The Story September 28, 2014 Chapter 4

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Chapter 4: Deliverance

Timeless Truth: God is the ultimate Deliverer.

Why would God promise Israel a land only to take them to Egypt? Furthermore, why would God allow this covenant community to become brutally enslaved to a pagan world superpower? 

This Lower Story is best understood through the Upper Story of God’s unique power to redeem. He allowed Israel to be stripped of any reliance upon human strength to show a helpless Israel that He could be trusted to save them from any earthly or “heavenly” power. They were simply to believe and obey. Their redemption would come by God’s mighty hand and their faith response to His revelation. YHWH showed Israel that His covenant with Abraham was still in effect. Therefore, He cursed the Egyptians who had been cursing Israel. But with every judgment of God comes a way of escape for those who believe. The blood of the Passover lamb would protect believers from the judgment of God. The two main events of the whole Bible are the Exodus and the Christ. The importance of either should not be underestimated. The first event points directly to the second. 

Throughout Chapter 4, some key repeated phrases stand out. God said repeatedly that His actions were so that “they may know that I am the LORD.” Israel was to see God’s mighty deliverance so that in the future they could trust Him to deliver from any circumstance. If God could smite Egypt, then there would be no enemy that could threaten Israel. 

With each plague, God graciously revealed Himself to Egypt as the One True God. These were not random plagues. Each one specifically targeted at least one of the Egyptian gods, including Pharaoh, who was thought to be a deity. Thus, the God of Israel is the only God to know and fear. Though the Story editors did not include it, many Egyptians left with Israel. The LORD’s power over their Egyptian gods had shown them that He was worth following. These ten object lessons could also remind Israel that there is no other god and no earthly power that could oppose the LORD successfully. YHWH alone delivers.

Another noteworthy aspect of this chapter highlights the obedience of Moses. He repeatedly “did just as the LORD commanded.” Israel’s redemption required the bloodstained door—a faith response to God. So important was this event that God instituted the Passover as a perpetual, annual reminder to Israel that He alone delivers. This Feast and the Feast of Unleavened Bread are fulfilled in Christ centuries later. 

Christ, Our Passover

“But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel.” 

–Cleopas, on the road to Emmaus. (Luke 24:21) 

They did not see it, literally or figuratively. Then Jesus responded, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!” And beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures. And He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. –Luke 24:25, 27, 45 

What is the Old Testament about? 

Jesus

What is the Bible about?

Jesus

It really is all about Him! As some have said, “The New is in the Old concealed, the Old is in the New revealed.” A study of the Passover and its fulfillment in Christ helps us to grasp the big picture of God’s persistent plan of redemption.

I. The Feast of Passover

A. Nine times God had warned Pharaoh to let His people leave Egypt. Nine times God had demonstrated His power over Pharaoh and Egypt’s pagan gods. The plague of death would be God’s final judgment upon Egypt and show His obvious favor for the nation of Israel. The Great I AM was moved to continue to fulfill His covenant promise to “bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you.”

B. Moses warned Pharaoh that this final plague would strike down the firstborn of every family and livestock, including Pharaoh’s. But all Israel would be divinely protected so that all would know the LORD.

C. The LORD instructed Moses and Aaron to prepare. Their obedience to do exactly as God instructed demonstrated their belief.

1. First, God told Moses about the timing of the Passover. This would become the first month of the year for them, even though it was the seventh month on their calendar. This gave them a fresh start and a new beginning. 
2. On the tenth of the month, each household was to take a one-year-old lamb without defect and slaughter it at twilight.
3. The blood from the animals was to be placed on the doorframes.
4. They were to roast the meat and eat it with bitter herbs and bread without yeast. Meat was to be roasted, not eaten raw as some pagans did. Bitter herbs symbolized sorrow for past sin or the bitter life in Egypt. Unleavened bread symbolized their leaving in haste.
5. They were to eat the entire meal dressed ready to travel, with their tunics tucked into   their belts. 

D. God would pass judgment upon Egypt and their gods that night by striking dead the firstborn of every household. But He would pass over the homes with blood on the door. With every judgment of God comes a way of escape. 

E. As a result, Egypt sent Israel away. God showed all His power to redeem His people.

F. God instructed them to remember His great redemption with a Passover Feast every year.

II. Christ, Our Passover

Jesus perfectly fulfilled the meaning of the Passover ritual.

A. According to Paul, Jesus is our Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7) who has been sacrificed. Therefore, we are to clean out the sin in our lives.

