The Cry, the Staff and the Decree

by Nathan Shaw

Three things brought about Israel’s deliverance from Egypt: the Israelites cry; Moses’ staff; and God’s decree. The deliverance established Israel in her priestly identity. As a priestly nation she carried a staff of authority to confront and challenge the demonic rulers that enslaved the nations. Israel was not only a priestly nation, she was also a prophetic prototype. We live in a time when the cry of God’s people, the staff of deliverers, and the decree of God will combine to release great freedom on the earth.

The Cry

It all started with a cry. “The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. God heard their groaning and He remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob” (Exodus 2:23-24). It’s hard to imagine the depth of this cry. The Israelites, those in covenant with the God of freedom, were instead subject to abject slavery. Their cry immediately awakened the covenant loyalties promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God was stirred to action. He took action not only because He was bound by covenant, but because He was determined to see His people free.

The Staff

After the cry was heard, a staff of authority was released in the earth. God turned up in a remote wilderness, in a blazing fire, in a bush that wasn’t consumed. Moses turned aside to see the phenomena. Speaking from within the bush God told Moses that He was sending him to Pharaoh to deliver the Israelites out of Egypt. Moses wasn’t happy about the commission. He didn’t believe the Israelites would listen to him. God simply responded by asking him what he held in his hand. “A staff,” Moses replied. “Throw it down,” God commanded. It promptly became a snake. “Pick it up,” God commanded. Once again it became a staff. The staff represented the authority of deliverance that God had given Moses. At God’s command, and with this authority, Moses would challenge Pharaoh and the gods of Egypt.

The Decree

Moses turned up at Pharaoh’s court with his brother Aaron for support. They got straight to business. Pharaoh was informed that Yahweh, the God of Israel, had released a decree from His heavenly court. The decree: “Let My people go!” (Exodus 5:1). One commentator says about this decree, “If a person was dismissed through the use of this verb, then he ceased to be within the power or sphere of influence of the individual who had dismissed him. He was completely free and subsequently acted entirely on his own responsibility” (Benno Jacob, Exodus). This was no small decree.

The cry of the Israelites stirred God to action. A staff of authority was released in the earth. However, the decree was even greater than the cry and the staff. The decree revealed the immovable determination of God’s heart. Pharaoh was stubborn, but God had already determined the outcome.

A Greater Deliverance

We live in a time of an even greater deliverance. This time God’s covenant loyalties are not only to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but also to His own Son. There is a direct connection between the book of Exodus and the book of Revelation. The plagues recorded in Exodus were judgments against the Egyptian gods. The plagues recorded in Revelation are judgments against demonic rulers over the nations. Exodus and Revelation are both about great deliverance. In Exodus the deliverance is confined to one people group (the Israelites), from one nation (Egypt). In Revelation the deliverance is much more expansive. It includes a multitude of peoples from many nations.

Exodus and Revelation are both about establishing a kingdom of priests. In Exodus one people group became a priestly nation. In Revelation multitudes from many nations become a kingdom of priests. When you put the following verses from Exodus and Revelation side by side the connection is obvious: “You yourselves have seen what I [God] did to Egypt…Although the whole earth is Mine, you will be for Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:4, 6 italics added). “To Him [Jesus] who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve His God and Father—to Him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.” (Revelation 1:5-6 italics added).

A cry is rising from the earth. It is the cry of God’s covenant people. Deliverers are arising in the nations. They have been entrusted with great authority from God. The decree has gone forth from God’s throne. It will continue to reverberate until all is accomplished. We live in a time of great deliverance.

© 2022 Nathan Shaw.

Related Articles:
God's Plan for the Nations: From the Life of Joseph – Nathan Shaw
God's Deliverers and the Three Levels of Freedom – Nathan Shaw

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