Let My People Go



LET MY PEOPLE GO


Exodus 5:1 – “And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.”

Exodus 5:3 – “And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.”

Exodus 6:11 – “Go in, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land.”

Exodus 7:16 – “And thou shalt say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath sent me unto thee, saying, Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness: and, behold, hitherto thou wouldest not hear.”

Exodus 8:1 – “And the LORD spake unto Moses, Go unto Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Let my people go, that they may serve me.”

Exodus 8:20 – “And the LORD said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh; lo, he cometh forth to the water; and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Let my people go, that they may serve me.”

Exodus 9:1 – “Then the LORD said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh, and tell him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me.”

Exodus 9:13 – “And the LORD said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me.”

Exodus 10:3 – “And Moses and Aaron came in unto Pharaoh, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me? let my people go, that they may serve me.”

Exodus 10:8,9
8 And Moses and Aaron were brought again unto Pharaoh: and he said unto them, Go, serve the LORD your God: but who are they that shall go?” {who...: Heb. who and who, etc}
9 And Moses said, We will go with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will we go; for we must hold a feast unto the LORD.”


Exodus 10:24 - 26
24 And Pharaoh called unto Moses, and said, Go ye, serve the LORD; only let your flocks and your herds be stayed: let your little ones also go with you.
25 And Moses said, Thou must give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice unto the LORD our God. {us: Heb. into our hands}
26 Our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not an hoof be left behind; for thereof must we take to serve the LORD our God; and we know not with what we must serve the LORD, until we come thither.

Exodus 12:12 - 14
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: I am the LORD. {gods: or, princes}
13 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. {to destroy...: Heb. for a destruction}
14 And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.


Worship and Blessings


1.   God’s ultimate aim was to take the Israelites to the Land of Canaan (the Land of Promises for New Testament believers)
2.   He entrusted Moses with this mission

Exodus 3:7,8
7 And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;
8 And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.


3.   God Himself declared there itself that, during this journey to Canaan, they should also worship Him.

Exodus 3:12 – “And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.”

4.   Worship, Feast and Possessing the Promised Land are used here closely connected, more or less same.
5.   This is an interesting point to think on.


What is true worship?


1.                  TRUE Worship is worshiping God in Truth and Spirit.

John 4:24 – “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in
truth.”

2.   The worship must be of a spiritual nature - must spring from the heart, through the influence of the Holy Ghost.
3.   It must be in TRUTH, not only in sincerity, but performed according to that Divine revelation which he has given men of himself.
4.   A man worships God in spirit, when, under the influence of the Holy Ghost, he brings all his affections, appetites, and desires to the throne of God.
5.   He worships him in truth, when every purpose and passion of his heart, and when every act of his religious worship, is guided and regulated by the word of God.


Who Are Qualified To Worship God


I.                    Passover Feast – Christ’s death


1.      Passover feast is a symbol of Christ’s death as the Lamb of God who bears away all our sins.

John 1:29 – “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” {taketh away: or, beareth}


Exodus 12: 1 - 14
1      And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying,
2      This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.
3      Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: {lamb: or, kid}
4      And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.
5      Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: {of...: Heb. son of a year}
6      And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. {in...: Heb. between the two evenings}
7      And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.
8      And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.
9      Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.
10    And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire.
11    And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD'S passover.
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: I am the LORD. {gods: or, princes}
13    And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. {to destroy...: Heb. for a destruction}
14    And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.


1 Peter 1:18,19
18     Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
19     But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

 
1 Corinthians 5:7 –“Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: {is sacrificed; or, is slain}


2.      Those who are born again by believing atonement  death of Christ are privileged to worship the Lord

 
II.                 Crossing Read Sea – Joining with Christ through baptism

1.      Crossing the Red Sea is symbolic of Water Baptism
2.      Israelites who crossed Red sea joined with Moses as one nation
3.      The New Testament believers join Christ through water baptism.

1 Corinthians 10:1, 2
1   Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
2   And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea.

1Peter 3:21 - “The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ”

Romans 6:4 - “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Colossians 2:12 - “Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.


III.              Worship

– as soon as they cross Read sea
– Brings down Shekinah

Exodus 14 – ends with the following statement

Exodus 14 : 29 - 31
29   But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.
30   Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore.
31   And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses.

Exodus 15 – Starts with Worship

Exodus 15:1 – “Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.”
 
Worship in the Desert

Worship in the desert has certain special features – mainly 6


I.    Separation from Egypt

1.   No Worship in Egypt
2.   Worshiping Jehovah is different from the idol worship of Egyptians
3.   Israelites should not take any religious ceremony from Egypt
4.   So God wanted them to be separate from Egypt
5.   Worship started only after Israelites crossed the sea – only in the desert


Exodus 8
25  And Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron, and said, Go ye, sacrifice to your God in the land.
26  And Moses said, It is not meet so to do; for we shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to the LORD our God: lo, shall we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, and will they not stone us?
27  We will go three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to the LORD our God, as he shall command us.


1John 2:15,16
15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.


1John 2:16        - For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.


Galatians 5: 17 -           “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.


1John 5:7,8
7    For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
8    And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.
 
Exodus 23: 23,24
23 For mine Angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them off.
24  Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images.”


