Departure From Egypt

TRANSCRIPT

Our text for tonight's message is taken from Exodus chapter 12, verse 29 to 42. The time had come for God to execute His judgment. He had commanded the Israelites to observe the Passover and the Feast of the Unleavened Bread. We have learned that in our previous messages, the Israelites had taken the blood of the Passover Lamb and placed it on the doors and on top of it, and in sight of every door. When God saw the blood, He passed over the house. That is where we get the word Passover – holding back death based on the blood of the Lamb.

The children of Israel believed that they could be saved by the blood, and so it was a public testimony of their faith. But the rest of the houses of Egypt did not have the sign of salvation. They did not have faith in the blood. So, all the firstborn were killed, including the firstborn of the animals.

Now we have come to the passage that speaks about the departure of the Israelites from Egypt. So, that will be our title “Departure from Egypt.” We want to draw some spiritual lessons that we can apply into our lives, and our first point is “The Basis of Salvation”.

I. The Basis of Salvation

Let us begin with verse 29, “And it came to pass, that at midnight the Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle.” When death strikes, there is no exception – from the firstborn of Pharaoh, his eldest son, the prince of Egypt who would eventually take over his father's throne, to the prisoner in the dungeon, to all the firstborn of the animals – there was no exception.

By visiting death on the Egyptians while at the same time protecting His people, God was declaring the basis for salvation. The distinction God made on that night was the same one He had always made. It was the distinction between those who had faith in the blood of the Lamb and those who did not believe. And on the basis of that difference would rest the eternal destiny of every human being who has ever lived on the face of this Earth.

Even from the beginning, when God made a coat of animal's skin to cover the guilt of the sin of Adam and Eve, to the time of Cain and Abel who brought their offerings to God, the basis of salvation was always the same – it was the blood of the Lamb. Cain brought the fruit of the land, signifying his own human efforts, while Abel brought the firstborn of his flock, signifying the animal sacrifice which God required. Cain's sacrifice was rejected, while Abel's sacrifice was accepted. We see a clear distinction. That was how people were saved – they received atonement through the blood of the sacrificial lamb as a substitute for their sins.

In the New Testament, when our Lord Jesus, the perfect ultimate Lamb of God, came, He offered the same salvation on the same basis. Jesus said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:53-54). Obviously, Jesus was not speaking about drinking His blood in a literal sense, but rather, He was speaking about His crucifixion where He shed His blood for our sins. Jesus was teaching that eternal life depends on believing in the blood sacrifice He had made on the cross of Calvary. That was why, in Revelation 7:14, the Bible tells us the saints who came out of the tribulation will wash clean and made white. How were the saints washed clean and made white? By the blood of the Lamb.

Only the blood of the Lamb is able to wash away our sins. Tragically, the Egyptians did not have faith in the blood, and therefore, not a single family was spared – from the greatest to the lowest, from the Pharaoh to the criminal in the prison – none could escape.

Dear friend, this is a picture of all the people in this world as well. When it comes to God's judgment, no one will ever receive any special treatment. The rich may travel first class all the time and eat at the finest restaurants all their lives, but in the final judgment, God will not look at their bank accounts. At the same time, the poor will not receive any special consideration just because their lives were much more difficult. God is no respecter of persons; He would judge everyone by the same standard. God does not care what race we are, how much money we have, which school you go to, what company you work for, or even how good you are. What matters to God is whether or not you trust and believe in His Son, whether or not you trust and believe in the blood of His Son. Those who do not trust and believe will be lost forever, and those who trust and believe will be safe for all eternity. This is the great divide between salvation and condemnation – it is by the blood.

I pray that all of us who are attending this prayer meeting have belief in the Lord Jesus Christ and we believe that we can only be saved by the blood of the Lamb. Only the blood of Jesus Christ can wash away our sins.

II. The Pharaoh’s Surrender

Our second point is “The Pharaoh's surrender”. Verse 30, “And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead.” Death is a most painful experience, especially the death of our loved ones. To lose your child, your firstborn child, must be the worst kind of pain you can ever experience. Therefore, the whole of Egypt was awakened from their sleep because there was death in every house. That was why the cry was so great.

