Well, thank you once again, Davey, for your kind words of welcome, and Sam as well. Thank you very much for your welcome to be here once again, and just a load of blessings. It's my joy to be with you here and to share with you as we gather around the table, of course. Once again, I remember the Lord at that time as well. We're continuing on in the Book of Exodus in Chapter 12. We're not going to get out of Chapter 12 today, but it's turning out a bit bigger chapter. Well, it always was a big chapter, but it's even bigger than I thought it was. Chapter 12, breaking in at verse 8 really. There's a few pieces that I left out the last day, didn't get time to do, so I'll just finish them off today and verse 8 on. Chapter 12, verse 8. And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleaven bread, and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Eat it not raw, nor boiled with water, but roast with fire. its head and its legs, and with its inward parts thereof. And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning. That which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire. And thus shall ye eat it, with your loins girded, and shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And ye shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord's Passover. And I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and I will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast. And against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment, I am the Lord. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where you are. And when I see the blood I will pass over you and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you when I smite the land of Egypt. And this day shall be unto you for memorial, and ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generation, and ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance forever. Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread, Even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses, for whosoever eateth leaven bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel. And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you. No manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done by you. And ye shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for in this very same day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. Therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance forever. In the first month of the 14th day of the month, At evening ye shall eat unleavened bread until the one and twentieth day of the month. At evening seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses. For whoever eateth that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a sojourner or born in the land. Ye shall eat nothing leavened. in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread. Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said unto them, draw out and take your lamb according to your families and kill the Passover and ye shall take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood that is in the basin and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the basin, and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning. And the Lord will pass through and smite the Egyptians And when he seeth the blood upon the lintel on the two side posts, the Lord will pass over the door and will not permit the destroyer to come into your house to smite you. And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons forever, and it shall come to pass when ye be come to the land which the Lord will give you according to According as he hath promised, that he shall keep this service, and it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service? That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the Lord's Passover, who passed over the houses of the children. of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians and delivered their houses, and the people buried their heads and worshipped. And the children of Israel went away, and did as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron. So they did. And it came to pass that at midnight the Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat at his throne, unto the firstborn of the captive. who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of Ketil. And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he and his servants and all Egyptians. And there was a great cry in Egypt, and there was not a house where there was not one dead. And he called for Moses and Aaron by night and said, rise up and get you forth from among my people, both ye and your children, of Israel and go serve the Lord as he said, and take your flocks and your herds as he has said and be gone and bless me also. I trust the Lord to bless. The reading of his word was only said at verse 32. Today we're really looking to finish off the Passover feast and then we're going to look at the unleavened bread and of course the 10th plague is right through the middle of it all. At the same time, the plague of the death of the firstborn. So it's the Passover and unleavened bread. In verse 8 we have, it says, from verse 8 to 10, it says the lamb was to be roasted and eaten. And then they shall eat the flesh in that night, roost with fire, and unleavened bread, and with bitter herbs. They shall eat it, eat it not raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roosted with fire, its head and its legs, and with its inward parts the raw. The meal consisted of roosted lamb, unleavened bread, and bitter herbs, each of which symbolized an important spiritual truth. In order that the lamb might be kept whole, it was roasted in fire. It was roasted by fire and not boiled in water, because the lakey wouldn't have a pot big enough, but that wasn't the way to do it anyway. It was roasted by fire. The bones were not to be broken at