The story of the Exodus is one of the more popular stories of the Old Testament. Not only that, but it is also one of the most important redemptive events in the Old Testament. It is during this event that God sends Moses to save his people from slavery in Egypt.
It’s popularity as a story is most likely attributed to unforgettable plagues and the depth of character development we encounter throughout the story (especially Moses). Throughout the entirety of the book of Exodus (and the rest of the Pentateuch) Moses is incredibly human in the midst of his circumstances. We can identify with Moses’ frustrations, self-doubt, joy, anger, curiosity, failures, and passion. This is yet another wonderful example that demonstrates that the Bible is a book that is in touch with the reality of human life. Don’t you just love that? That while God is holy, set a part, that he is not out of touch with the grit of everyday human existence? He gets it. He gets us.
One of my favorite events in the story of Exodus is the Passover. The Passover is a crucial moment in the overall exodus narrative. There has always been a feature of the Passover narrative that has been striking to me, and that is the sense of urgency They don’t even have time to let the bread rise! Now is the time to leave Egypt!
For nearly ten generations the people of Israel have been in Egypt awaiting their return to the Promised Land. Surely the stories of God’s promise to Abraham, their patriarch, had been passed down through the generations. The people of Israel have been praying for God to fulfill his promise for 400 years! That’s a long time to wait an answer to prayer! For all those years Israel has been crying out, waiting for God to come and deliver them from their plight. Four-hundred years is a long time to wait.
And then, all the sudden, after all that waiting, God shows up through Moses and tells them that he is answering their prayer and it’s time to go! Have you ever caught the heightened sense of urgency in this part of the story? The timing of their leaving Egypt is so urgent and important that they don’t have time to let the bread rise! God’s deliverance has come and it’s here now! Not only that, they don’t have time to take off their clothes or even their shoes! “Keep your shoes on! Keep it all on! It’s time to go now!” It almost seems as if God’s redemptive plan for his people is planned down to the very minute! Even after all that waiting, now it is time to go.
God’s timing is precise, and it’s perfect. We can spend ages in prayer, wondering why God seems so far off. Then, all at once, he shows up and says, “NOW!”. This reminds me of Jesus on the cross. The four evangelists even note the time of day that Jesus died. This means that it is down to the very minute that God has mapped out his redemptive plan.
Will you be ready? Will you be ready when God shows up after years of prayer and says, “Now is the time! There’s no time to wait! Go now!”. Be ready, because his timing is precise, and perfect.
