Exodus: Learning To Follow

He Will Make A Way

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zo3fJYtS-o

Psalm 106:1–12 NIV

1 Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. 2 Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the Lord or fully declare his praise? 3 Blessed are those who act justly, who always do what is right. 4 Remember me, Lord, when you show favor to your people, come to my aid when you save them, 5 that I may enjoy the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may share in the joy of your nation and join your inheritance in giving praise. 6 We have sinned, even as our ancestors did; we have done wrong and acted wickedly. 7 When our ancestors were in Egypt, they gave no thought to your miracles; they did not remember your many kindnesses, and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea. 8 Yet he saved them for his name’s sake, to make his mighty power known. 9 He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up; he led them through the depths as through a desert. 10 He saved them from the hand of the foe; from the hand of the enemy he redeemed them. 11 The waters covered their adversaries; not one of them survived. 12 Then they believed his promises and sang his praise.

Pray

Isaiah 63:7–14 NIV

7 I will tell of the kindnesses of the Lord, the deeds for which he is to be praised, according to all the Lord has done for us— yes, the many good things he has done for Israel, according to his compassion and many kindnesses. 8 He said, “Surely they are my people, children who will be true to me”; and so he became their Savior. 9 In all their distress he too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. 10 Yet they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit. So he turned and became their enemy and he himself fought against them. 11 Then his people recalled the days of old, the days of Moses and his people— where is he who brought them through the sea, with the shepherd of his flock? Where is he who set his Holy Spirit among them, 12 who sent his glorious arm of power to be at Moses’ right hand, who divided the waters before them, to gain for himself everlasting renown, 13 who led them through the depths? Like a horse in open country, they did not stumble; 14 like cattle that go down to the plain, they were given rest by the Spirit of the Lord. This is how you guided your people to make for yourself a glorious name.

Worship Set

Romans 15:4–6 NIV

4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. 5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, 6 so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Prayer Chorus

Prayer

Worship through the Word:

Exodus: Learning to Follow, Exodus 13:17-15:24

10,000 Sermon Illustrations None of These Diseases

S. I. McMillen, in his book None of These Diseases, tells a story of a young woman who wanted to go to college, but her heart sank when she read the question on the application blank that asked, “Are you a leader?” Being both honest and conscientious, she wrote, “No,” and returned the application, expecting the worst. To her surprise, she received this letter from the college:

“Dear Applicant: A study of the application forms reveals that this year our college will have 1,452 new leaders. We are accepting you because we feel it is imperative that they have at least one follower.”

Over the past few weeks, we have seen God step in to save the Hebrews from Egypt. However, He did not just intend to send them on their way to fend for themselves. They were definitely not prepared for that. No, God is now their God and King. They need to learn to follow Him.

As we watch the way He encourages them and demonstrates His ability to lead and protect them, we can be encouraged that He does the same for us. As was read earlier from the book of Romans,

Romans 15:4NIV

4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.

With that said, let us look at today’s text.

Exodus 13:17–14:4 NIV

17 When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” 18So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of Egypt ready for battle. 19 Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made the Israelites swear an oath. He had said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up with you from this place.” 20 After leaving Sukkoth they camped at Etham on the edge of the desert. 21 By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. 22 Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people. 1 Then the Lord said to Moses, 2“Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp near Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. They are to encamp by the sea, directly opposite Baal Zephon. 3Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert.’ 4 And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” So the Israelites did this.

The Word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God!

Pray

I. Learning to Follow Exodus 13:17-14:4

For over 400 years, the Children of Israel have been out of touch with God. They have learned to follow in the ways of Egypt. They have worshipped their gods, learned to enjoy their foods, and been completely cultured by Egypt.

God has now saved them. He has redeemed them from Egypt. They now need to learn how to follow God and what it means to be His people.

If you liked the theology layout of Exodus I gave last week, this week you can add the Doctrine of baptism, for the Hebrews are about to have their baptism experience. They will enter the waters as slaves fleeing Pharaoh, but they will come out on the other side to a new life as God’s people.

The first thing we find is that...

