Rubber Meets the Road
Notes
Transcript
Reading:
13 Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years.
14 But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions.
Introduction:
Two weeks ago we heard Moses tell Pharaoh, and all present, (in chapter 11) that death was coming.
Pharaoh didn’t want to see Moses ever again because of his anger and disgust with the Hebrew God.
Moses left Pharaoh’s court.
This interaction and the information Moses gave wasn’t all the details.
Especially considering all of chapter 11 was a threat, it wasn’t an “or else” scenario.
There wasn’t an opportunity for Pharaoh to think about what choice he would make, whether to believe God or ignore Him.
It was one of those moments that He made a choice right on the spot!
He could’ve at that moment told Moses to get all the people and possessions and leave; but He didn’t!
Moses revealed that all the others plagues were inferior to the one that comes next and it would be final, exact, and quick. All the deities would be entirely defeated!
No idol will deliver you from Yahweh, He is thee one and only God!
He demands to be worshipped as Lord.
The word Lord is more than a title.
The word Lord is defined as:
“In scripture, the Supreme Being; Jehovah. When lord in the Old Testament, is prints in capitals, it is the translation of JEHOVAH, and so might, with more propriety, be rendered. The word is applied to Christ, Psalms 110:1. Colossians 3:16. and to the Holy Spirit, 2 Thessalonians 3:1.” - Noah Webster
The word Lord is an expression of description.
The describing of one who is all power and in all control.
“When we ask Christ to forgive our sins and humble ourselves by submitting ourselves to His will over ours we attribute Him with the position over us as: “Lord”.
Whether or not we subject ourselves to His will or not, it makes no difference, just like it didn’t make any difference from Pharaoh, He is still Lord of all.
Moses knew what came next; but the Jews did not.
This is where we pick up today is in verse 21.
Moses instructs the Jews:
What to do and Why (21-25)
What to do and Why (21-25)
21 Then Moses called all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go and select lambs for yourselves according to your clans, and kill the Passover lamb.
22 Take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and touch the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. None of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning.
Moses relays God’s instructions to the elders of Israel.
Each of the elders are given special direction to observe passover.
The Elders haven’t been part of the biblical account since back in chapter 4.
29 Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the people of Israel.
30 Aaron spoke all the words that the Lord had spoken to Moses and did the signs in the sight of the people.
31 And the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had visited the people of Israel and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped.
Last time Moses spoke with the Elders he announced that the Lord heard their cries and sent him to be their deliverer.
Then God embarrassed all the Egyptian gods, affirming to the elders their God is going to deliver them as Moses said.
Imagine the anticipation for when that time finally came.
It must have been like they could see the finish line as they neared their freedom.
At the point when Moses is here instructing the elders about the passover and the readiness, they must have had no issue believing what Moses said.
It would’ve been easy to have faith in God at this point.
What would have made faith easy?
After being told Moses would deliver them they saw God work miracles while inflicting judgment on Egypt; but not the Hebrews.
If you saw a whole nation getting justice after the way they treated and looked down on you after 400 years.
What would you think?
Yes!!
God is giving them the things they deserve.
View it from a spiritual point of view.
The God you thought forgot about you has now confirmed 9 times that He is still in charge and He is acting on your behalf.
Faith was restored to the Hebrew people.
They weren’t just nomads they were claimed as Yahweh’s children.
Not only were they His children they would be leaving on their journey to the land promised to their forefather Abraham.
God’s revealing Himself in this way would’ve made it easy to believe in Him and what He was doing.
The things He would ask or instruct the Hebrews to do wouldn’t be difficult to obey.
Connection:
There has been times in your life when God has displayed Himself to you in amazing ways, or orchestrated the perfect timing of things to come together.
It wasn’t difficult to obey Him.
It was easy, due to validation of His presence and control for everything that was going on.
They were instructed to select the lamb, kill it, spread the blood, and then eat it in their homes and not to come out until the morning.
They were given instructions and it is easy to obey because all Yahweh had already proved.
God also offers the information for why they need to obey and believe Him.
23 For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians, and when he sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you.
Yahweh is making no delineation between Jew and Egyptian in this final plague.
All are given the opportunity to believe in Yahweh.
