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“The True Deliverer; Three Witnesses to His Resurrection” Matthew 28:1-20

“The True Deliverer:

Three Witnesses to His Resurrection”

Matthew 28:1-20

Introduction

Review Moses as the Deliverer – today we will look at the True Deliverer:

Prayer

The Women (vv. 1-10)

Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2 And behold, there was a great earthquake[1], for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4 And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men.

(v. 1) “Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb” – “the verb means to behold, as a spectacle;[2] They designed also, if it should appear practicable and appropriate, to ‘anoint him’ (Mark 16:1), and brought with them spices (Luke 24:1) which they had provided the evening before, when the Sabbath was past (Mark). As they went (Mark 16:3) they were concerned about the question, “Who will roll the stone away?” for they knew from the internment that “it was exceedingly great.”[3]

Sometime before the women’s arrival an angel “descended from heaven,” rolled the stone away, and was sitting on it when they arrived. Accompanying the angel’s descent was an earthquake. And their appearance “like lightning, and his clothing white as snow” and arrival “earthquake and descending from heaven” caused the Roman soldiers who stood guard to passed out from fear. It says, “the guards trembled” – It has the same Greek root as earthquake. The ground shook, and the soldiers shook.

Cornelius Lapide says, “The earth, which trembled with sorrow at the Death of Christ as it were leaped for joy at His Resurrection.”[4]

5 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.”

(v. 6) “He is not here,” We are not given any details about the resurrection itself, only that by the time the women arrived, Jesus was not there. “The stone was not rolled aside to let Jesus out but to let the women in.”[5] How Jesus escaped we don’t know.

(v. 7) “he is going before you to Galilee” – This does not mean that they will not see him before Galilee, but “that on a certain mountain in Galilee was to be the great meeting, where many disciples should receive the Great Commission,”[6] Even at the tomb, this is not the end of Jesus’ ministry. He is still pointing people toward redemption, salvation, and purpose.

Matthew 26:32 “But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.”

People respond in different ways to angels and their messages. John the Baptist’s father when approached by an angel doubted, In Luke 1:18-20 “And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” 19 And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” But the women believe what the angel says, because it matches up with what Jesus had already told them, and they depart quickly.

8 So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”

The women departed with their instructions to tell what they had seen and experienced and it was “with fear and great joy.” We will see that when we draw close to things of God, there will be a combination of fear and joy. They had the greatest news that was possible to have. To them “anything seemed possible now.”[7]

It was while they were hurrying to honor the Savior and bring joy to his disciples, that they met Jesus. If we want to have an encounter with Jesus, then we should run to do good to others and bring joy to the body of Christ.

(v. 9) “took hold of his feet and worshiped him” – “held him, literally seized him or grasped, showing great humility and veneration.”[8]

The angel says, “tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead,” but Jesus says, “go and tell my brothers” – this is a distinct difference between mankind and angels. While we were made “a little lower than the angels (Hebrews 2:7),” we are “co-heirs with Christ”, and they are not (Romans 8:17). Jesus calls those who have denied Him, abandoned Him, and forsaken Him for dead, “brothers.” Jesus as the Creator of everything, gives His life for His creation so that we may be together as family.

God described Himself to us as Father, Jesus reveals Himself to us as brother, Paul uses the Greek word for love “Philadelphia” as the love that Christians have for each other (brothers and sisters in Christ). God created the world and established the family, Paul establishes the church family, and at the end of time we will be gathered to heaven and live together in eternity with our heavenly Father as a family.

The angel tells them to go to Galilee, Jesus himself says to go to Galilee – something very important is going to happen at Galilee.

The Guard (vv. 11-15)

11 While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. 12 And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers 13 and said, “Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.[9]’ 14 And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day.

The soldiers saw with their own eyes the angel descend and roll away the stone, and even before they collapsed in fear may have even seen the risen Lord. Then they give an accurate account to the chief priests, who seem to believe the account as well. Then they assembled the elders, who believe it as well. It’s important to understand that each of these groups believe that Jesus died and rose from the dead.

But the consequence of this truth was too much to take – so they sought to cover it up.

Earlier in Matthew, Jesus and Pharisees were arguing over following the law regarding the Sabbath. A man had a deformed arm was suffering, so Matthew 12:13 “Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.” The Pharisees knew Jesus performed miracles, and now they know He rose from the dead – but what is the consequence to them? What do you do with Jesus?

C. S. Lewis once said, “I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him [that is, Christ]: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic–on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg–or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse…. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”[10]

The soldiers were given an assignment to guard the tomb. “According to Roman discipline, they were liable to very severe punishment for losing what they guarded.” (v. 14) “And if this comes to the governor’s ears” – So they say, “spread this false rumor, take this money, and we will make sure that no harm comes to you.”

The soldier’s account fails on two points, 1) if they were asleep, how do they know it was the disciples that stole the body? Sleeping people don’t make very good eyewitnesses. Also, if one of them awoke, why was not an alarm sounded and the disciples arrested?[11] 2) Why would a Roman soldier go around admitting to doing a bad job?

The soldiers were persuaded to spread a lie they knew not to be true, and to pretend that Jesus did not rise from the dead for money. Money kept them from repenting and giving their lives to what they knew to be true.

How much evidence is enough? If your heart is set against the things of God, and the Holy Spirit is not drawing a person, there is no amount of evidence that will change a person’s heart. They will even believe a lie that is harder to believe than the truth itself.

The Disciples (vv. 16-20)

16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

(v. 16) “Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee” – Why were there only 11? Judas had betrayed Jesus and had hung himself. The disciples had time to replace him with another to complete the 12 – why had they not replaced Judas? Because there was no point, the Jesus movement was dead.

The church father Jerome said, “Their doubting increases our faith.” Some found it hard to believe that the person a far off (it was in a group of 500) before them was the resurrected Christ. “And Jesus came (near) . . .” When Jesus is close we begin to understand the power and truth of the resurrection. When you draw near to Jesus, He will make things clear. He has no desire to be the far-off God, he wants to be the close-up God of your life. In the Garden of Eden in Genesis God would come close to Adam and Eve, “in the cool of the day,” but sin caused that relationship between mankind and God to be distanced. Christ’s death and resurrection brings us back close to God.