Previously, the Pharaoh had said to Moses, “Get away from me; if you ever see me again on that day, you shall die.” Remember in Exodus 10:28. Now he was going to eat his own words because he was so shaken by the death of his own firstborn, as well as all the firstborn of Egypt, that he was the one running to Moses. Look at verse 31, “And he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve the Lord, as ye have said.” In the past, the Pharaoh had said, “You can go, but don't go too far,” and then he went back on his words. And later on, he said, “You can go, but you must leave behind your women and children,” and again he went back on his words. And later on, he said, “You can go, but you must leave behind your animals.” He was always holding back something. But here, in this tenth plague, it was a total surrender. He said, “All of you go – you and the children of Israel. Go and serve the Lord, as you have said.” Can you imagine the most powerful man in Egypt, perhaps in the whole ancient world, because at that time Egypt was the superpower, having to wake up in the middle of the night and going to Moses and saying to him, “Get up, get up and go”? In other words, he was not only letting the people go; he was begging them to leave. It was a total surrender, completely and absolutely.

What lessons can we learn from here? No one can ever fight against God; no one can ever hold back anything from God. Sometimes we hold back something in our lives, whether it be our time, our resources, our commitment. We are not willing to give to God our time. Even if we are willing to give some of our time, we are not willing to part with our money, and even if we are willing to part with some of our money, we are not willing to be committed to God a hundred percent. What God wants from us is a total surrender, but we always want to hold back something. And all it takes is for God to allow certain trials and tribulations to creep into our lives, and the very thing we held onto so tightly will be reduced to nothing – absolutely nothing. Think about this: if we are lying on our deathbed, what is time to us? Time will be nothing. If you lose everything in a financial crisis, money is nothing. If you lose your health, your strength is nothing. And then, we cry out to God, 'You are the Almighty God; You are my Creator; everything I have belongs to You – take everything. All to Thee I surrender.' Remember the hymn we used to sing? All it takes is for a particular trial to come into our lives, and then we will realise that we are indeed nothing. Nothing we can hold back from God. And not only that – notice, the Pharaoh went on to say in verse 32, “Also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone; and bless me also.” Isn't it amazing that Pharaoh said, “Before you leave, please bless me also”? Previously, he had asked Moses to pray for him. Here, he was asking for a blessing, a benediction. But there will be no blessing for the Pharaoh, because no man can ever receive God's blessing without turning to Him in repentance and in faith. God will not bless a person who does not want to repent of his sins.

Dear friends, almost everyone wants God's blessing. Even unbelievers who do not believe in Jesus Christ sometimes ask for prayers of blessing. Some would ask for blessings on their sickbeds; others want to be married in a church or to be buried by the church because they think that they could receive blessings for doing those things. But God's blessing is only for those who trust and believe in Him. In Moses' time, God only blessed those people who were covered by the blood of the Passover Lamb. Today, God only blesses those who trust and believe in Jesus Christ, the ultimate Lamb of God who made the perfect sacrifice on the cross of Calvary. If you do not come to God by faith through His Son, Jesus Christ, you will not be blessed by Him. Have you come to Jesus? Have you believed in Him? Do you trust in Him totally, entirely, absolutely? Only those who trust in Him will receive God's blessing.

Perhaps you are a believer. You have recently bought a new house, and you want God to bless your house and your family. But there will be no blessing if Christ is not the centre of your house and your family. He must be the centre, the focus, the most important person in your house. Or perhaps you are troubled by some afflictions or even facing the prospect of death, and you desperately want the prayer or blessing. But why would God want to bless you? Think about this: if your life, your recovery, your good health has nothing to do with Him and His glory, why would He want to bless someone who has absolutely nothing to do with Him?

Sometimes people would ask for jobs and opportunities, for protection, for healing, for journey mercies. And when they receive those things, they say, 'Thank God for His blessing.' But then, with the new job, with better health, they will become so busy that they have no time for God, no time for worship, no time for prayer meetings, no time for fellowship groups. Are they not just like the ten lepers who cried out, and then God was so gracious to heal them? Only one returned to give thanks to God. Indeed, we must always remember that everything we have, everything we receive, and whoever we are, all our blessings come from God. The moment we forget that, we will be in deep spiritual trouble.

III. The Egyptians Rendering of Their Gold and Silver

Our third and final point is “The Egyptians Rendering of Their Gold and Silver”. Verse 33, “And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste; for they said, We all be dead men.” The word 'urgent' means they were strong in urging the Israelites to leave because they were afraid. The longer they lingered on, the more dangerous it would be – all the Egyptians could be killed. So not only the Pharaoh was keen in letting the people go; all the Egyptians were begging them to leave.

