New Testament Reading: Hebrews 11:1-2, 23–29

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation… [verse 23] By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them. By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned.” (Hebrews 11:1-2, 23–29, ESV)

Old Testament Reading: Exodus 14:15-31 

“The LORD said to Moses, ‘Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. 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. 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. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.’ 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, 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. 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. 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. The Egyptians pursued and went in after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. 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, 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.’ 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.’ 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. 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. 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. Thus the LORD saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 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.” (Exodus 14:15–31, ESV)

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

Introduction

Before we jump into the details of our text for today, can we take a moment to, first of all, acknowledge that it must have been terrifying for Israel to leave Egypt? You know, as we consider this story it can be easy to forget that these were real people with real fears and anxieties. The Hebrews were a very weak and vulnerable people. The only life they knew was life in Egyptian bondage. As awful as that life must have been, it was what they were familiar with. On the other side of the border of Egypt was the unknown. Who would the Hebrews encounter there? How strong would their foes be? Which way would they go? What would they eat and drink in that desert region? And what if Pharaoh decided to pursue them with his army? What would they do then? The Hebrews knew that life was bad in Egypt, but at least it was familiar and relatively predictable. Things could be even worse for them if they left! So we should acknowledge that it took great faith for the hebrews to follow the LORD into the wilderness as they did, to break with Egypt, and to establish Israel.  

Clearly, the LORD had proved himself to Israel to move them to do such an extreme thing. It was through the signs and wonders that he worked through Moses and Aaron that the LORD proved himself to be present with them, powerful, and worthy of trust. And this is one of the purposes of signs and wonders. Through them the LORD proves himself to be present with his people, powerful, and worthy of trust. Israel followed the LORD into the wilderness despite all of the dangers and despite the unknowns, because the LORD had proved himself to them through signs and wonders.

Secondly, by way of introduction, it is important for us to again recognize the similarities between what God did through Moses and what God has done through Christ. In the days of Moses and in the days of Christ, God accomplished a great act of deliverance. Through Moses, God delivered Israel from Egyptian slavery, and through Christ, God has delivered his elect from the domain of darkness, from the power of sin, and the sting of death. 

And please make this connection too: both Moses and Christ call God’s people to an exodus. Moses called Israel to make a physical exit from Pharaoh’s kingdom, and Christ calls his elect in every age to make a spiritual exit from Satan’s kingdom. Israel would physically leave Egypt to sojourn towards a physical promised land. There they would establish a new nation. There they would build a physical temple. And all who are in Christ – all who are united to him by faith – have been called to leave Satan’s kingdom, spiritually speaking. We’ve made an exit. By God’s power and grace we’ve been released from bondage to Satan’s domain, ushered into Christ’s spiritual kingdom, and we are now sojourning towards the heavenly promised land. All who are in Christ have made an exodus. Just as the Hebrews could not follow the LORD without walking out of Egypt, so too one cannot follow Christ without making a clean break from Satan’s domain. 

To state the matter differently, no one can serve two masters. Either Christ is Lord, or the Evil One is. Or we might say that no one can live in these two spiritual kingdoms simultaneously. We either belong to the kingdom of light or the kingdom of darkness. By nature, we belong to the kingdom of darkness, and I am saying that to be a citizen of the kingdom of light there must be a break, an exodus from the kingdom of darkness. To put it yet another way, for there to be faith in Christ there must also be repentance. Faith in Christ involves a turning from sin, an exodus, a break from one kingdom and an entrance into another. This is what Paul says that God has done for those in Christ. “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son…” (Colossians 1:13, ESV). Those who have faith in Christ must learn to think of their faith in these kingdom terms. Following after Christ in this world involves an exodus from one kingdom and an entrance into another. 

And with that said, I pray that it is easier for you to identify with the experience of the Hebrews. What they experienced physically, those in Christ have experienced spiritually. If you are in Christ, you know what it is to be set free from spiritual bondage. You know what it is to transfer your allegiance from one master to another. You know what it is to be set apart in this world as holy and to have the world look in upon you as strange. In fact, you know that the world does not sit idly by, but does often disapprove of, mock, and even attack those who have broken away from them to be citizens of another kingdom and to have another king. 

This is what Christ spoke about when he said, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.” (John 15:18–21, ESV)

Brothers and sisters, Christ has accomplished our redemption. This he did when he died on the cross, rose on the third day, and ascended to the Father. The benefits of this redemption that he has earned come to us when we turn from our sins and to Christ by faith. It is then that, having been set free from the domain of darkness, we are transferred into the kingdom of God’s beloved Son. In Christ we have a new King, a new citizenship, a new calling, a new hope, and new way of life. But do not be surprised, brothers and sisters, when the ruler and citizens of your old kingdom disapprove of your departure. Do not be surprised when they pressure you to return, oppose you, and even pursue you to do you harm. 

In our passage for today, we find Israel in the wilderness. Can you picture them there? They have begun their exodus from Egypt. But instead of heading northeast towards the Promised Land, the LORD led them to the southeast into a vast desert wilderness and towards Mount Sinai. There he would enter into covenant with them and give them his law. 

And it was not long into their journey that they found themselves trapped between Pharaoh’s army and a large body of water, which the text refers to as the Red Sea. It is hard to know where exactly this happened. Theories abound. But the storyline is clear. Israel was trapped with the water of the sea on one side and the armies of Pharaoh on the other.  

We should not forget that it was the Lord that led them into this seemingly dire situation. Wrap your heads around that for a moment. More than this, we are told that it was the Lord who hardened Pharaoh’s heart so that he would pursue Israel with the intent to subdue them again. But we also know that it was the will of the Lord to have the victory over the armies of Pharaoh so that he might show himself to the Hebrews and to nations as God Almighty once again. In this way, God would get the glory. 

We can see all of that clearly as we look back upon this story with 20/20 hindsight, but the Hebrews who lived through it were terrified. We learn of their reaction in 14:10: “they feared greatly. And the people of Israel cried out to the LORD. 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? 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” (Exodus 14:10–12, ESV). Moses responded to them with these marvelous words of faith: “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. The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent” (Exodus 14:13–14, ESV).

“The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” That is what Moses said to Israel regarding the threat of the Egyptian army. But is this not also what is said to us in the gospel of Jesus Christ?  Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which Christ has worked for you… The LORD has fought for you, and you have only to be silent.

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Go Forward

In verse 15, we find the LORD’s words to Moses. “The LORD said to Moses, ‘Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward.’” 

 “Why do you cry to me?”, the Lord said. Certainly, the Lord is not here rebuking Moses for offering up prayers to him. That was the right thing for him to do – to cry out to the Lord in prayer in the face of this threat. Taken in context, this must mean the time has come to cease from praying and to get up and move. “Tell the people of Israel to go forward”, the Lord said. This means that they were to pack their things to leave.

You know, it is possible to become so fixated on the problems of life and on the threats we face that we grow paralyzed. When the LORD spoke to Israel saying, I “will fight for you, and you have only to be silent” (Exodus 14:13–14, ESV), he did not mean that they would have nothing to do. No, there is always something to do! The people of Israel were called to walk by faith while the LORD fought for them. “Go forward”, the LORD said. 

I think this is a good word for us today. “Go forward”, brothers and sisters. Cry out to the LORD, yes. Trust that the LORD will fight for you. But also go forward. Do not be paralyzed by fear. Do not be inactive. Walk by faith. Walk, knowing that the LORD will fight for you. 

These are perplexing times that we are living in. We are experiencing very rapid cultural changes. Not only has our culture forgotten God, the culture seems to be at war with God. Being a Christian – a true Christian – in this culture is getting more and more difficult with each passing year. The pressures are very great. The enemy seems to be so strong. It is vital that we trust the LORD. And it is also vital that we go forward. We must walk by faith. 

As I see it there is a ditch on both sides of the road. On the left, there are those who are paralyzed by fear. But on the right, there are those who assume that some new and extraordinary thing must be done by the people of God. No, in fact, the Christian is called to do what the Christian has always been called to do. We are to go forward, walking by faith and not by sight. We are to go forward trusting that the LORD will fight for us. We are to go forward living in obedience to the commands of God. We are to go forward in the worship of God. We are to go forward in the raising of our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. We are to work to God’s glory and eat and drink to God’s glory. We are to live lives of faith, hope, and love. We are to give thanks in every circumstance as we entrust ourselves to the care of our gracious Lord. On the one hand, never are we to forget that it is the LORD who fights for us – we must rest in him. On the other hand, never are we to cease from walking. The people of God must always go forward in faith. 

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The LORD Will Provide A Way

And as we go forward we must trust that the LORD will provide a way. 

The Lord provided a way for the people of Israel, and he did so in a most miraculous way. 

The Israelites were boxed in. As they looked upon their situation with their natural eyes they couldn’t see a way out. But God made a way for them where there was no way. He divided the sea so that Israel could pass through on dry land. Not only that, “the angel of God [who we know to be the LORD himself] 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, coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel.” So the LORD opened up a way where there was no way, and he positioned himself to protect Israel. He was a pillar of light to them, but a pillar of darkness to the Egyptians. This kept the Egyptians from overrunning the Hebrews as they went on their way.

Not only was this way miraculously opened up, it was also filled with symbolism. 

Please do not lose sight of the fact that the LORD could have delivered the Hebrews in any way that he chose, but he determined to do it this way – through the outpouring of ten plagues, by means of the Passover, and by leading Israel through the sea. Why did he take them through the sea? Why didn’t he take them in another direction so they would not be entrapped? Why did he move Pharoah to pursue? Why this way? The answer is that he was demonstrating something. He was demonstrating his power. And he was also signifying something, namely, salvation from his wrath, and the creation of something new. 

