OLD TESTAMENT SURVEY
LECTURE 8
DELIVERANCE
Ex 12:3-7 Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: 4 And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb. 5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: 6 And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. 7 And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.
11 And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the Lord's Passover. 12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite 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. 13 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. 14 And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.
▫This is maybe where having ‘pets’ came from.
▫This sacrificial ‘passover’ lamb (peschal) was the direct picture of the sacrifice that The
Lamb of God would one day give for all mankind. The ‘death angel’ will come and visit you,
so make sure you have the blood applied.
▫Some say that the Lord’s Supper is the NT version of the Passover. The Passover was ‘tagged’
with the first Lord’s Supper, but was totally separate from it. NT saints are not told to
observe the Passover. Some say that the Lord’ Supper should be annual, as is the Passover.
The Jews were the only ones to keep the Passover…are they doing this now?
Ex 12:29-31 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.
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. 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.
▫Midnight is an interesting time; it may coincide with when the Rapture takes place,
spiritually speaking.
▫Some of these ‘firstborn’ were not just little children anymore. Every home had someone
dead.
▫Pharaoh finally had had enough. How much judgment do people have to take before they will
give in, give up?!...
Ex 12:40-41 Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years. 41 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.
▫There are many who argue that this number is in error. But, the Bible explains itself well.
From Abraham's entry into Canaan to the birth of Isaac was 25 years, Gen 12:4; 17:1-21; Isaac
was 60 years old at the birth of Jacob, Gen 25:26; and Jacob was 130 at his going down into
Egypt, Gen 47:9; which three sums make 215 years. And then Jacob and his children having
continued in Egypt 215 years more, the whole sum of 430 years is completed.
▫I wonder if there is any significance to the 430 years or the two sets of 215 years in
prophetical judgments? Does it figure in to the time between the 69th and 70th weeks? 5 x
430 = 2150. Don’t know……
Ex 13:2,12 Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine.
12 That thou shalt set apart unto the Lord all that openeth the matrix, and every firstling that cometh of a beast which thou hast; the males shall be the Lord's.
▫This is directly related to the Passover. The first born exempt from destruction were to be
dedicated to fruitfulness for the Lord.
▫My understanding is that if the firstborn was a male, it would be then subject to this
command…but not so if a female was firstborn.
▫Are you willing to dedicate your firstborn male child to the Lord’s service?
Ex 13:17-18, 21-22 17 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt: 18 But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea: and the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt. 21 And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: 22 He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.
▫We are not much different than the Israelites; we step out for God by faith, but we can
easily balk and go back if the way gets difficult. When God is leading you to victory, it
often involves the threat of impending battle; don’t repent and return to Egypt!
▫How do you think this (fire and cloud) looked from the Jews point of view? It was
incredible! How could they ever doubt God about anything ever again?!... but they did.
Just think if we had such a thing happen to us…
Ex 14:8-18 And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with an high hand. 9 But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pi-hahiroth, before Baal-zephon. 10 And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the Lord. 11 And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? 12 Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness. 13 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. 14 The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. 15 And the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: 16 But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. 17 And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. 18 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.
▫The Lord was not being mean-spirited here; He hardened Pharaoh’s heart so He could get Himself
great glory from Israel for millennia to come; it would all the more be an amazing
deliverance for His people. And, He was going to get Himself honour upon Pharaoh and all his
armies; this would cause the Egyptians that were left alive to greatly consider this God of
the Jews.
▫Just think what went through the Israelites’’ hearts as they saw their deliverance all of a
sudden change to sure doom. They were always blaming Moses (but, really their beef was
against God). The man of God always seems to get blamed, because who in their right mind
would blame Almighty God?!
▫Christian, the Lord shall fight for you! Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord!
Don’t give up!
▫God doesn’t want to hear our crying when He has told us to do something and we get flakey;
Pastor, wherefore criest thou unto God; speak unto the church that they go forward! God is
getting ready to do a miracle!
Ex 14:21-31 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. 22 And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. 23 And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. 24 And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the Lord looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians, 25 And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the Lord fighteth for them against the Egyptians. 26 And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen. 27 And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. 28 And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them. 29 But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. 30 Thus the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore. 31 And Israel saw that great work which the Lord did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord, and his servant Moses.
▫Could a strong wind actually push the sea waters back?
“That part of the sea over which the Israelites passed was, according to Mr. Bruce and other
travelers, about four leagues across, and therefore might easily be crossed in one night. In
the dividing of the sea, two agents appear to be employed, though the effect produced can be
attributed to neither. By stretching out the rod the waters were divided; by the blowing of
the vehement, ardent, east wind, the bed of the sea was dried. It has been observed, that in
the place where the Israelites are supposed to have passed, the water is about fourteen
fathoms or twenty-eight yards deep: had the wind mentioned here been strong enough, naturally
speaking, to have divided the waters it must have blown in one narrow track, and continued
blowing in the direction in which the Israelites passed; and a wind sufficient to have raised
a mass of water twenty-eight yards deep and twelve miles in length, out of its bed, would
necessarily have blown the whole six hundred thousand men away, and utterly destroyed them
and their cattle. I therefore conclude that the east wind, which was ever remarked as a
parching, burning wind, was used after the division of the waters, merely to dry the bottom,
and render it passable.” (Adam Clarke)
▫God got them all out in the middle of this seafloor bottom and then closed up the waters upon
them. Weren’t they just a bit afraid of this possibly happening? Did they really trust that
that water wall was going to stay up for them?...
▫The people of Israel would go from murmuring and wanting to rebel against God to fearing the
Lord and believing Him and obeying Him. Are we any different?....
Ex 15:1 Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the Lord, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.
We ought to make songs that have to deal with great victories that God gives us. Our church needs to be a writer of songs as the Lord greatly blesses us.
Ex 15:22-25 So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water. 23 And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah. 24 And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? 25 And he cried unto the Lord; and the Lord shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them,
▫It wasn’t long again until the Israelites were murmuring again. They had just had the
greatest deliverance of a people that God had ever (or would ever) grant, and they are bitter
again…how appropriate for the waters to be Marah.