Patterns for God's People

Patterns for God’s People Exodus 13 Introduction • God’s people are on the move. • Look Back/Ahead: 1. 12 chapters to save a people; 28 to build a nation 2. 12 chapters to create a leader; 28 to shape a people • Chapter 13 – Patterns for God’s People 1. Pattern of Consecration 2. Pattern of Celebration 3. Pattern of Guidance 4. Pattern of Testimony 5. Pattern of Presence Pattern of Consecration (1-2; 9-16) • Wrap-Around – God bookends worship with consecration. • Consecrate: set apart (v. 2); in verse 12, God uses a word that later describes pagan practices (2 Kings 16:3) 1. Children: 5-shekel temple tax (Numbers 3:46-47) 2. Clean Animals: firstborn offered/eaten (Numbers 18:1718) 3. Unclean Animals: redeemed by sacrifice (Exodus 34:20) • Purpose: Discipleship (“when your son asks”); “mark” is the same word as “sign” in verse 9 (God gave the rainbow as a “sign” in Genesis 9:13) Pattern of Celebration (3-8) • God commands his people to celebrate annually the Feast of Unleavened Bread: 8-day Festival, required travel; 2 days of worship; one family feast • Repetition: This is the second of four commands in the Book of Exodus alone to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread (12:15-20; 13:3-8; 23:15; 34:18) • Symbol: God’s strong hand of swift deliverance • Purpose: Discipleship “And you shall declare/announce to your children …” (13:8) Pattern of Guidance (17-18) • Notice the 3x attribution to God – God did not … For God said … But God led. • The land of the Philistines was heavily guarded, and God could have treated them like the Egyptians. But God wanted the people to fight for the land. • The Sinai Peninsula was a trap – very little water and multiple bottlenecks. But God wasn’t done yet with the Egyptians. Pattern of Testimony (19) • Joseph’s Command – Genesis 50:25 • Joseph’s Remains – Gensis 50:26; large, embalmed, residing a heavy stone sarcophagus (discovered sarcophagi have weighed up to 3 tons) • 40-year testimony of God’s faithfulness throughout our pilgrimage. Pattern of Presence (21-22) • Daily, visual reminder of God’s abiding presence. • God allowed for night travel – daily temps past 100, 350 days of full sunshine annually (they measure rain there by the millimeter), average humidity of 69% (average heat index of 105; 150+ in July) • Emphatic: “Not departing …” Applications • • • • • Consecration – 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Discipleship – Ephesians 6:4 Embracing God’s Leading – 2 Corinthians 2:14 Perpetual Presence of Christ – Hebrews 13:5 Memorializing Redemption – 1 Corinthians 11:2326