all, and none of the meat was to be carried outside the house, were some of the other requirements as well. In verse 46, It says, in one house shall it be eaten, thou shalt not carry forth any of the flesh abroad out of the house, neither shall ye bake a bone of it. The symbolism is this. We have trusted the Lord Jesus Christ and he saved us from our sins by his sacrifice, by his sacrifice. But also we feed on Christ in order that we may have strength for our daily pilgrim journey. That is a simplistic way of looking at the symbolism. He is our daily bread, the Lord Jesus Christ is our daily bread. Our spiritual growth depends on him, on feeding upon him and dining with him effectively. As we worship and meditate on his word and pray and believe we are nourished, our spiritual lives are nourished through our Lord Jesus Christ and we grow in grace. That is effectively the symbolism of the lamb roasted and the lamb roasted. But what you notice in verse 10 then as well, a completed sacrifice. In verse 10 it says, and ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning, and that which remaineth of it until the morning, ye shall burn with fire. This sacrifice in its ceremony was to be completed within a single night. The Passover feast was to be completed in a single night. Likewise, the atoning work of Christ is not progressive. It is not progressive. It is a completed work. It is a completed work. For God's suffering lamb and that dark night of judgment is past. That dark night of judgment is past for our Lord Jesus Christ and is no more. Yes, our Lord's work is completed. It is a finished work. And that's the great truth we have to tell, to tell to the world that our Lord Jesus Christ's work is completed and all they have to do is come and trust, repent and trust Him. Friends, this remains us of our great God-given message, a great God-given message that the Lord Jesus has completed the great work of salvation. And our call is for men to repent and believe. they must repent and believe because they could never earn, you could never earn your salvation. And a world where the gospel, of course, is under attack from all directions, it's still our responsibility, friends, to put it out there in whatever way we can. Put it out there in whatever way we can. Of course, preaching is the greatest method that we've been given, but we're to put it out there in whatever way we can. Our message has not changed. It hasn't changed from the disciples in the apostles day and it hasn't changed today. Still the same, none need perish for Christ has died friends. None need perish for Christ has died. It was a completed sacrifice, it was to be completed in the one day and it reminds us of the finished work of our Lord Jesus Christ. And ye shall leave nothing of it until the morning. Verse 10. Bitter herbs, this sacrifice, the Passover was to be taken with bitter herbs. In verses 14 and 20, we read there of the bitter herbs. With the lamb, the Israelites would eat these herbs. Tasting the bitter herbs was to remind the Jews of the years they spent in bitter bondage, and bitter bondage in the land of Egypt. That was the symbolism behind the bitter herbs. And to me, it was to encourage them to be thankful and encouraged them to worship the Lord because of where they had been brought from. However, when circumstances became difficult during their wilderness journeys, I'm jumping on a wee bit, but when circumstances became difficult during their wilderness journeys, the people usually recall the good old days. The people usually recall the good old days back in Egypt. and they wanted to go back to Egypt. We read in Exodus 17 verse 3, I think it is, why hast thou brought us up out of Egypt to kill us, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst? They complained many times as they went through the wilderness when things weren't just going their way the way they wanted them to go. Friends, we all have a habit of looking back at the good old days and thinking they were so great, but we forgot about the better things that were there as well. We can be guilty of looking at things in the past with rose-tinted glasses, as the old saying that we have, where we look at things with rose-tinted glasses if everything were brilliant back then, but it wasn't the case at all. They overlooked the slave labour. The children of Israel overlooked the slave labour. They overlooked the beatings. They forgot about the bitterness of their servitude. They forgot about the horrible iron furnace which they were roasting the bricks or whatever. The bitter herbs remind them of the pain of the pain they had been redeemed from. And that was the symbolism behind the Bitter Herbs, that they would look back and be thankful for where the Lord has brought them from. Even they were stuck in the middle of the desert, but the Lord had always provided for them there. Patience was a big part of their problem, and of course was one of ours as well. But that's the Bitter Herbs. My second, the head and the end of the next time is live in the real world, live in the present. The bitter herbs, this is talking about the bitter herbs as well, the bitter herbs were to encourage the nation to look back, but in looking back was to be done in a positive way. Not in a negative way, as they tended to do, but they would look back and encourage worship and thanksgiving and not in discouragement and despair, which is what they'd done. Some of us can be stuck in the past. which is a dangerous thing. Sometimes we're stuck in the past with little use in the present, which isn't much good either. But what is behind us can't be changed, friends. What I'm trying to say is what is behind us can't be changed. Whether it was good or whether it was bad, it cannot be changed. It cannot be changed. The only thing we can change is now and the present, is what we should be concentrating