Exodus 11:1 – 12:13 – “The Lord Does Make A Difference”
Outline:
I.) Intro.
II.) Vs. 1-11 A blessing or a final blow?
III.) Vs. 12:1-6a A Chosen lamb.
IV.) Vs. 6b-13 A lamb slain.
Intro.
Life, from our perspective, is all about choices. Now to make right choices, which are what all of us would like to do, we need good information. Most of us believe that with good information we will continually make right choices. The truth of the matter is that this is not so. There are those times when we deliberately choose wrongly & suffer the consequences of our actions. Such is the case before us with Pharaoh & the Egyptians. With that said, their wrong decision to this day has become the basis of the greatest celebration in Israel (Passover). More than that, it is the greatest forerunner to the work of Christ in all the Bible. What we have before us today is the source of praise songs to God, yet those praise songs include the wiping out of Egypt’s firstborn sons. According to 12:30, “there was not a house where there was not one dead.”
While in Israel I took hundreds of pictures of the things I saw, but there was one place that I could not take any pictures. It was not because I was not allowed, no it was because to me the best way I could honor the place was by not taking pictures. The place was the Holocaust Memorial. Now can you imagine for a moment a Nazi group not only going there but singing praise songs against the 6 million people slaughtered? Some people feel the same about God for taking the firstborn sons of Egypt as they would about Nazis singing at the Holocaust Memorial. All the plagues have been the “acts of God” this one, however, is the hand of God. How then are we to view this passage differently than we would view man’s inhumanity to man? We shall also see the provision supplied by the Lord for the deliverance of His people.
II.) Vs. 1-11 A blessing or a final blow?
Vs. 1-11 Here we are given the “preamble” to the Passover. To understand chapter 11, we need to realize here that Moses does not place this in chronological order. Instead, verses 1-3 happen right before 10:24-29 where Moses went into Pharaoh to hear his final offer. Furthermore, Moses’ speech to Pharaoh, (11:4-8) happens in between verses 10:26-27. Lastly, 10:28-29 happen right after 11:8a where Moses explains that the Egyptians will say, “get out!” That’s how all of this unfolds chronologically. So?
With this as the picture, we can begin to see the responsibility that Pharaoh & the Egyptians had to their own destruction.
1.) Throughout all of the 9 plagues God had been revealing to Pharaoh & Egypt the futility of worshiping their gods.
In fact, God says so in chapter 12:12 where He says, “..against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.” Are there any other gods in Egypt or the world for that matter? Paul, writing in Romans 1:18-23, answers that question. The answer is a resounding NO! So what was it that Pharaoh, the Egyptians & the rest of the world were worshiping? Themselves! The gods that the true God was destroying are none other than images of ourselves that we set up to worship. God, in His mercy & grace, shows time & again that they are not able to sustain or provide for us. In fact, it was the death of their firstborn sons that would remind them of the fact that they are not in control, which is why they did not want the Israelites around any longer.
Clearly, a distinction had been made by God that it was far better to be His child than to be fatherless. A point that many of Egypt had already understood as they began to respond to how to avoid His judgment. Man, if instead of just running from His judgment they would have run to His mercy & grace, they would have been granted life! How many times though do we see folks do the same thing? When situations & circumstances arise in their lives, they flee to God to escape, but never do they run to Him without such trials.
2.) Lastly, & I will move on, God only gave Pharaoh & Egypt a choice, & they chose not to obey the Word.
All of Egypt knew what He had said, we are told that they even thought of Moses as “great.” They could have done just as the Israelites had done & the angel of death would have passed over them as well. In fact, some no doubt did as we are told in 12:38 that a “mixed multitude” went out with them. So what are you saying Dale? I’m saying that God did not take & kill the firstborn sons, their own pride did! Today, many will so choose as did Pharaoh & Egypt to worship themselves to death, then turn around & blame God for their own choice! This is not Nazis wiping out 6 million Jews. No, this is Egypt committing mass suicide upon their own firstborn sons!
So why sing praise to God about it? Well, what we praise is that God’s mercy & grace were available to us who just as much deserved to die in Egypt yet we received what He offered freely. And in so doing, we see that He alone is only to be praised.
God blesses His children two ways:
1.) Vs. 1-3 Grace: He gives them what they don’t deserve.
