It is particularly of great use to acquaintchildren betimes with the stories of the scripture, and to make them familiar tothem. (3.) It is a debt we owe to the honour of God, and to the benefit of ourchildren's souls, to tell them of the great works God has done for his church,both those which we have seen with our eyes done in our day and which we haveheard with our ears and our fathers have told us: Thou shalt show thy son inthat day (the day of the feast) these things. When they were celebrating theordinance, they must explain it. Every thing is beautiful in its season.The passover is appointed for a sign, and for a memorial, that theLord's law may be in thy mouth. Note, We must retain the remembrance ofGod's works, that we may remain under the influence of God's law. And thosethat have God's law in their heart should have it in their mouth, and be oftenspeaking of it, the more to affect themselves and to instruct others.
Here we have,
I. Further directions concerning the dedicating of theirfirstborn to God. 1. The firstlings of their cattle were to be dedicated to God,as part of their possessions. Those of clean beastscalves, lambs, and kidsifmales, were to be sacrificed, Ex. 22:30; Num. 18:17, 18. Those of uncleanbeasts, as colts, were to be redeemed with a lamb, or knocked on the head. Forwhatsoever is unclean (as we all are by nature), if it be not redeemed, will bedestroyed, v. 11, 13. 2. The firstborn of their children were to be redeemed,and by no means sacrificed, as the Gentiles sacrificed their children to Moloch.The price of the redemption of the firstborn was fixed by the law (Num. 18:16)at five sheckles. We were all obnoxious to the wrath and curse of God; bythe blood of Christ we are redeemed, that we may be joined to the church ofthe firstborn. They were to redeem their children, as well as the firstlingsof the unclean beasts, for our children are by nature polluted. Who can bringa clean thing out of an unclean?
II. Further directions concerning the catechising of theirchildren, and all those of the rising generation, from time to time, in thismatter. It is supposed that, when they saw all the firstlings thus devoted, theywould ask the meaning of it, and their parents and teachers must tell them (v.14-16) that God's special propriety in their firstborn, and all theirfirstlings, was founded in his special preservation of them from the sword ofthe destroying angel. Being thus delivered, they must serve him. Note, 1.Children should be directed and encouraged to ask their parents questionsconcerning the things of God, a practice which would be perhaps of all othersthe most profitable way of catechising; and parents must furnish themselves withuseful knowledge, that they may be ready always to give an answer to theirenquiries. If ever the knowledge of God cover the earth, as the waters dothe sea, the fountains of family-instruction must first be broken up. 2. Weshould all be able to show cause for what we do in religion. As sacraments aresanctified by the word, so they must be explained and understood by it. God'sservice is reasonable, and it is then acceptable when we perform itintelligently, knowing what we do and why we do it. 3. It must be observed howoften it is said in this chapter that by strength of hand (v. 3, 14, 16),with a strong hand (v. 9), the Lord brought them out of Egypt. The moreopposition is given to the accomplishment of God's purposes the more is hispower magnified therein. It is a strong hand that conquers hard hearts.Sometimes God is said to work deliverance not by might nor power (Zec.4:6), not by such visible displays of his power as that recorded here. 4. Theirposterity that should be born in Canaan are directed to say, The Lord broughtus out of Egypt, v. 14, 16. Mercies to our fathers are mercies to us; wereap the benefit of them, and therefore must keep up a grateful remembrance ofthem. We stand upon the bottom of former deliverances, and were in the loins ofour ancestors when they were delivered. Much more reason have we to say that inthe death and resurrection of Jesus Christ we were redeemed.
Here is, I. The choice God made of their way, v. 17, 18. He wastheir guide. Moses gave them direction but as he received it from the Lord.Note, The way of man is not in himself, Jer. 10:23. He may devise his way,and design it; but, after all, it is God that directs his steps, Prov.16:9. Man proposes, but God disposes, and in his disposal we must acquiesce, andset ourselves to follow providence. There were two ways from Egypt to Canaan.One was a short cut from the north of Egypt to the south of Canaan, perhapsabout four or five days' journey; the other was much further about, throughthe wilderness, and that was the way in which God chose to lead his peopleIsrael, v. 18. 1. There were many reasons why God led them through the way ofthe wilderness of the Red Sea. The Egyptians were to be drowned in the RedSea. The Israelites were to be humbled and proved in the wilderness, Deu. 8:2.God had given it to Moses for a sign (ch. 3:12), You shall serve God in thismountain. They had again and again told Pharaoh that they must go threedays' journey into the wilderness to do sacrifice, and therefore it wasrequisite that they should bend their march that way, else they would justlyhave been exclaimed against as notorious dissemblers. Before they entered thelists with their enemies, matters must be settled between them and their God,laws must be given, ordinances instituted, covenants sealed, and the originalcontract ratified, for the doing of which it was necessary that they shouldretire into the solitudes of a wilderness, the only closet for such a crowd; thehigh road would be no proper place for these transactions. It is said (Deu.32:10), He led them about, some hundreds of miles about, and yet (Ps.107:7), He led them forth by the right way. God's way is the right way,though it seem about. If we think he leads not his people the nearestway, yet we may be sure he leads them the best way, and so it will appear whenwe come to our journey's end. Judge nothing before the time. 2. Therewas one reason why God did not lead them the nearest way, which would havebrought them after a few days' march to the land of the Philistines(for it was that part of Canaan that lay next to Egypt), namely, because theywere not as yet fit for war, much less for war with the Philistines, v. 17.Their spirits were broken with slavery; it was not easy for them to turn theirhands of a sudden from the trowel to the sword. The Philistines were formidableenemies, too fierce to be encountered by raw recruits; it was more suitable thatthey should begin with the Amalekites, and be prepared for the wars of Canaan byexperiencing the difficulties of the