[0:00] Praise God for the prayers that have already gone up. Thank you, Kohlers, all four of you for leading us. Let's continue a bit in prayer now. Father, thank you for the word that is before us from your heart to our hearts so that we might be sanctified according to it for your glory and our good in this world.
[0:24] Blessed be your name. Amen. If your family is like our family, there are certain months of the year that are more significant than others because of what happened or has happened in those particular months.
[0:45] July is that kind of month for us. Three birthdays and an anniversary all in one week. A recognition of 67 years of life.
[1:01] 47 years of marriage. And 39 years of life for our twins. All in one week. Such milestones certainly are worth celebrating.
[1:18] Well wishes, cards, flowers, dinners, desserts. Things of that kind of significance are, yes, worthy of thanksgiving to God for what he has done.
[1:36] His grace that shows up in marvelous, marvelous ways in our lives. For Israel, that month was the month of Abiv.
[1:49] Later it was known as Nisan. But that was a very, very special month for them. Look at our text today. You see that month in verse 4.
[2:03] Today is the month of Abiv. You are going out. And if you turn back over to chapter 12 and verses 1 and 2, you will notice that this is the first month of the year for the people of God.
[2:25] Notice there, 12 and 1. The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, This month will be for you the beginning of months.
[2:38] It shall be the first month of the year for you. Significant things for the people of God in that day happened in the month of Abiv.
[2:54] Huh? What a month it was. It was the month of deliverance. Huh? Like a bird out of a cage, they had been released from Egypt by the very strong hand of God.
[3:09] Huh? Their rescue was from the iron grip of Egypt. And it was to be commemorated by several observances during the month of Abiv.
[3:24] Huh? Over the past few weeks, we've heard about some of those observances. But really what has surfaced in the text mainly was the Passover.
[3:35] Huh? And if you know anything about the Passover from your biblical study or perhaps what you heard over the last few weeks, Passover was a commemoration of salvation.
[3:46] Huh? The rescue of God of his people from Egypt. The banner over God's people really could be saved by God.
[3:59] Huh? I mean, if Israel were to take a picture of all of them, the banner or the caption would read saved by God.
[4:10] Huh? According to 12 and 3, the 10th day of Abiv, they were to take the lambs and the household for the lambs for their household. A lamb for a household was the prescription.
[4:22] The 14th day of the month of Abiv, those lambs were to be slain. This was the instruction that was given to Moses and Aaron chapter 12 verse 1.
[4:37] Then that instruction was passed on to the elders of Israel. Look at chapter 12 and verse 21 where Moses called all the elders of Israel and said to them, go and select for yourselves according to your clan and kill the Passover lamb.
[4:57] Instructions to Moses and Aaron passed on to the elders but then it was also executed by the people. Look at chapter 12 verse 28.
[5:09] Then the people of Israel went and did so. As the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron so they did. From the Lord to the leader to the people.
[5:22] saved by God. Just as the blood of Christ that was shed on the cross is for the salvation of those who have faith in him so the blood of the Passover lamb that pointed to Christ was for the protection of those who had applied the blood to the door to the door There's a church in our city known as the painted door Oh what an appropriate name The painted door and that's what it was back in Israel because they put the blood over their door to the door and those under that blood were protected They were saved and they were delivered Are you under the blood this morning?
[6:13] Huh? Is Jesus' blood a covering for your sins? Huh? I hope so Huh?
[6:23] The Passover commemorated the salvation of God for his people But guess what? There was life after Egypt Huh?
[6:34] And that's what our passage deals with on today As far as what were those you might say pillars that needed to be in the ground as far as going forward what was it that children needed to hear as far as when they did A and B and as it would go on C and on what did their children need to hear as far as what needed to go with them or the reason why we do what we do Huh?
[7:14] Observances that were instituted to bring about other aspects of the care of the activity of God into perspective and today's text follows the institution of the Passover and features two other observances that are initiated by God to be observed in the life of the people of God after they had come out of Egypt Huh?
[7:42] They were out of Egypt but they were to be regularly reminded or mindful of what the Lord had done for them while they were in Egypt through these observances God's people but reminded not only had they been saved by God the Passover but they were also sanctified or set apart for God or by God and that's what we see in verses 1 through 16 of our text here we're reminded that those who have been saved by God are to be separated for God huh?
[8:25] Those for whom Christ's blood offers an atonement it has appeased the wrath of God another way of saying it is how then should you live now that you're out from under the iron grip of the evil one your sins have been atoned for now what?