Do not forget the symbolism of water found in Genesis. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light”, etc (Genesis 1:1–3, ESV). The earth was at first a watery expanse not suitable for human habitation and the Lord formed and fashioned the earth by the power of his word to make a home where man could dwell. 

In the days of Noah, God judged the world that then was with water, but Noah and his family were brought safely through the judgment in the ark. They disembarked into a new world to establish a new humanity. 

Here in the Exodus, we see that the Israelites were brought through the waters of judgment being led by Moses, who was himself drawn out of the waters as an infant. The Lord brought him, and through him, the Hebrews, through the waters of judgment to enter into a covenant with them and to make them into a new nation in a holy land which God had promised to them. 

The theme is unmistakably clear. God has determined to provide a way of salvation for his elect. He would make a way for them to enter into the new creation by shielding them from his just wrath. Noah and his family on the ark, and Israel walking on dry land between the divided waters, were pictures of this. Ultimately, these things were pictures of the Christ who said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6, ESV).

When I say, “the LORD will provide a way”, I think it is right to apply that to our life as sojourners in this world. The LORD does provide a way for his people. He is ever-present with us. He does give us this day our daily bread. He is faithful to guide us and direct us. He opens up paths for his people where no path was seen before. You have probably experienced this at some point in your walk with Christ. And if you have not, I trust that you will. The LORD leads his people, and he is with them to protect them.  

But the saying, “the LORD will provide a way”, must mean more than this, for the greatest threats to man are not the trials and tribulations of this life, but death and judgment. As the scriptures say,  “it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment…” (Hebrews 9:27, ESV). This is the ordeal that Christ came to save us from – death and judgment. He has divided the waters of God’s wrath so that those who have faith in him may pass through on dry ground into the heavenly promised land.

Friends, this is the purpose for which Christ came into the world. He came, not to shield us from every trial and tribulation, but to make a way for us into the new heavens and earth. “[H]e has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him” (Hebrews 9:26–28, ESV).

The LORD provided a way for the Hebrews, he provides a way for us as we sojourn in this world, and most importantly, he has provided a way for man to pass safely through the waters of death and judgment. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God” (John 3:16–18, ESV).

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The LORD Will Get The Glory

Thirdly and lastly, let us recognize that as the LORD provides a way for his people he will get the glory, both in judgment and in grace. 

In verse 17 we hear the LORD say, 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. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen” (Exodus 14:17–18, ESV).

As the story unfolds we are told that the Egyptians did follow Israel into the sea. It seems to me that the way of the Hebrews was illuminated by the glory of God, whereas the way of the Egyptians was shrouded in darkness. The LORD was light to his people, and darkness to his enemies.  Verse 24: “And in the morning watch the LORD in the pillar of fire and of cloud looked down on the Egyptian forces [I take this to mean that the LORD revealed the splendor of his glory to them] and [this] threw the Egyptian forces into a panic, 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” (Exodus 14:24–25, ESV).

“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.’ 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. 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. 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. Thus the LORD saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 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” (Exodus 14:26–31, ESV).

The LORD, the God of Israel, was glorified as he graciously provided a way for his people, and as he justly judged the wicked and oppressive Egyptians. These were the Egyptians who decreed that newborn sons of the Hebrews be cast into the waters of the Nile. Now the LORD has cast them into the waters of the sea. 

Just as the salvation that the LORD accomplished for Israel was an earthly picture of the eternal salvation that is our in Christ Jesus, so too the judgment poured out on the Egyptians was an earthly picture of the final and eternal judgment that Christ will administer at the end of time. All who are not united to him by faith will be judged. God will be glorified both for his abundant grace and for his just judgments.  

In Revelation 19:1ff we find a description of the celebration that will take place in heaven when the judgments of God are poured out at the end of time. John writes, “After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out, ‘Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for his judgments are true and just; for he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality, and has avenged on her the blood of his servants.’ Once more they cried out, ‘Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up forever and ever.’ And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was seated on the throne, saying, ‘Amen. Hallelujah!’ And from the throne came a voice saying, ‘Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, small and great” (Revelation 19:1–5, ESV).

As I have said, our God will be glorified at the end of time both for his marvelous grace and his just judgments. As it was at the time of the Exodus, so will it be at the end of time. The one way a small picture and foretaste of the other.  

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Conclusion

I think it would be good to conclude by drawing your attention to what follows this story in Exodus. In chapter 15 we find a song. It is called The Song of Moses, but it was a song that all Israel sang after witnessing the great act of salvation that the LORD had worked for them and the just judgments that the LORD poured out on the Egyptians. After passing through the sea, the people sang! This reminds me very much of the songs of the book of Revelation. After witnessing the salvation of the Lord and the judgments of the Lord, angels in men and heaven burst forth in praise. 

In fact, in Revelation 15 the song of Moses is mentioned so that we might make the connection between the Exodus event, our current experience, and what God will do at the end of time. After the introduction of the seven plagues of Revelation 15, we read, “And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire—and also those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands. And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, ‘Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations! Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed” (Revelation 15:2–4, ESV).

Brothers and sisters, as we consider the Exodus event, we must not forget that we too have experienced an exodus in Christ Jesus. We’ve been transferred from one kingdom into another, and this has required us to make a clean break with the former. The Evil One pursues us as we sojourn. The world is not pleased when we refuse to align with them in their evil way, so they revile us and even persecute us.  But we must go forward, trusting that the LORD will provide a way, and that he will get the glory. At the end of time, we will praise him for his salvation. We will sing to him, saying, “Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations!” (Revelation 15:3, ESV)

New Testament Reading: 1 Corinthians 10:1–13

“For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10:1–13, ESV)

Old Testament Reading: Exodus 13:17–14:14 

“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.’ But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle. Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, ‘God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones with you from here.’ And they moved on from Succoth and encamped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. 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. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people. Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘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. For Pharaoh will say of the people of Israel, ‘They are wandering in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.’ 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. 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?” So he made ready his chariot and took his army with him, and took six hundred chosen chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them. 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. 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. 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. 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? 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.’ 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. The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.’” (Exodus 13:17–14:14, ESV)

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

Introduction

We have come now to a new section of the book of Exodus. 

In 1:1-13:16 Israel was in Egypt. There in that section we heard about the brutal oppression of the Hebrews at the hand of the Egyptians, of the call of Moses to serve as the redeemer of God’s people, and of the deliverance of the Hebrews from Egypt through the outpouring of ten plagues. There in that first section of the book of Exodus we considered Israel in Egypt, and we also learned a lot about God. He preserved his people in Egypt. He revealed himself to them through Moses YHWH, the Great I AM, and he saved his people from bondage. Stated succinctly, in that first section of the book of Exodus the LORD is presented to us as the preserver and savior of his people.

Now from 13:17 through 24:11 we will consider Israel in the wilderness on the way to Mount Sinai. And once there, the LORD will reveal himself to Israel on the mountain, just as he revealed hismelf to Moses in the burning bush. He will give Israel the law and establish a covenant with them. So then, if God is presented as preserver and savior in the first portion of Exodus, in the second portion, he is presented as Israel’s companion. Not only is the LORD the saving LORD, he is also the covenant LORD. He saved his people from bondage and oppression, but he also went with them to guide them, to reveal himself to them, and to enter into a covenant with them. 

The last portion of the book of Exodus runs from 24:12 through to the end of the book. And there we will consider Israel around the tabernacle. There in that section the LORD is portrayed as the indweller. 

I mention this general three-part division of the book of Exodus to remind you of the story that is told here. As you can see, this book is not only a story about deliverance. It is also a story about covenantal companionship and indwelling. Can you see the progression? The LORD delivered Israel from Egyptian bondage, and he also went with them as a companion. He revealed himself to Israel on the mountain just as he had revealed himself to Moses in that bush that was burning yet not consumed. He entered into a covenant with them, and eventually, he did come to dwell in the midst of them through the tabernacle. The LORD is not just the savior, he is also the covenantal companion and indweller of his people.

As I say all of this, perhaps you are thinking to yourself, this storyline sounds familiar – redemption, covenantal companionship, indwelling. And you would be right! 

The storyline of Exodus corresponds to the storyline of the gospel. Jesus the Messiah has accomplished our redemption, and he, by the Spirit, does draw men and women into a conventional relationship with himself through faith. And God indwells those who believe in Christ by the Holy Spirit – as Paul says, “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16, ESV). The storyline of Exodus matches the storyline of our salvation in Christ Jesus. 

And not only is this the storyline of our personal and present salvation in Christ Jesus, it is also the storyline of the overarching history of redemption. God has rescued a people from the domain of darkness, he has transferred us into the kingdom of his Son, and he will one day bring us safely home into the new heavens and earth where he will dwell in the midst of us — all will be his temple then.  

So then, what Israel experienced in an earthly way, all who have faith in the Messiah have experienced in a spiritual way – we have been redeemed, we have entered into a covenantal companionship with Christ, and the Spirit of God indwells us even now. Furthermore, this present experience of ours is but a small foretaste of greater things yet to come. When Christ returns our redemption will be brought to a consummation, we will enjoy full and everlasting communion with God as he dwells in the midst of his people forever and ever in the new heavens and earth which Christ has earned. Again, I am saying that the experience of the Hebrews was an earthly type or model of the spiritual experience of God’s elect in every age. Their earthly journey corresponds to our spiritual journey. 

What can we learn from the sojourning of Israel, therefore?

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The LORD Leads Those He Redeems

Well, if there is one thing to take away from our passage for today, it is this: The LORD leads those he redeems. This was the pattern or the model that was established at the time of the Exodus. Those the LORD redeems, he does also lead. The LORD delivered Israel from brutal Egyptian oppression. He pried them from the death grip of Pharoah. He set them free from Egyptian captivity. They went out from Egypt with great possessions! But the greatest gift they left Egypt with was LORD himself. He went with them as a covenant companion to lead them in the way. The LORD leads those he redeems. 