A. God works to build their trust (13:17-18)

Exodus 13:17–18NIV

17 When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” 18 So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of Egypt ready for battle.

The most direct route was a fortress of armies. Both Egyptian and Philistine blocked the route. The Hebrews were not soldiers, they had been slaves for a long time. They were ill equipped mentally to fight a battle at this point. They marched out boldly because they felt the battle was over and they had won. However, they were not yet strong enough of faith to be placed in a battle just yet.

Some translations give a confusing statement here.

Exodus 13:18NIV

18 So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of Egypt ready for battle.

The actual translation is that they went out in formation. If they had been ready for battle, they would not have been so fearful when they saw the Egyptians in pursuit.

God is working here to build their trust by not thrusting them into a battle they are not prepared to win.

God does the same thing with us. When we are new Christians, God may allow challenges to come our way, but nothing that is bigger than our faith can handle. Often, we face things that stretch our faith, but not overwhelm it. And clearly, the Hebrews do not have a lot of faith just yet. They leave boldly, excited that they are finally free of the horrific treatment by the Egyptians, but they have not really learned to trust God just yet. Their faith is very weak as we will see.

As we watch how God worked with the Israelites in this situation, we can be confident that God is no less gentle with us. He knows are strengths and our limitations. He slowly stretches us to increase faith at levels we can handle.

They Israelites have followed under the rule of Pharaoh, but now they need to learn to follow God. Following God is a lot different than following a king you can see. So,

B. God provides something visible to follow

Exodus 13:21–22NIV

21 By day the Lordwent ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. 22 Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.

The Israelites really had a unique perspective of God. If you ever think people would be more likely to believe and follow God if He were visible to them, you should take a good look at Israel. They saw God, not in flesh, but in manifested forms of cloud and light through most of their history and yet they still often failed to trust God or obey God as they should.

But now, in this critical time, God is building their trust by presenting Himself in the form of pillars of fire and cloud to lead them and He remains with them. They are learning to follow His lead each day and by watching His faithful leadership, they are growing to trust God.

The scriptures are vague on how long this journey to the Red Sea (or Reed Sea) really was. Scriptures do not make this clear. As we will see next, there was some backtracking, so they did not take a direct path. As I looked at various commentaries some said one day while others say as much as 24 days. Many did not comment on it at all, probably reluctant to state since the passage is vague on that point.

It had to be more than one day as it talks about a couple different camp locations. However many days it was, the Israelites were learning to follow God.

Now adays, we have something better. We have His Holy Spirit that lives within us. When we place our trust in God, we learn to follow by seeking to learn how to recognize His voice within us. As we learn to do so, He guides us in the way we need to go. Whether it be where to live, who to marry, what kind of job we should take, etc…God works to lead us in the path that is right for us.

As we learn to trust we learn how to be...

C. Following when directions do not make sense (14:1-3)

Exodus 14:1–3NIV

1 Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp near Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. They are to encamp by the sea, directly opposite Baal Zephon. 3 Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert.’

God directs the Hebrews to literally backtrack. Now, this would not have made sense to them and in fear they may have refused to follow. But God explains to them why He wants them to do this. God knows that Pharaoh still has his eye on them. The final showdown between Pharaoh and God has not yet taken place.

So, God directs them and gives them a reason why He is doing this. Here again, He is working to help them to learn to trust Him. In time, He will not always explain His actions and more faith will be required to obey, but their faith isn’t there yet and God knows it.

God also identifies His purpose to them.

Exodus 14:4NIV

4 And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.”So the Israelites did this.

God will be glorified in this battle. This will assert to the Egyptians that He is God, but it will also help build the faith of the Hebrews.

There are times in our lives when we need to follow God’s instructions even when they do not make sense. I remember a missionary sharing a story of how something happened back home, and he needed to get back to the states from his missionary post. He did not have the money to do so, but he felt God prompt him to pack and go to the airport. He was a man of faith, so he did just that. He was standing there at the airport not sure what to do next when a man approached him. The man asked him his name and when he shared who he was, the man handed him money saying God had prompted him to bring this money to this missionary. It was enough funds for him to make his trip to the states.