[8:49] Two aspects of sanctification really come into view here first is introduced in verses 1 and 2 and then it continues in verses 11 through 16 notice look at look at verses 1 and 2 the Lord said to Moses consecrate or set apart to me all the firstborn whatever is first to open the womb among the people of Israel both of man and beast and listen to God's claim it's mine huh?
[9:24] it's mine it belongs to me so here's the idea the first aspect of salvation sanctification by God for his purposes that is the consecration of the firstborn it comes in view this could be called the plus side of sanctification in other words this is for God's purposes for his glory we will look at you might say the minus side of sanctification in other words what we are set apart from that's as far as we look at the unleavened bread but this part it's what we are sanctified to for God's glory notice as we see in 13 1 and 2 this directly follows the institution of the Passover huh?
[10:19] where the firstborn of Egypt human and animals were relegated to destruction firstborn of animals turn back over to 12 29 and we look at that as far as what happened to them at midnight the Lord struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt from the firstborn of Pharaoh who was on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon and all the firstborn of the livestock they were relegated to destruction the firstborn of Egypt so here the Lord then declared that among his people and their animals those who first opened the womb belonged to him and they were to be dedicated to his purposes huh?
[11:17] whatever that's first to come out of the womb belongs to him huh? but notice who was being given the directive in chapter 13 13 and verse 1 the Lord said to Moses look at chapter 13 and verse 3 then the Lord said to the people so as it was with the Passover directive from the Lord to the leader to the people we see a similar pattern here huh?
[12:00] we pick this pattern up we will come back to this as far as the consecration of the firstborn but I want to show you that though it's going to seem like we're hearing some things that have we've heard before and that is true as it relates to the feast of unleavened bread God gives that to Moses in chapter and Aaron in chapter 12 but here it is people again we've seen this we've seen this pattern with the Passover so now what's being said is being given to the people of God after they have come out of the land of Egypt he's speaking to these people and guess where they are they're in Sukkot look at chapter 12 and verse 37 they're out of Egypt the people of Israel journeyed from
[13:01] Ramses to Sukkot about 600,000 men on foot besides women and children so they have moved out of Egypt and this is the first leg of their journey to the!
[13:12] as a matter of fact to confirm that is in fact so look in chapter 13 and verse 20 this is they're beginning to move they move from Sukkot and encamp at Etim so all of these things that we see in our chapter you might even call this this is a seminar at Sukkot where God is giving directions to his people they're out of Egypt now what then do they need to observe as it relates to them so he's calling them to commemorate through an aspect of their deliverance from Egypt's slavery what what are they to remember they were to replicate the conditions under which their ancestors had left the land of Egypt again if the Passover observance brought the salvation of God into focus the feast of unleavened bread brought the sanctification by
[14:14] God into focus being set apart in verses 3 through 10 from ungodliness that is being pictured in the leaven God's people are to remember their deliverance through the feast of unleavened bread wow think about it their deliverance was dramatic and swift and urgent their lives were disrupted so much so that the bread that they had prepared didn't even have time to rise and they were to observe the feast that replicated this particular aspect of their deliverance notice in verse 3 this is what you to do you to remember this day in which you came out of Egypt there it is and you see this out of Egypt it referred to again throughout the passage out of the house of slavery for by a strong hand the
[15:15] Lord brought you out from this place no leavened bread shall be eaten this is what you to do just think about it sitting around the table and on day one of the feast one of the kids says pass me the bread dad and they look and they see that this is like if you would go to a pizza place and all that you were getting was pizza dough cooked nothing's risen in it you know and said dad what's wrong with this play well hold on son there's a story that goes along with this you need to understand why mama didn't put any leaven in the dough today because one day way back in before long before you were born son long before I was born we had to leave God delivered us and you need to understand that when we went we went with haste and for seven days son we are going to eat this bread because it has been commanded by
[16:25] God in order that we might remember the hand of God in our lives that brought us out from our slavery so son just hold on you got six more days of this but it's going to be all right we're going to get back to eating the regular bread later but for now we're going to obey!
