Amazing Deliverance - Exodus 11:1 - 13:16

Have you ever been lost in a wilderness of any kind, like a vast expanse of bottom land that was unlevel and back water cut you off from any direction you chose to go? Three friends and I have. It was in the Raft Creek Bottoms north of Des Arc, which is a huge area of creeks, slews, and ridges with no direct way out. I had been in Gum Pond duck hunting most of the day and did not realize that the route into the area was being cut off by rising water. I had been there many times before and thought I knew the way out: but the rising water cut me off from my known directions and as the sun went down, darkness destroyed my sense of direction. Being lost is a miserable feeling. Friends came with a boat and lights and we enjoyed an AMAZING DELIVERANCE.

Can you imagine what it was like when the Israelite people realized they were in a strange land where the government changed to new rule under a depressive kingship? They had lived there four hundred years under friendly rule. They had grown into a huge nation of their own; they had prospered and were happy people and suddenly the new Pharaoh placed them in bondage. This political flood blocked every passage they knew that would lead to freedom. Conditions were so horrible that God had to intervene. God’s deliverance from this unbearable condition is what we are studying today. The results are nothing less than an AMAZING DELIVERANCE.

I wonder how many of you that will read this lesson today are in some kind of bondage. Have you foolishly overspent and now find that you are unable to recover from your debits? Are you trapped in a job that you hate but feel compelled to continue because of the restricted job market today? Do not despair because God will not forsake you. Trust him for deliverance, and I promise you that you will experience AMACING DELIVERANCE.

Chapters 12 and 13 represent a significant change in the book of Exodus. God through Moses has presented nine different plagues to Pharaoh which he has refused to submit to. Pharaoh continues to break his promise of freedom to God’s people. One more plague is promised. It is the death of all of the firstborn among the Egyptians; however through the providence and love of God, the Passover was initiated. The Passover became a picture of the salvation that God offered to all mankind, regardless of race or creed. Any family that would place their home under the blood that covered their doors would not suffer the loss of their children. Even today, any person that places his life under the blood of Christ will be spared. Pharaoh refused this last chance to save his people and the rest of the story is well known to all who have studied the bible. The Jews followed Moses’ instructions; the Egyptians did not and as a result all of their first born children were destroyed. If they had no children, the first born of their livestock was destroyed so that no family escaped the penalty God had set.

While the Egyptians buried their dead, the Hebrew slaves organized the exodus from that land; they were free at last. The Pharaoh urged Moses and Aaron to take their people and leave and go worship the Lord as they had requested. The Egyptians surrendered and gave their silver and gold and other wealth to the Israelites who departed the land under the leadership of Moses and Aaron after 430 years in slavery. THIS WAS THE MOST AMAZING DELIVERANCE.

Satin has never given up easily and in this case he soon convinced the Pharaoh that he had made a mistake, and led him to peruse the children of God whom he overtook at the Red Sea. This incident was planned by God in order to teach us the lesson of complete surrender and dependence on God for our deliverance. Many, maybe all the Israelites let their faith fail them and accused Moses of making a mistake; but Moses never faltered, and believe God and the next AMAZING DELIVERANCE came when the sea parted allowing the children of God to cross safely, only to close in on the enemies and bring their total destruction.

The people involved, both the Israelites and Egyptians were amazed at the final results of this AMAZING DELIVERANCE. You may be amazed at the results of this story, but according to God’s Word, it did happen just as recorded in Exodus. There were two reasons. First, God rescued his people who were in slavery because he heard their prayers regarding their persecutions, and he has promised to always hear the sincere prayers of his people. Secondly, he acted on behalf of his people in this incident to give us an example of just how far he will go to protect us from harms way.

Is there any chance that the Christians of America will ever face circumstances that are similar or equal to those faced by Moses and the people he was chosen to lead? If so, there is only one way for us to realize an AMAZING DELIVERANCE, and that is for us to humble ourselves, seek the face of God, repent of our sins and pray for God to DELIVER US.

Our God is the same yesterday, today and forever and will never forsake us or leave us regardless of the circumstances we are in. It makes no difference whether it is just you, one individual, or this nation of several million, He will hear and answer all sincere prayers. We must remember that this entire and very incredible story started when God’s people were in trouble; but only when they prayed for deliverance. He heard their prayers. He will hear our prayers when they come from a contrite spirit and a broken heart.

In these days of troubled times we talk about the need for bipartisan agreement in Washington, and I suppose there would be some relief if this could be accomplished. However, my thinking is that we would realize a greater accomplishment if we could experience a bipartisan return to the teachings that are so prevalent in God’s word; some of which are so basic and emphatic. Thou shalt not lie. Thou shalt not steal. Treat your neighbor as yourself. Do not commit adultery. Take sin out of a life and you have a Christian—one like Christ. Take sin out of our government and you will have peace, prosperity, and happy people.

Our God is not interested in personal, selfish motives and has instructed us to do unto others as we would have them do to us. In the elections ahead, we should not be interested in the positions candidates hold, the degrees he has acquired, and the church he attends, the positions he has held, but only that he is an honest God fearing person. We need to search and find a modern day Moses or Aaron to lead our nation and then expect to reach the Promised Land that God has promised.

In all of God’s teachings you will not find any emphasis on whether or not a man is concretive or liberal, a Democrat, Republican, or Independent but the emphasis is always on whether he is a despot like Pharaoh or a leader like Moses.

It will never be too late to choose God’s plan for an AMAZING DELIVERANCE. Trust and obey, for there is no other way!