Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends on this historic day, September 11th,
We all remember where we were that Tuesday morning in September 24 years ago…
We remember when we first saw the images we imagined must be another Hollywood disaster movie.
We remember what we thought and felt when we finally realized it wasn’t Hollywood; it was New York City and Washington DC and a field in Pennsylvania! And it wasn’t a movie, it was gut wrenchingly real and thousands of people had horrifically died, many of them incinerated or crushed to death in those collapsing buildings. Remembering is one of the greatest gifts God has designed into humanity. When we remember we feel and we learn, right?
Today we remember, both September 11, 2001 and an event almost 3500 years ago in Egypt, the miraculous deliverance of perhaps 1 million Israelite slaves from their several generations of slavery bondage. Exodus 13:14 has this powerful statement: “In days to come, when your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ say to him, ‘With a mighty hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery…”
While we have no actual photographs taken from that miraculous exodus, the written account, found in Exodus 12-14, has produced movies and books which have filled the imaginations of millions of people for centuries! So, what do you envision as you read those chapters in the Bible?
Let’s look together at several vital aspects of this once in history, miraculous, Exodus event which I invite us to remember and contemplate today?
1. First, unlike 9-11 the Exodus miracle was not a surprise, it was not unexpected!
For several weeks God poured 9 plagues on the land and people of Egypt, decimating the country, while Pharaoh refused to release the slaves. Finally Moses had told the Israelite slaves to prepare…pack whatever they wanted to take with them; choose a lamb, kill that lamb, collect the blood, paint their door frames, eat a good meal; be ready to go at midnight… for the angel of death was coming and Pharaoh would finally issue the order… ‘get out, go, leave Egypt!’. (Ex. 12:29-32) And it happened, just as Moses said it would.
2. Second, Moses had urged the Israelites to boldly ask their Egyptian slave masters and neighbors for valuables as they fled Egypt that Passover night, and Exodus 12:36 reports: “The LORD made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the Israelites, and they gave them what they asked for, so they plundered the Egyptians.”
After generations of eking out an existence as brutally worked slaves, these slaves left Egypt carrying the bounty of Egypt with them! A few months later, as God instructed Moses to receive a free will offering from the people to make the Tabernacle and all the wonderful golden worship artifacts, it was from this God provided bounty that the slaves brought their offerings to build a place for God to dwell among them and be worshiped in all His majesty! (Exodus 29:44-46; 36:1-7)
3. Third, it was NOT only Israelite slaves whom God rescued in that great Exodus that Passover night.
Exodus 12:37,38 tells us: “The Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Sukkoth. There were about 600,000 men on foot, besides the women and children. Many other people went up with them and also large droves of livestock, both flocks and herds…” Can you see why we estimate it was likely over 1 million people fleeing Egypt that night and can you imagine the scene of all these people with all their belongings and animals rushing out of slavery?
4. Fourth, time is always important to God, and in this case, God wanted His people to remember that HE was keeping track of time.
Exodus 12:40,41 says: “Now the length of time the Israelite people lived in Egypt was 430 years. At the end of 430 years, to the very day, all the LORD’s divisions left Egypt!” Have you wondered how that calculation is derived?
The organization “Answers in Genesis” ( https://
5. Fifth, I find that both FAITH in God and OBEDIENCE to God’s directives were absolutely essential to this gigantic Exodus of about 1 million people.
It was their faith that they could fully trust God to do what He promised He would do in their rescue (protect them from the angel of death) and it was their obedience to prepare and participate in this exodus, following the very clear instructions God gave them, which enabled them to experience freedom from generations of slavery that night! Have you discovered those same two key words are vital to living daily the vibrant relationship with God which HE has designed for you and me? Have you found that DOUBT and RELUCTANCE or REBELLION will always undermine what God is working to accomplish both in our lives and in our world?
6. Sixth, as Moses and the people fled Egypt that night Moses made sure they brought with them one very, very important and historic item.
Do you remember what it was? Exodus 13:19,20 says: “Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made them Israelites swear an oath. Joseph had said, ‘God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up with you from this place.” It had been more than 220 years since Joseph had been elevated from that prison dungeon to Pharaoh’s palace and placed in authority over the famine; (Gen. 41:39,40) and more than 140 years since Joseph died! (Gen. 50:22-26) Moses made sure Joseph’s coffin was not left behind!
May I give you two more miracles my friends? Exodus 13:21,22 tell us God provided a GPS for these 1 million people as they traveled for none of them had ever been outside of Egypt before! A large cloud hovered over them by day, giving them shade from the blistering sun, guiding them along; and a pillar of fire in the sky at night provided them some light and assured them of God’s presence with them as they fled Egypt! This enabled them to travel either by day or night, always confident they were walking with God!
And finally, of course, the great water tunnel miracle as they found themselves trapped with Pharaoh’s pursuing army behind and the Red Sea in front of them!
We’ve all seen the movies, but what do you suppose it was really like to actually run down into that water tunnel with walls of water on both sides, and then once reaching the other side, watch those water walls collapse on Pharaoh’s army, leaving what I call ‘miracle debris’ floating on the surface of the sea!? (Exodus 14)
The last statement of this remarkable, unparalleled human experience declares: “When the Israelites saw the mighty hand of the LORD displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD and put their trust in Him…” (Exodus 14:31) So my friends, what have you experienced with God in your life journey that has awakened both reverent fear and unwavering trust in God from your heart? How do you regularly remember those life changing experiences and how have you explained them to your children and grandchildren? How are those experiences woven into your legacy?
The notes and discussion questions which follow in the “Grand Narrative” link below are very special, I urge you to take a few moments to ponder them or discuss them with your family or friends. I’ve attached a very special song celebrating the miracles we’ve discussed today, and I’ll meet you here again tomorrow…
Today’s Scripture: Exodus 13-14.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Exodus 14
Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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