Death

Introduction

Exodus 11:1 (ESV)

1 The Lord said to Moses, “Yet one plague more I will bring upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt. Afterward he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will drive you away completely.

Exodus 11:4–6 (ESV)

4 So Moses said, “Thus says the Lord: ‘About midnight I will go out in the midst of Egypt, 5 and every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the slave girl who is behind the handmill, and all the firstborn of the cattle. 6 There shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there has never been, nor ever will be again.

Prayer

Broadway musical, “Hamilton”

Song called “Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down)”

Curious title - one with significant meaning

In 1781, American and French forces trapped Gen. Cornwallis who waited for ships from NY

They never came - and would have had to pass the French navy

As Cornwallis surrendered, military ops in the Revolution essentially ended

It is said as the redcoats left, their bands played “The World Turned Upside Down”

It may not be true, but the world was turned upside down that day

The greatest military force in the world had lost

The American experiment began

Today, we see the world turned upside down in a bigger way

Similarly, the smaller, weaker population wins out against the worlds super power

Only this time, it’s not by the acts of wise generals and brave men

It’s an act of God alone

YouVersion: Death

In Exodus 12:21-42

Exodus 12:21–23 (ESV)

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. 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.

Just like today, the elders are called to lead their local bodies

1. God doesn’t only use the people at the top

From the beginning, God uses different people for different purposes

You really see this if you continue through Exodus, and on to the rest of the Penateuch, Judges, Chronicles, Jeremiah, Matthew, Acts, Revelation...

This isn’t Moses’ story, it’s how God uses many people

Includes Pharaoh BTW

Charles Dickens: “No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.”

Hyssop was used in cleansing rituals all through Scripture

In Psalm 51:7, David wrote

Psalm 51:7 (ESV)

7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;

wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Much later, in John 19:29 we see hyssop used at the greatest cleansing sacrifice

John 19:29 (ESV)

29 A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth.

There are many connections between the cross and the Passover

On Thursday at the Seder we will see this

Right now is a great foreshadowing

The cleansing of hyssop

The blood of the lamb

Death won’t get you

See the connection?

At this time, Moses enacts a remembrance

Exodus 12:24–27a (ESV)

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. 26 And when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ 27a 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.’ ”

This is something God didn’t want Israel to forget

They were instructed to remember this with Passover services

A very significant part of this is the Passover meal AKA Seder

It was at this meal that Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper AKA Communion

Luke 22:14–20 (ESV)

14 And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. 15 And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. 18 For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.

Not to give away too much about Thursday...

But just like Passover helped Israel remember their:

Freedom from Pharaoh

Beginning a nation

Start as God’s children...

Communion would take that remembrance and transform it

It helps us to remember our:

Freedom from sin

Beginning as Christ’s Church

Our start as God’s children...

2. Remembrance is the key to the future

After this point in Scripture, the phrase “Out of the land of Egypt” is repeated 56 times!

God wants Israel to remember this!

Leon Weasel-teer - it’s Wesselton!

(It’s actually Wee-zell-tee-ae!) Wrote a Jewish prayer book:

Leon Wieseltier: “Do not overthrow the customs that have made it all the way to you.”

Playing telephone and that one guy intentionally made it stupid

It’s no longer fun or interesting

It’s hard enough to carry the message, it’s important be don’t destroy it for carelessness

It’s important that God tells Moses this statute is forever

It begins with Passover, continues through Communion

All for our eternal salvation

So that death might pass us over!

Pretty cool huh?!

Exodus 12:27b–28 (ESV)

27b 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.

How would you respond if you knew this was happening tonight?

Anyone without blood on their door posts will lose their eldest?

Maybe run in fear? Try to warn everyone? Freeze in panic?

The Hebrews chose to do something very important - they worshipped

3. Don’t let the significance of the moment make you forget the significance of your God

We should worship in small moments too

But all the more in the big ones!

I’m not saying to forget the small ones...

But all too often we miss the biggies

We let the significance of the moment block out the significance of our God

Story of leaving California

Left our house, went to the church to pray, said goodbye...

Cried the whole way out of the state...

While Tasha slept, I put on worship music, praised God, prayed some more...

It’s so important to recognize God in the midst of big change

Notice what else they did though - the obeyed the Lord

All the Hebrews marked their door posts like the Lord said

And here’s what happened while they huddled in their houses and waited:

Exodus 12:29–30 (ESV)

29 At midnight the Lord struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of the livestock. 30 And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians. And there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where someone was not dead.

God thoroughly kept His promise

He knew this was going to be His last move to free Israel

Earlier, it said first born of Pharaoh to the slave girl to the livestock

Now it says first born of Pharaoh to the captive in prison to the livestock

This was every single Egyptian household without exception

Remember, they have refused to honor God, and keep worshipping their false gods

Up until this point, we’ve seen God go after many Egyptian gods

Now, He’s going after two VERY important gods to Egypt

First, He’s going against Osiris, the giver of life

Second, He’s going after Pharaoh himself

Pharaoh, if you are a god, save your son - of course he could not

Some 3,300 years later, the same challenge was posed to the Hebrew God

As His Son hang on a cross, could He save Himself?

Matthew 27:41–43 (ESV)

41 So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, 42 “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ”

Yet, Jesus did not come down - why?

