The Way Out - If Judgment Is Silenced, Grace Loses Its Depth
Some days matter more than others:
Graduation - especially Med School and Residency fam
Student Loan Debt final payment
Diagnosis - Healed or Cancer Free
Wedding Day
Birth of children
Exodus 12 stands above the rest in Jewish memory.
This day, these events, are still recounted today.
Leading up to Exodus 12 God has brought 9 plagues upon Egypt.
They have grown with intensity
Pharaoh heart has hardened with each plague
Through it all > the Egyptian people are seeing the power and authority of God
Even Pharaoh's own officials are saying...Just let them go! Egypt is dying!
And now, the final plague, #10 - will fall upon everyone, but it's directed squarely at Pharaoh.
God has seen the injustice and evil in Egypt.
It's not only the false idols and false worship of these powerless gods and goddess that have been undone by each plague that are evil.
It's the killing, slavery, beating, and treatment of His people, the Israelites.
God has seen and God has heard the cries and prayers of His people.
And so...we arrive at Exodus 12 - and it's a sort of Poetic Justice:
Remember the command of the Pharaoh, 80 years ago, when Moses was born >> Kill firstborn Hebrew boys
Did God care about this injustice?
Was there any justice coming for this great evil?
God is delivering to the Pharaoh and gods & goddesses of Egypt a message...
You are powerless, you are undone, you cannot enact great evil and injustice, harden your heart against me and expect nothing.
Now...Death of the Firstborn will fall upon Egypt, and not upon the Israelites.
We are forced to wrestle with this truth in Exodus 12 >> Our God is holy and righteous and He has promised to bring judgment to sin and evil.
Evil and Injustice does not have the last laugh.
Demonic powers that corrupt will be cast down.
God is a Judge - He does not overlook sin, and there is Judgment.
I know this my bring tension of discomfort to you > The judgment or wrath of God isn't a popular topic, but it's necessary and true.
Our culture preaches:
Love as unconditional affirmation - and therefore is God is love, then God unconditionally affirms me.
This coupled with Tolerance as the highest virtue - "You do you"
Leads to - God doesn't judge
Or at a minimum judgment is replaced with forgiveness at every turn so judgment can be overlooked.
Listen:
Our God is Love
Our God forgives
AND
Our God does not affirm or accept sin - yours or mine
God is Holy and Just
AND
God is the only Judge!
Here is why this matters > If judgment is silenced, grace loses its depth
Hold onto this throughout this message.
We pick up with God giving instructions to Moses for the people to following ahead of the 10th plague - Death of the Firstborn.
EX: 12:2 - "This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year."
There is a reset taking place.
Everything is being made new
The people are to understand > The past is gone, the present is grace, and the future is hope!
God is doing a new thing!
We read in V.3-11 these very specific instructions...
On the 10th day of the month every household is to take a lamb.
And if one lamb is too much food / meat for your household, then you should share with your closest neighbor.
This provision is for those who might not be able to afford an entire lamb - their neighbors will sustain them.
For the people of God are family.
AND > The lamb chosen can't be any lamb...
It must be "year old males without defect"
No blemishes / spotless
Take good care of these lambs until the 14th day - at twilight- kill them.
Then...Everyone must be thinking > "Cook them, have a nice family meal, thank God..."
Not yet >> Take the blood and wipe it, like paint, with hyssop branches (local plant) on the sides and top of the doorframe.
Then...Roast it with bitter herbs and bread made without yeast.
Don't eat it raw or boiled, it must be roasted over a fire.
And not just the choice pieces
All of it
Eat every bit of the lamb - and if by morning any if leftover - burn it.
Wow, this is getting oddly specific.
That's not all > There is a certain attire for you to wear.
Cloak tucked into your belt
Sandals on your feet
Staff in your hand.
God is saying...Eat with Speed Mode activated.
Cloak tucked in ready to run, so you don't trip
Sandals on, when customary shoes are immediately taken off at the door
Staff not by the door, but in your hand.
This, God says...is the Lord's Passover.
Here is God's promise of what happens next...
V.12-13 -- 12 “On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. 13 The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.
Heavy - and so, Moses relays the specific instructions to the people.
The 14th day of the month has come...
The Israelites have already chosen their lamb, cared for it, and at twilight slaughter it
Hyssop branches are taken to paint the blood on the doorframes
The fires are ready with the herbs
Cooking begins and the meal is served
And once they walk through that door, covered in blood, the do not leave until the morning.
That night - the Firstborn in Egypt, from Pharaoh to the prisoner, to even the livestock firstborn were struck down.
Cries rang out across Egypt - in every place, except Goshen, where the Israelites were eating roasted lamb in silence.
Pharaoh, the supposed incarnate god of the sun, Ra - was powerless over death.
And the next Pharaoh, the next Sun God, Ra, was dead.
You can imagine the cries...
Where is Isis, the goddess of fertility?
Where is Min, the god of reproduction?
Where is Hathor, the god who attended to childbirth?
Where is Pharaoh?
All supposedly omnipotent - all powerful - No so!
This plague has exposed the idolatry of Egypt, the false deities, and the Pharaoh himself...
AND just as God said...Pharaoh finally relents.
He tells Moses & Aaron - Go! Up! Leave with all the Israelites to worship your God. Take all the flocks and herds - no restrictions
All of Egypt was behind the Israelites leaving - for the God of Israel is the God of Power and Authority over all.
