This afternoon's sermon was taken from Exodus 12:21-42 and was aptly titled "The Exodus." Our minister has been preaching from the book of Exodus for the past several months, and I hope that the Israelites' departure from Egypyt will not be his departure from what has been an amazing, powerful sermon series that began with Moses' call to lead the people out, through the plagues, and now deliverance.
Early on in the series, it is said of Pharoah's magicians during the plague of boils that they cannot stand before Moses because of the boils on them, which raised the question, "Who can stand?" This question occurs in Revelation 6:17, when the terrifying sixth seal of judgment has been opened (much like the plagues of judgment on Egypt): "For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?"
The sermon this afternoon revealed yet another Exodus-Revelation connection, as the Israelites' deliverance from Egypt was but a shadow of the deliverance accomplished for us in Christ. The church is a sojourning people ("pilgrims of the dispersion," Peter calls us), and as Israel's sojourn in Egypt ended with the Passover judgment and the deliverance of the Exodus, so the church, after a time of trouble, will be delivered with a glorious exodus from the earth, described in Revelation 7:9ff.
In the January 2007 Outlook, Rev. Brian Vos addresses both the question of who can stand and the answer in his article "Looking Above," tying together the themes of Exodus and Revelation, much as my own faithful pastor did:
"Who is able to stand? Revelation 7 gives you the answer: only those who are saved by the Lamb, washed in His blood, clothed in His righteousness, shall stand. And they shall stand, only to fall down in worshiping Him, their Shepherd who shall spread His tabernacle over them for all eternity. And in the tabernacle of His glorious Presence, you will never weep again."
To such faithful preaching and awesome truths, what other response could there be than that of the worshipers earlier in Revelation 7: "Amen!"