God often has ways beyond anything we can understand, and we can trust Him when He calls on us to do something.

The next thing they need to learn is...

D. Learning to follow instructions (14:13-16)

They are not only learning to follow God, but also to follow the direction of His prophets/leaders. When the people look up and see Pharaoh’s army coming after them, their first reaction is to cry out to God and then to cast blame on Moses for this situation they are in. They are at a dead end. They are blocked by the sea and have nowhere to go.

Notice the difference in Moses at this point. He has learned a lot since his first encounter with God. He is now a man of deep faith.

Exodus 14:13NIV

13 Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lordwill bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again.

Moses gives them four instructions:

1. Do not fear (Exodus 14:13)

This is the man who fled Egypt in fear. This is the man who tried to convince God to send someone else. Now he stands before these people and he cries out to them, “Do not fear.”

These people had witnessed God’s hand of judgement upon Egypt while God protected them. Now they are panicked, but Moses is at his peak and has learned to trust God. He is a tower of strength for them to follow.

Then Moses instructs them.

2. Stand firm and wait (Exodus 14:13)

They are safe right where they are. They left Egypt boldly, now they can boldly stand in confidence that God will take care of this situation as well.

Then Moses says,

3. Watch (Exodus 14:13)

God will provide the answer to the problem. It is God’s problem, not theirs. They just need to wait and watch what God does.

This is wise advice for us. There are times when the problems we face are too great for us to fix. In such times, we need not fear, but pray, standing firm in place waiting as we watch for God’s answer. These times often become monumental moments in growing our faith.

Then God gives further instruction.

4. Forward march (Exodus 14:15)

Exodus 14:15–16NIV

15 Then the Lordsaid to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. 16 Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.

The Israelites are to begin moving forward in faith even as Moses takes up his staff to separate the waters. They are to gather up their belongings and begin to move forward in faith of what will take place.

Sometimes God moves us to do the same thing. Sometimes the waters do not part until in faith we have placed our feet in the water. When God gives us direction, it is time to move understanding that He will remove the obstacles in our way.

And now we see...

D. God begins to build their confidence (Exodus 14:19-20)

God provides comfort to His people in this moment giving them the confidence that they need.

Exodus 14:19–20NIV

19 Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, 20 coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long.

The first thing God does is...

1. God places Himself between Israel and her enemy (Exodus 14:19-20)

The angel of God in the Old Testament is believed by many to be Jesus. Jesus was alive and actively at work long before the New Testament, however, if you notice each time in the Old Testament and the book of Revelation, when the angel of God speaks, it is God speaking. Jesus has always been God’s messenger to earth. And here, He places Himself and the pillar of cloud between Israel and her enemy. Israel can literally see God’s protection.

The second thing He does is,

2. God places the Israelites in the light giving a sense of peace and comfort, while the enemy is in dark chaos. (Exodus 14:20)

We are reminded here that this is the God who created all things. He can work outside the natural forces to provide His care when needed.

God is giving peace and comfort to His people in this time of distress. He is proving He is a God who cares and is powerful enough to take care of the situation.

We can look at His actions here and know that He has the same power to do the same for us.

I remember coming home one night after a New Year’s Eve party. I was on a main road that ran parallel with a freeway. There were a lot of small country roads that crossed this main road, each with a stop sign.

It was well after midnight, and I was driving at 55 miles / hr when a car failed to stop at the crossroad. Its approach had been obscured by trees so that I did not see it until it was too late. They were driving at a high rate of speed and a collision was unavoidable. I cried out to God, clenched the wheel, and closed my eyes waiting for the jarring crunch. When nothing happened, I opened my eyes. I was not sure where I was at first. I looked in my rear-view mirror and saw the crossroad a long way in the distance and there was no sign of the other car at all.

We may feel like we are boxed in by problems, but God always has the power to save us! He always provides a way of escape.

There is one other thing that God demonstrated to them on this day.

E. God always keeps His promises (Exodus 14:23-28)

God promised to deliver them and deliver them He did. God performed three incredible miracles in their deliverance.

