The Blood of the Lamb Bullets

(NASB95) 1 Now the Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, 2 “This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you. 3 “Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, ‘On the tenth of this month they are each one to take a lamb for themselves, according to their fathers’ households, a lamb for each household. 4 ‘Now if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his neighbor nearest to his house are to take one according to the number of persons in them; according to what each man should eat, you are to divide the lamb. 5 ‘Your lamb shall be an unblemished male a year old; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats. 6 ‘You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month, then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel is to kill it at twilight. 7 ‘Moreover, they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. 8 ‘They shall eat the flesh that same night, roasted with fire, and they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 9 ‘Do not eat any of it raw or boiled at all with water, but rather roasted with fire, both its head and its legs along with its entrails. 10 ‘And you shall not leave any of it over until morning, but whatever is left of it until morning, you shall burn with fire. 11 ‘Now you shall eat it in this manner: with your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste—it is the Lord’s Passover. 12 ‘For I will go through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments—I am the Lord. 13 ‘The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. Permit me to title this sermon The Blood of the Lamb

1 Now the Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, 2 “This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you.

In the land of Egypt they haven’t left yet. Deliverence happens while you are in Egypt

The chapter begins with God changing their national calendar. From that moment forward the new year was to begin in the month that God delivered Israel out of Egypt. Calvin comments, “God commands the Israelites to begin the year with the month in which they had come out of Egypt, as if it had been the day of their birth, since that exodus was in fact a kind of new birth; for, whereas they had been buried in Egypt, the liberty given them by God was the beginning of a new life.”

Permit me to title this sermon The Blood of the Lamb

This month

God commands the Israelites to begin the year with the month in which they had come out of Egypt, as if it had been the day of their birth, since that exodus was in fact a kind of new birth; [313] for, whereas they had been buried in Egypt, the liberty given them by God was the beginning of a new life and the rising of a new light.

God is here defining the national agenda of Israel. In the Unite States, our national holiday - Independence Day - sets the agenda and the identity for who we are as Americans. We are all about freedom and individual liberty, that is what is engrained in our national ethos. For Israel, the holiday of Passover set the agenda and the identity for who they are Israelites. They are a people who are all about God and His redeeming work.

Calvin: God commands the Israelites to begin the year with the month in which they had come out of Egypt, as if it had been the day of their birth, since that exodus was in fact a kind of new birth; [313] for, whereas they had been buried in Egypt, the liberty given them by God was the beginning of a new life and the rising of a new light.

God’s instructions continue in verse 3:

The nation’s calendar begins with a national celebration of God’s salvation. Official beginning of the year marks the official beginning of Israel as a nation.

Israel’s national agenda: Proclaiming God’s salvation4th of July - proclaiming USA Independence

In order to celebrate her birth with proper recognition, Yahweh changes Israel’s calendar; the beginning of their year is the day they came forth from Egypt. This was a new time of creation (see ). The months shall now be remembered, beginning with the month of the exodus,This covenantal “theological origin” of Israel in history, God’s great act of birthing her as a unique people of God, is not equaled elsewhere in ancient Near Eastern history

The deliverance from Egypt is a new beginning for Israel; from now on, every glance at the calendar will remind them of this fact. It also provides a connection to Genesis and creation. At the Exodus, God’s people are being “re-created”; they are starting over with a fresh slate.

Lord we come before you in worship. You alone are God. Lord cause us to remember. May we remember the nature of your word and the nature of your works. May this time be clarifying as we think through the doctrine and theology and the enduring ramifications of what you have done. May we understand that what you have done is personal and demands a personal response. May things that seem repetitive and mundane show forth the theology that that these things have. May your words capture us and change our hearts and our minds and make us cling more closely to you and prize what you have done. We ask you that you would give us clarity and conviction at this time. Cause us to have hearts of worship and obedience. Draw us closer to yourself through your Word this morning. In your glorious name we pray, Amen.

Lord we come before you in worship. You alone are God. Lord cause us to remember. May we remember the nature of your word and the nature of your works. May this time be clarifying as we think through the doctrine and theology and the enduring ramifications of what you have done. May your words capture us and change our hearts and our minds and make us cling more closely to you and prize what you have done. We ask you that you would give us clarity and conviction at this time. Cause us to have hearts of worship and obedience. Draw us closer to yourself through your Word this morning. In your glorious name we pray, Amen.

3 “Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, ‘On the tenth of this month they are each one to take a lamb for themselves, according to their fathers’ households, a lamb for each household. 4 ‘Now if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his neighbor nearest to his house are to take one according to the number of persons in them; according to what each man should eat, you are to divide the lamb.

