Exodus 12:33-13:22 - From Bondage to Belonging

Hey, I'm going to invite you to Exodus. Chapter 12 is where we're going to be together today. Exodus chapter 12. We're going to look at the latter half of Exodus 12 into chapter 13. It's possible I'll run out of time because this is a larger, significant passage of Scripture. But, but but here's one thing I want us to know as we dive into this passage is I am not hopefully going to share anything new with you. Maybe for some of us might this might be a little new. I'm going to share with us really the, the movement of the gospel made known in our life that when we come to know Jesus, this is what it looks like as, as I'm walking in the the gospel of freedom that Christ gives to me, this is what it looks like for all of us. And. And especially as we look at the the story of the Exodus, like if if I were to ask you this morning, what is the story of Exodus about? Some of us might be looking. Just look at the title and just know. I know it is about an exit, right? I'm going from something to somewhere. And I would say, yes, that is certainly a part of what Exodus is about. But if that is all you focus on, you miss the the grander part of the story. This is certainly a story of redemption, right? This is this is about God taking us from somewhere. And if you know anything about the Exodus story, children of Israel are slaves and God brings them freedom, right? God sets them free in this slavery. But the point of the book of Exodus isn't just about they. They're they're taken from a place of bondage or slavery. The point of, of the book of Exodus is also about what God is calling them to.

Because if you think the story of Exodus is just simply about the children of Israel were set free because you watched a Disney movie, right? That is a that is a part of it, right? Or Charlton Heston, if you're older, I guess. But that is a part of it. But you read in chapter 13 that they have now left Exodus, and there's 40 chapters to this book. And if you think the book of Exodus is primarily just about leaving bondage, then then you miss the grander part of the story because God isn't just calling them from something, God is calling them for something. And in fact, when you get to the end of the book of Exodus, you finally see it's the presence of God with the people of God that what God is primarily interested in is your relationship with him.

And here's, here's the danger when we come to the book of Exodus. This is a narrative story of God's people, of how he brought about freedom for their lives. Right? But, but what makes this book so powerful is that you read these pages, realizing that it's also intended to be intensely personal, that this this story is a grander picture of the ultimate story of redemption, of what God desires to do in your life and mine. In fact, last week we read about the Passover, and we recognize that this particular Passover in Exodus was a foreshadowing of the Passover, which would be presented to us by Jesus, who is the true Passover Lamb. And that all that belonged to him have have found this freedom, this place from bondage to to this place of relationship.

And so I would encourage you this way, that the best way to read through the book of Exodus is to make this intensely personal. To realize that this isn't just a narrative story of what happened to people long ago, that this is the story of God's people told over and over again. And if we're truly going to find the reason for which we were created, we've got to walk the same path as the children of Israel are walking in the circumstance. Now, now, don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that you've got to become a slave and then be set free, right? I don't know anyone in this room that I could say to you. Raise your hand if you've ever been a slave. Maybe. Maybe some of us, I don't know, but. But I'm going to just go out on a limb and say, probably not, not not most of us. Right? Like it doesn't feel like a big risk to say that. But, but I do want you to know, all of us find our lives in bondage to something, but your life was created for something greater And and seeing this Exodus story, it helps to begin to connect our story to. This is this is a picture of what God would desire to do in my life and yours and, and you even think about really the not not only the, the idea of the personalness of the story, but, but also collectively as a community. And as we, we come here on a Sunday morning. We certainly want to grow in our relationship with the Lord, but also God is telling a grander story through all of us. And that's that's the beauty of what the church is about, that Jesus created his church for a mission in this world, and that mission is sacred, that has an eternal difference. And of all the things you can belong to in your life, out of all the things you might dedicate your life to, there is nothing more sacred than the community for which Christ has created in him. And to see that, how incredible that story might be.

