“You caused judgment to be heard from heaven; The earth feared and was still” (Psalms 76:8).
This world is rocking with tribulation right now. Many say that they are still waiting for the great tribulation. Maybe they are correct. But try to tell that to a person in Haiti who is standing on top of a rooftop amid a flood that has washed away his family and belongings. Tell that to the mother there who sees her dead children floating around her ankles, and whose daughter’s limbs are being amputated due to a total breakdown in hygiene. Tell that to the pastor in jail in Africa who sees one in his congregation brought to his jail cell, each day, and beaten to death in front of him until he denies Jesus. Tell that to the single mom in America who is trying to make ends meet because of a backslidden and deserting husband. That is their great tribulation.
It seems to be continually getting worse. Peeking into the Books of Exodus and Revelation can give us some hints on why. Both Books show that judgments are coming upon the god of this world. They are parallel. In Exodus there are ten judgments, in Revelation seven. Ten is the number for the government of man, and seven is the number for God’s perfection. In both cases, the judgments are to give God’s people their freedom and inheritance and to take vengeance on the gods of the world. This is God’s way. Isaiah 61, Jesus’ mission statement, makes it clear that the Year of Jubilee, wherein the slaves were set free, goes along with the Day of Vengeance. Also, see this parallel in Leviticus 25 and 26. The same judgment that puts vengeance on your spiritual enemies brings God purpose to your life.
The Blood Covenant works like this.
God brings His purposes to us and to His enemies through judgments. Judgments manifest themselves as storms in our lives. Read Matthew chapter 24 to confirm this. Judgments (storms) bring, and are intended to bring deliverance to the oppressed, to those who are covered by the blood. However to those who are not covered by the blood, including the gods of the world and those who trust in them, the vengeance of the covenant comes upon them. This is the pattern of what happened in Egypt during the Exodus, and it is the pattern for us in our lives today.
Plagues, trouble, and tribulation always seem like they are going to kill us. Backslidden spouses, sickness, divorce, financial problems, war, terrorism and the like all seem like they are going to overwhelm us. However, if we know the truth, we can receive God’s blessings in the storms.
What is the truth? Judgments are God’s way to bring us our inheritance and to defeat our enemies. If we know this, then we can have the presence of mind to apply the Passover blood as the Hebrews did, and overcome to become free people.
Notice that the Hebrews were protected from the plagues that hit Egypt. They were in Goshen, a suburb, and the plagues did not affect them there. Most likely they felt the terror of them, but they were protected. In Hebrew, Goshen means to build up by obtaining children. That surely happened there. The Hebrews multiplied from seventy to several million.
I am sure that the Israelites had fear and trembling during the judgments on Egypt. We certainly see our tribulations as something to fear, but we need to see them as God at work giving us our inheritance, and giving Satan his inheritance as well.
The Hebrews had their other gods; therefore they were also subject to God’s judgment. The blood saved them. Pure grace! He remembered His covenant. The blood on the doorposts was a sign that said, “The judgment has already taken place here.”
God’s entire wrath was put on Jesus in accordance with His blood covenant with Abraham. This is the Passover message! You and I deserved the entire judgment of God! Instead, Jesus stepped into the blood covenant ditch with Abram and promised to take his and his descendant's sin nature so that the judgment would come upon Him instead of you and me. All of the effects of your rejection, abuse, shame and poor self-esteem issues have been borne by Jesus.
The storms, plagues and tribulations of life cannot hurt us. We used to be people subject to God’s wrath and Satan's attacks. However, now we are New Creations in Christ, a new race of people. The blood covenant has changed us.
The Book of Revelation is parallel to Exodus in many ways. Consider the Lamb.
Revelation 5:6 says,
6 “And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain.”
Believers are sealed and protected.
Revelation 7:3 says,
3 “Saying, ‘Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.’”
The “world system” is destroyed.
Revelation 16:17-20 says,
17 “Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, ‘It is done!’
18 And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth.
19 Now the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath.
20 Then every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.”
Believers become part of Jesus’ army.
Revelation 19:11-14 says,
11 “Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.
12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself.
13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.
14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.”
Ministry takes place after the overcoming.
Revelation 22:1-5 says,
1 “And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.
2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
3 And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him.
4 They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads.
5 There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.”
Apply the blood!
Keep your relationship skills sharp with God as we have described in previous chapters and in Appendix A. Know who you are in Christ. Live out your life in accordance with this knowledge. Use the Word of God against Satan, and keep the Passover with “unadulterated purity and honesty.”
