A New Beginning—Worth Waiting For

In this message launching a series on the Exodus, Chuck Swindoll explores the dramatic transition of the Hebrews from “wanderers to worshippers”. Opening with the theme of waiting—whether for a spouse, healing from sickness, or a child—Swindoll draws a parallel to the Israelites, who waited 430 years in slavery for their deliverance. He notes that while the wait is painful, God’s timing often yields results that are “worth the wait” [9–15].

The narrative focuses on Exodus 12, where the tenth plague finally breaks Pharaoh’s resistance. Following the death of the firstborn in every Egyptian home, Pharaoh commands the Israelites to “Rise up. Get out,” and the terrified Egyptian neighbors urge them to leave in haste [20–22]. Swindoll highlights the fulfillment of ancient prophecy as the Israelites “plunder” the Egyptians, requesting gold, silver, and clothing before their departure. He explains that God orchestrated this wealth transfer not for their personal enrichment in the wilderness, but to provide the materials necessary for building the Tabernacle—a place for God to dwell among them [29, 66–67].

Swindoll challenges the modern definition of freedom. He argues that true freedom is not the license to “do as I please,” but liberation from a cruel taskmaster in order to serve the living God. The sermon concludes by outlining Moses’ four commands to the people regarding this historic night: Observe, Tell, Keep, and Devote. Just as the Israelites were to drive a stake in the ground to remember their physical redemption, believers are urged to celebrate their spiritual redemption from the slavery of sin [48–51, 62].

Message Key Facts:

• The Fulfillment of Prophecy: Swindoll connects the events of the Exodus to Genesis 15:13, where God told Abraham hundreds of years prior that his descendants would be enslaved for 400 years but would “come out with many possessions.” The “plundering” of Egyptian gold and silver was the specific fulfillment of this promise [24–26].
• The Purpose of the Plunder: The Israelites left with vast amounts of gold and silver, yet there were no stores in the wilderness. Swindoll reveals God’s advanced planning: these resources were destined for Exodus 25, where they would be used as a “contribution” to build the Tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant.
• The Scope of the Exodus: Citing Dr. Ron Allen, Swindoll notes that if there were 600,000 men, the total population likely exceeded 2 million people. Leading this group was complicated by a “mixed multitude” (or “rabble”) of non-Israelites who joined the exodus [30–33].
• The Definition of Freedom: Swindoll contrasts the cultural view of freedom (autonomy) with the biblical view. For the Israelites, freedom meant leaving a life of endless work with no rest, to a life that included Sabbath rest, family time, and the ability to sacrifice to God [61–62].
• The Four Verbs of Remembrance: In Exodus 13, Moses gives four specific instructions on how to treat this anniversary:
  1. Observe: Celebrate the rite (Passover).
  2. Tell: Explain the meaning to your son.
  3. Keep: Maintain the ordinance year to year.
  4. Devote: Give the firstborn offspring to the Lord [50–54].
• The Donald Barnhouse Illustration: Swindoll retells a story of Dr. Donald Barnhouse answering a student who asked how Israel’s clothes and sandals didn’t wear out for 40 years. Barnhouse answered with one word: “God.” He explained that if you can explain a miracle, you get the credit; if you can’t, God gets the credit [71–72].
• Thanksgiving Application: Swindoll uses the modern holiday of Thanksgiving to illustrate verse 14. Just as we might get lost in the turkey and football, the Israelites could get lost in the lamb and bitter herbs. The duty of the parent is to stop and explain, “With a powerful hand, Yahweh brought us out” [57–58].

Message References:

• Exodus 12:30–36: The narrative of Pharaoh releasing the people and the Israelites plundering the Egyptians of gold and silver.
• Exodus 12:40–42: The record of the 430-year sojourn ending “to the very day,” and the command to observe this night for the Lord.
• Genesis 15:13–14: The prophecy given to Abraham predicting the enslavement and the profitable exit.
• Exodus 13:3–16: Moses’ instructions to the people to Remember, Observe, Tell, and Devote the firstborn.
• Exodus 25:1–2: God’s command to raise a contribution for the building of the sanctuary (using the plundered gold) [64–66].

Message Speaker:

Pastor Chuck Swindoll