Egypt: salvation, Part 11.
We saw last month that Israel kept the Passover, and at the sight of the blood the death angel passed over their homes. We ended with God telling His people that only those who were part of the covenant could keep the Passover. You may say, “See that is why we do not keep the Passover, because of circumcision.” Yes, except when we accept Yeshua the Messiah as our Savior, we become grafted into Israel. Romans 11:17-18 says this, “ But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you.”
As we continue in Exodus 13, God tells the people that every first born male was to be consecrated to Him because of the death of the firstborn in Egypt. So Israel went out with their livestock and their children and all that they gathered from the Egyptians. But when they left in such a hurry the yeast of their bread had not yet risen. This is why the day is called Unleavened Bread. Paul tells us believers that we too must keep the Passover, and we must clean out our hearts of the leaven (sin). 1 Corinthians 5:6-8, “ Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Messiah, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”
What we read in Exodus 13:20-22 is very significant. “After leaving Sukkoth they camped at Etham on the edge of the desert. By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.” This same pillar of fire and cloud will not leave them for the next forty years. The term Sukkot means booths. The people built booths for their cattle and then they too, slept in the booths with their cattle, this was on their first night after leaving their bondage behind. The Feast of Sukkot is celebrated during the fall. It is to remind us of this, because their exodus is our exodus as we saw last month. So too their freedom is our freedom. It is believed that Yeshua was born on the first day of Sukkot and where did Mary and Joseph find themselves? Yes, in a sukkah. We call it today, a manger. They, too, slept with the animals. We read last month that Yeshua’ blood covers us, as did the blood of the lamb, that covered the doorpost. Their exodus from bondage is our exodus from bondage, we were both slaves to our sin. Their unleavened is our unleavened. Their flight from Pharoah(the devil) is our flight and as we continue we will see even more. Exodus 14: 3-4, 6-9 says. “Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert.’ And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for Myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” So the Israelites did this (camped by the sea). And that is just what happened when Pharaoh was told that the people had left.” “So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him. He took six hundred of the best chariots, along with all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them. The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out boldly. The Egyptians—all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots, horsemen and troops—pursued the Israelites and overtook them as they camped by the sea near Pi Hahiroth, opposite Baal Zephon.”
Now about 600,000 people are sitting in the desert, remember about 66 came to Egypt in the time of Joseph. But we are now over 400 years later. Israel is now a great nation, and they are moving along slowly with their livestock of great number, plus women and children. So Pharoah thinks he has the advantage. So when Israel saw the Egyptian army, they cried out with fear. You must remember that this was the first time they had experienced freedom. Exodus 14: 13-14 says this not only to Israel, but to all who are experiencing their first freedom from that which they have been in bondage from. “Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”’
Now you have to think, how was Pharaoh going to capture 600,000 people? He experienced the power of God, and he knows how the judgment of God left Egypt in ruins, and yet, he is still going after Israel to bring them back. If Pharaoh, and mind you there were many Pharaohs over those 400 years, thought that Israel was conquering Egypt from within, that they had to enslave the people, because of their great numbers, then why did he have all the male babies put to death? If anything, you would think that he would have had all the female babies put to death, so that the male children would grow up and continue to build their great cities, and eventually they would have all died out. So as we see Pharaoh pursuing Israel, it appears that he has vengeance on his heart. He wants to annihilate as many as he can, if not all of them. One month before Passover on the Biblical calendar is the celebration of Purim. In that story the evil Haman, like Pharaoh, wanted to annihilate the Hebrew people. It seems that throughout history people have tried to annihilate God’s people. In Joseph’s day God did a miracle by multiplying the grain, and the people did not recognize the God of Joseph, and yet Pharaoh did by placing Joseph in charge. Over the years this was lost in Egyptian history, but now once again Pharoah will not recognize the One True God, nor His people. Exodus 14:21-28 says, “Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea. During the last watch of the night the Lord looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion. He jammed the wheels of their chariots so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, “Let’s get away from the Israelites! The Lord is fighting for them against Egypt.” Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.” Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians were fleeing toward it, and the Lord swept them into the sea. The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived.”
Yes, the horse and its rider were cast into the sea, and Israel was now free. God said that He would deliver them with an outstretched arm, and He did. God brought salvation to Israel. 1 Corinthians 10:1-2 says, “For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our fathers were all under the cloud and they all passed through the sea; and they all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.”
And when we cross over from our Egypt (the world) into freedom from sin, we too, have salvation. Romans 6:3-4 says, “Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Messiah Yeshua were baptized into His death? We were therefore buried with Him through immersion into death in order that, just as Messiah was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”
Isaiah 12:2-3 says, “Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation Therefore you will joyously draw water from the springs of salvation.”
Next month we will continue with our last teaching on Egypt with the kings.
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