God Passes Over or Through: God Sanctifies or Judges
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God Passes Over or Through
God Passes Over or Through
(Optional) Before going live.
I mentioned to Gabe, and I think some of you that last weeks sermon was a very difficult one to write. This one on the other hand was wrote itself. I had so much fun. I kept having to stop and think God for being so blessed as to get to dive into the text and then tell you guys all about what I found in there.
Introduction
Introduction
Open Your Bible to Acts 17:30–31
Our Text for tonight is in Exodus 12:11-13. However; I believe it will be advantages to us to set the stage for our biblical excursion this evening. Paul is speaking and giving a defence of the Christian faith to the top philosophers and scholars of his day. Paul says,
The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”
While you are turning to Exodus 12:11-13, that’s Exodus 12:11-13.
Paul say, that if you come to Jesus, if you are to worship God through Christ, you must do it by repentance. God has standards for his people and how they respond to Him. We cannot respond with, how yeah that Jesus guy is cool, what a loving guy I like him. No we must confess Him ans Lord, repent, turning from our sin to Him. Seeking to be made like Him. Notice, I said to be made like Him. Made implies the need for God to do the work. In the hymn we just sang it said “The arm of flesh will fail you, ye dare not trust your own.”
Lets read Exodus 12:11-13, Exodus 12:11-13.
In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s Passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord. The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.
The stage is set for God to bring his people out of Egypt. Nine Plagues have already happened
Water Turned to Blood
Frogs
Gnats
Flies
Egyptian Livestock Die
Boils
Hail
Locusts
Darkness
Each of these Plagues was a direct attack on the false gods of the Egyptians. God, in verse 12 says, “on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments.” (Ex 12:12, ESV).
At this point, there is one god, little g, left in Egypt, Pharaoh. But it more then just his title as son of the god. Pharaoh represents humanity and its rejection of God. As rejection of God that exists today in the Zeitgeist, the sprint of the age. Humanism is not a new malady, sickness, that has only appeared in modern times. Nimrod, Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar, Xerxes, Nero, and Kim Jung-un are all examples of men called gods.
Transition
Transition
Now God addresses his people. He tells them how they will respond to his dealing with the this false god man and those who follow him. See verse 11.
Body
Body
Main Body Division 1
Main Body Division 1
Text
Text
English Standard Version Chapter 12
In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the LORD’s Passover.
Explanation
Explanation
“In this manner you shall eat it”
God prescribes how he is to be worshiped.
This section of the text is God instructing the people on how they are to respond to his salvation of them.
“with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste.” (Ex 12:11, ESV)
Ready to Go!
As Christian pushed his fingers into his ears and ran from the city of destruction, God tell his people. Be ready to leave
“eat it in haste”
This is not talking about being in a hurry. It is frantic hast. Stuff it in your month because there is NO TIME! kind of hurry.
“It is the LORD’s Passover.” (Ex 12:11, ESV).
Notice how many time in these two following verses God refers to himself with the personal pronoun I.
Verse 12, I will pass through, I will strike, I will execute judgments, I am the Lord,
Verse 13, when I see, I will pass over, I strike the land.
Illustration
Illustration
There is hurricane ida, that just smashed its way on to the land, and they say millions of people are without power, without food, billions of dollars in property damage. Imagine being told Ida was come here? Wouldn’t you be in hast to get out of the way. How much more when God says, I am coming for judgement.
Application
Application
God is coming in Judgment
God has said, I am coming in Judgement. Remember what we read in Acts 17. God has appointed a day when He will judge the world by one man.
Are we urgently running from Sin?
Do we urgently, hastily flee that judgement? Flee run from the city of destruction to the promised land? Our promised land who is Christ?
Today is the day of salvation.
God is the one that commands repentance; turning your back on sin, turning your back on this world. God commands you do it with haste.
The Apostle Paul plead with the Corinthians saying, “Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Co 6:2, ESV).
This is as much of a command for those that know God as those that do not. Leave our sin behind.
Do you know Jesus as Lord? GOOD! Leave your sin behind. Are you just know hearing that Christ is LORD? GOOD! leave your sin behind and run to Christ and do it now. Now before God’s judgement falls.