Notice here how God commands each man of the congregation to take a lamb. What we see here is that this sacrifice is both congregational and individual. Because every individual is marred by the stain of sin, every individual must participate. Each father was to officiate this sacrifice for his household and if the household was too small to share one lamb, they were to perform this with their neighbors. Each subunit of God’s nation is required to participate, everyone must be covered under the blood and partake of the lamb. Lastly, God’s desire for an individual response from each of his people is seen when we look closely. In verse 3 it is called a lamb, in verse 4 it is called the lamb and then in verse 5 it is called your lamb.

Congregation

Two additional observations about ʿēdâ. First, although it appears over a hundred times in Exodus-Joshua, this is the first of those one hundred-plus times. God’s people, heretofore called “Hebrews” or “sons of Israel,” are now for the first time identified as a “community,” a “congregation

each individual must perform this celebration - every Israelite is to proclaim YHWH’s salvation

Neighbor

Every man--> every household --> nearest neighbor - each subunit of the society is required to perform Passover - every person must have enough lamb

Permit me to title this sermon The Blood of the Lamb

Everything has an originFor something to be finished it must first begina tree was once just a seeda house was once just a foundation

5 ‘Your lamb shall be an unblemished male a year old; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats. 6 ‘You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month, then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel is to kill it at twilight.

Kill the Lamb- What does this agenda of salvation involve? Sacrifice. You can’t have deliverance from God’s wrath without a substitute The ritual in connection with the Passover in Egypt was very striking. The lamb was to be killed (). Death must be inflicted either upon the guilty transgressor or upon an innocent substitute.

What does this agenda of salvation involve? Sacrifice. You can’t have deliverence from God’s wrath without a substitute The ritual in connection with the Passover in Egypt was very striking. The lamb was to be killed (). Death must be inflicted either upon the guilty transgressor or upon an innocent substitute.

The most significant and important aspect of each lamb that they chose was that it must be unblemished. Nothing but a perfect, spotless sacrifice could satisfy the requirements of God. As Isaiah the prophet later says in , all we like sheep have gone astray. They were not spotless, their sin and their guilt marked the record of their lives. One who had sin in himself could not make an atonement for sinners. Only a spotless lamb could satisfy God’s wrath. Later in the chapter in Exodus, in verse 46, God commands that that the bones of the lamb remain unbroken. This was the plan of the sovereign God who in HIs great mercy and grace provided what He required: an unbroken and unblemished lamb.

The moral significance of this is obvious. Nothing but a perfect sacrifice could satisfy the requirements of God, who Himself is perfect. One who had sin in himself could not make an atonement for sinners

Kill the Lamb- What does this agenda of salvation involve? Sacrifice. You can’t have deliverance from God’s wrath without a substitute The ritual in connection with the Passover in Egypt was very striking. The lamb was to be killed (). Death must be inflicted either upon the guilty transgressor or upon an innocent substitute.

And this would have been strange to the people upon first hearing these commands. It would have been foolishness to the wise. . That is the requirement of God’s grace. Kill the Lamb- What does this agenda of salvation involve? Sacrifice. You can’t have deliverance from God’s wrath without a substitute The ritual in connection with the Passover in Egypt was very striking. The lamb was to be killed (). Death must be inflicted either upon the guilty transgressor or upon an innocent substitute.

This lamb was not be kept as a pet either, it must be slain. In verse 6 God commands that the whole assembly of the congregation kill the passover lamb at the same time - twilight. God’s plan for salvation requires a sacrifice. This lamb is not a pet but a substitute. Remember, the wages for sin is death and either the first born dies, or the lamb dies. The innocent substitute must die for the guilty sinner. Surely, this would have been strange to the people upon first hearing these commands. It would have been foolishness to the wise. But God does things His way, it was His plan and His wisdom confounds the wisdom of man.

Bones unbroken -

Kill the Lamb- What does this agenda of salvation involve? Sacrifice. You can’t have deliverance from God’s wrath without a substitute The ritual in connection with the Passover in Egypt was very striking. The lamb was to be killed (). Death must be inflicted either upon the guilty transgressor or upon an innocent substitute.

