I recently received an email my one-time roommate and fellow teammate at Miami University. I have not had any contact with him since around 1982 and so it was a joy to hear from him after all of these years. Thanks to the technology of our day and age (including the phenomenon of Google), we are now back in touch.
In his email he wrote, “Brackendowns, South Africa, is a long way from Mariemont, Ohio. I’d love to hear about that journey.” Most certainly, the past (almost) thirty years have been an amazing journey; and the same is true for all who have begun the Christian life.
At a recent Lord’s Day service, we had the glorious opportunity to witness some obedient believers submitting to the ordinance of baptism. They did so not because they were merely going through the motions, but because, by God’s grace, they had begun a journey of knowing God through Christ. This journey is one that was foreordained before the foundation of the world but one which for them began at some point in space and time.
There was a time, no doubt, when the Lord began to get their attention and to point them to their need to be delivered from the penalty and power of sin. He began to show them that that there was indeed a way of escape, one which is exclusively through the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who came to take away the sin of the world. One day, the journey began in earnest as they repented of their sin, trusting Christ as their Passover Lamb by whom God’s wrath was propitiated-that is, satisfied in Christ.
Whether they realised it at the time or not, they were beginning an eternal journey of learning the greatness of God; a journey that would begin in time but continue on beyond time into eternity itself (John 17:3).
We have a picture of this journey in the book of Exodus in which the Lord powerfully came to deliver His people from Egypt. After 430 years the day of deliverance arrived. The children of Israel arose from their sojourn in Egypt and began their journey to the Promised Land of Canaan.
This study will draw our attention to the beginning of this journey, as recorded in 12:29-42. May we be enlightened by the Holy Spirit to be encouraged in our own journey, a journey that is rooted in God’s saving grace through His Son. And if you have not begun this journey, may you begin today!
This journey has several components, but one constant: God, the subject of the journey. We will look at this through the following headings.
- The Grief of God (vv. 29-32)
- The Grace of God (vv. 33-39)
- The Goodness of God (vv. 40-42)
- The Goal of God
The Grief of God
Until this point in the story, Pharaoh has been vindictive and calloused. Despite the various plagues that God has visited upon him and his nation, he has resolutely refused to submit to Yahweh’s authority and release His people. But God would now bring such grief upon Pharaoh and Egypt that he and they would actually beg the Israelites to leave their borders.
Divine Indignation
The journey was scheduled to begin at midnight.
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. 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.
(Exodus 12:29-30)
It is important from the outset to establish that the “destroyer” (v. 23) here was the Lord himself, as v. 29 makes very clear: “And it came to pass, that at midnight the Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt.” It was the Lord, Yahweh, who was destroying the land of Egypt (10:7).
The Lord was grieved by sin and His wrath in response to this grief caused grief. In other words, the grief on that night of death throughout the land of Egypt was grief both from and of God. The journey of the children of Israel began in the context of grief as God’s wrath was exercised upon sin. And this grief of God is where our Christian journey also begins. In other words, our salvation is about being delivered by God, from God!
It was the “twilight of the evening” (v. 6) and the lambs had been slain. The meat had been roasted and was even at that moment being eaten after the blood had been applied to the doorposts. It was at that point in time that the destroyer began His door to door visitation. As He came to each household He was looking for something: the sign that the inhabitants had believed the Word of the Lord, the good news that death could be avoided. And, of course, that sign was the blood of the slain, spotless lamb.
As He came to the houses in Goshen, there was no need for Him to linger, for each of them had a doorframe covered with the blood of the sacrificed lamb. There was no need for death to be meted out there for death had already occurred. And by that death God’s wrath had been satisfied; it had been deflected, for the blood covered the death-deserving sinners inside. But such was not the case in the rest of Egypt. No, the houses there had not been touched by the blood of the lamb and thus death was imminent. It would be a busy night for the destroyer.
