Exodus 14:1-15:21

Last week, the Israelites were finally leaving Egypt. The God of Israel defeated all of the gods of Egypt, and commanded Moses to call the people and go. The people went, leaving their houses as empty tombs behind, protected by the blood of the lamb that redeemed them.

We also talked about 2 words, Consecrate and Redeem. What do they mean? Consecrate means to make something holy. Redeem means to replace one thing with another, or to purchase it. It took a redemption sacrifice to consecrate the firstborn to the Lord. That sacrifice made them holy, at that point, it was the parents responsibility to raise that child to know and love the Lord.

We also talked last week about the taking of passover. It’s reminiscent of Communion today, which we will be partaking together. Not everyone could eat of it. What needed to happen for them to partake in Passover? They would need to be circumcized...Ouch, right? It would make you think twice about this hokey religion...if it was hokey.

The circumcision would cost the men, those who would be comissioned to lead their families something terribly painful, a separation of the foreskin of their bodies, symbolizing that they were under new management. You were recognizable at that point on as a Jew. Now, the circumcision is of the foreskin of our heart. It’s a different kind of flesh, a spiritual separation. One that hurts in a different way, instead of being a physical pain, it makes us fight against the lust of our hearts.

Ultimately, why this was important, was so that the Israelites knew their salvation had NOTHING to do with what they could do, and EVERYTHING to do with God has done. Over and over again, by the strength of the Hand of the Lord they were saved. Do this in remembrance of me.

So, they took the bones of Joseph with them, so that he could be with them when they entered the land promised to his family, and the Lord lead them away from the easy road, littered with outposts that would give them opportunities to rethink their decision to leave, but lead them to the desert, so that He could let them know Him better. He would teach them how to obey, He would teach them how to worship. He would show them He will never leave them or forsake them. That’s where we are today, in Exodus 14.

Exodus 14:1–4 NKJV

1 Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, that they turn and camp before Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, opposite Baal Zephon; you shall camp before it by the sea. 3 For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, ‘They are bewildered by the land; the wilderness has closed them in.’ 4 Then I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, so that he will pursue them; and I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord.” And they did so.

What does the word “bewildered” mean? The Hebrew word is pronounced “buch” which means confused. Remember last week, they didn’t go by the main road to the Promised Land like Pharaoh would have expected them to. They veered off, do you remember why? Because God wanted them to follow Him. He needed alone time with them, and he knew that by going the main road way, the people would meet resistence en-route and return.

Isn’t that what we do? We start a workout...and it gets too hard, so we quit, then we quit trying altogether, even if it’s little things that are derailing us. The Lord knew that we were fickle, that our attention spans are short. He knew He had to get our attention...but more than that, a brilliant masterstroke to tell Moses...I’m going to lead my people into the wilderness, so when Pharaoh comes to his senses, he’ll think “Oh how the turn tables have turned...” In fact, he’ll say “Look at those fools, wandering around...They’ve got work to do and I’ve got them right where I want them. There’s no way out, easy pickings.”

The Lord will again prove to Pharaoh that He is God, and Pharaoh is not. Pharaoh thinks there’s no way out for the Israelites. Little did He know, he was being led into a trap. Pharaoh knows, because he’s just a man, that miracles don’t happen...even though he experienced 10 of them, he still doesn’t believe. You’d think he’d get the point by now...

Exodus 14:5–9 NKJV

5 Now it was told the king of Egypt that the people had fled, and the heart of Pharaoh and his servants was turned against the people; and they said, “Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?” 6 So he made ready his chariot and took his people with him. 7 Also, he took six hundred choice chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt with captains over every one of them. 8 And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the children of Israel; and the children of Israel went out with boldness. 9 So the Egyptians pursued them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, and overtook them camping by the sea beside Pi Hahiroth, before Baal Zephon.

Pharaoh was over his mourning now, and he sees the tactial advantage and he’s going to take it. He’s not leaving any chances to them not returning, so he sends 600 chariots, manned by 2 men each, so 1200 men...AND ALL of the other chariots and their captains. He sent almost everything he had! it didn’t take them long to catch up to them.

