Will God's Judgment Pass Over You

To Exodus chapter 10. Exodus chapter 10 and we'll be reading from there in just a few minutes. First, I'd like to draw your attention to the verse on the screen. This is first Peter one hundred eighteen and nineteen. For as much as you know that you are not redeemed with corruptible things such as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb, without spot, and without blemish.

Let's go to the Lord in prayer once more. Dear heavenly father, thank you Lord for your word today. Thank you Lord for the opportunity to proclaim it. Thank you Lord for the opportunity to sing of it and praises to your name. The one who gave his life for us.

Lord, may we be reminded today of the great cost. The great cost of our salvation that you paid for us on the cross of Calvary. We thank you Lord. That your judgment has passed over all of us who are under the blood of Christ and we pray Lord for those that we do that do not know you as savior. Lord, we pray for those and anyone who might be here today that has yet to make that choice to put their faith and trust in Christ alone.

That they would do that this day. That the judgment of God would pass over them also. In Jesus precious name, we do pray. Amen. We've, this is our third week in the book of Exodus.

We're moving kind of quickly and but we're as we go through We're looking for a certain messages that God has for us related to our faith and redemption in Christ Jesus and the life that we now have in Christ Jesus. There's a lot you can learn from the Old Testament Particularly, when you take the Old Testament and compare it to the New Testament. The New Testament refers back to the Old Testament hundreds of times. It is because of what God did in the Old Testament and the plan that we see coming to fruition all throughout the Old Testament that we know what salvation is in the New Testament and we have this grand opportunity. Particularly in the book of Genesis in the life of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph.

We pointed out how faith is so clearly seen in those stories. Often we think about faith and and grace, we think only of New Testament. Well, that's a New Testament. The Old Testament is law. The New Testament is grace but actually faith is part of the whole story.

It's not just part of this part of the story. It's part of every part of the story. The grace of God and the faith that he has given us to know him. They are keys in every part of the story. As we moved into Exodus, I want to point out some particular things about the life of Moses and Israel as they we meet them.

They're now in bondage and slavery been there for four hundred years. The first message, we pointed out this, God does not abandon his own. God does not abandon his own and he will not abandon you. I will never leave thee nor forsake thee, he says. He said it in the New Testament.

He said it in the Old Testament. Even when it may appear that God has abandoned us and sometimes when David wrote Psalms, we won't take the time to look at Psalms today but as you read through the Psalms, you might notice, there are times that David starts out a Psalm with, Lord, why have you abandoned me? But by the time he gets to the end of the Psalm, he comes back around and he says, Lord, I know you haven't abandoned me. I know you haven't. I know you're there.

I know that you will you will fight for me. I know that you will take care of me. I know that you are there for me. You are the lifter up of my head. You are my mighty fortress.

You are my deliverer and my salvation. Sometimes, we do struggle in life with things. We wonder, is God God there but really in your heart, if you know the Lord, you know he is and he does not abandon his own. Secondly, we saw this. God will fight for his own.

Not only does God not abandon his own but God will fight for his own. As Joshua's about to take the children of Israel into the promised land up against a daunting foe that they had previously refused to fight in the previous generation. As Joshua's about to lead these around 2,000,000 people into the land, this is what God had to say. There shall not a man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life. As I was with Moses, so will I be with thee.

I will not fail thee nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage for under this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land which I swear under their fathers to give them. God said, Joshua, yes, your foe is mightier, your foe is bigger, your foe is better equipped, but your foe doesn't have me. And he said, Joshua, be of good courage, be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed, for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. What is God saying?

God says, I will fight for you and we are more than overcomers through him that love us. More than conquerors through him that love us. We have the victory in Jesus Christ, our savior, who fights for us and though some situations and relationships and even temptations in life may seem bigger than we can handle, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me and he will strengthen you and he will fight for you and greater is he that's in us than he that is in the world. God did not abandon his people, Israel, and Egypt. He was with them.

And he raised up Moses to deliver them and he decimated the enemy, Pharaoh, and the Egyptians to free them. They were slaves. They had no weapons. They had no power except they had God. And God is infinitely more powerful than the mightiest army or the most daunting dictator and God fought for them And freed them.