In spite of some six months of clear warnings of a worse judgment to come, the Egyptians ignored God’s Word and now this night of grief was upon them. While the children of Israel were enjoying their Feast something very terrifying was taking place in the homes of the Egyptians: The Lord was executing His wrath, His settled determination to punish sin.
In all the Egyptian homes where there were firstborn sons (and even where there were firstborn males amongst the livestock) death was being experienced with the trauma that accompanies such heartache. No doubt there was some degree of confusion as those who were previously healthy and showing no signs of sickness, all of a sudden, literally, dropped dead. Many no doubt made the connection between what was happening and the previous plagues which had come upon the Egyptians. They knew that this had much to do with the God of their Israelite neighbours.
Before moving on let us pause to consider that the picture here seems to indicate that the destroyer was not looking to strike down as much as He was looking to deliver. In other words, He was eager, as it were, to find blood rather than to shed blood.
The Bible tells us that judgement is God’s “strange work” (Isaiah 28:21). That is, bringing grief by His wrath is not God’s first choice in dealing with sinners. Instead, mercifully sparing sinners is His preference.
The Grief was Indiscriminate
In a very real sense the death that occurred that night was discriminating: Those shielded by the blood of the lamb were spared while those without this blood were not. But for those not covered by the blood the death and subsequent grief was indiscriminate: It affected the richest and the poorest; the most powerful and the most pitiful; those who were good and those who were bad. It affected those who held Yahweh in contempt as well as those who were respectful. God’s judgement is like that: The only thing that delivers us from it is the blood of the Lamb.
Again, the death was indiscriminate amongst those whom were unprotected by the blood. And part of the reason for this was the representative nature of the judgement.
You will remember that Israel was God’s firstborn (4:22) and since Pharaoh would not release God’s firstborn, God would carry out judgement upon Pharaoh’s firstborn. But also keep in mind that since Pharaoh considered himself to be a god (as did the Egyptians generally), technically this “battle of the gods” would involve their worshippers. And as this story unfolds it becomes quite clear that Yahweh was omnipotent and that Pharaoh was powerless. Yahweh was able to deliver his children, Pharaoh was not. And this midnight madness made this very clear.
Let me pause at this point to exhort you to make sure that the god you serve is able to deliver you from such grief. As I was driving to the church recently, listening to a particular radio station, I tuned in as a man was speaking about God. He mentioned terms like “sin,” “repent,” “joy” and “eternal life.” My initial suspicion was that the man must be a Christian, but as it turned out he was in fact a Muslim. I was saddened to hear a man speaking in such religious terms who was yet devoted to a god who could do nothing to deliver him from sin, or grant him joy and eternal life.
The Grief was Indescribable
Perhaps the death of the firstborn was accompanied with such wailings that the children of Israel could hear it. I can only imagine the scene that evening, and it was not a pretty one: dead children, dead fathers, dead grandfathers, and dead husbands. The undertakers would have had an impossible task before them that evening and in the days following. If Egyptians practiced the custom of others in that region then the practice of proper burials within 24 hours would have been hindered; there would have been perhaps arguments over burial sites. Regardless, this was a night of indescribable grief. The text tells us that death had affected every household in Egypt. And as the destroyer came, “there was a great cry in Egypt.” But unlike the cries of the children of Israel (2:23; 3:7, 9) the cries of the Egyptians went unanswered.
The Grief was Inconsolable
The timing of this indescribable grief was significant: “midnight” (v. 29), “night” (v. 30). Remember that the most famed god of the Egyptians was the sun god, Ra. When the sun set it was therefore generally a time of great fear, for there was no promise in their religion that their god would rise again in the morning to take care of them. As John Currid comments, “the sun-god Ra is in the nether regions, and unable to come to the aid of his people. Where are the gods of Egypt?”
As stated above, when the children of Israel cried to the Lord, He heard them and did something to alleviate the heartache of His covenanted people. We who have been saved by the blood of the Lamb have a similar promise. Yes, grief will still come, for we live in the midst of a sin-cursed world; and yet we sorrow as those with hope.