They had only gone maybe a weeks journey into the wilderness at this point, and they had problems of their own to worry about. They all left in haste, so they weren’t fully prepared for this journey. No real shelter, all in the desert...In fact, the only shelter they had to begin with was the pillar of cloud by day. It was out in front, but it blocked out the sun to make the journey comfortable for His people. How many times do we take that provision for granted? When was the last time you thanked the Lord for the little things in your life? It’s nice when a cloud comes by on a really hot day, isn’t it? Gently leading, protecting, that’s how our God works.

But His people didn’t have their minds focused on the Lord, they were wanting, and looking back...

Exodus 14:10–12 NKJV

10 And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord. 11 Then they said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? 12 Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.”

Where did they tell Moses this?

Exodus 5:21 NKJV

21 And they said to them, “Let the Lord look on you and judge, because you have made us abhorrent in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us.”

They weren’t coming to kill them per se, but to bring them back and make them servants again, killing their spirit. Oh how quickly they forgot the power of the Lord! He’s right there! Fire every night!

Things were getting hard, provisions running low, and how easy is it for worry to creep in on us? We can praise the Lord with one breath, and curse Him with the next. We should be praising Him thru the storm too. Why do we do that? Is it a lack of faith?

We’re not far from the difference between these 2 verses:

Psalm 139:14 NKJV

14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.

Ephesians 5:29 NKJV

29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.

We know both of these truths. We know the Lord looks out for us, but we look out for ourselves all the more. Pastor Chuck Smith used to say: “When your outlook gets bad, look up.”

Who led them into the wilderness away from the well-traveled road? Who led them into this trap? Believe me, there were people in that crowd of 2M that knew what was ahead. They knew they were doomed.

Did you know that the Lord does the same things with us? What is the reason for leading them into the wilderness? So they would learn to worship Him in all things. They would learn of His might, His provision, and His Love. Do you think He knows you’ll doubt? Complain? Grumble? Want to quit? Question Him? Of course He does. Unfortunately for us, He’s very patient in teaching us His lessons. He won’t let us continue until we are ready. What does that take from us? Surrender. Why is that so hard?

I was just talking with someone close to me this week that finally let go of their pride and anger in a person and prayed for them. I got to witness their contenence change. After a couple of days, they told me “I don’t know what it is, I feel so different.” I told them...because you can breathe now. You’ve unburdened yourself from the thing that the Lord kept calling you to let go of.

We don’t want to let go of things. He stole my seat. She keeps looking at me. Do you have any idea what that room smells like because of him...I get it. What do we need to surrender? What do we need to overlook? What do we need to stop carrying? I know you parents see it...you watch your kids carry everything in their hands, under arms, pinched under their chin, between their eyebrows...and you’re like: “You’ve got pockets kid.” Or better yet, take 2 trips. Put something down and ask someone to help you. You don’t have to do it on your own.

What do we do when we carry too much? We complain, don’t we? We look around at the people around us and feel like “they should know I need help.” Have you ever thought, that maybe the Lord was showing you how strong you are to carry this burden? The Lord gives His heaviest burdens to His strongest soldiers. Don’t complain about what the Lord is putting you thru. Understand that the Lord is doing something thru you that you didn’t know He could do.

He’ll lead you into the wilderness, into hardship, into a trap...know that one way or another, He will be glorified.

So Moses hears the grumbles of the people, and their fearless leader gives them the best instruction he can:

Exodus 14:13–14 NKJV

13 And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. 14 The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”

STAND and WATCH what the Lord will do! He’ll fight all of these people for us! Then what?

Exodus 14:15–18 NKJV

15 And the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. 16 But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. 17 And I indeed will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them. So I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, his chariots, and his horsemen. 18 Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gained honor for Myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”

Was Moses told to command the people? No, he was to lead them after the Lord. He doesn’t ask them to stop, Moses does. How many times in our lives do we stop at the sea, or at the mountain, or the wall and say “this is impossible. I might as well give up.” How many times have we quit just before the sea was to be parted? The mountain to be moved OR, you decide to climb?

I’ve heard it said that when God closes a door, He opens a window. I don’t prescribe to that. Sometimes the door is shut because we need to wait in the hallway for a little while. Waiting is an action word, is it not? Did you know it’s a verb? How about stop? Is that a verb too?