Verse 34, “And the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneadingtroughs being bound up in their clothes upon their shoulders.” The Israelites had no time to waste, they took their unleavened dough together with their bowls and their clothes, put it on their shoulders, about to leave. But there was one more thing. Remember God had promised Abraham that his descendants would come out from slavery with great possessions. If you can turn with me to Genesis 15:13-14. Let me read for you Genesis 15:13, “And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them;” – so they will be in this land called Egypt, and they shall be serving the Egyptian taskmasters – “and they shall afflict them four hundred years; And also that nation,” – which was Egypt – “whom they shall serve, will I judge." Did God judge? Yes, He did. He sent the ten plagues, so all these promises came to pass. But there was one more. God said, "And afterward shall they come out with great substance." So all these prophecies were fulfilled. One more to go, and that was the Israelites would come out of Egypt with great possessions. God's promise will surely come to pass.

Dear friends, every promise in the Bible will surely come to pass. When I was a young Christian, an old Pastor taught me, when you read the Bible and you come across a commandment, put a "C" at the side. When you come across a promise, put a "P" at the side. So I was very diligent to do that. In the end, my Bible was full of Cs and Ps. Indeed, the Bible is filled with God's promises, and His promises will surely come to pass. So all those things God said had already been fulfilled, only one more to go. That was why verse 35 says, "And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: And the Lord gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians."

Previously, we have already considered some of the questions people may ask: Is it right for the Israelites to plunder the Egyptians? Is it right for the Israelites to steal, as in borrowing with no intention to return? It is all because of the word "borrow." The original words for borrow and lend is the same word. Here the word "borrow" simply means to ask, like you ask somebody for something. When the Bible talks about asking or borrowing with the promise to return, it uses another Hebrew word. So basically, this word "borrow" here means ask. That is why the Bible makes no mention of any promise to return the jewels of silver and jewels of gold. And all the Israelites needed to do was just to ask, and the Egyptians would freely give, gladly give. How could that be possible? Because God was the one who caused the Egyptians to look upon the Israelites with much favour. The word "favour" and the word "grace," they are the same words. In other words, they looked upon the Israelites with grace and with acceptance.

Remember, the Egyptians were the oppressors, the taskmasters. They were the enemies, and now they looked upon the Israelites with much grace and acceptance. What lessons can we learn from here? If God is for us, who can be against us? If God is willing, even our greatest enemy will turn from his aggression and look upon us with much grace and acceptance. Do you believe that? Well, this is the lesson we can learn from here. Even the taskmasters, perhaps the greatest enemy of the Israelites, God is able to cause them to look upon the Israelites with much favour. So if you are facing adversities, hostilities, animosities from people who are against you, well, look to the One. If God is willing, they will turn from their aggression, and then they will look upon you with favour. Pray to Him. With man, it is impossible, but with God, all things are made possible.

Verse 37, before that, well, the last phrase says, "And they spoiled the Egyptians." Now that word is "plunder." It is a military word, which speaks of victory. In other words, the Exodus was a victory for God's people. Although they had to leave in a haste, although they were urged or even begged to leave, but their departure was a victory.

Verse 37, “And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, beside children.” Six hundred thousand men, excluding the women and children – so the total number of Israelites could well be almost 2 million. Verse 38, “And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle.” This mixed multitude could be a reference to the other slaves from the other nationalities, and they decided to join the Israelites. Verse 39, “And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought forth out of Egypt, for it was not leavened; because they were thrust out of Egypt, and could not tarry, neither had they prepared for themselves any victual.” 'Victual' means provisions. So, they did not make provisions for themselves; they left in a haste. Remember, the Feast of the Unleavened Bread was to be observed for seven days, so this was still part of the seven days; they were still eating unleavened bread.

Verse 40, “Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years. And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt.” A moment ago, we read from Genesis 15:13 that it was four hundred years, and here it says it was four hundred and thirty years. Was there a mistake? Well, there are two possible explanations. The first explanation is that the four hundred and thirty years starts with Abraham and ends with the Exodus, and the total number of years the Israelites were in Egypt was four hundred years. But that calculation was from the time of Abraham. The second explanation was that four hundred years was a round figure. In any case, the Bible is true – 100% true – and has no mistakes.

Finally, verse 42, “It is a night to be much observed unto the Lord for bringing them out from the land of Egypt: this is that night of the Lord to be observed of all the children of Israel in their generations.” This is the most important and significant night in the history of the Israelites, and it was to be remembered by every Israelite for generations to come. But soon, they would forget – therefore, throughout the Scriptures, you see God reminding the Israelites how He delivered them from the land of Egypt. For example, before God gave the Ten Commandments, He said, 'Remember, I am the Lord thy God which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.' It would do them well if they remember their salvation, and they would fare very badly if they forget their salvation – how they were saved.