This was true for Old Covenant Israel, and it is true for New Covenant Israel too. All who have faith in Christ may say, “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13–14, ESV). And all who have been thus delivered may take comfort in what Christ said to his disciples as he commissioned them: “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20, ESV). The LORD leads those he redeems. Not only does he free his people from bondage, he also goes on with them as their companion and their guide. 

This is clearly demonstrated in the Exodus story. When the LORD freed Israel from Egyptian oppression he did not stand on the border of Egypt to send them off into the wilderness alone. No, he went with them to guide and direct them, as a pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night. The LORD leads those he redeems.

Notice five things about the way the LORD leads his people. 

He Leads His People Personally

First of all, the LORD leads his people personally. 

Consider verse 17. There we read, “When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines… [verse 18] But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea.” (Exodus 13:17–18, ESV). And consider verse 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” (Exodus 13:21, ESV).

The thing that I wish to draw your attention to is that the LORD led Israel personally. I suppose we would still say that the LORD led his people if he spoke to Moses instructing him about which way to go. Or perhaps the LORD could have provided Israel with a map, saying, first go this way and then that. I suppose that would still be counted as guidance. But the LORD did not lead Israel in that way. Instead, he led them personally. He went with Israel as a companion and guide. The LORD was present with his people.   

This is what the Psalmist celebrates in Psalm 46:1, saying, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah” (Psalm 46:1–3, ESV). Psalm 145:18 testifies to this too, saying, “The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth” (Psalm 145:18, ESV). And in Deuteronomy 4:7 Moses reflects upon God’s personal presence when he says to Israel, “For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the LORD our God is to us, whenever we call upon him?” (Deuteronomy 4:7, ESV). The LORD leads those he redeems, personally. He is present with his people to guide them. 

At the time of the Exodus, the LORD demonstrated to Israel that he was present with them by appearing to them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. These were not two different pillars, but one and the same. In the daylight, the pillar or column appeared as a cloud. At nighttime, the pillar was radiant. This pillar was a manifestation of the glory of the LORD. We know that God is not a pillar of cloud or of fire. He is a most pure spirit. He is not physical. He is invisible. But God has sometimes manifested himself to his people. He showed himself to be personally present with Israel at the time of their exodus from Egypt through a radiant pillar of cloud.  

Don’t you agree that the LORD was gracious to manifest his glory to Israel in this way? I suppose he could have simply spoken to them through Moses, saying, I will be with you always to bring you safely into the land. The LORD could have gone with them invisibly. And this would have required the Hebrews to walk by faith and not by sight regarding God’s presence. But God accommodated himself to their weakness by showing himself to them in this visible way. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, was a visible and constant testimony to God’s presence with them. 

The LORD leads those he redeems. He leads them, not from afar, and not through intermediaries only, but personally. He went with the Hebrews to guide them in the wilderness. And under the New Covenant, the same is true, but even more so. For under the New Covenant we have been brought nearer to God through the blood of Christ. God is our Father, and we are his children. Those who have faith in Christ are united to him spiritually; the Spirit of God indwells them. God was personally present with Old Covenant Israel to guide them as they sojourned, and this is true for the Israel of God under the New Covenant in an even more intimate way.

Do you remember what Christ said regarding his personal presence with us. “‘I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.’ Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, ‘Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?’ Jesus answered him, ‘If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him’” (John 14:18–23, ESV). If the LORD has redeemed you, then he is with you personally to lead you by his word and Spirit. 

He Leads His People Compassionately

The second observation that I wish to make is that the LORD leads his people compassionately. 

I suppose I could again point to the way that the LORD showed himself to Israel in the pillar of cloud. That was an act of compassionate condescension. But here I wish to draw your attention the way the concern the LORD had for the people’s weakness. The LORD led them out of Egypt and he took them the long way so as to avoid military conflict, for the people were not ready to handle it. 

You can picture Egypt, can’t you? It is situated at the very northeast corner of the African continent. And the Hebrews were likely enslaved in the northeastern corner of Egypt. There they were engaged in the work of building military storehouse cities for Pharaoh to defend Egypt from a northern invasion. The land promised to Israel – the land on Canaan – was to the north of them, and a little to the east. But when the LORD lead Israel out of Egypt, he led them to the east and to the south. Why did he take them this way? Why did he take them off the beaten path, as it were, and into the wilderness? 

Verses 17 and 18 tell us: “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.’ But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle” (Exodus 13:17–18, ESV).

The LORD works in mysterious ways, doesn’t he? We do not always understand his will for us. Sometimes we may wonder, why has he taken our life on this path? Oftentimes we do not know. By faith, we believe that he has a purpose in all things, but we do not always understand what that purpose is. The Israelites must have wondered why the LORD was taking them the way of the wilderness when there was a much smoother and straighter path available to them. To them, the wilderness path must have seemed like a ridiculous choice, but the LORD led them this way out of compassion. He knew they were not ready for war. He knew that they would shrink back in fear and prefer slavery in Egypt over battles with the fierce Philistines. The LORD compassionately led them into the wilderness to strengthen them there. 

I’m reminded of what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10:13 regarding temptation. “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13, ESV). The phrase that I wish to draw your attention to is, “[God] will not let you be tempted beyond your ability.” We know that God strengthens his people through testing. He strengthens us through trials and tribulations. But here Paul emphasizes the graciousness of God in this: God “will not let you be tempted beyond your ability.” In other words, though he does will that his children be strengthened and refined through trials of various kinds, he will not permit his children to be overrun by temptation. He will give them only what they are able to handle. And of course, they will handle it with the strength he himself provides, to the glory of his name. The LORD leads his people compassionately, being mindful of their strengths and weaknesses, their progress in sanctification or lack thereof. He does not coddle his children. He does not shield them from every trail, tribulation, or temptation, but he is also faithful to never allow them to be tempted beyond their ability, but with the temptation, he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

He Leads His People Faithfully

Thirdly, in our text, we see that the LORD leads his people faithfully. I will point to two things to demonstrate this. 

First of all, consider again the LORD’s presence in the cloudy pillar. How did Isreal know that this pillar of cloud was the LORD and not just a cloud? Two things: One, it must have looked unique. It was a cloud, but not an ordinary cloud. It was shaped strangely like a pillar. And at night it was clearly radiant. Two, this pillar of cloud did not dissipate as clouds typically do, but remained permanently with them day and night. And so I say, the LORD leads those he redeems, and he leads them faithfully.   

Secondly, I wish to draw your attention to this little remark about the bones of Joseph. Did you catch that in verse 19? “Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, ‘God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones with you from here’” (Exodus 13:19, ESV).

You remember Joseph, don’t you? The last part of the book of Genesis was about him. He was the son of Jacob who was sold into Egyptian slavery by his brothers whom the LORD raised up to be the second most powerful man in all of Egypt. (By the way, you can see that Joseph’s own life foreshadowed on a small and individual scale the experience of the Hebrews on a large corporate scale – enslaved in Egypt, preserved by the LORD, saved and exalted by the LORD.)  

The book of Genesis concluded with these words: “And Joseph said to his brothers, ‘I am about to die, but God will visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.’ Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, ‘God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.’ So Joseph died, being 110 years old. They embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.” (Genesis 50:24–26, ESV)

So you can see that this little remark that is made in Exodus 13:19 regarding the bones (or the remains) of Joseph is very significant to the storyline of scripture. The remark about the bones of Joseph ties the story of Genesis and Exodus together. It is a reminder that this exodus from Egypt happened just as God had promised. And as the Hebrews went to the trouble to collect Joseph’s remains to take them with them back to the promised land, it was a reminder to them of the precious and very great promises that God had made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and of his faithfulness to keep his word.

Those the LORD redeems, he leads. And he leads his redeemed faithfully. He leads his people faithfully day and night. And he leads his people faithfully from generation to generation, for God keeps all of his promises. To state it differently, God is faithful to his people momentarily, and he is also faithful to his people covenantal. The exodus was a demonstration of both things. 

And so as God’s people we must trust that the LORD will be faithful to give us this day our daily bread, and we must also trust that the LORD will be faithful to preserve us and to bring us safely home into the new heavens and earth which he promised to Abraham and to us, for God is faithful both on a micro and macro scale. 

You know, I can’t help but make this observation. Interpreted typologically (which I have already argued is the proper interpretation of Exodus), this little story regarding the bones of Joseph being taken out of the tomb and back to Canaan is a picture of the resurrection of Christ and of our resurrection in him on the last day. Egypt typifies the domain of darkness. The Exodus event typifies our redemption in Christ Jesus. Israel in the wilderness typifies our sojourning. And Canaan typifies the new heavens and earth (that’s what Hebrews 11 says). And here I am saying that when Joseph’s bones were lifted out of the grave and carried to Canaan, it was an earthly picture of what all who are in Christ will experience on the last day when Christ returns to raise the dead, to judge the ungodly, and to usher his people into the heavenly and eternal land of promise. 

Brothers and sisters, do not fail to see God’s daily faithfulness towards you. He leads you day and night. He provides you with daily bread. But do not lose sight of his generational and covenantal faithfulness. He has been and will be faithful to keep all of his promises regarding the redemption of his elect in the Messiah. Your momentary trials and tribulations must be considered in the light of God’s big picture, covenantal faithfulness, for it is this big picture story of our redemption in Christ, and of our eternal and unshakable hope in him that gives meaning and purpose to our present sufferings. 

The Apostle Paul and his companions knew that God was faithful to lead him to their heavenly inheritance. This is why he could say, “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:16–18, ESV)

When the Hebrews carried the bones of Joseph out of Egypt they were remembering the promises that God had made concerning Canaan, and more than that, the new heavens and earth, and they were declaring that he is faithful. 

