Jevon Martin: I was thinking I should find a timer or something to set on the floor so we can have some rough idea. You know, just in front of us. I don't know. I mean I guess you don't really want it beeping though, right? No, it won't beep, it's silent. Okay. Hey, good afternoon, Waterway. I forget what date it is. Today's the tenth. I guess we could have just rolled with that. That's all right. Hey, good afternoon, Waterway. Today is Wednesday, June 10th. My name is Jesse. This is Javon. Hello. We're coming to you again from the prayer room, also known as the Waterway Studio, and we're continuing our march through the Old Testament as we look at all the types and shadows of Jesus Christ. What are the things that are pushing forward and foreshadowing the Messiah who was to come? We're in an interesting spot because here in 2026, we can look back about 2,000 years and see that Jesus did indeed. arrive here on the earth. He was born at the holiday that we celebrate as Christmas. he was born, he lived, he died on the cross, rose from the grave, ascended into heaven. So all of that is history for us. But as we're going through the Old Testament, we see how people were anticipating and looking forward to that. And ⁓ and there are a lot of people in the Old Testament who indicate that the Messiah is about to come, but also events, things that happened that kind of gave a picture of hey Salvation, the Messiah will be something like this. And so today we're talking about one of them. What are we talking about today, Javon? Yeah, today, today we're gonna take a dive and look into Exodus, the Exodus account, and not the book of Exodus, although the book of Exodus contains the Exodus account, but ⁓ we're looking at the specific event ⁓ event, excuse me, of the Exodus of the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and what God what God did through that. So I think to start us off though, Jesse, I I got a question for us to contemplate. Okay. As you think about the Bible, how does God often reveal Himself or speak about Himself in the Old Testament? Can you think of some of the ways he would have referred to Himself? I think that's actually fascinating. Some of you have done word studies and and know a lot about this. ⁓ there are a lot of ways that God reveals himself. There are a lot of ways that people refer to the Lord. If you want to go online, you can look up all the names for God and you see ⁓ Jehovah Nisi and Jehovah Jira and Jehovah Rafa, there's all these different ones, the God who delivers, the God who saves, the God our banner. Right. ⁓ and so over and over and over we see depending on who God's speaking to, and depending on what he's trying to convey, I am the Lord your God. Right. And then sometimes there's like almost a subtitle, like the one who. Right. And I think today, you know, you're going to introduce what? The Lord your God, the one who. brought you out of Egypt. Brought you out of Egypt. Right, right. Yeah. So yeah, like you said, all these different all these different ways God reveals himself depending on who he's talking to. And particularly this case, ⁓ we see him often referring to himself. ⁓ not always, as as you point out, but often referring to himself as the God who brought them out of Egypt. And this isn't just something that ⁓ we see in God and how he talks about himself in name. It's also something we see about how God just Wants the Israelites to remember this Exodus event of them coming out of Egypt. In fact, ⁓ we see references to the Exodus account when we hear about just Israel's identity as a people. So, like they are the ones who were slaves in Egypt and came out. And you see that you see that in two ways. You see it from people who from the Israelites themselves talking or prophets or whatever else. You also see people outside in the case of like Balak and Balaam referring to ⁓ those are the Israelites, the ones who's g who came out of Egypt. And this the people who came out of Egypt is just a strong piece of their identity as a people, who they are. Well, we're the Israelites who God brought out of Egypt. So so quick quite funny trail question for you here. So we have the story of the Exodus. God spoke to Moses, Moses rose Moses wrote it down. We have it now. We know what it means when God says the people, or the Bible says, the people who came out of Egypt. We have a concept of that. The Israelites had a concept of that. There were a lot of people in Egypt who were not the Israelites. There were a lot of people who did not exit out of Egypt, but they experienced the plagues and they would have recognized that, hey, all these slaves have left. I wonder what the word was around the world. How much I mean Egypt I I can't imagine that Pharaoh was saying, Well, their God was stronger than me and so I had to let ⁓ go. Right. I mean, and and really there are no other gods. I mean, there is only the Lord God. People set things up to be God. Right. I wonder what was the PR like in those days? Balak and Balaam, when they saw this and and they all those are the people that came out of Egypt. It would be interesting to know what the other nations thought about what really happened. What really went on down there. Why are these Why are these hundreds