Again, is the god you are serving able to console you in the midst of a culture that is under judgement? It is always a joy to preach at the funerals of those who had a clear testimony of faith, for with such a testimony it is possible to offer the family hope. Preaching funerals for those who have no such clear testimony is an entirely different matter, for the gods of this world have no hope to offer beyond the grave.
The Grief was Irresistible and Irreversible
You perhaps have heard of the doctrine of “irresistible grace,” that biblical teaching which informs us that when God gives the sinner a new heart that they will be drawn irresistibly to embrace the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour. In other words, because the sinner has been graciously given a nature that loves the Lord, there is no doubt that he will love and therefore call upon the Lord. But in this passage before us we have what I would call “irresistible grief,” and what I mean is that these sinners who either rejected or were unaware of salvation through the blood of the slain lamb had no hope of escape; they had no hope of resisting the grief accompanying the judgement of death. And this is a sobering truth.
Believer, praise God for His irresistible grace which has delivered you from irresistible grief. And do all you can to warn others so that they can resist such grief by being recipients of grace. In other words, “preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). May God deliver us from a heartless, and therefore aberrant, form of Christianity which has no heartache of those who are currently, and perhaps eternally, are under the wrath of God.
The Grief was Inevitable
It is important to highlight that this grief was inevitable for several reasons, not the least of which is that God had promised that this day was coming (4:23; 11:5). And yet even though this was prophesied by God, there is a sense in which God was slow to get to this point for again, judgement is His “strange work.” He puts before the sinner the choice between death and life and He then exhorts, “Choose life!”
Second, this judgement was inevitable because God always keeps His Word—even when that is a word of judgement. That is, since the Lord had given opportunity for Egyptians to repent, and they had not, the only option was judgement and the grief that would accompany that judgement. And so it is with you and me.
If we do not respond in faith to the offered blood of the Lamb of God then we too will find ourselves at the grief end of an inevitable judgement. As the Scriptures reveal to us, “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life” (Romans 6:23); “he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:36). And of course Revelation 20:11ff reveals to us the inevitable nature of those who will stand before God on Judgment Day to defend their life lived apart from faith in Christ alone: eternal damnation.
The Grief was Inadequate because it was Incalculable
We must not lose sight of the fact that, in this scene, most, if not all, of these Egyptians who died went into everlasting punishment. Yes, they went to hell.
The biblical doctrine of eternal punishment is one that has come under attack for a long time, and there are even some who consider themselves “evangelical” who deny this doctrine today. They claim that to believe in eternal punishment is to attribute cruelty to God, and to make Him less than merciful.
Such attacks upon the doctrine have come both from within and without the church. Bertrand Russell stated his view on the matter in these terms: “I do not myself feel that any person who is really profoundly humane can believe in everlasting punishment. It is a doctrine that put cruelty into the world and gave the world generations of cruel torture.” These precise sentiments have been echoed by Christian figures, so that Donnelly comments that the doctrine of everlasting punishment has lost its hold “not because of new light from the Bible but because of new darkness in the culture.”
Whilst I appreciate the emotional exhaustion that results for those who soberly contemplate this doctrine, we cannot ultimately allow our emotions to determine what we believe. The question at all times must be, what does the text (of Scripture) say? And when it comes to the issue of eternal punishment the Scripture is unequivocally clear. As John Blanchard writes, “The judgments of God fall often enough in this world to let us know that God judges, but seldom enough to let us know that there must be a judgment to come.” Whilst we appreciate the scholarship of a man like Blanchard, his is not the final word on the matter. Let us examine the Scriptural testimony.
The apostle John, faithfully recording the revelation of Jesus Christ given to him during his exile on Patmos, wrote, “And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death” (Revelation 20:11-14).
Earlier, the apostle spoke of unbelievers whose destiny is to “drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation.” Such people “shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night” (Revelation 14:10-11).
The apostle Paul agreed with this testimony. He spoke of the time when “the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power” (2 Thessalonians 2:7-9).
