Israel Crosses the Red Sea

The God who Saves

Hebrews 11:29 ESV

29 By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned.

The Passover and Exodus is climax of the story of Deliverance but it is finalized or sealed in an act of salvation, by God.

The God who delivers out of oppression - bondage - slavery, demonstrates salvation - true salvation of his people.

The crossing of the Red Sea becomes a point throughout the OT, where Israel constantly remembers. This moment in history of God’s people is where their faith was made whole. They became God’s people, they accepted their identity, and moved out of slavery and oppression to freedom.

Even though this generation would struggle with trusting God for their entire life, they would remember the moment of crossing the Red Sea as the miracle of trusting in the God who Saves.

God delivers everyone from bondage who will follow Him and he will save them, we just have to take the steps, and let him fight for us.

Let’s read the text in Exodus

Exodus 13:17–22 ESV

17 When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. For God said, “Lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt.” 18 But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle. 19 Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones with you from here.” 20 And they moved on from Succoth and encamped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. 21 And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. 22 The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.

God Protect Israel by Leading them Away from War, away from temptation

God is aware that after bondage it is hard to trust. God does not leave His people without help.

Exodus 14 ESV

1 Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “Tell the people of Israel to turn back and encamp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, in front of Baal-zephon; you shall encamp facing it, by the sea. 3 For Pharaoh will say of the people of Israel, ‘They are wandering in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.’ 4 And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord.” And they did so. 5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, the mind of Pharaoh and his servants was changed toward the people, and they said, “What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?” 6 So he made ready his chariot and took his army with him, 7 and took six hundred chosen chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them. 8 And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the people of Israel while the people of Israel were going out defiantly. 9 The Egyptians pursued them, all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and his horsemen and his army, and overtook them encamped at the sea, by Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon. 10 When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel cried out to the Lord. 11 They said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” 13 And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” 15 The Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. 16 Lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground. 17 And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they shall go in after them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, his chariots, and his horsemen. 18 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.” 19 Then the angel of God who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them, 20 coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel. And there was the cloud and the darkness. And it lit up the night without one coming near the other all night. 21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. 22 And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. 23 The Egyptians pursued and went in after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. 24 And in the morning watch the Lord in the pillar of fire and of cloud looked down on the Egyptian forces and threw the Egyptian forces into a panic, 25 clogging their chariot wheels so that they drove heavily. And the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from before Israel, for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians.” 26 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.” 27 So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its normal course when the morning appeared. And as the Egyptians fled into it, the Lord threw the Egyptians into the midst of the sea. 28 The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen; of all the host of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea, not one of them remained. 29 But the people of Israel walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. 30 Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses.

This is such a rich text

God made a promise, but it started with Moses’ faith and the people accepted the faith to move forward.

Look at Vs. 10

Exodus 14:10 “10 When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel cried out to the Lord.”

See how their fear has changed to fearing the Lord

Exodus 14:31 ESV

31 Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses.

The Israelites’ fear of the approaching Egyptians (v. 10) is transformed into the fear of the Lord and faith in him (v. 31).

• The promise of salvation today (v. 13) becomes the record of salvation that day (v. 30).

Exodus 14:13 ESV

13 And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again.

Exodus 14:30 ESV

30 Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore.

• The promise that Yahweh would fight for the Israelites (v. 14) is recognized as a fact by the Egyptians (v. 25).1

Exodus 14:14 ESV

14 The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”

Exodus 14:25 ESV

25 clogging their chariot wheels so that they drove heavily. And the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from before Israel, for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians.”

God is the one who saves. He freed Israel from their bondage, their oppressors were literally chasing them down.

God delivered them out of Egypt, lead them away from a war torn country of the Philistines, and forever removed the threat of their past. All they had to do, was take the steps into the the unknown.

Picture of how to be free from bondage and slavery. Forever

God is not satisfied with only giving you physical freedom. He wants your spiritual and emotional freedom as well.

God sets them free and saves them, before giving them the law.

LAW of Moses

Romans 8:2–17 ESV

2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. 12 So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

We are not slaves; we are children of God.

FREE from the law, free from death.

Spit story....?

GOD SAVES US

What is the source of your bondage?

Cross the sea to freedom. Trust God in the unknown!

1. Is it Anger at the world or yourself holding you down? , trying to escape an internal belief that you are fatally flawed…so you hide relentlessly under crazy standards of perfection for yourself AND Others…You end up resenting everyone, mostly yourself and sometimes God, because IF EVERYONE would just follow the rules, everything would be ordered, correct, controlled.

