Think About His Love – Exodus 11-12

“And the Lord said to Moses, ‘I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. Afterward he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will surely drive you out of here altogether. Speak now in the hearing of the people, and let every man ask from his neighbor and every woman from her neighbor, articles of silver and articles of gold.’ And the Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover, the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants and in the sight of the people.” Exodus 11:1-3

The Lord gave the slaves grace from the Egyptians. This was another of God’s great miracles. The same rulers who previously treated them in impersonal ways, now treated them like people. When they asked the Egyptians for silver and gold, they gave it. Moses, the 80-year-old “has been,” was now famous throughout the land... only because of God.

“Then Moses said, ‘Thus says the Lord: about midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt; and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the female servant who is behind the hand mill, and all the firstborn of the animals. Then, there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as was not like it before, nor shall be like it again. But against none of the children of Israel shall a dog move its tongue, against man or beast, that you may know that the Lord does make a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.’” Exodus 11:4-7

In Jeremiah 9:21, the prophet prophesied of death’s deeds in his city. He wrote, “For death has come through our windows, has entered our palaces, to kill off the children—no longer to be outside! And the young men—no longer on the streets!”

We people daily breathe God’s air, eat His food, walk on His earth and enjoy blessings too numerous to count, and yet, seldom acknowledge Him. Which earthly person would tolerate such ingratitude and disrespect? Pharaoh had defied God multiple times. He forced slaves to drown their baby boys in the water. Now, it was Pharaoh’s and his people’s turn to be bereaved of their firstborns. The Egyptians lost many things during the plagues, but the loss of their firstborns would be the proverbial straw that breaks their backs.

“’And all these your servants shall come down to me and bow down to me, saying, get out, and all the people who follow you! After that I will go out.’ Then he went out from Pharaoh in great anger.” Exodus 11:8

Moses was very angry when he left the Pharoah, perhaps, because Egypt’s king was both stupid and stubborn like a mule.

“The Lord said to Moses, ‘Pharaoh will not heed you, so that My wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.’ So, Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh; and the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go out of his land.” Exodus 11:9-10

God let Moses know that He was going to use the Pharaoh’s idiot-cracy as a backdrop for His wonders in the lands. How do you detect a corrupt politician? You identify what they think about God. Psalm 14:1 says, “The fool has said in his heart, there is no God, they are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none who does good.”

“Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, “This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you. Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: ‘On the tenth of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the persons; according to each man’s need you shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. Now, you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight. And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it. Then, they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Do not eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted in fire—its head with its legs and its entrails. You shall let none of it remain until morning, and what remains of it until morning you shall burn with fire. And thus you shall eat it: with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So, you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s Passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. Now, the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.” Exodus 12:1-13

The Lord commanded that a “Passover” feast be held and lamb’s blood be spread on the doorposts of their homes. The night on which lambs died, and people were liberated was to be remembered.

The Passover celebration prefigures the celebration of the Lord’s Supper in the New Testament. In the New Testament, we partake of the fruit of the vine and unleavened bread to declare our faith in Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. The elements represent His body and blood given for the remission of all our sins. When our sins are forgiven by God, we escape from eternal death and live forever with God.

“So, this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses. For whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. On the first day there shall be a holy convocation, and on the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation for you. No manner of work shall be done on them; but that which everyone must eat—that only may be prepared by you. So, you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this same day I will have brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. Therefore, you shall observe this day throughout your generations as an everlasting ordinance. In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day of the month in the evening. For seven days no leaven shall be found in your houses, since whoever eats what is leavened, that same person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a stranger or a native of the land. You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwellings you shall eat unleavened bread.’” Exodus 12:14-20

Passover was instituted by God as a seven-day event during which normal worked stopped. The penalty for eating leavened bread during Passover week was expulsion from the community. In Matthew 16:6 and Mark 8:15, Jesus warned His disciples to “beware of the leaven” of the Pharisees, Sadducees and of Herod. According to Jesus in Matthew 16:12, the leaven was false doctrine. God instituted the annual commemoration of Passover to keep their faith in Him pure.

Did the Israelites always keep the Passover? No, in 2 Chronicles 30, King Hezekiah reinstituted it after it had been neglected. Some of the northern tribes mocked him for doing it. In 2 Kings 23:21-23, King Josiah reinstituted Passover, after it had not been practiced for a long time.

“Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said to them, ‘Pick out and take lambs for yourselves according to your families and kill the Passover lamb. And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin and strike the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. And none of you shall go out of the door of his house until morning. For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you. And you shall observe this thing as an ordinance for you and your sons forever. It will come to pass when you come to the land which the Lord will give you, just as He promised, that you shall keep this service. And it shall be, when your children say to you, What do you mean by this service? that you shall say, It is the Passover sacrifice of the Lord, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians and delivered our households.’ So, the people bowed their heads and worshiped. Then, the children of Israel went away and did so; just as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.” Exodus 12:21-28

While living in Hong Kong, I noticed red couplets (春聯) on the doorposts of their flats (apartments). They decorated their doors during the Lunar New Year to ward off evil spirits, and to invite good luck, happiness, and prosperity into the home. Those red papers reminded me of the blood that the Hebrews placed on their door posts during the first Passover.

