No Longer Slaves
Robyn Black • September 5, 2020
Exodus 12:1-14
Remember at school when your class was playing sport and those chose two captains, who then, one by one, had to pick a team. I wonder if they still do that. As someone who wasn’t sporty, that was an excruciating process, and there’d be me and my 2 friends passed over, and left till the end! No-one wanted to be passed over!
On the other hand, there are times you’re ecstatic at being over-looked or passed over. When you were a kid and you did something wrong, but miraculously, your parents didn’t find out. Yep, over-looked in a good way! Or in the early days of being here in Tarrawanna, I was going up Bulli pass, getting a bit of power up to get up the hill, and didn’t realise the speed I was doing OR that a police car can often be found waiting at the hairpin bend! I was doing almost 20 kms over the speed limit (he told me), which would usually be 3 points lost. I’m not sure what did it…I think he took pity on me because I’d not long had surgery on my face and I didn’t have it covered, and it was big and red and scabby. He didn’t overlook my offense entirely but he looked at me and said ‘I’ll make this one point, but drive carefully’! In this case, I was greatly relieved that he kind of passed over my offense. This week we’re looking at some people who were passed over and were greatly relieved.
A little background. Last week I spoke about how at 80- years of age, Moses had a revelation from God…he heard from God in a bush that was alight but not burning. God said that he had seen the pain of his people, who were slaves in Egypt and heard their cries for help. God said, ‘So I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians…Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt.” (Exodus 3:8-10)
Moses was unhappy, he didn’t want to go back to Egypt, but he eventually relented and went to Pharaoh. He asked Pharaoh to let God’s people, known as the Hebrews or Israelites, go free. Pharaoh stubbornly refused…I mean, who would build the pyramids if the slaves were set free??
God sends several plagues upon Egypt and we come to this tenth and final plague…the slaughter of the firstborn sons in Egypt. I guess I’ve often thought about this in relation to first born babies, but this was the first born son in every family all the way through the generations. It even included the first born male of all their animals. I wonder who the first born male is in your family? Imagine the devastation that would cause...and not just your family, but your neighbour’s family and your cousins, and your Uncle if he’s the first born male, and your dog if he’s the first born male.
Pharaoh still wouldn’t budge and preferred to keep the Hebrews as slaves, even after hearing that this would be the consequence. The devastation was scheduled for midnight, involving every firstborn male, from the first born son of Pharaoh to the first born son of a prisoner (Exodus 12:29).
I could say at this point ‘no exemptions’ but that’s not entirely right. There were some first born males who were passed over for this terrible fate. And the reading this morning gives the instructions, which if followed would mean that God would pass over their house, and their first born son would live.
Each household had to set aside either a lamb or a young goat without defect, and on the fourteenth day of the month kill it, roast it, and eat it – along with bread made without yeast and bitter herbs. They had to be ready to move camp at any moment, so whilst eating they had to be fully dressed with their sandals on and their stick in their hand. And they had to eat in a hurry (Exodus 12:11). That would of course suit me!
But it is the blood of that lamb that makes the difference. It was to be dabbed on the door frame and “the blood on your doorposts will serve as a sign, marking the houses where you are staying. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. This plague of death will not touch you when I strike the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 12: 13, MSG).
There is no threat for Hebrews in that tenth plague. The blood of the lamb means life for them. You see why Jesus is known as the Lamb of God. I love John the Baptist’s words in John 1:29-30. No-one really knew Jesus at that point, although John and Jesus were related. John sees Jesus walking along the road and exclaims “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! He is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘A man is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’ “
John got it right – the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. The perfect Passover lamb, given for us, who died for us, so that we no longer need to be afraid of death, no longer afraid of judgement by God, and no longer a slave to sin.
Of course with such grief all over Egypt, Pharaoh said ‘get out, leave Egypt, go’. And they were free. No longer slaves to the Egyptians.
God gave further instructions. “This is a day to remember. Each year, from generation to generation, you must celebrate it as a special festival to the Lord.” (Exodus 12:14).
It seems like God is saying, we need a new beginning that must never be forgotten. We need our reality redefined by a single, decisive event that becomes the most important thing about us. From now on, this will be the thing that defines your life and your year.
The Passover continues to be celebrated by Jewish people to this day – reminding their children of the great rescue plan that God had for his people. And it’s celebrated in a very personal way…not like it’s just about a story in the past. The Jewish people say ‘this is our story, this is MY story’.
The night before Jesus died, he celebrated the Passover with his friends. As he celebrated God’s great rescue plan for his people, eating the bread without yeast, the roast lamb with bitter herbs, he took some of that bread and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me. After supper he took another cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.” (Luke 20:19).
And this signified our new beginning. Jesus death and resurrection is not just a story in the past, this is our story, this is MY story. We celebrate Jesus, the Lamb of God again today, the one who bought us freedom and gave us new life. I pray that God’s great rescue plan is YOUR story today. God bless you this week.