Now, I'll let you know as we get into this, like I was looking at kind of the the schedule over the next couple of weeks. And, and, and looking at today, I was already thinking to myself, you know, tennis is going to be decent today because, well, everyone got an extra hour of sleep. And also the Broncos aren't playing right. So next week the Broncos play at 11:00 and that's going to interfere maybe with your worship. Right. And the question becomes what matters to you more. Right. Do you see the sacredness of this and that? Even that feels silly to me to say out loud, like, I mean, if you understand what Jesus has done for you, and then you think about the the idea of a football game like a community gathers, we gather corporately, collectively one day a week, predominantly on a Sunday. And we have other gatherings throughout the week. But this this one, one day this week is the anthem of who we are as God's people. And it seems a little bit foolish to think like there's something that could take precedence. Even even watching grown men with a, a ball running around on the field. And some of us might even put on their jerseys and wear their names on our shoulders like we're we're a part of that team. You're not a part of that team, right? But you are a part of this team. And what is it that God desires to do in us? And you'll see within the context of this story. Sorry if that made you feel bad if you missed the Broncos game tomorrow, but but we'll just go ahead and pray at the end of this, that that if you miss because of that, that the Lord would let him lose. Okay. I'm kidding, I'm kidding. I don't go that far. I feel too personal.

But but but to understand the significance of what this is this story so important, not just not just for the children of Israel, God is using their lives to tell the grander story of what God desires to do in your life too. And so God not only not only help me in these moments to understand this narrative, but to see the sacredness of this narrative as as the theme of your heart towards me today, and not only towards me, towards us as a community. You know, if you were here last week, even, even if you had attended third service, I know people at third service would have shifted to second service if you were at third service last week, because third service was so full. We were pushing people out the door and they were piling up chairs out in the TV. And we're just we're definitely overflowing. And, and it gets a little bit uncomfortable. And I even know as a pastor, like when people get uncomfortable, they just stop showing up. They're like, I'll watch it online. But, but there's something about just saying no, no matter what, because of what the Lord's doing here. I just want to be a part of this, the personalness of my walk with the Lord and then corporately God. How, how you're doing this incredible thing. Like I even think as a pastor, I get the opportunity to get a little reflective, especially in passages like this, where I'm just reminded of a few decades ago, moving to Utah and going over to Wayne's Park and just praying, God, I don't care if we have five people. I don't care if we have ten people. I just want to give my life for your glory here in Utah and to see what you might do, and then to sit in a room like this and then and start to see the tangible ness of of the grace of God made known in people's lives and those stories, how personal they become.

God. Thank you. Thank you for the way that you desire to work. Thank you for your gospel story and the way that it's made known and the freedom in which you're bringing and, and how this Exodus story becomes a part of our story and how it continues to be told from us that your glory would be made known here. And I, I get to be a part of that. God, whatever it means to see that transforming work, continuing on knowing these people have been taken from slavery into something beautiful in you and God. You call me into that and you call us into that. And so what is that that look like for us to, to go from this bondage to becoming a family, to wholly belonging to him and, and leading us into a greater purpose. That's this, this Exodus passage from bondage to belonging. We're going to talk about these four movements together. And we want to make it personal because it should be.

So number one of your notes is this what do we need when we think about this redemption story? Number one is deliverance. God sets us free. You know, sometimes our story might look like this. When we walk into a door on Sunday morning into church, we might say, I know where I've been and, and I've tasted the things the world has to offer. And I want you to know that temporarily I might have found something in that. But ultimately, there was no joy for the soul. My soul needs something more. In fact, if I'm being honest, I realized that having tasted the things of this world, that what is my soul is longing for is is perhaps something greater than what this world has to offer. And so we're looking for that, that deliverance from this, this place of brokenness, realizing things have taken a hold of my life, whether it be some sort of addiction or idol or bondage. And and I need something greater to, to deliver me from where I am.