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” – Satan and all his dominion poured out all the hate, the vile, and blasphemy he could aim at Jesus the Son. Then all of the Father’s wrath was poured upon Jesus on the Roman cross for the salvation of the world. He was scourged and beaten beyond recognition. He was raised on the cross, pierced for our iniquities.

He was laid in the tomb, dead – and now upon the resurrection, the crown of thorns is removed, the rod used to beat him and then placed in his hand as a scepter is gone, and the mocking robe laid over him by the Roman soldiers is removed – Jesus the Son, now sits victorious at the right hand of the Father, having “All authority” – there is nothing that exists that is not under his reign.

Jesus then gives the disciples what is known as the Great Commission. (v. 19) “Go therefore” – Don’t miss the therefore; We are to make disciples of this resurrected Jesus. We who are Jesus’ disciples know that our Jesus sits with authority over all of creation as King, Supreme Ruler, all bow before Him. There is no one who will not have to give an account to Him.

We go under His authority, to speak and act as His representatives, his ambassadors, his children – but He is the resurrected Lord, therefore, He alone is worthy to be praised, worshipped, honored. Therefore, we tell the world about Him. Therefore, we share His gospel.

This is “the most sublime enterprise that ever human beings have been called upon to accomplish.”[12] Every nation should be discipled to be under His lordship, to keep His commandments.

“baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” – baptism, as a disciple, follows one’s salvation because it “symbolizes burial and resurrection, the actual burial and resurrection of Christ, and the spiritual death and resurrection of the believer in union with Christ (Rom. 6:3).”[13]

“teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” – While baptism is an act of obedience, done one time – observing Christ’s commands is an ongoing act, that we seek to follow Christ’s teachings every day. As a disciple maker learning Christ’s commands is not enough – a disciple maker must teach the disciple how to follow that teachings as a well. “to observe all . . .” There are no sections of Jesus’ teachings that have become antiquated, irrelevant, or untrue.

“And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” – The word “behold” is used in many places throughout the Bible to signal to the reader something spectacular. Jesus promises to be with us, always. How spectacular is that – this resurrected God, who died for the sins of the world, who has ultimate authority or all of space and time is with us – enabling us to carry out this “Great Commission.”

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[1] Seismo egeneto megas, Robertson, 240.

[2] Matthew 27:55-56 “There were also many women there [at Jesus’ death on the cross], looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him, 56 among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.”

[3] John A Broadus, Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew (Valley Forge, Pennsylvania; Judson Press, 1950) 584.

[4] Archibald Thomas Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville, Tennessee; Broadman Press, 1930) 242.

[5] Douglas Sean O’Donnell, Matthew All Authority in Heaven and on Earth (Wheaton, Illinois; Crossway Publsihing, 2013) 901.

[6] Broadus, 586.

[7] Robertson, 242.

[8] Broadus, 586.

[9] “The absurd and blasphemous medieval Jewish legend called “Toldoth Jeshu” expands this allegation.” Broadus, 588.

[10] C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

[11] Frank E. Gabaelein, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 8 (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Zondervan Publishing, 1984) 591.

[12] Broadus, 592.

[13] Broadus, 596.

“A Hand Upon the Throne” Exodus 17:8-24

“Into the Wilderness”

A Sermon Series in the Book of Exodus

“A Hand Upon the Throne”

Exodus 17:8-24

Introduction

In the wilderness God was teaching His people to trust Him; He would take care of them (manna and quail), that He would guide them and His presence would be with them (pillar of smoke in the day, pillar of fire by night), that He would give them rest (a weekly Sabbath). All of which were inward battles (grumbling, trust, following, etc.) But, in Ex. 17 they face their first external battle. It would be the first of many to conquer the Promised Land. But as we will see it is not an entirely physical battle, but it is also a spiritual battle. What makes the difference in the battle is God’s people seeking God.

“A tale is told about a small town that had historically been “dry,” but then a local businessman decided to build a tavern. A group of Christians from a local church were concerned and planned an all-night prayer meeting to ask God to intervene. It just so happened that shortly thereafter lightning struck the bar and it burned to the ground. The owner of the bar sued the church, claiming that the prayers of the congregation were responsible, but the church hired a lawyer to argue in court that they were not responsible. The presiding judge, after his initial review of the case, stated that “no matter how this case comes out, one thing is clear. The tavern owner believes in prayer and the Christians do not.”[1]

We will see today that what we think about prayer is very important, because it is what moves the needle in very difficult circumstances.

Prayer

One Hand on the Sword and the Other Hand on the Throne (vv. 8-13)

Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. 9 So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” 10 So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses’ hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword.

“The Amalekites were nomads who traced their lineage back to Jacob’s brother Esau (Genesis 36:12), and thus there were long-standing ethnic tensions between the two tribes. . . Rephidim was an oasis, and the Amalekites must have been dismayed to watch so many people with so many animals come and drink “their” water.”[2]

Deuteronomy 25:17, 18 helps us understand what is going on, “Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you came out of Egypt, 18 how he attacked you on the way when you were faint and weary, and cut off your tail, those who were lagging behind you, and he did not fear God.” They attacked them when they were faint, weary, and from behind. The attack was unprovoked and would have been against the weak, stragglers, and the helpless who were pulling up the rear. The enemy attacked them where they were weak.

God’s people have been set free from slavery and are on their way to the Promised Land – but along the way they are ambushed. This is a spiritual lesson for us – those who have placed their faith in Christ have been set free from their sin, and they are on their way to heaven – but in this life we are regularly attacked by the enemy. He won’t attack you where you are strong. He waits until He can get you when you r back is turned, and you are tired, and weary, and faint.

In Ephesians 6:12 the apostle Paul is discussing believers putting on the full armor of God, because “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” The real battle is the unseen spiritual forces of this world.

God won the victory and all glory goes to Him for showing pharaoh through plagues, miracles, signs and wonders, that He is the One true God – and then completely destroyed their enemy with the waves of the Red Sea. God fights for His people – but once we have been freed from sin and death, He wants them to join in the battle. But how do we fight an unseen enemy, who attacks us when we are weak?

Moses’ answer has two parts: 1) Moses said to Joshua, “Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek.” Joshua was to choose men to go and engage the enemy in battle. Joshua is introduced as though we already know who he is, but Joshua was Moses’ assistant. Joshua, himself, goes down and fights with the men. (v. 13) “And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword,” God could swallow up the enemy – the ground could open up and taken them under – instead God chose to us his people as part of the plan to defeat the enemy.