Interestingly, Jesus spoke more of hell than He did of heaven. Consider some of our Lord’s allusions to eternal punishment.
- Matthew 25:41, 46—“Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: … and these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.”
- Mark 9:43-48—“And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”
- Matthew 8:12—“But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
- Matthew 25:30—“And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
- Luke 13:28—“There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.”
If one thing about death is clear in Scripture it is that it is no spectator sport. Think for a moment of the biblical revelation of hell. Though we cannot afford to offer an exhaustive study here of this doctrine, let us note a few things. (The following is adapted from Donnelly.)
First, hell in Scripture is pictured as a place of absolute poverty. Some argue that the use of words like “perish” or “destruction” with regard to the unbelieving dead speaks of annihilation. Such claims do not, however, stand under the close scrutiny of the textual evidence. Rather than speaking of annihilation, words like “perishing” and “destruction” speak of “the ruin of all that is worthwhile” (Donnelly). Donnelly adds, “Think of the most hopeless derelict in the gutter. His existence is paradise compared with the poverty of hell.”
Second, hell is a place of agonising pain. Whilst the thought of people suffering agony for all eternity does not sit well with us emotionally, if it is taught in Scripture (and it is) we must submit to it. The Bible speaks of “weeping” and “gnashing of teeth,” terms which speak of sorrowful agony. The pain of hell will be exacerbated by the conscience of those who suffer there. John Flavel states it this way: “Conscience, which should have been the sinner’s curb on earth, becomes the whip that must lash his soul in hell … That which was the seat and centre of guilt, now becomes the seat and centre of torments.” And Donnelly writes again, “Your conscience will torment you. It will be an undying, voracious worm, allowing you no peace to all eternity.”
Third, hell is a place of God’s angry presence. It is sometimes thought that hell is the absence of God’s presence, but being omnipresent, there is no place in all creation where God’s presence is fully absent. It is true to say, however, that the presence of God’s blessing is absence in hell. Whilst He is present, those in hell feel only His anger. As we have seen, Revelation 14 speaks of those in hell being “tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb.” To cite Donnelly again, “God is close to those in hell for he is present there in anger. Hell is where God pours out his wrath on the condemned, not just in initial judgment, but forever, personally and actively. Those who are in hell will see God in his holy fury.”
In short, we might say that hell is an appalling prospect. We sympathise with those who are squeamish over the endless suffering of the damned, but we cannot allow emotion to cloud our judgement. When asked once about the fate of those who have never heard the gospel, Francis Schaeffer, who was a firm believer in the biblical revelation of eternal punishment, simply bowed his head and wept. Certainly we should not be calloused about the suffering of souls in hell. Sober reflection on this destiny should add fuel to the fire of our evangelism. But we cannot simply pretend that it is not a reality because it sits at ill ease with our emotions. “Damnation is too high a price to pay for friendship,” writes Donnelly.
Speaking once of his conversion, John Wesley said, “Forty years ago I was taken out of the flames.” “Taken out of the flames”—that is how Wesley described his conversion. And that is precisely how serious our predicament was prior to conversion, and how serious is the predicament of those who have not yet bowed the knee to Christ. Sadly, multitudes in Egypt during the time of Moses are suffering eternally today; let us soberly submit to this biblical truth and strive, with ever greater fervour, to “snatch out of the fire” those who are in danger of eternal damnation.
The Grief was Instructive and Inviting
As we shall soon see, this grief from God was a precursor to grace from God. That is, the bad news—death—preceded the good news: life and deliverance. And such is the case with those who begin the journey with Christ. Grace rarely enters a life in a vacuum. The grace of deliverance presupposes that there is something to be delivered from; and the ones being delivered are usually very aware of what that “something” is—namely, sin. That which causes so much grief is the backdrop which reveals the amazing nature of grace.
We can only begin the journey once we realise that our journey is taking us from one place (the power of darkness) to another place (the kingdom of God’s dear Son). We need to realise our need to be saved by God in order to be saved from God! Yes, we need to come to the place where we see that the destroyer is also the deliverer.
