Examples from Exodus - The Passover - AM Sermon 2/28/10

Examples from Exodus – The Passover

There was once a boxer who was being pummeled in the ring by his opponent. Blow after blow by his adversary left him with a bloody nose, swollen eyes, and an enormous amount of pain.
The battered boxer’s trainer, trying to encourage his man between rounds, kept telling him, “You’re doing great, Fred. That bum is barely touching you.”
To which the boxer responded, “Then you better keep your eye on that referee, because somebody is killing me!

People many times know that life is beating them up and battering them. That is a fact but the problem is that many people are going around and telling folks that everything is just topsy turvy and the world is just great.

Many people live in a false sense of security that they are not in danger.

Others live in a heresy known as the Gospel of Health and Wealth where they are told that if you pray a certain prayer or give all your money to a certain ministry all their problems will dissolve.

We must come to grips that we live in a fallen world and the battle is on. When Jesus came back from the Grave the battle of all battles was initiated against sin and we are in that battle. This morning I want to go back to the book of Exodus and continue or study through Exodus and glean EXAMPLES FROM EXODUS.

The Hebrews find themselves in a struggle between good and evil, between slavery and freedom and between the worship of the one true God and paganism.

We will see this struggle and battle take us through the rest of the Exodus account and the rest of the OT.
You will see God lead the Israelites out of Egypt and then pound into their thick skulls that they have to be different and holy.

We will witness God's love and care for a stiff necked and hard hearted people. We will see God's people start the preparation for the coming King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

The early Church saw the OT dripping with Jesus Christ, on every page they saw foreshadowing and predicative prophecy about Jesus. I believe they were right in this assumption and we would do well to start reading the Bible as they did.

Last week we looked at a few of the plagues that God brought upon Egypt in Judgment upon the nation that had enslaved the Israelites.

This week we will focus on the final plague brought against Egypt and the effects of this plague on Egypt.
We will read through Exodus 11:4 all the way through to Exodus 12 verse 10. Remember that the chapter and verse divisions were not in the original manuscripts of the Bible. These were added later and sometimes we seem to chop us the Bible in places that should not be chopped up.

Exodus 11: 4-10
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.' 8 "All these your servants will come down to me and bow themselves before me, saying, 'Go out, you and all the people who follow you,' and after that I will go out." And he went out from Pharaoh in hot anger. 9 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Pharaoh will not listen to you, so that My wonders will be multiplied in the land of Egypt." 10 Moses and Aaron performed all these wonders before Pharaoh ; yet the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not let the sons of Israel go out of his land
Exodus 12: 1-6
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.



We see in this story the final straw for God and Egypt. 9 great wonders and Plagues have been brought by God. Pharaoh had stated earlier in Exodus that he did not KNOW God but God has made his power and presence known to Pharaoh.

God has heard the cry of the oppressed Israelites and has acted. God has systematically brought Egypt to its knees by taking down their economy and by showing that their pantheon of gods were useless. Now God will hit Egypt hard by taking the first born son of the Egyptians. Pharaoh has continued rejected the pleas of Moses but will now be broken by God.

God tells them that this will be the beginning of the year for the Israelites. Every year for them will begin with the celebration of the Exodus. This will be the defining moment for their nation. They will look to this night as the very time that their nation had a beginning.

We as Americans look back to the Declaration of Independence and July 4, 1776 as our birth.

The Hebrews will look to this day of liberation from Egypt as their beginning. Their very calendar will be centered upon this time. They will be constantly reminded that you are the people that God rescued from slavery.

The death angel will come through Egypt and the Israelites were instructed to take the blood of the Lamb and put it on the doorposts of their home and they will be passed over and would be safe.
We notice that they are to get the lamb and wait four days before they kill it. They are to get the lamb on the 10th day of the month but not sacrifice the lamb until the 14th day of the month.

Why four days? What is God trying to communicate to the Israelites?

I.God requires Consecration when we come before Him.

Because the Israelites had to be circumcised before they could eat it. It took 3 days to heal before they could eat it.

