Exodus 12:37-13:22
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Exodus 12:37-13:22
Exodus 12:37-13:22
Last week, Jeff Johnson started Part 1 of 2 of his series on John 14:6 - about Jesus being The Life. He touched on many points that were reminders to us that the life of this world started with Him, and that there is no life without him.
In fact, Jeff pointed out that our birth date is not the beginning of our life. It’s the date we’re born again that we truly live. The things that happen before that are what the devil wanted to use to keep us in his rat race. Thankfully, the Lord made a way for us to continue our life.
Jesus didn’t come into this world to condemn us, but to save us. Light brought into the world to prove the darkness was temporary. The Blood is what’s most important, but it’s only works if it’s applied to our lives.
What does that look like? When the blood is applied to our lives? Galatians 5:22-23. We are filled with the fruits of the Spirit, and we are servants.
A few weeks ago, we talked about the significance of Passover to the Hebrew people. We talked about the fact that the Passover event was to be taken a certain way, each year in the spring. The Lord changed the calendar for them too, saying this month would be the first of the year for you now.
The month was named Abib, which means “ears of corn” which was signified by when the green ears started showing up on the corn stalks. The name would later be changed to Nisan when they were in Babylon, that word means “Miracles” or “Deliverance.”
The Lord gave a command to Moses to tell the people that they were to take a yearling lamb on the 10th of the month and keep it with their family for 4 days, then slaughter it at twilight. They were to roast the meat and consume it all, and capture the blood, taking a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood and strike the doorpost and lintel of their doorways. This act would make the sign of the cross on the doorposts.
It’s interesting that they were to strike the hyssop on the doorposts to apply the blood, foreshadowing the blood that would be splattered as Jesus was beaten and scourged for our sins.
We also talked about the effect on the people of Egypt when their firstborn were killed. I mentioned that this is how the minions of the devil act when we turn our lives away from our selfish lives and turn to Christ. I can’t imagine the pain of losing a child. It’s the pain we’ll all feel if we continue in our sin. Jesus says in the field, one will be left, the other will be taken.
It’s a cautionary tale, that the consequences of our sin reach far and wide. They effect those around us. Pharaoh’s disobedience of God not only effected him, but all of the Egyptians, even the livestock. The Lord handled this issue personally also, over and over again Moses says “I” as the Lord is speaking.
Lastly, the ordinance was given to Moses, and then to the Elders to tell the people, but they are to tell the story to their families so they understand. Fathers are to lead their households and have answers for their kids about why things need to happen the way they do.
The people needed to know the importance of that blood, and that it covers the sins of the household, protecting them from death to their sins. They need to know that the application of that blood is vitally important. Then it protected the houses, now, that blood of the spotless lamb saves the individual.
We are to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. We can’t pray people into the kingdom, the choice is theirs. The condition of their heart is theirs. Will it remain hard? Or will you let that blood loosen the sinews and make you into the clay that the potter can use?
The Israelites are about to start their journey into the unknown, following a God that they have heard about, seen His might, but don’t really know. The next few years, they’ll be learning what Yahweh requires of them. Here is where the journey begins:
37 Then the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides children. 38 A mixed multitude went up with them also, and flocks and herds—a great deal of livestock. 39 And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they had brought out of Egypt; for it was not leavened, because they were driven out of Egypt and could not wait, nor had they prepared provisions for themselves.
Rameses is the land of Goshen where the Israelites lived. Succoth, we don’t know exactly where that was today. There is much speculation, but we know that the name Succoth means thicket or hut, shelter.
We get a number of the fighting men here, 600,000. Add the rest of the people, women, children, elderly, AND Egyptians and the number is about 2M. How many came into the Egypt with Jacob? 70. That’s a lot of math to do, and I’m not good at math, so I rely on my sources.
Why is it important that we recognize that a mixed multitude left Egypt? What was God’s purpose with the plagues?
13 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Rise early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord God of the Hebrews: “Let My people go, that they may serve Me, 14 for at this time I will send all My plagues to your very heart, and on your servants and on your people, that you may know that there is none like Me in all the earth. 15 Now if I had stretched out My hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, then you would have been cut off from the earth. 16 But indeed for this purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth. 17 As yet you exalt yourself against My people in that you will not let them go.
All the people experienced these plagues. Some recognized that their gods were puny compared to Yahweh. They followed Him, following their friends. They saw this God was real, and that the people following Him were real. By real, what do I mean? They weren’t just fans. They uprooted their families and left their “culture” behind to follow God.
