and then we become pilgrims for heaven.
Each man was to take a lamb for his 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 lamb was not too
little for a household, but the household might be too little for the
lamb. Christ was enough for every household, enough and to spare, and
we ought to pray that salvation may come to every member of our
households.
Let us next turn to Exodus xxix. 16: "And thou shalt slay the ram, and
thou shalt take his blood, and sprinkle it round about upon the
altar." Even Aaron could not come to God until he sprinkled blood
round about the altar; and when the high priest went into the holy of
holies, he had to take blood with him. From the time when Adam fell
there has been no other way by which a man can approach God than by
the blood. You cannot have an audience of God until you come by that
appointed way. So it has been for 6000 years. When Adam fell in Eden
he broke the golden chain that linked humanity to the throne of God,
but Christ came and made atonement for that fall.
Again, observe in Leviticus viii. 23: "And he slew it; and Moses took
of the blood of it, and put it upon the tip of Aaron's right ear, and
upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right
foot." I used to read a passage like this, and say it seemed absurd. I
think I understand it now. The blood _upon the ear_ means that we are
to hear the voice of God. The unconverted man does not understand the
voice of God; and we are told that when the voice of God was heard,
the uncircumcised said that it thundered. They did not know the
difference between God's voice and thunder. Without the blood we
cannot hear the voice of God and understand it. A man must be
sheltered behind the blood before he can hear God's voice.