Get Out!

Passage

Exodus 12:29–42 ESV

29 At midnight the Lord struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of the livestock. 30 And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians. And there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where someone was not dead. 31 Then he summoned Moses and Aaron by night and said, “Up, go out from among my people, both you and the people of Israel; and go, serve the Lord, as you have said. 32 Take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone, and bless me also!” 33 The Egyptians were urgent with the people to send them out of the land in haste. For they said, “We shall all be dead.” 34 So the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneading bowls being bound up in their cloaks on their shoulders. 35 The people of Israel had also done as Moses told them, for they had asked the Egyptians for silver and gold jewelry and for clothing. 36 And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked. Thus they plundered the Egyptians. 37 And the people of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children. 38 A mixed multitude also went up with them, and very much livestock, both flocks and herds. 39 And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough that they had brought out of Egypt, for it was not leavened, because they were thrust out of Egypt and could not wait, nor had they prepared any provisions for themselves. 40 The time that the people of Israel lived in Egypt was 430 years. 41 At the end of 430 years, on that very day, all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt. 42 It was a night of watching by the Lord, to bring them out of the land of Egypt; so this same night is a night of watching kept to the Lord by all the people of Israel throughout their generations.

Introduction

Preparing for Christmas

Early Shoppers Vs. Late shoppers

What if you wait to long?

Christmas movies

Low consequence

Preparing for a coming flood

Earlier preparers Vs. Those who wait

Sand bags, boarded windows, evacuation

Higher consequence

Preparing for death

Not just funeral arrangements-Soul arrangements

100% of people will die

Long life, Short life

Expected, unexpected

Triumph, Tragedy

Eventually time will run out

We will all face the Lord at the end of our lives,

Romans 14:12 (ESV) — each of us will give an account of himself to God.

FCF

When you stand before God on judgment day will you be innocent or guilty?

How sure are you about where you will end up when you die?

Heaven or Hell?

Can you know for sure?

In today’s passage the seeds of certainty are planted, and we will trace the growth through the scripture to find a might oak of assurance.

Summary of things so far

Moses sent to deliver people from Pharaoh so they can worship him

Exodus 3:7–8 (ESV) — 7 Then the Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, 8 and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians…

Pharaoh will refuse

Exodus 3:19 (ESV) — 19 But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand.

I will take the first born

Exodus 4:22–23 (ESV) — ‘Thus says the Lord, Israel is my firstborn son, 23 and I say to you, “Let my son go that he may serve me.” If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son.’ ”

Who is YHWH?

Exodus 5:2 (ESV) — 2 But Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and moreover, I will not let Israel go.”

All will know

Exodus 6:7 (ESV) — 7 I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

Exodus 7:5 (ESV) — 5 The Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring out the people of Israel from among them.”

Signs and wonders begin-least to greatest, mercy

Exodus 3:20–22 (ESV) — 20 So I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all the wonders that I will do in it; after that he will let you go. 21 And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and when you go, you shall not go empty, 22 but each woman shall ask of her neighbor, and any woman who lives in her house, for silver and gold jewelry, and for clothing. You shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So you shall plunder the Egyptians.”

Sacrifice In the land

Exodus 8:25 (ESV) — 25 Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God within the land.”

Pharaoh says some can go

Exodus 10:10–11 (ESV) — 10 But he said to them, “The Lord be with you, if ever I let you and your little ones go! Look, you have some evil purpose in mind. 11 No! Go, the men among you, and serve the Lord, for that is what you are asking.” And they were driven out from Pharaoh’s presence.

Pharaoh says they can go but no flocks or herds

Exodus 10:24 (ESV) — 24 Then Pharaoh called Moses and said, “Go, serve the Lord; your little ones also may go with you; only let your flocks and your herds remain behind.”

The sending of the destroyer

Exodus 11:4–5 (ESV) — 4 So Moses said, “Thus says the Lord: ‘About midnight I will go out in the midst of Egypt, 5 and every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the slave girl who is behind the handmill, and all the firstborn of the cattle.

Judgment on Egypt (12:29-30)

Death in the Darkness

Time had run out Judgment was upon the land of Egypt

Exodus 12:29 “At midnight the Lord struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of the livestock.

