Saying Good-Bye To Egypt Series

Moses 9 SAYING GOOD-BY TO EGYPT

Exodus 12:31-42; 13:17-22

D. Salvation from Egypt

4. The Coming Out

In one night the nation of Israel was born. In one night the church of the living God was formed. In Genesis we have individuals - Abel, Enoch, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob - worshipping God. In Exodus 1-11 we have families in Egypt’s ghetto - Goshen, worhipping God. But in Exodus 12-13 we have God’s nation.

When Israel walked out of Egypt, in her divisions (12:41), with her leaders, with wealth to build their church, the Tabernacle, and with three religious festivals - Passover, Unleavened Bread and Dedication of the Firstborn (Ex. 11-13), for the first time on earth, we see God’s organized church. Stephen called it “The church in the wilderness” (Acts 7:38, KJV).

I. THE PEOPLE

1. The Israelites

Two groups of people went out of Egypt, the Hebrews and some “other people” (12:38) called a ”mixed multitude” in the King James. Six hundred thousand Hebrew men walked out of Egypt that night, so with women and children, the total was about two million.

This was in fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham over 500 years before. He told him his descendants would be like stars, too many to count (Gen. 15:5). They came into Egypt a seventy member family (Ex. 1:1 ff.) came out 430 years later a two million member nation.

This amazing growth was a miracle. This was the work of God. This was the fulfillment of prophecy. This was God keeping His word to one man. Egypt tried to stop this amazing growth. All her powers were hurled against God’s plan but to no avail. The Jews and Romans tried to destroy the First Century church, but learned, like Egypt, God is in charge. The church is an anvil that breaks all the world’s hammers.

2. The Mixed Multitude (12:38)

Some non-Hebrews went along. Whether they were disgruntled Egyptians, other slaves or foreigners, we do not know. What we do know is that they were trouble makers in God’s church. Numbers 11:4 calls them “rabble” (NIV, Amplified) as they were the first to despise God’s manna and long for Egypt and its stew pots.

Application: The church has always had its counterfeit members - the unsaved sitting on pews, singing in the choir and in places of leadership. Jesus had His Judas. The early church had Ananias and Sapphira who lied in church and dropped dead (Acts 5). The church in the First Century had preachers who preached a false gospel (Gal. 1:6-9). Jesus predicted the devil would sow look alike weeds (tares) among God’s wheat (Matt. 13).

Why? When people point out ungodly church members to me I ask them, “If you were the devil and wanted to hurt the church, where would you put your best servants; in the bars or in the pews and pulpits and classes and committees and business meetings of the church.

Mrs. O’Hare the world's most famous atheist tears pages out of the Bible and mocks Jesus, but I have more respect for her than a foul mouthed, dishonest, mean church member who keeps on praying in church and teaching his or her Sunday School class.

II. THE POSSESSIONS (12:32-38)

1. Their Personal Possessions (10:26; 12:32, 38)

They took the flocks and herds that were theirs. Why? Because this was another promise from God. When Pharaoh suggested earlier that they leave these behind, God led Moses to say, “. . .not a hoof is to be left behind” (10:26).

When you and I leave this old Egypt world at death or at the second coming (1 Th. 4), we will come back to the “new earth” (2 Pet. 3:13) and the promise of Jesus will come true, “. . .the meek. . .will inherit the earth” (Mt. 5:5). Not a hoof, not a grain of sand, not one cell in the body of those redeemed by the Lord will belong to the devil.

2. Egypt's Plentiful Possessions (Gen. 15:14; Ex. 3:21-22; 12:35-38; Ps. 105:37)

God promised Abraham the Hebrews would come out of Egypt “with great possessions” (Gen. 15:14). He told Moses they wouldn’t come out “empty handed” (Ex. 3:21). And they didn’t. The Bible says, “The Lord made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, so they gave them what they asked for; so they plundered the Egyptians” (Ex. 12:36).

This wasn’t robbery. It was wages for their slavery. God always settles His accounts. They used this wealth to build their multi-million dollar worship center - the Tabernacle.

Who owns gold and silver and cloth and hides and jewels? God does. The Bible says the cattle that cover our hillsides are His (Ps. 50:10). Too long has the church let the devil’s crowd control God’s resources.

When radios first came out Hitler gave them to his people by the tens of thousands so they could be brain washed by his evil voice. Television today feeds a steady stream of violence, pro-homosexual lifestyles and anti-Christian bias. The internet is used to promote pornography, seduce teenagers and sell guns and bombs for kids to kill their classmates with.