He Leads His People Clearly 

God leads those he redeems. He leads us personally, compassionately, and faithfully. He also leads us clearly. That is the fourth observation that I wish to make. God leads his people clearly. 

I have already acknowledged that God’s ways are mysterious. The Hebwers must have wondered, why is the LORD leading us this way? And where will he lead us tomorrow? There was much that was mysterious in Israel’s sojurning. But here I am saying that despite the mystery, the LORD did lead Israel clearly. 

We should remember how the LORD spoke to Moses. He spoke clearly to him, and through him to  the people. And we should remember the clear message communicated by the plagues. The meaning was unmistakable. The LORD is God Most High, and the Hebrews were his chosen people. And now we learn that the LORD led his people into the wilderness by a pillar of cloud and of fire day and night.  Why the LORD was leading them in the direction he did was somewhat mysterious. That he was leading them where he did was unmistakable. 

We experience this too, don’t we? Have you ever asked the question, why this way, Lord? I know that you have. It seems like I have been asking that question a lot lately. Why this way? The truth is that we may never know. There is much about life in this world that is mysterious. But at the same time, God has also spoken clearly to us. Why has God decreed that our life take a particular path? Only the LORD knows. But we know how the LORD has commanded us to walk on that path, don’t we?

We are to walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). We are to walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16). We are to walk in the light, not the darkness (Proverbs 2:13). We are to walk in the narrow path, not the broad path (Matthew 7:13). And how do we know how we ought to walk? God’s word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Psalm 119:105). 

Mysteries abound, but God has spoken clearly. We must concern ourselves, not with the mysterious will of God, but with obedience to God’s revealed will, for “[t]he secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law” (Deuteronomy 29:29, ESV).

He Leads His People Defensively 

The last observation that I have for today is this: the LORD leads his people defensively. This point is drawn from verses 1 through 14 of chapter 14. 

Here in this text, we learn that Pharoah changed his mind yet again regarding the freedom of the Hebrews. 

Four things prompted this change of mind. 

One, the Egyptians began to feel the loss of the Hebrew slaves economically. In verse 5 we hear them say, ​​“What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?”

Two, the Egyptians took note of Israel’s strange and seemingly erratic course into the wilderness. Humanly speaking, they seemed to go in a bad direction. They boxed themselves in and made themselves vulnerable to attack. In reality, the LORD was luring the Egyptians out so that he might have the victory over them. 

Three, the LORD hardened Pharoah’s heart once more. That is what verse 8 says: “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.” (Exodus 14:8, ESV)

Four, in keeping with the rest of the story concerning Pharoah’s stubborn pride, we must see that Pharoah was driven to pursue Israel because he was a power-hungry tyrant. These figures will always be present in the world, brothers and sisters. They are Satanic, for they further his kingdom – a kingdom characterized by bondage, oppression, and death. 

How did Israel respond as the enemy approached? They lost faith. To their credit, they did cry out to the LORD. But in verse 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? 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.” (Exodus 14:11–12, ESV)

This is the response of many who make false professions of faith. They appear to follow Christ for a time, but when the evil one tempts them or attacks them, they conclude that it would have been better to continue in the kingdom of darkness. They forget how miserable and oppressive life in that kingdom was, and so they turn back. 

But the LORD keeps those who are his, just has as he kept Israel from falling. Verse 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. The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent” (Exodus 14:13–14, ESV).

The LORD was right that Israel was not ready to face battle. This is why he led them into the way of the wilderness instead of on the direct road to Canaan where the Philistines were. But notice that the very first lesson the LORD taught to Israel was not how to fight with the sword, but how to trust the LORD in battle. “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today”, and “The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” Israel would be called to fight in the future. God made them into a nation and he would use them to judge other nations once their wickedness was complete. But even when Israel was called to fight, they were to fight while trusting in the LORD, and not in their own strength. 

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Conclusion

The LORD leads those he redeems. He leads us personally, compassionately, faithfully, and clearly. He also leads us defensively. He fights for us. He calls us to fear not, to stand firm, and to see the salvation of the LORD. The LORD fights for us, and often we have only to be silent. “Hear, O Israel… let not your heart faint. Do not fear or panic or be in dread… for the LORD your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory” (Deuteronomy 20:3–4, ESV).

New Testament Reading: Luke 2:22–35

“And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, ‘Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord’) and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, ‘a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.’ Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, ‘Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.’ And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, ‘Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.’” (Luke 2:22–35, ESV)

Old Testament Reading: Exodus 13:1-16

“The LORD said to Moses, ‘Consecrate to me all the firstborn. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine.’ Then Moses said to the people, ‘Remember this day in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of slavery, for by a strong hand the LORD brought you out from this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten. Today, in the month of Abib, you are going out. And when the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, you shall keep this service in this month. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the LORD. Unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days; no leavened bread shall be seen with you, and no leaven shall be seen with you in all your territory. You shall tell your son on that day, ‘It is because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ And it shall be to you as a sign on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the law of the LORD may be in your mouth. For with a strong hand the LORD has brought you out of Egypt. You shall therefore keep this statute at its appointed time from year to year. ‘When the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and your fathers, and shall give it to you, you shall set apart to the LORD all that first opens the womb. All the firstborn of your animals that are males shall be the LORD’s. Every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck. Every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. And when in time to come your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall say to him, ‘By a strong hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the LORD killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all the males that first open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’ It shall be as a mark on your hand or frontlets between your eyes, for by a strong hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt.’” (Exodus 13:1–16, ESV)

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

Introduction

I think the best way to consider our text for today is by asking three questions. One, what does it say? Two, what did it mean for Old Covenant Israel. And three, what does it mean for us today? 

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What Does The Text Say?

The first question is rather easy to answer. What does the text say? Here in Exodus 13, we first of all find instructions for the consecration of the firstborns of Israel, of man and beast. And secondly, we encounter even more instructions regarding the observance of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. In fact, our text begins and ends with instructions regarding the consecration of the firstborns, and in the middle, we find instructions regarding the feast. 

As you can see, these things are all intertwined. In this passage, and in the previous one, many words are devoted to instructions regarding the observance of the Passover festival, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and the consecration of the firstborns. What do all of these rituals share in common? They memorialize some aspect of the historical event wherein the LORD rescued Israel from bondage in Egypt through the outpouring of the tenth plague as he shielded his people from harm. 

We have already learned about the Passover festival. It was to be observed on the 14th day of the first month of the year according to the Hebrew calendar, the month of Abib. On the 10th day of the month, the Israelites were to select a lamb or goat without blemish and they were to set it aside, one per household, or one per multiple households if the households were small. In the evening on the 14th day, the lamb or goat was to be killed, some of its blood was to be spread on the doorposts and header of the door of the home, and then roasted simply over fire. The whole animal was to be consumed, and it was to be eaten with bitter herbs and unleavened bread. This was a kind of reenactment of what happened on the night that the tenth plague was poured out on the Egyptians, and the Hebrews were spared. The LORD passed over and shielded all of the homes that had the blood of the lamb applied to its doorposts. The yearly Passover festival was to function as a yearly reminder of that event. 

We have also learned about the Feast of Unleavened Bread. This feast was also to be observed yearly by Israel. It also began on the 14th day of the first month of the year, but this feast would last for seven days, through to the end of day 21.  On the first day, the Israelites were to remove all leaven from their homes. Leaven is a substance (typically yeast) that is used to make bread rise. Just a little bit of it affects the whole batch of dough. None was to be found in the Israelites homes. And from the 14th day of the month through the 21st day of the month, the Israelites were to eat only unleavened (flat) bread. This was to remind them of how they prepared their bread with haste on the day before the tenth plague was poured out, and how they walked out of Egypt with their dough unleavened. They relied upon that bread to sustain them as they journeyed out of Egypt and into the wilderness. On days one and seven of this festival the Israelites were to hold a holy assembly. In other words, the people were to come together to offer sacrifices to the LORD and to worship. So, in the Feast of Unleavened Bread, we have a kind of reenactment of the original event. The Israelites were to do this every single year (once they were in the land promised to them). And they were to do this together as a people. They were to observe this festival at a fixed time, and they were to assemble together on the first and seventh days. The Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread were so tightly linked that they can be considered two aspects of the same festival. Both were memorials of the Israelites exodus from Egypt. We considered instructions for the Feast of Unleavened Bread in 12:14-20, and we find more here in 13:3-10.

Now, something new is introduced to us in this passage. Before and after the instructions regarding the Feast of Unleavened Bread, we find laws concerning the consecration, or setting apart, of the firstborn males of Israel, both of man and of beast. In 13:1 we read, “The LORD said to Moses, ‘Consecrate to me all the firstborn. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine.’” (Exodus 13:1–2, ESV). And in verse 11 we find Moses instructing Israel concerning this consecration, saying, “‘When the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and your fathers, and shall give it to you, you shall set apart to the LORD all that first opens the womb. All the firstborn of your animals that are males shall be the LORD’s. Every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck. Every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem.” (Exodus 13:11–13, ESV)

So what is this about? 

It is another positive law. 

All firstborn male animals were to be sacrificed to the LORD. 