Ex 12:46Keep it untilNeed to keep it for 4 days so that it is burned into your mind that this lamb will pay the price for your salvation.Twilight“between the two evenings/settings.” That is the reason it says in , “Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed” or “it was necessary for the Passover lamb to be sacrificed.” Such necessity is prompted by the chronological specificity of . Deuteronomy’s equivalent phrase for “between the two evenings” is “in the evening, when the sun goes down [bāʿāreb kĕbôʾ haššemeš]” ().Between sunset and nightfall” attempts to interpret the Heb. phrase “between the [two] evenings” (בֵּין הָעַרְבָּיִם). The phrase may mean either between sunset and nightfall, that is, twilight; or it may mean “between noon and sunset.” Josephus asserted that the lamb was slain between 3 and 5 p.mIndividually performed, but performed as a whole congregation - orientates the worldview of God’s people. Each individual must have a relationship with God, but must be engaged in corporate worship of God

Keep it until-Need to keep it for 4 days so that it is burned into your mind that this lamb will pay the price for your salvation.

whole congregation - orientates the worldview of God’s people. Each individual must have a relationship with God, but must be engaged in corporate worship of God

Kill the Lamb- What does this agenda of salvation involve? Sacrifice. You can’t have deliverance from God’s wrath without a substitute The ritual in connection with the Passover in Egypt was very striking. The lamb was to be killed (). Death must be inflicted either upon the guilty transgressor or upon an innocent substitute.

Before a building is constructed, ground must be broken and a foundation must be laid. Before a tree grows and bears fruit, a seed must first be planted. In order to arrive at your final destination you must first begin the journey. For something to be finished it must first have a beginning. Today what we see in is the foundation for God’s crowning work of Salvation. What we have in this Old Testament passage is the seed of the tree which grew to become the cross on which our savior died. Here in this old old story we have the beginning of the wonderful redemption, God’s remedy for sin, the dawn of the story of Jesus and His love.

Communion finds it’s origin in PassoverCommunion was inaugurated by Christ while celebrating Passover with His disciplesCommunion memorializes the death of Christ - Christ was killed during Passover Feast The institution and ritual of the Passover supply us with one of the most striking and blessed foreshadowments of the cross-work of Christ to be found anywhere in the Old TestamentToday I want to go back to the first Passover in and show you X implications that should impact how we think about and practice Communion

The institution and ritual of the Passover supply us with one of the most striking and blessed foreshadowments of the cross-work of Christ to be found anywhere in the Old Testament

Before we dive in to , must get you up to speed on the context of this book. Exodus is the book where God declares and demonstrates His name holy name. The Exodus is all about Him - Who He is, what He says and what He does.

God rsays this in “

God says this in “

The very first word in the book of Exodus is “and” which naturally ties this book with the book that came before it, Genesis. A key passage to understand how Israel ended up in Egypt is found in . This is the glorious passage where God officially arranges His covenant with Abraham and promises to make his offspring as numerous as the stars in heaven and give them the Promised Land of Canaan. It is also in this chapter that God makes this promise in verses 13-16, “13 God said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years. 14 “But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out with many possessions. 15 “As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you will be buried at a good old age. 16 “Then in the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete.” God plans to send Abraham’s offspring into a foreign land, where they will be enslaved and oppressed and God promises to judge their oppressors and deliver them back to the Promised Land with many possessions in hand. At the close of Genesis we see Jacob, the great-grandson of Abraham, and his twelve sons settle in the land of Egypt. Before leaving Canaan, God comes to Jacob in and reiterates the promises He made to Abraham, “3 He said, “I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there. 4 “I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will close your eyes.” It was God’s sovereign plan to send Jacob and His twelve sons to Egypt. Which is where we find ourselves in the opening of Exodus.

It Genesis we see God Exodus begins with Pharoah, the king of the world’s first empire, attempting to thwart God’s promises. God promised to multiply the offspring of Abraham. Pharaoh ordered the murder of most likely thousands of Hebrew baby boys. God promised to bring Abraham’s offspring into the promised Land of Canaan. Pharoah ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves and made their lives bitter with hard service in order to prevent them from escaping from the land of Egypt. When God sends Moses to Pharoah to relay the command of YHWH to “let my people go” Pharoah mockingly responds in , “Who is YHWH that I should obey his voice?”. God then shows Pharaoh who exactly He is by sending 9 devastating plagues upon Pharoah and Egypt. In the epic chapters of you can read how the Creator of the Universe demonstrates His sovereign power of the creation and creatures He created for the purpose of judging Pharoah and delivering His people. In we read of that God’s ultimate purpose in sending the plagues He tells Moses to declare this to Pharoah 14 “For this time I will send all My plagues on you and your servants and your people, so that you may know that there is no one like Me in all the earth. 15 “For if by now I had put forth My hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, you would then have been cut off from the earth. 16 “But, indeed, for this reason I have allowed you to remain, in order to show you My power and in order to proclaim My name through all the earth. “

