One aspect of sermon writing I enjoy is researching topics I normally wouldn’t research—like learning how much bunker and bomb shelters cost. An 8x12 “mini” bunker costs $45,000—not including delivery or installation charges. Nor does that include a bullet resistant door. For that you’ll have to hand over another $20,000. If you decide to spend this kind of money on a bunker, the particular company I researched assures: “Every bunker/bomb shelter we build is customized to meet or exceed your needs and expectations.” Well, I certainly hope it would “meet the needs” of keeping you safe! Otherwise, what’s the point?
In our Moses sermon series today, we’ll hear God tell the Israelites how they could turn their house, even if it was a just a lean-to or a shack, into a bunker that would shelter them from the “Destroyer.” The Israelites wouldn’t find protection behind reinforced concrete walls and bullet proof doors. Rather, the seemingly insignificant blood of a lamb connected to God’s promise would make a life and death difference during the Tenth Plague. This “bloody difference” testifies how the Israelites were indeed made for more than just being slaves in Egypt. They were God’s treasured family. Let’s find out how the events of that first Passover assure us that we too, as people who stand under the blood of the Lamb, Jesus, have been made for more. (Read text.)
From the time the First Plague hit Pharaoh and Egypt until the Tenth and final Plague, nine months seemed to have elapsed—the same time it normally takes for a baby to fully form in the womb. Although the Israelites had been around for over 400 years, God would only first introduce them to the world as his beloved “firstborn” at the end of the ninth-month plague period. And just as giving birth to a child is a bloody process, so God’s firstborn, Israel, would not step into the world without the shedding of blood. None of this was a surprise to Pharaoh. Early on, God had warned the arrogant king through Moses: “Israel is my firstborn son, and I told you, ‘Let my son go, so he may worship me.’ But you refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son.” (Exodus 4:22b-23)
Yikes. Does God sound vindictive—like a child who doesn’t get his way and so he proceeds to stomp on every other child’s Lego creations? That’s what many first-time readers of the Old Testament conclude. They see the God described in the Old Testament as “grumpy.” It’s true, God did not mince his words, but he did pull his punches against Pharoah. Let’s not forget how patient God had been with him. He had sent Moses and Aaron repeatedly to Pharaoh. But Pharaoh remained unmoved. He continued to dismiss Moses and Aaron as if they were annoying salesmen trying to sell him sand, something Egypt already had plenty of! Whenever the request was rejected, a plague followed like the plagues of frogs and flies. And it wasn’t just Pharoah who suffered during these plagues, all of Egypt did.
Friends, have you considered how the choices you make against God’s will don’t just affect you but also others around you? Older siblings, do you know how much your younger siblings are watching you? They tend to mimic your attitude towards parents and teachers. What you think is cool, they often think is cool. Are you living in such a way that you are encouraging your siblings in their walk with Jesus? Are you helping them remain pure in an impure world? If not, repent and lay those sins at Jesus’ feet. With the Holy Spirit’s help, be renewed in your desire to set good examples for those around you so they are not led astray and end up suffering God’s anger as Pharoah and every Egyptian household did.
While the Egyptians suffered with Pharaoh through every plague, that wasn’t always the case for the Israelites who also lived in Egypt. For example, while darkness fell on Egypt during the Ninth Plague, there was bright sunshine where the Israelites lived. God would make another dramatic distinction during the Tenth Plague. This distinction wouldn’t come automatically however as it had before. Just because you were an Israelite didn’t mean that you would be safe during the Tenth Plague. God’s plan for staying safe went like this. On the tenth day of that month, which was now to become the first month of the Jewish calendar signaling new beginnings, the Israelites were to select a one-year-old male lamb that had no defect. It couldn’t be blind or cripple or missing a tooth. They were to care for this spotless lamb for four days before slaughtering it. Then, without breaking any of its bones, they were to roast the animal and eat the meat in their homes with their family. Along with the lamb they were to eat bitter herbs and unleavened bread. And this meal was not to be like a pot roast that you might savor on an unhurried Sunday afternoon. The Israelites were to eat in haste, like the school teacher who gulps down a sandwich in between classes. Why in haste? Because finally, after 430 years, the Israelites would be leaving Egypt and God wanted them to be ready. When salvation came it would come quickly.