Unclean animals, such as donkeys, were to be redeemed. This means that a  substitute was to be provided, a life for a life. A lamb could, which was considered a clean animal, and therefore suitable for sacrifice, was to be offered up in place of the unclean animal. Notice that I have introduced the categories of “clean” and “unclean” to you without telling you what that means. In brief, in the law Moses many distinctions will be made between things “clean” and “unclean”, things “common” and things “holy”. I’ve already warned you that we are entering into that portion of scripture that describes that time where many positive laws were imposed upon the people of God for a particular time, in a particular place, and for a particular purpose. And here is yet another example: In Old Covenant Israel under the Mosaic Covenant, a distinction was made between things clean and unclean, common and holy. Here in this passage, we learn that all of the firstborn male animals were to be consecrated to the LORD. The clean animals were to be sacrificed to God in worship, but the unclean were to be redeemed. A price was to be paid for them. A substitute was to be offered up. And the same was true for the firstborn sons of Israel. All of Israel’s firstborn sons were to be consecrated unto the LORD. And because they were human beings made in the image of God, and not animals, clean or unclean, every firstborn son of Israel was to be redeemed. 

This passage seems to suggest that a lamb could be offered up as a substitute for the firstborn sons of Israel. Perhaps that was true for a time. But in Numbers 18:14ff detailed instructions are given to the priests of Israel concerning the consecration of the firstborns and the price of redemption. There we read, “Every devoted thing in Israel shall be yours. Everything that opens the womb of all flesh, whether man or beast, which they offer to the LORD, shall be yours. Nevertheless, the firstborn of man you shall redeem, and the firstborn of unclean animals you shall redeem. And their redemption price (at a month old you shall redeem them) you shall fix at five shekels in silver, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gerahs. But the firstborn of a cow, or the firstborn of a sheep, or the firstborn of a goat, you shall not redeem; they are holy. You shall sprinkle their blood on the altar and shall burn their fat as a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the LORD” (Numbers 18:14–17, ESV). Here we see that the price of redemption for the firstborn of man and of all unclean animals was set at five shekels in silver. We should remember that Jesus Christ was consecrated as a newborn, he being the firstborn of Mary. In Luke 2:22ff we read, “And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, ‘Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord’)” (Luke 2:22–23, ESV). Joseph and Mary were poor, and so they offered up a pair of turtledoves instead, which was a provision made for the poor in the law of Moses found in Leviticus 12:8.  

So we have simply considered what the text says. In our passage for today, we find more positive laws pertaining to the observance of the Feast of Unleavened Bread and laws pertaining to the consecration of the firstborn males of Israel, of man and of beast.   

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What Did It Mean For Old Covenant Israel?

Now we must ask, what did this mean for Israel? In other words, what did these laws communicate to them? What was their meaning or message? Certainly, they had significance. These positive laws were not imposed upon Israel arbitrarily by God. No, these laws were added for a purpose. They signified things, just as positive laws always do. Remember, positive laws are not inherently moral. They are added in connection with the making of covenants to signify certain things, i.e. don’t eat from this tree here, circumcise your male children, baptize those who believe, and partake of this and this in remembrance of me. These are positive laws. They are not binding on all. They were added to Old Covenant Israel in the days of Moses for a time and purpose. Now here I am asking, what did they communicate? 

I think the best way to answer this question is to consider what these rituals communicated to Israel concerning the past, present, and future. Now, to be clear I am speaking of their past, present, and future, and not ours. We must put ourselves in the place of Israel after the Exodus and before the resurrection and ascension of Christ. What did these rituals communicate to Old Covenant Israel concerning their past, present, and future?

Concerning the past, these festivals and rituals reminded Israel of their redemption from Egypt. 

The yearly Passover feast was a kind of reenactment of the night when the tenth plague was poured out, the firstborns of Egypt being put to death while firstborns of the Hebrews and all others who took shelter under the blood of the lamb were shielded from the judgment of God. The Feast of Unleavened Bread functioned as a kind extension of the Passover, reminding Israel of their hasty exodus from Egypt the following day. And the consecration of the firstborn males of Israel reminded them of how God spared their firstborns while pouring out his judgments upon Egypt.

Each of these three was, in its own unique way, a memorial to the Exodus event in all of its complexity.  They were to remind Israel of the past. 

The Passover has already been called a memorial. And listen to what our text says in verse 8 concerning the Feast of Unleavened Bread. “You shall tell your son on that day, ‘It is because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ And it shall be to you as a sign on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the law of the LORD may be in your mouth. For with a strong hand the LORD has brought you out of Egypt” (Exodus 13:8–9, ESV). Something similar is said in verse 13 concerning the consecration of the firstborn males: “And when in time to come your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall say to him, ‘By a strong hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the LORD killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all the males that first open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’ It shall be as a mark on your hand or frontlets between your eyes, for by a strong hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt” (Exodus 13:14–16, ESV). In other words, this ritual, like the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, was to function as a perpetual reminder to Israel of what God did for them in the past. That is what is meant by “It shall be as a mark on your hand or frontlets between your eyes…” These things were perpetual reminders of the Exodus event. 

It is important to know and to remember history. We can gain a lot of wisdom from history. But this event was to be remembered by Israel because this event — their redemption from Egypt — defined them as a people and nation. And so they were to observe these festivals and these laws to commemorate what God has done for them in the past. Not only were they to do these things in front of their children, and not only were they to teach their children to obey these laws and to observe these rituals themselves, they were also to explain the significance of these rituals to their children.  

Rituals become dead rituals when their significance is forgotten. Israel was to keep the festival and consecrate their firstborn males to remember what the LORD did for them to redeem them from Egypt. They were to teach the next generation about what God had done so that they would know and believe. 

These positive laws were added and imposed upon Israel to cause them to remember the Exodus. And I think it is important to remember that the Exodus story began, not in the days of Moses, but long before that in the days of Abraham. Indeed, the Exodus story begins, not with Exodus chapter one, but in Genesis chapter one. Are you following me? Or to put it another way, these festivals and rituals that were given to Israel in the days of Moses were meant to remind Israel, not only of the Exodus event itself but of the backstory too. The backstory is very important, brothers and sisters. The Exodus event makes sense only against the backdrop of the story of Genesis —  that is, the story of creation, man’s fall into sin, and the promise of redemption for the world through the offspring of Abraham. Here I am saying that these festivals and rituals imposed upon Israel were intended to perpetually remind them of all of that — the Exodus event and everything that led up to it. They were to teach it to their children so that they would know their history, and even more importantly, believe in the promises of God that were instructed to them through their fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob — promises pertaining to the salvation of the world through faith in the Hebrew Messiah.  

Present

Not only did these positive laws have significance concerning Israel’s past, they also had significance for their present. There is a lot that can be said about this. I’ll say just enough to get us thinking in the right direction. 

In brief, these positive laws pertaining to the observance of the Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and the consecration of the firstborn males, were meant, not only to remind Israel of the past, but to communicate to them in the present that they were a holy, set apart in the world as the LORD’s special possession. To use Paul’s language, “They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen” (Romans 9:4–5, ESV). These positive laws that were added and imposed upon the Hebrews under the Old Covenant were intended to remind Israel of its privileged place in the world. Everything in the world belongs to God, but they were his in a special way, for the LORD chose them and set them apart. He redeemed them from bondage. He made them into a holy nation — a nation to be governed by his holy law. A nation to that would have the glory of God dwell in the midst of her. A nation devoted to worship. A notion instructed with the word of God and the promises of God concerning the Savior of the world. 

This privileged position was not to create pride in Israel, but humility, for it was only by God’s grace. The stories that we find in Genesis regarding the call of Abraham and the lives of the patriarchs communicate this. It was by God’s grace that Abraham was set apart along with his offspring. Abraham did not deserve it. And the Exodus story communicates the same. The Hebrews’ redemption from Egypt was by God’s grace. It was not Moses who delivered them, nor did the Hebrews deliver themselves. They were powerless to do so. The LORD delivered the Hebrews according to his might. As the people of Israel observed the Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and as they consecrated the firstborn males, they should have remembered all of that history, and that history should have cultivated humility in their hearts in the present, along with a sense of gratitude towards God, and responsibility as it pertained to the nations. 

Under the Old Covenant, the Hebrews people were graciously set apart as holy unto the Lord and for a purpose. These positive laws that were added and imposed upon them in the days of Moses were to remind them of their identity. These rituals communicated something to them regarding their special place in the world. They belonged to the LORD in a special way. They were being used by him for a special purpose. They needed to remember it. 

Future

These rituals — the Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and the consecration of the firstborn males — also communicated something concerning the future. This is a little difficult to see if we have our noses buried in this text leading us to lose sight of what came before and what comes after. But if we are careful to read this portion of scripture in the light of all the rest we are able to see how these positive laws not only reminded Israel of the past and of who they were in the present, they also anticipate the work that God would do in the future through the promised Messiah.  

We must admit that the message concerning the work that Messiah who was to come would do was a bit mysterious in that Old Covenant era. No one knew exactly who the Messiah would be or how he would accomplish our salvation. But enough light was given so that the faithful in Israel could believe. The light of the gospel of Jesus Christ came to the Old Covenant saints in different ways: through the promises of God, through prophecy, and through types. The promises and prophecies are rather easy for us to identify and understand. God spoke to Abraham, for example, and promised to bless the nations through one of his offspring. And God spoke, for example, through Jeremiah the prophet quite clearly concerning the coming New Covenant. Those who lived under the Old Covenant were always looking forward to something, therefore. They were awaiting the day when the Messiah would come to do his work and to establish his eternal kingdom, etc. The promises instructed to Abraham, and the prophecies which followed made it clear that the LORD still had work to do in regards to the accomplishment of our redemption. Even Moses spoke to Israel saying,  “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen—” (Deuteronomy 18:15, ESV). So even Moses directed the attention of the people to the future to someone greater than him who would accomplish something greater than he accomplished. 

The promises and prophecies of the Old Covenant make this clear. But here I am saying that the historical event of the Exodus along with the rituals that were given to Israel to commemorate that event — these had a prophetic and forward-looking quality to them. We call them types and shadows because they said something about the future, not through words, but through events, images, and figures. 