The Hebrew parents were instructed to use the annual observance of Passover as a teaching moment for their children. In a similar fashion, we, New Testament believers in the Lord annually celebrate the Birth of Christ, Good Friday and His Resurrection Day. These celebrations remind us of the grace that God provided for us in sending His Son into the world to be our Savior. We also celebrate the Lord’s Supper frequently to remember that His body and blood was given to us for the forgiveness of all our sins.

Revelation 12:11 says that God’s people overcame the devil by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. The word of our testimony is Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior. He died, rose and is coming again.

“And it came to pass at midnight that the Lord struck 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 livestock. So, Pharaoh rose in the night, he, 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.” Exodus 12:29-30

Every Egyptian home lost a loved one. They wailed and lamented their losses.

“Then he [the Pharoah] called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, ‘Rise, go out from among my people, both you and the children of Israel. And go, serve the Lord as you have said. Also, take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone; and bless me also.’” Exodus 12:31-32

Finally, Pharaoh’s pride broke. He released the slaves. He asked Moses to bless him.

“And the Egyptians urged the people, that they might 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, having their kneading bowls bound up in their clothes on their shoulders.” Exodus 12:33-34

The Egyptians were no longer dragging their feet about letting Israel go. They were pushing them out the door. The Hebrews didn’t even have time to add leaven to their bread dough or to bake it. They went out of Egypt carrying bread dough in their clothing and on their shoulders.

In John 6:35, Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger.” The bread they carried on their bodies symbolized, “Emmanuel” – “God with us.”

“Now, the children of Israel had done according to the word of Moses, and they had asked from the Egyptians articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing. And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. Thus, they plundered the Egyptians.” Exodus 12:35-36

By God’s grace, the Israelites plundered the riches of Egypt without firing a shot and without loss of life. They served them for 430 years. They deserved a generous severance package.

“Then, the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about 600,000 men on foot, besides children. A mixed multitude went up with them also, and flocks and herds—a great deal of livestock. And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they had brought out of Egypt; for it was not leavened, because they were driven out of Egypt and could not wait, nor had they prepared provisions for themselves.” Exodus 12:37-39

Bible commentators suggest that the distance between Rameses to Succoth was 120 miles. They walked this distance on foot. On the one hand, they had sore feet. On the other hand, they were in good shape physically.

In Numbers 1:3, we learn that men were counted at age 20 and above. Adding an equal number for women, boys and girls, to the 600,000 men (4 x 600,000), there was probably 2.4 million people that walked out of Egypt that night.

“Now, the sojourn of the children of Israel who lived in Egypt was 430 years. And it came to pass at the end of the 430 years—on that very same day—it came to pass that all the armies of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt.” Exodus 12:40-41

In Genesis 15:13, the Lord told Abraham that his descendants would be enslaved in Egypt for 400 years. Why was it 430 years then before they left Egypt? I read various comments about this. The most viable answer to me is that they lived in Egypt for 30 years under Joseph and under a Pharaoh that was favorable to them. Exodus 1:8 says that a new king arose over Egypt who did not know Joseph. He enslaved the Hebrews. This happened after the Israelites had lived in Egypt for 30 years.

“It is a night of solemn observance to the Lord for bringing them out of the land of Egypt. This is that night of the Lord, a solemn observance for all the children of Israel throughout their generations. And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ‘This is the ordinance of the Passover: No foreigner shall eat it. But every man’s servant who is bought for money, when you have circumcised him, then he may eat it. A sojourner and a hired servant shall not eat it. In one house it shall be eaten. You shall not carry any of the flesh outside the house, nor shall you break one of its bones. All the congregation of Israel shall keep it. And when a stranger dwells with you and wants to keep the Passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as a native of the land. For no uncircumcised person shall eat it. One law shall be for the native-born and for the stranger who dwells among you.’ Thus, all the children of Israel did; as the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did. And it came to pass, on that very same day, that the Lord brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt according to their armies.” Exodus 12:42-51

The Lord set apart Israel as a holy people to Himself. Only those who were circumcised into the faith of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob could participate in the Passover celebration. The Lord had not given them many laws at this point to follow but this was one that He wanted observed.

What are your thoughts about the Lord? I like the lyrics that Don Moen wrote back in 1998, “Think about His love. Think about His goodness. Think about His grace that’s brought us through. For as high as the heavens above so great is the measure of our Father’s love.”

We don’t have to wait until Sunday each week to worship the Lord, there are free resources on YouTube... worship songs, preaching (I like to listen to Billy Graham’s messages), and videos on how to share your faith in Christ with others.

Attached is a link to a very simple but clear Gospel presentation that Navigators produced:

https://youtu.be/gPvpEnHHeEA?si=B7GSi__WfwUt9feb

When I was 16 years old, my church held weekly Evangelism Explosion (EE) classes for many weeks, and afterwards, we broke into pairs and did home visitations. The head elder and I were paired together. It went well. I still use EE illustrations from time to time now - 50 years later.

Attached is a link to Dot Yanes Horstman signing and speaking the EE presentation for children:

https://youtu.be/ZPxczNe8Bkc?si=T-fvon8kBi7fbsR9