[16:47] God and this is why we're doing that a seven day reminder of eating bread with no leaven they were using this bread as a ceremonial teaching for their children a reproduction that reminded them they had been delivered by God from the corrupting influence of Egypt a new year was to begin without leaven new year new leaven don't let these things be lost in the coming generation when you get to the place where the Lord has promised don't forget where you come from and the conditions under which you left set apart from the defiling influences of
[17:49] Egypt set apart from them that's where the consecration of we move from being set apart from something that which defiles and we'll talk a little bit more about that later but I want you to see the big picture but then they are through the firstborn feast they are to they are set apart for something for the very purposes of God the consecration of the firstborn set aside the firstborn of man and beast to the Lord when you arrive at your destination this is what you're to do verse 11 when the Lord brings you to the land of the Canaanites and notice what we have with the unleavened bread this was an annual observance and what we have here is something more regular because there were going to be births probably just about on a daily basis on a more regular basis so there's an annual observance but then there's something more regular so so much something that is more a part of the routine daily living every time an animal was born or a child was born this is what you to do set aside the firstborn males of animals and beasts sons and unclean animals like a donkey a donkey was probably representative of other unclean animals that were to be redeemed in other words something there was a substitute for sons and a substitute for the unclean animals that could not be offered to
[19:30] God no human sacrifice and nothing unclean again a substitute for that a lamb or something like that for the unclean so why are you to do this notice what the text says and when it verse 14 and when it is time and when in time to come your son asks you what does this mean again this parallels what we've seen in the previous text you should say to him by a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt from the house of slavery when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go the Lord killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of animals therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all the males that first opened the womb but all the firstborns of my son I redeem again he's given the reason this is what you do this is the reason why you're doing it this commemorated
[20:32] God's deliverance again through the death of the firstborn the firstborn of Israel was to be set apart for God's purposes we see Jesus being set apart in Luke chapter 2 verse 23 Mary and Joseph bringing an offering even for him so here it is God commands Moses to seize this out of Egypt moment so he puts these two major stakes in the ground designed to help God's people to maintain their bearings an annual feast to remind them of their separation to God from all things that defile the consecration of the firstborn as a reminder of their separation to God for his purposes and these things were to be a part of their communal life it was to shape them it was to mold them and their posterity so what about us so God's work of judgment and deliverance through the cross and as
[21:38] God's people are we not to live in the shadow of the cross in light of what Christ has done for us are our lives not to be in a sense cross shaped in our living set apart from all that defiles in this world and set apart unto God for his purposes it's not simply enough to put away the unleavened bread of envy and evil and malice what kinds of things are to be included in our lives as the people of God justice and mercy and faithfulness as the people of God are not these very things to shape our lives for lives of holiness and righteousness unto God are we not called to follow our
[22:40] Lord who is described in Hebrews as holy and harmless and undefiled and separate from sinners the one who is totally consecrated for God who himself said in John chapter 17 sanctify them in thy truth your word is truth you sent me into the world so and so I have sent them and for their sakes I consecrate myself that they may also be sanctified in the truth saved by God commemorated by the Passover sanctified by God and for God commemorated through the feast of unleavened bread and the consecration of the firstborn but also life after Egypt was to be characterized by the leadership by God in verses 17 through 22 oh isn't that a wonderful text there huh those who have been saved by
[23:50] God are to be separated for God and those who are separated for God can be expect to be led by God isn't that the nature of the Christian life the Lord's leadership strategy for his people is seen in verses 17 through 22 we used to sing a song in my tradition trials dark on every hand and we cannot understand all the ways that God would lead us to his blessed promised land but he'll guide us with his eye and we'll follow till we die and we'll understand it better by and by the leadership of God is not something that was simply for the people of God of old it's something that you and I need even today huh aren't you glad for his leadership huh and according to what we see here
[24:58] God was very much present with his people look at verse 17 when Pharaoh let the people go in other words they're out of Egypt now and what could they expect I mean just think about this I mean these people had been in this culture in Egyptian culture for centuries huh they didn't have the different various guides to their lives and here God is gathering them has brought them out of Egypt and God didn't say now you're on your own figure it out for yourself and even so for you and me upon coming to Christ you are not left alone as to how to feel your way as it relates to what it means to live the Christian life or to be set apart for
[25:59] God in this particular world huh but notice the negative that we see first in verse verse 17 in other words what God did not do he did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines although that was near you ever have a way plotted out that you think it's going to be the right way and the best way but it seemed like God didn't come through for you and you wonder Lord why didn't it go this way well you know what God knows a little bit more than you do he knows how to lead into well why didn't I get this job or why didn't I get accepted into this school or why didn't we not get approval for this property God knows a bit more than we do didn't lead them by the Philistines although it was nearer it seemed more practical for
[27:02] God said but God had a reason you see that reason in verse 17 for God said lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt that could have really discouraged them had that been God's choice for them but notice the positive thing but God did leave them around by way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea or the Sea of Reeds the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle in other words they went up by ranks again it's not that they were they were not a warring people but they went up in order that's what is in view there not only that they were God led them sort of based on his promise God had made a promise that he was back to Genesis chapter 15 verse 14 that he was going to leave them there were going to be slaves in the land but God was going to take them to the land
[28:03] Joseph remembered that promise and he said hey I need you all to swear when it's not a question of if but when God according to his promise leads us out that you're going to take my bones up from here and that's what you see here God had indeed visited his people Exodus chapter 2 he visited them though he had cried long and loud and it was a period of time but God visited them they were glad God will surely!