Perhaps the most obvious example is the blood of the Passover lamb. The LORD could have distinguished between the Hebrews and the Egyptians in any way that he wished. In fact, the LORD knows who are his, and so no sign was needed. But the LORD determined to use a sign to mark the Hebrews (and all who wished to identify with them by faith) off from the Egyptians. Why a sign? Answer: to signify or symbolize something. And why this sign? Why the blood of a lamb or goat on the doorposts? All who believe in Jesus Christ will agree it was to signify why Christ would do to save his people from their sins eternal damnation. He would shed his blood for us. He would die in our place. All who have the blood of Christ applied to them and received by faith will be cleansed and thus shielded from the just wrath of God. 

But consider this: we are able to identify this symbolism clearly and interpret it rightly only as we consider the blood of the Passover lamb in the light of the rest of scripture. If the Passover lamb were the only sign given, then its light would be very dim indeed. But tell me, do you remember how the LORD clothed Adam and Eve after they fell into sin and were ashamed of their nakedness? They tried to clothe themselves, but the LORD himself clothed them with animal skins. In other words, blood was shed, a sacrifice was made, and a covering was provided for Adam and Eve. And do you remember that story where Abraham was called to sacrifice his son Isaac to test his faith? Abraham obeyed the LORD knowing that the LORD would provide a way out. And what did the LORD do? He provided a substitute for Isaac. A ram was caught in the thicket to take Isaac’s place.  And consider the entire sacrificial system that was added under the Mosaic Covenant. What I am saying is this: we find a theme in the Old Testament scriptures. The wages of sin is death. Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness. God is gracious. He will provide a substitute. The New Testament is clear: This was all about Christ, our substitute. “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29, ESV), said John as he prepared the way for Jesus the Messiah.

The Passover feast reminded the Hebrews of the past, it reminded them of their identity in the present, but it was also forward-looking. It reminded Israel of the promises that were made to Adam and Eve, and to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, regarding one of their offspring who would bless the nations by providing redemption from sin, Satan, and the fear of death.

The law concerning the consecration of the firstborn sons did something similar. It reminded Israel of what their sins deserve. It reminded Israel of the grace that was available to them. They were made righteous through faith in the promised Messiah. And it communicated something to them about how their salvation would be accomplished, namely, through substitutionary atonement. They deserved to die (as do you and I), but someone would take their place. Every time a price of redemption was paid for a firstborn male of man or beast, this good news was pronounced to them.  

Listen carefully, brothers and sisters. The Exodus brought earthly deliverance. The Hebrews were rescued from Egypt. It did nothing, in and of itself, to accomplish spiritual and eternal deliverance. It was earth. And the Old Covenant that was instituted under Moses offered blessings and threatened curses as it pertained to life in the land. That covenant, in and of itself, did not provide for the forgiveness of sins and for eternal blessing. But the same grace that is available to you and I was available to them. Those who lived in that Old Covenant era could have their sins forgiven. How so? Through faith in the Messiah who presented to them through promises, prophecies, types, and shadows.  

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What Does It Mean For Us Today? 

We have considered what the text says. We have also considered what this text meant to Old Covenant Israel. Now let us take a moment to ask, what does this mean for us today?

First of all, it should be said that we are not obligated to observe the Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, or to redeem our firstborn sons with a substitute. These were laws given uniquely to Israel under the Mosaic Covenant. They were positive laws imposed upon a particular people, in a particular place, and for a particular time. But this does not mean that we should ignore the scriptures that speak of these things. No! Much can be gleaned from them. In fact, these laws do reveal Christ to us. They help us to see him clearly and to understand his person and work. The illustration that comes to mind is that of a painting. Think of a painting that tells a story, if you know what I mean. Imagine a central figure, and then imagine the background. What is the purpose of the background except to draw attention to and accentuate the central figure, whoever it is. And the background itself can contribute greatly to the overall story that is being told. And that reminds me of what we are doing as we handle these Old Testament books. We are analyzing background images. We are considering what they communicate in and of themselves, but we are also considering how they relate to Christ, the central figure of the story of redemption. These stories and these rituals make Christ pop. That’s what I am trying to say. And so we should cherish them.  They are the word of God. “[N]ot an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished” (Matthew 5:18, ESV).

Secondly, everything that was said regarding the rituals of the Old Covenant having significance for the people of God for the past, present, and future, may be said of us too as it pertains to the New Covenant ritual, which is the Lord’s Supper. 

The Lord’s Supper is to remind us of the past. Above all, it is to remind us of how Christ accomplished our redemption from sin, the kingdom of Satan, and the power of death through his life, death, burial, and resurrection. But must not merely remember the event. No, we must also consider its significance. 

The Lord’s Supper is also to remind us of our present identity, calling, and purpose. 

What is the identity of those who have faith in Christ? I’ll quote Peter. He wrote to New Covenant Christians saying, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” (1 Peter 2:9–10, ESV)

And what is our calling? I’ll continue with Peter: “Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation” (1 Peter 2:11–12, ESV).

Our mission is to “…make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that [Christ has] commanded you…” (Matthew 28:19–20, ESV).

When we partake of the Lord’s Supper we are reminded that we belong to the LORD. We have been reconciled to him through faith in the Messiah. He is our God and we are his people, and all of this is by his grace alone. This should produce humility in us along with holiness. 

And the Lord’s Supper also speaks to us concerning the future. When we partake of the Lord’s Supper on the Lord’s Day Sabbath we are reminded of the coming consummation of all things, the new heavens and earth, and the marriage supper of the Lamb that we will enjoy there when the all things are made new and glory of God fills all. 

Let us be sure to keep the festival in sincerity and truth, brothers and sisters. We must not allow it to become a dead ritual but must approach the Table thoughtfully with faith and thanksgiving in our hearts. 

Thirdly, parents and children may learn something from this passage today. 

Parents, teach your children the faith. You bring them to worship with you. They watch you partake of the Supper. Tell them what it means. They need to know what happened. But they also need to be urged to believe these things, to turn from their sins, and to trust in Christ for the forgiveness of sins. 

Children, may I encourage you to be curious about the faith and to ask questions of your parent or parents? If you are here listening to my words now, you are blessed. You are being raised in the faith. But this does not mean that you have faith. That is something you must do. You must turn from your sins and place your faith in Christ. You are not born into that. Your parents cannot do that for you. You must do it. And so I am urging you to be inquisitive. You are truly blessed — you are in a privileged position — if you have a parent or parents, a grandmother, relative, or some other person who has faith in Christ and is raising you in the faith. Ask them questions. Talk about what you see and what you hear. Be curious. Did you notice what our text said about that? “And when in time to come your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall say to him…” (Exodus 13:14, ESV), etc. Ask. Be curious. Want to learn. And the Lord’s Day is the best day for that. This is a day for rest and worship. It is a day for talking about the things of the Lord. Children, take the opportunity. Learn from your parents, and believe upon Christ who died for the sins of his people. 

New Testament Reading: Galatians 3:15–22

“To give a human example, brothers: even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, ‘And to offsprings,’ referring to many, but referring to one, ‘And to your offspring,’ who is Christ. This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void. For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise. Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary. Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one. Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.” (Galatians 3:15–22, ESV)

Old Testament Reading: Exodus 12:29-51

“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. 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. 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. Take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone, and bless me also!’ The Egyptians were urgent with the people to send them out of the land in haste. For they said, ‘We shall all be dead.’ So the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneading bowls being bound up in their cloaks on their shoulders. The people of Israel had also done as Moses told them, for they had asked the Egyptians for silver and gold jewelry and for clothing. And the LORD had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked. Thus they plundered the Egyptians. And the people of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children. A mixed multitude also went up with them, and very much livestock, both flocks and herds. And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough that they had brought out of Egypt, for it was not leavened, because they were thrust out of Egypt and could not wait, nor had they prepared any provisions for themselves. The time that the people of Israel lived in Egypt was 430 years. At the end of 430 years, on that very day, all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt. It was a night of watching by the LORD, to bring them out of the land of Egypt; so this same night is a night of watching kept to the LORD by all the people of Israel throughout their generations. And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, ‘This is the statute of the Passover: no foreigner shall eat of it, but every slave that is bought for money may eat of it after you have circumcised him. No foreigner or hired worker may eat of it. It shall be eaten in one house; you shall not take any of the flesh outside the house, and you shall not break any of its bones. All the congregation of Israel shall keep it. If a stranger shall sojourn with you and would keep the Passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised. Then he may come near and keep it; he shall be as a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person shall eat of it. There shall be one law for the native and for the stranger who sojourns among you.’ All the people of Israel did just as the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron. And on that very day the LORD brought the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their hosts.” (Exodus 12:29–51, ESV)

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

Introduction

There are four parts to our text for today. In verse 29 we find a very brief description of the outpouring of the tenth and final plague upon the Egyptians. In verses 30-32 we find a description of the initial reaction of the Egyptians. Verses 33-42 describe the beginning of the Hebrews’ exodus from Egypt. And finally, in verses 43-51 we find even more instructions concerning the ongoing observance of the Passover feast. I say “even more”, because we considered instructions for the observance of the passover in 12:1-28; in verses 43-51 even more instructions are given.  

By now you are probably getting the impression that this event was a very big deal in Israel’s history. This event — the outpouring of the tenth plague, which resulted in the death of the firstborns in Egypt of man and of cattle, along with the simultaneous shielding of the Hebrews — was a very big moment in Israel’s history, and understandably so.

It was this plague that finally broke Pharoah and the Egyptians leading to the release of the Hebrews. And at the same time, it was the greatest demonstration of the favor that God had shown to the Hebrews. Yes, the LORD had distinguished between the Hebrews and the Egyptians in the outpouring of previous plagues. For example, in the fourth plague there were flies throughout the land of Egypt, but God “set apart the land of Goshen, where [his] people [dwelt], so that no swarms of flies [were] be there, that [all would] know that [he is] the LORD in the midst of the earth” (Exodus 8:22, ESV). But here a distinction was made between Israel and Egypt in a particularly significant way. The firstborns of Egypt were put to death, but the Hebrews were shielded by the LORD. All of the other plagues were very awesome, but this one was exponentially more so. 