That reminds me how, although we have been waiting for Judgment Day for over 2,000 years, Jesus assures us that it will come. And when it does, it will come “quickly.” At that moment it will be too late to repent of our sins. So live your lives with spiritual staff in hand. Prepare today, and remain prepared for God’s judgment through daily repentance.
If the Israelites were in such a hurry, why the elaborate meal? Does your family grill lamb and make salsa and bread from scratch when you’re pressed for time? Don’t you instead grab a handful of granola bars to tide you over until you can hit a fast-food drive through? Each item on God’s menu had symbolic significance. And this Passover meal was to be celebrated every year until the promised Messiah’s mission was accomplished 1500 years later! So, let’s delve into the meal’s symbolism.
First of all, why is it called the “Passover”? Well, after the lamb had been slaughtered, the Israelites were to take a hyssop branch, dip it in the lamb’s blood, and then paint it on the doorposts and lintel of their homes. God promised that when he went through Egypt the night of the Tenth Plague to kill every firstborn, he would not allow the “Destroyer” to enter any house with blood painted on the outside. God would instead “pass over” the house. God explained: “The blood on the houses where you are staying will be a distinguishing mark for you; when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No plague will be among you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 12:13 – HCSB) In short, the scarlet blood of the Passover lamb served as a red line that God vowed not to cross.
Do you see the parallels between the Passover lamb and Jesus? Like a lamb without blemish, Jesus did not carry the stain of sin. Like the Passover lamb that wasn’t an anonymous animal, pre-butchered and pre-wrapped ready for the grill, but was an animal the family got to know in the four days it had to care for it, so Jesus was known to the people of his day. Even his enemies, the religious leaders, had ample time to listen to him and check him out. Like the Passover lamb, none of Jesus’ bones were broken when he died—even though the Roman soldiers had come out to do just that at the end of the crucifixion. They broke the bones of the criminals on either side of Jesus, but when they found that Jesus was dead, they left his bones intact. And just as the Passover lamb’s blood kept God’s judgment at bay, so the blood Jesus shed was painted on the cross, the doorpost of the world so that all who stand under it in faith do not have to fear God’s anger and justice over sin. (William Cwirla) The Apostle Paul sums it up when he wrote: “Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8 Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” (1 Corinthians 5:7-8)
That passage helps us understand the symbolism behind the unleavened bread of Passover. It served two purposes: the people did not add yeast because they didn’t have time for the dough to rise since they were in a hurry to leave Egypt. But more importantly, the absence of yeast was to remind the Israelites that they were to get rid of all sin. No matter how small our sin may seem, like a pinch of yeast that “corrupts” a lump of dough by making it rise, so any amount of sin corrupts us. The Israelites were to give more than a passing thought to this spiritual reality. They were to meditate on this truth for seven days after the Passover with the Festival of Unleavened Bread. During the seven days of the festival, they were to eat no yeast, or even keep any yeast in their house. Indeed, the Jews started to comb through their homes with a feather (literally!) before the Festival of Unleavened Bread to ensure there was no yeast lurking in any dark corner.
When’s the last time you carefully combed through your life like that to identify and get rid of sin? It’s something we do in every worship service when we come to the Confession of Sins. But it’s also something we should do daily as we repent of our sins. Actually, it’s something we should do with every thought, word, and action. Whatever does not conform to God’s will, we are to get rid of. Repent of that bitterness towards your boss. Take the words and actions of others in the kindest possible way. Sweep every sinful impulse from your life.
The Israelites were to celebrate the Passover meal every year after their exodus from Egypt, for God did not want his people to ever forget how he had rescued them from slavery, and how he had kept their firstborns safe during the Tenth Plague. God explained: “… this celebration shall identify you as God’s people, just as much as if his brand of ownership were placed upon your foreheads. It is a reminder that the Lord brought us out of Egypt with great power.” (Exodus 13:16 - Living Bible)
I don’t suppose many of you have ever eaten a Passover meal. That’s because there is an even better meal that has replaced it—the meal Jesus instituted during Passover the night before he died. That’s when Jesus took the unleavened bread of the Passover supper and proclaimed: “This is my body.” Then he took a cup of wine and declared: “This is my blood.” While the Passover lamb and bread only reminded the Israelites of the rescue that God was going to bring about, the bread and wine of Communion really do save, for Jesus said: “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Matthew 26:28)
In Holy Communion, Jesus says to us: “Take and eat. This is my body, the body of the Lamb that was not passed over, but the Lamb that passed under the knife of God’s judgment. And take and drink, this is my blood. Paint it, not on your doorposts and lintel, but on your lips and on your tongue. (Carl Fickensher – adapted) Coat your life with the forgiveness I have won for you.”
