Exodus 9 Series

Have you ever overcomplicated something? You know the old acrostic – K.I.S.S. which means keep it simple stupid. Sometimes we overcomplicate things and in the process miss the simple truth.

[“He’s Just Not That Into You” movie illustration.]

Tonight we’re going to be looking at a series of complex events surrounding the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. But I hope that through it all we can see the simple truth about God and man. The simple truth that changes lives eternally! Well, let’s get to it.

We’re in the last half of Exodus chapter 12 and things are about to get serious in Egypt. Remember, God has tried to convince Pharaoh to let the Israelites, who were his slaves, the freedom to leave Egypt to go and worship Him. Through nine plagues Pharaoh refused to let the Jews go. As a matter of fact, after the ninth plague he even threatened the life of God’s messenger Moses.

But Moses’ message back to Pharaoh was that God said that He would kill the firstborn of all the land of Egypt on that very night. A message that Pharaoh didn’t take seriously.

Moses leaves the presence of Pharaoh, returns to the people, and gives them God’s instructions on the Passover meal they were to have that night and on the Feast of Unleavened Bread that they were to celebrate once God delivered them from Egypt.

[Read Exodus 12:21-23, 28.]

The faithful in Israel believed that the Lord was going to do something drastic that night so they killed the Passover lamb, painted their doorposts with it’s blood, shut themselves in for the night, and ate the meal dressed ready to travel!

[Read Exodus 12:11-13.]

The faithful Jews were ready for what God was about to do because the blood of the sacrifice was painted on their doorposts. And it’s a good thing because God did exactly as He said He would.

I. God destroys the enemy

[Read Exodus 12:29-30.]

There is such an amazing difference between the posture of the Egyptians and the posture of the Jews. It says that Pharaoh “arose in the night” after his son had been killed. That means he had been asleep! Now how could this man be asleep after Moses had plainly told him that on that night the Lord Himself would come and kill all the firstborn of the Egyptians. He even told him what time it would happen.

[Read Exodus 11:4-6.]

Pharaoh should have alerted the people to stand watch at midnight to protect their firstborn children. He should have been up himself with a sword drawn ready for anyone who would threaten the life of his son. After all, Moses’ God had proven through the previous nine plagues that He was real, that He was more powerful than any Egyptian god, and that He meant business. But Pharaoh was stubborn, proud and arrogant – so he slept through the whole thing.

We don’t know who in the land first discovered their firstborn child dead, but someone must have awoken in the night, found their son or daughter dead, screamed in grief, and started a chain reaction of discovery and agony throughout all the land of Egypt. But they didn’t heed the warning of Moses and were not prepared when God came with His judgment.

[Class president getting kicked out of TTU after numerous warnings story.]

The Egyptians didn’t heed God’s warning and suffered greatly for it.

On the contrary, the Jew’s territory was quiet. The people were all inside eating their Passover meal together as families. Their lives were safe because they had obeyed the Lord and by faith painted their door posts with the blood of the sacrifice. I’m sure they wondered what was going on in the land of Egypt. I’m sure that they at times could hear the awful cries of the hopeless Egyptians. But they all stayed inside and waited for what would happen next.

God had destroyed their enemy. Now:

II. God delivers His people

[Read Exodus 12:31-41.]

God had shown Himself faithful to His people and had delivered them from the hands of their enemies. And it happened just as God said it would. Let’s look at some of the dynamics of the deliverance.

1. Pharaoh and Egypt tell the people to go without any conditions

No more bargaining, no more refusals, no more excuses or accusations. Pharaoh realized

he was no match for God and told them to take everything they had and get out! The Egyptian people as well told the Jews to leave immediately. It happened just like the Lord said it would.

[Read Exodus 11:1.]

2. The Jews had to leave quickly with their unleavened dough

Remember, that’s why the Lord instituted the Feast of Unleavened Bread – so they would remember how God delivered them from the Egyptians in the middle of the night. Whenever they ate unleavened bread it would remind them of God’s deliverance.