The Idea behind the First Fruits is that we would understand what the one new man is like.

Ephesians 2: 11-15 Don’t forget you Gentiles used to be outsiders…In those days you were living apart from christ…You lived in a world without god and without hope……He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when in his own body on the cross he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us…Creating one new man.

God never gives up on his desire to do something.  He will bring us back to the point of where he wants us to be until his purposes are fulfilled.

  1. I will be honored Exodus 14: 17
  1. All of Egypt is going to die in the Red Sea
  2. God states that he is going to be honored by what is happening by the death of all these people.
  3. Anyone else have a problem with this making it seem like God is bloodthirsty?
    1. I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked Ezekiel 18: 23
  4. God does not rejoice in the downfall of the wicked and take pleasure in it
    1. MAYBE WE ARE MISINTERPRETING THIS VERSE
  5. Read it again.  He is not taking honor from their deaths, but showing honor through Pharaoh.

2. A Funeral procession

  1. This is not the first time the chariots and archers of Egypt show up in the story of Egypt and Israel.
  2. There is a funeral in Genesis 50 where Jacob dies.
    1. Genesis 50: 6 – 9 Go and bury your father.
    2. Chariots go with him
    3. children and animals stay in Egypt.
    4. The people in the land of Canaan watch the whole procession 50: 11

3. The Request Genesis 47: 27 – 31

  1. Jacob is going to die and he ask his son to come and bury him in Canaan instead of Egypt.
  2. Joseph states he will do it and Jacob makes him swear Vs29
    1. Why swear? isn’t his word good enough?
  3. Then Jacob bows at the foot of his bead……
  4. He was testing to see if Joseph was loyal to him or to Pharaoh.

4. Two Dads.

  1. There were two men of influence in Joseph’s life
    1. Pharaoh
    2. Jacob
  2. Both had elevated Joseph to a place of authority
    1. Pharaoh over all of Egypt
    2. Jacob over his brothers
  3. Both had encounters with dreams
    1. Pharaoh needed an interpretation
    2. Joseph had dreams before and Jacob mocked him for his dreams. Genesis 37: 10
  4. When Jacob died he was honored as a father of the one who saved Egypt
    1. All Egypt mourned for Jacob for 70 days 50: 3
    2. They only mourned for Moses and Aaron for 30 days.
  5. This was going to be a grand funeral in which they even embalmed Jacob.
  6. Joseph had to swear because he knew it was going to be hard to ask Pharaoh to let this great man be buried in Canaan instead of Egypt.
  7. Look how Joseph goes to ask Pharaoh.
    1. He approached Pharaoh’s advisors to go to Pharaoh for him Genesis 50: 4
    2. Tell them my father made me swear an oath.
  8. Pharaoh realized that he was like a father to Joseph, but there was another closer father who had his heart.
    1. He reluctantly let Joseph keep his oath Vs 6
  9. Pharaoh was going to be a part of this ceremony and sent his officials with him to the land.
  10. Two groups, Gentiles and Jews honoring a Father.
  11. IF TIME THEY TRAVELED TO THE JORDAN RIVER VS 10
    1. THEY TRAVELED THE SAME PATH AS THE EXODUS
    2. THEN THEY TRAVELED TO THE BURIAL SIGHT OF ABRAHAM

5. Two Pharaoh’s

  1. Kind Pharaoh realized that his son had another father and he let him go but, he accompanied him in his exodus to be a part of it
  2. Another Pharaoh grew up and did not know how to kindly treat a son so he enslaved him and made him his servant.
  3. When another Father shows up demanding that he let them go to serve God, he refuses to let them go.

6. The Battle of the God’s

  1. Why ten plagues.  Why not just one big one to force Egypt to let them go.
  2. Each plague was against one of the gods of Egypt to show who was really god.
  3. Go back a little further.What sign will I show them to let them know that you are God? Exodus 4: 5
    1. Throw your staff down and it will turn into a snake
    2. Egyptian magicians threw theirs down too so what kind of sign was that?
    3. Maybe the sign wasn’t the staff turning into a snake, maybe it was the staff swallowing up the other staffs. Exodus 7:12 who is really god
  4. The plagues were to show who was really God.
  5. Moses did not ask to be let go from Egypt but only hold a three day festival Exodus 5: 1 – 3
    1. Maybe this was the first step in bringing Egypt into relationship with the Father God.
    2. They would see Israel honor God and they would be jealous for this God
    3. They would want him as their own.
  6. Pharaoh I don’t know him or want to serve him 5: 2

7. I will be honored

  1. God will be honored in their midst
  2. Pharaoh admits that God is God Exodus 9: 27 but he does not let them go yet
    1. He like the other Pharaoh now admits that his son, (Israel) has another Father.  He still does not let them go to honor that Father.
  3. When Israel goes, they take their children, their flocks and head to Canaan.  What is missing from the first story?  The honor guard from Egypt.
  4. Exodus 14:17 I will be honored among all the people.
  5. When Egypt comes against them a pillar of fire separates them. Exodus 14: 19,20
    1. Two camps where there was one in the time of Jacob.
    2. Gods desire was that there would be one camp Jew and Gentile coming out to worship God almighty.  Wall of separation between us
      1. Remember Ephesians and the wall of hostility?
    3. Egypt destroyed and Canaan looks on Exodus 15: 14-16
      1. Exact same story of Genesis 50
  6. Isaiah 56: 6,7 I will bring them to my holy mountain of Jerusalem and will fill them with joy in my house of prayer.  I will accept their burnt offerings and sacrifices because my Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations.
    1. Foreigners invited to be a part of this 56: 3

Why we will celebrate Passover.

  1. One God wants in joyful union
  2. One that can happen in rebellion.
  3. God destroyed the wall separating us from each other through the cross.