Sermon Tone Analysis

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?