UnStuck Part 2 More Class

Intro:

Recap

Main Character Energy

How we all have the desire to be the main character

But how God has invited us into His story

And we are invited to impact the stories of those around us

Everything is done for God’s glory

And God delivered the Israelites for the purpose of showing the Egyptians that He is Lord

Exodus 14:1–18 (NIV)

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.’ 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. 5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them and said, “What have we done? We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!” 6 So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him. 7 He took six hundred of the best chariots, along with all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them. 8 The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out boldly. 9 The Egyptians—all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots, horsemen and troops—pursued the Israelites and overtook them as they camped by the sea near Pi Hahiroth, opposite Baal Zephon. 10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the Lord. 11 They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!” 13 Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” 15 Then the Lord said 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. 17 I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. 18 The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen.”

Why is it so tempting to want to be front and center all of the time?

In your eyes, what do we have to gain by doing that?

What do we have to lose?

Is God’s desire to get glory or gain honor motivated by neediness, narcissism, or egomania on His part? Why or why not?

Lets re-read ex 14:11 and 12 and I want us to notice all the occurences of the words we and us

Exodus 14:11–12 NIV

11 They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”

7 times in the NIV

What are ways you’ve found helpful to take the focus off of you and put it onto God and also the others He’s placed in your life?

There is an interesting play on words here in the Hebrew.

So if you are unfamiliar with Hebrew most Hebrew words are comprised of triconsonantal roots

Which just means that the root word is comprised of 3 contestants.

The verb used throughout Exodus here is kabad and kabed. (Ka-vahd) Which would have the root kbd

Literal translation is: weigh heavily upon, weighty, heavy

This is the root word used multiple times earlier during the plagues to describe hardening of Pharaoh's heart (3 times of he himself hardening, once of God hardening, once uncertain Ex 8:15; Ex 8:32; Ex 9:7; Ex 9:34; Ex 10:1).

it’s also the same word here translated to be honor or glory (as it also is in Ex 14:17,18) when referring to the Lord and his gaining glory through Pharoah

"Pharaoh's heart is 'heavy' so that 'heaviness' would be given to Yahweh!"

Or Pharaoh’s heart is made kavahd so that kavahd would be given to the Lord.

And so if we happened to be fluent in Hebrew, the point would be made that much clearer, I think, that God will use any means necessary to receive and gain glory.