B. John the Baptist declared, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).

C. Peter reminds us that we are redeemed “with the precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:19).

D. Jesus was tested for four days and found to be without sin. Then He was crucified during the annual Feast of Passover in Jerusalem while the other sacrificial lambs were slain. 

E. The blood on the cross looks eerily like the bloodstains on the doorposts.

F. Jesus’ blood is the way of escape from God’s judgment of sin. 

III. Applications and Implications

A. The appropriation of Jesus’ blood is a new beginning, a new life for me.

B. God brings judgment upon those who refuse Him, but provides a way of escape for those who trust Him. Jesus is God’s ONLY provision for salvation.

C. All other so-called gods are not gods.

D. I am helpless to save myself. God alone can deliver me from sin. 

E. Nothing in God’s plan is by accident.

F. I have been redeemed from sin, but also redeemed for God’s glory.

Exodus 1-17

God shows his authority, strength and provision as he delivers his people.

Think about: Some circumstances that “fell into place” during Moses’ life leading up to God’s calling. (The Story, pages 35-37) His mother devised an ingenious plan to save his life. It was Pharaoh’s daughter who found him. His sister arranged for his own mother to raise him. He grew up moved by the plight of his own people, etc. 

Read what the Bible says about God’s plan for each of our lives? 

Read Psalm 139:13-16

13 For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be. 

and Ephesians 1:11-14

11 In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of His glory. 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of His glory.

God chose Moses to spearhead Israel’s deliverance, despite his flaws. What things did Moses have going against him? (Not trusted by Hebrews. He apparently had a hot temper which resulted in his murdering someone. Because of that action, he was on the run, banished from Egypt. He was a poor orator.) What does this tell us about God’s ability to know a person’s true potential? What promise did God give Moses to bolster his self-confidence? (See Exodus 3:12) 12 And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.”

What promises does God give us when we are called to serve? Read Isaiah 41:10, 13; Acts 4: 8, 13; James 1:5

Define the word “sovereign.” (Absolute authority and power) Discuss how God’s sovereignty was displayed in the story. (The plagues He brought upon Egypt) Pharaoh’s stubbornness would not allow him to accept God’s authority. Think about a time when it was hard to accept God’s authority or when we wondered why certain things happened. At times like these, what should we remember? (See Isaiah 55:8-11; Jeremiah 29:11-13; Romans 8:28)

God provided meat and manna for His people daily, yet they grumbled and fretted, worrying about their future. We have probably all done the same; worried about careers, health, finances, etc. In closing, read Matthew 6:25-34 to see what Jesus said about such worries.

God has a plan for everyone’s life and walks with us every step of the way. 

Questions – Chapter 4 

1. During the scene at the burning bush, Moses has trouble believing God could use him. Do you think his hesitancy came from his own insecurities or from his lack of faith in God? Are there areas in your life where you feel insecure? How might this story help you? 

2. You may never have seen a burning bush, but have you experienced “standing on holy ground” – a time when you definitely felt the presence of God in your life? What was that like? Take a few moments to recall, journal the experience, and thank God for making Himself known in a tangible way. 

3. When Moses told the Israelite leaders about God’s plan for deliverance, their response was to bow in reverence and worship; Pharaoh’s response was to increase their workload. This was obviously the opposite of what they had hoped for. What strengthens your faith when circumstances turn out differently than you’d hoped? 

4. Only God could have solved the Israelites problems. Both Israel and Egypt discovered He alone was Lord. Can you identify a situation in your own life (or someone else’s) that testifies to God’s deliverance alone—that no one else could take credit for? Who could your story serve to encourage? 

5. Moses and Aaron received instructions from God and then “did just as the Lord had commanded.” Think of an instruction God has already given you, and how you can be more obedient to it this week. 

6. Israel celebrated Passover annually, and we celebrate communion regularly to remind ourselves corporately of God’s deliverance. What personal triggers could you initiate to celebrate what God has done in your life? 

7. Only days after being set free, the Israelites complain, saying they want to go back. Have you ever been tempted to return to a past way of life, even when you know it will be destructive? What attitude change would help you make healthier, more faithful choices?

Lesson Today

“Don’t telegraph it!”

"They're less effective when you telegraph what you're going to do." - Dick Cheney on Fox about Obama striking Syria

Basketball: don’t look in the direction you intend to drive, don’t telegraph where you’re going to pass. Used to know a guy who outsmarted himself and always looked away from his passes—still telegraphing, he just didn’t know it. 

Contact sports: Martial artists, wrestling, and boxing. You can unconsciously telegraph your intentions. Coaches tell wrestlers and boxers: don’t draw back before striking…don’t shift your stance…don’t move your eyes…don’t grimace or take a deep breath before going into motion. 