And this is what God's doing for, for the children of Israel in Exodus chapter 12. They he's bringing from this place of bondage, right. It says in verse 33, the Egyptians were urgent with with the people to send them out of the land in haste, for they said, we shall all be dead. So it's, it's they've really gotten to this. Bye, Felicia. Moment, right where if you remember how, how the children of Israel, they come and declare to Pharaoh, let my people go. And Pharaoh gives this declaration, I don't know him. Therefore I'm not bowing down to him. And God says, well, you're going to know me. And he brings ten plagues. And those plagues are all an affront to the gods of Egypt, to declare who the one true God is. Right? And so now the children of Israel have gotten to this place even even when you read in Exodus chapter ten verse seven, they at the eighth plague, they were looking at Pharaoh and saying, please stop. Let's let these people go. You're wrecking our lives, right? And finally, after the 10th plague, they finally let him go. But they're not just saying, okay, go ahead and go. They're like, get out of here. Right. They're really stepping into that deliverance.

In verse 35. The people of Israel had also done as Moses told them, for they had asked the Egyptians for silver and gold and jewelry and clothing. And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they. They let them have what they asked. Thus they plundered the Egyptians, and the people of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Sukkoth and 600,000 men of. On foot. The idea of Sukkoth is literally a place of shelter. So they left Egypt and they found a place that sheltered them. And it says 600,000 men beside women and children in verse 38. And a mixed multitude also went up with them. I'm emboldening that because I'm going to come back to it later. But I want you to recognize just store that away for a moment. There was a mixed multitude that also went up with him, and very much livestock, both flocks and herds. And they were thrust out of Egypt and could not wait, nor had they prepared any provisions for themselves. The time that the people of Israel lived in Egypt was 430 years, and at the end of 430 years, on that very day, all the house of the Lord went up from the land of Egypt. It was night of watching by the Lord to bring them out of the land of Egypt. So this same night is a night of watching kept to the Lord by all the people of Israel throughout their generations. I mean, God is saying to them, this this night is

so significant. It's it's not just for you to understand that this is a marker for every generation to come. I mean, this, this is something that becomes an identification of what your life is about moving forward. This is this is where you knew that your life went from what it was to what it was to become like. This was a significant transition. Do not let this defining moment pass from your memory, but cling to this. It's the same for us when we think about what it means to truly be delivered from the Lord. Because. Or excuse me in the Lord, That life. Life can distract us. Life can rob us. But. But the sweetness of who God is. We're reminded of again and again that there was this moment in my life where I just felt so broken. And I knew whatever the world had to offer me, it just was not going to satisfy the reason for which I was created, because God made me for something more. And here's God entering into the story of Israel to deliver that freedom, because it's the same for us.

And, and we've, we've talked about the, the thought of freedom and the significance of it as even from a more of an American context, because we tend to hijack God's definition of freedom. And we, we redefine for it what we suppose it should mean in a society that's very individualistic. And I, and I want you to know, our idea of freedom tends to not be what biblical freedom is about. Meaning, when we think about freedom, we tend to think that. Now, now, I have been set free from this so that I could live my life. You know the way that I want, because what's most important is me and the individualistic way of thinking. Our idea of freedom is about being set free from something so that I can finally do what it is that I want to do. And I want you to know that is not freedom. That could be anarchy, but it's not freedom. True freedom is living for the purpose for which you were created. And you can't do this in the Lord until you've been set free from your past. But thank God, God doesn't leave us in that bondage. He provides the way of escape because he becomes that for us. And that's what the picture of the Passover is about. God entered into the suffering of the children of Israel, and he calls them to sacrifice a lamb, knowing that he's going to be the ultimate lamb. And he gives his life for you and for me, delivered not just from something, but, but, but delivered so that we can walk in that newness of life in him that now the reason for which I was created, I can finally belong.

