A Miracle Greater Than the Exodus

1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:07,280
Well, this week the Jewish world has been celebrating Passover and remembering how God

2
00:00:07,280 --> 00:00:13,720
set their ancestors free from slavery in Egypt some 3500 years ago.

3
00:00:13,720 --> 00:00:20,560
Did you know that there is an even bigger event prophesied in the Hebrew prophets?

4
00:00:20,560 --> 00:00:26,280
Well, welcome to this week's Shabbat Shalom devotional when I try to share just a little

5
00:00:26,280 --> 00:00:31,760
inspiration and bring a little peace to the close of your busy week.

6
00:00:31,760 --> 00:00:37,560
If you are listening to us on an audio format, I have been told my voice is very calming

7
00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:40,600
so I hope that it does bring you some peace.

8
00:00:40,600 --> 00:00:45,560
But for those of you watching on our video platforms, I hope you are enjoying the new

9
00:00:45,560 --> 00:00:52,920
background and you see the city of Jerusalem as Shabbat is beginning to settle in.

10
00:00:52,920 --> 00:00:58,280
Just allow that rest and that peace to fill your heart.

11
00:00:58,280 --> 00:01:05,240
So as I said last week, the Jewish people have been celebrating the Exodus for 3500

12
00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:06,240
years.

13
00:01:06,240 --> 00:01:11,680
It is the moment that they were taken from death into life.

14
00:01:11,680 --> 00:01:14,280
They were given a hope and a future.

15
00:01:14,280 --> 00:01:22,040
It was a watershed moment in their history and they were commanded to remember and celebrate

16
00:01:22,040 --> 00:01:26,200
it throughout all of their generations.

17
00:01:26,200 --> 00:01:33,040
But the Hebrew prophets said that one day something even greater than the Exodus miracle

18
00:01:33,040 --> 00:01:34,440
was going to happen.

19
00:01:34,440 --> 00:01:40,040
I want to read it for you out of Jeremiah 23, verses 7 through 8.

20
00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:46,960
Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when they will no longer say, as

21
00:01:46,960 --> 00:01:52,880
the Lord lives who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt, but as the

22
00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:59,160
Lord lives who brought up and led back the descendants of the household of Israel from

23
00:01:59,160 --> 00:02:06,800
the Northland and from all the countries where I had driven them, then they will live on

24
00:02:06,800 --> 00:02:09,200
their own soil.

25
00:02:09,200 --> 00:02:16,680
So this is saying that one day God would miraculously bring the Jewish people back to their ancient

26
00:02:16,680 --> 00:02:22,360
homeland from all the countries in which they had been in exile.

27
00:02:22,360 --> 00:02:29,680
It would be such a miracle that it would overshadow the Exodus story.

28
00:02:29,680 --> 00:02:34,760
Well this, my friends, is happening in our very day.

29
00:02:34,760 --> 00:02:38,360
The Jewish people have come home to Israel.

30
00:02:38,360 --> 00:02:45,880
No other people group had been in exile, scattered throughout the world for 2000 years and retained

31
00:02:45,880 --> 00:02:49,120
themselves as a nation.

32
00:02:49,120 --> 00:02:57,560
Much less after 2000 years, returned to their ancient homeland and reestablished sovereignty

33
00:02:57,560 --> 00:03:03,040
and made an ancient dead language live again.

34
00:03:03,040 --> 00:03:06,360
It is such a miracle story.

35
00:03:06,360 --> 00:03:10,280
This scripture specifically mentions the land of the North.

36
00:03:10,280 --> 00:03:16,840
Over one million Jews have made their way out of the land of the North of Russia to

37
00:03:16,840 --> 00:03:19,080
make their way to Israel.

38
00:03:19,080 --> 00:03:26,000
I remember back in the 1980s when the Jews then in the former Soviet Union were not allowed

39
00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:27,000
to leave.

40
00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:32,280
They weren't allowed to practice their religion or to even learn about Israel.

41
00:03:32,280 --> 00:03:38,200
And many were in prisons, they were called refuseniks because they were not allowed to

42
00:03:38,200 --> 00:03:41,760
immigrate to Israel, instead they were imprisoned.

43
00:03:41,760 --> 00:03:48,000
So we prayed for them, we held rallies for them around the world calling for their release.

44
00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:52,320
We knew that God was going to let them go, but we didn't know.

45
00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:57,480
Would it be in peace or would they be fleeing for their lives?

46
00:03:57,480 --> 00:04:00,240
Thank God they were able to leave in peace.

47
00:04:00,240 --> 00:04:07,960
And after the iron curtain fell in 1989, 1990, the doors just opened and they were allowed

48
00:04:07,960 --> 00:04:08,960
to leave.

49
00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:15,680
And since then, over one million Jews have left the former Soviet Union now Russia and

50
00:04:15,680 --> 00:04:17,280
come to Israel.

51
00:04:17,280 --> 00:04:25,280
So you serve a mighty God who is sovereign, he is Lord over all of history, and what he

52
00:04:25,280 --> 00:04:29,160
says will happen, it will happen.

53
00:04:29,160 --> 00:04:32,520
No miracles are too big for him.

54
00:04:32,520 --> 00:04:38,640
So as you take a break this weekend and bring your needs to the Lord and reflect upon His

55
00:04:38,640 --> 00:04:48,240
greatness, remember the words of Jesus when he said, What is impossible with man is possible

56
00:04:48,240 --> 00:04:49,960
with God.

57
00:04:49,960 --> 00:05:03,280
And with that I wish you Shabbat Shalom.