GOD IN THE MIDDLE

God In The Middle

Exodus 14:19-20 NIV

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.

We often have little idea how much God does to protect us from the attacks of our unseen enemies. We sometimes feel that we are overwhelmed in a present spiritual struggle, but we may not know what it would be like if the Lord pulled back His protection.

The sufficiency of God is revealed in unseen moments.

GOD IN THE MIDDLE

The power of God is displayed when we move beyond our possibilities.

* If you need direction, God will go before you.

* If you need protection, God will go behind.

* If your need is affection, God will be at your side and comfort you.

* If you want salvation, God will save you.

* If you suffer from rejection or dejection, God will be above you to lift you up and encourage you.

* If you need a foundation to build a stable life, God will go before you, stabilize and strengthen you like a solid rock that anchors in the raging storm.

Brother and Sister, God is always with those who are with him. If we trust him, he hath said, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

You will always find God in the Middle.

I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

Revelation 1:8 (KJV)

God Can Speak A Word And Things Will Commence.

To begin; start; originate.

God Can Speak A Word And Things Will Conclude.

At the Red Sea the Israelites are caught between the Red Sea and the Army. They have no Idea that God is about to do the unexpected.

They are somewhere between Canaan and Captivity

Israel was “hemmed in” (14:31) on two sides by the desert and the other by the sea. It wasn’t a mistake. It was a trap to display God’s glory. God wanted Israel to know He was adequate for any crisis.

God simply spoke a Word and Israel's captivity came to an end.

Canaan [The Place Of more than Enough] is where God is trying to get them.

Captivity [The Place Of Not Enough] is where the enemy is trying to keep them.

God sees their PREDICAMENT and then changes His

POSITION!

Illustrates

Psalms 23

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

Exodus 14 has seven scenes:

Scene 1: vv1-4 God’s plan and purpose.

Scene 2: vv5-9Pharaoh’s change of mind and pursuit of God’s people.

Scene 3: vv10-12 the fear and cry of God’s people.

Scene 4: vv13-15 the great message of victory and deliverance.

Scene 5: vv16-18 God’s great purpose in dividing the Red Sea.

Scene 6: VP 19-28 the great deliverance.

Scene 7: vv29-31 the Lord’S salvation of his people.

Look at our text,

I. GOD WAS IN THE MIDDLE GIVING THEM A PUSH

v19, 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,

The angel of God moved from the front of His people to the rear (v. 19). He moved to stand between Israel and the Egyptians. He moved to protect God’s people from the attack of the Egyptians.

I. GOD WAS IN THE MIDDLE GIVING THEM A PUSH

They saw the Red Sea, Mountains on both side and Pharaohs Army.

They Saw:

Something They Couldn't Cross Before Them

Something They Couldn't Climb Beside Them

Something They Couldn't Conquer Behind Them

They Stopped Making Progress

A pushback tug is a common airport procedure where the airplane is safely pushed backward away from an airport gate through the use of external power in the form of a pushback tractor or airport tug.

Sometimes We Need A Push!

I. GOD WAS IN THE MIDDLE GIVING THEM A PUSH

II. GOD WAS IN THE MIDDLE GENERATING A PARTITION

v20 and it stood between the people of Israel and the Egyptians. And that night, as it changed to a pillar of fire, it gave darkness to the Egyptians but light to the people of Israel! So the Egyptians couldn’t find the Israelis!

Moses did what God said and God did what He said He would. But first, the angel of the Lord, in the fiery pillar, moved from the front to the rear—between Israel and the army. All that night, Israel crossed, it was dark on Egypt’s side of God, but God’s fire shined and it was light on Israel’s side. They walked using God’s flashlight.

"Partition"

"an interior wall or barrier dividing a room, a area of a building, enclosure, or space into separate areas"

God created a "DIVINE DIVIDER"

God Didn't Want Them To Lose Focus Looking At What's Behind Them.

" Jesus replied, "No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."

Luke 9:62 (NIV)

Phil 3:13

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.

Isaiah 43:18 (NIV)

'See, I am doing a new thing!

Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

Isaiah 43:19 (NIV)

I. GOD WAS IN THE MIDDLE GIVING THEM A PUSH

II. GOD WAS IN THE MIDDLE GENERATING A PARTITION

III. GOD WAS IN THE MIDDLE GETTING RID OF THEIR PAST

Look at The Pursuit

Ex 14:5

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.

v6 So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him.

v7'He took six hundred of the best chariots, along with all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them.

There is one good thing about the devil. He never gives up. He is persistent. When Pharaoh and his leaders realized all their free labor was gone, they forgot their fears and went out in full military force to bring slaves back. And when they did the mightiest miracle in the Old Testament took place. The angel of God in the fiery cloud moved been Israel and the Egyptian army. God had Moses raise his rod and wind of God parted the Red sea and the people of God, all two million of them, with their herds “went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left” (14:22).

When the Egyptians saw this, they drove in after them, but God fought for Israel, getting the chariot drivers confused and getting their wheels stuck in the mud.

Then God gave the order for Moses to stretch out his rod over the sea. He did and the waters came together and destroyed the entire army of Egypt.

1. God Was Keeping Their Past Away From Them.

2.God Was Keeping Them Away From Their Past.

v13 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.”

God’s instructions through Moses are four-fold.

1. “Fear Not.” He instructed the people first of all not to be afraid.

2. “Stand Still” might be better understood to say, “Stand firm” – reflecting faith and confidence in the delivering power of Jehovah.

3. “Watch” – Moses says “see… what the Lord will accomplish for you today.” God does not need your help. You don’t need to fight, you need to stay out of the way. Just watch Him work.

4. Keep silent – “hold your peace.” Often the hardest for us to do is this, because we feel that we just have to tell somebody about the predicament that we are in.

Be Still, God Will Fight Your Battles Be still, God will fight your battles. Be still, God will fight your battles. Be still, God will fight your battles. God will fight your battles if you just keep still.

Keep a prayin’, God will fight your battles. Keep a prayin’, God will fight your battles. Keep a prayin’, God will fight your battles. God will fight your battles if you just keep still.