We're going to stop this morning and take a closer look at the last of the 10 plagues. The last of the 10 plagues which is the death of the firstborn. And the point this morning is this, God will pass over in judgment all those who trust in him. God will pass over in judgment, eternal judgment upon sin. All those who put their trust in him.

John three eighteen, he that believeth on him is not what? Not condemned but he that believeth not is condemned already because he has not believed the name of the only begotten son of God. Romans eight one, there is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. Amen. Who walk not according to flesh but according to the spirit.

John five twenty four, verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life and shall not come on into condemnation but is passed from death unto life. That word condemnation is another word for judgement. Some translations, it uses the word judgment. Judgment, condemnation. Are basically one and the same.

Here it's speaking of the judgment of who? The judgment of God upon sin and upon the sinner and we stand condemned before him based on our works because our works are as what? Filthy rags. But praise God to the work of Christ on the cross, through the shedding of his blood, and through faith. God has granted us by his grace forgiveness from our sins.

So, that When he sees the blood, he will pass over us in judgement. The last plague against Egyptians was the death of the firstborn. God told Moses, this would be the result of the hardening of Pharaoh's heart of unbelief and stubborn pride. Look, if you would, we'll be back in chapter 10 in just a moment but back in chapter four verses 21 and to 23, God told Moses this when he called him. He said and the Lord said to Moses, when thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in thine hand but I will harden his heart and he shall not let the people go and thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, even my firstborn, and I say unto thee, let my son go that he may serve me and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son even thy firstborn.

God told this to Moses. Moses told this to Pharaoh. He knew from the get go. Of God's warning. Moses knew that Pharaoh wouldn't listen and that it would take 10 plagues from almighty God.

To convince Pharaoh to let them go. Finally, with the death of his own firstborn son. That only after the death of Pharaoh's own heir would he relent, would he relent? As we see all throughout the Old Testament, the New, in our own and in our own lives, God keeps his promises and no matter what, no matter what Satan throws up in the way, God is greater. God is not only able to keep his promises which he is but because he is a honest and holy God, he does and we can trust in him.

He kept his promise to Abraham when back in Genesis, he told Abraham, your people, your descendants will be in bondage in another nation for four hundred years and after that, I will bring them out and I will bring them back to this land and give it to them. God always keeps his promises. But now, let's take a closer look at the penultimate event which led to their release. Why did God choose to harden rather than soften the heart of pharaoh? Why did God choose to harden rather than soften the heart of pharaoh?

It seems an odd choice. Why didn't he just soften his heart right away and so they could go. Why did he do that? Why did he harden his heart instead? Three things came to mind.

Number one, so that God's glory and power would be on full display for both the Hebrews and Egyptians to see and give him glory. Because hard Pharaoh hardened his heart and by the way, Pharaoh was also responsible for hardening his own heart. We're not off the hook and neither was Pharaoh. But God allowed that so that he would have the opportunity to demonstrate to all in Egypt that he is the one true almighty God. Number two, so that Passover would be instituted as we'll see in a moment as a memorial throughout Israel's generations to the power and provision of God in delivering his people from bondage.

The Passover, what we're about to look at, was instituted and established by Israel, by God, for them to keep every year as a reminder of what God did here and how God overcame the enemy, not Israel, not the people, but God, the almighty God, delivered them out of bondage to the mightiest dictator and the greatest army of that day. And so, he hardened Pharaoh's heart. Number three, so that the Passover would be instituted as a memorial in advance of the sacrifice of Christ. The lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. Resulting in the judgment of God passing over the redeemed in Christ, choosing not to impute to them the guilt and penalty of their sin.

The lamb of God slain from the foundation of the world and the mind of the father who takes away the sin of the world, not just the Hebrew. As John so introduced him. In John chapter one, Baptions. It was for the Israelites. It is for us and it is for the glory of God.

This final plague was announced to Pharaoh by Moses. Beginning in verse 27. Now, this is following the ninth plague of darkness. Three days of darkness all throughout the land of Egypt and once again, Pharaoh hardened his heart. Verse 27, but the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart and he would not let them go and Pharaoh said unto them, get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more, for in that day thou seest my face, thou shalt die and Moses said, thou hast spoken well, I will see thy face again no more.

I think it's interesting. Pharaoh has been blustering this whole time. Pharaoh has the power to take out Moses with the snap of his fingers but yet, he cannot find himself to do it. Why? Because of the power of almighty God that's protecting the man that he sent to stand before him and again, Pharaoh says, you better not show up here anymore.