Stop trying to earn Grace. Grace was costly to God, but freely given to you. In fact, for the Joy (you) set before him, Jesus endured the Cross.

2. Is it a deep need to feel loved by others? A sense of Pride, that everyone should need you and love you. Afterall, you are the most helpful person you know. Do you feel unlovable if someone doesn’t need you or love you back? Does that drive your day?

What if you accepted how deep and vast and wide the Love of God is for you. Stop prioritizing others over who you are and how you feel. Accept God’s love and love others out of that love.

3. Do you feel the need to hide from the truth? To justify every action for the greater good or what is best for the appearances? Do you leave out the truth of your heart and feelings and instead try to manipulate others to get your needs met? Are you even aware that you never ask anyone anything without an agenda for yourself? Do you need to be the best at everything and achieve any goal because you are bound by an internal fear that people will see your worthlessness?

Accept the fact that God loves you just because you are his child. He chose you and love you even while you sleep and can’t complete a single thing for him.

4. Do you feel like you don’t fit in your own skin and that everyone misunderstands you? Do you look at everyone else’s life and know they have it better than you? Does your envy of others drive you to need to be seen as significant, a one of a kind story?

God built you for community. Being a son or daughter of God means you have parents in God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, and siblings - the Body of Christ. Stop withdrawing and spiraling in shame. You are not broken, you are redeemed. LOVABLE and cherished by God. Plus, people need to see that pain can be faced with courage and there is beauty for ashes with Jesus.

5. Do you avoid hardships by becoming an expert in something? Are you hiding by not relying on anyone and instead guarding your resources, energy, and reputation?

You can love and be loved by God and others. You don’t need the safety of your logic or learning, you need to follow God who is leading by a pillar of fire and a cloud. Trust him without having exhaustive information available to you.

6. Are you afraid? Are you always afraid that every decision you make will cause the worst case scenario to occur? Do you avoid change or people at all costs, because you worry what might happen if you decide something for yourself?

HAVE the FAITH TO CROSS THE SEA. Take the steps and believe in God’s Spirit in you. God DID NOT give you a Spirit of Fear. The most frequent command in the OT is Do not be Afraid. It sometimes takes generations to heal from oppression and even after we are free from our oppressors we worry…it is so hard to find our voice. God’s Spirit will confirm in your Spirit that you are saved, valued, loved just as you are. Take courage, God will fight for you.

7. Some of you may just say, this is all to silly. Life is short, lets just enjoy it. Praise the Lord. He will provide. Let go and Let GOD. He as already delivered me. Whooowoo…Let’s go party! What if your bondage is a deep avoidance of pain, at all costs? You need to feel FEED at all times, constantly entertained, the center of the universe.

God is the center of the world, not you. He suffered for the sake of others and I pray he gives you the courage to face your hurts, because they will come out. They will most likely come out at someone in pain, who needs you to weep with them and instead you hurl shame in their directions to save yourself from feeling your own hurts. YOU ARE SAFE in God’s arms. He caries your tears in a bottle. He is gentle with the broken hearted. True joy is found walking through the sea, overcoming the pain, not avoiding it.

8. Some of you might feel a deep need to control everyone else. You see the greatness of life and want to take hold of it. You are a force to be reckoned with and if people would just do things your way, everything would be best.

Allow God to lead you step by step and only follow God like Moses did. God told him what to do and he did it. His faith was bold and inspiring, but He lead others out of dependence on God’s instruction as a conduit, not a controlling tyrant. You can always depend on God to meet every need you have and the needs of those you love.

9. Do you just want peace? Do you always see everyone’s side and just want everyone to understand that the world would be better if everyone stopped complaining? Are you an even-keeled person, never super excited and never really mad? Are you in bondage to an addiction that holds at bay all the feelings you hate? Helps you numb out to all the noise and chaos?

Awake, o sleeper. Arise and beat your body into submission. You will survive people’s anger or hurts. You can live as someone experiencing the beauty of life. Your feelings and needs are important. It is safe to feel and to do something for yourself. God calls you out to see the death of your bondage on the sea shore. Your oppressor is literally vanquished by God’s power. Perfect peace is wholeness. Experiencing the fullness of life and the wholeness of life as God intended, which includes doing, being, thinking, and feeling. Finding your voice in the body of Christ.

God provided deliverance

Overcame fear with faith

Do the impossible with God

Responded to Go Forward with Faith