God finally made a believer out of Pharaoh. With the death of Pharaoh’s 1st born; as well as all the Egyptian people and livestock, Pharaoh released Israel. 430 years after they came to Egypt, they were finally leaving free from bondage. In addition to the 600,000 men and probably at least that many women and children, Israel left with a host of livestock, treasures, and other artifacts the Egyptians gave them just to get out!!!
God made it clear to Israel and to the world that He was still in charge. The pain of loss that every family of the people and livestock of Egypt felt, was too much to ignore. Now Moses led the tribes of Israel out of Egypt facing forward and heads held high. Moses had to feel a great sense of victory as he started out of Egypt, but he also knew this would only be the beginning. After all, he had been a shepherd for forty years prior to coming back to Egypt. He knew that sheep were not very bright nor intuitive. It had to have crossed his mind that now the real work of leading Israel would begin.
It was Moses’ hope that the people would remember Passover. They would tell their children for generations of the story. By tradition, the youngest child present is charged with the duty of asking the questions about Passover and why the meal is served as it is. This assures that each person has an opportunity to understand the story and its significance. So now, free from Egypt, Moses and his people struck out to take what had been promised hundreds of years before.
We experience a similar liberation. We celebrate Easter, at the same time. Easter is the celebration of Christ’s sacrifice to redeem us from the slavery of sin and death. Prior to Jesus sacrifice, we were all hopelessly enslaved to sin and our sinful natures. When Jesus rose and broke the bondage of sin and death, We like Israel were free to walk away from the world its bondage and walk to the Lord.
In 2 Corinthians 5, we learn that if anyone is in Christ, they are new creations…the old is gone and the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:17. In Colossians 3:3-4–Paul reminds us that we have died, and our life is now hidden with Christ in God. Finally, in Galatians 2:20 we learn that we have been crucified WITH Christ and we no longer live, but Christ lives in us. A life we live by faith in Christ who loves us and gave Himself for us.
Like Israel, we can walk from slavery faced forward head held high. All we must do is ask the Lord to save us. Salvation involves our asking the Lord to forgive us of our sin and come and be a part of our lives. He will gladly do it…it is all God has ever wanted, anyway.
God Bless You
29 At midnight the Lord struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on the throne, to the firstborn of the prisoner, who was in the dungeon, and the firstborn of all the livestock as well. 30 Pharaoh and all his officials and all the Egyptians got up during the night, and there was loud wailing in Egypt, for there was not a house without someone dead.
The Exodus
31 During the night Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Up! Leave my people, you and the Israelites! Go, worship the Lord as you have requested. 32 Take your flocks and herds, as you have said, and go. And also bless me.”
33 The Egyptians urged the people to hurry and leave the country. “For otherwise,” they said, “we will all die!” 34 So the people took their dough before the yeast was added, and carried it on their shoulders in kneading troughs wrapped in clothing. 35 The Israelites did as Moses instructed and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold and for clothing. 36 The Lord had made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for; so they plundered the Egyptians.
37 The Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Sukkoth. There were about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children. 38 Many other people went up with them, and also large droves of livestock, both flocks and herds. 39 With the dough the Israelites had brought from Egypt, they baked loaves of unleavened bread. The dough was without yeast because they had been driven out of Egypt and did not have time to prepare food for themselves.
40 Now the length of time the Israelite people lived in Egypt[b] was 430 years. 41 At the end of the 430 years, to the very day, all the Lord’s divisions left Egypt. 42 Because the Lord kept vigil that night to bring them out of Egypt, on this night all the Israelites are to keep vigil to honor the Lord for the generations to come.
Walking With God 