Notes on the Book of Deuteronomy, Volume IIMackintosh, Charles Henry
Religion
Notes on the Book of Deuteronomy, Volume II
Mackintosh, Charles Henry
Bible. Deuteronomy -- Commentaries
And now, having briefly spoken of the _place_, we may, for a moment,
glance at the _mode_ of celebration. This, too, is, as we might
expect, quite characteristic of our book. The leading feature here is
"the unleavened bread." But the reader will specially note the
interesting fact that this bread is styled "_The bread of
affliction_." Now, what is the meaning of this? We all understand that
unleavened bread is the type of that holiness of heart and life so
absolutely essential to the enjoyment of true communion with God. We
are not saved _by_ personal holiness, but, thank God, we are saved
_to_ it. It is not the ground of our salvation, but it is an essential
element in our communion. _Allowed leaven is the death-blow to
communion and worship._
We must never, for one moment, lose sight of this great cardinal
principle in that life of personal holiness and practical godliness
which, as redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, we are called, bound, and
privileged to live from day to day, in the midst of the scenes and
circumstances through which we are journeying home to our eternal rest
in the heavens. To speak of communion and worship while living in
known sin is the melancholy proof that we know nothing of either the
one or the other. In order to enjoy communion with God or the
communion of saints, and in order to worship God in spirit and in
truth, we must be living a life of personal holiness, a life of
separation from all known evil. To take our place in the assembly of
God's people, and appear to take part in the holy fellowship and
worship pertaining thereto, while living in secret sin, or allowing
evil in others, is to defile the assembly, grieve the Holy Ghost, sin
against Christ, and bring down upon us the judgment of God, who is
_now_ judging His house and chastening His children in order that they
may not ultimately be condemned with the world.
All this is most solemn, and calls for the earnest attention of all
who really desire to walk with God and serve Him with reverence and
godly fear. It is one thing to have the doctrine of the type in the
region of our understanding, and another thing altogether to have its
great moral lesson engraved on the heart and worked out in the life.
May all who profess to have the blood of the Lamb sprinkled on their
conscience seek to keep the feast of unleavened bread. "Know ye not
that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore
the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For
even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us; therefore let us keep
the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and
wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." (1
Cor. v. 6-8.)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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