on. Of course, in the New Testament, Paul reminds us in Philippians 3 verses 13 and 14, But this one thing I do, forgetting those things that are behind and reaching forth unto those things that are before, I press toward the mark upon the prize, the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Friends, we can't change the past, but we can change the present. We have opportunity to change the present. and we need the opportunity to focus on the present and we have the opportunity to reach forth, to press on toward the mark of the prize. And there is a high calling of God in Christ Jesus, there's a high calling just to serve him. A Victorian wrote on an occasion, while you're dreaming of the future and regretting the past, The present, which is all you have, slips away and is gone. I thought that was a very great statement. While you're dreaming of the future or regretting the past, the present, which is all you have, slips away and is gone, friends. My heading at the start was live in the real world or live in the present, friends, and that's what we need to do, live in the present and press on toward the mark upon the calling, the high calling of our Lord Jesus Christ. The other thing we think of there in the bitter herbs is see sin for what it really is. That we should remember, we should remember the bitterness from which God has saved us. Remember the bitterness from which God has saved us. The pain that sin wrought on our lives as we were in bondage to it and yet Christ has delivered us from it. Today many of us do not, many people do not praise God as he ought but It's one of the reasons I believe is this, that they have a low view of sin. They have a very low view of sin. So much of sin has been excused today in this world. It has been excused even by Christians. Sin is against God, as Joseph said to part of his wife, how can I do this sin against God? Yes, sin is against God. Too much of sin. We have made excuses for it today. Friends, we don't make excuses for it if we sin. We confess it to the Lord as believers. Thomas Watson said, he's no friend of mine at all, but he said, till sin be bitter, till sin be bitter, Christ will not be sweet. Till sin be bitter, Christ will not be sweet. Friends, we need to realize that sin is bitter and we need to confess it and then Christ will be the sweeter for that. Let's not fall into the trap that this world would like us to fall into, of downplaying and downgrading sin, for it affects our fellowship with the Lord when we do that, and we don't confess that we are as we ought. Let's be ever thankful for the one who has delivered us from bondage. He is the one, our Lord Jesus Christ, the one who has delivered us from bondage and given us a new life. Heimreiter wrote it well when he said, redeemed her, I love to proclaim it, redeemed by the blood of the lamb. redeemed by his infinite mercy, his child, and forever I am. Then see sin as it really is. See sin as it really is. Moving on then to the on-level bread. The bread was to be without yeast for two reasons. The on-level bread was to be without yeast for two reasons. There wasn't time for the bread to rise. As the children of Israel left Egypt, they left in a hurry. The leaven was, of course, a symbol of impurity to the Jews as well. For a week after the Passover, they were required to eat unleavened bread and remove any trace of leaven from their houses at all. It wasn't even allowed in the house, never naming the bread. There wasn't time for the bread to rise, was the first one. For seven days, they would eat unleavened bread. Why bread without yeast? It was because the Israelites ate it before it could rise. It was a symbol of their hasty departure. A symbol of a hasty departure out of Egypt. They'd been there for 430 years, and they left in a flash, effectively. There wasn't time for the bread to rise, which just shows you how quickly they did leave. Some of you ladies would know how quickly bread would cook more than I would, but I don't think it's really that long altogether, but they left in a hurry anyway. But in 12 and verse 39 it says, and they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they had brought out of Egypt, for it was leavened, because they were thrust out of Egypt and could not tarry neither had they prepared for themselves any virtual or food supplies. Going on obeying in haste is a thought I had on this, going on obeying in haste. Israel were in Egypt 430 years and yet they left in haste, they left in a hurry. Do you think our roots we have could be pulled up just as quick as that? I don't think our roots will be pulled up just as quick as that. I think the red would be up by the time we would get sorted out. We sometimes need to ask ourselves, are we earthbound? Has everything around us got a grip of us? Is everything around us got a grip of us? Are we earthbound? How good and how quick are we at obeying what the Lord says to us? He tells us to do this and do that or to go here or to go there or to obey this truth. Do we refuse? Or do we ignore if we don't like it? Or do we go and obey but we grumble about it and drag our feet? There's four things we could do. I have this conviction. That the Lord's work should be done by the willing. The Lord's work should be done by the willing. Too much of the Lord's work, sometimes I think people are almost forced to do it. I believe the Lord's work should be done for the willing. Did you ever try working with those who grumble all the time and are dragging their feet? It's not very easy. I'm only a small-time employer, I only have a few part-time men, but I wouldn't put up with those who are grumbling and dragging their feet all the time at all. I would chase the lot of them about the place, but I wouldn't put up with it very long, but I'll say this graciously. and you'd be well off without them. You'd be well off without them