Let’s define terms. Stop means what? To come to a cease. Wait means what? To expect a result. Waiting in the hallway isn’t “well, I’m stuck here now.” Waiting in the hallway means: there’s another door OR this door isn’t open yet for me. What do I need to learn, what do I need to do, what does the Lord need to do to me, in me, thru me before that door opens? And sometimes, what He’s doing is preparing for us...this door isn’t supposed to open for you, be OK with that. His plans are not our plans, and His ways are not our ways. My advice to you, learn to move before He has to break you.

What happens next?

Exodus 14:19–20 NKJV

19 And the Angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them. 20 So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. Thus it was a cloud and darkness to the one, and it gave light by night to the other, so that the one did not come near the other all that night.

Who is the Angel of God? It’s a representation of Jesus, and He was in the cloud and the fire. He was leading, He was the salvation of God’s People, still is today. The cloud moved and encompassed the Egyptians so they were disoriented. The fire remained and shined to light the path ahead.

Darkness covered the evil. Light shone for the faithful. The Egyptians had to stop, another miracle. Nothing could stop the Egyptian war machine...but God. Moses had to complete God’s command though, they couldn’t stand and marvel at what the Lord was doing, even though they wanted to, they had to move.

Exodus 14:21–23 NKJV

21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided. 22 So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. 23 And the Egyptians pursued and went after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.

Is your God a God of Miracles? Or is He a god of natural phenomena? Does everything need to be explained to be believed? Do you have enough faith to believe the words as written? There are pastors I’ve heard recently that believe and teach that the book of Revelation is figurative and that hell isn’t real.

There have been people that try to tell this part of the story and explain that they found where this happened and the water is just a few feet deep and I just can’t believe it. My God is a God of Miracles. The God of Miracles. I can’t believe anything else. I’ve tried to prove this book untrue and I can’t do it.

Do I believe a wind from the East blew and parted the sea? Yes. Do I believe it wasn’t a receeding of the water, but a wall of water like the 10 Commandments movie? Yes I do. Why? Because My God can do it. I may be a man of little faith, BUT, what little I have is big to me.

So, the Egyptians follow and what happens next? Most of you know this story well:

Exodus 14:24–25 NKJV

24 Now it came to pass, in the morning watch, that the Lord looked down upon the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud, and He troubled the army of the Egyptians. 25 And He took off their chariot wheels, so that they drove them with difficulty; and the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians.”

In the morning, the Egyptians gave chase thru the dry riverbed, and the Lord lostened their chariot wheels, stranding the men, their horses, and the chariots. The smaller chariots would have been able to, they are 2-4 horse teams. The choice chariots though, they were 10 team chariots. It’s hard to turn horses like that, you need a lot of real estate. On muddy ground, that would wreak havoc on the wheels. This would have been a struggle for them, and I believe would strike even more fear in them.

Exodus 14:26–29 NKJV

26 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the waters may come back upon the Egyptians, on their chariots, and on their horsemen.” 27 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and when the morning appeared, the sea returned to its full depth, while the Egyptians were fleeing into it. So the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. 28 Then the waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all the army of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. Not so much as one of them remained. 29 But the children of Israel had walked on dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.

People ask today, where did this happen on the Red Sea? We don’t know. I used to think, like a lot of people, that there would be a huge debris field in one spot along the bottom, but when I think about it now, with a catestrophic event like this, I’m pretty sure the waters would have washed everything all over so much that it would be a mystery.

Chariots have been found all over, and I think that’s exactly what the Lord wants us to know. It’s not about the place of the crossing, that’s not the lesson. It’s that the Lord made a way where there was no way. By some miracle, the Israelites crossed, Egypt lost thousands of soldiers, horses, and the equivalent of hundreds of bygone era battle tanks. Decimated by the Mighty Hand of the Lord. Naturally, the people would marvel:

Exodus 14:30–31 NKJV

30 So the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 Thus Israel saw the great work which the Lord had done in Egypt; so the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord and His servant Moses.

The end. Right? That’s a good quiet end of the story if it were to end there. Something special happened next though, the first Psalm in the Bible was sung.

