January 31

2009

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Exodus 12:14-13:16
(1) "This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the LORD -a lasting ordinance." (12:14)

(2) "Obey these instructions as a lasting ordinance for you and your descendants." (12:24)

(3) "And when your children ask you, 'What does this ceremony mean to you?' 27 then tell them, 'It is the Passover sacrifice to the LORD, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.' " Then the people bowed down and worshiped." (12:26-28)

(4) "Many other people went up with them," (12:38)
This has always intrigued me and makes me wonder "Did only Israelites leave Egypt?". Matthew Henry comments "yes!" then speculates as to how these Gentiles probably peeled-off, became a snare, followed out of curiosity and so on.

I suppose my question really is, why does Moses mention these people? We're not told that they turned on the Israelites as Pharaoh's army pursued them. Henry mentions Numbers 11:4:

The rabble who were among them had greedy desires; and also the sons of Israel wept again and said, “Who will give us meat to eat?

So I'll ponder this further...but like elsewhere in Scripture I was just wondering if this is just a natural characteristic of God's people and kingdom: that many people are blessed by it. Like the mustard tree many birds nest in its branches or take shelter under its covering.

(5) Paedo-communion. I struggle with this topic but surrender to the authority of my church(es). That is, I won't make a big stink and trust God for the authorities set over me.

Still, one elder handed me an article on the PCA's position and didn't find it compelling (ie. that the Passover (where children participated) is different from the Lord's Supper (where children ordinarily don't participate)).

Moreover, many of these same people exalt the Puritans and all things Puritan without making distinction between comformists & non-conformists, separatists, Congregationalists & Presbyterians and so forth.

Yet here is Matthew Henry writing (as J.I. Packer has noted, "they saw Christ in everything")

The solemnly eating of the lamb was typical of our gospel-duty to Christ...The paschal lamb was killed, not to be looked upon only, but to be fed upon; so we must by faith make Christ ours, as we do that which we eat, and we must receive spiritual strength and nourishment from him, as from our food, and have delight and satisfaction in him, as we have in eating and drinking when we are hungry or thirsty: see Jn. 6:53-55.

Henry further writes:

Now, without doubt, there was much of the gospel in this ordinance; it is often referred to in the New Testament, and, in it, to us is the gospel preached, and not to them only, who could not stedfastly look to the end of these things, Heb. 4:2; 2 Co. 3:13...The paschal lamb was typical. Christ is our Passover, 1 Co. 5:7

So why exclude our precious children from the meal? Shouldn't each man examine his own conscience? I'm training my child's conscience and I pray daily that "the Holy Spirit would animate her conscience".

Matthew 20:29-21:22

Psalm 25:16-22

Proverbs 6:12-15

Years Read
2009, 2025