12:47 – Must be circumcised to eat the Passover. - Moses learned this lesson when God came to visit Moses to kill him because his son was not circumcised. In Exodus 4 we see God show up to kill Moses because he had not circumcise his son.
God expects consecration and holiness if we are to come before Him.

Does this apply to today? Are we supposed to be consecrated today?
This was circumcision but does this apply to Christians today?

Romans 2:28-29
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 which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter ; and his praise is not from men, but from God.

God wants a heart that has been circumcised, a heart that has been changed and loves Him.

Galatians 6: 14-15
14 But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.
God is looking for a renewed man, one that lives in obedience to Him. Circumcision and the outward trappings of religion mean nothing without a renewed heart.

This is one of the main differences that we see in the New Covenant made through the Cross of Jesus and the sacrifice of the perfect lamb of Christ is that we are now to be circumcised in our hearts- an inward renewal, a new person that has been transformed. We could have everything right in the outwards but if we are not renewed and changed then it is worthless.

Paul makes this point clear in I Corinthians 13- one could work miracles, be give their body up as a martyr but if they dont have love in their heart it is a worthless sacrifice. God wants a renewed heart and the rest will take care of itself.
The analogous event that we have in the Church that is directly linked to the Passover is the Lord's Supper. Just as the Hebrews had to be consecrated before they ate the Passover Christians must also be consecrated before they eat the Lord's Supper.
Paul makes this clear in 1 Corinthians 11
1 Corinthians 11: 26-30
26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes. 27 Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. 28 But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. 30 For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep.
Paul uses pretty serious language concerning how we should look at our hearts before we take of the Lord's Supper. Just as the Hebrew people had to make sure they had been circumcised we have to make sure our hearts have been circumcised to Christ before we eat of the Lord's Table.

II. God wants to meet us where we are to communicate to us. He takes us where we are and communicates to us the best he can.

They had to eat the Lamb completely.

This may seem strange to us.
Why the bloody sacrifice of animals and why put blood on the door posts? Isn't God a God of love? Why slaughter an innocent animal?

Important problem and questions to be asked about God.

God doesn't need bloody sacrifice of animals but the people needed it. The Egyptians worshiped lambs as gods.
Plutarch mentions that even up to the 1st century the Egyptians worshiped sheep. If anyone sacrificed a sheep in ancient Egypt they would be accursed.

When they sacrificed the lamb it would be an act of faith and act of obedience. They were saying that they believed that Jehovah was the only true God and that they would not be cursed by the Egyptian gods.

God is relating to the Hebrew people where they are and where they can understand. God does this all through Scripture. He meets us where we are and shows us things that we can understand. God puts it in a context that we can understand.

Exodus 8 Moses tells Pharaoh that they cannot worship in Egypt because the Egyptians would find it detestable. The Egyptians would find it detestable because the Israelites would sacrifice animals that the Egyptians believe are sacred.

God communicates to the Israelites in a way that
Sometimes we question God and want to have Him reveal more to us. We wont the answers on our terms and we totally miss the fact that God has come to meet us where we are where we can understand him.
A fellow is setting up a blind date with a young woman
over the telephone. They agree to meet at a certain
street corner at a certain time and then she asks him "How
will I know you". He replies "I'll be driving a
Volkswagon". The next scene is at the street corner. He
is standing by this sleek looking car and she comes
wandering along looking for him - and goes right by him
because parked just around the corner from him is a
classic BEETLE or BUG.

We sometimes walk right by God and don't realize that He is present in our lives and maybe He is there in the simple things of faith. The simple things he asks us to do that will open us up to the deeper things that we so long for.
An example of how God meets us where we are is found in the rainbow of Noah- God put a rainbow in the sky as a sign of His covenant to Noah and it puzzles most modern people as to why God chose this sign.


To an ancient it would make perfect sense. They believed that just above the clouds there was a huge bank of water and a barrier held that water in place. If that barrier was ever broken the world would be flooded. That was probably what Noah and his family thought had happened- this barrier was destroyed and this water poured forth.
The rainbow would be a symbol that God had restored order to the universe and this would not happen again.

Do you think this would have been a good time for God to teach Noah about the hydrologic cycle or did Noah just need reassurance that God is in control?