and I don't believe the Lord's work should be done by those who are grumbling and dragging their feet all the time. I know we all do to a certain extent. But in 1 Chronicles 28 in verse 9, And now Solomon my son, knew thou the God of thy father, and served him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind. For the Lord searcheth all hearts and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts. In other words, the Lord wants willing minds. He wants willing hearts, people to do his work for the right reasons. And thank the Lord. Of course, we thank the Lord for his patience with us because we all indeed grumble every now and then. He is delighted with his people when they serve him all for the right motives. They serve him for the right motives. Oh, for the grace for each and every one of us to obey, to obey in haste and to go and serve the Lord and do as he wants us to do and do it willingly for his glory. Secondly, the leaven was a symbol of impurity. In Galatians 5 verses 7 and 9, ye did run well, Who did hinder you that you should not obey the truth? This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. This is the New Testament teaching on this. Leaven is an image of sin that is hidden. It works silently, secretly. It spreads, it pollutes. Of course we know it causes the dough to rise or the bread to rise, it puffs up, it results in selfishness and pride in the heart. That's why leaven is a symbol of impurity. Both the Lord Jesus and Paul compared leaven to false teaching as well. Just a little will spoil the whole lump. Just a little will spoil the whole lump. Many try to tell us it doesn't matter what you believe today as long as we all know the Lord. As long as we all know the Lord. Friends, I want to tell you it does matter what you believe. It does matter what you believe. Let's not And they will say as well, let's not get too hung up on doctrine. We hear doctrine all the time. We don't want to get too hung up on that. And that's what the Christian world says today. But friends, I don't believe they're right, friends. Sound doctrine is what keeps the church from going wrong today. It keeps the church from going wrong tomorrow. And it keeps the church from going wrong the day after that. And friends, if you haven't got sound doctrine, it's not too long before everything starts to fall apart around you. The same doctrine of this book is the only thing that stops the church just from turning into another social club, because that's where it would finish. It would finish just as a social club where people gather. How do you know if a church has just turned into a social club is a question you could ask yourself? Well, they'd have no message. They'd have no message. They'll have lost their gospel challenge. They'll have no message. And Philippians 2 in verse 14, holding forth the word of life. We're to hold forth the word of life. We're to exalt the Lord Jesus Christ as the one who brings life. How do you know they're a social club? How do you know we've turned into a social club? You've lost sight of the master. You've lost sight of the master. Everything is not centered around the Lord Jesus. Everything is not centered around the Lord Jesus anymore. Hebrews 12 in verse two, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. That's only two I've highlighted, friends. I'm sure there's a whole lot more, but friends, that is always a danger that we, if sound doctrine is set aside, it's not too long before the slate starts. There's a shelter from those There is a shelter for those who meditate upon the word of God, of course. In Psalm 119 verse 98, through thy commandments hast thou made me wiser among my enemies. Friends, those who meditate on the word can avoid these things, the impurities, the leaven that seeks to come in, they are able to avoid them with the Lord's help and by his word. Friends, if the local church goes wrong, Who suffers? Who suffers? It's the future generations, friends, to follow. For the witness is gone. The witness is gone and they are lost. They have no one to tell them of their need of a saviour, no one to encourage them in the Lord. Never disregard the truths of the word of God and those regarding the local church especially. And you do so to your peril. A little leaven, leaven us. Leaven us the whole lump. It will start us down to damaging work. Now we are to stand firm on this day and obey and defend this book. Maybe you're an assembly that has a great heritage and this is an assembly with a great heritage of course. Well think long and hard before you change things friends. Think long and hard before you change things, because what's here has stood the test of time and the Lord has blessed it. And the Lord will continue to bless it, but think long and hard before you change things. In an ever-darkening world, we will stand on the Lord's truth and we'll shine the brighter because of that. We'll shine the brighter because of that. But many want us to dim our light because we're scaring the lost away. That's effectively what they're saying. We're too tight. Our light's too bright that we're scaring people away. And many want us to dim our lights today. Friends, that'll not work. And 1 Thessalonians 3 and verse 8. For now we live if we stand fast. Now we live if we stand fast in the Lord. Watch out for the leaven. It would damage the Lord's work. But remember, we do all in the Lord. We do all in the Lord. There's no room for eleven. There's no room to be puffed up with pride. There's no place at all for that. It's all done, it's all done in the Lord's, in the Lord's strength. Moving on, it says burn all on the altar. Burn all on the altar. They were not to eat it raw. And the leftovers were to be burned with fire. This is actually back at the Passover. But in verse 9 it says, eateth not well, which would speak of death. And verse 10, roast with