They were afraid they would all die
AND so > they helped escort them out - and provided (as God originally promised) gold, silver, clothing.
The things they needed to setup trade and establish a functioning society
The Israelites departed - walking about 2 days to Sukkoth (about 30 miles away into the wilderness) - around 2 million people and livestock in all.
This is where we pause the story.
The chapter closes with God telling Moses & Aaron...
This day, says the Lord, you shall commemorate for generations.
It's a lasting ordinance
A festival to the Lord each year
Then, there is one restriction: No foreigner may partake in this meal.
Brings up a question: Is the Passover Meal an ethnic or cultural meal alone?
No
Because V.48 of Exodus 12 gives permission for foreigners to partake if...
They identify as part of the Covenant Family of God.
This is a faith ordinance for the covenant people of God - for those who trust and believe in the Yahweh, One, True God.
The restriction is - You cannot partake if you are not of the faith.
If you don't belong to God, then you can't celebrate a Passover Meal symbolizing the deliverance you don't identify with
If this is a faith ordinance, then are you the basis of this deliverance?
Is is possibly that those of faith are better or special?
No - The basis of deliverance is not the faithfulness of God's people, but the faithfulness of God.
It is "the Lord's Passover! - not your paint job!
It's God's Salvation, not your Decoration!
It's God's Deliverance, not your Diligence!
NOTICE > Israel wasn't removed from the judgment.
The destroyer was coming to every house!
The Israelites were guilty of sin and evil too.
They were not better or special, the were recipients of grace.
It would have been easy for the Israelites to think they were better or special compared to the Egyptians.
Thinking..."We are pagans like them"
Thinking..."God did not bring the plagues upon us, we were set apart."
Yes, and these things are true, but God is reminding them of His grace and mercy.
They are not better
In fact, we know before God poured out His grace upon them, they were idol worshippers too, just like the Egyptians.
And not just in the past, but while living in Egypt!
The Israelites are "passed over" not because they are special, but because of the blood of the Lamb.
Judgement comes for sin, but mercy is given because of the Lamb that was slain.
It was only because of this!
Maybe you think >Why the sacrifice of the lamb?
Why the blood?
We brush over this or ignore it in our culture of > "I am good. I am capable. I am powerful potential incarnate."
But here is the spiritual reality > Ezekiel 18:20 - "The soul who sins dies."
Sin in all its forms is rebellion and resistance to the will and person of a Holy God.
Illustration: Making Cookies / Drop of Poison
God cannot consume one bite of sin, for He is holy.
Sin is so serious it deserves the ultimate judgment, death.
But God, provided a way!
The lamb had to die for the households to be saved in Egypt.
Hints of substitutionary atonement before the Passover:
Adam & Eve in their sin and shame, after breaking God's only command, were covered by coats of skin.
This was God's provision.
They covered themselves with leaves
God sacrificed animals to cover them
Abraham & Isaac - God provided the lamb for sacrifice.
And God did, a ram stuck in the thorn bush.
A Ram presumably, covered with a crown of thorns
Here in Exodus we see...
One lamb for a household
Sacrificial system on day of atonement - one lamb for a nation
All of this points to...Jesus - the Lamb of God sacrificed for the world!
1 Cor 5:7 - Christ our Passover Lamb
The innocent and perfect One (spotless)
Who, not by force, but willingly substituted His life for all of those who come under and stand behind the blood.
When Jesus approached John the Baptist in John, chapter 1 - John says...Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"
We were redeemed with "the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect." (1 Peter 1:19)
Jesus' blood is our hope!
If sin isn't serious, then the cross isn't necessary!
If you aren't sobered by the weight of God's judgment, then how can you see the astounding good news of Christ's mercy?
When you see - God is Holy - God is Just
God must punish sin and will destroy evil
BUT God made a way of salvation - a means of Pass Over - in Jesus Christ
the Spotless, Innocent, Sacrificial Lamb of God - Substituted in your place.
Who exposes the false idols and powers of this world
And invites you into an immediate deliverance
Where you past is gone, your present is grace, and your future is hope
Tuck in your cloak, put on your shoes, grab your staff - He's promised to bring out of captivity and into freedom
Ephesians 2:4-5 - 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.
How is salvation received?
How can you know the judgment of God will pass over you?
Faith!
Hebrews 11:28
28 By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.
Salvation is not found through your good works or effort.
Salvation is not because you are better or special.
We are all foreigners - prone to worship idols - and with hearts resistant to God - but God's grace is available.
God comes to us with His Word - and it's not ambiguous.
Salvation is found in Jesus, and Jesus alone!
You can be around the God's people.
You can implement some of the truth and wisdom found in the Scriptures followed by God's people.
You can look favorably on Jesus.
But if you are not under the blood
If you haven't walked through that door
the door of faith in Jesus the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world through His life, death, and resurrection.
Then...there is no deliverance.
Because it's not ethnicity, it's not goodness, it's not effort, it's not wishful thinking that secures salvation.
It's the grace of God through faith in Jesus that makes you alive, when you were once dead - facing judgment.
If judgment is silenced, grace loses its depth
For it is the judgment we deserved that makes His sacrifice our only hope!
Thank you Jesus, you have saved my life!
Come under the blood of the Lamb of God tonight >
Rejoice or Repent > just don't Refuse