Next time you show up, why didn't you kill him the first time or the second time, the third time? You know, and he's just more bluster on Pharaoh's part because he is powerless before the God of Moses but Moses says, no, you're right. You're not going to see me again because this is the last judgment of God. Verse chapter 11 verse one. The Lord said unto Moses, yet will I bring one plague more upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt.

Afterwards, he will let you go hence and when he shall let you go, he shall surely thrust you out hence, altogether. In other words, he's not going to just let you go. He's going to push you out of the land. Verse two, speak now in the ears of the people and let every man borrow his neighbor and everyone of of her neighbor, jewels of silver and jewels of gold. And the Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians.

Moreover, the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt in the sight of pharaoh's service in the sight of his people. Isn't it something? God made Moses respected not only in the eyes of the Israelites but in the eyes of who? The Egyptians. He was mighty not only in the eyes of Israel.

The eyes of the the the pagan Egyptians. God received glory. And as Moses followed and trusted in the Lord and they therefore, very willingly gave up of their treasures to the Israelites. Who would then shortly take them with them but continuing on, verse four and Moses said, thus saith the Lord, about midnight, I will go out in the midst of Egypt and all the firstborn of the land of Egypt shall die. From the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne even unto the firstborn of the maid servant that is behind the mill and of all the firstborn of beasts and there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt such as there was none like it nor shall ever be like it anymore.

But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue against man or beast that you may know how that the Lord doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel and all these thy servants shall come down unto me and bow down themselves unto me saying, get thee out and all the people that follow thee and after that, I will go out and he went out from Pharaoh in great anger and the Lord said unto Moses, Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt and Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh and the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart so that he would not let the children of Israel go out of his go out of his land. So, God told him, you told him, you told him what I told you to tell him that he isn't going to listen. He isn't going to listen. Instead, he's going to harden his heart once again That I will be glorified in this place. And so that the children of Israel will be delivered.

By God's mighty hand alone. So, In chapter 12, we have the instructions of God to the people of Israel As God told Moses there and Moses told Pharaoh there, God's going to make it clear that there's a difference between the Egyptians and the Israelites. However, that difference would only be shown. As the Israelites who truly believed in the God of Moses did as God instructed and put their faith in God alone. In the New Testament, Paul said, not all Israel is Israel but those who follow in the faith of who?

In the faith of Abraham, the father of Israel. The same is true here. Not all Israel were necessarily Israel in the eyes of God but those who chose to put their what? Their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. So, to today, not everyone who claims to be a Christian is a Christian.

You're not born a Christian. You must put your what? Your faith in Jesus Christ and the God of Abraham to be a child of God and so we see that demonstrated here with the instructions for the Passover in Exodus chapter 12. So, look if you would in verse one and the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt saying, this month shall be unto you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year to you.

Speak unto all the congregation of Israel saying, in the tenth day of this month, they shall take to them every man's lamb according to the house of their father, a lamb for an house, and if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next unto his house, take it according to the number of the souls. Every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You shall take it out from the sheep or from the goats, and you shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month, and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. And they shall take the blood and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper doorpost of the houses wherein they shall eat it and they shall eat the flesh in that night roast with fire and unleavened bread and bitter herbs, they shall eat it.

Eat not of it raw, nor sod, and all with water, but roast with fire, his head with his legs, and with the pertinence thereof. And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning, and that which remaineth of it until the morning, you shall burn with fire. And thus shall you eat it with your loins girded, and your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand, and you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord's Passover. So first of all, we see the instructions that God gave to Moses to pass along to Israel as to what they were supposed to do.

Simply put, they are these. On the tenth day of the present month, they were to take an unblemished male lamb and to separate them from the rest of the flock. It would seem to take as some have suggested the lamb into their house for those four days, at least to separate it from the rest of the flock on the tenth day of the month. On the fourteenth day of the month, at twilight, at dusk, around 06:00, the lamb was to be slain, to be killed. Then, they were then to take, then they were to take some of the blood of that lamb that they had slain, and put it on the side posts of the doors to their homes, and across the top of the door frame.