Sermons For The Moment
New Year - Matthew 2:13-23
Do not be afraid - Matthew 1:18-21
Luke 2: 4- 15
Luke 1: 26-33
This is a subtitle for your new post
Ruth Chapter 4
Ruth 3
Ruth 2
Commitment from Love, Ruth 1: 1-18
This is an interesting Psalm – another psalm of ascent. We spoke about these Psalms of Ascent a few weeks ago. They were songs the Jewish people sang as they made their way to Jerusalem to go to the temple, through the forest, along the tracks, camping by the roads. And I believe songs like this kept them focussed and kept their spirits up. I can imagine days of walking together, tiring, boring, hot and dusty. And singing some of these Psalms keep them focussed on the faithfulness of God. Much better then eye spy for the kids. Journeys are not all their cracked up to be even if the destination is worth it. As you know, when I was growing up we always holidayed at Bawley Point past Ulladulla, and in those days it was about a 4 hour drive from Sydney. We always left later than we meant to…and the last 20 mins was on a dirt road. One year when I was probably about 4 years old it was dark by the time we got to the dirt road, and half way along the dirt road, was a dodgy wooden bridge over a river. I think part of the bridge had been damaged and we had to wait a bit in the pitch black darkness before we could proceed. Dad was out with a torch ensuring the bridge was safe to drive on and mum and us 4 kids were sitting in the darkness – no street lights, no moonlight. Of course, you might be able to guess what I said to mum in that car, with fearful crying…you’ve probably heard it from kids before. I said ‘I want to go home’. Mum said to me, ‘we can’t go home Robyn, we’re almost there’. In truth, after the bridge we had the last 10 minutes of a 4 hours journey left. We safely crossed the bridge and we were OK. But I remember it. I remember the feeling of being scarred in the darkness. I remember not liking this journey at all. Even though I always loved the destination. Well this psalm celebrates the end of the journey and the arrival at the destination. Psalm 126:1-3, “When the Lord brought back his exiles to Jerusalem, it was like a dream! We were filled with laughter, and we sang for joy. And the other nations said, “What amazing things the Lord has done for them.” Yes, the Lord has done amazing things for us! What joy!” Before we can understand the laughter and joy of the Israelites, we have to understand their journey. This Psalm looks back to when they arrived back in Jerusalem after 70 long years in Babylon. The captives had experienced great sorrow and mourning in exile. We read these heartbreaking words in Psalm 137: “Beside the rivers of Babylon, we sat and wept as we thought of Jerusalem. We put away our harps, hanging them on the branches of poplar trees. For our captors demanded a song from us. Our tormentors insisted on a joyful hymn: “Sing us one of those songs of Jerusalem!” But how can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a pagan land?” (Psalm 137:1-4). Their tormentors demanded they sing joyfully, but they were like – that’s impossible, it doesn’t come from our heart. So they just sat by the waters of Babylon and wept. But now by an amazing work of God they were suddenly back in Jerusalem. And so their joy came from their heart. The wait was over, the journey was complete. “We were filled with laughter, and we sang for joy.” The journey is the hard bit though isn’t it? I was reminded of this, this week. An Officer couple I was speaking to, said that their teenager said some very hurtful things to them. Stuff like, ‘you make my life worse’. As they spoke to me, I did very little but listen and pray with them. They do have other supports in their life as well, already seeing a psychologist. But what I was thinking in my head as they were speaking was ‘oh the teenage years, I’d forgotten them’. Though we have 2 wonderful young adults in P and K, they were times when it was more than tense. K wears her heart on her sleeve, and to this day apologises for some of the things she said to me. And P, you wouldn’t know what he was thinking, and then all of a sudden all his thoughts and feelings for the last 3 years would come out like molten lava everywhere. A few days later I checked in to see how the couple and their teenager were going. I mentioned in passing about teenage years and very briefly about our experiences. I didn’t want to make it all about me. But I said teenage years can be painful and those years can really hurt everyone in the family. Teenager included. They know that we have a good relationship with P and K and they said to me, you know, this is helpful. It gives us hope. I was like, yep, this too shall pass. Because when you’re in the midst of the journey of pain and sorrow, you sometimes wonder if there’s light at the end of the tunnel. If you’ll laugh again or experience joy again. You begin to wonder, “Is this all that God has for me? Will I ever be happy again?” And here’s the promise in Psalm 126:4-6, “Restore our fortunes, Lord, as streams renew the desert. Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest.” When you are going through a time of deep sorrow, Psalm 126 is strong medicine for your soul. It carries a powerful message of hope. It tells you that times of trouble and sorrow do not last. It tells you that God will turn your sorrow to joy and your tears to laughter. If you are going through a challenging time right now, I pray that this psalm will speak to your heart this morning. Let me tell you right up front, whatever you’re going through, it will get better. God will change your tears to joy. This week I found something I wrote about 10 years ago. I had written it on a piece of paper and there was a whole reflection about my life. At the time we had my mum living with us, she had dementia, and mostly I remember the good times and the fun times with her. I was also the Corps Officer at Glebe and Bob was the manager at William Booth House. After a page of writing I had written something like this “I’m often anxious, I’m usually stressed, I have eczema on my eyelids and ulcers in my mouth. I always feel pressed.” I went out to Bob in the lounge room and I’m like, ‘oh my goodness, eczema on my eyelids and ulcers in my mouth’, often anxious, usually stressed. The thing is, my life feels a long way from that now, and I’d forgotten what that part of my journey felt like. I’m sure when I was there I couldn’t look ahead and see a time of joy…but the truth is that “Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest.” This too shall pass. ‘Yes, the Lord has done amazing things for us!’ says verse 3. God is faithful – he does the healing, the restoring, he brings the streams in the desert that renews and brings fruitfulness. I don’t need to tell you – it takes time. Today, I’m praying for a work of healing in your life, a gradual restoration of joy, of laughter. Like me as a kid, sometimes we don’t like parts of this journey at all. Even though we know our destination is good. And ultimately, we have a destination like no other and that’s the promise of God. A home in heaven made possible through Jesus. May God bless you this week as you look to Him, listen to Him, find your hope in Him and find courage and healing in your journey.