And so let me ask you, do you want to be delivered from the eternal grief to which you are heading? Then trust the blood of the Lamb of God, which was shed for sinners. Let Christ cover your sin and deliver you from the wrath that it invites. He has promised, “Whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
Divine Irony
The opening verses of our section show God’s divine indignation. What follows is a scene of the most divine irony. It is as if Pharaoh burst forth in a chorus of “I Surrender All.” Finally, the king raised the white flag to Yahweh as he called for Moses and Aaron and begged them to leave. In fact, he was in a sense authoritatively “driving them” from the land (v. 39; cf. 6:1; 11:1).
Remember that, previously, Pharaoh had told Moses to get out of his face and that he did not ever want to see him again, under the threat of death. But now he was forced to eat humble pie as he called for God’s spokesman and gave into the request that Moses had been presenting for some six months. God, through Moses and Aaron, had been commanding Pharaoh, “Let my people go!” and now Pharaoh finally acquiesced, issuing the command, “Go!” Literally the text emphasises, “Rise … get up … go!”
These verses are a wonderful picture of the sovereignty of God. In them, we see a total reversal in the response of Pharaoh towards Moses, the children of Israel and, more importantly, at least in some degree, his response to God was more reverent. The text offers a poignant and pregnant example of divine irony. In the words of Philip Ryken this irony is “delicious”!
These verses are so heavy with irony that they almost fall through the Biblical page. Here is the most powerful man in the world being rudely awakened to face things totally out of his control, including the death of his eldest son. Pharaoh had told Moses that he never wanted to see his face again (Exod. 10:28). How ironic, then, for him to summon God’s prophet in the middle of the night, especially since Moses had told Pharaoh that one day his officials would come, bow down at his feet and beg him to get out of Egypt (Exod. 11:8). Pharaoh had treated the Israelites as his slaves, refusing to recognize their rights. But here he calls them “Israelites,” thus recognizing their status as a free nation. How ironic! Pharaoh had refused to let the Israelites worship their God. In fact, he claimed that he didn’t even know who their God was (Exod. 5:2). How ironic, therefore, for him to tell the Israelites to “worship the LORD” (Exod. 12:31). The word “worship” is really the word “serve,” which is another irony, because the problem all along was Pharaoh insisting that the Israelites had to serve him.
This man was in such a desperate position that he even besought Moses and Aaron, “Bless me also” (v. 32). Pharaoh was admitting defeat in this “war of the gods.” As Currid observes, Pharaoh “seeks from Moses a blessing which serves to underline Moses’ complete victory.”
Of course such a request is loaded with irony, for consider that “Pharaoh, the god of Egypt, entreated Moses’ God to bless him!” (Kaiser; cf. 12:12; Numbers 33:3-4).
Up until this time Pharaoh had experienced nothing but the curse of God, but now he asked for His blessing. I find it interesting that this man, up until this point, seemingly had no regard for the suffering of others, but now that heartache had hit his life, he seemed willing to relent. At least this was so outwardly, for later he would have a better idea and seek to destroy those whom he here released. Of course such a reversal of his sympathies merely indicates that he was experiencing worldly, self-centred remorse rather than true repentance. As one commentator has noted, “The man wanted God’s favor without ever turning to him in faith and repentance.” Alas such is the case with many who seemingly begin the journey with Christ.
Many such “crisis conversions” abound in Christendom. When people find themselves in a bind of some sort—perhaps failing health, or a failing marriage, or a failing career—they often appear receptive to the gospel. They seemingly repent, and for a while bring forth fruit of repentance. But once health, happiness or prosperity return, they forget the profession they have made and turn their backs on the God to whom they once (seemingly) submitted. Indeed, Pharaoh is alive and well today!
Thus far we have viewed the grief of God in the context of the beginning of the journey. But the next section informs us of the second essential for beginning this journey, and that is the grace of God.
