Today we continue on our journey in the Old Testament. We are looking at the famous and infamous and discovering what we can learn from their lives. As you can tell already, we won’t be taking the stories in order – depending on the particular emphasis of that Sunday, we will look at different stories.
This morning’s adventure comes from the book of Exodus – this book is a story of God’s deliverance of His people from the hands of the Egyptians. We noted last week that civilizations for many centuries have been trying to rid the world of the Jews or Israelites. Last week, we saw that simply because of the hatred of one man, the Jews were almost eliminated from the entire Persian Empire. We saw how God delivered the Jews from the hand of Haman.
Today our story is called Moses and the Great Escape. You can follow along in the book of Exodus. How did the Israelites end up as slaves in Egypt anyhow? I thought the chosen land for God’s people was along the western shore of the Mediterranean Sea? This was the land promised to Abraham? How did the children of God end up in Egypt? The short version goes like this. We are going to look at the long version later this summer. Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers. He ended up being second in command and saving not only the Egyptians but the Israelites as well. It wasn’t long before a new Pharaoh was in command. He knew nothing of Joseph and despised the Israelites, therefore he put them to work, subjecting them to hard labor because he was afraid the Jews would take over the land of Egypt.
This was only the beginning. Pharaoh gave the order to kill all newborn Hebrew boys. Here’s is where we are introduce to Moses in Exodus 2. When he (he wasn’t named until later) was born, his mother hid him and when he got too big, she made a basket, lined it with tar and pitch. The put him in the basket and placed him among the reeds in the Nile River. Miriam, the baby’s sister was given the task of watching the baby.
Before long Pharaoh’s daughter and her attendants came to bathe in the river. They discovered the baby and found him crying and found compassion on him. She even knew it was a Hebrew child. Miriam thought quickly and went to the daughter and asked if she needed a Hebrew woman to nurse and take care of the baby. Miriam brings her mother to the daughter and the daughter tells her to take care of the boy and she’ll even be paid to do it. (Talk about irony – Not only is the boy’s life saved, but mom gets paid to take care of him.) Eventually the boy is brought back to Pharaoh’s daughter and given to her. She calls him Moses.
Some time later when Moses had grown, he went out to visit the Hebrews (He knew they were his people.) He saw an Egyptian guard beating on a Hebrew slave and stopped the insanity. He killed the guard and hid him in the sand. The next day Moses was visiting the people when two Hebrews began to fight. He stepped into stop the fight, when the Hebrews confronted him saying, “Who are you to judge us? Are you going to kill us like you did the guard?” Moses was taken aback. He didn’t realize anyone had seen the encounter yesterday. Pharaoh had found out and so Moses fled to Midian.
When he arrived in Midian, he sat down by a well. It just so happened some camel thieves came along, trying to steal Jethro’s sheep. Moses saved Jethro’s (a Midianite priest) daughters and the sheep. Jethro invited Moses to join the family and he gave him one of his seven daughters, Zipporah.
Several years passed. The oppression in Egypt was still severe. The Hebrews cried out to their God and God heard their call. Moses was out tending his father-in-law’s sheep when he saw the strangest sight. Here on the desert a bush was burning and yet it wasn’t being burned up. Moses was amazed and wondered what was up. Moses approached the bush and God called out to him from the bush, “Moses, Moses!”
Moses quickly replied, “Here I am.”
God replies, “Don’t get any closer. Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground. I am the God of your father – the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”
Moses became afraid because he was having an encounter with God. God told him of the oppression of the Hebrews in Egypt and that He wanted something done about it. Moses was the man of the hour. Moses strongly protested. He did not want to be the Hebrew spokesperson. God reminds Moses of His name, “I AM who I AM.” He gave Moses instructions to tell the people of the impending rescue and gift of the promised land. Moses wasn’t too sure of this whole plan. Finally, God convinces Moses that he is the man for the job. Moses goes back to Egypt to confront Pharaoh and demand the release of the Hebrews.
Pharaoh was not amused by this upstart Moses. Just who does he think he is? I am Pharaoh. He is nothing. Pharaoh not only won’t let the people go, but he increases their workload. The Hebrew are none to happy with these proceedings. They even get mad a Moses, because their if they were overworked before, their tasks are even harder now.
Moses and Pharaoh have another confrontation. Moses tries out his staff/snake trick. Pharaoh is not impressed because his magicians can do the same thing. Pharaoh is not going to let the Hebrews go. So God sends a series of plagues on the Egyptians. It’s important to note that these plagues did not affect the Hebrews. Can anybody help me with the first nine plagues?

1. Blood
2. Frogs
3. Gnats
4. Flies
5. Dead Livestock
6. Festering Boils
7. Hail
8. Locust
9. Darkness

Pharaoh was not amused by all of this. His heart got harder with each passing plague. God was willing to give him one more chance. Moses warns Pharaoh a new plague is coming – one more severe than all the others. Moses even tells Pharaoh, what is about to happen, but no matter, Pharaoh’s mind is made up.
Here’s what Moses told Pharaoh. “At midnight tonight, I (the Lord) will pass through the heart of Egypt. All the firstborn sons will die in every family in Egypt, from the oldest son of Pharaoh, who sits on his throne, to the oldest son of the lowliest servant girl who grinds the flour. Even the firstborn of all livestock will die. Then a loud wail will rise throughout the land of Egypt, a wail like no one has heard before or will ever hear again. But among the Israelites it will be so peaceful that not even a dog will bark…All the officials of Egypt will run to me and fall to the ground before me. ‘Please leave!’ they will beg. ‘Hurry! And take all of your followers with you.” Only then will I go!”
So the gauntlet was laid down. There was a special condition that the Hebrews had to follow.
Each family had to choose a one-year-old sheep or goat with no defects. They were to kill it and take the blood and smear it on the tops and sides of the door to the house. They were commanded to roast the lamb and eat it with bitter salad greens and bread without yeast. Everything had to be roasted and consumed before morning or be burned. The Hebrews were instructed to eat the meal ready for travel. God was about to pass through the land of Egypt. God said, “But the blood on the 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.”
That night God passed through the land of Egypt, killing every firstborn in the land, except where there was blood on the doorposts. As God predicted there was a wailing in the land it was never heard before and never heard since. Pharaoh summoned Moses and told him to get out immediately if not sooner. As incentive to get out as quickly as possible the Egyptians gave the Hebrews clothing and articles of silver and gold. They stripped Egypt of its pride and treasury. This feast like Purim is still celebrated by Jews each year. The feast I describe is known as Passover. God said, “When I see the blood I will pass over you.”
So how does that apply to us? Jesus was celebrating the Passover with his disciples when He gave us the command to celebrate the Lord’s Table in remembrance of His sacrifice. On the edge of most communion tables there is a phrase “Do this in remembrance of me.” Each time we get together to celebrate the Lord’s Table we remember the sacrifice that was paid for our sins. The lambs that were sacrificed on the night of the Passover, guaranteed the deliverance of the Hebrews. The Lamb of God was slain for our sins. For those who have received Him, his sacrifice covers their sins and gives them deliverance from sin. Each one of us is bound for death because of our sins, but because Christ’s blood was shed on the cross – because his blood has been placed on the doorposts of our hearts, we are forgiven if we trust in Him. We can have the great escape that the Hebrews did.
This morning we are about to celebrate the Lord’s Table together. We remember that Jesus shed His blood for us. We remember that Jesus died for us. We remember that Jesus rose again to save us from our sins. As we participate, we also remember that the very act of communion can change us. We are to examine ourselves, asking the Holy Spirit to cleanse our hearts. When our hearts are cleansed, we are made new and we are worthy of this holy sacrament.