Dear friends, likewise, it will do us good to remember our salvation too. How the Lord has saved us, transported us out of darkness into His marvellous light. God wants us to remember. Therefore, He has also instituted the Lord's Supper. And each time we come before the Lord's table, we eat of the bread, we drink of the cup – we remember what a great salvation our Lord Jesus has wrought for us on the cross of Calvary. It will do us good if we remember our salvation – never to forget. Because once we take our eyes away from God, we forget – that is when we will be spiritually devastated. We will not live our lives to the glory of God. But when we focus on the great salvation work that our Lord Jesus has done for us on the cross of Calvary – how you and I are saved – that is when you and I will live for His glory.

And we pray that we will always remember. Let us pray. Father in heaven, we thank Thee for enabling us to consider this portion of scriptures. We thank Thee for enabling us to draw spiritual lessons that we can learn from this passage that the basis of salvation is by the blood, the blood of the ultimate Lamb of God, our Lord Jesus Christ. This is the great divide between salvation and condemnation, and we are so thankful that Thou hast saved us by the blood. We have also drawn spiritual lessons from Pharaoh's surrender. No one can fight against Thee; no one can hold anything back from Thee. Help us to remember that what Thou would desire is a total surrender – everything we have, everything we receive coming from Thee. And we pray that we will always be willing to live our lives 100% committed to Thee – whether it be our time, our resources, our commitment – we are willing to give for Thy glory.

And we thank Thee for the lesson we have learned about Thy promises. Thy promises will surely come to pass. And we have learned of how Thou hast promised Thy servant Abraham, who lived hundreds of years before Moses, that the Israelites would come out of Egypt with great substance. And indeed, Thy promise came to pass. Thou art the One who has made all things possible. And help us to remember our salvation – like the Israelites were called to remember their salvation from Egypt. It will do us well to remember how our Lord Jesus has saved us, transported us out of darkness and into His marvellous light. As humans, we always forget, so please remind us – so we will live our lives to the glory of Thy precious name. We pray all this in Jesus' name. Amen.

SERMON OUTLINE

• I. The Basis of Salvation
• II. The Pharaoh’s Surrender
• III. The Egyptians Rendering of Their Gold and Silver

THE BOOK OF EXODUS

God’s Prophecy and Promise Had Come To Pass

God’s Prophecy and Promise Had Come To Pass

Exodus 1:1-7

From Prosperity to Persecution

From Prosperity to Persecution

Exodus 1:8-14

God’s Protection in the Midst of Adversities

God’s Protection in the Midst of Adversities

Exodus 1:15-21

The Faith of Jochebed

The Faith of Jochebed

Exodus 1:22-2:10

Moses in Egypt

Moses in Egypt

Exodus 2:11-15

Moses in the Desert of Midian

Moses in the Desert of Midian

Exodus 2:16-25

Moses and the Burning Bush

Moses and the Burning Bush

Exodus 3:1-9

Who Are You?

Who Are You?

Exodus 3:10-15

Who Am I?

Who Am I?

Exodus 3:10-15

God’s Message to Israel and Egypt

God’s Message to Israel and Egypt

Exodus 3:16-22

What If They Still Don’t Believe?

What If They Still Don’t Believe?

Exodus 4:1-9

Send Someone Else

Send Someone Else

Exodus 4:10-17

Moses’ Return to Egypt

Moses’ Return to Egypt

Exodus 4:18-20

When Things Seemed to Get Better, They Got Worse

When Things Seemed to Get Better, They Got Worse

Exodus 5:10-21

When We Have Done Everything Right, and Yet Trouble Comes

When We Have Done Everything Right, and Yet Trouble Comes

Exodus 5:22-6:5

Having to Learn the Same Lesson Twice

Having to Learn the Same Lesson Twice

Exodus 6:6-12

Faithful or Unfaithful

Faithful or Unfaithful

Exodus 6:13-27

What God Wants Is Our Faithfulness and Obedience

What God Wants Is Our Faithfulness and Obedience

Exodus 6:28-7:7

The First Plague - The River of Blood

The First Plague - The River of Blood

Exodus 7:14-25

The Second Plague - The Frogs

The Second Plague - The Frogs

Exodus 8:1-15

The Third Plague

The Third Plague

Exodus 8:16-19

The Fourth Plague

The Fourth Plague

Exodus 8:20-32

The Fifth Plague

The Fifth Plague

Exodus 9:1-7

The Sixth Plague

The Sixth Plague

Exodus 9:8-12

The Seventh Plague

The Seventh Plague

Exodus 9:13-35

The Eighth Plague

The Eighth Plague

Exodus 10:1-20

The Tenth Plague

The Tenth Plague

Exodus 11:1-10

The First Passover

The First Passover

Exodus 12:1-13

The Feast of the Unleavened Bread

The Feast of the Unleavened Bread

Exodus 12:14-28

Departure From Egypt

Departure From Egypt

Exodus 12:29-42

This Do In Remembrance of Me

This Do In Remembrance of Me

Exodus 12:43-51; 1 Corinthians 11:23-32

Message 2: What is Church to you? My Covenantal Family!