Some versions use the word “borrow”, but the word actually means to request. Though this was a payment for a debt owed to them, it was God’s grace which provided it, through the favor in which the Egyptians now saw them. In fact, 12:36 describes their wealth obtained from the Egyptians as “plunder.” That’s what you get when you rout the enemy so bad that you can now walk up & take what was once theirs. So who was it that defeated Egypt? Well, it was not Israel. No, it was Israel’s God. So Moses reflects back upon what God had said in chapter 3:21, “I will give you favor in the sight of the Egyptians & you shall not leave empty-handed.” Back wages for 400 years of forced slavery. God had promised Abraham in Gen. 15:14 that they would leave Egypt with “great possessions.”
Is that not great? God provides back all of what was owed to His children. Now personally, I have found that principle true as well. You can never out-give God. Don’t worry about people ripping you off, God will return it back to you someday. You know what is great? It is not that they left with great possessions, rather it was that they were greatly possessed by their God. Oh, it’s cool to look back & see what God has provided, but what is even greater still is to see that what He has provided the most of is Himself! This speaks volumes to me as my father died when I was young. Now, he was a good provider, but it cost him as he was never home. What he did not realize was that he would die at 27. I tell you what, I would have much rather had him, than all the stuff he tried to provide for us! How about it, what would you rather have from the Lord, what He gives us, or just more time with Him?
2.) Vs. 4-8 Mercy: Now the Lord clearly warns Egypt what awaits them.
The death of the “firstborn” has several elements to it:
1.) Vs. 5 It was without discrimination.
All of the firstborn sons would be affected equally, from the highest to the lowest would be taken. So? Well, that tells us that the judgment was not based upon position or personal stature.
2.) Vs. 6 It was unparalleled:
They could not look at this as some coincidence. By the way that this judgment fell upon those Egyptians, they could not deny that it was supernatural. Only those firstborn sons were affected.
3.) Vs. 7 It was selective:
Only the Egyptians who did not take part in the Passover were judged. A dog did not even bark in the houses of the Israelites.
Now I list those things to say that Israel was just as sinful as Pharaoh & Egypt. Truly they are not getting what they deserved & it is based upon their obedience to the word of the Lord. Man, is that ever true in our lives, we are no different than most of the folks in the world, we are sinners just like them. The only difference lies in the fact that we have appropriated the free gift of the blood of Jesus, which was offered to everyone freely.
III.) Vs. 12:1-6a A Chosen lamb.
Vs. 1-3 There is here a different shift in which Moses now speaks the word of the Lord to, he goes from Pharaoh & Egypt to the “congregation of Israel.”
Now the Jewish nation had two separate calendars but both are according to a lunar calendar. This is why the Jewish Passover differs from year to year & is not always related to our Easter. This last Passover was on the 19th of April whereas Easter was on the 23rd.
a.) The first one was the civil calendar,
which started in our September – October at the end of harvest season, & it is during this time that Jewish people celebrate their new New Year “Rosh Hashanah.” But this falls on the 7th month of their religious calendar. This year their New Year is on the 29th of September. Now today Israel only recognizes the civil calendar.
b.) The second one is sacred, & it is that we have the Lord instituting here is the religious calendar.
Which started in the month of Abid (ear month because the grain was in the ear). After the Babylonian captivity, the name was changed to Nisan, which was a Babylonian name for the same time period.
Do you see what God is saying here? He is saying that as far as He was concerned they were having a spiritual “new birth.” In fact, He wanted them to realize time was starting over for them as He was delivering them out of bondage. Now God chooses Spring in which to do that. Why? Because it is in the Spring the “new life” is made visible. Israel entered Egypt with 70 plus family members & they are leaving with several million & they are becoming a nation.
So what does this tell us today? Well, God is saying to them that as far as He is concerned the year starts at the time of their redemption. Cool huh! So with us, we have a “new beginning” in Jesus & we need to continually see ourselves as new creatures in Christ. I don’t know about you, but I love the fact that I can continue to come back to the place of my new beginning in Christ. It is there that I’m refreshed by Who He is & reminded that it is He Who alone cleanses me from my sin & failure.
This week I was brought to the reality of my fallenness quite literally. I had to drop off a notebook that my son forgot at Merced High. I was in a bit of a hurry, & all of a sudden my sandal slipped off my foot, catching on a small piece of blacktop that was sticking up, sending me to the ground. I was quite embarrassed but thankful that most of the students were in their classes. Picking myself up, I went on with my business. Now several 100 yards away was a student that, as I approached him, said, “Hey, don’t you wish they had a sign by that bump warning you?” As polite a question as that was, I could not help but realize if he could see my fall several 100 yards away with his vision partially blocked, then I’m sure ½ the school witnessed it as well. Oh thank God for “new beginnings.”
