The fourth in the Lenten Midweek series:  Coming Home From Exile:   the Exoduses of the Scriptures.  (Theme and theme text by Rev. Carl C. Fickenscher II, Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, IN).

 

Today’s Scripture

Our Lord’s Passion – John 18:12-27  Jesus before the high priest and Peter’s denial

Psalm 136       Exodus 14       Matthew 2:13-15

 

            As we have been studying the different Exoduses in Scripture, we see ourselves in each of those exoduses.  Each person sees the exoduses in his/her own life.  In each exodus, you see where God has brought your from, where you are today, and where he is taking you for all eternity.

 

            The exodus from Eden takes us from the beginnings of our sinful start through the pilgrimage in this world to being restored back into God’s image again.

 

            In Abram and Jacob, we see the stupid things we do in our sinfulness.  Yet God continues to keep his promises, his covenant with his dear children.  Through the exoduses in daily life and from episode to episode, God restores his children, keeping them as his own as he has marked them.  He uses the situations we stumble through to strengthen us in faith in him as we see him delivering and remaining faithful day in and day out.  He takes our sinful weaknesses and through them, makes us strong in faith in him.

 

            Today we take a look at the most familiar Exodus, that from Egypt.  From the time Joseph brought Jacob and his family to Egypt until the Exodus, 430 years passed and God keeps his covenant, bringing his people out of Egypt to return to the land he promised Abram, Isaac and Jacob.

 

            During this 430 years, Israel, God’s people:

• Prospered and grew in number and strength
• Became so large and prosperous Pharaoh saw them as a threat to Egypt
• Pharaoh saw them as a benefit as his slaves
• Pharaoh saw them not as Egyptians, but as foreigners

 

            As a parallel, believers of all times:

• Have prospered and grew in number and strength
• Become seen as a threat to this sinful world
• Are seen as a benefit to be used for the benefit in this sinful world
• Not seen as normal worldly people, but as aliens in this sinful world.

 

            We also know that all people are held in bondage, that is slavery to sin as the Israelite people were held in the bondage of slavery to Egypt.  As the Israelite people could not bring themselves out of this bondage, neither can people today free themselves from bondage to sin.  AS the Israelites needed a savior, we need a savior today too.

 

            In the Exodus, God delivers.  He prepares and sends faithful leaders to his people.  These include Moses, Aaron, and Joshua among others.  Through these peoples’ weaknesses, God makes them strong for his sake to deliver his people.  Moses is condemned to death at birth but is raised as a prince in Pharaoh’s household.  Moses goes into self-exile in the wilderness but is then sent back to his natural people and speaks on their behalf in Pharaoh’s court.  Peter, strong in his boldness is also weak in his denial, is restored to more than a bold spokesman, and when imprisoned is delivered by angels too.

 

            As God delivers his people, he protects, leads and provides.  He provides and protects and delivers first of all with the Passover of the angel of death that plagues all of Egypt.  When Israel departs, they exit armed for battle and with wealth given them by the people of Egypt as they leave.  God delays Pharaoh from pursuing them until the point where he will miraculously save them.  God allows Pharaoh to bring his entire army including the best of his chariots and horsemen.  God comforts his people through Moses’ words, “Do not be afraid.  (sounds like words from angels here).  Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today,” [v. 13]. 

 

            God’s angel who had been leading the Israelites, not protected the as he went from before to behind.  The pillar of cloud now protected.  It left the Egyptians in darkness but brought light to Israel.

 

            God then destroyed all that threatened Israel, Pharaoh and his entire army, the mightiest army in all the world at that time were completely destroyed in the flood-waters of the Red Sea.  Israel, God’s people, however walked safely on dry land, no threat of flood or danger, to the other side, the safe side. 

 

            In our lives, we are in exodus from the sinful world and our sinful lives.  We do not know the path we are going.  God leads us day and night by his word and the Holy Spirit who works faith in our hearts.  Evil attacks us with insurmountable forces.  Evil is the darkness of sin in our lives and the invisible forces that surround each one.  But God sends his angels to guard and protect and deliver in every way [Psalm 91].  God delivers each day as we cross perilous ways, through the valley of the shadow of death [Psalm 23] to safety on the other shore.  Oh, how many examples God has given in; Jonah, Paul, Jacob, Disciples in the boat, Abram, and finally to all in the Revelation to John as we see the ultimate delivery into God’s eternal glory in heaven.

 

            In our lives, as in the different exoduses, God completely destroys the enemy as he did for Noah in the flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, the Exodus from Pharaoh, Hezekiah with Sennecherib’s Assyrian army, as the temple regiment all fell down at Jesus’ words, and the ultimate victory as Jesus broke death’s bondage from the grave.

 

            God called Israel out of their Egypt.  Today, God calls his people out of the Egypt’s of today, the bondage in a sinful world that does not know his love, his people, and his almighty power.  You are God’s special treasure in this world, in this congregation, in this community.  You too, are the Moses’ and Aaron’s of today, speaking God’s truth and love to the people and world in which we live, bringing others to join in this exodus to the promised land, eternal life in heaven won for all by Jesus, God’s son, our risen and ascended Lord and Savior.  Amen.