2) Secondly, Moses, Aaron, and Hur[3] went up a mountain so that they overlooked the battle. Moses held the staff of God in his hands, and “Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed.” Moses was “holding his staff, the instrument of divine power and the token of God’s covenant promise. By holding it up to Heaven, he was appealing for God to defend his people.”[4]

So what is Moses doing by lifting his hands to God? One of the first things Moses is told to do is stretch out his hand (picking up the staff when it was a serpent, stretching out his hand that was leprous, stretching out his hand over the Red Sea, etc.) With the plague of hail, Moses said to Pharoah, “I will stretch out my hands to the Lord” (9:29). When Moses stretches out his hands God’s power is shown.

Hannah and Jehoshaphat both stood at the temple to pray (1 Samuel 1:9-11; 2 Chronicles 20:5,6). The psalmist said, “In you name I will lift my hands” (Psalm 63:4b). 1 Timothy 2:8 says, “I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands” (1 Timothy 2:8). Moses shows his desire for God to intervene on behalf of the people, to fight for them, by praying with lifted hands.

Later in v. 16 “A hand upon the throne of the LORD!” – Moses reached up from earth and placed his hand upon the thrown of God and pleaded for his people. Because of Jesus’ blood shed for us, Hebrews 4:16, says “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” We draw near, we place our hand upon the throne of God through prayer.

The day went on and on, and battle stretched out over hours and then suddenly the enemy begins to win. The Amalekites begin to push forward, what has happened? Moses’ arms begin to drop, he can’t hold the weight of the staff up any longer. His hand is removed from the throne.

The spiritual principle here is – when we stop praying we begin to lose the battle. If we go back to the Ephesians 6 passage, It is a picture of a soldier with the helmet of salvation, breastplate of righteousness, shield of faith, belt of truth, etc. and then as the soldier stands in the face if the enemy, he is “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.” Even with a full set of armor – he needs to al be praying. We see two examples of how the battle was won, “Even if we fight like Joshua, we will not win the battle unless we pray like Moses.”[5] “Divine sovereignty and human responsibility were linked in carrying out the will of God.”[6] Martin Luther once said, “Pray as if everything depends on God, then work as if everything depends on you.”

Engage the Enemy with the Sword, and Touch the Throne of God by Prayer.

Why did Moses go up to the mountain where all the men could look up and see him? They knew that as Moses lifted up the staff, that he was praying for them. So later when the battle was won, the men were not sitting around saying what mighty warriors they were – no, the glory was the Lord’s.

God won the battle through Why does God require us to pray? Because ultimately, we could talk about how we in our own strength overcame the temptation, won the battle – but when we seek to do the big impossible things God has called us to – we cry out to Him, and He wins the war – He gets all the glory. Prayer helps us to keep the glory where it should be at the throne of God.

Moses was known to be a man who went to God and talked with Him about things going on with their wilderness travels (the tent of meeting for example). But on the mountain side, as the day wore on, their deliverer grew tired, and needed help. Even the Moses’ of this world need someone to come beside them and lift them up in prayer. It was Moses’ wisdom to take two men with him – Moses knew he needed to surround himself with men he trusted.

We gather to pray because we know our weaknesses. Like Moses we need people to surround us with prayer and lift us up. Prayer, especially corporate prayer, is the best defense against the evil one.

But our Deliverer does not grow tried. Hebrews 7:25 says that Jesus, “Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.” Jesus prays for us and He does not get tired.

“Early African converts to Christianity were earnest and regular in private devotions. Each one reportedly had a separate spot in the thicket where he would pour out his heart to God. Over time the paths to these places became well worn. As a result, if one of these believers began to neglect prayer, it was soon apparent to the others. They would kindly remind the negligent one, “Brother, the grass grows on your path.”[7]

Remember the Victories (vv. 14-16)

14 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The LORD Is My Banner, 16 saying, “A hand upon the throne of the LORD! The LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”

(v. 14) God tells Moses to write it down, as a memorial in a book, say it over and over, but there is someone who especially needs to hear it, “recite it in the ears of Joshua,” – Why does Joshua above all the others need to hear it, again and again? Yes, he will eventually be the leader of Israel, but I think it was because he led the battle on the ground. Yes, they were victorious but it was the hand touching the throne of God that moved the needle one way and then another. God won the battle, he used prayer to do it, and Joshua’s troops on the ground. Don’t get it twisted Joshua thinking you won the battle. God fought the battle through you and He used the prayer of His people.

God’s people will face the Amalekites again in two years, but instead of remembering their victory and how God won the battle they are scared when the spies brought back a report of the Promised Land, “Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. 2 And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron” Numbers 14:1-2. They didn’t remember how God had been with them before against this same army.

This battle would not be the last time that God’s people will be under attack. There will be several more battles before they settle in the Promised land. So God wants them to remember how He was with them against the Amalekites.

(v. 15) “The LORD IS My Banner,” is a name of God, Yahweh-Nissi, it reminds His people that his banner flies over them in battle. A banner is an insignia on a piece of cloth. It shows who they are, who they identify with.

“Flags serve many purposes. Over the centuries, military units have carried flags and colors. Colors and flags affirm group identity. They build pride and morale, and represent the group’s honor. In battle, flags served as a rallying point when a formation was broken. Troops gathered around the flag to regroup, attack or retreat. Flags marked specific individuals, locations and functions such as hospitals and ambulances.

A guard of non-commissioned officers usually protected flags and colors. Held in great reverence, a regiment’s honor was embodied in its colors. The entire regiment was humiliated if its colors were lost in battle.

From the establishment of the United States Army in 1785, US regular infantry regiments carried colors. Regiments didn’t carry the United States flag, as it was felt that no one unit could carry the national honor into battle. By the 1840’s, the infantry carried the United States flag with the regimental number or title printed on one of the white stripes. If the flag was lost in battle, only that regiment’s honor, and not the national honor, was lost.[8]

Everyone has a banner that you stand under, a banner that you identify with – where you rally to when the lines are broken, and the enemy is pressing forward.

Later in the OT, God’s people as they are in the wilderness will regularly be bitten by serpents. So God tells Moses to fashion a bronze serpent and place it in the camp. So that whenever they are bitten they can make their way and loo upon the serpent and be healed. When God’s people were struck by the enemy, they could rally, and look up and see the bronze serpent. In the NT, John 3:14, 15 “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” The banner over me is Jesus – I can rally to Him. I identify with Him. Our banner is the cross. I can take courage in the fact that the cross is empty.