The Grace of God
The grief from God paved the way for us to appreciate even more His grace. Genesis ended with the Israelites in a position of favour; Exodus opened with the same people in bondage, pleading for deliverance. Now, twelve chapters later, deliverance is finally forthcoming—all by the grace of God.
And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste; for they said, We be all dead men. And the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneadingtroughs being bound up in their clothes upon their shoulders. 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. And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, beside children. And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle. 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.
(Exodus 12:33-39)
In these verses we see three demonstrations of His grace; the same as we see in His grace in setting us on our journey.
Saved by God
It would seem that by this time the populace of Egypt had realised that the cause of their heartache was somehow connected to the presence of these people whom were in their midst. By now, the palace of Pharaoh resembled Tiananmen Square as the multitudes called for the release of those who desired their liberty; only in this case, they were petitioning for the release of those whom they had disabused!
The children of Israel realised that they had been delivered from death and now they were about to be delivered to “life.” When the Egyptians began to beat on their doors begging them to leave, they knew that their long-ago promised journey to freedom was about to begin. “Let the journey begin!” was perhaps their marching song. And so some 600,000 men (perhaps the total population numbered two million!) left Rameses and headed to Succoth. They were on their way to freedom. The Lord was faithful (of course!) to His promise.
When, by God’s grace, we are born again, we often find that those with whom we used to run also drive us out of the land, so to speak. That is, our presence may make them feel very uncomfortable. That is to be expected and yet we should also note that some of their neighbours actually went out with them (v. 38). That is, when God saved the children of Israel He also saved some other peoples as well!
Sustained by God
At this point we now begin to understand something of the reason for the emphasis upon unleavened bread: There simply was not enough time for the bread to rise once the children of Israel were “invited” to leave. They needed to get out of town quickly, but of course they would require sustenance for the journey (v. 39). And the Lord had already planned for this: They would carry with them unleavened dough from which they could quickly cook unleavened bread for their meals. Yes, the Lord had planned and provided for everything!
And the same is true regarding our journey. He is not surprised by the challenges that we face and thus He has provided for us all the sustenance required. He has given us His Word, His Spirit, and His Manna (His Son). He has given to us also teachers and pastors, believing friends and church members; He has planned for our every eventuality. Why then do we worry about the journey before us?
Keep in mind that the unleavened bread carried and eaten by the children of Israel was fairly tasteless and yet it sustained them. So it is sometimes with the means of grace of which we partake. For instance, daily Bible-reading, some sermons, and ministry involvement may not always seem like a feast, but it does get us to the next point on the journey. It may seem uneventful at the time but it so strengthens us that we are brought that much closer to the miraculous, like the crossing of the Red Sea.
Spoiled by God
Months earlier, the Lord had told Moses and Aaron that when Pharaoh would drive out the children of Israel, they would leave with material possessions acquired simply by asking the Egyptians for them (3:19-22). The Lord had promised that He would so work in the hearts of the Egyptian populace that they would show favour (grace) to the Israelites and that they would willingly part with their silver and gold jewellery, as well as their raiment.
Exodus 11:1-3 indicates that the children of Israel had begun to do so (perhaps the response of the Egyptians before Passover night helped the children of Israel to believe the promise concerning the Passover lamb?). Verse 35 literally reads, “Now the children of Israel had … asked the Egyptians articles of silver, articles of gold and clothing,” and verse 36 informs us that “the Lord had given the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians.” Therefore by this point in the narrative it is clear that their pockets were full and that they were ready to march. I don’t want us to miss the observation that the children of Israel were here demonstrating that they had faith in Yahweh. And it would also appear that the Egyptians themselves (though not believers in Yahweh in a saving sense) were nevertheless at least theists. That is, they believed that these plagues were not the figment of their imaginations. Perhaps, of course, they were being superstitious, but nevertheless they were being plied by the sovereign hand of God.
