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.
3. The Jews plundered the Egyptians
The Egyptians had a high regard for the Jews and gave them over many valuables for
them on their journey. Again, juts like the Lord had said hundreds of years earlier.
[Read Genesis 15:13-14.]
4. Approximately 2 million Jews at this time, promise to Abraham fulfilled
[Read Genesis 15:4-5.]
5. “Mixed multitude” went with the Jews
Semetic tribes and Egyptians decided to leave their home and travel with the Jews to a new land,
6. 430 years of bondage ended
Now when you read of God’s promise to Abraham back in Genesis 15 it says that His
people will be in bondage for 400 years. We understand that at the time he was rounding off the years to the nearest hundred instead of giving an exact amount of time. (Remember, same author of both books.) It was actually 430 years that the Jews lived in Egypt.
[Read Galatians 3:16-17.]
Between the time of the last reaffirmation of the Abrahamic covenant given to Jacob right before he moved to Egypt, through to the time of the Exodus, which started the time of the Law, was 430 years.
430 long, hard years! But God never forgot His promise to deliver His people. They might have forgotten it. They might have lost faith. But God was always working His will upon the earth and at the right time He delivered His people from their enemies.
[Read Exodus 12:41.]
So God has destroyed Israel’s enemy and delivered them from bondage. So we now see:
III. Israel worships God
[Read Exodus 12:42-51.]
The Jews had so much to celebrate! God had wondrously saved them from their enemies and had given them a new life. They’re on their way to the promised land and it was nothing but blue skies up ahead. But before they got too into the journey, they needed to stop and worship the One who had done so much for them. So the Passover meal is instituted as a way to worship God Almighty. Let’s look at some dynamics of the worship meal.
1. The celebration is for the Lord
[Read Exodus 12:42.]
First and foremost this night was all about the Lord. Yes, they would recount the events of the Exodus and celebrate their freedom. But the night was supposed to be completely focused on God. Because remember, the Exodus was completely accomplished by Him and Him alone. He alone caused Pharaoh to let them go free and He alone deserved all the praise.
2. Is to be celebrated till kingdom come by all Jews
Every generation of Jew, even Jews today should be celebrating Passover as a means of
worshipping God.
3. Non-Jews can celebrate Passover if they’re circumcised
Now a couple of times it looks like no non-Jew could enter into the worship meal. But he
couples that by saying if they are willing to be circumcised than they can celebrate Passover. Now, no man is going to be circumcised just for a meal. They were being circumcised as an expression of their devotion and identification with Jehovah God. Anyone could come to faith in God even in Old Testament times. But back them they showed it through circumcision.
[Read Exodus 12:49.]
4. Celebrated in homes
5. Don’t break any of the bones of the lamb
Another foreshadow of the ultimate Passover Lamb Jesus Christ.
[Read John 19:31-36, (quoting Psalm 34:20).]
The Passover meal was a time of worship. God had done incredible things for His people and they worshipped Him for who He is and what He had done.
Now fast-forward a few thousand years up to today – not much has changed. God destroys our enemy, God delivers us and we worship Him.
Even the warnings of God are the same. We are all aware of the fleeting nature of life and the reality of death. Even if we’re youthful and believe death is a lifetime away, we’re often reminded that death can come at any time. Think about just this past week.
[Ed Mcman, Farrah, MJ, Billy Mays and 2 yr old strangled by a snake in her crib examples.]
But will people look at the warnings of death and turn their attention towards the Lord? Most will be like Pharaoh and arrogantly be their own god. But those who turn to faith in Christ will be delivered just like the Jews were! Think about it:
Jesus destroys our enemy – death
Jesus delivers His people – salvation
We worship Him – heart and lives lived for Him
Now we’ve got to be careful on the worship part. We can’t be like the Jews who later believed that performing their religious rituals were their means of salvation. Those rituals were simply to remind them of who God is and be a means of worship.
Sometimes we do the same thing. We believe if we do enough religious stuff them we’ll be saved. But it’s because we’re saved that we do the religious stuff – go to church, pray, sing, give, serve, etc.
So whether it’s us modern day believers, or Jewish believers during the Exodus, our spiritual lives are really pretty simple. God destroys our enemies and saves us because He loves us. When we realize and believe that, we respond to His love with our love. Simple yet life changing.
Next week we’ll see God begin leading His people on their incredible journey.