This same is true for us. Sometimes we may not get all the answers that we want in the time we want them, we just have to trust God at his word and remember that he communicates to us in a level we can understand. As Paul said we see in a glass darkly now but one day it will be clear. We wills see and understand things that we in our fallen finite state would never had been able to grasp. We forget that the God of the Bible is the same God that created Quantum Physics and brain surgery. Of course He is complex beyond our capacity.


III. God wants Us to Know the Story – To live the Story – To pass the Story down.

Exodus 12: 24-27
24 "And you shall observe this event as an ordinance for you and your children forever . 25 "When you enter the land which the LORD will give you, as He has promised, you shall observe this rite. 26 "And when your children say to you, 'What does this rite mean to you?' 27 you shall say, 'It is a Passover sacrifice to the LORD who passed over the houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt when He smote the Egyptians, but spared our homes.' " And the people bowed low and worshiped.

You shall say – Haggadah – Tell the Story literally- let them know the story of God and his redemption.

The Jews to this day use a Passover Haggadah – a book of the story – Every Jew must see that the story as if they themselves came out of Egypt.

Part of what we are trying to communicate to our kids on Wednesday night is that they are part of this story. The story of the bible is THE story. This is where we fit. We need to know this book so well that we know in every life situation exactly how this puzzle of life fits into God's big picture.

God has an overarching plan that we must fall in line with.
God's story is the winning story and we all want to be on the winning side, so we need to throw in our lot with God's plan.
Jesus uses this same language for the Lord's Supper – Take in Remembrance – Anamnesis -to be a part of the story – Every Lord's Supper – The Romans didnt crucify Jesus, or the Jews, we did, our sin. It is a time to remember our place before the foot of the cross of Jesus.
IV. God wants us to be vigilent and pray – knowing the situation that we find ourselves in. God knows that you cannot let down your guard.

Exodus 12:42
42 It is a night to be observed for the LORD for having brought them out from the land of Egypt ; this night is for the LORD, to be observed by all the sons of Israel throughout their generations.

Passover is a night that no sleep – they are supposed to stay up all night and watch and pray for deliverance.

We see this happen in the life of Jesus – He tells His disciples to watch and pray- They fall asleep instead.

But this passover night the first born – the only born of God – will not be spared but will give His life.

Watch and pray – be vigilent – God knows how serious sin can be and what it can do. If we don't have the blood of Christ applied to us then we will surely die.
Matthew 26: 38-41
38 Then He said to them, "My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death ; remain here and keep watch with Me." 39 And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will." 40 And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour ? 41 "Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation ; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."

In this passage we see Jesus telling His disciples to keep watch – this is the watch of the night of the Passover. The very night that the Jews were supposed to be praying for deliverance and now the true Lamb of God was about to not be passed over. Jesus would not be spared but would be given over for our sins.

I think what is important to note is the seriousness that Jesus gives this command.

Keep WATCH and PRAY – Temptation is serious business.

We must understand that sin is a serious thing and it is real. It is so powerful that many times Paul personifies it in Romans as a type of force to be reckoned with.

One serious problem in modern America is that sin is not taken serious anymore. We are like the frog in the pot that the heat is slowly being turned up on- before long the water will be boiling.
I believe Jesus would want us all to consider this verse – We should be on guard, on watch, for sin is real- temptation is real.

I believe that many churches have fallen asleep and in doing this have colluded with sin.

1 Peter 5:8
8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Satan would like nothing more than to get a foothold in our lives.

As we close I would like to issue a challenge to all of us:

In this next week let us take assessment of our own lives first of all
1)what is there in our lives that needs to go. What sin are you grappling with that is kicking you pretty good. With the help of the Lord lets get rid of it and consecrate our lives to the Lord.
2)Where has Satan found a portal to get to our families? Is is music that our kids are listening to, is it a show they dont need to watch. Shut the door on him today. Lets learn to tell our kids, grandkids NO! NO you cant have those friends, - that music- as a matter of fact get into their business because if you dont a prowling lion named Satan will fill that vacuum. Be alert and be on watch – we are in a battle- 911 mindset on Sept 12, 2001 – that is where the Church needs to be with Satan.