fire, which speaks of judgment. In other words, our Lord The Lord not only died, but he bore the wrath of God for our sins. Anything that was not eaten could not just be dumped, as we would do today. We'd put it out into the wheel bin, as we talk about, as we do today, but it was to be burned. To be burned effectively out of existence, it was just to be roasted. In Matthew 5 in verse 23, therefore if they bring thy gift to the altar friends. These were gifts actually that were brought to the altar friends. The Lord requires us to lay our lives on the altar effectively. That's a gift, a love gift to him. The Lord's desire is that we burn all. His desire is that we burn all there. that we don't take anything away somewhere else. His desire is we burn all on the altar for Him and not just what suits us or even what doesn't suit us, that we burn all for Him. Romans 12 in verse 1, we have a very well-known verse. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Which is your reasonable services. It's just a reasonable service. In other words, it's not something unreasonable the Lord is asking us to do. He's not asking us too much. It's the least we can do for the one who's given everything to us, the one who indeed was willing to go to that cruel cross for us. And this, this of course is a daily battle. This is a daily battle. You may lay all on the altar today. You may lay all on the altar today, well tomorrow, you'll need to get up and you'll need to pray that you'll have the strength to lay all on the altar tomorrow once again, friends. It's a daily battle. It's something we have to continue to battle with because we have a very self-centered nature, of course, within us still. So burn all on the altar, we read about in verses nine and 10. Verse 14 then, it says, and this day shall be unto you for a memorial. and you shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations. You shall keep it a feast by an ordinance forever. A memorial, a memorial. For seven days they would eat unleavened bread. Why bread without yeast? It was because the Israelites said that before it could rise, as already said, it was because of their hasty departure. Verse 12 and verse 39, or chapter 12, verse 39, and they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought out of Egypt, for it was leaven, because they were thrust out of Egypt and could not tarry neither had they prepared for themselves any virtual or food supplies. A day for the Lord, in other words. This memorial day was to be a day for the Lord, a day to keep down all through their generations, Now that it's become a day for the Lord, of course, it's become a struggle in our generation. Just to set aside the Lord's Day, it seems to be a struggle for many Christians in our generation, but going to meetings and remembering the Lord, it's not a popular thing today. It's not a popular thing today, we all know that very well, many. Many and even Christians are so taken up with other things that they haven't time to go to meetings today, they haven't time to worship the Lord today or to go to Gospel meetings. They're too busy taking up with their work maybe, too busy taking up with sport, fitness. Whatever, there's a whole lot of things that take people away from worshipping the Lord as they ought, but many Christians, it never enters their head to come to meetings, if they're even Christians at all. But friends, it is required of us to make time to worship. It is required of us to make time to worship the Lord and to pray and to study, and to study his word. This memorial or these meetings will help us stay close to the Lord. And friends, they do that. They do that. To meet together and to worship the Lord helps us to stay close to the Lord. It's not just a matter of routine. Stop going to meetings and you'll see we'll end up very quickly. Stop needing to worship the Lord and you'll see how far back you drift. So friends, these things were a memorial unto the Lord and they're to be done, they're to be remembered and to be kept. Verse 11, close to go. I think I spoke last week on verse 11 before, but I done it a different way, but this time I just want to think of it close, close to go. Verse 11. Unless ye shall eat it with your loins girded, with shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand, and ye shall eat it in haste, it is the Lord's Passover. These are instructions to wear their clothes in a certain way so they will be ready. for an any moment departure, for an any moment departure, surely lessons for us in this place, lessons for us as a children of Israel, we're in a place already, Mr. Goh. Are we close to Goh? Are we close to Goh, is a question we could ask ourselves. In Isaiah 61, in verse 10, it says, I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God, for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness. We need to be living in the good of our salvation, friends. We need to be living in the good of our salvation from day to day. There's always at least one thing we can rejoice in, and that is being covered, and that is being covered with the robe of righteousness, which the Lord has given us at salvation. James chapter five and verse two, your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Through lack of use, through lack of use, our efforts can be shot with holes. Our efforts can be shot with holes. The old saying is, if you don't use it, you lose it. It's true in a spiritual sense as well, friends. It's true in a spiritual sense as well. If we don't put our gifts, our hands to use in the Lord's service, we lose it and what we have is corrupted and moth-eaten effectively. Revelation 3 and verse 4, thou hast a few names even in Sardis. and have not defiled their garments. It's possible to defile your garments, to be not clothed to go. You're not able to go because your garments are defiled. You will be of little use to the Lord in that condition. And our God is a God of a second chance, of course. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins. But it's better not to defile your garments in the first place, of course. Friends, are we close to go? If the Lord was to have something special for us to do, would we be ready to go and do it? Are we close to go? To many unpalatable bread. The unleavened bread to many was unpalatable. Verse 15. Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread, even the first day ye shall put leaven out of your houses. For whosoever eateth unleavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from his year. Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread. Unleavened bread is not very palatable. It's not tasty. In other words, it's not easy to eat it. It almost sticks in your throat, I would think. Bread in the scripture pictures the word of God. Of course we all know that bread in the scripture pictures the word of God. Unleavened bread will remind us that there are many that find the study of the Lord's word, Lord's pure word unpalatable. They find it difficult. They find it difficult. Many come to church for social time, they come for the music, they come for maybe the beauty of the building, the beauty of the place or whatever, but the teaching of the word defined how it goes, friends. That's very true on many occasions. The Lord's word must be worked at. It must be worked at. You need to give yourself time to get into it, to fully enjoy it. You need to put the effort into it, you need to pray over it effectively as well before you even start, that the Holy Spirit will guide you and lead you, that you may find what he's trying to tell you in it. But there is great benefit in it to those who will put the effort in. What we have in the world today is a world that wants everything instant. They want just to open the word, get what is there, and up and go. There's no time put into it, and friends, the word of God is something you have to put time into. It is naturally unpalatable, especially unpalatable to those who knew not the Lord. they haven't a clue what it's all about. But most of our believers, some of them find it unpalatable as well and can't understand it and don't get much out of it sometimes, they would tell you. But friends, it's largely, without being cheeky, their own fault because they haven't spent the time in it, they haven't even prayed to the Lord before they started to read it or whatever. You need to be prayerful, you need to be patient and stick at it and you will reap the rewards of the Word of God if you're willing to put the effort in. To many, the Word of God is unpalatable. Verses 25 to 28 you will see, ye shall keep this service. Ye shall keep this service, verse 25 to 28. And it shall come to pass when ye be come to the land which the Lord will give you according as he hath promised that ye shall keep this service. And it shall come to pass when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service? that ye shall say it is the sacrifice of the Lord's Passover who have passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when he smote the Egyptians and delivered our houses and the people bowed their head and worshipped and the children of Israel went their way and did as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron. So did they. They ate together as families, as a congregation in other words. The meal was prepared for the family and it was beaten by all the family members. God's concern, our God's concern is for the entire family, not just for the parents, not just for the parents, not just for the children. His concern is for the entire family. The entire family were protected by the blood, by the blood sprinkled on the door post and the lintel with the hyssop. The entire family were protected by that. The entire family were strengthened by the food provided by the roasted lamb. so that they could be delivered from Egypt and when they were delivered they were able to walk out as a nation. We have a habit today of dividing the church into age groups and into different parties but some of it is okay, I have no problem with some of it, some of it needs to be done but there's an observance But the observance of the Passover was a family affair. The observance of the Passover was a family affair. I believe the ministry of the word should be a family affair, friends. I believe it should be a family affair. family you should bring them out onto the ministry of the word and all sit together and listen to the word of God. There is something special and precious about the whole family gathered around the Lord's word with a gift of brother expounding, expounding, expounding that and you haven't got that today but there is something special about that where possible friends Where possible, friends, make it happen, if you can at all. For the Lord desires that the whole family worship him and feed upon his word. Ye shall keep this service. The question, there's a question asked there, as we read down there. It shall come to pass when your children shall say unto you, what mean ye by this service? What mean ye by this service? That was the question. This is a remainder of what the Lord has done for redeeming us from slavery, from Egypt. In chapter 10 verse 2 it says, And thou mayst tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son's son, what great things I have wrought in Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them, that ye may know that I am the Lord. This was a reminder, in other words, the answer to this question was a reminder This was to be passed down through the generations. In other words, the great victory that the Lord had wrought was to be passed down through all the generations. It wasn't to be lost over time. It was to be passed on. It was to be taught to others. Friends, we have many