And here's the great thing about this story is, is you're learning from the children of Israel. God's going to supply for them exactly what they need because here they go. And just the abruptness of the night. And they don't have the resources as they're stepping out into this new land. And so God's providing them the, the means they need to sustain for themselves as they're asking for the Egyptians and they're just handing it over to get them gone. And look, I'm not telling you by coming to Jesus that we're going to give you a bunch of silver and gold today. That's not that's not what the the point of this is. But but but what he's saying is there is a God who will meet you in every step of the way to sustain you exactly with what you need. In fact, Ephesians chapter one, verse three tells us that if you ever read Ephesians chapter one, verse three, all the way down to verse 14, it's the longest sentence in the Bible. In Greek, it's one run on sentence. It gives grammar teachers a headache. But in verse three, he starts off with this God has blessed you in the heavenlies with every spiritual blessing that the Lord has to offer. God gives you exactly what you need. God is the the provision for which we are longing for. And Israel is stepping out into this moment, recognizing the significance of. Of what God has done.

In fact, if I gave you some other verses, I think in your notes you might find a peppering of verses that just over and over again throughout the epistles remind us of that, because we all have this tendency when life gets a little bit rocky to push the panic button as if God has forgotten where we are and God has forgotten what we need. As if you might be in that anomaly of a circumstance. But Paul, for example, over and over again reminds us of the sufficiency of what we have in Christ, as if to say to you, and he's never going to abandon you if I if I read you some of those passages, second Corinthians chapter three, verse five says it like this. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God. Our Philippians chapter four, verse 19, it says, and my God will supply every need of yours according to the riches and glory in Christ Jesus. It's understanding the significance of this deliverance, that in that deliverance, God sets us free. He's he's calling me into something greater.

And, and God doesn't promise for us that necessarily that that journey is going to be easy. Right. As the children of Israel are leaving Egypt, they're stepping into the wilderness. And they they have no idea what's awaiting for them there. But they know who's going with them and they know who's gone before them. And therefore, having seen the hand of that God, they they're trusting in him. As you think about this moment for Israel, God has declared who he is to them as as he has brought these plagues against, against these false gods of Egypt, as if to say, if you're going to trust anything. Trust in me. In fact, as as we read throughout these passages, you'll see this common theme where God says with a strong hand, I will lead you with the strong hand. I'm there. And that's a phrase that's reflected over and over again in the book of Exodus to remind us of who's ultimately in control. If you remember, we in past weeks looked at a picture of Pharaoh. It was often these motifs of Pharaoh painted on their temples and in the places where Pharaoh would rule. And it was this representation of Pharaoh with the mighty hand and an outstretched arm, as if to dominate his enemies. And God ultimately saying, it's me that's in control. It's me that's in control. Trust in the deliverance that only I can bring to your soul. And so no matter what brought you in this morning, it's it's to recognize the significance of who this God is and the privilege to, to follow after him and, and Israel, not knowing everything that was awaiting them, they saw the hand of God and the greatness of who he is, and they are willing to trust in that for their deliverance

so they could get to point number two, which is this in your notes identity. God makes us his own identity in which God makes us his own. And this, this particular section, starting in verse 43 of chapter 12, is interesting because it almost looks like it's an interruption to what the story should be about. And we start to read chapter 12, verse 43. You see, he's giving instructions for the Passover, and anyone in the normal flow of this passage would look at it and say, why is he doing that? Because when you're when you're looking at this particular section, it's like they just celebrated the Passover. And if you're going to give some specific instructions on how to do that, you probably wanted to do it. I don't know when they're doing it for the first time. Right. It seems like a good spot to give the detailed instructions on how to celebrate what the Passover should be. But as soon as they're leaving Egypt, after they've celebrated this Passover, God's not giving them instructions again for celebrating the Passover. Why would he do that? And he's he's teaching us about the beauty of identity.

And when you read in verse 43, he says, excuse me. And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, this is the statue of the Passover. No foreigner shall eat of it. But every slave that has bought for money may eat of it after you have circumcised him. No foreigner or hired worker may eat of it. It shall be eaten in one house. You shall not take any of the flesh outside the house, and you shall not break any of its bones. And the congregation of Israel shall keep it. If a stranger shall sojourn with you, and would keep the Passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised, then he may become near, and keep. Excuse me. Keep it, and it shall be a native to the land. But no circumcised person shall eat of it. There shall be one law for the native and the stranger. I gotta get a drink. Hold on. I'm going to pause here. All the people of Israel did is just. The Lord commanded Moses and Aaron. And on that very day brought the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their sons. Can't speak so intensely.

