The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-12-14
THE PASSOVER.
EXoD. XII. 1-17.)

(EXOD. XII, 1-17)
 dntEoduction.-The visit of Moses to the obdurate king, studied last week, was the final offer of grace made by Jeho,, yah. The time for persuasion haa passed-the time for judgment was at hand (Prov. i, 26). Thereafter the leader of Israel devoted his energies under Di- vine guidance to make his people ready for the deliverance soon to be granted; Certain prefminaries must be ad1usteo that the new nation, to be formed out of three millions of slaves, might begin It's career alright. This people. separated unto God, must be unlike every other, ward they were called Oeut. ix, p, peculiar people. Certain institutions and customs must distinguish and uni ss in the lesson today. both related to events of the then immediate present.
 Year (Verses l and 2-The time ele- so regarded from the beginning of the worlds history (Gen. ii. ?. In the earli- est ages men perceived that the phenom- ena of nature recurred, so that all things accomplish a period as in cir cle. One revolution of the earth around the sun. while not then understood, was called by the Latins annus. and in oth- CT eastern nations by equivalent words All the peoples of antiquity began this solar division of time in the autumn there being among the Semites a tradi- tion that man was created then. But God instructed Moses to make the exodus from Egypt the beginning of the Hebrew year-the month of Abib, corresponding to our March, being the first. Thus the deliverance from bondage would become the great event to be kept forever in memory.
 Lamb (Verses to 6)-This beginning of the ecclesiastical year was to be cele- brated in all after centuries by eXer- cises known as the Passover. as fur ther national distinction. The chief fea- ture of the Passover was lamb, a male of the first year without blemish. II must be selected as to size with reference to the needs of the household. so that the family idea might be preserved and lies might unite in the observance. Il was to be taken from the flock on the tenth day of the month and kept up and fed by itself for four days that it might be in excellent condition. It the evening our afternoon. of the fourteenth day all the lambs of all the families must b' sacrificed; Any person a priest was ,rS, no whole congregation united at one time
 Blood Verse O-When the lambs wert cured in a bason, and then by means of 2 bunch of hyssop Verse 22) sprinkled or the lintel and two posts of the door neut' t x XII; ; osrbs4 Ihat ,dS tms use @ oI em Im' blem of the sacrifice and atonement made by the death of Christ, is intimated q Peter 1, ?, In the clearest terms in the New Testament Hep. ix, 1S). There is no suggestion here Of @any such intended representation. 1t is probable that the people then saw in it nothing more than is designated in this lesson tVerses l. to 13), although some scholars think that as sacrificial worship began very early in the history of the race (Gen. iv, D its prophetic import must have been gel forth and carried from generation tt generation.
 Feast (Verses 8 to l1)-After the shed. ding of the blood, thereby marking ou' the dwelling as Israelitish and securing its inmates. the lamb must be eaten For that purpose. it was roastedit nigh not be prepared by any other process ol taken raw. The entire lamb must be eat en that night. and if any part remained until the morning, it should be burned with fire. No stranger might have an part in this feast Verse 45). It must b. taken with bitter herbs, as an emblem O past ahFliction, and with unleavcnet bread leaven being emblem of cor ruption or evil (Matt. xvi, 8, While par taking every man must he girded hi shoes on the feet. his staff in hand, read