things in danger of being lost today. We have many things in danger of being lost today. We have been We have been greatly blessed with what we have been left from our forefathers in the local church of our Lord Jesus Christ over many centuries. It is important that they are taught and they are passed on to others, passed on to the next generation. For example, just as an example, the hymns that we sing in our churches today Some churches have got to the stage where they'll sing only modern hymns. Some churches have got to the stage where they'll sing only modern hymns. They refuse to sing what they call the 17th century hymns. They refuse to sing them, friends. My convictions is, I judge a hymn by its words. I judge a hymn by its words. And not by its tune, nor by its age. I judge a hymn by its words. And if its words are good, and its words are well wrote, and exalt the Lord, that's what my boundary is. It doesn't matter what age it is. So if it exalts the Lord and glorifies God, that's where I'm at. But there's many other issues. There's many other issues in danger of being lost today. The Authorised Version of the Bible is in danger of being lost today. The Lord's Supper is in danger of being lost today. Many churches today are going back to once a month just having the Lord's Supper. Gospel message is in danger of being lost today, it must be passed on. The ministry of the word is in danger of being lost today, it must be passed on. Places will sing and sing and sing till you're tired, sing and there's no time for the ministry, and there's no time for the ministry of the word, friends. All these things will be passed on to the next generation. And it shall come to pass when the children of Israel shall say unto you, what mean ye by this service, friends? There's many things we have to tell them that they should take with them as they go on to serve the Lord. The result of the answer, the result of the answer in verse 27, and they shall say, it is the sacrifice of the Lord's Passover who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt. when he smote the Egyptians and delivered their houses and the people bowed their head and worshipped. Notice the people's reaction to these instructions. It was worship and obedience. It was worship and obedience. Friends, that's a lovely reaction to anything, worship and obedience. And the people bowed down and worshipped. It was humility and obedience as well. But remembering just how great our God is and what he has done, And they give praise and glory to his name on obedience and obeying his word. Oh for continued grace to do the same. Oh for continued grace for each of us to do the same, to worship and praise. Praise should be in our hearts for the great things that the Lord has done for us from day to day. There was no other good enough to pay the price of sin. He only could unlock the gates of heaven and medicine. That was our Lord Jesus Christ. That's a lovely result there of how that question was answered, that the people worshipped and praised the Lord in humility. Verse 29, we read that the Lord smoked And it came to pass at that night that the Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt. This is the 10th plague once again. Pharaoh's firstborn son was treated as a God in Egypt. His firstborn son would have been treated as a God in Egypt. So the true God smote Egypt, not just personally, but he smote theologically as well. and prove beyond any shadow of a doubt that her God, the God of Israel, was the Almighty God. Be any shadow of a doubt that the God of Israel was the Almighty God. Remember Pharaoh's unrighteous judgment on the Hebrew boys we mentioned before. On the Hebrew boys, any male child was to be thrown in an aisle, was to be drowned in an aisle. What a terrible crime that was against God and the children of Israel. Remember our God can fight his own battles, friends. Our God fights his own battles. Romans 12 and 19. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath. For it is written, vengeance is mine, vengeance is mine, I will repay. saith the Lord. And the Lord, if I could be repaid that, that, that casting the children of Israel, the male children into the male. Friends, there can be things happening at times that grieve us in this world. Things that grieve us, maybe, round about us, but we, we, and we have no way of responding. We have no biblical way of responding, but the Lord, and the Lord maybe wouldn't want us to respond or to revenge at all anyway. But friends, the Lord wants us to trust Him and leave it all, leave it with Him, leave it there with Him. For He says, vengeance is mine. Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord. The Lord will smite in his own time if that's what he sees fit. As we look at Paris this morning, a week on, the Lord will smite in his own time. He will sort those people out when he sees the opportunity. We need not respond in any way at this time anyway. The Egyptians cry in verse 30. And Pharaoh rose up in the night, 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. A great cry in Egypt. A very sad occasion. Death is no respecter of persons, friends. Death is no respecter of persons. It touched the Egyptian prisoner's family. The man in the dungeon, it touched him as well as Pharaoh's family. There's a great cry awaiting this world, of course. There's a great cry awaiting this world. There's a message the world certainly doesn't want to hear. They don't want to hear that there's a great cry awaiting them, that there's great judgment to come. Sometimes those who are faithful and working for the Lord and seeing little done, seeing little results, those who are faithful are warning of the judgment to come. Some of us can get disheartened at times. Get disheartened at times because we think maybe we're the problem. Maybe we're the one that's holding back the blessing. And the