ON THIS NIGHT…

Exodus 12:40-42

“The people of Israel had lived in Egypt for 430 years.  In fact, it was on the last day of the 430^th year that all the Lord’s forces left the land.  ON THIS NIGHT the Lord kept his promise to bring his people out of the land of Egypt.  So this night belongs to him, and it must be commemorated on every year by all the Israelites, from generation to generation.”

“Momma, what is happening? Why are all of these boxes here?  Is tonight the night we get to escape this place that makes you so sad?”  Little Maria looked expectantly at her mom as she watched her mom reach for another box.

“Yes, sweet Maria…it will be ON THIS NIGHT that we will leave this god forsaken place.” Maria’s mom responded as her heart was filled with fearful anticipation. As her thoughts bombarded her mind of what was ahead for her family, she reminded herself that the God she worshipped was the God of victory, the God who was sovereign.

At the young age of 10, Maria had watched her parents come home every evening from a hard day of work. Often as they would come through the door, she would see the blood that had dried on their skin after an Egyptian soldier had struck them beating them over and again.   Maria had lived in fear that each day may be the last day she felt the soft touch of her mother’s arms or the strength of her father’s hands.”

“Momma, can I help?”

“Sure, my precious Maria. Can you grab some more of those wooden boxes stacked over there in the corner? Then, if you could grab some of those gold pieces on the table and a few of those silver artifacts laying on the chair, that would be very helpful.I love that you are always willing to help your momma.”

As Maria grabbed a box from the floor, she walked over to the table to select a few pieces of gold that sat on the table.  As she picked them up she said, “But momma, these don’t belong to us. I think these belong to those people we don’t like. If we take these we would be stealing and stealing is wrong.”

“You are right Maria, but God has softened their hearts to give these to us as gifts.  They are allowing us to take whatever we want or need.  I think that this is a way God is taking care of us.  It’s a way God is saying that He is sorry that we have had to suffer for so long. I have watched my parents, your grandparents, suffer in this slavery. I have heard the stories from my grandparents talk about their parents also suffering in this.  Sweet girl, we have waited 430 years for this very night…

the night we will be released from captivity;

the night when we are no longer slaves to these people;

the night when I can look into your precious face and tell you that your life will be different;

the night that I can tell you that you are no longer a slave.”

Tears began to run down the face of Maria’s mother. As her tears were filled with emotion, in her heart she felt a joy only to compare to the birth of her children, but she also felt a fear that she often felt as the Egyptian soldiers would approach her with their chains. These two emotions battled within her. In her heart, she knew that after this night, she would wake to freedom. An emotion unfamiliar to her because all her life she knew only captivity. In the quietness of her thoughts, she longed for the feeling of freedom and the newness that would bring.

As the sun was beginning to set, time was running short. Maria and her mother continued working hard inside the house while Maria’s father and brothers collected cattle and livestock preparing them for the journey into the unknown.

One by one, Maria and her mother sealed the wooden boxes. The journey before them was unprecedented but their faith in the almighty God had become the foundation on which they lived.

The boxes were now stacked by the doorway as the women waited for the men to arrive with the wagon.

As Maria and her momma sat on top of the wooden boxes waiting, their minds and hearts were filled with great emotion. Slavery, though very difficult, was a known entity. Maria’s mother knew the course of every day. Some days were harder than others. On the good days, she simply felt the physical exhaustion brought on by such hard labor.  On the bad days, she felt as though she could not escape the scrutiny of the Egyptian soldiers often resulting in a scourging.

With her heart broken with confusion, Maria’s mother looked down to see the scars on her arms. As she brushed her hand over the rough texture of her scars now permanently marking her skin, she could see the scars as they interrupted the smoothness of her beautiful skin.

“Momma, why are you looking at your arm,” Maria said quietly as she could see the pensive look of her mother.

Maria’s mother looked up seemingly shaken out of a deep thought.

As she looked up at Maria, Maria could see a tear glistening in the corner of her mother’s eye. As one tear lost it’s way down her cheek, another was close to follow. Soon, her tears gave way to a steady stream running down her face.

“Maria, I am looking at the scars on my arms.  They are no longer painful but I am looking at the unevenness on my skin. These scars will forever be a part of me.”

Maria stood up from the box she was sitting on and walked over to her mother.  Maria took her small gentle hand and placed it on her mother’s arm.  As she ran her hand over her arm, she could feel the uneven texture that the scars left on her mother’s arm. Maria too began to cry getting just a glimpse of the pain her mother must have felt. The chains used by the soldiers left a mark forever reminding her mother of the trauma caused by such hatred.

But what once was a life shackled by chains became a night when the chains were broken and freedom was tasted…ON THIS NIGHT!

She looked into her mother’s tearful face longing to provide the comfort her mother so desperately needed.   As Maria’s hand remained on her mother’s scars, her mother said,

“ON THIS NIGHT, these scars will no longer represent pain.”

“ON THIS NIGHT,  these scars will be a reminder of God’s amazing grace.”

“ON THIS NIGHT, all chains will be broken.”

“ON THIS NIGHT, Maria, we will be set free.”

As they sat there in the quiet, they could hear the sounds of the wagons approaching. Maria and her momma rose up from the boxes and began to carry them to the wagon. With each box placed onto the bed of the wagon, it felt as though one more burden was lifted.

Once the wagon was full and the house was empty, Maria’s family gathered standing on the street outside their front door. Father then grabbed the hand of mother.  One by one, the family linked hands in unity. They stood on the outside of the door and watched as father closed the wooden door for the last time.  Once the door was closed, father said,

“ON THIS NIGHT, on this very night, the chains of slavery have been broken.”

“ON THIS NIGHT, God has set us free!”

Maria and her family then climbed into the wagon. The sun was falling fast asleep in the horizon, so father hurried them on so they could make it out of Egypt before the night sky engulfed them. As they approached the gates of the city, Maria reached out to touch the hand of her mother. As she did, her fingers grazed the scars on her mother’s arm. As she touched the scars, she knew she had touched God’s amazing grace.

Our story is much like the story of Maria and her family. We have been shackled to the sin in our lives. Our sin has held us in bondage to the beatings of this world. But as believers, we have been set free. We are no longer shackled to the sin of our past; we are no longer slaves to death.

ON THIS NIGHT; on the night we turned our face towards Jesus; on that night, we were set free!

What are the scars in your life that remind you of God’s amazing grace?

Touch those scars today and say thank you to the God of amazing grace.