They were then to roast the lamb whole in fire and eat all of it before the morning and whatsoever was left at the rising of the sun was to be completely burnt up so that there was nothing left. They were to eat it with unleavened bread, no yeast, and bitter herbs, and with their clothes on, ready to depart. A sign of faith in who? A sign of faith in God. I heard a story once, a story of two farmers.

They were they were praying for rain. There hadn't been any rain in a long time. It's been a drought and you can't produce crops without rain and so they were praying for rain. One of the farmers sat in his house praying for rain and waiting for the rain to come. The other farmer prayed for rain and as he did, he went out and he got his plow and he plowed up his field and as he waited for the rain, he planted the seeds in his field and he covered them up and the question is, which one of those farmers truly believed that God was going to send the rain?

Well, the answer is, the one who prepared for the rain to come. Not only did he pray in faith but he went out and prepared his field so that when the rain did come, the crop would be ready to grow. We see that illustration here. They were to not only the instructions God had given them but they were to do so in haste believing, and prepared to leave Egypt the very next day. And so we see that here in the instructions they were given.

The result would be that while God's judgment fell on all the firstborn of Egypt who died from Pharaoh's house to the cattle stall, the firstborn of Israel in Goshen would live. The death angel God's judgment passing over the homes with the blood on the doorpost. However, only if they did if God instruct as God instructed in faith, that God keeps his word. If you look in verses 11 through 13, again and thus shall you eat with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, your staff, and your hand, you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord's Passover.

For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night. I will smite all the firstborn of the land of Egypt, both man and beast against all the gods of Egypt. I will execute judgement. I am the Lord and the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where you are and when I see the blood, I will pass over you and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you when I smite the land of Egypt. Look, if you would over in verse 29 and it came to pass that at midnight, the Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat in on his throne, the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon, the firstborn of the cattle.

And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians and there was a great cry in Egypt for there was not a house where there was not. One dead. And he called for Moses and Aaron by night and said, rise up and get you forth from among my people, both you and the children of Israel and go serve the Lord as you have said. Also, take your flocks and your herds as you have said and be gone and bless me also. So, finally, sadly, it took the death of every firstborn child in the homes of the Egyptians including Pharaoh's firstborn himself.

For Pharaoh to relent and let them go. We even have an acknowledgement here, not a repentance, I don't believe, but acknowledgement on the part of Pharaoh that the God of Moses is greater than the gods of Egypt. Thus, his last comment and bless me also but as we'll see, this wasn't repentance because well, Pharaoh changes his mind here as we'll see next week. But and so he cast them out of the land. The first result was that the Israelites firstborn didn't die, they what?

They lived because the blood of the lamb was on the doorpost of their homes. Secondly, the Egyptians would actually help the Israelites in every way possible to speed them on their way to get them out of their land. Fearing that they would be next because God of Israel is the true and living and almighty God who is able to take care of his people and keep all his promises and defeat all the enemies of Satan and idols and so we see the specifications, we see the results, we see the directions given to Israel. Look, if you would in verse 14, concerning what is to come. Verse 14 of chapter 12 and this day shall be unto you for a memorial.

You shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations. You shall keep it a feast by an ordinance forever. Seven days shall you eat unleavened bread. Even the first day, you shall put away leaven out of your houses for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel and in the first day, there shall be a holy convocation like a a Sabbath where they weren't supposed to work and in the seventh day, there shall be an holy convocation to you. No manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you and you shall observe the feast of unleavened bread for in the self same day, have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt, therefore, shall you observe this day and your generations by an ordinance forever.

In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, you shall eat unleavened bread until the January of the month at even. Seven days, shall there be no leaven found in your houses for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be stranger or born in the land. You shall eat nothing leavened and all your habitation, you shall eat unleavened bread. And so, these are the directions giving to Israel. As to not only what they were supposed to do this day but what they were supposed to do what?

Every year, generation, generation, generation as a memorial to the Lord. And to the judgment that passed over them and to their deliverance from slavery in the land of Egypt by the mighty hand of almighty God. It was a solemn feast, a celebration that was to be kept in Israel every generation going forward. Reminder to each generation of the almighty power and love of God for his people and his power to decimate the enemy and free his people. It was to be celebrated in congruence with the feast of unleavened bread which began with the Passover and went for seven days.

During this time, Israel cannot eat anything with yeast in it. That's what leaven is. God makes it clear that they did not have time to wait for the bread to rise because tomorrow, they were what? They were headed out. But also, sin is sometimes represented in scripture by leaven.