reason the Lord is not saving souls. We can get to that stage at times. But friends, consider Noah. Consider Noah for a wee moment. In Genesis 6 and 9, Noah was a just man. It says of Noah, he was a just man. He was perfect in his generation. And Noah walked with God. And what was Noah's story? Noah preached for 120 years. He preached for 120 years. He saw eight souls saved. There were eight souls going into the ark. They were all his own family members. It wasn't Noah's fault, friends, for Noah walked with God. We need not get discouraged. At the end of the day, the New Testament remains us in 1 Corinthians 3 and 6. I, Paul says, I have planted, Apollos have watered, but God gives an increase. Friends, we have to wait for God to give the increase, and in his time, he will do that. Our calling is faithfulness. It's faithfulness to the Lord, and it's in time. And in his time, he will give the increase. Egyptians cry. They're commanded to depart. Commanded to depart in verse 31, and he called for Moses and Aaron by night and said, raise up and get you forth from among my people, both you and the children of Israel, and go and serve the Lord as ye have served. Pharaoh finally, finally has given. This tenth plague has reached in and touched his own son. But now, but now the ball is firmly in the children of Israel's court. There's nobody holding back now. There's nobody holding back now. The promise of God to Israel had taken a giant step forward and it stood still for 430 years. But the promise of God has taken a giant step forward. Genesis 15 verse 13 and 14 says, And he said unto Abraham, Know of it surely, that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them, and they shall afflict them four hundred years. And also that nation whom they serve will I judge, and afterward shall they come out with great substance. God promises our friends in other words our yea and amen, The God that promises he would give us our daily bread will not fail. The God that promised to look after us will not fail. The God that promises never to leave nor forsake, he will not fail. I could roll on so many more, but God's promises to Israel were sure, and so was God's promises to us and to the church of our Lord Jesus Christ. His promises are sure. Unity in post. This was maybe one of the few times that Israel moved all together. One of the few times that Israel moved all together without fail. But it was imposed by the Egyptians. For they effectively put them out. They put them out. They didn't want them there anymore. You boys get out of here. Of course, unity is a problem. Unity can be a problem in the local church today at times. It cannot be imposed, of course. it must be worked out in Ephesians 4 verse 2 and 3 with all lowliness and meekness with long-suffering forbearing one another in love and endeavouring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond in the bond of peace there is a this is a tall order at times but sometimes we Sometimes we need to suffer loss personally just to keep that bond of peace. Just ignore that comment can just be enough just to keep that bond of peace friends. That can be worth it in the end. But truth must not be forsaken for the sake of unity. Truth must never be forsaken for the sake of unity, because true unity can only be achieved when all are in subjection to the Word of God. There's no unity outside of the Word of God, friends. If people are departing from the Word of God, don't expect unity, because unity cannot be found. That's one reason why peace is so hard to maintain and so hard to achieve today because so few follow the word of God effectively. Unity is so hard to maintain today. And 1 John 2 and 5, but whosoever keepeth his word In him, verily, is the love of God perfected. In other words, the person that keeps the word of God is the one that really loves the Lord, friends. Friends, love thy brother, peace in the assembly, and the keeping of the Lord's word to all must come together. They're all one. They're all one, and when you separate one of them, right, then you have disunity. You have disunity. Love the brethren, peace in the assembly, and keeping the Lord's word. They must all come together. That's really all I have today, just to highlight what we looked at. The lamb must be roasted and eaten. In other words, we've been saved by the sacrifice of Christ and we're strengthened by feeding upon him. Completed sacrifice, as you shall let nothing of it remain until the morning. Our message is a finished work. Better herbs. We're to remember what we've been saved from. We're to live in the present. We're to see sin as it really is, friends. On that bed, there wasn't time for the bed to rise. We'd obey the Lord in haste. In haste, in other words, we'd obey the Lord quickly, listen to his word. The leaven was a symbol of impurity, where the careful We'll be careful of the level of false teaching. We're to burn all in the altar. We're to give to the Lord our reasonable service. Clothes to go, garments of salvation. Are we fit and ready to serve the Lord when the opportunity arises? To many, having bread was unpalatable, friends. We need to prayerfully study the Lord's word that we may be enabled to enjoy it. Ye shall keep this service. Do so as a family, if possible. The question, what meanest by this service, friends, is a great question, but the result and the answer was that they was that they worshipped and honored, they buried their heads and worshipped the Lord. The Lord smoked. The Lord can fight his own battles, in other words. Our God can fight his own battles. The Egyptians cry, judgment is sure for this world. And friends, we have a responsibility to put that out there and command it to depart. Unity must be worked at. but you cannot forsake the word of God in the process just for unity. And I trust the Lord to bless the study of his word. Thank you.