of thousands of people marching through our territory now? ⁓ that's not really where we're going today. But I'm curious about that because this identity piece comes up over and over and over. It's important for the Israelites to know who they are. What did other people think? It seems like the truth and the perceptions often got mixed up in in-house and outside. Sorry, I'm smiling because I'm just thinking it would it be would it be fair to say it'd be like if all the Mennonites Left Lancaster PA and Exodus somewhere else. Like how many people would be like, What happened? What in the world? Where did and and I'm sure that all these guys leaving their farms, what are they doing? And leaving all all the all the folks who left would have had one version of the story. Why we did this, why we left, where we're going, what God said. But don't you think that the people who are here now would have had a whole different story, perhaps, about You know, just the PR not wanting to make themselves look bad, you know. Well, they had to leave us because we're heathens and terribly wrong. Yeah. So what would people say? Yeah, that's interesting. That's interesting to think about. But getting back getting back to what we do here. Interesting things to think about. Thanks for checking out our podcast. All right. So Javon, you actually prepared some things to talk about. Getting back on track here. Getting back, we've got the God who brought them out of Egypt. And then it's And these people are the ones who came out of Egypt. Right. And it's key that's key to their identity. Not only that, it's key to their law. We see, like example, Exodus 22, there's there's a command given to them about how they're supposed to treat foreigners and strangers because they were once foreigners and strangers in a land and God brought them out. He says, You know what it's like to be those folks. Right. Now treat them treat them as you would like to be treated. Right, right. ⁓ Exodus twelve seventeen, we see some festivals and celebrations that God sets up that He relates to bringing them up out of Egypt. The f specifically Passover, right? There Passover remembers all that, and we'll dive into that a little more today. Booths ⁓ just celebrates God's deliverance. Isn't that the one that's also called Tabernacles? I believe so. I actually I'm not you'd have to fact check me on that, but I believe you're All right. Hebrew scholars, please ⁓ write in and send us a comment and make sure that we're on the right track here. Yeah. ⁓ Israel's worship as well, ⁓ in Psalms and whatever just talks about Exodus. ⁓ Israel's prophets talk about Exodus, reminding the people of what God did. So all this just to paint this picture. This Exodus event, this is not just, you know, it's a big event that happened, but it wasn't just something that happened in their past that was kind of moved on from. This this is essential to their identity, essential to who they are as a people. And why d do you think it was so important that God just baked it into their identity? ⁓ It seems to me, it seems to me that God did that so that they would remember him. I mean the ex the Exodus was nothing that they could engineer on their own. Right. Right. It was very clear that the Exodus happened because God moved. It wasn't, you know, that finally the Israelites rose up and overthrew their oppressors. It was a pure God thing. I I think about how many people in our day, you know, they find their identity in things of the past that they did. Right. How many people do you know who are still living in high school and you know, the big game that they want and came through or or somebody who, you know And maybe you have a trophy to remember that. Right or or they, you know, they've gotta have their degrees on the wall. Right. Because because they want people to know what they're Dr. Jesse Johnson. Right, you know, something super important. But I mean, I wonder how many people are living in the past and we look at it as kind of phony or sad because they're pointing back to things that they did. It's like, All right, dude, like let's Let's get real here. But yet God is saying, no, your identity really this foundational thing is in me. Right. Which makes it a legitimate thing to remember, a legitimate thing to hang your hat. Exactly right. Is that where you're driving? Exactly right. I think I think you're spot on. This is so it's so important that they remember that God delivered them. They are the people that God delivered. Remembering that deliverance, ⁓ it was so important. So so looking at this then, th this begs the question, so This Exodus account is so important to Israel's identity. What's important to our identity as Christians? And I I'm gonna read a passage here real quick, ⁓ Romans 6, starting at verse 17. We we read, But thanks be to God that though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that is ⁓ now claimed your allegiance. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. So We were in bondage and slavery to sin. And God set us free from that bondage to sin. And now we serve we serve God and His righteousness. And I think so, in a similar sense, the Exodus account is a direct ⁓ picture of salvation, being delivered from slavery to sin and brought into ⁓ what God has for us. Really. ⁓ and that's what the Israelites were being brought into, right? They were being brought out. of Egypt into the land of Canaan, the land of promise. We are being brought out of our sin and brought into what God has for us. So Israel slaves in Egypt, we were slaves to sin. Israel unable to save themselves from that slavery. We are unable to save ourselves from sin. They were in need of someone to come save them. We're in need of a savior. And so this this Exodus account is is not just a picture of some Exodus. It's it's a really in a way a picture of the gospel for us right ⁓ in the Old Testament. Right, because that reality, as you said, is that everyone, if they're not set free in Christ, everyone is a slave to something. And there's lots of different slave masters. You know, some people are slaves to their situation. There are things happening around them they just can't get free of. And without Christ, you know, they're just not strong enough to get through. So they're slaves to their situation. Some people are slaves to their sin. Right. You know, they have not been able to be f forgiven. They are carrying the weight of that and the consequences of that. With no hope because they haven't turned to Jesus. or some people are just slaves to themselves. You know, they have they have their own habits, their own vices, their addictions, all the stuff they can't get free from. And and it always fascinates me how there are some folks that seem like they really have life together. You know, some folks without Jesus Christ who look like, wow, they're doing well, their their family seems to be healthy, their job seems to be going well, they're making a pile of money. Things look good, but yet They'll tell you they're not settled, right? But there's still that slavery ⁓ to situation, to sin or to self. And ⁓ and so it seems like ⁓ this message of slavery and then salvation, slavery and then freedom, ⁓ this is just as real whether you picture yourself as a slave or not. Right, right. Yeah. Yes. And and so pointing to going kind of backing up from this excess a little bit. The other direct picture that we have of the gospel and salvation ⁓ and being set free is is how did God do it? He had these plagues come upon upon Egypt, declaring his sovereignty over all of the the gods of Egypt. And in the end, there's this Passover where he has them sacrifice this lamb. And the Bible is clear that that Lamb that was sacrificed, Jesus Christ is a direct picture of that lamb. The Lamb of God that was sacrificed for us. First Corinthians 5, 7, John 1.29, they all talk about this lamb of God who is slain for us. And furthermore, you know, the Passover lamb was supposed to be without blemish, no no bones broken. ⁓ it died, it died for us or for the Israelites in that sense. Yep. ⁓ you know, it's blood protected from judgment. Christ does the same thing. Christ was sinless, he was pure, he was perfect. He had no bones were broken for him. which I think is fascinating. Even with being hung on the cross and the spear in his side, I mean he endured a terrible amount of things, but still they say despite all of that, none of his bones were broken. Right. So that's a pretty particular health situation there. But fascinating to see how that works out. A particular detail that like was intentionally called out because of these connections. And and you know, we've talked about it already. I mean You got we we when we read our Bible, it's important we slow down and think because there I need to think when I read my Bible. Sorry. I mean I can I can easily get when I get an when I have like a okay, I'm gonna read my Bible in a year, I can easily just start checking this off. And I might be gleaning things from it. I've got two more pages today. Let me just knock these out kind of a thing right. But that Bible study is when you kind of dive into it and like why did the aut like when the author says something, he says it for a reason. And scripture is just full of these I've heard it referred to as hyperlinks. Like a web webpage where you click it and takes you to another page. Like spending the time to find these connections is just so valuable. And that's one of the things that's fun for me. I I mean, honestly, folks, I've been studying the Bible for a long time. You know, I started started studying in college thirty years ago. It was a long time and I've been working at the Bible for a long time. But even in this series here, the last couple of weeks with the types and shadows. Going back and looking for some of those connections, seeing how others have seen that not every connection that other people pull out is valid. Right. You know, but just seeing that I'm still learning a lot of stuff that fascinates me in the connections between these characters, these events, how they worked in the Old Testament, how they pushed forward, pointing and indicating Jesus. Right. I mean, there is lifetime and lifetime and lifetime worth of stuff to learn. And yet sometimes we're just burning through it. Because I need to get these pages done. Right. That's a good reminder to our Yeah, yeah, let's be studyers of the word. I like that. ⁓ take your time. So so one other