Exodus begins with Pharoah, the king of the world’s first empire, attempting to thwart the Promises God made to Abraham and to Jacob. God promised to multiply the offspring of Abraham. Pharaoh ordered the murder of most likely thousands of Hebrew baby boys. God promised to bring Abraham’s offspring into the promised Land of Canaan. Pharoah ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves and made their lives bitter with hard service in order to prevent them from escaping from the land of Egypt. Despite Pharaoh’s satanic efforts, God continued to multiply the people of Israel. God also raises up a deliverer for His people, Moses. See here the sovereign hand of God to accomplish what He promised and planned to do. God was doing this before the Hebrew people had any idea that God was working to deliver them and bring them into a land flowing with milk and honey. They were just lowly slaves making bricks to build the great cities of Egypt. says that they were crying out to be rescued from this existence but Moses, the author of Exodus, intentionally leaves out who their cries were going to. Their cries weren’t directed anywhere, they had no hope and no understanding of God’s work and God’s promises. And yet God heres their cry and sends a deliver to them, Moses.

When Moses comes to Pharoah to relay the command of YHWH to “let my people go” Pharoah mockingly responds in , “Who is YHWH that I should obey his voice?”. God then shows Pharaoh who exactly He is and begins to deliver His people by sending 9 devastating plagues upon Pharoah and Egypt. In the epic chapters of you can read how the Creator of the Universe demonstrates His sovereign power over the creation and creatures He created for the purpose of judging Pharoah and delivering His people. In we read of that God’s ultimate purpose in sending the plagues. He tells Moses to declare this to Pharoah 14 “For this time I will send all My plagues on you and your servants and your people, so that you may know that there is no one like Me in all the earth. 15 “For if by now I had put forth My hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, you would then have been cut off from the earth. 16 “But, indeed, for this reason I have allowed you to remain, in order to show you My power and in order to proclaim My name through all the earth. “ God has sovereignly preserved the lives of the Egyptians through these plagues and He has sovereignly been working in the already rebellious heart of Pharaoh so that He might demonstrate His supremacy, His power, His glory, His otherness as God alone, His judgement against sin and idolatry and His covenant love for His chosen people.

Exodus is the book in which God reveals His name - I am who I amThe Exodus is all about Him - Who He is and what He doesGod’s War against Pharoah - 1st 9 PlaguesExodus 9:14-16 - Reason for the plagues Pharoah may know that there is none like YHWH in al the earthRaised up Pharoah in order to show His power, so that His name will be proclaimed in all the earth --> a purpose for why we are delivered - proclaim the name of Christ Plagues 1-3: WaterPlagues 4-6: LandPlagues 7-9: SkyPlague 10: LifeGod is the author of creation. He created the environments in days 1-3 and then he created life to fill these environments on 4-6. In the 10 plagues we see that God has the power and the right to systematically destroy the creation that He created. Moreover, we see that YHWH does this to save His people and judge their greatest enemy the seed of the serpent - in this case Pharaoh. Still Pharaoh refused to let God’s people go. Finally God sent the tenth and deadliest plague of all: the death of the firstborn. This was a battle of the gods, a contest between the deities, and God was determined to win. He told Moses, “On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn—both men and animals—and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord” (; cf. ). With this final plague God accomplished his objective—namely, to demonstrate his lordship over the Egyptians by defeating all their gods, together with the demonic powers they represented. With one deadly blow God achieved his conquest over Egypt’s gods, and in doing so, he gave the Egyptians what they deserved. The last plague was a glorious act of his sovereign justice…The Final Blow 4 Moses said, “Thus says the Lord, ‘About midnight I am going out into the midst of Egypt, 5 and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of the Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the slave girl who is behind the millstones; all the firstborn of the cattle as well. 6 ‘Moreover, there shall be a great cry in all the land of Egypt, such as there has not been before and such as shall never be again. 7 ‘But against any of the sons of Israel a dog will not even bark, whether against man or beast, that you may understand how the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.’ Up until this point - Moses was the mediator of God’s plagues - using his staff and hand to bring them about. Here YHWH says I will go. Pharoah began by mocking who is YHWH? YHWH ends by coming down to deal the death blowFirstborn - the next Pharoah who is the ultimate deity in Egyptian pantheon. Dual miracle - complete and total silence in God is sovereign in what He allows to happen and what He allows not to happen. Only the Creator of land, sea, air and life has this control The severity of the judgment meted out matches the unspeakable evil of refusing to honor God as God and render him thanks. He does not owe mercy. The only thing he owes is justice, and the gravity of the heinousness of disregarding the infinite worth and beneficence of God calls for punishment that fits the crime. If God does not visit a just punishment, it shows that he has as little regard for himself as the creatures who have refused to honor him as God and give thanks to him. God shows his own great worth by visiting due justice against Egypt, and he shows his love by mercying Israel. But is this mercy just? If Israel is also guilty, how can God maintain justice if he shows them mercy?