They all had to leave in haste. Remember, God gave instruction that He was coming at midnight, but he didn’t say when. Then He told the Moses to tell the Hebrews to start a new month, after 10 days take a lamb, 4 days slaughter the lamb and put the blood on the doorposts and lintel of their house. He came that night. 14 days after his decree to Pharaoh. A surprise to everyone, but the prepared were ready to move.
It’s important that someone who has put their faith in Christ is aware of the times we live in and is ready. Not only to give a defense for the reason why we have the hope we have in our hearts, BUT also because no man knows the day or the hour. Everyone knew it would be midnight...at the sleepiest time of the night, when we least expect it...but what day? Looking back, we can say “Of course, Moses said 14 days, that’s when.” If those orders were given to us without the knowledge we have today, we’d miss it too.
Be about the Father’s business. Sanctify yourself. Conversion is an event, sanctification is a process. It’s going thruout your house and saying: “This needs to go, this needs to go...” Clean house, it’s a process, you’ll feel better when you do, then set good habits, like the next few verses encourage the Hebrews to do:
40 Now the sojourn of the children of Israel who lived in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years. 41 And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years—on that very same day—it came to pass that all the armies of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt. 42 It is a night of solemn observance to the Lord for bringing them out of the land of Egypt. This is that night of the Lord, a solemn observance for all the children of Israel throughout their generations.
430 years to the day. Dates are important to the Lord. 430 years, what does that mean?
Notice the word used sojorn, what does that mean? It means length of stay. It’s temporary. Israel would be in bondage for 400 years, remember? When the 70 came to live in Egypt with Joseph, how many years was that? 30. So, 430 years from the day that Joseph brought his family into the land of Goshen, The date of them coming in, they were sent out.
God LOVES important dates. Your birth date was important to Him. Your spiritual rebirth date is important to Him. That day is a celebration and a lamentation. Celebration in Heaven, and lamentation in Hades, which is the holding place for people going to hell. Heaven has won a son or a daughter, and hades has lost a destroyer.
The Lord reminds them again, do this EVERY YEAR in remembrance of me. But there’s a catch, this is not for everyone.
43 And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the ordinance of the Passover: No foreigner shall eat it. 44 But every man’s servant who is bought for money, when you have circumcised him, then he may eat it. 45 A sojourner and a hired servant shall not eat it. 46 In one house it shall be eaten; you shall not carry any of the flesh outside the house, nor shall you break one of its bones. 47 All the congregation of Israel shall keep it. 48 And when a stranger dwells with you and wants to keep the Passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as a native of the land. For no uncircumcised person shall eat it. 49 One law shall be for the native-born and for the stranger who dwells among you.”
This circumcision was for the men, why? Men were to lead their households, they were to be clean and set apart. To be circumcised like that as a grown man...I cringe at the thought. Especially back then. But think about it, now, Paul says in Romans 2:25-29
25 For circumcision is indeed profitable if you keep the law; but if you are a breaker of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. 26 Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? 27 And will not the physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the law, judge you who, even with your written code and circumcision, are a transgressor of the law? 28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; 29 but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.
Circumcision was a difficult thing back then...because it meant...ouch. Circumcision now means...ouch right? With one you’re giving actual flesh. With the other, with the New Covenant, you’re giving up spiritual flesh. They both hurt. They both symbolize giving up something we don’t want to give up. Those lusts we don’t want to give up most often come down to the procreation organs, right
Passover is symbolized now by the taking of communion. That’s why, if you’re not a believer, you shouldn’t take it. 1 Corinthians 11 says if you do, you’re drinking damnation upon yourself.
Our baptism is our circumcision, it’s the outward symbol of our inward change. Our desires, our sin nature are left in the water. It seems so easy, until you truly realize what you’ve got to give up. All of the things this world says are desirable and cool now mean something different to you. Compared to the Holiness of God, we truly notice those filthy rags.
Even those who stay with us and want to take it, they must be circumcised. If you bring someone to church and they want to take communion with you, you have to ask them the questions, you have to know where their heart stands. It’s not for them. Protect them, lead them, fellowship with them, baptize them, THEN partake with them. Our God is a God of order. Be obedient bretheren.
50 Thus all the children of Israel did; as the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did. 51 And it came to pass, on that very same day, that the Lord brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt according to their armies.
Israel was obedient, wasn’t it? At least to begin with it was.
1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Consecrate to Me all the firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and beast; it is Mine.”
The Lord is resetting now where He stands. He’s saying “Give me your first, and I’ll take care of the reset.” The first would be the one you remember most often. Thruout the ancient world, the firstborn was the one that would become the spiritual leader of the house. They would get a double portion simply because they were the oldest.
It’s also the one who is instructed first of all of your children. If you’re raising that one up to be God’s, you’re going to treat it differently. He’s saying, your kids aren’t yours, they are mine.