connection, right? So we've got this Passover lamb, but then so now they come out of of Egypt and and what do they do? They pass through the sea, through the waters. There's a passover and then a pass through. Pass o pass over. I did that. That was Did you have you heard that before, or are you coming up with that now? No, that's that's it's a pretty common colloquialism that I'm just in my brain. No, I'm sorry. Okay. anyway. ⁓ yeah, so they pass through these waters, right? And and if we know the story, they passed through, but the Egyptians died. Right. And this is another reference to baptism. Passing through the water. When we become saved, we we get baptized. Now we understand our baptized does baptism does not save us, but it's a representation of Of that salvation. ⁓ and does that remind you of another story we've already talked about? Where people are water and batteries. Yeah, going through, I the Noah piece that we talked about ⁓ about a month ago, right? Right, right, yeah. There again, another instance again, hyperlinks. These things are connected, right? There's themes and things that pop up for reasons, they're all connected. ⁓ so Yes, so this is a a representation also of of baptism. So the Exodus account, all this to say, when we look at this Exodus account, it it's a direct correlation between our salvation and between the Exodus and our salvation. All the things that happen, they connect. And ⁓ that that that leads us to the question of ⁓ like if this Salvation piece was key to the identity of the Exodus was key. The Exodus, excuse me, was key to the identity of the Israelites. And it's like our salvation. This our salvation and what Jesus did for us is key to our identity as Christians. The Acts 17, 28 says, In him we live and move and have our being, him being Jesus Christ. Israel's worship was shaped by the Exodus. Israel's celebrations, Israel's laws, Israel's understanding about God, who they were, their identity. Our worship, our identity, our habits, our celebrations, our daily decisions should be centered and influenced around what Jesus Christ has done for us. And I'm not gonna dive into this too much because we already did a podcast. I would encourage you to watch the one we did for Memorial Day where we talked about the importance of remembering. Right. Like these things that God even instituted for us as Christians, ⁓ communion to remember what Jesus had done, because it's so central to who we are. And that that's interesting to me. Like how do we live our lives so that that is clear? That Jesus is central to us. Yeah. Yeah, because again, it's so easy to get wrapped up in our in our situation and our sin and ourself. You know, just we find our identity there, ⁓ whether it's something that we're proud of or something we're ashamed of, right? Like this this is who I am, or this is who I am. Right. Instead of really Letting Christ define us, let the Lord define us. Finding our identity in the children of God who He saved. Yeah. From our sin. Like that is our primary identity. And and I find it interesting what we see in this world is such an identity crisis. People are constantly claiming their identities in different sexual orientations or ⁓ even just a group of people they feel they belong to. And the reality is I mean you look at all the social stuff, social media and all that I mean, people trying to carve out an identity. Right. Trying to convince, you know, why does somebody have to work so hard on their Instagram account or that whatever account is popular at the moment, you know, it's because I'm trying to convince you that this is who I am. Right. This is how I live. Look at look at my stuff, look at my image, look at my connections, look at my friends, ⁓ look at my influence. Right. You know, it's And and so where are we finding that? Not very often am I seeing folks that are that are excited about the Lord in that way. It's it's all about their stuff or themselves. Yeah, yeah. Well, I that's that's what I have. I think this is ⁓ this is neat stuff. I've been ⁓ enjoying doing this with you, Jesse, and it's fun enjoying giving you guys this opportunity to to to go in here with us into the scripture and see see all the different ⁓ connections. And I just encourage you as you think about your life ⁓ in relation to this podcast. ⁓ just be thinking about does what Jesus Christ has done for you influence your entire life? Think about those areas. You as a parent, you as as a spouse, you as a business leader. How has what Jesus Christ has done shaped your identity and the way you interact with the world in that way? Because it it does. It our our identity and all that we do is rooted in the fact that we've been set free and saved from sin by Jesus Christ. We have had our exodus. Yeah. ⁓ from from sin and slavery. Yep. We were slaves and now we are free. Amen. What will you do with this freedom? Amen. All right. Hey, church, podcast watchers, podcast listeners, good to see you today. Thanks for checking in. We'll talk to you next time. See ya. All right. How long how long was that? I don't know. Actually I actually didn't time it because I had a last minute fear like wait, this might have an an alarm on it instead of just a buzzer. That felt like about fifteen.