LESSON NINE

God’s Deliverance of Israel

Israel finally arrives at its time of deliverance. The three events here—the Passover sacrifice, the crossing of the sea, and the song of celebration—teach us about what it means to be saved by grace.

The Passover teaches us that we are saved from God. God does not limit the final plague to Egypt alone; Israel too is under God’s judgment for its sins. This means that the Israelites are not morally superior to Egyptians. If they are to be saved from God’s judgment, they need a substitutionary sacrifice.

Israel’s crossing teaches that salvation is by God: as they arrive at the shoreline, they can do nothing but stand still, remain silent, and trust the Lord alone to save. Israel then sings of how God has delivered them to bring them to himself—to his “mountain,” his “abode,” his “sanctuary.” The ultimate goal of redemption is joyful worship.