When we do place our faith and trust in Christ, our sins are what? Are forgiven and our sins are what? Washed away. When God's judgment passed over them that night God not only saved their firstborn, not not only free them from slavery in Egypt but he left them with a picture of salvation. The salvation that will come in Jesus Christ.

To all who put their faith and trust in his shed blood and the forgiveness, the washing away, the cleansing of sin. That takes place in the life of every child of God through faith in the blood of Jesus Christ. As Jesus prepared, the night he celebrated the Passover with his disciples. The night that he was to be arrested. The day before his crucifixion, he instituted the Lord's supper.

Another picture, another memorial. Similar to, not the same, but similar to the Passover. In it, he took unleavened bread and he said, this is my body which is broken for you and he took a cup with juice in it and he said, this cup is the New Testament in my blood which is shed for many for the what? The remission, the forgiveness, the washing away of what? The washing away of your sins.

As they put the leaven out of the house, they were, I believe, symbolizing. Washing away of sin. That salvation brings to the believer in Jesus Christ through the blood of a lamb. Hebrews nine twenty two and almost all things are by now by by the law purged with blood and without the shedding of the blood is no remission. Without the shedding of blood of that lamb on that doorpost, there was no remission for the firstborn of Israel.

They would die but with the applying of the blood of the lamb, a symbol of their faith in who? Their faith in God. The death angel passed over and as they cast out all the leaven out of the house, they did also symbolize the washing away of their sin. On day of Pentecost, Peter stood up. The people said after he told them again who Christ was and some of them were convicted in their heart and came to the realization that Christ was the savior.

They asked him, what must we do? And Peter said, repent, that is turn from your sin to Jesus Christ as the Lord and savior of your life. Repent and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the what? For the remission of sins and you shall receive the gift of the holy ghost. What must you do?

Repent. Put your faith in the person that you crucified. Repent of that sin. Repent of your unbelief and trust who? And trust Jesus Christ.

Amen. And your sins will be what? Forgiven. My sins were forgiven when I was nine years old. When I came forward in a service at church and I chose by grace through faith to put my trust in Jesus Christ and his shed blood anymore in our lives.

As we've been freed from its bondage, we must put it out of our lives and if we do sin, we can what? Confess our sins. That he might forgive us and cleanse us from all what? From all unrighteousness. Moving ahead a little bit but I want you to to close with this verse.

First Peter one eighteen through 21. Say this, to us, for as much as you know that you are not redeemed with corruptible things. The silver and gold from the vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb, without blemish, without spot, without sin. Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you. Who by him do believe in God that raised him from the dead and gave him glory, that your faith and hope might be in God.

No doubt, some of the Israelites whose firstborn were saved that night, who were delivered that night, some of those Israelites were not much better than their Egyptian counterparts. They might not have been as kind as some of their Egyptian counterparts. They may not have been as honest as some of their Egyptian counterparts. But yet their firstborn were saved and the Egyptians were not. What was the difference?

The blood on the what? The blood on the doorpost made all the difference for them. See, the Bible says, for all have what? Sinned and come sure of the glory of God. All of us deserve to face the just wrath of almighty God.

But if the blood of Jesus Christ is on the doorpost of your heart, his judgment will pass over Is it on the doorpost of your heart? Have you put your faith and trust in Christ alone? Are you trying to appease God's wrath another way? There is only one. There is only one name under heaven given among men whereby you must be saved.

The name of Jesus Christ. Let's close. Lord, thank you for your word. Thank you Lord for the precious promises in this beautiful story we see here of your deliverance of your people. Lord, a metaphor, an illustration of our deliverance in Jesus Christ.

Their deliverance came via the shed blood of an innocent lamb. Yeah. Ours by the shed blood of the righteous savior and son of God, Jesus Christ. We thank you Lord that you keep your promises and that we have a certain hope. That we have a home in heaven that's prepared for all of us who put our faith and trust in you And the judgment of God is passed over us.

Lord, we do pray for our neighbors and our friends, our relatives, and anyone who might be here today that is yet to choose Christ alone as their only means of salvation and deliverance from sin and hell and we pray Lord that they would make that decision before they leave this place this day. In Jesus name, we pray. Amen.