As you read these Scriptures in Exodus 11-15 put yourself in the shoes of one who had a slavery mindset for many years. See the blood of the Lamb delivering you from your bondage to the world. See Jesus as the Lamb. See Satan’s position in this drama as Pharaoh. Also, put yourself into the shoes of the Israelites after their deliverance from Egypt, a type of your being delivered and experiencing the new birth.
See God’s power and persistent mission to free you. See the Hebrew's obedience to carry out the Passover ritual, the blood covenant. Then see Pharaoh’s impotence in trying to stop their deliverance. Also notice the opportunities the Hebrews had for fear, doubt and giving up!
Then ponder the fate of all of the Israelites in the Wilderness. Except for Joshua and Caleb, they all died in the Wilderness without inheriting the Promise Land.
Perhaps Satan learned a lesson from the Exodus. Perhaps he learned that he needs to deceive believers to think that storms and tribulation in their lives are for their destruction and that God is somehow either mad at them or that He does not care.
The attributes of Joshua and Caleb that we may use as a model and lesson for inheriting our promises are that they are the only ones who stayed in constant fellowship with God. That caused them to hear Him, which caused faith, which led to humility and obedience, which always leads to a greater vision of His Face and more revelation in His Word, which compounds this cycle over and over. (References: Exodus 33:11, Numbers 13:30, 14:24, 14:30, 14:38, 32:12)
One more plague, the Passover.
Exodus 11:1-10 (Amplified Bible) says,
1 “THEN THE Lord said to Moses, Yet will I bring one plague more on Pharaoh and on Egypt; afterwards he will let you go. When he lets you go from here, he will thrust you out altogether.
2 Speak now in the hearing of the people, and let every man solicit and ask of his neighbor, and every woman of her neighbor, jewels of silver and jewels of gold.
3 And the Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover, the man Moses was exceedingly great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants and of the people.
4 And Moses said, Thus says the Lord, About midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt;
5 And all the firstborn in the land [the pride, hope, and joy] of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the maidservant who is behind the hand mill, and all the firstborn of beasts.
6 There shall be a great cry in all the land of Egypt, such as has never been nor ever shall be again.
7 But against any of the Israelites shall not so much as a dog move his tongue against man or beast, that you may know that the Lord makes a distinction between the Egyptians and Israel.
8 And all these your servants shall come down to me and bow down to me, saying, Get out, and all the people who follow you! And after that I will go out. And he went out from Pharaoh in great anger.
9 Then the Lord said to Moses, Pharaoh will not listen to you, that My wonders and miracles may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.
10 Moses and Aaron did all these wonders and miracles before Pharaoh; and the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s stubborn heart, and he did not let the Israelites go out of his land.”
God told Moses to instruct every Hebrew family to take a lamb, without blemish, and slay it. Then they were instructed to take the blood of the lamb and put it on their doors, over the two side posts and on the lintel above. They were to dip the hyssop plant into the blood and use this for spreading on the door. They were to then roast and eat the lamb, with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.
Exodus 12:12-13 (Amplified Bible) says,
12 “For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment [proving their helplessness]. I am the Lord.
13 The blood shall be for a token or sign to you upon [the doorposts of] the houses where you are, [that] when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall be upon you to destroy you when I smite the land of Egypt.”
It is interesting to note that we have a New Testament parallel to this idea of obeying the command of no leaven.
1 Corinthians 5:8 (Amplified Bible) says,
8 “Therefore, let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with leaven of vice and malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened [bread] of purity (nobility, honor) and sincerity and [unadulterated] truth.”
Exodus 12:20-22 (Amplified Bible) says,
20 “You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwellings you shall eat unleavened bread [during that week].
21 Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said to them, Go forth, select and take a lamb according to your families and kill the Passover [lamb].
22 And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood in the basin, and touch the lintel above the door and the two side posts with the blood; and none of you shall go out of his house until morning.”
I believe that we “take the blood out of the basin and apply it with hyssop” when we speak the Word that God has given to us in our own particular situation.
Exodus 12:23 (Amplified Bible) says,
23 “For the Lord will pass through to slay the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood upon the lintel and the two side posts, the Lord will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to slay you.”
Exodus 12:30-38 (Amplified Bible) says,
30 “Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one dead.
31 He called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, get out from among my people, both you and the Israelites; and go, serve the Lord, as you said.