Let that sink in, how does that make you feel? God brought Judgment!

We will all face Judgment, sooner or later, upon death.

Hebrews 9:27 (ESV) — 27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,

2 Corinthians 5:10 (ESV) — 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

Romans 14:10 (ESV) — 10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God;

Matthew 25:31–46 (ESV) — 31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. …

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels…46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

I’m ok, I’m a good person

Romans 3:23 (ESV) — 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

But my sins are so small

Matthew 12:36 (ESV) — 36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,

Read Zephaniah-God’s judgment is scary!

If this is true, we can agree with the disciples when they heard hard truths:

Mark 10:26–27 (ESV) — 26 And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”

Sheep and the Goats-

Who are you crying to?

Exodus 12:30 And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians. And there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where someone was not dead.”

Crying out

Exodus 2:23 (ESV) — 23 During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God.

Exodus 3:7 (ESV) — 7 Then the Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings,

Exodus 3:9 (ESV) — 9 And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them.

Exodus 5:15 (ESV) — 15 Then the foremen of the people of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, “Why do you treat your servants like this?

Exodus 11:6 (ESV) — 6 There shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there has never been, nor ever will be again.

Exodus 12:30 (ESV) — 30 And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians. And there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where someone was not dead.

Philippians 2:10–11 (ESV) — 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Application

Cry out toJesus

He is the only one who can save you

He is our pass over lamb

Judgment has another side-If you are innocent it’s Justice

The justice and mercy of God are on full display at the cross.

Jesus became a substitute for us,

Like the passover lamb,

the lamb’s death was a substitute for those who were in the house.

The blood on the door post marked the faith of the people inside. That they had killed the lamb and it’s death would be in place of the first born.

It was not because the people of Israel were better than the Egyptians, they were not more holy, or saved based on their ethnicity, or cultural association, no they were saved because they choose to trust in the provision of God to protect them from his own judgment.

This is a picture of Christ in the new testament. Paul lays it out in this extended passage in the book of Romans.

Romans 3:9–31 (ESV) — 9 What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, 10 as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; 11 no one understands; no one seeks for God. 12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” 13 “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.” 14 “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” 15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 in their paths are ruin and misery, 17 and the way of peace they have not known.” 18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” 19 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. 21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. 27 Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30 since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.

1 John 4:17 (ESV) — 17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world.

Exodus from Egypt (12:31-39)

Into the light

Exodus 12:31–39 (ESV) — 31 Then he summoned Moses and Aaron by night and said, “Up, go out from among my people, both you and the people of Israel; and go, serve the Lord, as you have said. 32 Take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone, and bless me also!”

33 The Egyptians were urgent with the people to send them out of the land in haste. For they said, “We shall all be dead.” 34 So the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneading bowls being bound up in their cloaks on their shoulders.

Obedience leads to blessing

35 The people of Israel had also done as Moses told them, for they had asked the Egyptians for silver and gold jewelry and for clothing. 36 And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.

37 And the people of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children. 38 A mixed multitude also went up with them, and very much livestock, both flocks and herds. 39 And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough that they had brought out of Egypt, for it was not leavened, because they were thrust out of Egypt and could not wait, nor had they prepared any provisions for themselves.

How many israelites?

Exodus 12:37 “And the people of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children.”

3 other possible views

hyperbole

clans or armies Hebrew word? ‘Eleph 22,000

it’s an editorial note (A theological statement) referring to the number of Israelites living in the time of David or Solomon

Looking Back

Exodus 12:40–42 (ESV) — 40 The time that the people of Israel lived in Egypt was 430 years. 41 At the end of 430 years, on that very day, all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt. 42 It was a night of watching by the Lord, to bring them out of the land of Egypt; so this same night is a night of watching kept to the Lord by all the people of Israel throughout their generations.

how long were the Israelites in Egypt?

Exodus 12:40–41 “The time that the people of Israel lived in Egypt was 430 years. At the end of 430 years, on that very day, all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt.”

2 views

long stay 430 years

starts after Joseph dies

short stay 215 years

starts when Esaú ridicules Jacob

Closing

Hebrews 9:27–28 (ESV) — 27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

1 John 4:15–19 (ESV) — 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 19 We love because he first loved us.