(v. 16) “The LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation,” – There is a battle that rages between God’s people and the Evil One, from generation to generation.

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[1] J.K. Johnston, Why Christians Sin (Discovery House, 1992) 129.

[2] Philip Graham Ryken, Preaching God’s Word, Exodus (Wheaton, Illinois; Crossway Publishing, 2015), 421.

[3] Hur was Caleb’s grandson and would later serve as a judge (24:14).

[4] Ryken, 424.

[5] Ryken, 426.

[6] Walter C. Kaiser, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 2 (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Zondervan Publishing, 1990) 408.

[7] https://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/p/prayer.htm

[8] https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/symbols-of-battle-civil-war-flags

“The Wilderness Teaches God’s People What They Need” Exodus 16

“Into the Wilderness”

A Sermon Series in the Book of Exodus

“The Wilderness Teaches God’s People What They Need”

Exodus 16

Introduction

The Israelites were freed from slavery in a miraculous way – they saw the ten plagues, they saw how God allowed them to plunder the Egyptians of fine clothing, gold jewelry, etc. They walked through the Red Sea as it was split open. They watched as their great enemy and oppressor was swallowed up by the sea, and how they washed up on shore the next day. They were free. But in spite of all those miracles and might acts of God – they are still rebellious. But instead of rebelling against their enemy, they rebel against the God who freed them. Why would they do that?

For God’s people, the wilderness, wandering around in the desert, became a place where they showed what was truly in their heart. Now looking ahead some, their sandals don’t wear out, their clothes don’t wear out. God’s presence, in the form of a cloud and fire, guided them through the wilderness – but this could also protected them from the scorching heat and sun. No enemy bothered them, no disease touched them.

So when God’s people grumble and complain – what’s the problem? What we are going to see in example after example is that it is not the situation they are truly grumbling against – but who controls of their lives. They want salvation, freedom, we want the cravings of their flesh to be satisfied, they want it all (they don’t mind if God blesses them), and they want to be the god of our universe. They don’t like it when God says, “I am God.”

What God’s people ultimately are grumbling against is being led into a place where their hearts are exposed. We don’t like it when God tests us and we are found wanting. It forces me to grow, to dig deeper, to stop being superficial in my relationship with Him. God points to our weaknesses, he exposes it, and says, “I will walk beside you but you have to change.”

Prayer

The Wilderness Exposes the Hearts of His People (vv. 1-3)

They set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the people of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt. 2 And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, 3 and the people of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”

Elim was a place of sprawling palm trees, plenty of drinking water and a place of rest after the crossing of the Red Sea (Ex. 15:27). But they couldn’t stay at the oasis, they had to once again move into the wilderness. There were things, as God’s people, that they needed to learn. This was not the Promised Land, so they needed to move.

Psalm 78:18, 30 helps us to understand what is going on in Exodus 16, “They tested God in their heart by demanding the food they craved . . . But before they had satisfied their craving, while the food was still in their mouths,” They were not starving, there were animals that could have been butchered, they had the milk from the animals to drink or make cheese, etc. The psalm shows it that they were craving a certain kind of food, not that they had no food at all. They wanted, “meat pots and bread.”

They confused what they wanted with what they needed.[1]

What do we ultimately need? Why does our hearts desire the things it does? In a time when Jesus really was hungry at the beginning of His ministry, Matthew 4:2 “And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” What we want is to have our cravings fulfilled our way, but what we need is a relationship with God. There is a question, “who will the Israelites serve, pharaoh or God?” Here they are saying again, we would rather be a slave to Pharoah.

God’s Provision For His People (vv. 4-8)

4 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not. 5 On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.” 6 So Moses and Aaron said to all the people of Israel, “At evening you shall know that it was the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt, 7 and in the morning you shall see the glory of the LORD, because he has heard your grumbling against the LORD. For what are we, that you grumble against us?” 8 And Moses said, “When the LORD gives you in the evening meat to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the LORD has heard your grumbling that you grumble against him—what are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the LORD.”

This is the fourth time that God’s people have grumbled 1) when they had to get their own straw for making bricks, 2) when they were at the Red Sea, 3) at Marah for water (15:24) and again 4) here. When we look at the pattern of the people – every time things appear to be difficult, they grumble against the Lord.

The word grumble means more in Hebrew than just unhappiness about the menu selections – it was more on the line of open rebellion. There were times when they threatened the lives of Moses and Aaron. To which they respond, “Your grumbling is not against us but against the LORD.”

In their rebellions they are saying we want to go back and serve pharaoh – we want to go back to being slaves. This is God’s plan of salvation for His people, we don’t want your plan for our salvation. When we complain and grumble, it is ultimately God that we are complaining against. In spite of the grumbling, the text says four times that God heard their complaints (16:7, 8,9, 12) and He gives them what they asked for:

God’s Answer to Their Grumbling (vv. 9-30)

9 Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, ‘Come near before the LORD, for he has heard your grumbling.’” 10 And as soon as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud. 11 And the LORD said to Moses, 12 “I have heard the grumbling of the people of Israel. Say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the LORD your God.’ 13 In the evening quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning dew lay around the camp. 14 And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground. 15 When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat. 16 This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Gather of it, each one of you, as much as he can eat. You shall each take an omer, according to the number of the persons that each of you has in his tent.’” 17 And the people of Israel did so. They gathered, some more, some less. 18 But when they measured it with an omer, whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack. Each of them gathered as much as he could eat. 19 And Moses said to them, “Let no one leave any of it over till the morning.” 20 But they did not listen to Moses. Some left part of it till the morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them. 21 Morning by morning they gathered it, each as much as he could eat; but when the sun grew hot, it melted.

Remember what they said in their grumbling was that in Egypt they “sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full,” – So in the morning they would gather bread on the ground, and in the evening they would gather quail (both are miracles). No matter where they traveled to in the wilderness, there was always bread in the morning, and meat at night. Enough to feed more than a million people. In God’s provision for his people, they were satisfied, (v. 16) “Gather of it, each one of you, as much as he can eat, (v. 18) “Each of them gathered as much as he could eat.”

