The Rescue

April 21

Read: Exodus 7:13 - 12:32

*Feel free to skim over / read in chunks

The Rescue

(The Plagues Part 2)

“But not a dog shall growl against any of the people of Israel, either man or beast, that you may know that the LORD makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.” (v.11:7)

The plagues of God against Egypt are crazy. To really stop and read through them is something… to take a moment and imagine just how horrible each of them would be. There are a handful of really powerful ideas that we can learn form this passage; and some are more comforting than others.

One of the first things is this: God hears and responds to the cries of his people. God is NOT indifferent to our suffering. He hears us when we call out to him. “Then the LORD said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey…” (cf. Ex. 3:7,8) The wild thing about the plagues though is how this reality is worked out:

God does not rescue us the way that we expect him to! God could have simply snapped his fingers and his people would be free… teleported to the land he had for them. But he didn’t do that… why? Why go through these plagues… this “theatre” of Moses, Aaron, magicians, sorcerers, wise men, and Pharaoh? (I have been wrestling with this question for a couple days.) What was going through the minds of God’s people during all of this? Were they always exempt?

In the early plagues (water, frogs, gnats) we read about how these plagues effected “the land of Egypt”. The truth is that the people of God LIVED IN THE LAND OF EGYPT. I know we like to think that the Israelites were “exempt” from the plagues… but I don’t see that laid out until plague number 4… the infestation of flies. (cf. v.8:22) Would God have his people endure these first three plagues? Did they feel some of the “sting” here as well? I mean even if they had clean water, no frogs, and no gnats… did they go outside? How did they work during this time? This “punishment” for Egypt was bound to effect them in some way… I mean think of even the SMELL!?! Sometimes the people of God will endure difficulty for no fault of their own, but for the sins of others or for the sake of others. (If you don’t believe me, think of Joshua and Caleb walking in the wilderness for 40 years!) God’s rescue involves enduring the difficulty around you even though it may not be directed at us… this is a “suffering” similar to Jesus’… one endured because of a sin that is not your own. We will face discomfort as we wait for God’s rescue. This does to mean he has forgotten us, abandoned us, or given up on our rescue. He is coming for us!

The reality is that God eventually DOES protect his people from experiencing a great deal of the discomfort that came with these plagues. (v. 8:22, 9:4, etc.) God DOES set his people apart… he makes a distinction between HIS people and the people of Israel. The truth is that although we do experience some discomfort in this world, God shields his people from a great deal of tragedy and suffering. The tragedy and suffering we DO experience HE will carry us through… he will meet us… he “hear’s our cries”.

God’s ultimate goal for his children is to bring them into “a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey.” (v.3:8) When we think ahead, we know what it will take to bring the people into the promised land. There will be conflict and opposition along the way. The people of God needed to be convinced of HIS POWER and that the Lord was truly on their side. They needed to have a healthy FEAR OF THE LORD. The hard truth is that suffering and adversity prepares us for blessing and break through… it makes us “fit” to receive a “broad land” flowing with “milk and honey”.

I am sure there were times that the Israelites doubted the rescue God had planned for them. It was not coming the way they had expected. Don’t doubt the rescue. God is coming. He has heard your cry. God has “made a distinction” between us and the world. He has set us as his people apart. This does not mean we will never face adversity, but it does mean that he will always come for us! You have been set free from your slavery… your slavery to sin (cf. Rom. 6) … and Christ is bringing you into the “broad land of milk and honey” that is LIFE IN CHRIST. Christ is the “rescue” that we long for and desperately need. Love you guys. - JDP