Same with the animals...back to Cain and Abel. if we put the Lord first in all things, then He will be faithful in taking care of our legacy. It’s hard to put Him first in all things. It’s hard to tithe when we have little income. We lose sight of what God can do if we are faithful. I am a business owner. There are times when I look at things and go “I don’t know what we’re going to do...but God does and He’ll provide.” He always does. Why?
3 And Moses said to the people: “Remember this day in which you went out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the Lord brought you out of this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten.
Do this in remembrance of me. Because I - BY THE STRENGTH OF MY HAND, I delivered you.
Those are key words with the rest of this chapter. Watch how many times we see it.
4 On this day you are going out, in the month Abib. 5 And it shall be, when the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, which He swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, that you shall keep this service in this month. 6 Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the Lord. 7 Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days. And no leavened bread shall be seen among you, nor shall leaven be seen among you in all your quarters. 8 And you shall tell your son in that day, saying, ‘This is done because of what the Lord did for me when I came up from Egypt.’ 9 It shall be as a sign to you on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the Lord’s law may be in your mouth; for with a strong hand the Lord has brought you out of Egypt. 10 You shall therefore keep this ordinance in its season from year to year.
This is the 3rd time we get the Passover instructions too, 3 times is reflective of the trinity, Father, Son, Holy Spirit. Obedience is so important to the Lord. This time too, there is an emphasis on the bread. The unleavened bread. This points directly to the Bread of Life who we know today to be Jesus. The Spotless Lamb of God. Spotless because He would be sinless, leavenless. The bread and the blood what this life is all about.
Take that firstborn and tell them about Me. Train them about Me. That’s the message. That way, when the One comes that takes away the sins of the world, they may remember me.
He goes on:
11 “And it shall be, when the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as He swore to you and your fathers, and gives it to you, 12 that you shall set apart to the Lord all that open the womb, that is, every firstborn that comes from an animal which you have; the males shall be the Lord’s. 13 But every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb; and if you will not redeem it, then you shall break its neck. And all the firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. 14 So it shall be, when your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is this?’ that you shall say to him, ‘By strength of hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 15 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go, that the Lord killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of beast. Therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all males that open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’ 16 It shall be as a sign on your hand and as frontlets between your eyes, for by strength of hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt.”
I saved your firstborn so they could be mine. God is claiming His people. Raise up and train that new generation so they don’t forget what I did for them.
What is the deal with the donkeys? What kind of an animal is a donkey? It’s considered unclean. Why? I don’t know exactly, but it is. What are we to do with them? Redeem them. Now, we have conflicting words here.
What does Consecrate mean? Consecrate the clean animals to the Lord? That means make them holy. Set them apart. What does Redeem mean? It means replace one thing for another, to purchase is another way to say it. It means that they need a substitute sacrifice of a clean animal to make them holy.
Good terms to know, consecrate and redeem. To consecrate something that’s unclean, you must redeem it. Redemption thru Christ makes us holy as unto the Lord. We become His righteousness when He redeemed us and we accepted His sacrifice for us.
At the fair this year, I saw this grip strength challenge, did any of you see it? Hang on the chin up bar for 60 seconds? I’ve tried, I can’t do it. One minute to hold onto your OWN body weight. What does this prove to us? We can’t do anything for a sustained period of time. We would need help.
If one of my children was falling, could I hold them? Not for long. The Lord, though, by the Strength of His Mighty Hand, however, will never let us go. Over and over thruout scripture, He reminds us, He will never let us go, never forsake us, never leave us behind. Once we are Children of God, which means we are Born Again Believers, He will deliver us not by our works, but by His Hand.
10 The Lord has made bare His holy arm In the eyes of all the nations; And all the ends of the earth shall see The salvation of our God.
Yahweh is a God of Mighty works. He made our night sky, our morning sunrise, our evening sunset, EVERYTHING for us. He gets to work. He rolls up His sleeves, not only to show us his strength, but also to show us His scars where that love for us came from. He worked for Us knowing we weren’t strong enough to do anything about it ourselves. We would quit before it was truly too hard for us to do it.
He believes in us, but our willpower is terrible. The best part is, He knows. It doesn’t deter Him. His love for us is so much more than we can ever even express to our own children. He will lead us, if we will follow.
17 Then it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, “Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.” 18 So God led the people around by way of the wilderness of the Red Sea. And the children of Israel went up in orderly ranks out of the land of Egypt.
The Lord would deliver His people, teaching them lesson 1, Have no other Gods will be before me. Put everything in your life with me first. Lesson 2 comes next: I will lead you, where I will, if you will follow.