Their obedience can show their trust in what He said.
God will honor their faith by allowing them to live.
Applying the blood is what saved the Hebrews not the killing of the lamb.
The payment was made by blood, and it was applied through faith and their action of obedience was doing as God instructed.
Blood was necessary by God’s law; but faith is what saved them.
28 By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them.
The same is for us, we are saved by our faith, and our actions express our obedience.
Many times people have portrayed that the assurance of their faith is in their actions; they misunderstand that our actions are an outward expression of what we believe or trust in.
We trust in Jesus’ blood being a worthy payment for our sins, and the direct picture for this theological truth is shown through the Hebrews putting blood on the doorposts and lintle.
Obedience is acted out because of faith.
They have what to do, they have the why they are to do it, and then Moses tells them for how long.
22 Take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and touch the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. None of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning.
They are to be in their homes until morning.
They should eat the sacrifice and wait fully ready to leave.
All the while hearing a great cry, like they have never heard before coming from the Egyptians.
It is a moment in the Hebrews lives they would remember forever.
Illustration:
When the tragedy of 9/11 took place I was on top of a ladder near Detroit painting a building.
Just like many of you can remember exactly where you were when it happened.
It was memorable.
Every time the anniversary for that terrible day comes up it takes us back to that moment.
This is what Moses said God wanted after this moment.
24 You shall observe this rite as a statute for you and for your sons forever.
25 And when you come to the land that the Lord will give you, as he has promised, you shall keep this service.
The Israelites were charged with consistently keeping the Passover.
To pass on their experience of when God ruined all the Egyptian deities and brought them out from slavery with a mighty hand.
That moment in history when Israel was chosen by God as His nation and would represent Him to all the world.
Very similar to how we are to recall and testify of that moment when God revealed our sin and we accepted His gift of grace.
The Hebrews were expected to keep a consistent yearly celebration for Passover; to the next generations they are instructed to:
Teach and Tell what God did (26-28)
Teach and Tell what God did (26-28)
26 And when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’
27 you shall say, ‘It is the sacrifice of the Lord’s Passover, for he passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians but spared our houses.’ ” And the people bowed their heads and worshiped.
God brings something into light through this demand.
Just like us being able to explain what happen on 9/11 to younger generations, the Egyptians when could explain what the reason for passover was when the next generations asked.
The Israelites were given instructions for discipling the next generations for observing passover and the amazing God who is their king.
It would be a training in the salvation of the Lord.
The observance of the sacrifice that was killed on their behalf.
The obedience for the Israelites to apply the blood was key!
23 For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians, and when he sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you.
The children would hear about the Lord accepting their faith because of the Blood.
When God saw their faith, their lives were saved.
Because of God’s grace they praised the Lord!
They didn’t praise themselves for doing what God asked, they praised God for honoring what He said and for being spared.
This education system isn’t much different than us teaching and instructing the next generations about faith.
This was Jesus’ last command.
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
We are given an expectation as well.
15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,
16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.
When someone asks about our faith, always be ready to give an answer.
Teaching them of all the amazing things God has done.
Providing testimonies of His amazing grace through the salvation we’ve received.
Testifying of the power of His word in your life.
Giving examples for answers of your prayers.
The opportunities we have to reach others can be capitalized on because we are looking for and are prepared for them.
We are asked to pursue disciples.
A disciple is defined as:
“A follower; an adherent to the doctrines of another. Hence the constant attendants of Christ were called his disciples; and hence all Christians are called his disciples, as they profess to learn and receive his doctrines and precepts.” - Noah Webster
Just by the definition every parent has captive disciples God gave us.
Our own children, those in our home.
Jesus is teaches us that we are going to have disciples that aren’t our blood children.
Paul exemplified this with those he discipled became his children.
14 I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children.
15 For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
16 I urge you, then, be imitators of me.
17 That is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church.
Why would this make sense?
You are a spiritual elder whom takes on the role as mentor, and one who loves and cares for their spiritual well being.
Paul expressed this importance back in 1 Corinthians 9:22
22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.
Paul was willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of the spiritual wellbeing of others.
We become the spiritual elder of the one we are discipling.
To build up and embolden a younger believer in their faith.