And so, even before the grief from God had permeated their homes, the Egyptian community was willing to give whatever was necessary for these people to leave them—alone! But after this final grief arrived, they were urged to leave; the Egyptians were saying, “Just go and we will finance your repatriation!” Oh that the church of our day were so effective at causing God-centred discomfort! Oh that God would so rend the heavens and the earth with His gracious power that the world would take notice!
Are we believable? Does our society need to experience judgement in order for them to believe our Redeemer? Perhaps, and yet all indications are that church attendance is not increasing proportionality to the economic downturn. Perhaps our society needs to experience a sterner judgement upon our culture of death.
The journey that is begun by God’s grief is sustained by God’s grace. And this is all rooted in God’s goodness.
The Goodness of God
Of course none of the above would have occurred if God was not who He is: Yahweh. That is, if God is not good, in the full and true ethical sense of the word, then grief would have been the only topic in this event. But because Yahweh is intrinsically holy, we have before us a beautiful example of His covenantal faithfulness. And it is good indeed!
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. 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.
(Exodus 12:39-42)
God was Good Previously
To say that God was good previously may sound strange, but what I mean is that, for the previous “four hundred and thirty years” God had been faithful to care for His people in preparing them for this day. For over four centuries, as the children of Israel were in Egypt, God was, among other things, propagating them. Some 70 individuals had now grown into a nation of multitudes, in spite of the attempted wicked population controls set forth by Pharaoh.
In these years God was also preserving them for this day. In spite of threats by famine and foe they survived until this glorious day.
Also, God was proving them as they increasingly faced affliction. And when the going got tough, the tough starting groaning and the Lord heard (2:23)!
My point in all of this is to highlight that long before the journey began, God was preparing this (His) people for the journey. And the same is true for all who follow Christ in our day. Long before we came to faith, God had a plan and He was working that plan. And if that was true before the journey, why would you doubt His commitment to you now that you are actually on the journey?
God was Good Prophetically
God had given His Word that His people would be delivered (Genesis 15:13-14) and God was good for it. He fulfilled the prophecy and He did so punctually, on this “selfsame day.” God’s Word, His promises, are always fulfilled on time.
Yes, your journey which began with being born again, started on time. You were not saved too late or later than you should have been. You may wish that the truths you are now learning you had learned years ago, but rest assured that, in God’s sovereignty, you are learning on time. And yes, those promises that God has made in His Word, promises that are relevant to you, will be fulfilled on time!
God was Good Providentially
Commentator John Currid tells that he once heard a sermon on this text entitled “God Works the Nightshift.” His point was that the Passover night was, according to the text, all about what God did. In fact a good translation of this phrase would be “the Lord’s watchnight service.” You see, it was the Lord who was watching out for His people that night. As Psalm 121:4 informs us, “Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.” That is, He works the nightshift! And therefore His care for the church is uninterrupted and incessant. It has no end. The reason for remembering this night was that they would never forget that God would never forget them. And such is the same for the new covenant church and the Lord’s Supper which reminds us of God’s covenant faithfulness. He has pledged to preserve us and He will do so!
God’s constant, ever-working providence on behalf of His people is to be a source of great encouragement to His people. He prepared us for this journey, He provides for us on this journey, He fulfils His promises to us for the journey and He will preserve us until the end of the journey!
Indeed, God is good to Israel!
The Goal of God
As we bring this study to a close we need to address one final issue: What was the goal of this journey? That is, why did God bring all of this to pass? And the answer is not hard to find. Exodus 6:7 tells us that the Lord was going to bring all of this to pass that the children of Israel might know “I am the LORD.” You see the purpose of the journey was to give eternal life. By definition, eternal life is the everlasting experience of growing in our knowledge of God (John 17:3). And this begins with the new birth; it begins with our being delivered by the blood of the Lamb.
Do you know God? How can you know? By answering another question: Do you love the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who causes the destroyer to pass over all those who take refuge in His death, burial and resurrection?
May today be the day on which you hide in the shelter of Christ alone. And thus may this be the day on which you begin the eternal journey of knowing and loving God through the Lord Jesus Christ.