Transition
Transition
God said, I WILL PASS Through the land. God said, I have appointed a day on which I “will judge the world in righteousness”. Look at verse 12
Main Body Division 2
Main Body Division 2
Text
Text
For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord.
Explanation
Explanation
“For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night”
This instruction for Moses and the people is at least 3 days before the event.
Passover Lamb taken into the hour and kept for four days before it was killed and the blood drained into a large blow.
“I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast”
God will kill all the first born.
Temptations to explain away the action as a natural even.
Like all the Plagues
The Blood was just clay run off
The Darkness was a volcanic eruption or meteor that put a lot of duct in the sky.
ETC.
God is the one to bring judgement and he does it personally.
Transcendent and Immanent
Illustration
Illustration
We talked about Hurricane Ida before. Lets just be completely clear. Hurricane Ida is not just some random meteorological event. God created it, ordained it, and purposed it. God intends it for judgement on those who wickedly defy Him. God also uses it for the good of those that love Him and are call according to His purpose. To train them, test their faith, teach them to rely on him, perhaps even to destroy possessions that are becoming idols in their lives. God does all of this. On judgement day God will not use secondary means like
Application
Application
God has appointed a day when there will be no more hurricanes, wars, or even Plagues, it will just be God and God’s thrown that everyone will have to answer to.
The 1689, chapter 32, article 3 says, “As Christ would have us to be certainly persuaded that there shall be a day of judgment, both to deter all men from sin, and for the greater consolation of the godly in their adversity, so will he have the day unknown to men, that they may shake off all carnal security, and be always watchful, because they know not at what hour the Lord will come, and may ever be prepared to say, Come Lord Jesus; come quickly. Amen.”[1]
The haste from verse 11, “be always watchful”
Two kinds of watchful that the Bible commands.
Watching for his return. (Matthew 24:48–51)
Watching ourselves so we do not fall into sin. (Matthew 24:48–51)
This is the warning of the good and wicked servant in Matthew 24:48–51
Transition
Transition
Seeing that the people have been warned and instructed on how to respond to God’s passover. God tell them what passover blood is for. Lets look to verse 13.
Main Body Division 3
Main Body Division 3
Text
Text
The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.
Explanation
Explanation
“a sign for you”
Hebrews 104-5a says, “For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Consequently, when Christ came into the world.” (Heb 10:4–5a, ESV)
The blood of the passover is a sign of the only blood that does justify the sinner.
“I will pass over you." (Ex 12:13, ESV)
Not going to quote John Calvin tonight, but I will point out something he showed me. [2]
Verse 12 reads, “I will pass through the land of Egypt”
Verse 13 reads, “I will pass over you”
two different words.
The main point “when I see the blood”
Paul wrote to the Corinthians that they should, “Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” (1 Co 5:7, ESV)
Application
Application
How are we to understand this?
God’s elect people are covered by the blood not of a lamb as a sign of by the blood of thee lamb that actually takes away their sin. That is why Paul said, “Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened.”
Why are they unleavened? Because ‘... Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.”
Transition
Transition
In conclusion today.
Conclusion
Conclusion
You are called as God’s people to remove sin from your life. To run from it, to make haste away from sin and run to Jesus. If we draw parallels in this story, We are the Israelites, and this worlds evil system is Egypt. Are you ready to leave?
You are called to see Jesus as the perfect passover lamb.
Does the idea of being the path of Hurricane Ida scare you? Whether it does or not, being in the path of God’s judgement should. As the 1689 said “[] Christ would have us to be certainly persuaded that there shall be a day of judgment, both to deter all [us] from sin, and for the greater consolation of [us] in adversity”(emphases add)[3] We should be every confident in our salvation and every running from sin. simul justus et peccator (simultaneously righteous and sinner)
Let’s Pray.
References
References
[1] R. C. Sproul, ed., The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2015), 2494.
[2] John Calvin and Charles William Bingham, Commentaries on the Four Last Books of Moses Arranged in the Form of a Harmony, vol. 1 (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010), 457
[3] R. C. Sproul, ed., The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2015), 2494.
Bibliography
Bibliography
Calvin, John, and Charles William Bingham. Commentaries on the Four Last Books of Moses Arranged in the Form of a Harmony. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010.
Sproul, R. C., ed. The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition). Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2015.