This is what God instructed the Israelites to do.
Disciple the next generation to proclaim who Yahweh is and all He did for the Hebrews.
This cycle was not supposed to stop, it was to continue into each next generation.
The observance of passover and discipling of the next generation would be passed down along with the eyewitness testimonies of what God did in Egypt if they continued to obey God.
But back in Egypt the Hebrews were told that after their salvation all would worship God!
27 you shall say, ‘It is the sacrifice of the Lord’s Passover, for he passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians but spared our houses.’ ” And the people bowed their heads and worshiped.
28 Then the people of Israel went and did so; as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.
Each and every Hebrew believed the Lord and did as Moses and Aaron instructed.
Preparations have been made on both sides of the battlefield.
Egypt and Israel are both ready (29-32)
Egypt and Israel are both ready (29-32)
They both have been told what would happen and what to do.
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.
The Lord views humans much differently than we do.
We for some reason have divided people into categories and groups.
God never sees us as our societal position, wealth, status, fame, or as ordinary.
He only sees what He created and He already stated what He thought of His creation.
31 And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
When the founders of our country wrote the words: “All men are created equal” they were accepting the importance of every human and the right of the creator not the created.
There is no human more important or less important than another from God’s point of view.
This is echoed throughout scripture.
God allots no favoritism towards any particular status of society.
Just as all the Egyptians received judgment equally.
28 Then the people of Israel went and did so; as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.
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.
All the firstborn were wiped out from midnight till breaking of day.
From Pharaoh’s high and mighty home all the way down to those in the dungeons.
Every part of Egyptian society was impacted and Paul expresses God’s point of view in Acts.
34 So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality,
God is no respecter of persons.
His judgment is exact, perfect and equal.
This point, for us and anyone that we know, would teach us that it doesn’t matter who you are, what you’ve done, or what your status is.
27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,
We will all die and God will judge justly and equally!
Who do you know that will take their punishment themselves?
Tell them of the price that was paid for them and that they could accept the grace given by Christ’s sacrifice.
Which would allow Christ to stand up in the court at judgment time and say - They have been pardoned, I have paid their penalty!
The Hebrews believed and applied the blood to their homes and their house was passed over.
Giving us the wonderful picture that Jesus’ blood has to be applied by faith and God will pass over our sins, and allow us into Heaven.
In these passages we see how the Egyptians were prepared to take their punishment.
The Hebrews believed God and it was counted to them as righteousness, or moral purity!
There was a lot of death that night, including Pharaoh’s child.
The death of his child did something to his pride.
His pride became less important.
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!”
Every Egyptian home lost a child or animal.
Every one God impacted! (There is so much that is told that portrays what will happen in the future, when Christ comes again.)
Pharaoh didn’t humble himself; but from disgust and defeat he let the Hebrews go, with no conditions or lies.
He wanted them out of his country.
Pharaoh couldn’t turn to any idols for deliverance from Yahweh.
The last thing He said nodded to the fact that Moses had become a god to Pharaoh.
“and bless me also.”
32 Take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone, and bless me also!”
I am not sure what kind of blessing he was hoping for; but maybe he hoped that Moses would have mercy on him?
Though God gave many opportunities for mercy to be accepted, 9 up to this point exactly.
There is a point when He won’t pursue you any longer and He will give you over to your desires and lust.
Don’t get to that point, or allow anyone else to either.
Apply the blood by faith to your life, so God passes over you.
Conclusion:
The main theme for passover is obedience because of faith through trust.
Our faith saves us, just as the Hebrews faith saved them on that night.
Each and every one of us will have an eternal destination, which is dictated on whether or not you apply the blood of Jesus to your life.
It isn’t enough to know that Jesus died for you.
It isn’t enough to know that His blood can cover your sin before God.
It is enough to believe in Jesus, place our lives into His hands and trust that what He has for our lives is best!
Without Jesus we are like the Egyptians; but with Jesus we are ready for the that moment the court case for our soul is decided.
Where Jesus will stand up on our behalf to proclaim that He made us worthy of Heaven and our punishment is passed over.
Take this truth to each next generation as you disciple them, whether there in your own home, or whether they become the children who’s spiritual life you care for and nurture.
- Pray