This event was a very big deal, for through it the LORD brought Israel out of Egypt to make them into a nation, just as he had promised. It is no wonder, then, that so much space is devoted in the exodus narrative to instructions for the ongoing observance of the Passover. You will notice that the actual description of the outpouring of the tenth and final plague is very, very brief — only one verse — verse 29. But instructions for the perpetual observance of the Passover memorial surround this text. The Hebrews were to celebrate the Passover year after year from this day forward to remember how the LORD had delivered them. The firstborn of Egypt were put to death, but the Hebrews were shielded by the LORD — he passed over their homes and they were spared. The Passover feast was a yearly holiday that prompted the Hebrews to remember this great act of deliverance. 

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What Happened When The Tenth Plague Was Poured Out?

So what happened when the tenth plague was poured out?

In verse 29 we read, “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.” (Exodus 12:29, ESV). 

We know that it was the LORD himself who executed this judgment, for in chapter 11 verse 4 Moses issued this warning, “Thus says the LORD: ‘About midnight I will go out in the midst of Egypt, and every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the slave girl who is behind the handmill, and all the firstborn of the cattle” (Exodus 11:4–5, ESV).

I do believe that this last plague must be viewed in light of the murder of the male Hebrew children that we learned about in Exodus chapter 1. You’ll remember that story, I’m sure. The Egyptians were concerned that the Hebrews were growing too strong, and so the Pharaoh commanded that the midwives put the male newborns to death. They would not, and so Pharaoh commanded that they be cast into the Nile. Moses’ own life was threatened by this decree, but he was spared by the LORD and through the actions of his faithful mother who, when she could hide him no longer, made a basket of reeds and sent him down the river. Pharaoh’s daughter found him, had compassion on him, and raised him in the palace. And here I am saying that this tenth plague — the death of the firstborns of Egypt — must be viewed against the backdrop of that history, not to mention the many, many years of brutal oppression endured by the Hebrew slaves at the hands of the Egyptians. 

So then, if anyone would dare to complain against God, saying, this is unjust!, they should be reminded of this history. The Egyptians were brutal to the Hebrews, and the LORD judged them for it. Or to state it in another way, the Egyptians were brutal to God’s son, Israel, and so the LORD did righteously judge the Egyptians by striking at their firstborns.   

Furthermore, attention should be drawn to the fact that it was the LORD who did this, and the Hebrews themselves. The LORD judged the Egyptians, and it is right to do so. He is the judge of all the earth. If it were the Hebrew people who rose up to kill the firstborns of Egypt, they themselves would be guilty of genocide. They would be no better than the Egyptians who committed genocide against them some 40 years earlier. It was the LORD who did this, and he has the right. 

This reminds me of what Paul says in Romans 12:19, “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord’” (Romans 12:19, ESV). You and I are not to take vengeance on our enemies. We are to leave that to the Lord. And here we have a prime example of the LORD taking vengeance on the enemies of his people. 

You know, this principle has application for us today. There are many in our culture who are obsessed with the idea that the evils committed by past generations must be made right in the present. Those whose ancestors were unjustly enslaved are to be compensated somehow, and those whose ancestors benefited in some way from that arrangement are to be punished. How you would go about sorting all of that out, I don’t know. It’s a mess. But I would assume that some might point to this Exodus story as an illustration in support of the principle of restitution. Look, the Hebrews were treated unjustly for generations, but they plundered the Egyptians as they left. And look, the Egyptians committed heinous acts against the Hebrew children, and now, forty years later, they are made to pay. 

Well, yes. But you overlook the very significant fact that this was the LORD’s doing. It was the LORD himself who passed through Egypt to execute this judgment upon the Egyptians. It was the LORD who poured out these plagues, moving the Egyptians to freely and willingly give silver, gold, and clothing to their Hebrew neighbors as they left. This was the LORD’s doing. In other words, this was not human vengeance. This was not man-made restitution. The Hebrews did not steal from the Egyptians, saying, now you must pay for the sins of your ancestors, nor did they rise up against the Egyptians in revolt, saying, do you remember when you put our children to death? Now we will do the same to yours! No, this was the LORD’s doing. He took vengeance upon the Egyptians in a way that only he can, for he has the right. He poured out his just judgment upon these wicked and oppressive people. 

The point I am trying to make is this: human beings can only go so far with justice. If we try to go too far with justice, it becomes unjust. How far can we take it? Well, at best our courts of law are able to hold men accountable for crimes that they themselves have committed. If one man has personally harmed another man, then restitution should be paid. Friends, we have a difficult time getting that right! Our ability to execute justice is very limited. Why? Because our knowledge is limited. Some things must simply be left to the LORD to sort out. He may sort things out a little bit in this life (as he did at the time of the Exodus), but he will sort everything out thoroughly and with perfect exactness on the last day. 

And you had better be found in Christ, friends, for none are innocent. Not even you, the “oppressed”. Here is another cultural trend that we see today. Men and women — especially young men and women — love to think of themselves as oppressed. In fact, many young people will identify themselves with as many “oppressed” groups as possible, so as to be most oppressed, and thus, most deserving of respect and privilege. Those who have bought into this lie, who view themselves as the self-righteous oppressed,  will have a rude awakening on the last when they stand before God and see that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23, ESV), and that “None is righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10, ESV). It would be far better for them to learn this lesson now and to know that “the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23, ESV), so they might turn to him for the forgiveness of sins. 

So, back to our text. What happened when the tenth plague was poured out? The LORD put the firstborn of Egypt to death, of man and cattle. 

When did this happen? The text says, “at midnight”, which in the Hebrew simply means, in the middle of the night. We know from the previous passage that this happened on the 14th day of the first month of the Hebrew lunar calendar, which is called Abib, or Nisan. It was Springtime. It was that time of year that you and I call April. And in what year? We would say, in approximately 1,450 B.C. So all of this happened nearly 1,500 years before Jesus Christ was born, or approximately 3,500 years ago from today. 

Children, I would like to quiz you to see if you are listening. 

What happened when the tenth plague was poured out? The firstborn of Egypt died. 

What happened to the Hebrews? The LORD shielded them.

What was the sign that those in a household had faith in the LORD so that they were protected on that night? The blood of the lamb around the door frame. 

How long ago did this happen? About 3,500 years ago, 1,500 years before Christ was born. 

What festival or holiday were the people of Israel to observe to remember this moment? The Passover.

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How Did The Egyptians Respond?

So we have asked, what happened? Now let us consider how the Egyptians responded. 

First, the Egyptians mourned. Verse 30 says, “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” (Exodus 12:30, ESV). This was a truly awful judgment. And to acknowledge that it was awful does not mean that it was unjust. God does not do wrong, but right when he judges sinners.  

Secondly, the Egyptians demanded that the Hebrews leave, and how they are permitted to take their livestock too, which was a point of disagreement before. In verse 31 we read, “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’” (Exodus 12:31, ESV). This does not contradict what was said before about Moses never seeing Pharaoh’s face again. It is likely that this command to leave was issued, not by Pharaoh himself, but by his servants. 

Thirdly, Pharaoh requested that Moses bless him also. I find this very interesting. No, I do not think this means that Pharoah came to have true saving faith. In fact, we will see that Pharoah will change his mind yet again and will pursue the Hebrews to destroy them. But he was convinced by these great acts of judgment that the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, was to be feared. 

Also, this little request from Pharoah — “and bless me also” — is meant to remind us of Israel’s purpose from the beginning. Do you remember what God said to Abraham when he called him? “Now the LORD said to Abram, ‘Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed’” (Genesis 12:1–3, ESV). This little request from Pharoah is meant to remind us of the fact that Israel was made into a nation in the days of Moses to bless the nations. Pharaoh would not get this blessing, for he persisted in unbelief. But there is something prophetic about this request. As Israel leaves to become a nation, Pharaoh, the King of Egypt said, “bless me also”. Indeed, Egypt would be blessed by Israel, not right away, but in the fullness of time when the Messiah would come to die, not for the Hebrews only, but also for the nations. 

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The Exodus

Now, verses 33 through 41 describe the beginning of the Hebrew’s exodus from Egypt. 

The Egyptians sent them away very quickly, reasoning that if they did not they would all soon be dead! Never did the LORD threaten such a thing. In his mercy, his judgments against the Egyptians were restrained to the firstborns. But you could understand why the Egyptians felt this way! So Israel was sent away with haste. “So the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneading bowls being bound up in their cloaks on their shoulders” (Exodus 12:34, ESV). They were going on a long journey and they would need food to eat at the beginning, and so they took unleavened bread, just as the LORD had commanded. 

In verses 34 through 36 we hear that the Hebrews were sent away with silver, gold, and clothing from the Egyptians. They did not steal it, but asked for it, as Moses had commanded. The LORD gave the Hebrews “favor” in the sight of the Egyptians, and so they went out with great possessions. 

In verses 37 through 40 we read, “And the people of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children. A mixed multitude also went up with them, and very much livestock, both flocks, and herds. And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough that they had brought out of Egypt, for it was not leavened, because they were thrust out of Egypt and could not wait, nor had they prepared any provisions for themselves. The time that the people of Israel lived in Egypt was 430 years” (Exodus 12:37–40, ESV).

I need to make a few remarks about these verses. 