The path to the Promised land was well known. The Egyptians that came along especially would have known it. There was a problem with that road, though, it was fortefied. There were outposts where battles could take place. Pharaoh could send for them and the people were not ready to fight yet for what happened.
The Lord knew that any reminders of Egypt would turn the people back, and He wanted their focus on Him.
19 And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had placed the children of Israel under solemn oath, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here with you.” 20 So they took their journey from Succoth and camped in Etham at the edge of the wilderness. 21 And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night. 22 He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people.
Why did Joseph’s bones go with the Israelites? Do you remember? Why did the people of Israel hold onto his bones? Because He wanted to be with his people. He wasn’t going to abandon them. He was so confident that the Lord would save Israel, so confident in the Word of the Lord that He said “don’t forget me when you go, I want to enter the promised land with you.”
The Lord would lead them thru the wilderness, just as Abraham was promised in Genesis 15. God made a covenant with Abraham, but Abraham was asleep, and when Abraham woke up, he saw a smoking pot and a fire walking between the blood sacrifice that Abraham spent all day protecting.
As we close here, let’s look at the symbolism of what happened that night in Egypt. There was death, and an awakening. The people were in their houses, and there was blood on the doorpost and lintel of the believers. Now, there were 2 types of dwellings in Egypt. Those who were weeping because death had come, and those that were empty because sacrifice saved them.
Those homes are now empty tombs, by the blood of the Lamb that was slain to redeem, what does that word mean? To replace with something else. The clean for the unclean. What happened to the donkey that wasn’t redeemed? Death. Haven’t we all been donkeys at some point? I have. I still deserve death most hours of the day. I’d like to think that at least 12 hours out of the day I have pure thoughts. 5 of them are while I was sleeping, so I’ve got a chance, right?
How were those houses emptied? Pharaoh said “call the people and go.” They were called out, but when they were called, what did they have to do? Move. They had to get out. The blood saved them, then they had to move. The empty tomb is a reminder to those around them that there was no power over them anymore. They were free, if they followed.
The fire and cloud would remind them that the Lord is there with them. Fire is a symbol of divine power, a power that was on display for God’s people then...now that fire lives within us.
There is an awakening that’s growing. Are you going to get involved? Are you the church? Are you telling people about the hope you have in you? People are looking for truth, they’re looking for people who know their Bibles. People to come alongside them and point them in the right direction. Do the people around you know that you believe in Jesus? Do they know where you go to church?
I don’t want to make this church body famous. I want to make Jesus famous. I want to hear about how YOU make Jesus famous. Your friends should want to be with you as you worship, led by you.
My son Moses used to see kids walking down the street to our house when we lived in Rapid. He would sprint to get his shoes on to get outside. When I’d ask him where’s going, he’d say “I’ve got some new friends walking down the street, dad, can I get some cards?” He’d go out and talk with them, about Jesus, invite them to church, and it warmed my heart.
How do we confront evil in this world? With the blood of the lamb, and the word of our testimony. Are you going to be a part of this awakening? It starts by professing your faith. I’ve been thrust back into the field at work, something that I used to love because I’d use that as a platform to speak with people about Jesus.
I had been out to this apartment complex 10 times, and talked to this property manager, and he’s been with me, and we started talking about Charlie Kirk. As we talked, I said there is a question we all need to ask you, what do you think happens when you die? It opened up a conversation I’ll bet he never thought he’d get.
The only conversations that matter are the ones that turn people to Christ. Almost as important is admitting where you stand on the subject. We’re to confess with our mouth Jesus is Lord. Take every opportunity to confront evil and speak life.
Like Israel, going thru the birth pangs of being expelled from Egypt, our world today is experiencing the birth pangs of the Revelation of Jesus Christ. The Lord is calling to His people to move. He’s calling you to get out of the grave, and let other people know how to save themselves from what’s coming.
Be the voice of this generation. How do your young kids find out what they should do? They learn it from us. From their mom and dad. Take an active role in the training of your children. Just like the Israelites did, teaching why these things were important.
Be strong and courageous. If you feel you should open your mouth and insert Christ into a conversation, take it. Are you going to make some people uncomfortable? Yes, maybe angry? Yes. What if you learn in Heaven that that akward conversation is what saved their soul? The bitter argument, the “you’d better not talk with me about that Jesus guy.” Will you please man or God? You’ll stand and give an account.
If you have fear about this, the Lord takes into account the day you changed those feelings. He will say “I remember when you made a change for me and didn’t look back anymore, well done.” Make today that day. Stand in the days we’re told to sit. I know I’ve got some uncomfortable conversations coming. I’m not dreading them, I’m preparing for them. Those souls are worth it. My friends are worth it. My family is worth it.