God is helping them in these moments shape their identity, because what we're learning in this story is how the children of Israel are stepping out. Other people have also seen the significance of who this God is. Even people in the land of Egypt, they realize their gods have been defeated and they see this Hebrew God and this Hebrew God is giving him an invitation to belong. He's saying within this passage, look, we're not pursuing this as if there's two different groups of people. But if you're going to go on this journey, it's about understanding the significance of who I am and belonging to this. And for the children of Israel, this became a significant marker to their own identity in membership in this covenant community. What it means to, to not be an outsider, but to be an insider and to be able to, to participate. This was a marker of who Israel was.

In fact, God used Israel, I think, for this very purpose, because when you read throughout the Old Testament, you find for the children of Israel, God was often calling them to minister to the marginalized, the people on the outskirts of society, the people that may not have really necessarily had anything to contribute in a, in a financial sense, or maybe not have had the resources like other people. But God was constantly looking out for them. He would tell Israel for the for the, for the widow, for the orphan, for the marginalized, like my heart belongs to them and Israel. You should relate to that because that's where you were. You were treated as a slave, marginalized in society. But I didn't abandon you there. Yet I pursued you and I called you my own, and I let you belong. And and this is what I want you to be about for all communities that it's not just about one ethnic group, but it's about seeing the deliverance that God is bringing for all people groups. And it's not about those people groups impressing you with who they are. It's about allowing their lives to be impressed and the richness of who God is with his grace.

In fact, if I gave you a passage in Deuteronomy chapter ten, verse 18, your notes should have several of these verses. But here's one of them. It says, God executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, or the foreigner, giving him food and clothing. Love the sojourner therefore, for you Israel were a sojourner in the land of Egypt, saying, don't you know who you were apart from me? But it's because of me that you're given this place to belong. And in belonging, you're given this rich identity in who God is that not only have you been brought from this place of bondage, but you've been brought into the family.

That's one of the things I love here at Alpine Bible Church. Like we, we recognize like here in our community, I probably don't need to tell you that Utah is a different place to live, right? If you've ever been in another state in the United States, I've lived in a few different states. Utah is a beautiful place. I don't plan on ever leaving Utah. I want to be here forever. But there is some things about there are some things about our state that are just. They're unique, but sometimes the uniqueness of that impacts our experience with the Lord. And sometimes people come through our doors where they might say things like, I had some experiences in the past, and sometimes maybe even the name of what people would call God. And I know I need something in my life, but I'm afraid of committing just right at this very moment because I. I want to make sure that what I'm hearing, stated and taught is something that I can buy into, something I want to belong to. And so if that's you this morning and coming in, I think, fantastic. I mean, what better spot to be in than to be able to hide out somewhere and just listen to what we were about as a community. Before you embrace what Christianity is, and especially who Christ is. I think we all need a spot like that before we commit.

But but at the same time, it's also important saying just because you participate in a gathering with God's people doesn't mean you necessarily belong. Right? Or we could say it like this just because you call yourself a Christian doesn't necessarily make you one. It's whether or not you've surrendered your life to who Christ truly is to understand that God became flesh and gave his life for you so that you could belong to him. We're not here this morning to impress God with who we are. We're here to allow our lives to be impressed with who he is, to see the significance of Christ over us. To find the the freedom that that only he could deliver and. And to embrace that what he's called us to in him, not only the the separation from this bondage of our past, but also to be welcoming to the to the new identity of which we have in him.