With God’s provision there were instructions. They were to gather only what they needed for that day (bread and meat), and before they went to bed get rid of anything left over. The next day, they would start fresh.

God Wants to Teach His People Something Very Important – Don’t Miss It.

22 On the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers each. And when all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, 23 he said to them, “This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD; bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over lay aside to be kept till the morning.’” 24 So they laid it aside till the morning, as Moses commanded them, and it did not stink, and there were no worms in it. 25 Moses said, “Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath to the LORD; today you will not find it in the field. 26 Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, which is a Sabbath, there will be none.”

This is the third miracle they experienced once a week. The mana that rotted the other five days, on the sixth day of the week didn’t rot, “and it did not stink, and there were no worms in it,”

God sets the example at the beginning of time, to rest, Genesis 2:2-3 “And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. 3 So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.” There is a rhythm built into the fabric of creation, six days work, seventh day rest. The Creator sets the example for His creation.

Even before the law was given (Ex. 20), God’s people are commanded to keep a Sabbath, “Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD” – Gather your food on the sixth day, prepare the food for day seven as you preparing day six, and on the seventh day there were no quail and there was no manna. On that day there was to be rest.

27 On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they found none. 28 And the LORD said to Moses, “How long will you refuse to keep my commandments and my laws? 29 See! The LORD has given you the Sabbath; therefore on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Remain each of you in his place; let no one go out of his place on the seventh day.” 30 So the people rested on the seventh day.

(v. 27) “On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather” – These were probably the same people who tried to gather too much and it rotted on them. These are people who don’t pay attention to, or believe God’s Word. He told them there would be no manna on the seventh day, and there was none – but they go out looking for some anyway, and they probably didn’t plan ahead on the sixth day – they are just too busy to pay attention. Yeah, but I’m a busy person! I’ve got important stuff to do, I’ll pay attention and listen to God later (well now you hungry until morning).

The response to the people grumbling is to tell them to take a day and rest. Over the chapters of Exodus, the people grumble about leadership decisions, being thirsty, being hungry, having things happen in their lives that they don’t like, etc. and God’s response to their grumbling, rebellion, and restlessness is a Sabbath.

Nothing seems to make them happy, nothing seems to satisfy their cravings. So God’s solution to the craving of their soul is a Sabbath. The word Sabbath comes from a Hebrew word that means “to stop.” Stop working, stop worrying, just stop.

As human beings we all have cravings of our soul – you are bombarded with advertising to buy this, try this, be this. If you buy this, try this, do this, then it will stop the craving – you will finally be happy. The Sabbath day gives us a chance to reestablish was is truly important – that is hard to establish priorities and have a proper perspective if we are frazzled and exhausted. You have the same twenty-four hours in the day, but it’s how you think about the time and what you do with that time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1snh0xl0hM

Restfulness v. Relentlessness[2]

Margin ____ Busyness, Slowness ______Hurry, Quiet _____ Noise, Deep relationships ________Isolation, Time alone ______ Crowds, Delight _______ Distraction, Enjoyment ______ Envy, Trust _____ Worry, Peace _____ Anxiety

“The Sabbath is to a spirit of restfulness what a soccer practice is to a match or band practice is to a performance. It’s how we practice, how we prepare our minds and bodies for the moments that matter most.”[3]

God’s people were showing a symptom (grumbling) of a deeper problem (their connection and dependance upon God). God in His love for His people gives them a way to fix this problem.

Notice with the Sabbath – it needs to be thought through, (v. 23) “‘Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD; bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil,” The Sabbath just doesn’t happen, it has to be prepared for, put it on the calendar (we call it Sunday), guard it, protect it, and plan to rest, work hard to not work too hard. “People who keep the sabbath live all seven days differently.”

Jesus was once criticized when His disciples were picking grain and eating on the Sabbath, and Jesus’ response was Mark 2:27 “And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” This day was made for you as a gift from God. You were designed to need one day of seven to rest. It’s up to you if you take advantage of the gift or not. When Jesus says, “not man for the Sabbath,” he is saying, God is not adding another rule for you follow – this is not about another thing you have to do – it’s a gift given to you, to help you. If you take a sabbath every seventh day you will be blessed.

Remember the Sabbath (vv. 31-36)

31 Now the house of Israel called its name manna. It was like coriander seed, white, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey. 32 Moses said, “This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Let an omer of it be kept throughout your generations, so that they may see the bread with which I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.’” 33 And Moses said to Aaron, “Take a jar, and put an omer of manna in it, and place it before the LORD to be kept throughout your generations.” 34 As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron placed it before the testimony to be kept. 35 The people of Israel ate the manna forty years, till they came to a habitable land. They ate the manna till they came to the border of the land of Canaan. 36 (An omer is the tenth part of an ephah.)

They take an omer container full of manna and place it before the people to serve as a reminder. They didn’t need to be reminded of the manna or quail – they had that for forty years – what they needed to be reminded of what was attached to the provision — the Sabbath (how you were to live before God as His people; resting in Him on the seventh day).

Eventually in Exodus 20:9-10 God commands it, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. . . . Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.”

(v. 23) “Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD” This word holy is used several times to describe the Sabbath. Holy means “set apart, different.” God sets aside the day for a specific purpose. You can also make the day holy, as you set it aside as a separate day from all the others. The manna and quail teach the people a pattern for life.

How will you spend your Sabbath today? Earlier we said that God’s people “confused what they wanted with what they needed.” A day set aside to spend time with God will help you align your wants with God’s wants, and to truly understand how He has provided for your needs.

_____________________

[1] Philip Graham Ryken, Preaching the Word, Exodus (Wheaton, Illinois; Crossway Publishing, 2015) 391.

[2] John Mark Comer, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry (Colorado Springs, Colorado; Yates & Yates Publishing, 2019) 149.

[3] Comer, 150.

“A Rebellion by the Sea; Principles For Living Out God’s Plan For Your Life” Exodus 14

“Into the Wilderness”

A Sermon Series in the Book of Exodus

“A Rebellion by the Sea;

Principles For Living Out God’s Plan For Your Life”

Exodus 14

Introduction

As the Israelite people are leaving Egypt they plunder the Egyptians by asking for gold and jewelry as they are leaving. Exodus 13:17 “When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. For God said, “Lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt.” Their first response to having to fight for their freedom would be to run back to Egypt.