32 Also take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone! And [ask your God to] bless me also.
33 The Egyptians were urgent with the people to depart, that they might send them out of the land in haste; for they said, We are all dead men.
34 The people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneading bowls being bound up in their clothes on their shoulders.
35 The Israelites did according to the word of Moses; and they [urgently] asked of the Egyptians jewels of silver and of gold, and clothing.
36 The Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they gave them what they asked. And they stripped the Egyptians [of those things].
37 The Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about 600,000 men on foot, besides women and children.
38 And a mixed multitude went also with them, and very much livestock, both flocks and herds.”
I believe that the mixed multitude represented those Egyptians who had believed in the God of Israel. The Lord required that this mixed multitude however, be circumcised.
The Israelites began their march out of Egypt.
Exodus 14 reports that God told Moses to make the exodus and to take the people and camp at a place called Pi-hahiroth which was opposite the Red Sea. This was really a detour from their original route and was certainly not the shortest route out of Egypt. But God knew that Pharaoh would change his mind again and pursue them, and He knew this unusual route would be for Pharaoh’s defeat.
Pharaoh did pursue with vengeance, with 600 chosen chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt. The Israelites saw them and were exceedingly frightened. They complained to Moses saying, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you treated us this way and brought us out of Egypt?” (Exodus 14:9).
In Exodus 14:13, Moses told the people, “Fear not; stand still (firm, confident, undismayed) and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will work for you today. For the Egyptians you have seen today you shall never see again.”
The Angel of God went before the host of Israel, and behind them, with a pillar of cloud behind and before them. This cloud gave darkness to the Egyptians but light to the Israelites.
Moses, a second time, stretched out his hand and rod over the sea, and the sea went back and drowned all of Pharaoh’s army, as they became bogged down in the mud. Now that is a miracle, dry land for the Israelites, but mud for the Egyptians!
Delivered and praising God.
When the Israelites reached the other side and saw their enemies destroyed, they began to sing, what we call “The Song of Moses.”
Exodus 15:1-21 (Amplified Bible) says,
1 “THEN MOSES and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord, saying, I will sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider or its chariot has He thrown into the sea.
2 The Lord is my Strength and my Song, and He has become my Salvation; this is my God, and I will praise Him, my father's God, and I will exalt Him.
3 The Lord is a Man of War; the Lord is His name.
4 Pharaoh's chariots and his host has He cast into the sea; his chosen captains also are sunk in the Red Sea.
5 The floods cover them; they sank in the depths [clad in mail] like a stone.
6 Your right hand, O Lord, is glorious in power; Your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy.
7 In the greatness of Your majesty You overthrow those rising against You. You send forth Your fury; it consumes them like stubble.
8 With the blast of Your nostrils the waters piled up, the floods stood fixed in a heap, the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea.
9 The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my desire shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.
10 You [Lord] blew with Your wind, the sea covered them; [clad in mail] they sank as lead in the mighty waters.
11 Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, awesome in splendor, doing wonders?
12 You stretched out Your right hand, the earth's [sea] swallowed them.
13 You in Your mercy and loving-kindness have led forth the people whom You have redeemed; You have guided them in Your strength to Your holy habitation.
14 The peoples have heard of it; they tremble; pangs have taken hold on the inhabitants of Philistia.
15 Now the chiefs of Edom are dismayed; the mighty men of Moab [renowned for strength], trembling takes hold of them; all the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away--little by little.
16 Terror and dread fall upon them; because of the greatness of Your arm they are as still as a stone--till Your people pass by and over [into Canaan], O Lord, till the people pass by whom You have purchased.
17 You will bring them in [to the land] and plant them on Your own mountain, the place, O Lord, You have made for Your dwelling, the sanctuary, O Lord, which Your hands have established.
18 The Lord will reign forever and ever.
19 For the horses of Pharaoh went with his chariots and horsemen into the sea, and the Lord brought back the waters of the sea upon them, but the Israelites walked on dry ground in the midst of the sea.
20 Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women went out after her with timbrels and dancing.
21 And Miriam responded to them, Sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously and is highly exalted; the horse and his rider He has thrown into the sea.”
See the storms in your life as your gift of deliverance from God, not as your enemy who has come to destroy you.
See your storms as your friends! See judgment in your storms. Judgments are for your benefit, giving you God’s inheritance. Judgments are for Satan’s defeat, giving those demonic beings in your realm of influence the defeat of the Passover.
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