I don't know about you, but to be honest, when I look over my life in following after Jesus, there are times that I get overwhelmed by the grace of God and just thinking about what my life was without Jesus and who I am in Christ. And some of us, sometimes we have that struggle of feeling like we belong. Like we think at some point, whether you're a part of a church or one day, if you're in, you're in eternity and you're with God face to face. You kind of have this tendency of thinking about yourself. I know one day I know me. One day I want to be in heaven and somebody's going to look at me, be like, wait a minute, you got in here. You know, like, how did you get in here? You shouldn't be here, right? You know, or even even in a worship service like this. We could feel like the imposter and wondering, like, should I even be in this moment? Am I? Am I supposed to belong when I, when I think about the history of our church and where God has brought me and, and just seeing the beautiful work here, I gotta tell you, as a pastor, like I wake up every day thinking, am I, am I really a pastor? Like what? What has happened here? Not, not that that I haven't walked the road or anything. I've, you know, I've gotten the degrees. I've been I'm walking faithful to Jesus. I'm not saying that, but what what I am saying is there's a few years ago. Let me let me give it to you like this.

2016, my wife and I went back to the East Coast where we're from, to visit family. And it was the 10th year of our wedding anniversary. So we had a plan to drop off our kids, get out of town. We were going to go down to the Smoky Mountains and just celebrate ten year wedding anniversary. And when I got back east Huntington, West Virginia is where my wife and I are from. And my mother said to me, hey, I met this guy who heard a little bit about your story and he's a heart doctor, cardiologist. And he, he wants to just take you out to dinner. And I didn't know this person from Jack. And I think my mom barely knew him. And I just said, okay, okay, I guess I'll just go to dinner with some random dude that my mom set me up with. So I went to this dinner. But this guy is an interesting story. He ended up being in his 90s. He was he was survivor of the Holocaust and he just incredible things that happened in his life. And he ended up becoming a cardiologist in the United States and just God's grace all over his life. And, and then he looks at me as he's sharing his story and he says, but, Nathaniel, when I heard a little bit about your story, I realized God's grace has been all over your life too. And, and when your mother was sharing a little bit with me, I realized I wanted to meet you. And I'm like, what? What are you talking about? Like, how much could you possibly know about me? And he said, I know this. Your mom had you when she was 16 years old.

I grew up as a as with a single mom in West Virginia. Have you ever been to West Virginia? It's a beautiful state. But one thing about West Virginia, it's a poor state, and there are certainly some struggles there. Mom had me at 16 years old and he said, I don't know if you've ever thought about this, but at 16 years old, having a kid, that would have been very easy for your mom just to let you go. And I don't just mean, you know, passing you off to someone else. I mean, just ending your life. And the man said, I am not only impressed by a mother. My mom went on to get a degree. By the time I was in high school, she became a nurse and she worked for the health department in our area. And and she said, he said, not only am I impressed by that, he's like, he wrote me a check right there. I didn't ask this guy for any money, but he was like, I know you're planting a church in Utah and you guys need some. So he wrote me a check for several thousand dollars to come back and give to the church. And I'm like, that is incredible. And, and just you look back over your life and you realize, yeah, God's God's hand of grace is has been on my life. And I'm so thankful.

In fact, not only just in that moment, but I realized growing up in a, in a rough area with a single mom. Like it took a lot for me to come to Jesus. I was a very stubborn, hard hearted kid. It was a a military guy who loved the Lord, the chief of police in my area. I don't even want to tell how that had to get involved. And then. And then a pastor, no matter how much of a rear end I was to him, he continued to come and minister to me and share the Lord. And it took those things, culminating in a very gracious way that God opened my eyes to my need. And not only that, that when my wife and I finally went down to the Smoky Mountains, on our on our getaway for our little anniversary, I get down to the Smoky Mountains and I turn on the TV and I, I see the news pop up and the news story is of my hometown, Huntington, West Virginia. And you know, obviously it's 45,000 people. It's a small town, but the news is telling a story that West Virginia has received this nickname and it's declaring this nickname because on this particular day in August of 2016, 28 people in a town of 45,000 had overdosed and West Virginia became known as the overdose capital of the United States.

