Scripture: Numbers 33:1-4

Recounting Israel’s Journey

33:1 These are the stages of the people of Israel, when they went out of the land of Egypt by their companies under the leadership of Moses and Aaron.

2 Moses wrote down their starting places, stage by stage, by command of the Lord, and these are their stages according to their starting places.

3 They set out from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month. On the day after the Passover, the people of Israel went out triumphantly in the sight of all the Egyptians,

4 while the Egyptians were burying all their firstborn, whom the Lord had struck down among them. On their gods also the Lord executed judgments.

Numbers 33:1-4 records a glimpse into the freedom that the Israelites gained when God terminated the firstborn and when judgment came for what had been done 80 years prior. It says, “These are the journeys of the children of Israel, who went out of the land of Egypt by their armies under the hand of Moses and Aaron. Now Moses wrote down the starting points of their journeys at the command of the LORD. And these are their journeys according to their starting points: They departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the day after the Passover the children of Israel went out with boldness in the sight of all the Egyptians. For the Egyptians were burying all their firstborn, whom the LORD had killed among them. Also on their gods the LORD had executed judgments.”

Boldness is a very distinctive issue for the last days. In the book of Acts, the Sanhedrin was said to have noticed the boldness of Peter and John and ascribed it to the fact that they had been with Jesus. Acts 4:13 is a very pregnant statement about what happens when we spend time with Jesus. Peter and John knew the God who terminates. In the very next chapter, Peter demonstrated the God who terminates. Boldness has its roots in knowing the God who terminates. Unless we get to know Him, we will not walk in the boldness necessary for the last days.

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• United with Christ in Death and Life, Part 3 - 2011
• Representative democracy - our contribution - 2011
• Born Blind for the Glory of God - 2011
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