And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and 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. Exodus 12:30
Last week’s devastating earthquakes in Venezuela have resulted in many stories of the victims and the escapees.We read of brave heroes, narrow escapes, and amazing rescues, and thank the Lord for His preservation. But we also read of tragic results when families are torn asunder with some members crushed in the rubble and others surviving the carnage. Such disasters with their carnage and grief always grip our hearts in sympathy. Think about the scene described in our text, with possibly hundreds of thousands of dead children. It defies imagination. It describes tribulation reality.
This world has never seen the massive bloodshed to match the coming destruction and carnage. Only the flood of Noah’s day was worse, with its only eight survivors. The judgments described in the book of Revelation are frightening beyond understanding. This world as we know it will be transformed into an ugly mess with millions of deaths over and over again. Thinking of all that devastation and carnage makes us grateful that God has promised that His saints will not pass through it. But our gratitude must be with deepest humility, because it is not our doing that we escape.
As Egyptians wailed in shock and grief, Israelites feasted in joy and anticipation. The slaying of the Egyptian firstborn meant deliverance for those Israelites. But that deliverance came only with the obedience to the Lord’s Passover instructions. Our deliverance from the great tribulation comes only with our obedience to the Gospel.
Did the Israelites share the word of the Passover lamb with any of the Egyptians? We will never know. But we can share with the unsaved world around us the word of warning of coming judgment, and the word of safety under the blood of the Lamb of God. -Jim MacIntosh
here is the link to the video of this message: https://youtu.be/nOPsWHY9FLA