11 Pharaoh had bid Moses get out of his presence, Exo 10:28.
and Moses had promised this should be the last time he would trouble him, yet he refuses to say out what he had to say, before he left him. Accordingly we have in this chapter,

1. The instructions God had given to Moses, which he was now to pursue, Exo 11:1-2.
   together with the interest Israel and Moses had in the esteem of the Egyptians, Exo 11:3.
   
2. The last message Moses delivered to Pharaoh, concerning the death of the first - born, Exo 11:4-8.
   
3. A repetition of the prediction of Pharaoh's hardening his heart, Exo 11:9.
   and the event answering it, Exo 11:10.
   

12 This chapter gives an account of one of the most memorable ordinances, and one of the most memorable providences of all that art recorded in the old testament.

1. None of all the ordinances of the Jewish church were more eminent than that of the passover. It consisted of three parts.
   1. The killing and eating of the paschal lamb, Exo 12:1-6, Exo 12:8-11.
      
   2. The sprinkling of the blood upon the doorposts, peculiar to the first passover, Exo 12:7.
      with the reason for it, Exo 12:11-13.
      
   3. The feast of unleavened bread for seven days after; this points rather at what was to be done after in the observance of this ordinance, Exo 12:14-20.
      This institution is communicated to the people, and they instructed in the observance.
      1. Of this first passover, Exo 12:21-23.
         
      2. Of the after passovers, Exo 12:24-27.
      
      And the Israelites obedience to these orders, Exo 12:28.
   
   
2. None of all the providences of God concerning the Jewish church was more illustrious, than the deliverance of the children of Israel out of Egypt.
   1. The first - born of the Egyptians are slain, Exo 12:29-30.
      
   2. Orders are given immediately for their discharge, Exo 12:31-33.
      
   3. They begin their march,
      1. Loaded with their own effects, Exo 12:34.
         
      2. Enriched with the spoils of Egypt, Exo 12:35-36.
         
      3. Attended with a mixed multitude, Exo 12:37-38.
         
      4. Put to their shifts for present supply, Exo 12:39.
      
      This event is dated, Exo 12:40-42.
   
   
3. A recapitulation in the close, 1st. Of this memorable ordinance, with some additions, Exo 12:43-49.
   2dly. Of this memorable providence, Exo 12:50-51.
   

12:1 The Lord spake - Had spoken, before the three days darkness. But the mention of it was put off to this place, that the history of the plagues might not be interrupted.

12:2 This shall be to you the beginning of months - They had hitherto begun their year from the middle of September, but hence - forward they were to begin it from the middle of March, at least in all their ecclesiastical computations. We may suppose that while Moses was bringing the ten plagues upon the Egyptians, he was directing the Israelites to prepare for their departure at an hour's warning.Probably he had, by degrees, brought them near together from their dispersions, for they are here called the congregation of Israel; and to them, as a congregation, orders are here sent.

12:3 Take every man a lamb - In each of their families, or two or three families, if they were small, join for a lamb. The lamb was to be got ready four days before. and that afternoon they went, they were to kill it, (Exo 12:6,) as a sacrifice, not strictly, for it was not offered upon the altar, but as a religious ceremony, acknowledging God's goodness to them, not only in preserving them from, but in delivering them by the plagues inflicted on the Egyptians. The lamb so slain they were to eat roasted (we may suppose in its several quarters) with unleavened bread and bitter herbs; they were to eat it in haste, Exo 12:11, and to leave none of it until the morning; for God wouldhave them to depend upon him for their daily bread. Before they eat the flesh of the lamb, they were to sprinkle the blood upon the door - posts; by which their houses were to be distinguished from the houses of the Egyptians, and so their first - born secured from the sword of the destroying angel. Dreadful work was to be made this night in Egypt; all the first - born both of man and beast were to be slain; and judgment executed upon the gods of Egypt, Num 33:4. It is probable the idols which the Egyptians worshipped were defaced, those of metal melted, those of wood consumed, and those of stone broke to pieces. This was to be annually observed as a feast of the Lord in their generations, to which the feast of unleavened bread was annexed, during which, for seven days, they were to eat no bread but what was unleavened, in remembrance of their being confined to such bread for many days after they came out of Egypt, Exo 12:14-20. There was much of the gospel in this ordinance:

1. The paschal lamb was typical.
   1. Christ is our passover, Co1 5:7,and is the Lamb of God, Joh 1:29.
   2. It was to be a male of the first year; in its prime.Christ offered up himself in the midst of his days. It notes the strength and sufficiency of the Lord Jesus, on whom our help was laid.
   3. It was to be without blemish, noting the purity of the Lord Jesus,a lamb without spot, Pe1 1:19.
   4. It was to be set apart four days before, noting the designation of theLord Jesus to be a Saviour, both in the purpose and in the promise. It is observable, that as Christ was crucified at the passover, so he solemnly entered into Jerusalem four days before, the very day that the paschal lamb was set apart.
   5. It was to be slain and roasted with fire, noting the exquisitesufferings of the Lord Jesus, even unto death, the death of the cross.
   6. It was to be killed by the whole congregation between the two evenings,that is, between three o'clock and six. Christ suffered in the latter end of the world, Heb 9:26, by the hand of the Jews, the whole multitude of them, Luk 23:18.
   7. Not a bone of it must be broken, Exo 12:46, which is expresslysaid to be fulfilled in Christ, Joh 19:33, Joh 19:36.
2. The sprinkling of the blood was typical. 1st, It was not enough that the blood of the lamb was shed, but itmust be sprinkled, noting the application of the merits of Christ's death to our souls; 2dly, It was to be sprinkled upon the door - posts, noting the openprofession we are to make of faith in Christ, and obedience to him.The mark of the beast may be received in the forehead, or in the right hand, but the seal of the lamb is always in the forehead, Rev 7:3. 3dly, The blood thus sprinkled was a means of the preservation of theIsraelites from the destroying angel. If the blood of Christ be sprinkled upon our consciences, it will be our protection from the wrath of God, the curse of the law, and the damnation of hell.
3. The solemn eating of the lamb was typical of our gospel duty toChrist. 1st, The paschal lamb was killed not to be looked upon only, but to befed 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 in him, as we have in eating and drinking when we are hungry or thirsty. 2dly, It was to be all eaten: those that, by faith, feed uponChrist, must feed upon a whole Christ. They must take Christ and his yoke, Christ and his cross, as well as Christ and his crown. 3dly, It was to be eaten with bitter herbs, in remembrance of thebitterness of their bondage in Egypt; we must feed upon Christ with brokenness of heart, in remembrance of sin. 4thly, It was to be eaten in a departing posture Exo 12:11, whenwe feed upon Christ by faith, we must sit loose to the world, and every thing in it.
4. The feast of unleavened bread was typical of the Christian life, Co1 5:7-8. Having received Christ Jesus the Lord, 1st. We must keep a feast, in holy joy, continually delightingourselves in Christ Jesus; If true believers have not a continual feast, it is their own fault. 2dly, It must be a feast of unleavened bread, kept in charity,without the leaven of malice, and in sincerity, without the leaven of hypocrisy. All the old leaven of sin must be put far from us, with the utmost caution, if we would keep the feast of a holy life to the honour of Christ. 3dly, It was to be an ordinance forever. As long as we live we mustcontinue feeding upon Christ, and rejoicing in him always, with thankful mention of the great things he has done for us.

12:9 Raw - Half roasted, but throughly drest.

12:10 Ye shall burn with fire - To prevent the profane abuse of it.

12:11 The Lord's passover - A sign of his passing over you, when he destroyed the Egyptians.

12 

12:1 His disciples plucked the ears of corn, and ate - Just what sufficed for present necessity: dried corn was a common food among the Jews. Mar 2:23; Luk 6:1.

12:3 Have ye not read what David did - And necessity was a sufficient plea for his transgressing the law in a higher instance.

12:4 He entered into the house of God - Into the tabernacle. The temple was not yet built. The show bread - So they called the bread which the priest, who served that week, put every Sabbath day on the golden table that was in the holy place, before the Lord. The loaves were twelve in number, and represented the twelve tribes of Israel: when the new were brought, the stale were taken away, but were to be eaten by the priests only. Mat 21:6.

12:5 The priests in the temple profane the Sabbath - That is, do their ordinary work on this, as on a common day, cleansing all things, and preparing the sacrifices. A greater than the temple - If therefore the Sabbath must give way to the temple, much moremust it give way to me.

12:7 I will have mercy and not sacrifice - That is, when they interfere with each other, I always prefer acts of mercy, before matters of positive institution: yea, before all ceremonial institutions whatever; because these being only means of religion, are suspended of course, if circumstances occur, wherein they clash with love, which is the end of it. Mat 9:13.

12:8 For the Son of man - Therefore they are guiltless, were it only on this account, that they act by my authority, and attend on me in my ministry, as the priests attended on God in the temple: is Lord even of the Sabbath - This certainly implies, that the Sabbath was an institution of great and distinguished importance; it may perhaps also refer to that signal act of authority which Christ afterward exerted over it, in changing it from the seventh to the first day of the week. If we suppose here is a transposition of the 7th and 8th verses, then the 8th verse is a proof of the 6th. Mat 12:6-8.