wilderness. Note, God proportions hispeople's trials to their strength, and will not suffer them to be temptedabove what they are able, 1 Co. 10:13. That promise, if compared with theforegoing verses, will seem to refer to this event, as an instance of it. Godknows our frame, and considers our weakness and faintheartedness, and byless trials will prepare us for greater. God is said to bring Israel out ofEgypt as the eagle brings up her young ones (Deu. 32:11), teaching themby degrees to fly. Orders being thus given which way they should go, we aretold, (1.) That they went up themselves, not as a confused rout, but in goodorder, rank and file: they went up harnessed, v. 18. They went up by fivein a rank (so some), in five squadrons, so others. They marched likean army with banners, which added much to their strength and honour. (2.) Thatthey took the bones of Joseph along with them (v. 19), and probably thebones of the rest of Jacob's sons, unless (as some think) they had beenprivately carried to Canaan (Acts 7:16), severally as they died. Joseph hadparticularly appointed that his bones should be carried up when God should visitthe (Gen. 50:25, 26), so that their carrying up his bones was not only aperformance of the oath their fathers had sworn to Joseph, but an acknowledgmentof the performance of God's promise to them by Joseph that he would visit themand bring them out of the land of Egypt, and an encouragement to their faith andhope that he would fulfil the other part of the promise, which was to bring themto Canaan, in expectation of which they carried these bones with them while theywandered in the desert. They might think, "Joseph's bones must rest atlast, and then we shall." Moses is said to take these bones with him. Moseswas now a very great man; so had Joseph been in his day, yet he was now but abox full of dry bones; this was all that remained of him in this world, whichmight serve for a monitor to Moses to remember his mortality. I have said,You are gods; it was said so to Moses expressly (ch. 7:1); but you shalldie like men.
II. Here is the guidance they were blessed with in the way: TheLord went before them in a pillar, v. 21, 22. In the first two stages it wasenough that God directed Moses whither to march: he knew the country and theroad well enough; but now that they had come to the edge of the wilderness(v. 20) they would have occasion for a guide; and a very good guide they had,one that was infinitely wise, kind, and faithful: The Lord went before them,the shechinah (or appearance of the divine Majesty, which was typical ofChrist) or a previous manifestation of the eternal Word, which, in the fulnessof time, was to be made flesh, and dwell among us. Christ was withthe church in the wilderness, 1 Co. 10:9. Now their King passed before them,even the Lord on the head of them, Mic. 2:13. Note, Those whom God bringsinto a wilderness he will not leave nor lose there, but will take care to leadthem through it; we may well think it was a very great satisfaction to Moses andthe pious Israelites to be sure that they were under divine guidance. Thoseneeded not to fear missing their way who were thus led, nor being lost who werethus directed; those needed not to fear being benighted who were thusilluminated, nor being robbed who were thus protected. Those who make the gloryof God their end, and the word of God their rule, the Spirit of God the guide oftheir affections, and the providence of God the guide of their affairs, may beconfident that the Lord goes before them, as truly as he went beforeIsrael in the wilderness, though not so sensibly; we must live by faith. 1. Theyhad sensible evidences of God's going before them. They all saw an appearancefrom heaven of a pillar, which in the bright day appeared cloudy, and in thedark night appeared fiery. We commonly see that that which is a flame in thenight is a smoke in the day; so was this. God gave them this oculardemonstration of his presence, in compassion to the infirmity of their faith,and in compliance with that infant state of the church, which needed to be thuslisped to in their own language; but blessed are those that have not seen andyet have believed God's gracious presence with them, according to hispromise. 2. They had sensible effects of God's going before them in thispillar. For, (1.) It led the way in that vast howling wilderness, in which therewas no road, no track, no way-mark, of which they had no maps, through whichthey had no guides. When they marched, this pillar went before them, at the ratethat they could follow, and appointed the place of their encampment, as InfiniteWisdom saw fit, which both eased them from care, and secured them from danger,both in moving and in resting. (2.) It sheltered them by day from the heat,which, at some times of the year, was extreme. (3.) It gave them light by nightwhen they had occasion for it, and at all times made their camp pleasant and thewilderness they were in less frightful.
III. These were constant standing miracles (v. 22): He tooknot away the pillar of cloud; no, not when they seemed to have less occasionfor it, travelling through inhabited countries, no, not when they murmured andwere provoking; it never left them, till it brought them to the borders ofCanaan. It was a cloud which the wind could not scatter. This favour isacknowledged with thankfulness long afterwards, Neh. 9:19; Ps. 78:14. There wassomething spiritual in this pillar of cloud and fire. 1. The children of Israelwere baptized unto Moses in this cloud, which, some think, distilled dew uponthem, 1 Co. 10:2. By coming under this cloud, they signified their puttingthemselves under the divine guidance and command by the ministry of Moses.Protection draws allegiance; this cloud was the badge of God's protection, andso became the bond of their allegiance. Thus they were initiated, and admittedunder that government, now when they were entering upon the wilderness. 2. Somemake this cloud a type f Christ. The cloud of his human nature was a veil to thelight and fire of his divine nature; we find him (Rev. 10:1) clothed with acloud, and his feet as pillars of fire. Christ is our way, the light of ourway and the guide of it. 3. It signified the special guidance and protectionwhich the church of Christ is under in this world. God himself is the keeper ofIsrael, and he neither slumbers nor sleeps, Ps. 121:4; Isa. 27:3. Thereis a defence created, not only on Sion's assemblies, but on everydwelling-place in Sion. See Isa. 4:5, 6. Nay, every Israelite indeed is hiddenunder the shadow of God's wings (Ps. 17:8); angels, whose ministry was madeuse of in this cloud, are employed for their good, and pitch their tents aboutthem. Happy art thou, O Israel! who is like unto thee, O people?
