Knockout Blow
From Bondage to Glory • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Call to worship
Call to worship
O God, the nations have come into Your inheritance; They have defiled Your holy temple; They have laid Jerusalem in ruins.
They have given the dead bodies of Your slaves for food to the birds of the heavens, The flesh of Your holy ones to the beasts of the earth.
They have poured out their blood like water round about Jerusalem; And there was no one to bury them.
We have become a reproach to our neighbors, A mockery and derision to those around us.
How long, O Yahweh? Will You be angry forever? Will Your jealousy burn like fire?
Pour out Your wrath upon the nations which do not know You, And upon the kingdoms which do not call upon Your name.
For they have devoured Jacob And laid waste his abode.
Do not remember our former iniquities against us; Let Your compassion quickly approach us, For we are brought very low.
Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name; And deliver us and atone for our sins for Your name’s sake.
First Reading
First Reading
Hear this, you who trample the needy, even to cause the humble of the land to cease,
saying, “When will the new moon pass over, So that we may sell grain, And the sabbath, that we may open the wheat market, To make the bushel smaller and the shekel bigger, And to cheat with a deceptive balance,
So as to buy the poor for money And the needy for a pair of sandals, And that we may sell the refuse of the wheat?”
Yahweh has sworn by the lofty pride of Jacob, “Indeed, I will never forget any of their works.
Scripture and Prayer
Scripture and Prayer
Now He was also saying to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a steward, and this steward was reported to him as squandering his possessions.
“And he called for him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an accounting of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.’
“And the steward said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the stewardship away from me? I am not strong enough to dig; I am ashamed to beg.
‘I know what I shall do, so that when I am removed from the stewardship people will take me into their homes.’
“And he summoned each one of his master’s debtors, and he began saying to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’
“And he said, ‘One hundred baths of oil.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’
“Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ And he said, ‘One hundred kors of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’
“And his master praised the unrighteous steward because he had acted shrewdly, for the sons of this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the sons of light.
“And I say to you, make friends for yourselves from the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they will take you into the eternal dwellings.
“He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much, and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much.
“Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you?
“And if you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own?
“No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”
Introduction
Introduction
AG:
TS: We have compared the plagues of Egypt to a boxing match. It is more of a battle royale. One one side, we have Yahweh the almighty. The other are all the gods the Egyptians had been serving. God had revealed in the plagues that He alone was over all and in control of every realm of the universe. The magicians quickly were left behind and unable to reproduce the events and then so affected by the plagues themselves that they couldn’t even stand before Moses. God had prepared Israel for the last plague and we have looked at that preparation the last couple of sermons. Now, we will look at the unfolding of the events as God delivers the knockout blow.
RS: Just as God provided a means for Israel's deliverance through the blood of the lamb, Christ is our ultimate sacrifice whose blood delivers us from sin and judgment. Understanding the significance of the Passover can help us appreciate the depth of our salvation and deliverance from sin, and encourages us to live lives that reflect gratitude and faithfulness to God.
I Prepared
I Prepared
Ex 12:21-28
EX: God prepared them for the night of terror
Instructed v. 21-22
Instructed v. 21-22
Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Bring out and take for yourselves lambs according to your families and slaughter the Passover lamb.
“And you shall take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood which is in the basin, and touch some of the blood that is in the basin to the lintel and the two doorposts; and none of you shall go outside the doorway of his house until morning.
This was more than in intellectual exercise.
Moses gave specific instructions which had to be followed or the firstborn would die!
The blood was to be applied to the doorposts and lintel.
Strangely enough (or on purpose) it would look like a cross as blood was over the door, on each side and surely some dropped to the ground.
They knew what to do!
Forewarned v. 23-27
Forewarned v. 23-27
“And Yahweh will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and He will see the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, and Yahweh will pass over the doorway and will not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to smite you.
“And you shall keep this event as a statute for you and your children forever.
“And it will be, when you enter the land which Yahweh will give you, as He has promised, you shall keep this new slavery.
“And it will be when your children say to you, ‘What is the meaning of this new slavery to you?’
that you shall say, ‘It is a Passover sacrifice to Yahweh who passed over the houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt when He smote the Egyptians, but delivered our homes.’” And the people bowed low and worshiped.
Yahweh would pass through Egypt
He was directly involved
He would prevent the destroyer from entering the homes with blood applied, and admit the destroyer to homes without blood. In those homes, the firstborn would die.
They were to repeat the process annually to commemorate the loss of life, the victory of God, and the deliverance of Israel.
IT was to be used as an object lesson to their children for all generations to come.
They knew why!
Applied v. 28
Applied v. 28
Then the sons of Israel went and did so; just as Yahweh had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.
They followed through!
Simple and in 1 verse: They did IT!
They knew the truth and they did it!
AP: We must do what God has instructed us.
God has displayed His meticulous care and provision throughout this portion of Exodus.
Salvation is the same way today.
Knowing the truth even studying the truth isn’t enough. We have to apply it!
The demons believe in God, but they haven’t repented and asking for forgiveness.
They know He is there and the live in rebellion intentionally!
We are saved by God’s grace through faith.
totally depending on HIM to cleanse us and make us new.
We are still in need of knowing the truth and applying it.
NO, HE hasn’t said that He is passing through Jacksonville and removing all first born.
He HAS instructed and warned us still
One such passage:
Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.
But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels.
And the Lord’s slave must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged,
with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may give them repentance leading to the full knowledge of the truth,
and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.
II Preserved
II Preserved
The Egyptians faced great loss, while those covered by the blood of the lamb experienced God's mercy.
God judged Egypt V. 29-30
God judged Egypt V. 29-30
Now it happened at midnight that Yahweh struck 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 cattle.