Vs. 3 Here we are told the first thing about redemption, it always involves a sacrifice.
Folks, within the concept of redemption, which is freedom, there must always be some form of payment price. Last week we celebrated “Memorial Day,” which is the day in which we remember those who have laid down their lives for our freedom. Our freedom has come at the price of 100’s of thousands of lives.
Now the price for human redemption is death. And there are two kinds of deaths represented here.
1.) The first is seen in the death of the firstborn.
To reject the Lord is to pay the price. Which of course, is not accepted.
2.) The second is seen in the Passover lamb.
Now it is interesting that both of these are fulfilled in Jesus who, according to John 3:16, was God’s “firstborn” Son, who on the cross became the Passover lamb (1 Cor. 5:7).
But let’s look at this further:
a.) Vs. 3 It was personal:
There was a lamb for every house. God did not want some lamb that was outside of each family. He did not want any of the families to not understand the price of their redemption. Folks, God does not save nations, He saves people in nations, & through those people, He reaches others.
c.) Vs. 3, 6 It was to be precious:
This lamb was to live with them for four days. Now I’m sure they became fond of the lamb, it was part of the family & everyone in that house knew that this little lamb was going to die for them. They saw the lamb was innocent, it had not done a thing wrong.
d.) Vs. 4 It was to be private or intimate:
Centered around the family; if the family was too small, then they were to get with the family next door. The point being that God desired that the lamb would be close enough to each person so they would understand individually the cost being paid for their redemption. Notice that it was according to each man’s need. Wow, the lamb was given according to need. Do we not all have the need to be redeemed?
e.) Vs. 5 It was to be perfect:
The word blemish means an “acquired defect.” It could have gotten tangled up & damaged by the world in which it lived. No scars. Now, as Peter says, Jesus was also without a spot, meaning it can have no inherited defect as well. Jesus was both without an acquired defect from the world as well as without an inherited defect.
IV.) Vs. 6b-13 A lamb slain.
Two more things here that I want you to see:
1.) Vs. 5,6,7 Notice Moses did not say you shall keep “them” but you shall keep “it”.
The words “it” (singular) speak of the lambs (plural). He was speaking of sacrificing 1000’s of lambs that night yet as this is written every one of those lambs points to only one Lamb, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
2.) Vs. 6 All the assembly was involved in the deaths of the lamb:
All of us are responsible for the death of Jesus as it was for all our sin that He died. The only difference lies in appropriating His blood. There was not one person who could claim that they were good enough to not have the Passover lamb be sacrificed for them. The ones that thought that they did not need to sacrifice the lamb were the Egyptians & they faced the death of their firstborn sons. Those lambs died so their sons did not have to, they were a substitute.
Vs. 7 tells us that they were to take the blood & place it upon the doorposts of the home. Interesting, because in so doing the blood would form the points of the cross. Folks, it was the life of the lamb that saved them from the judgment of death. Just as Moses would later write in Lev. 17:11 “without the shedding of blood there is no remission.”
Do you see this here? It was not enough that they knew that the lamb had to be killed, if all they did was know the truth of that & not apply it, then they were to be judged right along with the Egyptians. Neither could they watch their neighbors apply the blood & sit at their house & not do it; the act of what their neighbors did could not save them.
May I just say to you right now, you personally must apply the blood of Jesus to the doorposts of your heart! Paul said in Gal. 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Do you see that? Paul says Jesus gave Himself for Paul. It was personal!
Vs. 8-10 Here we are told that they were not to boil it & eat it whole.
Why? Well, because not a bone was to be broken & to put it into a pot would mean that you would have to break its bones. Then it was to be roasted in the fire, which speaks of judgment. Bitter herbs were to remind them of the price of their redemption. No leaven or yeast in the bread because yeast speaks of sin & they were to leave that old lifestyle behind, they were to no longer be slaves to sin. They were to leave nothing behind, appropriating all of the sacrifice. They were leaving Egypt & nothing was to be left behind in the former life.
Vs. 11-13 There was a moving or walk associated with the sacrifice.
Hey, do you now see if Pharaoh & the Egyptians would have obeyed the command they too would have been saved? God says, “when I see the blood, I will pass over you.” There was not a person saved who was doing his or her best or because they were honest & good. God said I’m only looking for the blood!
They were not to look out the window & see if it was really going to happen if they did they would have died. What are you saying, Pastor? I’m saying nothing needed to be added, it was simple trust in God’s only provision.