[28:40] But look at the beauty of the Shekinah glory of God his visible presence that led them he went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light that they might travel by day and by night you say well Pastor Jay I would love to have that kind of divine leadership that I could listen and I could see and I would go well don't fool yourself children of Israel had it and they messed up and you've got something you have an internal by thy word is a lamp into my feet and a light into my pathway and all who are the children as many as who are led by the Spirit of God they are what the sons of God he led them what am I saying those who are saved by
[29:45] God are to be separated for God and to be led by God be separated to God be led by the Spirit of God for His glory and for your good some of you here today unfortunately remain in a spiritual Egypt bondage that is you've not been delivered the blood of Jesus is not on the door post of your heart you haven't trusted him as Lord and Savior you too remain marked for destruction but that can change today by placing your faith in Jesus and He wants to lead you to safety on the other hand some among us here are out of Egypt but you find that Egypt is still in you leaven the remnants of the old life remain
[30:50] God's word has yet to be applied you're not observing the feast of unleavened bread which is not simply to be something that is for seven days it's a lifestyle for us the word has not been applied you're not being washed regularly with this word rather you are very much engaged with the world turn to Colossians chapter three because I really want the exhortation for us to come from there it's an exhortation for sanctification for you and me as people of God because that's who Paul is writing to and it really sort of sums up for us in a New Testament sense in a post cross kind of sense those of us who are Christians as far as what we need to hear as it relates to our sanctification listen think of the various kinds of leaven that are mentioned first in verses five through nine and then we're going to turn the corner as far as what we're to be set apart to but listen put to death therefore what is earthly in you sexual immorality impurity passion evil desire covetousness which is idolatry recognize those any of those things as leaven in your life but notice what it says on account of these things the wrath of
[32:41] God is coming in these you once walked when you were living in them in other words that's a part of the old lifestyle but now look at the other kind of leaven you know verses five verse five those are kind of blatant kind of things that are characteristic of those that are still who are not under the blood that sometimes can appear in those of us who are but listen look at these other things they are also types leaven but now you must put away all away anger wrath malice slander and obscene talk from your mouth leaven don't lie to one another seeing that you put all the old self with its practices and to put on the new self which is being renewed knowledge after the image of its creator lists these sexual sins social sins interpersonal kinds of things but notice in verse 12 so be separate from some things but be set apart for other things put on then as the chosen ones holy and beloved compassionate hearts kindness humility meekness and patience bearing with one another if one has a complaint against another forgiving each other as the
[34:09] Lord has forgiven you so also must you must forgive and above all these things put on love as those who are separated to God which binds everything together in perfect harmony and as those who are separated to God let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts to which indeed you were called in one body and be thankful let the word of Christ dwell in you richly teaching and admonishing one another all these are the things are to characterize those who are set apart for God to God and his purposes richly teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness into your hearts to God and whatever you do in word or deed do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God and the Father through him set apart saved by God and here's another banner over God's people sanctified by
[35:12] God and finally I encourage you to be assured of the Lord's leadership now you may feel lost and without direction confused and it's certainly not the norm as we've mentioned for the Lord to lead in these visible audible kinds of ways though it's not beyond him to do so not the norm but his word is a lamp into our feet and a light into our pathway saved by God Passover!
[35:47] Bread and First Born Led by God Pillar of Fire His Presence that goes with us Fire and Cloud Separated Sanctified and Spirit Led That's life after Egypt folks May it be your life and mine through our Lord Jesus Christ so Lord we give thanks this morning for your work in us may we be reminded may we pass these things on and may you be glorified in all that we say and do to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in whose great and mighty name we pray amen let's stand and sing together