God's Rescue Plan (September 16, 2018)

Review: Last week we talked about what happened in the last half of Genesis. We saw how God was faithful to keep His promise to Abraham. He rescued Abraham and his family from many things so that he could keep his promise. In fact, at the end of Genesis, God has just rescued Jacob’s family (descendants of Abraham) from a severe famine. The family settles in Egypt and that brings us to the beginning of Exodus.
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Exodus begins by telling us about Israel and his family coming to Egypt and how the family was fruitful and multiplied. This is fulfilling one of the promises that God made to Abraham, that his offspring would be more numerous than the stars (Genesis 15:5). However, after Joseph and his brothers die, a new pharaoh who did not know Joseph begins to oppress the Israelites living in Egypt. He enslaves them and even plans to put to death all male babies born to the Israelites.

Do you think this oppression should have been a surprise to the Israelites?

We’ll find the answer to this question in Genesis 15:13-14.

God knew all along that this enslavement would happen, but he already has a rescue plan.

Read Exodus 2:23-25.

God heard the cry of his people and because of the promise he made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob he intends to do something about Israel’s suffering.

Read Exodus 3: 1-10.

God says that he will rescue Israel through Moses.

When Moses is sent to Pharaoh to ask for Israel to be set free, Pharaoh repeatedly refuses to listen to God. God send plagues to humble Pharaoh, but he continues to harden his heart and will not obey God.

As we read about the plagues, sometimes we read the Pharaoh hardens his own heart (Exodus 8:15,32; 9:34) but at other times we read that God hardens Pharaoh’s heart (Exodus 9:12, 10:1; 10:20; 10:27; 11:10; 14:8). What do you think the difference is? When God hardens Pharaoh’s heart is he causing Pharaoh to be evil? How does that fit with what we already know about God (i.e. God is good, God hates evil, etc.)?

Since we know that God would never cause someone to be evil we have to look a little closer to find out what is going on here.

Read Exodus 3:19-20. 

God already knew before he sent Moses that Pharaoh would not listen and would harden his own heart. Pharaoh had many chances to obey God, but he chose not to. In response to this evil, God says he will harden Pharaoh’s heart. As a result of this hardening, Pharaoh is led to his own destruction as he pursues the Israelites across the Red Sea. God let’s Pharaoh face the consequences of his sin.

Symbols
When we read about Pharaoh does he seem to be a very nice guy? No. While Pharaoh was a real pharaoh in Egypt, and real events are recorded in Exodus, Pharaoh also serves a type of Satan. Why do you think Pharaoh is a type of Satan? What similarities do you see? (ex. they are evil, they do not obey God, both Pharaoh and Satan are slave owners).

Read Romans 6:16-19.

Every person is slave. You can either be a slave to righteousness and serve God or you are a slave to sin and serve Satan.

In the same way that Pharaoh is a type of Satan, Moses is a type of Christ. Just as Moses rescued the Israelites from Pharaoh’s slavery, Christ rescues us from our slavery to sin and Satan.

The Passover
We can see God’s rescue plan for us through Christ foreshadowed in the Passover that takes place in Exodus 12.

Before the last plague (death of the firstborns) occurs, God gives instructions for the Passover. The Israelites were to take the blood of an unblemished lamb and spread the blood on their doorpost. When God saw the blood of the lamb he promised to pass over the house and no death would come to the house.

Read Hebrews 9: 14.

“how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.”

Read Hebrews 9:22.

"Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins."

Christ is like the Passover lamb. Through the shedding of Christ’s blood, we are freed from sin and the consequence of sin which is eternal death. Just as God saw the blood of the lamb and the Israelites were saved from the death of the 10th plague, when God sees us he sees Christ blood. Because of this we no longer have to face the consequence of death for our sins because Christ already died for them!

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Going Deeper

Take a look at the 10 plagues found in Exodus. (Click on the picture below to zoom). Each one of the plagues shows how God was far better than any of the Egyptians "gods."

From: https://www.housetohouse.com/10-plagues-jehovah-god-vs-gods-egypt-info-graphic/

Praise God in Song:

Before the Throne of God Above

Before the throne of God above

I have a strong, a perfect plea,

a great High Priest, whose name is Love

who ever lives and pleads for me.

My name is graven on His hands,

my name is written on His heart;

I know that while in heav'n He stands

no tongue can bid me thence depart.

no tongue can bid me thence depart.

When Satan tempts me to despair

and tells me of the guilt within,

upward I look, and see Him there

who made an end of all my sin.

Because the sinless Savior died,

my sinful soul is counted free,

for God the just is satisfied

to look on Him and pardon me.

to look on Him and pardon me.

Behold Him there! the risen Lamb!

my perfect, spotless righteousness,

the great unchangeable I AM"

the King of glory and of grace!

One with Himself, I cannot die;

my soul is purchased by His blood;

my life is hid with Christ on high,

with Christ my Savior and my God.

with Christ my Savior and my God.