17th May 2024

17th May 2024


Pray (ACts)


Read (Exodus 12:29-42 focus v33-42)


Message (Alan Burke)


In everything that unfolded in the book of Exodus, the Lord was revealing who he was, he was making his glory known and was saving a people for his glory. Here as the Israelites are told to leave the Egyptians urged them to hurry because they had felt the full force of the Lord’s judgment. Just as the Lord had said he made the people favour, they were sent with silver, gold and clothing, they plundered the Egyptians. They had learnt that there is only one God and some of them were let to go and worship him, serve him with his people. Those who gave freely to the Israelites, their silver and gold had begun to believe that the God of the Israelite was the one true God. And were acknowledging his power, were honouring him with their wealth. In all of this the Lord was showing his sovereignty, over Egypt and over its people, he was sovereign over the Egyptians and his people the Israelites just as he is sovereign over all the nations today, and the Lord is. 


It is what comes next that is just wonderful. For we are told the sheer number of people that left Egypt in the exodus. Six hundred thousand men on foot beside women and children. Now the men would have of fighting age and above to be recorded, that 20 years old so we can put the number at well over two million people leaving Egypt. The Lord had kept his promises to Abraham, God’s people had went into Egypt, 72 descendants of Jacob we are told that back in chapter 1:5 and now they are leaving after 430 years with over two million. Added to how God kept his promises to Abraham we have a wonderful reminder to us of God’s inclusion of the gentiles in his plan of salvation. For we are told here were v38 “Many other people went up with them”. 


The Lord God that we come before today is the God of all people, and here in the Exodus he was redeeming a people for himself that included not only his chosen people the Israelites but other. There were those in Egypt who had witnessed what the Lord had done, who experienced the loss of the first born and who left with the Israelites to worship their God. It is something that we see elsewhere in scripture, in the book of Ruth, Ruth returns to Judah with Naomi. Ruth who was a foreigner went with Naomi and said “Where you go, I will go, and your God shall be my God” (see Ruth 1:16). Ruth is named in the Genealogy of Jesus. Our God is the God of all people and graciously invites us to come and to worship and serve him, to be part of his people here on earth as we await our future hope of dwelling with him forever.


All who call on his name, whether a stranger to us, or part of the furniture will be saved by God, he is saving a people unto himself and one day we will join with a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. (Rev 7:9). All through his grace. Our God is the God of all.


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q41 Where is the moral law summarily comprehended?
A The moral law is summarily comprehended in the ten commandments.
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