1. The Egyptians were thrown into darkness (Exodus 14:20)

While the Israelites spent a night lighted by the glory of God, the cloud kept the Egyptians in darkness. They were unable to continue their pursuit.

2. God caused chaos among the Egyptian chariots (Exodus 14:24-25)

The Egyptian’s were masters with their chariots. They were well known and fierce in battle. They were quick to charge into the path between the sea walls in pursuit of the Hebrews, but God moved in a supernatural way to turn their wheels making it impossible for them to advance or retreat. They were stuck in the middle of the sea.

3. God crashed the sea wall onto them drowning them all (Exodus 14:26-28)

God promised that Israel would be saved, and they were. They not only witnessed the destruction, but they found bodies on the shore proving it true.

The Egyptians saw and believed just as God said. They did not serve God, but they held a healthy respect for Him. Some archaeologists have found obelisks and other items that indicate that Egypt stayed away from that area of the sea for some 17-22 years.

For Israel, they had now come through the waters of baptism. They have moved from the old life in Egypt to a new life with God.

They still have much to learn, but in this moment, they stand victorious through the actions of God, and they know it.

Exodus 14:31NIV

31 And when the Israelites saw the mighty hand of the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant.

But before we leave this event, there is one more thing we can learn from it. That is…

II. Giving response to God’s salvation (Exodus 15:1-21)

Next week we will move away from the exodus part of the story to more on their learning to follow God. However, I would be remiss if I did not address chapter 15’s response to God’s salvation. That is the subject of praise, celebration and singing. God is worthy of our thanks offerings through praise and worship. This is always expressed best through song.

In chapter 15, Moses and the men ring out in song. It is an antiphon praise with the women playing instruments and repeating the praises. It must have been a great celebration.

The Old Testament if full of descriptions of the Israelites responding in song after God has saved them from various enemies. The Psalms are songs written as praises and prayers to God. They were literally the hymnbook for Israel.

When the House of Judah returned from their captivity in Babylon, they returned home singing songs of praise to God for His deliverance as described by Isaiah.

Isaiah 44:23NIV

23 Sing for joy, you heavens, for the Lord has done this; shout aloud, you earth beneath. Burst into song, you mountains, you forests and all your trees, for the Lord has redeemed Jacob, he displays his glory in Israel.

In Psalm 40:3 David says,

Psalm 40:3NIV

3 He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lordand put their trust in him.

In Revelation 5 & 14 we find new songs being sang before the throne of God. First by the 24 elders and later by the 144,000 Jewish witnesses. These are all responses to what God is doing in the current moment.

One of the biggest battles and subjects of contention within the church is over the worship songs sang. Often the hymns of old are held as more sacred than the newer songs. Can I tell you that if there were no new songs, the church would be dead! New songs speak of a God that is continuing to work in the lives of His people today. The fact that there are new songs being written and new songs being incorporated in our worship services are testimony to a God who is alive and working in our midst today.

I know that we often hold dear memories associated with the old hymns and I am not saying we cut them out entirely. We took time to focus on them today. It is good we look back and remember those times. They encourage us in difficult times. However, it is also good to find new songs that speak to what God is doing in our lives in the present moment. God is worthy of our praise and songs of praise should always accompany those moments in our life when God has done something new and fresh in our lives. If we are living in the presence of God every day as we should, these should be regular occurrences.

God delights in new songs because new songs speak to the things, He is doing among us today.

Conclusion:

Some people say that Exodus 15:1-21 is out of place here in Exodus, but I believe it fits perfectly. God had done an awesome deed. He had miraculously saved His people delivering them to freedom. They put their trust in Him, and He delivered them. It is natural for them to respond in celebration and song.

Such thanks should be spontaneous and jubilant. Every Sunday should be a celebration for us. We sing in response to what God has done in our past, but also to what He is doing in our present.

This morning, I want us to end by singing a song of praise and celebration. Stand with me as we sing.

His Love Endures Forever

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGTZq3uCPm0

Benediction