One, you should know that there are differences of opinion regarding the number of people who went out from Egypt. The ESV says 600,000 men, which would put the total number at well over a million, perhaps close to 2,000,000 including women and children. But some scholars note that the Hebrew word translated as “thousand”, can also be used to refer to a clan, or to a military unit. And so they argue that the text does not say, 600,000 men, but rather 600 clans or units of men, as in military units. This would put the total number of men in the tens of thousands, rather than hundreds of thousands. May I confess that I’m not entirely sure what to think about this? I need to study this issue further. But I still lean rather strongly in the direction of understanding the text to mean 600,000 men, for that seems to best fit with the number that is given in Exodus 38:26, and Numbers 1:46, 2:32, 11:21, and 26:51. I mention this to you so that you might know this is a point of debate. 

Two, whatever the number, the people of Israel are spoken of in military terms. In verse 51 we read, “And on that very day the LORD brought the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their hosts” (Exodus 12:51, ESV). This echos what was said in 12:17. “Hosts” is probably a military term, and so Israel is to be viewed as an army. This will become significant as the Exodus story progresses. Israel will be called to fight and to conquer nations, as you know. 

Three, here in verse 38 we learn that Israel was not a homogeneous group at the beginning, but that a “mixed multitude” went out from Egypt. The majority were no doubt Hebrews, that is to say, descendants of Abraham. But other ethnicities also joined themselves to the Hebrews. How many were Egyptians, we do not know. Perhaps some witnessed the plagues, came to fear the LORD, and even believed in him, forsaking their homeland to sojourn with Moses and the Hebrews. Certainly, there were other ethnic groups enslaved by the Egyptians, and they took the opportunity to leave as well. This was a mixed multitude. This will help to explain the trouble that Israel would have with idolatry in the wilderness. The Hebrews were not probably not pure in their beliefs and practices,  but there were others influencing the nation in a bad way too. It quickly became a challenge for Moses and for Aaron. That a “mixed multitude” went up out of Egypt does help us to see that this whole thing was not ultimately about race, but faith, from the beginning. Though God would deal with the Hebrews in a special way for a time, foreigners could join themselves to Israel by faith. This principle would of course explode when the Messiah came and the New Covenant was inaugurated, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16, ESV).

Four, unleavened bread is mentioned here yet again. I think this is to further emphasize the feast of unleavened bread that the Israelites were to observe in connection with the Passover. 

Five, the text says that Israel lived in Egypt for 430 years. The question we must ask is, when did the clock start? Did the clock start when Jacob left Canaan with his family to settle in Egypt in the days when his son Joseph ruled there? Or did the clock start at an earlier time? In fact, there is very good reason to believe that the clock started at an earlier time. 

Consider a few things:

One, when Paul the Apostle speaks of this 430 year period of time he marks the beginning of it with the call of Abram and the promise that was made to him as recorded in Genesis 12. This is found in that Galatian 3 passage which we have already read. There Paul says, “To give a human example, brothers: even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, ‘And to offsprings,’ referring to many, but referring to one, ‘And to your offspring,’ who is Christ. This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void.” (Galatians 3:15–17, ESV). Please follow me. The promise that Paul here refers to is the promise that was made to Abraham as recorded in Genesis 12. That marks the beginning of the 430 years according to Paul. And what marks the end of the 430 years except the giving of the law of Moses. Paul’s argument in Galatians is that the law of Moses was added to the promises previously made to Abraham, and that the added law does not do away with the promises previously given. Paul argues in this way to demonstrate that salvation was never found in the keeping of the law of Moses, but always through faith in the promise concerning the Messiah. I tried to convince you in the previous sermon that the civil and ceremonial laws revealed in the days of Moses were positive laws, or laws that were added. This is exactly what Paul argues, and it is a very important concept if we are to rightly interpret the law of Moses. But here is what I’m trying to show you now. Paul, under the inspiration of the Spirit, says that the 430 years began, not with Jacob’s entry into Egypt, but when Abraham was called. 

Two, in Acts 7 we hear Stephen say this regarding the affliction of Abraham’s descendants: “And God spoke to this effect—that [Abraham’s] offspring would be sojourners in a land belonging to others, who would enslave them and afflict them four hundred years” (Acts 7:6, ESV). So Paul says 430 years, and Steven says 400 years. Why the different numbers? Some assume that Steven was simply rounding down, but that is not the case. In fact, Steven in his sermon was referring to that passage in Genesis 15 where God cut the covenant with Abraham. Do you remember that text? Abraham saw a vision of divided animals and the LORD walked between them symbolized by a smoking firepot. It was there in that episode that the LORD said to Abraham, among other things, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions” (Genesis 15:13–14, ESV).

So it is clear from these texts that Israel left Egypt 430 years after God first called Abraham and promised to bless him and to bless the nations in him, and 400 years after he walked through the divided animals before Abraham to affirm his promise regarding many descendants. 

Three, it is interesting that the Septuagint, which is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament renders Exodus 12:40 this way: “The time that the people of Israel lived in Egypt and in Canaan was 430 years.” Canaan was the land where Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob lived. And the Septuagint clarifies what is meant by the Hebrew, saying, “The time that the people of Israel lived in Egypt and in Canaan was 430 years.” This agrees perfectly with what Paul and Steven say in Galatians 3 and Acts 7.

So what’s going on here? I think it is this. The Hebrew word translated in the ESV as “lived” in Exodus 12:40 can mean other things. For example, it can mean “endured”. And indeed the descendants of Abraham did live, or endure, “Egypt” for 430 from the time that Abraham was called, and 400 years from when he saw that vision. The patriarchs endured affliction as sojourners in a land not their own knowing that bondage was in the future for their descendants — bondage in a foreign nation stood in between the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and the promised land. In this sense even they lived in or endured Egypt. 

The Septuagint, Paul, and Steven all agree. The clock started in the days of Abraham. This means that the Hebrews actually lived in Egypt for much less than 430, and they suffered as slaves only after the Pharoah who knew Joseph has died. All of that fits quite nicely with what the LORD said to Abraham in Genesis 15: “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete” (Genesis 15:13–16, ESV). Israel lived in Egypt and was afflicted as slaves for only four generations, a generation typically being counted as about 30 or 40 years.

Why have I taken the time to work through the question of when the clock started on the 430 years? In part, it is to show you that the scriptures are reliable. What appears to be contradictions are not contradictions, but matters of translation or interpretation. There is no contradiction between the 430 years of Exodus 12, the 430 years of Galatians 3, the 400 years of Acts 7, or the remark about the fourth generation in Genesis 15. They all agree so long as we consider each text carefully.

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The Statute Of The Passover 

I will move very quickly through the last portion of our text for today. In verses 43 through 49 more instructions are given concerning the observance of the Passover festival. 

Consider how much emphasis is placed on the observance of the Passover. Verses 1 through 28 of chapter 12 provide instructions for the observance of the yearly Passover. A very small portion of the text describes the tenth plague, the preservation of the Hebrews, and the beginning of the exodus. And then in verses 43 through 49 we find more instructions for the observance of the Passover. In fact, these instructions continue all the way through 13:16 as the LORD gives instructions for the consecration of the firstborns of the Hebrews and the observance of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. 

You know, as you read all of this you kind of start to get the impression that God rescued these people from Egyptian bondage for religious purposes… And that is the point. They were redeemed… to worship and serve the Lord. They were redeemed… to be a holy people. They were redeemed… to bring the Messiah into the world and to bless the nations in him. This point will come to the forefront as we progress through Exodus, and especially as we consider the rest of the Pentetuch. And here it begins… keep the Passover, keep the Passover, keep the Passover.

If there is anything unique about these instructions for keeping the Passover found in 12:43-49 it is that the Passover is to be kept by Israel, and not by the nations. This festival would mark Israel off as holy. And so it is with baptism and the Lord’s Supper. These are all sacraments which signify that those who partake are the Lord’s special possession. But did you notice that it was not just ethic Hebrews who were invited to keep the Passover? No, foreigners could observe it too, provided that they join themselves to Israel by faith. Verse 48: “If a stranger shall sojourn with you and would keep the Passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised. Then he may come near and keep it; he shall be as a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person shall eat of it.” (Exodus 12:48, ESV)

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Suggestions For Application

Please allow me to bring this to a conclusion with three very brief suggestions for application. 

The first has to do with knowledge and Bible reading. When you read the Scriptures you need to be aware of where you are at in the history of redemption with respect to God’s covenantal dealings lest you get lost and disoriented. To state things succinctly, things were different for Adam before the fall than they were for him afterwards. And things were different from the call of Abraham than they were for Moses and the Israelites from the exodus onward. And things are different for those of us who live after the resurrection of Christ. And what makes the difference? Covenants. The covenants that God has entered into with man make the difference. Covenants establish the terms of man’s relationship with God. When you read the scriptures you need to know where you are in relation to the history of redemption and the covenants. Many errors have been made theologically because of confusion on this point. Kids (and adults), learn your history. Memorize some dates, even if you only do so roughly. Learn about these individuals that we find in this scriptures, and consider the covenants that God transacted with them. It will be a great help to you in understanding our faith. 

Secondly, learn to see Christ as the fulfillment of these Old Testament events and institutions. This is what Christ taught his disciples to do. After his resurrection he met with them and said, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled” (Luke 24:44, ESV). All of Paul’s teaching was centered around the principle that Christ was mysteriously revealed in the Old Testaments through prophecies, promises, types and shadows. We must learn to read the Old Testament in the same way, for it is the way that it was meant to read. And as we see Christ in the Old Testament Scriptures, may we come to love, appreciate, and cherish him all the more. 

Thirdly, let us not forget that just as Israel was redeemed to worship, so too were we. Israel was to faithfully keep the Passover from the exodus onward. They often failed. But may we be found faithful to keep the festival that the Messiah has given to us free from evil in sincerity and truth, for Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed for sins and for our eternal redemption.