Charles Spurgeon Commentary Exodus 12

And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.

God thinks a great deal of the redemption of his people. When he redeemed them out of their Egyptian bondage, he took care that the mighty deed should be worthily commemorated. From then on, the Jewish year was to begin with the celebration of the national deliverance.

And now, when any of us are converted to God, and so are set free from the slavery of sin, we should reckon that then we really begin to live. All the previous part of our life has been wasted; but when we are brought truly to know God, through faith in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, then we have realized, indeed, what life is.

The month of our conversion should be to us the beginning of months, the first month of the year to us.

Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for a household: and if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.

The worship of God must be rendered in an orderly manner, with proper thoughtfulness and preparation. This paschal supper was not to be celebrated in any way that the people might choose; but they were to take time to have the lamb properly examined, so that it would be found perfect in every respect, and that everything would be set in order so that the feast would be observed with proper reverence and solemnity.

Let us take care that we act this way in all our devotions; let us never rush to prayer or hurry to praise; but let us pause for a while and think about what we are about to do, lest we offer the sacrifice of fools, and so cause the Lord to tell us to take back what we have brought to put on His altar without proper thoughtfulness.

And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.

And for this reason, now, as a nation, they were to begin their separate history, separate in existence from all the rest of mankind.

Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for a house: and if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.

The separation of the lamb was to take place some four days before the time of its slaughter. Probably it was kept in the house; according to Jewish tradition, this was so, and the household would hear it bleating and be reminded of the purpose for which it was to be slain.

Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:

You know what a type this is of Christ, "without blemish," offered up for us in the very fullness of his strength, in the prime and glory of his manhood, giving himself up to be our Paschal Lamb, "The Lamb of God."