Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-01-18
SCHOOL LESSON
THE PAssovER-Exodus. III
I.s4 ---l2.a6.
Golden Text-our Passover also
s.,-.gi hath been sacrificed. even
Chfist.-I Cor, 81.
M, REV. HIGH r. STEVENSON.

The people OF Egypt. yet the heart OF
Ph4raeh had only been hardened and
he stubbornly refused to permit the
people Of Israel to leave the country.
Little did he dream that God was
going to visit upon his own home and
the homes of the nation a still more
dreadful plague, the death of the first
born. Finally, with the tenth stroke
of Gods hammer, the chains of
bondage were, broken and the slaves
marched forth out of the kingdom to
establish, q new nation. 1t was the
beginning OF new era in the history
of the chosen people and Jehovah
recognized its Importance by COM
manding Israel to change her calen-
dar and to reckon the beginning of
their year with the institution of the
first national feast, the Passover.
The scholar, Bunsen, saw the infiu-
ence of the event upon the subsequent
story of the world, and declared that
history began with the exodus"
While one may well hesitate to accept
such an extravagant statement yet it
is easy to understand the basis for it.
Regeneration is the greatest event in
the life of any individual. and soul
does not really live. in certain sense,
until there is fellowship with God
SO the date of the new birth marks
the commencement of the Christian
life. Similarly, the experience of the
night we are studying made Israel
peculiar relationship to God. The peo-
pie went forth into the glorious lib
erty of the children of God" And it
may be said the deStinieS of the world
were involved in the preparations for
the Passover.
Many. attempts have been made to
trace the origin of the Passover to
various events and feastS found in
other religions. Some have sought to
trace it's beginnings in the religious
celebrations observed by many nations
in connection with the spring equinox.
Others have suggested that it was an
outgrowth of the custom of the shep-
herds to offer up the first-born for the
fruitfulness of the flock. Some have
thought that it was essentially a sac
rifce of atonement. while it is also
traced to the widespread belief that
sacrifices alone could secure house
from the wrath of heaven" Trumbull
claims that it goes back to the
threshold covenant: that he found
among many nations in the covenant
welcome given to the guest or to
bride or bridegroom in marriage by the
outpouring of blood on the threshold
of the. door and by staining the door
way itself with the blood of the cove
nant."
These views, while largely conjec-
tural in character. have certain value
in pointing out the possible ways by
which the Passover came into use. 1t
was, we know, instituted by Jehovah.
That is a fact concerning which there
can be no question. Historically. II
has stood for centuries as the great
feast OF the Jewish year. valued by
them as concentrating their declara-
ton of independence as nation and
their departure from Egypt Closely
woven into their national life has ever
which has given spiritual significance
not only to the Passover preparations.
but also to theit whole story as q
The carrying out Of the plans from
the beginning Of the month Abb or
every Hebrew family throughout the
land was provided with lamb. shows
how thoroughly the organization OF
the people had been handled by
suffering under the plaques had been
utilized to weld into unity the Hebrew
p&Ople. Their obedience to the or
ders OF their leader testified to their
confidence. aot only in him, but in the
divine mind behind Moses.
The courage Of. the leader had In
apired courage IN the, hearts Of all
his followers There was an absolute
surrender to the win OF Jehovah as
s, e ss,sS hs nsfd as ana Void
not have saved their lives After
nrSFsF !. the unblxmishd lamb was
xoasted whole and eaten with uri-
ISayened bread and bitter herbs, The
lamb WAS killed after sunset and the
warm blood, caught in basin: was
sprinlled upon the sideposts and hn-
tn1s Of the Jewish homes. Yet II Is
ddubtfu1 Whether. the people as 9
whole recognized the spiritual sig
. Rsssi G a a the teacher Of the
Apostle Paul. has said: Whoever
does not explain three things in the
Passover has not fulfilled the duty In
cpmbent upon him.. These things are
s ass yer ham, lamb the Tss yass
over lamb means that God passed over
the blood-sprinkied place on the houses
of our fathers In Egypt; the unleayened
bread means that our fathers were de-
nyersd out Of Egypt ii Ssr ha tse s ana
ttians made bitter the lives of our
ThS compiete symboiicai meaning Of
the Passover can best be gained from
TIE. New Testament For example, in
fhSt Tie Passover was propheticai 81
the sacrifice OF the Lamb OF God. We
see that from the beginning Of the
. world God was thus providing q means
Of salvation, for without the shedding
Of blood there was no remission OF
sin. .ss,s.t'e5
The blood, placed upon the posts and
lintels. proved to be q perfect means
OF protection against the angel OF
death that came that night. For two
Thousand years Christianity has been
teaching the efficacy of the blood that
was shed by the Master. Just as the
lambs blood brought security SO His
blood has been the curing and healing
force wherever it has been applied to
human hearts and humanity's Ills.
The marks of blood alone made the
difference between the Egyptians and
the Israe1ites. AS the fateful hour
struck and the angel of death took
away the ffrst-born Of every Egyptian
home, even the hard hearted Egyptian
ruler became terror-stricken and he
begged for the people of God to leave
the land. even asking for a blessing
from them. Yet it is often wondered
whether among the Iraelites there
were any, that did not obey the COM
papd OF God through His servant,
Moses, and thus lost the promised pro-
lection. There, comes an hour in the
life of every man and woman when 1t
is too late to claim the protection of
His shed blood 1t is the stern duty
of the Christian to proclaim thepower
of the Lamb of God who was slain
that we might be redeemed and deliv-
cred from the bondage of sin, even as
the people of Israel were delivered.