Professions it’s critical to “read” the competition: skilled negotiators and military strategists keep their intentions less obvious to gain the advantage and never lose the power of surprise.

Poker terminology, this is called a “tell.” A “tell” is any physical reaction, behavior, or habit that gives (or tells) the other players information about your hand. Body language: facial expressions, eye movements, eye contact, breathing, verbal cues (words and tone). Some people we know are notorious for not keeping something a secret, instead they “let it slip.”

As we move into Chapter 4 of The Story, let’s first go back to Joseph briefly, because in poker terms, Joseph was a “tell.” In a manner of speaking, God “let it slip.”

God “Telegraphs” What He’s Up To

The Upper Story of grace, forgiveness, and redemption is unmistakable here. God’s ways are often mysterious and unfathomable, but in Joseph He telegraphs what He’s been up to. Joseph’s life story nearly gives the whole thing away. It’s almost like God can barely stand to keep the secret. 

Joseph/Jesus 

• The favored son of his father 
• His father sent him to his brothers who rejected him 
• Robes taken from him 
• Taken to Egypt to avoid being killed 
• Sold for the price of a slave 
• Tempted 
• Falsely accused 
• Condemned between two prisoners 
• 30 years old at beginning of recognition 
• Forgave those who wronged him 
• His suffering eventually led him to a place of prominence and honor 
• His suffering was to save the lives of those he loved 
• His brothers bowed their knees to him at last 

If Joseph’s life nearly gives the whole redemption thing away, then the story of Moses and the Exodus from Egypt removes all doubt; God doesn’t just telegraph where He might be going, He shows His hand, lays His cards on the table, and makes His long-term plan — The Upper Story — as clear as day.

The two main events of the whole Bible are the Exodus and the Christ. The importance of either cannot be underestimated. The first event points directly to the second. 

Moses/Jesus 

• Called from a distant land (heaven) 
• Called to true heritage (man made in His image—redeem His own) 
• 400 years of silence precedes (years in slavery and years between the OT and NT when Christ is born) 
• Survived infanticide (Pharaoh and Herod) 
• 40 days (Moses in the desert and Jesus tempted) 
• The Prince of Egypt, the Prince of Peace 
• Rejected 
• Who made you ruler and judge? 
• Despised and rejected of men 
• Delivered their people from bondage 
• Series of miracles led up to final salvation 

• Victory over tormentors: Egypt & Satan 
• Passover—blood on doorpost…blood on doorpost to heaven: cross 
• Even after deliverance: 
• Doubt, fear, rebellion, longed for bondage, old circumstances 
• Effects of sin still linger (post flood, deliverance, cross) 

The similarities are stunning when you lay these stories side by side; God has shown His hand…this is where we’re headed.

But God does more here than just telegraph Jesus - He telegraphs His character.

• How does God operate? 

• How does He do His work in the world? 

• How does He interact with His people? 

The story of the Exodus is critical because God also reveals a pattern of engagement in three principles:

3 Principles

I. God does not call the equipped — He equips the called. 

Can you recall a time when you undertook something for which you were totally unequipped?

Moses was an 80-year-old man with only “ex-prince” and “shepherd” listed on his resume. But as God is prone to do, He selects men from nowhere, without credentials or experience, to make sure people know Who is really behind the victories. He did it with a stammering Moses, and we’ll see Him do it over and over: with Joshua, with a reluctant Gideon, with a depressed Elijah, with a shepherd boy named David, with a scaredy-cat named Jonah, with a small-town carpenter from Nazareth, and with fishermen and tax collectors from Galilee.

Maybe you are thinking, How can God use me?

Over and over, God demonstrates throughout Scripture that He’s not looking for men with advanced degrees, or titans of the business world. 

• He doesn’t look at the resume – He looks at the heart.

• He doesn’t look at the accomplishments – He looks at the potential. 

He does this backwards for a reason: God equips the called so that each step we take, we take because of faith in Him to provide. 

• Because every day we need to hear from Him — we need new manna to survive.

• Because discipleship is a moment-by-moment decision. 

• Because a heart is transformed when confronted with a summons to true greatness. 

• Because, as Revelation puts it, our identity has changed: He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it. - Revelation 2:17

This is important for you to know: If you haven’t gotten it all figured out yet, if you’re still searching for what to do, if you don’t feel equipped for tomorrow, much less the entire journey, then God’s got you right where He wants you. Here is the challenge: “Embrace your cluelessness” — because one step at a time, one meeting at a time, one plague at a time, one miracle at a time … God will equip those He calls — and He has called you.