Jesus wasn’t trying to save Himself, He was too busy saving us!

And yet, He would prove Himself to be God 3 days later!

Instead of climbing off the cross, He walked out of the tomb!

For Pharaoh’s son, he was shown to be human and was lost

There’s actually a little bit of archaeological evidence

Many believe this Pharaoh was Amenhotep II

They found a Sphinx shrine with an inscription inside

It vows that Thutmose IV would succeed his father Amenhotep II

It’s unusual to vow something that is automatic - goes to the eldest son

Many believe it’s because Amenhotep’s son was dead

Specifically killed on the Passover

Not definitive, we don’t know which Pharaoh this was, but the timing is right and it’s interesting!

Now imagine Pharaoh

He doesn’t want to lose his labor force

He believes himself to be a god

The lowly slaves claim to have access to God

They also claim they need to be let go to worship Him

This God has sent

Blood, frogs, gnats, flies, livestock disease, boils, hail, locusts and darkness

Each time he refuses!

How dare they! I am a god! I am Pharaoh! You are a slave! You are nothing!

And then you wake up in the middle of the night...

Your son, the next Pharaoh, your legacy lay there lifeless

No pulse, no breath, the color has drained away...

Can he blame God?

God works with two main processes here

He informs the mind, and then breaks the will

Has Pharaoh not been warned? Has God not shown His power? Has God not been patient and merciful? Has God not gone back and forth with Pharaoh for 9 different plagues?

Let me ask you this: Is Pharaoh not still stubborn?

For the moment, let’s see if God has broken Pharaoh’s will by breaking his heart...

Exodus 12:31–36 (ESV)

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

33 The Egyptians were urgent with the people to send them out of the land in haste. For they said, “We shall all be dead.” 34 So the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneading bowls being bound up in their cloaks on their shoulders. 35 The people of Israel had also done as Moses told them, for they had asked the Egyptians for silver and gold jewelry and for clothing. 36 And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.

He knew this would be the moment that changed history

Look at what God said way back in chapter 3:

Exodus 3:19–20 (ESV)

19 But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand. 20 So I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all the wonders that I will do in it; after that he will let you go.

And the Lord was right

In fact, Pharaoh didn’t just let them go, he commanded them to!

Exodus 11:1b (ESV)

1b When he lets you go, he will drive you away completely.

Pharaoh is not negotiating or leaving room to backtrack right now

Up and go! Leave!

In fact, the other Egyptians PAID the Hebrews to leave

These guys are going to kill us! Take our money! Take our clothes!

But Pharaoh also asks for something interesting: “Bless me also”

Pharaoh is still thinking of this situation in terms of “What can I get out of this.”

In any case, the Hebrews get the word, and they are GONE!

What can we learn?

4. When the door to freedom opens, run for it!

Here, this is freedom from Egypt

God told the Hebrews back in verse 15 to not eat leavened bread and take it out of their houses

Seems like a few jumped the gun

Now, they’re taking it with them as is!

But it goes the same for freedom from our sin!

I know of a very special person to me who gave their life to Christ

He was high as a kite when we recieved a phone call from him

“I’m ready to give my life to Christ,” and he did over the phone

Didn’t wait to be clean or successful or sinless… the door opened and he ran for it

Today, I am so outrageously proud of him...

But even more thankful that God stood there and opened the door to a sinner

If you’re there today, that door is always open

It may only be cracked, but I highly recommend you run through it now

Satan wants nothing more than to end your life and close that door

Don’t wait to shine yourself up! Run to freedom!

Exodus 12:37–42 (ESV)

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

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

They left great city of Rameses, and likely camped out

Succoth means shelters

Can you imagine what it must of been like?

To be slaves for 430 years to the day...

Then, God does outrageous wonders and you are free!

You and 2 million of your friends!

Not all Hebrews though

The mixed multitude tells us that there were plenty of different people

Even Egyptians, those who realized the Hebrew God was where its at!

There must have been such joy and celebrating!

But at the same time, you know Pharaoh...

There’s such uncertainty

Can we survive alone?

What’s next for us?

Where do we go?

Is Pharaoh coming after us now?

We know, they have nothing to fear

God is on their side...

There’s one final lesson in this:

5. God will always have His way

I want you to ask yourself a question:

Who am I in this story?

We have seen many examples of people leading up to this point

Are you like Pharaoh?

Someone unwilling to budge against a much more powerful God...

Convinced you are righter and smarter, and God is false and powerless...

It’s time to let God have His way...

Are you like Moses?

God has made it clear that He has a purpose for you

But you don’t want to listen because you’re afraid

All you have is excuses rather than obedience

It’s time to let God have His way...

Are you like the Hebrews?

You’ve seen God’s power, but you’re angry

You know He promises freedom, but all you care about is how hard it is to trust Him...

It’s time to let God have His way...

Or are you like the Egyptians?

You’ve been deceived that your culture is the greatest power

You see what the enemy does, and you believe in what the world has to offer

All you want is for God to stop working and go away...

It’s time to let God have His way...

Conclusion

On Thursday night we will experience the connection that this story has with Christ

This is the cross-like victory of the OT

And we will connect the dots using the exact same methods God used to reach the Hebrews

Why?

Because God is at work today, the same way He was 3,300 years ago

Rescuing people from bondage, and making us children of God

Prayer