Exodus is the book in which God reveals His name - I am who I amThe Exodus is all about Him - Who He is and what He doesGod’s War against Pharoah - 1st 9 PlaguesExodus 9:14-16 - Reason for the plagues Pharoah may know that there is none like YHWH in al the earthRaised up Pharoah in order to show His power, so that His name will be proclaimed in all the earth --> a purpose for why we are delivered - proclaim the name of Christ Plagues 1-3: WaterPlagues 4-6: LandPlagues 7-9: SkyPlague 10: LifeGod is the author of creation. He created the environments in days 1-3 and then he created life to fill these environments on 4-6. In the 10 plagues we see that God has the power and the right to systematically destroy the creation that He created. Moreover, we see that YHWH does this to save His people and judge their greatest enemy the seed of the serpent - in this case Pharaoh. Still Pharaoh refused to let God’s people go. Finally God sent the tenth and deadliest plague of all: the death of the firstborn. This was a battle of the gods, a contest between the deities, and God was determined to win. He told Moses, “On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn—both men and animals—and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord” (; cf. ). With this final plague God accomplished his objective—namely, to demonstrate his lordship over the Egyptians by defeating all their gods, together with the demonic powers they represented. With one deadly blow God achieved his conquest over Egypt’s gods, and in doing so, he gave the Egyptians what they deserved. The last plague was a glorious act of his sovereign justice…

The Exodus is all about Him - Who He is and what He doesGod’s War against Pharoah - 1st 9 PlaguesExodus 9:14-16 - Reason for the plagues Pharoah may know that there is none like YHWH in al the earthRaised up Pharoah in order to show His power, so that His name will be proclaimed in all the earth --> a purpose for why we are delivered - proclaim the name of Christ Plagues 1-3: WaterPlagues 4-6: LandPlagues 7-9: SkyPlague 10: LifeGod is the author of creation. He created the environments in days 1-3 and then he created life to fill these environments on 4-6. In the 10 plagues we see that God has the power and the right to systematically destroy the creation that He created. Moreover, we see that YHWH does this to save His people and judge their greatest enemy the seed of the serpent - in this case Pharaoh. Still Pharaoh refused to let God’s people go. Finally God sent the tenth and deadliest plague of all: the death of the firstborn. This was a battle of the gods, a contest between the deities, and God was determined to win. He told Moses, “On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn—both men and animals—and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord” (; cf. ). With this final plague God accomplished his objective—namely, to demonstrate his lordship over the Egyptians by defeating all their gods, together with the demonic powers they represented. With one deadly blow God achieved his conquest over Egypt’s gods, and in doing so, he gave the Egyptians what they deserved. The last plague was a glorious act of his sovereign justice…

Plagues 1-3: WaterPlagues 4-6: LandPlagues 7-9: SkyPlague 10: LifeGod is the author of creation. He created the environments in days 1-3 and then he created life to fill these environments on 4-6. In the 10 plagues we see that God has the power and the right to systematically destroy the creation that He created. Moreover, we see that YHWH does this to save His people and judge their greatest enemy the seed of the serpent - in this case Pharaoh.

GoodBut still Pharaoh refused to let God’s people go. The time has come for God to end this with one final plague. With one deadly blow God achieved his conquest over Egypt’s gods, and in doing so, he gave the Egyptians what they deserved. The last plague was a glorious act of his sovereign justice…

Now the time has come to send the 10th and final plague. In God declares this to Pharoah through His prophet Moses, “Thus says the Lord, ‘About midnight I am going out into the midst of Egypt, 5 and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of the Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the slave girl who is behind the millstones; all the firstborn of the cattle as well. 6 ‘Moreover, there shall be a great cry in all the land of Egypt, such as there has not been before and such as shall never be again. 7 ‘But against any of the sons of Israel a dog will not even bark, whether against man or beast, that you may understand how the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.’” Up until this moment, Moses was the mediator of God’s plagues, using his staff or his hand to bring them about. Here, YHWH declares that I will go into the midst of Egypt. Pharoah began by mocking who is YHWH? Exodus began with God working behind the scenes to accomplish His promises. Here YHWH declares that He will personally come down and deal the final death blow to Pharoah and end His people’s enslavement in Egypt. Notice that this 10th plague will be a dual miracle of sorts, God will miraculously cause the death of all the first born in Egypt and He will miraculously cause there to be a distinction between the wailing that this will cause in the homes of the Egyptians and the complete silence that will occur in the land of Goshen where the sons of Israel dwell. Not even a dog will bark in Goshen.