So God purposefully led them into the wilderness. And God led them 13:21 “And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. 22 The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.” The pillar of smoke and fire was the presence of God leading His people (and he did so for forty years).

The most direct route from Egypt to Canaan (the Promised Land) was a route that would have taken them about two weeks to make the journey.[1] But God did not take them most direct route – in fact they went in the opposite direction, he took them into the wilderness. It was not the most direct route, it was not the easiest route, and it was not the most logical route – but it was the best route because it was God’s route for His people.

Prayer

Principle #1: God’s Plans May Not Make Sense To Us (vv. 1-4)

Then the LORD said to Moses, 2 “Tell the people of Israel to turn back and encamp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, in front of Baal-zephon; you shall encamp facing it, by the sea. 3 For Pharaoh will say of the people of Israel, ‘They are wandering in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.’ 4 And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD.” And they did so.

God’s people were on their way to freedom, they were headed in a direction that made sense – but then God says, “Tell the people of Israel to turn back” – The direction he led them and told them to turn back was military lunacy – It placed them between the desert and the Red Sea. They were to set up camp in front of the Red Sea. Egypt had been watching, and they noticed how they were wandering in the desert and now had placed themselves in a very vulnerable position – this drew the enemy out to attack. God made His people appear weak to draw the attack of the enemy.

Later in history Jesus would be arrested, beaten, and crucified. It would seem that He was in a very vulnerable position – but this was actually his victory. Colossians 2:13-15 “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.” Jesus triumphed by providing the means of forgiveness by cancelling the debt that we owed against God because of our sin. It appeared to the world and even His disciples that Satan had won – but then Jesus rose from the grave.

Principle #2: God’s Plan Puts Us In A Place To Show His Glory (vv. 5-9)

5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, the mind of Pharaoh and his servants was changed toward the people, and they said, “What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?” 6 So he made ready his chariot and took his army with him, 7 and took six hundred chosen chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them. 8 And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the people of Israel while the people of Israel were going out defiantly. 9 The Egyptians pursued them, all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and his horsemen and his army, and overtook them encamped at the sea, by Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.

The pharaoh changes his mind – “who is going to make the bricks?” but if he is going to get the slaves back, he would have to hurry. “So he made ready his chariot and took his army with him” There are some key words to point out, “took six hundred chosen chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt,” and “all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and his horsemen and his army,” Pharoah took every soldier and horse at his disposal. In one sweep all of Egypt’s strength would be shown, “that I am the LORD.”

The army caught up with God’s people, “and overtook them encamped at the sea.” The people are encamped – not moving. God has set his people up to wait for the chariots to arrive. But this never occurs to Pharoah – that in this battle he is the weak on who will lose the battle. Pharaoh had the three signs God gave Moses (staff to snake, leprous hand restored, and water to blood) He had experienced 10 plagues, even the death of his own first born child – each time he said ok, I’ll follow God’s plan – only to change his mind. Here again, he lets the Egyptians go, and then changed his mind.

“Pharoah’s change of heart shows that he never really truly repented of his sin. He had been given every opportunity to set his captives free. Time after time Moses had told him to let God’s people go. First, he refused. Then the plagues started to come, be began to negotiate. He bargained and bickered, he asked for prayer even begging Moses to give him God’s blessing. But he never let go. When finally, he said that he would do what God wanted, he immediately changed his mind and went back to his sins. Pharoah’s rebellion is a warning to anyone who never quite gets around to doing what God requires.”[2]

1 Corinthians 10:6 says, “Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did.” These things were given as examples of an unrepentant heart – a heart that says they want to turn from sin and submit to God, only to change our mind again and again. And when it is all said and done, they never do anything of any consequence for the Lord.

Principle #3: God’s Plan Requires Us to Show Trust Him. How Do We Show Trust?

We Show Trust By Being Quiet (vv. 10-14)

10 When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel cried out to the LORD. 11 They said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” 13 And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. 14 The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”

As we move through Exodus we are asking the question, “Will God’s people place their faith in God and follow Him?” When they were forced to make brinks without straw they said, “The LORD look on you and judge, because you have made us stink in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.” (Exodus 5:21) They did not trust God or his prophet. Here they say, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” “I told you so – we never should have tried, we never should have taken this risk, now look, I was right and now everything is going fail!

“We are all going to die, you are doing something evil to us, leave us alone, we want to stay the same, we want to be slaves, we know what is better for us than God or His Deliverer.” At this Moses says, be quiet. Stop talking foolishly and saying things that have no element of faith. Stop it. Jesus warns that when God’s Word lands in a person’s heart, Satan will be right there to yank it back out, “the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in their hearts” (Matthew 13:19).

In response he tells the people to do three things, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD,” – 1) Don’t be afraid, trust that God has a plan, 2) stay where you are, don’t move – if we run every time things get hard, we will never see God work, and 3) watch – stand still and watch God do a mighty thing.

We Show Trust By Moving Forward (vv. 15-22)

15 The LORD said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. 16 Lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground. 17 And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they shall go in after them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, his chariots, and his horsemen. 18 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.” 19 Then the angel of God who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them, 20 coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel. And there was the cloud and the darkness. And it lit up the night without one coming near the other all night. 21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the LORD drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. 22 And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.

As Moses raises his staff the Red Sea slits open and there is a strong wind that dries out the bottom of the sea. The Angel of God and the pillar of cloud was in the front of them, then moves behind them and blocks the Egyptians from being able to attack them.

Hebrews 11:29a “By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land,” (v. 22) The act of faith was to go into the ocean that was split open as a wall on each side. “And the people of Israel went into the midst” Every journey with the Lord begins with a step of faith into something you have never known. You can’t stand on the shore, God has split open the sea, now it is time to move forward, take a step and then another.

“Notice the order here: God did not wait for His people to trust him before he would save them. If he had waited for that to happen, they never would have been saved! Instead God took the initiative. First the people saw their salvation (just as Moses had promised, 14:13); then they feared and believed. This is the pattern and the purpose of salvation. First God delivers us from danger, saving us when we cannot save ourselves. Then we respond in faith, trusting God and worshipping him.”[3]

We Show Trust By Changing How We Think (vv. 23-29)

23 The Egyptians pursued and went in after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. 24 And in the morning watch the LORD in the pillar of fire and of cloud looked down on the Egyptian forces and threw the Egyptian forces into a panic, 25 clogging their chariot wheels so that they drove heavily. And the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from before Israel, for the LORD fights for them against the Egyptians.” 26 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.” 27 So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its normal course when the morning appeared. And as the Egyptians fled into it, the LORD threw the Egyptians into the midst of the sea. 28 The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen; of all the host of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea, not one of them remained. 29 But the people of Israel walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.

