Exodus 7-15: The Exodus

"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

We come this morning to one of the most marvelous texts in all of scripture: the Exodus of the Israelites. For those of you who are unaware, the term "exodus" speaks of "a mass departure of people, especially emigrants" [at least, according to my favorite dictionary: Google]. This morning, we take a look at the most famous exodus ever recorded and search diligently at how it might apply to our own lives.

The story truly starts in Exodus 1, where God has his sovereign hand on Moses' life, as he would be the chosen man to lead God's people out of slavery, which we have already observed. However, as we skip to chapter 7, we find the story of the Exodus really beginning when Moses and Aaron go into Pharoah's throneroom and persist for him to let his people go. Although Pharoah is shown a great miracle by the Lord, because of the hardness of his heart, he replies that he will not let his people go. Thus, the Lord brings ten plagues upon the nation of Egypt, including blood, frogs [my personal favorite], gnats, flies, death of livestock, boils, hail, locusts, darkness, and ultimately the death of firstborn children. Although all of these plagues might seem a bit over the top, let us remember that Pharoah has commanded the mass slaughter of innocent babies, as well as disregarded the command of the Lord to let his people go. Although these are some of the passages in which the Lord gets called out for being "too harsh," let us realize that a just punishment would have been the death of all of the land of Egypt because of their great wickedness. Nevertheless, the Lord brings ten plagues on the land of Egypt instead, all so that "the Egyptians shall know that I [God] I am the Lord" (Ex. 7:5).

In chapter 12, we find the great story of the Passover, as the Israelites were called to slaughter one of their spotless lambs and place the blood of that lamb on their doorposts that that angel of death would pass over their houses when he came to kill the firstborn of the land of Egypt. After this angel of death comes in the night killing all of the Egyptians' firstborn, Pharoah commands the Israelites to get out of his land. With haste, the Israelites escape their land of slavery and find themselves guided by the Lord in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. This pillar ultimately brings them beside the Red Sea, where the Lord works the greatest of his miracles towards the Israelites.

As the Israelites are encamped by the sea, they suddenly find the Israelites pursuing them once again. Pharaoh had changed his mind toward the Israelites and now desired to overtake and kill them. The Israelites are terrified, yet Moses commands them to fear not (see verses above). Then, with miraculous power and at the timing of Moses reaching out his staff, the Lord splits the Red Sea by an east wind. The Israelites run through on dry ground with the Israelites pursuing them. However, the Lord shuts up the Red Sea after the Israelites make it through, drowning the Egyptians along with their horses, chariots, and ego. The triumph has been won, Yahweh has delivered his people from the hand of their enemies, and God is to be praised, which we find happening in chapter 15.

It's a beautiful story, is it not, yet we must ask ourselves: what does this story teach us about the character of God as well as the character of man? This question is the key to finding out how old texts like these can still apply to our lives today. Although times, cultures, and traditions change, two things do not change: the holy heart of God and the wicked heart of man. Thus, when we observe both of these things in scripture, we find how texts written thousands of years ago about wacky stories that seem to have nothing to do with us can turn into life-giving truths about how we can live our lives for the glory of God.

First, as we consider the character of God revealed in these chapters, we find most importantly that he is a God who desires to save his people. We have already looked at this in the past couple of devotionals, but let us consider once again how God is a salvific God who does not let his people see ultimate distress but reaches into their lives and delivers them from their troubles, just as he did for the Israelites. Secondly, let us notice that God is jealous for his own glory. He did not have to put ten plagues on the land of Egypt, and he did, all because he desired for his name to be proclaimed in all the earth (Ex. 9:16). Thirdly, we find here a God who is sovereign over his peoples' deliverance. Could the Lord have killed all of the Egyptians in a moment and given the Israelites power over the land? Certainly. But rather, he had his people make bricks without straw, wait in slavery as he brought plagues upon the land, and encamp by a sea that would trap them in. Yet through all of this, the Lord was working a praiseworthy story in which he would both put his people in a trial but then deliver them that they might know of his great name.

Second, as we consider the character of man revealed in these chapters, let us realize the hardness of man's heart in the person of Pharoah. Without God's grace, every man's heart would be just as stubborn as Pharoah's, refusing to submit to a God although he has shown his great power in many ways. Also, let us realize the impatient heart of man in these chapters. Right after God had delivered them out of slavery, they are complaining about being trapped by the Red Sea. Did they not know that the God who delivered them out of slavery could also deliver them from the Egyptian army and the Red Sea? Either they didn't, or in their impatience, they forgot (I'm going to vote for the latter).

Yet lest we miss the big point of this chapter, let us point out the following: that God is a God who works salvation for his people who cannot work it out on their own, all by the means of a substitutionary sacrifice. We see this so clearly in these chapters: that man cannot save himself from slavery, yet God can. However, this salvation does not come without a cost. The Israelites had to slay their lambs in order to escape the death of their firstborn by the angel of death, but we must have our very Savior slain for us in order to escape the wrath of God that we deserve. In order to escape physical slavery, lambs had to be slain, but their blood was insufficient to save all of mankind from the slavery of sin, thus Jesus came and died to be our true Passover Lamb. Praise the Lord! Who has provided for our every need. Let us praise him forevermore as the Lord who "will reign forever and ever" (Ex. 15:18). Amen!