Problem - God’s chosen people deserve divine judgement

4 Moses said, “Thus says the Lord, ‘About midnight I am going out into the midst of Egypt, 5 and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of the Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the slave girl who is behind the millstones; all the firstborn of the cattle as well. 6 ‘Moreover, there shall be a great cry in all the land of Egypt, such as there has not been before and such as shall never be again. 7 ‘But against any of the sons of Israel a dog will not even bark, whether against man or beast, that you may understand how the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.’

Gleanings in Exodus Chapter 15: The PassoverNotice carefully the exact wording of verse 5: it was not “all the firstborn of the land of Egypt shall die”, but “all the firstborn in the land of Egypt”. This Divine sentence of judgment included the Israelites equally with the Egyptians. Yet in the seventh verse we are told “not a dog shall move his tongue against any of the children of Israel, for the Lord ‘put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel’ ”. Here is what the infidel would call “a flat contradiction!” But as we are fully assured that there can be no contradictions in “the Word of Truth”, so we know there must be an interpretation which brings out the harmony of this passage. What that is, no mere human wisdom could have devised. The sentence of universal condemnation proceeded from the righteousness of God; the “difference” which He put between the Egyptians and Israel was the outflow of His grace. But how can justice and mercy be reconciled? How can justice exact its full due without excluding mercy? How can mercy be manifested except at the expense of justice? This is really the problem that is raised here. The solution of it is found in . All the firstborn in the land of Egypt did die, and yet the firstborn of Israel were delivered from the Angel of Death! But how could this be? Surely both could not be true. Yes they were, and therein we may discover a blessed illustration and type of the contents of the Gospel.

Up until this point - Moses was the mediator of God’s plagues - using his staff and hand to bring them about. Here YHWH says I will go. Pharoah began by mocking who is YHWH? YHWH ends by coming down to deal the death blow

However, apart from any particular sin they may have committed, God’s people were sinners by nature. The mere fact of their humanity meant that they participated in the guilt of Adam’s race. The Bible teaches that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (). The first Passover proved that fact by implicating Israel in Egypt’s sin, thereby showing that “Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin” ()The reason the avenging angel visited the Israelites was because, like the Egyptians, they were sinners, and sin is a capital offense. The proper penalty for it is death, which has always been “the wages of sin” (). When God planted Adam in the Garden of Eden, he said, “You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die” (). Sadly, this is exactly what happened. As soon as our first parents ate the forbidden fruit, they became mortal, and so did all their children, down to the present generation. This fact would seem to demand some sort of explanation. In the entire history of our race, no generation has ever avoided going down to the grave. Why not? The Bible explains it like this: “death came to all men, because all sinnedRom 5:12 God’s people had sinned in several ways. One was to reject the word of God’s prophet. When Moses returned from his first audience with Pharaoh, the Israelites greeted him by saying, “May the Lord look upon you and judge you! You have made us a stench to Pharaoh and his officials and have put a sword in their hand to kill us” (). Neither the Egyptians nor the Israelites would listen to God’s word.The Israelites were also guilty of idolatry. That sin is not specifically mentioned here in Exodus, but it was remembered for years to come. When the Israelites renewed the covenant at Shechem, Joshua said, “Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord” (). Not surprisingly, during their long centuries of captivity, the Israelites grew to love the gods of Egypt. And for this sin God would have been justified in plaguing them, even to the death of their firstborn sonsThe reason he visited their homes was not to destroy them but to teach them about salvation. Like the Egyptians, the Israelites deserved divine judgment; but unlike the Egyptians, they would be saved by grace through faith.While chaos engulfed their oppressors, the Israelites had watched from the safety of Goshen. From this they learned that they were God’s special people. This may have tempted them to believe that they were more righteous than the Egyptians, indeed, that they could do no wrong. But the truth was that they deserved to die every bit as much as their enemies. Indeed, if God had not provided a means for their salvation, they would have suffered the loss of every last one of their firstborn sons. The Israelites were as guilty as the Egyptians, and in the final plague God taught them about their sin and his salvation.The Israelites were sinners: their guilt was irrefutably established: a just God can “by no means clear the guilty” (): sentence of death was passed upon them (). Nothing remained but the carrying out of the sentence. A reprieve was out of the question. Justice must be satisfied; sin must be paid its wages. What, then? Shall Israel perish after all? It would seem so. Human wisdom could furnish no solution. No; but man’s extremity is God’s opportunity, and He did find a solution.Reconciliation of justice and mercy. Reconciliation for His holy wrath against sinners and HIs covenant love for His chosen people

Still Pharaoh refused to let God’s people go. Finally God sent the tenth and deadliest plague of all: the death of the firstborn. This was a battle of the gods, a contest between the deities, and God was determined to win. He told Moses, “On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn—both men and animals—and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord” (; cf. ). With this final plague God accomplished his objective—namely, to demonstrate his lordship over the Egyptians by defeating all their gods, together with the demonic powers they represented. With one deadly blow God achieved his conquest over Egypt’s gods, and in doing so, he gave the Egyptians what they deserved. The last plague was a glorious act of his sovereign justice…

Firstborn - the next Pharoah who is the ultimate deity in Egyptian pantheon.

