The long-awaited redemption for Israel has finally come, but it has come at a cost. The blood of lambs has been spilled in their homes and they are now ushered out of the land in the night by their former masters. Israel must make the trek to Succoth with little provisions, accompanied by a soundtrack of despair as the Egyptians horror in the loss of their firstborn. But the redeeming God is a present God. He watches over his people as they move toward the fulfillment of the promise to bring them into a better place. He is the same God who watches and preserves his Church, as they too move from a foreign land toward home.

Jesus summarizes the entire Old Testament in these two commands: love God and love neighbor. This is an incredibly practical word that helps us understand the Law of God and our need of the Gospel.

The gospel change is the heart of the Christian. That heart change will overflow with external signs of health and vitality. It will produce singing, sustenance, and sending in believers and local churches.