Mass Exodus

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Exodus 12:31-35
The Exodus
31 During the night Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, "Up! Leave my people, you and the Israelites! Go, worship the LORD as you have requested. 32 Take your flocks and herds, as you have said, and go. And also bless me."
33 The Egyptians urged the people to hurry and leave the country. "For otherwise," they said, "we will all die!" 34 So the people took their dough before the yeast was added, and carried it on their shoulders in kneading troughs wrapped in clothing. 35 The Israelites did as Moses instructed and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold and for clothing.
With Easter just passed, we as Christians have had our eyes fixed upon the cross. It is, however, not to forget about the events of the Old Testament that also took place during this time. Hebrew tradition states that each year the Jewish people stop and remember the time of Passover. Passover being the time when God brought great judgements upon Egypt in order to cause Pharaoh to let the Israelites leave captivity. The last of these judgements being the angel of death descending upon Egypt and killing the first born of every household. Every household, that is, except the those who followed the instructions of God as handed down by Moses. Those that painted the doorways and windows with the blood of a lamb were spared this judgement.
In the morning, after death had come upon Israel, Pharaoh called to Moses and Aaron and told them to take their people and leave. So in a hurry the Israelites gathered all they could carry and droves of God's people fled the land that had been soaked with their blood and sweat. God convicted and convinced Pharaoh to let the Israelites go. Now if you continue to read on about the Exodus story you find that Pharaoh hardened his heart and chased after Moses and the Israelites seeking to exact his revenge, but God was faithful and protected his people still.
For tonight, however, I want to turn our attention to the acts leading up to and including the Exodus. Often times people ask why is it important for a Christian, a person under the covenant of Jesus Christ, should study the Old Testament. The reason is, that when we study God's interaction with man, there is always a teachable moment. God is just and true, he is and was and will ever be. If we look at how he directs those he calls his chosen people then we learn a bit about what he desires from us.
Take for instance the stubborn actions of Pharaoh. God tried to get his attention in simpler ways. When Pharaoh was not following the path God wanted him to he sent locusts, he sent lice, he sent frogs, he killed off livestock, he sent boils, he even turned the Nile into blood. Now me, I think all of this would have gotten my attention, I might be wrong I haven't walked in Pharaoh's shoes but I have to think I would be saying, "go and the quicker the better."
Yet with all of these signs Pharaoh is still not willing to let the Israelites go. Perhaps he was worried about how it would look to the other countries that surrounded Egypt. Perhaps he could not bring himself to be humbled before a slave race, after all Pharaoh himself was thought of as a God. What ever the reason was, Pharaoh let something stand between him and what was fairly obvious to all others was God's will.
The lesson for our lives is similar. Often times when we stray away from the path God wants us to travel, God tries to get our attention. It may start out as simple as a feeling that something is not right. You may have someone you respect tell you they disagree with your actions, you may read or hear a message that seems to tell you that you are on the wrong path. No it's not days of darkness or hail falling from a clear blue sky and burning on the ground, but it may very well be God telling us that we need to change our direction.
Ultimately, God sometimes resorts to devastation as a last resort to get our attention. Perhaps you've had a relationship that was destroyed by deceit or unfaithfulness. When the walls come crashing down and what has been hidden is exposed it can often result in irreversible damage. It is not God's desire that this be the outcome, but if you are heading down a path of self-destruction and you refuse to read the signs, God just might pull the road out from underneath you. This is not a sign that God hates you, but of how much he loves you. If he hated you he would allow you to travel down that broad path that leads to destruction.
We must be vigilant to keep our eyes peeled for times when God is convicting us that we are doing wrong. If we do not look and listen for his signs and his voice then we cannot be surprised when the horses charge in and the walls of water come crashing down.