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The Christian's Exodus
The Gospel On Every Page
Are you in need of an Exodus? This question might sound strange, but it ends up being one of the most repeated and important messages of the Bible. Almost everyone, even the secularist, has at least a vague understanding of Israel’s exodus from Egypt. Most would probably characterize it as an isolated incident as this kind of thing doesn’t happen often. However, God uses this extraordinary triumph as a precursor to what He has planned further.
The Exodus story isn’t just about the generation liberated from Egypt; God is teaching eternal lessons for both His people and His enemies. He’s teaching grand themes about oppressive bondage that His people can be brought under, the deliverance they require, and the victory He will have over His enemies. This iconic story is more than just a display of God’s awesome power; it is a decree to all people, to every generation, that every soul is in dire need of an Exodus (cf. 1 Cor. 10:1-12).
Egypt’s merciless bondage represents something that God doesn’t want His people to forget. God wanted Israel to remember that they were once slaves, that God is the One who rescued them, and that this rest is contingent on a relationship with Him (Ex. 12:42; 13:3; Deut. 5:15; 15:15; 16:3; 24:18). This was so critical that even after several centuries God reminds those who returned from the exile of His promise He made “when you came out of Egypt” (Hag. 2:5-9). This passage in Haggai not only commemorates these things, but it is also a Messianic message which points forward to something God is teaching on a grand scale.
The people needed deliverance but not just from Egypt, nor Assyria, nor Babylon, nor even Rome; in the 1st century that’s the only deliverance Israel cared about, but Jesus would reveal a higher need — liberation from sin (John 8:31-34). The New Testament constantly highlights the connection between sin and slavery. Peter says, “by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved” (2 Pet. 2:19). Paul would give the same kind of reminder that God gave Israel: Don’t forget that God released you from the slavery of sin and death (Rom. 6:17-22)!
“All have sinned” and been shackled by sin’s cruel chains (Rom. 3:23). But Christ steps in to provide an Exodus like none other!
Israel’s Exodus, the primary commemoration of God’s people through all the Old Testament becomes a mere shadow in view of Christ’s Exodus. Think about it. Everything Christ does ultimately points to a greater fulfillment of the Exodus.
When he is on the mount of transfiguration and being changed two men appear around Him: Moses (i.e. the Law) and Elijah (i.e. the prophets). It says they were “speaking of His departure which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem” (Luke 9:28-31). Isn’t it interesting that the greek word for “departure” spelled out in english is (“exodos”) exodus (also see Heb. 11:22)? What was Jesus preparing to do but implement the greatest Exodus of all time.
Through Christ’s sacrifice He became our “Passover” that we couldn’t survive without (1 Cor. 5:7). Through His sacrifice He provides a foreshadowed and better baptism than the Red Sea (1 Cor. 10:1-2; cf. Ex. 14:22). God sent Moses to deliver His people from a wicked nation, but God sent His Son to deliver mankind from wickedness once for all. Truly awesome!
All that said, do we fully appreciate what we’ve received as Christians. Sometimes Christians can be underwhelmed by the lack of the kind of grand spectacles we see in the Old Testament (i.e. God parting the Red Sea). Many look at their own baptism viewing it as nothing more than a dull command to comply with. Might they be missing exactly what’s happening here?
We may not be able to gaze in awe at the sea parting before us, but it is just as true today that when we are baptized God is providing the Exodus we needed to reach salvation — for we are being washed not in the Red Sea but in Christ’s blood (Rom. 6:3). We may not be able to witness the enemy chasing us in bloodlust being swallowed up by the waves, but it is just as true today that our enemy, the “old self” (Rom. 6:6), is being swallowed up in the waters of baptism. We may not be able to remember the Exodus every single Passover, but now we remember something more impressive (Rom. 6:20-23); the message switches from “remember the Exodus” to “Remember Me” (Luke 22:19)!
Let us never think for one moment that the blessings we have in Christ are in any way lesser! If Moses and Israel had a joyful song of victory to sing (Ex. 15), we much more so!