And when I look back at that, I realized my mom working at the health department, she became like a mini celebrity during that time, like she was on a Netflix show and a BBC TV series. And because they wanted to interview her, because she was a part of the health department and she and from 2020, 20, 2006 to 2014, in the eight year span, there were over 81 million opioids given to my town of 45,000 people. That's that's 1800 opioids per person, right? And I'm not saying this to like, try to be be difficult to anyone that might be struggling with some kind of addiction this morning. I'm just saying that that's the background I come out of. Right? When I graduated high school, a lot of my friends OD'd from drugs. I go back and it is a rough upbringing. But then you go back and look at it and you realize. But God's grace has been all over my life. And God just met me in the brokenness of what my life was. Growing up as a poor kid in West Virginia, and he just peppered it with his mercy and the hearts of his people in that area that I would find this freedom in Jesus. And then I would see in this redemption story of Exodus that that's my story, too, that I've taken from this place of, of bondage, of what had my heart to this place of belonging to him to, to have an opportunity to declare the richness of Christ in this world. And you just see how that story multiplies into the next generation. And in my home and, and even being a part of the church, just a piece of the grander story. And, and we all collectively get to be a part of that together. You know,

this, this, this beautiful thought that God is carrying in this passage of of supplying for the children of Israel. He's saying, look, that the story has continued to perpetuate beyond a generation, that you're to hang your hat on this, that you're to invite the marginalized, let everyone experience the richness of who God is, that they might find their identity in him, too. I love there's this phrase by Charles Spurgeon. He says it like this man, I got to move forward fast, but he says this if any man thinks ill of you, do not be angry with him, for you're far worse than he thinks you to be. I love that, because what he's saying is my my responsibility this morning is not for you to be impressed with who I am. I don't care about that. But the greatness of who your God is and everything he desires to do in your life. There is no greater gift than what Jesus desires to offer to you, and to walk in the newness of that every day. Lord, to to know you in this way.

And one of the incredible things about Christianity is that it has this tendency of humbling us as people and at the same time incredibly emboldening us for what God has called us to. It humbles us and saying, look, you're sinful and you can't hide it, and God knows it. But at the same time, he pursued you by giving his life, and he emboldens you not with who you are, but the richness of who he is, so that when the father sees you, he sees the righteousness of Christ all over you. That's why the Bible tells you in Hebrews chapter four, verse 14, come boldly to the throne of grace, because we're not here to impress God with who we are, but we understand this Exodus story is about God pursuing me, and I continue to walk with him

so that we can get to point number three, which is this consecration. Consecration, God's. God calls us to live for him. Consecration. That. That following line, God calls us to live for him. And I gotta look at this quickly. So let me do this. The Lord says to Moses, consecrate to me all the firstborn, whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beasts, is mine. Then Moses said to the people, remember this day in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of slavery. For by a strong hand the Lord brought you out from this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten today in the month of Abib. You are going out. And when the Lord brings you into the land of Canaanites, the Hittites, Amorites, Hivites, Jebusites, and all the other heights which he swore to your fathers to give you a land flowing with milk and honey, and shall keep this service in this month.

So he's saying God was faithful to deliver what he promised, but here's what he wants from you. Just to consecrate consecrates the idea of sanctification. It's setting yourself apart. Meaning you've been. He's teaching us here. You've been set free from something, right? And in verse three, out of the house of slavery and you've been brought to something. Verse five, the Lord brings you into it. So you're stepping into a family you belong to, but it's important in that family to keep setting yourself aside for this. Root yourself in this identity. Understand what it means to be consecrated. And he says it this way with the firstborn that he would consecrate through the firstborn. Now it's interesting. God talks about it this way, but but this is giving us an opportunity to demonstrate really, what does my life belong to? What defines who I am? The idea of consecration, setting it apart in the firstborn, is teaching us something. Not just that I'm I'm from something and for something, but it's really asking the question and and are you living in that right now?