I wonder if there were any Israelites who refused to paint their doorpost with the blood of the Passover lamb. If so, God’s hand of judgment would have come knocking that night, even as it will for those who say, “I don’t need Jesus.” Don’t be like that. Rather, take to heart the example of faith that Moses set for us, as the writer to the Hebrews explains: “By faith [Moses] kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.” (Hebrews 11:28) Yes, like Moses and the Israelites, we too can only find salvation through faith in a divinely-appointed sacrifice. It’s like what happened when terrorists attacked a hotel in Mumbai, India in 2018. They shot up the dining room leaving many dead. When one survivor was asked how he managed to escape, he said: “I was covered in someone else’s blood, so the gunmen left me for dead.” We each have been covered in the blood of Jesus—the true Passover Lamb. We no longer need to fear God’s holy judgment. It will pass over us. The blood makes all the difference.
While there was great wailing in Egyptian households the night of the Tenth Plague, the Israelites remained safe. Not even a dog snarled at them (Exodus 11:7). And when they left the next day, they didn’t have to slink out of their backdoors. Pharaoh finally gave the OK for the Israelites to leave. In fact, he insisted that they leave! But the Israelites would not walk away empty-handed. God directed the Israelites to ask their Egyptian neighbors for treasures and clothes, which the Egyptians freely gave because God moved them to do so. Wow. Not only was God saving the Israelites, he was also equipping them for the journey ahead. It’s as King David would write five hundred years later: “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life…” (Psalm 23:5-6a) Yes, even though Israel had walked through that valley of the shadow of death called Egypt for 430 years, God had been with them. And God would continue to be with them in the hours ahead even after Pharoah changed his mind and sent his army to chase after the Israelites. Come back next week to hear about the dramatic rescue God would work for the Israelites.
In the introduction to this sermon, I spoke about the cost of bunker/bomb shelters. I can’t say I’ve ever considered the need for one. It’s not that I don’t think this world isn’t dangerous. It’s just that, as a believer, I know I stand under God’s protection and so do you. This doesn’t mean we will never get hurt. On the contrary, we know that we’ll die one day—no matter how careful or extensive our precautions against death. But as we continue to stand under the blood of the Lamb Jesus, we know we have his forgiveness. We know we have God’s love so that nothing can permanently destroy us. We have been made for more—to live as his beloved children both now and forever. So live in faith, not fear. Amen.
SERMON NOTES
(pre-service warm up) How much do you suppose an 8x12 bomb shelter would cost?
In our Moses sermon series today, we’ll hear God tell the Israelites how they could turn their house, even if it was a lean-to or a shack, into a bunker. In what surprising way would they accomplish this?
Because Pharaoh refused to let God’s firstborn (Israel) go free, God said he would kill Pharoah’s firstborn son. How do you respond to someone who says, “I don’t like the God of the Old Testament. He’s so grumpy and vindictive!”
Pharaoh’s stubbornness led to suffering for all of Egypt. What’s the warning for us?
How did God say the Israelites could stay safe during the Tenth Plague, the killing of the firstborns?
(2 questions) The special meal God instituted for the Israelites to eat during the Tenth Plague was called the “Passover.” Explain the meaning of that name. Then describe the parallels between the Passover lamb and Jesus.
What was the spiritual significance of the Passover meal’s unleavened bread?
(2 questions) The Passover meal has been replaced by an even better meal. What is it? And how does this meal bring comfort to repentant sinners?
How does the Israelites’ experience during and after the Tenth Plague illustrate well these words from Psalm 23? “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life…” (Psalm 23:5-6a)
While it wouldn’t necessarily be wrong to spend tens of thousands of dollars to build and install a bomb shelter, why is it not essential for those who have put their faith in the Passover Lamb, Jesus?