Message 2: What is Church to you? My Covenantal Family!

Exodus 12:48-49, Colossians 2:11-12

Redemption and Consecration

Redemption and Consecration

Exodus 13:1-2, 11-16

Precious Lord, Take My Hand

Precious Lord, Take My Hand

Exodus 13:17-22

Between the Desert and the Red Sea

Between the Desert and the Red Sea

Exodus 14:1-14

Crossing the Red Sea

Crossing the Red Sea

Exodus 14:15-31

The Song of Praise

The Song of Praise

Exodus 15:1-21

Will You Obey Or Not?

Will You Obey Or Not?

Exodus 15:22-27

The Danger of a Complaining Spirit

The Danger of a Complaining Spirit

Exodus 16:1-3

God’s Response to Israel’s Complaints

God’s Response to Israel’s Complaints

Exodus 16:1-10

The Test of Faith

The Test of Faith

Exodus 16:11-20

Lessons About the Sabbath

Lessons About the Sabbath

Exodus 16:21-36

Do Not Test God

Do Not Test God

Exodus 17:1-17

Lift Up Your Hands

Lift Up Your Hands

Exodus 17:8-16

The Blessedness of Reunion

The Blessedness of Reunion

Exodus 18:1-12

Why Do We Have Leaders?

Why Do We Have Leaders?

Exodus 18:13-27

I Will Carry You On Eagles’ Wings

I Will Carry You On Eagles’ Wings

Exodus 19:1-6

Approach God Fearlessly or Fearfully

Approach God Fearlessly or Fearfully

Exodus 19:7-15

God Reached Out And Spoke

God Reached Out And Spoke

Exodus 19:16-25

Thou Shalt Have No Other Gods

Thou Shalt Have No Other Gods

Exodus 20:1-3

Thou Shalt Not Make Graven Images

Thou Shalt Not Make Graven Images

Exodus 20:4-6

Thou Shalt Not Dishonour God’s Name

Thou Shalt Not Dishonour God’s Name

Exodus 20:7

Thou Shalt Keep The Sabbath Day

Thou Shalt Keep The Sabbath Day

Exodus 20:8-11

Honour Thy Father And Thy Mother

Honour Thy Father And Thy Mother

Exodus 20:12

Thou Shalt Not Kill

Thou Shalt Not Kill

Exodus 20:13

Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery

Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery

Exodus 20:14

Thou Shalt Not Steal

Thou Shalt Not Steal

Exodus 20:15

Thou Shalt Not Lie

Thou Shalt Not Lie

Exodus 20:16

Thou Shalt Not Covet

Thou Shalt Not Covet

Exodus 20:17

The Response To The Ten Commandments

The Response To The Ten Commandments

Exodus 20:18-21

How God Wants Us To Worship Him

How God Wants Us To Worship Him

Exodus 20:22-26

Why Would God Allow Slavery?

Why Would God Allow Slavery?

Exodus 21:1-11

The Punishment Fits The Crime — a life for a life

The Punishment Fits The Crime — a life for a life

Exodus 21:12-17

The Punishment Fits The Crime — an eye for an eye

The Punishment Fits The Crime — an eye for an eye

Exodus 21:18-36

The Punishment Deters The Crime — property laws

The Punishment Deters The Crime — property laws

Exodus 22:1-15

The Character Of God

The Character Of God

Exodus 22:16-20

Reaching Out To The Down-And-Out

Reaching Out To The Down-And-Out

Exodus 22:21-24

The Compassion, Authority & Holiness Of God

The Compassion, Authority & Holiness Of God

Exodus 22:25-31

Truth Cannot Be Subjected To Anything But Truth

Truth Cannot Be Subjected To Anything But Truth

Exodus 23:1-9

Remember Who God Is

Remember Who God Is

Exodus 23:10-19

What Must We Do To Have Victory

What Must We Do To Have Victory

Exodus 23:20-33

How We Ought To Worship God

How We Ought To Worship God

Exodus 24:1-4, 7

On What Basis Can We Approach His Majesty?

On What Basis Can We Approach His Majesty?

Exodus 24:4-8

If Thy Presence Go Not with Me, Carry Us Not Up Hence

If Thy Presence Go Not with Me, Carry Us Not Up Hence

Exodus 33:12-23