Dual miracle - complete and total silence in God is sovereign in what He allows to happen and what He allows not to happen. Only the Creator of land, sea, air and life has this control

In this text God reveals His signature move…salvationThe main point of this text is that God provided what God required: a substitute sacrifice to die for His people.

However there is a tension here. God declares that He will make a distinction between Israel and Egypt, implying that the firstborn of Israel will be spared from this plague. This is God fulfilling the promises He made in His covenant with Abraham, to bring His people out of Egypt and into the Promised Land. And yet his people are deserving of punishment as well. If you look carefully at the wording of verse 5, God did not say that “all the firstborn of the land of Egypt shall die”, but “all the firstborn in the land of Egypt”. This sentence of judgement included all the households in Egypt, both the Hebrew homes and those of the Egyptians. This sentence was not unjust. The Hebrew people were just as implicated as the Egyptians were. They were sinners deserving of the wrath of God too.As Paul lays in , all have sinned a fall short of the glory of God. Jews and gentiles alike are all under sin and the proper penalty for their sin is death, sin against God is capital offense. This is the reality that all men and women face. When our first parents violated the command of God and ate the forbidden fruit they became mortal and depraved as did all the human race that came from them. , Death spread to all men, because all sinned. But not only were the Hebrews sinners by nature, they had willfully offended the holiness of God in several ways. They rejected the words of Moses, God’s prophet after He performed the first plague in . In we see that they worshiped the idols and gods of Egypt. For the past 9 plagues the Hebrews have been watching from the safety of Goshen. They have seen how they are God’s special people and this might have tempted them into believing that they were more righteous than the Egyptians. But in reality they were just as deserving of God’s wrath as their enemies.

Justice must be satisfied. Sin must be paid its wages. On the surface there appears to be a contradiction here. How can God show favor and mercy upon the homes of the Israelites on that night? How can God make a distinction between Israel and Egypt without violating His just judgement? How can God’s just wrath against sinners and His love and mercy for His chosen people be reconciled? The solution of it is found in .

What that is, no mere human wisdom could have devised. The sentence of universal condemnation proceeded from the righteousness of God; the “difference” which He put between the Egyptians and Israel was the outflow of His grace. But how can justice and mercy be reconciled? How can justice exact its full due without excluding mercy? How can mercy be manifested except at the expense of justice? This is really the problem that is raised here. The solution of it is found in . All the firstborn in the land of Egypt did die, and yet the firstborn of Israel were delivered from the Angel of Death! But how could this be? Surely both could not be true. Yes they were, and therein we may discover a blessed illustration and type of the contents of the Gospel.

Problem - God’s chosen people deserve divine judgement

The severity of the judgment meted out matches the unspeakable evil of refusing to honor God as God and render him thanks. He does not owe mercy. The only thing he owes is justice, and the gravity of the heinousness of disregarding the infinite worth and beneficence of God calls for punishment that fits the crime. If God does not visit a just punishment, it shows that he has as little regard for himself as the creatures who have refused to honor him as God and give thanks to him. God shows his own great worth by visiting due justice against Egypt, and he shows his love by mercying Israel. But is this mercy just? If Israel is also guilty, how can God maintain justice if he shows them mercy?

Gleanings in Exodus Chapter 15: The PassoverNotice carefully the exact wording of verse 5: it was not “all the firstborn of the land of Egypt shall die”, but “all the firstborn in the land of Egypt”. This Divine sentence of judgment included the Israelites equally with the Egyptians. Yet in the seventh verse we are told “not a dog shall move his tongue against any of the children of Israel, for the Lord ‘put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel’ ”. Here is what the infidel would call “a flat contradiction!” But as we are fully assured that there can be no contradictions in “the Word of Truth”, so we know there must be an interpretation which brings out the harmony of this passage. What that is, no mere human wisdom could have devised. The sentence of universal condemnation proceeded from the righteousness of God; the “difference” which He put between the Egyptians and Israel was the outflow of His grace. But how can justice and mercy be reconciled? How can justice exact its full due without excluding mercy? How can mercy be manifested except at the expense of justice? This is really the problem that is raised here. The solution of it is found in . All the firstborn in the land of Egypt did die, and yet the firstborn of Israel were delivered from the Angel of Death! But how could this be? Surely both could not be true. Yes they were, and therein we may discover a blessed illustration and type of the contents of the Gospel.