When the waters settled, all that remained was the sea, and as the hours went by bodies began to wash up on the beach. Thousands of dead soldiers. How many of Israel’s sons had they cast into the Nile, now it is they who are washing up. On the western side of the Red Sea they were runaway slaves. When they arrive on the eastern shore of the Red Sea, they were a liberated people. Their enemy was completely destroyed.

They were not slaves any more – they were something new. Isaiah 43:16-19 “Thus says the LORD, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters, 17 who brings forth chariot and horse, army and warrior; they lie down, they cannot rise, they are extinguished, quenched like a wick: 18 “Remember not the former things, or consider the things of old. 19 Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” The one who destroys our enemy, tells us to forget the slavery days, “I am doing a new thing,” He is making a way before us. “do you not perceive it?” We must stop thinking like a slave and begin to think like a child of God – who has a purpose and plan set before us!

We Show Trust By Watching What God Does and Believing in Him (vv. 30-31)

30 Thus the LORD saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 Israel saw the great power that the LORD used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the LORD, and they believed in the LORD and in his servant Moses.

1 Corinthians 10:1-2 “For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,” Paul describes this moment in history where God’s people were baptized into Moses – to baptize means to “dip under” So to be baptized into Moses means to immerse in Moses. When we are baptized we are not just being dipped under the water – there is a deeper meaning.

“Moses is called to lead Israel (3:10). The Israelites, by following Moses’ leadership and by passing behind Moses through the Sea which separates them forever from Egypt, have thus joined to him forever and are compelled to follow him hench forth. . . The whole nation shared in the gifts of God which he in Moses gave to His people.”[4] When we are baptized into Christ we are forsaking sin, and covenanting together with Christ – I am associating myself with Jesus. He has saved me, therefore I will follow Him. Moses, as God’s given deliverer, leads his people to freedom, so they should follow him. Jesus has given us salvation, so we obey Him and connect ourselves to Him and His ways.

Later in Psalm 106:6-7, the psalmist says regarding God’s people “Both we and our fathers have sinned; we have committed iniquity; we have done wickedness. 7 Our fathers, when they were in Egypt, did not consider your wondrous works; they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love, but rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea.” Our response to this text is to remember the steadfast love of God and to trust Him in all our ways.

______________________

[1] Philip Graham Ryken, Preaching the Word, Exodus (Wheaton, Illinois; Crossway Publishing, 2015) 348.

[2] Ryken, 352.

[3] Ryken, 365.

[4] F. W. Grosheide, Commentary on the First Epistle to the Corinthians (Grand Rapids, Michigan; WM. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1953) 220.

“The Passover and the Sacrificial Lamb” Exodus 12

“Into the Wilderness”

A Sermon Series in the Book of Exodus

“The Passover and the Sacrificial Lamb”

Exodus 12

Introduction

In the plagues of Egypt the Hebrew God showed Himself more powerful than the gods of the Nile (water to blood), more powerful than the gods of the land and harvest (locusts) and the air (darkness, gnats, flies) all the false gods were defeated. During this time God’s people were untouched by the plagues (watching from the land of Goshen). But with the final plague (the death of the first born), God’s people were given specific instructions for what to do so that they would be safe from the last plague – and they had to follow God’s instructions very carefully or they too would experience the same plague as the Egyptians.

Wrath was coming and He would come to the door of every household, Egyptian or Hebrew. It would look upon the door and would at that point choose to enter or move on to the next house. God would provide them a way of salvation. The truth is that the Hebrews deserved God’s wrath just as the Egyptians their oppressor. Just because they were slaves and their lives were incredibly difficult did not mean they were not sinners and deserving of God’s wrath.

Two examples: They didn’t believe God’s prophet and when things became harder with straw and bricks they said, “The LORD look on you and judge, because you have made us stink in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.” Later we see Joshua 24:14 “Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.” Even though God would show himself more powerful than all the Egyptian gods, they would still hold on to them. They, like all people were descendants of Adam, and the consequences of the fall of mankind (Romans 3:23).

Romans 5:12 “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—” “The tenth plague was a sign of God’s judgement against all humanity.”[1] Like the Egyptians, the Israelites deserved divine judgement; but unlike the Egyptians, they would be saved by grace through faith.

Prayer

God’s People Needed A Way to Cover Their Sin – Atonement

The Qualifications for the Substitute (vv. 1-6)

The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, 2 “This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you. 3 Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household. 4 And if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his nearest neighbor shall take according to the number of persons; according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb. 5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats, 6 and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight.

God provided a way for a way for their son to be covered (atoned for) in the form of a lamb. The lamb had to be “without blemish, a male a year old,” This lamb would be a substitute for them to cover their sin, and it had to be perfect. It had to be their best (not blind, or diseased, or injured.)

1 Peter 1:18-19 “knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.” The perfect lamb given in sacrifice was to point them to a Savior who would never sin.

Instructions About The Substitute (vv. 7-11)

7 “Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. 8 They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it. 9 Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted, its head with its legs and its inner parts. 10 And you shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn. 11 In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened, 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 pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on 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 are. 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.

The blood from the lamb and its’ slaughter was to be brushed on the doorposts of the home. They were to go into the home and not come out again. The lamb was to slaughtered, butchered, and prepared to eat. It was to be roasted, not boiled, or eaten raw. The entire animal was to be consumed (if it was too much for your family, then get some people to join you).

The meal would be a reminder of the people’s slavery (bitter herbs to remind them of their bitter lives). The unleavened bread was to remind them of the haste they had to leave (there was no time to wait for the yeast to rise). The ate standing up, with their staffs in their hand, and outer garments tucked into their belts so that they could move quickly at a moment’s notice. “This night was the night of their deliverance, their liberation, their redemption, their salvation!”[2]

And when God saw the blood on the doorpost, death would pass over, and the firstborn in the family would be saved. God provides a lamb as the means of forgiveness of sin. A blood substitute was always required, and God always provided the lamb. God provides what is required.