Then Pharaoh arose in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians, and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was no home where there was not someone dead.
God carried out the predicted judgment
What a night of terror!
God preserved Israel V. 31-32
God preserved Israel V. 31-32
Then he called for Moses and Aaron at night and said, “Rise up, get out from among my people, both you and the sons of Israel; and go, serve Yahweh, as you have spoken.
“Take both your flocks and your herds, as you have spoken, and go, and bless me also.”
MacArthur Study Bible NASB Commentary
Pharaoh’s response to the repeated “Let My people go!” became “Leave my people!”
Notice v. 32: “Bless me also”
Pharoah temporally conceded defeat and acknowledged Moses and His God had the power and resources to bless him!
They were spared because they had followed God’s instructions
He who abides in the shelter of the Most High Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to Yahweh, “My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!”
For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper And from the destructive pestilence.
He will cover you with His pinions, And under His wings you will take refuge; His truth is a large shield and bulwark.
You will not be afraid of terror by night, Or arrow that flies by day;
They were released because God had broken Pharaoh
God was the MOST HIGH and now Egypt and Pharoah had experienced firsthand
Everything they had trusted had failed them.
AP: God still preserves His own
Here we are reminded of the severity of sin.
God’s judgment shakes us
11 Natural men are held in the hand of God over the pit of hell.
Jonathan Edwards
“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” sermon (1741)
Jonathan Edwards (American Evangelical Preacher)
12 There is nothing that keeps wicked men, at any one moment, out of hell, but the mere pleasure of God.
Jonathan Edwards
“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” sermon (1741)
Jonathan Edwards (American Evangelical Preacher)
In 1741, Jonathan Edwards, a brilliant student of Scripture, preached the never-to-be-forgotten sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” People who were there to hear that sermon testified that they could feel the flames of hell licking about them in the pews where they sat.
Jonathan Edwards (American Evangelical Preacher)
God is still just and will judge sin.
VERSE: 1 Jn 3:8
The one who does sin is of the devil, because the devil sins from the beginning. The Son of God was manifested for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.
Don’t be deceived into thinking He ignores sin!
If Jesus had not gone to to the cross in our place, we would be hopeless!
BUT HE DID!
That is the point of the Bible!
Preserved
We are preserved by the blood of Christ just as Israel was preserved after applying the blood.
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
For one will hardly die for a righteous man, though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die.
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.
III Paroled
III Paroled
Pressed to leave
And the Egyptians strongly pressed the people to send them out of the land in haste, for they said, “We will all be dead.”
So the people took up their dough before it was leavened, with their kneading bowls bound up in the clothes on their shoulders.
What a reversal!
From a hard hearted Pharoah who wouldn’t consider freeing them to pressing them to leave lest all Egyptians die!
This is the work of God
Plundered voluntarily
Now the sons of Israel had done according to the word of Moses—they had asked from the Egyptians for articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing;
and Yahweh 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.
When they left, God set them up for success.
They took much of the wealth of Egypt.
Not by force, but merely request.
HOW? God’s power!
This set them up for what was ahead, 1st on this list, the Tabernacle!
Path begun
And the sons of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, aside from the little ones.
The path to Mt. Sanai had begun!
600,000 men plus their families
It is consistent with their culture for this to be the fighting men 20 years old and up.
It is logical to assume they were 2 million strong as they departed Egypt
God had sent a family of 70 to Egypt and now brings out a nation of 2mil!
Joined by many
A foreign multitude also went up with them, along with flocks and herds, a very large number of livestock.
MacArthur Study Bible NASB (Commentary)
Other Semitic peoples, other races, and perhaps some native Egyptians accompanied the departing nation. They preferred to be identified with the victorious nation and Jehovah God.
And they baked the dough which they had brought out of Egypt into cakes of unleavened bread. For it had not become leavened, since they were driven out of Egypt and could not delay, nor had they prepared any provisions for themselves.
Now the time that the sons of Israel lived in Egypt was 430 years.
And it happened at the end of 430 years, to the very day, that all the hosts of Yahweh went out from the land of Egypt.
God delivered them, just as He promised Joseph
AP: God delivers us!
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.
We love, because He first loved us.
IV Perpetuity
IV Perpetuity
It is a night to be kept for Yahweh for having brought them out from the land of Egypt; this night is for Yahweh, to be kept by all the sons of Israel throughout their generations.
And Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the statute of the Passover: no foreigner shall eat of it;
but every man’s slave purchased with money, after you have circumcised him, then he may eat of it.
“A foreign resident or a hired person shall not eat of it.
“It shall be eaten in a single house; you shall not bring forth any of the flesh outside of the house, and you shall not break any bone of it.
“All the congregation of Israel shall celebrate this.
“But if a sojourner sojourns with you and celebrates the Passover to Yahweh, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near to celebrate it; and he shall be like a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person may eat of it.
“The same law shall apply to the native as to the sojourner who sojourns among you.”
The Statute of the Passover
So all the sons of Israel did; as Yahweh had commanded Moses and Aaron, thus they did.
And on that same day Yahweh brought the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their hosts.
Look at the regulations about foreigner's participation in the Passover.
They demonstrate how inclusion in God's covenant people requires acceptance of the sign of that covenant
The gospel has always been for all kinds of people!
It was never Jewish alone
Under the New Covenant, it has never been gentile alone!
They had to become Jewish and enter the covenant the same way native born Israelites did.
Circumcision
We are under the new covenant and enter by God’s grace.
But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching,
that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
for with the heart a person believes, leading to righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, leading to salvation.
For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes upon Him will not be put to shame.”
For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him,
for “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Conclusion
Conclusion