Indeed, if God had not provided a means for their salvation, they would have suffered the loss of every last one of their firstborn sons. The Israelites were as guilty as the Egyptians, and in the final plague God taught them about their sin and his salvation.

The reason he visited their homes was not to destroy them but to teach them about salvation. Like the Egyptians, the Israelites deserved divine judgment; but unlike the Egyptians, they would be saved by grace through faith.

While chaos engulfed their oppressors, the Israelites had watched from the safety of Goshen. From this they learned that they were God’s special people. This may have tempted them to believe that they were more righteous than the Egyptians, indeed, that they could do no wrong. But the truth was that they deserved to die every bit as much as their enemies. Indeed, if God had not provided a means for their salvation, they would have suffered the loss of every last one of their firstborn sons. The Israelites were as guilty as the Egyptians, and in the final plague God taught them about their sin and his salvation.

The Israelites were sinners: their guilt was irrefutably established: a just God can “by no means clear the guilty” (): sentence of death was passed upon them (). Nothing remained but the carrying out of the sentence. A reprieve was out of the question. Justice must be satisfied; sin must be paid its wages. What, then? Shall Israel perish after all? It would seem so. Human wisdom could furnish no solution. No; but man’s extremity is God’s opportunity, and He did find a solution.Reconciliation of justice and mercy. Reconciliation for His holy wrath against sinners and HIs covenant love for His chosen people

What that is, no mere human wisdom could have devised. The sentence of universal condemnation proceeded from the righteousness of God; the “difference” which He put between the Egyptians and Israel was the outflow of His grace. But how can justice and mercy be reconciled? How can justice exact its full due without excluding mercy? How can mercy be manifested except at the expense of justice? This is really the problem that is raised here. The solution of it is found in . All the firstborn in the land of Egypt did die, and yet the firstborn of Israel were delivered from the Angel of Death! But how could this be? Surely both could not be true. Yes they were, and therein we may discover a blessed illustration and type of the contents of the Gospel.

God shows his own great worth by visiting due justice against Egypt, and he shows his love by mercying Israel. But is this mercy just? If Israel is also guilty, how can God maintain justice if he shows them mercy?

The reason he visited their homes was not to destroy them but to teach them about salvation. Like the Egyptians, the Israelites deserved divine judgment; but unlike the Egyptians, they would be saved by grace through faith.

The Lamb Prepared - vs 1-6The Blood Applied - vs 7-11The Wrath Averted - vs 12-13

Here in we see God reveal His signature move: sovereignly saving His chosen people from His just wrath for the purpose of magnifying His name and His glory in all the earth. Here in this ancient book, written 2500 years ago, God in His sovereign grace and HIs covenant love for Israel, devised a plan to show mercy to His people and still satisfy His wrath. God requires death for sin, and in we see that God provides what God required. That is the message of this passage and this sermon, God provided what God required: a substitute sacrifice to die for His people.

The main point of this text is that God provided what God required: a substitute sacrifice to die for His people.

We will see this message in the following structure. In verses 1-6 we will see God’s substitute selected. In verses 7-11 we will see God’s substitute slaughtered. Lastly in verse 12-13 we will see God’s people saved.

God’s Substitute Selected - 12:1-6

God’s Substitute Slaughtered - 12:7-11

God’s People Saved - 12:12-13

So then let us see the mighty plan of God unfold beginning in verses 1-6: God’s Substitute Selected

The Blood of the Lamb Bullets

Text

Text and Title

A New Calendar for a New Nation - vs 1-2

Prayer

Prayer

Each one, Each household, Each neighbor - vs 3-4

Sacrificial Lamb - vs 5-6

Illustration

Sacrificial Lamb - vs 5

Illustration

Communion Connection

Transition

Context of

Context of

Maint Point

Structure

Maint Point

Transition

Structure

Transition

The Blood of the Lamb Bullets

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Text

Text and Title

A New Calendar for a New Nation - vs 1-2

Prayer

Prayer

Each one, Each household, Each neighbor - vs 3-4

Sacrificial Lamb - vs 5-6

Illustration

Sacrificial Lamb - vs 5

Illustration

Communion Connection

Transition

Context of

Context of

Maint Point

Structure

Maint Point

Transition

Structure

Transition