2nd Principle:

II. God has a systematic way of dealing with competition. 

1st Commandment: There is a reason that the first of the Ten Commandments is, “You shall have no other gods before me.” You may not be aware of this, but the ten plagues on Egypt: water into blood, frogs, boils, hail, etc., were not just random strikes at Egypt, but a carefully choreographed defeat of their pagan gods. (See the chart above) 

What gods have you been stripped of? Just as God shot down the gods the Egyptians trusted in, so today He is careful to lovingly but deliberately bring us to our knees by defeating our gods: 

Our gods of Today

• The god of work. Tell me, what have you sacrificed on the altar of the next promotion, or that next rung on the ladder of success?

• The god of self-sufficiency. Tell me, do you depend on God’s new manna every day?

• The god of legalism. Tell me, do you think that you are always right?

• The god of pride. Tell me, do you demand that you get what’s coming to you (“boss owes me this, wife owes me that, my kids owe me”)

• The god of addictions. Tell me, do you have any addictions to alcohol, sex, gambling or work?

• The Vending Machine god. Tell me, do you think God exists only to cater to YOUR preferences?

• The 9-1-1 god. Tell me, do you think God exists to dispatch a wrecker when YOU get into trouble?

The deliverance from Egypt teaches us to be careful of the gods we construct, because the One True God has demonstrated He has a rather harsh way of dealing with competition.

3rd Principle:

III. God’s “tell” is our hope. 

Could you imagine if God had not telegraphed how it all works out?

A. Without the stories of Joseph and Moses:

• We wouldn’t know that the Upper Story of God’s plan. 

• We wouldn’t see that in the end, God does work all things for good for those called to His purpose. 

• We wouldn’t know that if we like Joseph go through a period (22-year span) of uncertainty, or like Moses - a 40-year span of waiting, that God in fact has an Upper Story — a great plan — in store for all of us. 

B. Without the story of the Exodus:

• We would never be able to grasp the extent to which God will go to win us back. 

• The sins He would forgive.

• The patience He would show.

• The pursuit that would never end. 

And so this morning, each one of us needs to be asked this question: “From what do I need to be delivered?”

• If you are new to this whole Christianity thing, then you need to be delivered from your sins — your old way of life and you need to commit to a life of higher purpose and calling in Christ.

• Some of us need to be delivered from those Addictions that are literal plagues on our lives – alcohol, sex, gambling or work.

• Some of us need to be delivered from a Father wound — abandonment, lack of affirmation or attention. Maybe you didn’t have an example, a standard, to observe how to be a godly husband or father. 

• Some of us need to be delivered from Our own past — from the sins of a previous marriage, from the demons of history that still taunt us with what we used to be called, rather than our new name carved on a white stone.

If you have not had a burning bush moment, a moment where your true identity changed, a moment that brought you out of hiding and denial into freedom and light, then today can be your deliverance. 

Which leads to our Equipping Point for today: Put your mask on first.

Why do airline stewardesses tell you to do this on an airplane?

• If you don’t take care of yourself, you can’t take care of those around you.

• Part of the reason you’re here today is that you know you need to be filled before you can pour into others’ lives. You need to put your own mask on first. You need to deal with your own demons before you can lead others into the light — in other words, before you become a deliverer. 

This is your charge today: To become a deliverer. 

How will you be a Deliverer today? 

• By becoming a leader of your family that walks by faith through new territory. That trusts God to equip you because you’ve been called, not to call you because you’re already so smart. 

• By being a deliverer that has mowed down the false gods of his own life to be Jesus to others — to help deliver them from darkness and bondage.

You may not know how to relate to your wife on an emotional level. You may be clueless on how to deal with your strong-willed child. You may be unsure where to step professionally because of the economic climate. 

1. Just remember, God equips the called. God goes before us just as He did Moses. Our marching orders are clear: first, admit what you need to be delivered from. Put your mask on first.
2. And then second, become a deliverer — equipped with daily manna, in a posture of prayer, one step at a time, as you lead your family and your marketplace “out of darkness and into His marvelous light.”

Prayer of Commitment

Father, God. We thank You for the way in which You provide for us each day. We are in awe of Your sovereignty, displayed before Pharaoh and the people of Israel. We take comfort in it, knowing that You rule our lives as well. Help us to understand and carry out the plan that You have for us. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Looking forward to continuing with The Story. Hope to see you this Sunday!

In His Love,


David & Susan