Hebrews 11:27-28

Hebrews 11:27-28 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.

Jesus said the kingdom is near you. He also said the kingdom is in you. The above passage commends Moses for his willingness to leave the kingdom of Egypt for an unknown land, his willingness to look foolish and even to expose himself to Pharaoh's wrath to fulfill God's call on his life: freeing the children of Israel from bondage and leading them to the Promised Land. Moses' life illustrates a life of faith. By faith, he willingly faced down Pharaoh, placing his own life in jeopardy to execute God's plan for the Israelites. He told the children of God that they would need a covering of blood to escape the hands of Pharaoh and their bondage. To protect them from the wrath of God on the Egyptians, they needed a blood covering. This blood-bought protection allowed them to escape to God's kingdom, The Promised Land.

The hardening of Pharaoh's heart revealed the Lord's majesty and power. As God manifested his power throughout Egypt by exposing the Egyptians to the plagues, He freed the Israelites through blood. God broke the stronghold of sin and bondage by requiring the blood of the firstborn. All the plagues, all the sorrow, all the pretensions of repentance by Pharaoh could not free the Israelites from Egypt, the land of sin, until the Angel of Death killed the firstborn child from every unprotected family. The spilling of innocent blood broke the bondage. In a society like Egypt, the firstborn ensure the continuation of civilization. As the blessed ones, they carried the aspirations of their parents and the values of the culture. They held the primary responsibility of implementing and extending the kingdom. The firstborn represented Egypt's hope for a future. Taking the firstborn struck at the very heart of Egypt's glory and their way of life; consequently, great despair and sorrow filled the land of the living when the firstborn died. There will be loud wailing throughout Egypt — worse than there has ever been or ever will be again. (Exodus 11:6) 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. (Exodus 12:30)

The Israelites' tale of deliverance from bondage to the Egyptians provides a metaphor for our journey out of bondage to sin and death. As Moses followed God by faith, we also follow God by faith. As the Israelites placed the blood of the Passover lamb on their doorposts, we place the blood of the Lamb of God over the portals of personal households (our lives), knowing the blood of God's firstborn, the only begotten Son, delivers us from the consequences of our sins. Following God's instructions, we proceed to the Red Sea in baptism, crossing over to a new existence, previously unknown to us. As Moses before us, we now walk through the wilderness of life by faith, listening to the still small voice of the Spirit within us who guides us through this land. A pillar of fire at night and a cloud in the day guided the Jews, but we who are IN CHRIST listen to the Spirit within us. To sharpen our spiritual ears, we pray, meditate, and read God's Word. Every day is a day of faith, a day to listen and obey. We look for the manna on the table set before us each morning, and we rely upon the springs of living water to sustain us. The just will walk by faith until we finish the journey and reach our heavenly home.