Because here's the idea of firstborn. Firstborn is not promising that there will be a second. It's saying to the Lord God, I trust you so much that you're going to provide for me, that I'm dedicating to you of what's most important. I'm giving to you my best, because I have no idea if there's going to be a second or third. Like sometimes we might have the tendency to, to challenge the Lord and what he wants to offer to us by saying, okay, God how about I plan to have a lot of kids, so how about I have a bunch? And when I get to the end where I feel like I might be done, I'll throw one more in. I'll tell you that's yours, right? Why not wait till the end? But no, God is saying no. If you if you really trust me, here's what I want you to give me. I want you to give me first. Because by giving me first, you're saying I'm depending on you for the rest.

Maybe the question we should ask is, do I offer God my firstborn, or do I tend to offer God my leftovers? I mean, when you look at the children of Israel, that's how their whole system of worship was set up. When they would go to do their first harvest, God would ask for the first fruits of the harvest. When they would have a first child, God would ask for the firstborn as a reminder of redemption that God has brought us from this place of slavery to freedom. Even when they would worship the Passover, they would do it in the month of Abib, which was the beginning of their religious calendar, the first of the year. All of this was a sacred moment to shape their identity, to help us even consider. What is it? What is it? In my life I really offer to the Lord? Is it. Is it just the leftovers of who I am? Or is my life wholly dedicated over to him? Do I understand the significance of what I have and the greatness of who this God is? And am I willing to surrender to that and believing that that God has my best interest in mind? Do I trust him in this way

so that we could get to this last point together? I know I'm pushing this forward because we gotta end this quickly, but so that we can get to this last one, which is this direction God leads us forward. And I want you to see how this takes place in the children of Israel. It tells us, I got to skip ahead. Verse 17, When Pharaoh led the people, I let the people go. God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. For God said, lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to God. But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red sea. And the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt, equipped for battle. Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, God will surely visit you, and you shall cry, carry up my bones with you from here. And they moved on from Sukkoth and encamped at Etham, which no one knows where Etham is, but on the edge of the wilderness. Verse 21 the Lord went before them by day, and pillar of cloud by night, all along the way, and by night in the pillar of fire, and to give them light that they might travel by day and by night. The pillar of cloud by day. And the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.

Now there's a lot of interesting things I could point out there. But let me let me just highlight one, because I gotta close. And God says to the children of Israel, there is an easier way to get where I'm calling you to. There's an easier path. And that was a beachfront walk. They could have left Egypt and just walked right along the beach all the way to where God was promising to them. But instead of going through the beach. God takes them through the wilderness. And there's a few reasons God tells us one, because he knew the Philistines were there. They were armed for battle. Children of Israel weren't ready to face what was before them if they took that route, but God knew he needed to grow them. And what God desired to do was take them through the wilderness.

So often we. We seek the easy route in life, not realizing that the point is not just simply about getting to a destination. It's not about getting to a place, but it's about walking with a person. What Jesus has primarily called you to in life. It's not about getting to a specific spot. What Jesus is primarily called you to a life is about a relationship with him, discovering what it means to to know the richness of the Lord as my life finds identity in him. And I'm consecrated for his glory. And I'm walking with him from the day to day. Knowing that it's not about my strength to accomplish the success. But it's about the resting in the one who will carry me through. God help me understand the richness of who you are. God help me to see the beauty of your work that you desire to do here at ABC. Help us not forget as individuals and sacredly as a community. The gift that it is to belong and that this story is our story too.

I need to close with this. Many of you are familiar probably with this, but Alice in Wonderland was written, I think, in 1865 by a Christian minister who he was a part of the Anglican Church, and he didn't write this as a Christian literary work, but they're certainly Christian undertones in it. And and one of them happens at the very beginning when Alice is in her little wonderland and she's walking along a trail and she meets the Cheshire Cat and she asks the question, could you tell me where I ought to go? Looking at the trail in front of her and the cat responds, well, that depends on where you want to be. Of which Alice says, I don't really care where where I go. And he says, well, then, it doesn't really matter which path you take. And as for many of us, we've lived life often that way. But God calls us down a different road. And the beauty of that road only begins by discovering the significance of who he is in our life, that God desires to deliver me, to give me new identity in him, that I would surrender my life fully and enjoy that journey as I walk in his presence.