Moses brought a people out of captivity in Egypt whose hearts had been hardened by the culture of the Egyptians. The Israelites from the seed of Jacob were an ethnic group set apart as God’s chosen people. Jacob in many ways was a scoundrel, but God planted the promise of Jesus in his loins. The children of Israel fell into corruption in Egypt, for they served other gods enthusiastically. Even when they knew their deliverance from slavery was miraculous, performed by the God of Moses, they still brought their Egyptian gods into the wilderness. They complained often about Moses’ God and about not being in Egypt where they had shelter and a variety of food. Egypt was in their minds at every problem in the journey. When Moses went up on Mount Sinai, they formed a golden calf to worship with Aaron’s help. Although their hearts were often in Egypt, God blessed them even though they did not honor him. Why did God honor them even in their rebellion? He remained faithful to his people because they held the Seed of Promise. Their armament, their society, their culture, with the law of God’s structure and restrictions around their behavior, were to make it possible for the Messiah to come through their linage. God protected the Jews even though they were often attentive to gods other than the God of heaven. The promised seed, Jesus Christ, would come through the Israelites, Jacob, not Esau. God saw this before the twins were even conceived biologically. The Lord said to her (Rebekah), “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.” (Genesis 25:23) Before the story of these two lives, Jacob and Esau, would be carried out on Earth, the timeless God already knew this story. He already knew that Esau would give away the Promised Seed for red stew. “Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?” But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left. So Esau despised his birthright. (Genesis 25:32-34) In essence, Esau despised his right to have The Promise come through his bloodline. A very serious part of God’s plan from the beginning of time was to bring his only begotten Son as the deliverer of all humanity from the slavery of sin. For Esau, a hunter of game, to choose a mundane activity of this world and its pursuits over God’s plan to redeem all humanity was a grave mistake. God knew Esau’s inclinations; he knew what Esau held preeminent in his life. He knew Esau’s behavior on Earth would reject God’s plan of redemption. Now, Jacob was no angel. He was a conniver, a man living to get ahead, but Jacob was a man of the people: Jacob was content to stay at home among the tents. (Genesis 25:27) As with Jacob, Jesus was a man of the people. He went from town to town to save the needy. Consequently, Jacob carried Jesus’ seed. God’s plan of redemption went through Jacob and not Esau. He loved Jacob because He foresaw who he was and would be.
“I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” How far does God’s mercy and grace extend? Is it only for the chosen few? Is the pain and suffering of the cross only for the elect or the predetermined ones? This will always be a theological question that mere men will discuss endlessly. Yet as believers we know many scriptures tell us, The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9) Our desire to understand God and his ways is always embedded in the nature of a rebellious people. However, the deliverance from Egyptian slavery for the Jews demanded obedience, to place the blood of a lamb or goat around the doorframe. All the Israelites knew what they should do to get away from Pharaoh’s control. The blood around the doorframe of the entrance to every dwelling was necessary for them to be delivered from the angel of death. God said, On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every first born both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt. (Exodus 12:12-13) The angel of death during his passover would be looking for that blood. Unless they performed this activity just as Moses described, the angel of death would kill the firstborn of that household. If they failed to follow Moses’ directions, they would face the same consequence that all the Egyptians would face that night: the first born male in the household would die. This deliverance through the evidence of blood on the doorframe would separate the Jews from the Egyptians. They alone would receive mercy and compassion that night. Because of the blood of sacrificed animals, the Israelites would experience the grace of God. We who are alive IN CHRIST have placed the blood over the doorframe of out lives. Our journey is now the story of the cross. The Promise has come, and we who are alive IN CHRIST have the Promise within us. By placing the blood around their doorframe, the Israelites were living by faith. By performing this act, they said that there was something bigger in their lives than just the commonness of everyday living. Faith is believing that God offers us something greater than ordinary existence. Of course, faith is believing in the reality of God, as Creator and resurrector of life. The story of life is not our story about our efforts to find God, but God’s story of finding us, delivering us from Egypt. God’s mercy and grace have come to all who are hidden IN CHRIST. WE IN HIM AND HE IN US IS THE GREAT MYSTERY OF LIFE.
For Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden. As with Esau and Jacob, God knew the story of Pharaoh before he played out his life in Egypt. God knew Pharaoh would not use his power well, and his heart would turn to stone. Pharaoh had absolute power in Egypt. He could determine life or death for any person living in his land. Pharaoh’s heart was never soft, but as he experienced the plagues his heart became even harder. Pharaoh knew he was losing authority to another power. In losing his pretense of absolute power, he would lose his authority over the Egyptians. The plagues were affecting his reign of power with the Egyptians, so he did what he was forced to do: he rejected Moses’ request to free the Israelites. But when the angel of death came, cutting off of his lineage by killing the firstborn son, this meant an end to his family’s reign. His dynasty would come to the end if all of his sons were killed, so he finally let the Israelites go. His heart was hardened by power. God allowed that hardening for his benefit, to show to the Israelites who were still enmeshed in Egypt that a greater power than Pharaoh existed on this earth, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Children of Israel were set free by the blood of animals. They would live for a little longer on Earth, but now they would live in freedom. We who are IN CHRIST have been set free forever on this earth and for eternity. The blood of Jesus Christ has spared us from the angel of death. Every day we celebrate the Passover through our lives as Christians. Grace and mercy have come to us. Without knowing what sin is and the hardening of our hearts through the experience of this world, we would not know the magnitude of salvation. The world is caught in the slavery of violence, heartaches, troubles, pain, eternal death. But we who have heard the call of God through Jesus Christ the Lord have discovered a new life. As Paul told the church at Ephesus, But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. (Ephesians 2:13) We are new creatures who live this new life. We have been delivered from slavery, for the Promise found in Jacob’s loins has come to us. As scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:11-13) Thank you, Lord, for bringing us near by the blood of your Son, Jesus. Thank you for providing a perfect Passover Lamb to bring us from death to life!
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