Genesis 4:3-5 “In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground, 4 and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell.” Abel brought the lamb and his offering was accepted; God required a lamb.

In Genesis 22:7 God tests Abraham by telling him to take his son Isaac to the mountain and sacrifice him there. Isaac knows what is required for a proper sacrifice to God “And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” 8 Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.” Isaac knew a lamb was required. God went on to provide a lamb as a substitute for Isaac. Later in Leviticus 16 a lamb was required for the Day of Atonement.

On this day, one lamb atoned for the entire nation of Israel. So the consistent message of the Bible is that anyone who wants to meet God must come on the basis of the lamb that he has provided. Later John the Baptist would say of Jesus, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” His blood and sacrifice would cover our sin, and by faith in Him would save us from the wrath of God. 1 Corinthians 5:7b “For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.”

“It is theologically significant that Jesus was crucified right at the time of the Passover feast (see John 13:1; 18:28). It helps us see the connection between the first Passover and the final Passover – the Passion of Christ. The day Jesus made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem was the very day the Passover lambs were driven into the city, and when Jesus celebrated the Last Supper with his disciples, he was celebrating the Passover (Matthew 26:17).

He said, “This is my body . . . this is my blood” (Matthew 26:26-28). His disciples didn’t understand it at the time, but Jesus was really saying, “The Passover is all about me. I am the sacrificial lamb.”[3] While Jesus hung on the cross, at 3pm is the very time when all the lambs in the city were to be slaughtered.[4]

(v. 13) “The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood,” The blood was shed when they slaughtered the animal, they wiped in on the doorposts, and it meant something had died – a lamb died in their place.[5] By placing it on the door was an act of faith – this blood will save me.

So imagine you are the firstborn, and the lamb is selected four days before the Passover meal. It is brought inside the home and cared for. They would have fed it, watered it, cared for it, played with it. All the time thinking, “this is our Passover lamb.” The lamb they would grow to care for would be slaughtered, gutted, butchered and then eaten (completely) all in a matter of a few hours. Why would God give instructions for the lamb to be brought into the home? Why did Jesus not just die for the sins of mankind? Why did He live amongst us first? Children would ask “Why do we have to do this daddy?” Why do we have to kill the lamb we love?” Dad would then have to explain – so that our sin can be passed over.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Npv2Mpbd3w :55 to 1:24

The Details Are Important to Remember (vv. 14-20, 28)

14 “This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast. 15 Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven out of your houses, for if anyone eats what is leavened, from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. 16 On the first day you shall hold a holy assembly, and on the seventh day a holy assembly. No work shall be done on those days. But what everyone needs to eat, that alone may be prepared by you. 17 And you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day, throughout your generations, as a statute forever. 18 In the first month, from the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. 19 For seven days no leaven is to be found in your houses. If anyone eats what is leavened, that person will be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a sojourner or a native of the land. 20 You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwelling places you shall eat unleavened bread.”

The Passover meal was to serve as a memorial of the shed blood of a sacrificial lamb. They were to remember how God led them to freedom. God gives very specific instructions about how the memorial day was to be carried out – and to ignore these instructions would lead to a person being “cut off from the congregation of Israel.” To fail to observe the day, change the details of the day, or to be casual about how you celebrate the day – would lead to the next generation failing to understand the significance of the Exodus.

We who have the blessing of the New Testament are also given a memorial meal. With the Last Supper we are told to remember that Jesus’ sacrifice was made during the Passover festival in Jerusalem – and it happened this way for a reason. Just like the Passover was to remind God’s people of the Exodus, The Last Supper is to remind Christians what God has done for us, “do this in remembrance of me.”

To change to details, to fail to do the festival the way it is described is very serious – the consequences are severe. All of these details are there for a reason and point to a Savior who sacrificed himself for the salvation of the world. Each detail of the Exodus is pointing to an eventual Savior who not only gives freedom but eternal life – the way of having a relationship with God.

28 Then the people of Israel went and did so; as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.

(v. 21) Moses calls the elders together and walks them through what God has said about the Passover, how this was a meal that would be repeated in the years to come, and how to instruct the future generations. And look how the people responded in v. 28 “Then the people of Israel went and did so; as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.”

They showed their faith in God by putting the blood in the door, going inside and not coming out, and celebrating the meal as described. They believed and followed God’s Word and they were saved. V. 50 says, “50 All the people of Israel did just as the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron. 51 And on that very day the LORD brought the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their hosts.”

The Consequences of Belief and Disbelief (vv. 29-32)

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. 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!”

The Exodus of the Israelites and the death and destruction of Egypt is a picture of salvation. “If you are not a Christian, God is calling you to trust him, to believe that One has been sacrificed to pay your penalty, to bear your burden, to save you from God’s judgement for your sins. That’s the message that his Passover account has for us.

We all deserve God’s judgement even as God judged the Egyptians – we have all rebelled against God. But God in his great love caused this punishment to fall on Christ. The Son of God voluntarily laid down His life for us if we would trust him and repent (or turn from) our sins. Jesus Christ is the Passover lamb sacrificed for all who will be his people.

The Lamb without defect became our substutionary sacrifice, if we will repent and believe. There are many images in the Bible about God and how He relates to humanity – but the Lamb of God, and His substitution for us is the foundation of them all. “Jesus paid it, all to Him I owe, Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.”

The Israelites took a lamb slaughtered it, and wiped its’ blood in their homes – what do we do today to be saved? Years later Jesus would go to the cross, voluntarily lay down his life and would rise again three days later – what must we do to be saved? Believe on the blood of Jesus – rest in His promise that you will be saved by believing in Him.

If you wish to be saved, you say a prayer something like this, “Dear Jesus, please forgive me for my sin, I turn from my sin. I believe that you died as my substitute, and I place my faith in You alone. I want to follow you, the rest of my life. Amen.”

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[1] Philip Graham Ryken, Preaching the Word, Exodus (Wheaton, Illinois; Crossway Publishing, 2015) 297.

[2] Mark Dever and Michael Lawrence, It Is Well, Expositions on Substitutionary Atonement (Wheaton, Illinois; Crossway Publishing, 2010) 20.

[3] Ryken, 300.

[4] See Luke 43:44-46.

[5] The theological term for a substitute for one’s sin is or penal substitution and it is the means to be made right with God, or expiation.

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