Exodus 23:33 - “They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me: for if thou serve their gods, it will surely be a snare unto thee.”


Isaiah 52:11 – “Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the LORD.”


II.      Alone with God

1.   Worship is a personal communion with God.
2.   Worship is spending quality time with God
3.   Worship can be:

i.                Public worship
ii.              Personal worship

4.    Maintain a personal praise and worship time with God
5.   Even among a large crowd, you can worship God, forgetting all about your immediate circumstances
6.   Mount Sinai is the place of Personal meeting with God
7.   Holy spirit can take you to Mount Sinai – the meeting place of God


Exodus 25: 21, 22
21 And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.
22 "And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel.

Exodus 29: 42, 43
42 This shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD: where I will meet you, to speak there unto thee.
43 And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory. {the tabernacle: or, Israel}


III.   In Faith

1.   Worship must be offered in faith
2.   One has to believe that the worship he offers pleases God
3.   Also we have to believe that God is in our midst while we worship Him
4.   For none can please God by anything without Faith.

Hebrew 11:6 - “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

Matthew 18:20 – “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”


5.   An integral part of Old Testament sacrifice is also faith – they have to believe that the sacrificial goat atones for their sin and that the scapegoat bears away all their sins to the desert
6.   Confessing over the goat all the iniquities of the children of Israel is an act of faith.
Leviticus 16: 7 – 10
7    And he (Aaron) shall take the two goats, and present them before the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
8    And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat. {scapegoat: Heb. Azazel}
9    And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the LORD'S lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering. {fell: Heb. went up}
10 But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.

Leviticus 16: 21, 22
21 And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness: {a fit...: Heb. a man of opportunity}
22 And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness. {not...: Heb. of separation}

IV.   Shouts of Victory

1.   Worship is always a celebration of Joy

Psalms 118:15, 16
15  The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous; The right hand of the LORD does valiantly.
16 The right hand of the LORD is exalted: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly. (KJV)

15 Hark, glad songs of victory in the tents of the righteous: "The right hand of the LORD does valiantly, (RSV)
16 the right hand of the LORD is exalted, the right hand of the LORD does valiantly!" (RSV)


2.   The worship of Israelites just after they crossed the Red Sea was a shout of victory and Joy

Exodus 15:1, 21
1   Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.
21 And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.

2Corinthians 2:14 - Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.

Colossians 2:13-15
13   And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
14   Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
15   And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. {in it: or, in

V.      According to God’s Plan

1.   We worship God Almighty – So He has every right to decide what kind of worship must be offered to Him.
2.   Worshiping God is not as we like, but as He directs.
3.   When Israelites built the Tent of Tabernacle, they built if according to His Plan.


Exodus 25:9 - According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.


4.   Jesus tells the Samaritan Woman that worship is not according to her tradition, but in truth and spirit.


John 4:19 - 24
19   The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.
20   Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
21   Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
22   Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
23   But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
24   God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.


5.   Worship is a prophetic act
6.   Worship Leading is a prophetic ministry


VI.   Brings Down Shekinah – Brings down Blessings

1.   Worship brings downs God’s Heavy Presence
2.   His Presence is His Glory – Shekinah
3.   His Glory is Blessing – Spiritual, Physical and Material
4.   We see at many occasions, the priests blessing the congregation after the sacrifice and after the Glory of God descends


Matthew 18:20 – “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

Matthew 28:19, 20
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: {teach...: or, make disciples, or, Christians of all nations}
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Leviticus 9: 21 - 23
21 And the breasts and the right shoulder Aaron waved for a wave offering before the LORD; as Moses commanded.
22 And Aaron lifted up his hand toward the people, and blessed them, and came down from offering of the sin offering, and the burnt offering, and peace offerings.
23 And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out, and blessed the people: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the people.

Numbers 6: 22 – 27
22 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
23 Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them,
24 The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:
25 The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
26 The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
27 And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them.

Deuteronomy 21:5 - And the priests the sons of Levi shall come near (near the heifer that is killed by the elders of the city); for them the LORD thy God hath chosen to minister unto him, and to bless in the name of the LORD; and by their word shall every controversy and every stroke be tried: {word: Heb. mouth}


5.   When God had finished this earth, which he designed for man's habitation, he made man, and put him in possession of it.
6.   When Moses had finished the tabernacle, which was designed for God's dwelling-place among men, God came and took possession of it.
7.   By these visible tokens of his coming among them, he testified both the return of his favour, which they had forfeited by the golden calf, and his gracious acceptance of their care and pains about the tabernacle.
8.   Thus God shewed himself well-pleased with what they had done, and abundantly rewarded them.


Exodus 40:33, 34
33 And he reared up the court round about the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the hanging of the court gate. So Moses finished the work.
34 Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.


9.   As soon as the Tabernacle was finished and the priests placed the Ark of Covenant in the Holy Place, God’s Glory came down and filled the temple.

1Kings 8:10,11, 14
10 And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD,
11 So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD.
14 And the king turned his face about, and blessed all the congregation of Israel: (and all the congregation of Israel stood;)


10.    Clouds of God’s Glory came down as a sign of God’s blessings on Christ.

Matthew 17: 1 - 5
1   And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,
2   And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.
3   And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.
4   Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.
5   While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.


Professor Jacob Abraham


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