Exodus 15:1–5 NKJV

1 Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the Lord, and spoke, saying: “I will sing to the Lord, For He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea! 2 The Lord is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him; My father’s God, and I will exalt Him. 3 The Lord is a man of war; The Lord is His name. 4 Pharaoh’s chariots and his army He has cast into the sea; His chosen captains also are drowned in the Red Sea. 5 The depths have covered them; They sank to the bottom like a stone.

Exodus 15:6–10 NKJV

6 “Your right hand, O Lord, has become glorious in power; Your right hand, O Lord, has dashed the enemy in pieces. 7 And in the greatness of Your excellence You have overthrown those who rose against You; You sent forth Your wrath; It consumed them like stubble. 8 And with the blast of Your nostrils The waters were gathered together; The floods stood upright like a heap; The depths congealed in the heart of the sea. 9 The enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; My desire shall be satisfied on them. I will draw my sword, My hand shall destroy them.’ 10 You blew with Your wind, The sea covered them; They sank like lead in the mighty waters.

Exodus 15:11–13 NKJV

11 “Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, Fearful in praises, doing wonders? 12 You stretched out Your right hand; The earth swallowed them. 13 You in Your mercy have led forth The people whom You have redeemed; You have guided them in Your strength To Your holy habitation.

Exodus 15:14–17 NKJV

14 “The people will hear and be afraid; Sorrow will take hold of the inhabitants of Philistia. 15 Then the chiefs of Edom will be dismayed; The mighty men of Moab, Trembling will take hold of them; All the inhabitants of Canaan will melt away. 16 Fear and dread will fall on them; By the greatness of Your arm They will be as still as a stone, Till Your people pass over, O Lord, Till the people pass over Whom You have purchased. 17 You will bring them in and plant them In the mountain of Your inheritance, In the place, O Lord, which You have made For Your own dwelling, The sanctuary, O Lord, which Your hands have established.

Exodus 15:18–19 NKJV

18 “The Lord shall reign forever and ever.” 19 For the horses of Pharaoh went with his chariots and his horsemen into the sea, and the Lord brought back the waters of the sea upon them. But the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea.

Exodus 15:20–21 NKJV

20 Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took the timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. 21 And Miriam answered them: “Sing to the Lord, For He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea!”

After the big victory, they celebrate. Isn’t that how you would do it? The miraculous touchdown to win the game? You’re singing Queen off-key - No time for losers, ‘cause we are the champions. Jewish people are so fun to be around. They dance and sing songs to lots of things. You get us in a Karaoke bar and we stand and hold the mic...”Living in America, eye to eye, station to station.” What do you do in private? You dance it out, right? You’ve got the broom, knowing nobody is watching...

We were just yelling at the ref and the coach, no hope in sight. Just like the Isarelites. They’re in fear for their lives, the tension is mounting, and then Moses calls timeout, says “Watch this:” And the Lord says “Don’t stop, GO!” They all get across and then the Lord says “Stop here and watch me work.”

The Lord doesn’t call us into the wilderness to stay there...UNLESS we don’t surrender to Him. The people aren’t in tune with God. Moses is. This isn’t the first time they’ve complained to him, and it won’t be the last. BUT, one person is all it takes. One faithful person to take up the mantle and lead righteously. He can wait us out, gladly. We can even ask him “Why aren’t you doing anything?” His silence usually means...”because you think you can do it and you just can’t, Nemo!” We can do nothing apart from God, but He will let us. He’ll let us fight our battles and fail. Until we surrender, we’ll stay in the wilderness.

Some of us are in the wilderness right now in our lives, with our families. You don’t know what to do, where to go, you feel like you’re up against the sea with the enemy running you down. Is it time to turn it all over to the one who can work miracles? What will it cost you? The wilderness isn’t designed to make you, it’s designed to break you. It erodes your pride, your attitude, it wears you down. It’s exactly where the enemy loves us to be because we are vulnerable and alone. Shredded, tattered.

What are we to do if we’re in the wilderness? Learn surrender, but more than that, learn how to worship the Lord again. Spurgeon said <SLIDE>

“My dear friend, when grief presses you in the dust, WORSHIP THERE.” — Charles Spurgeon

Job - no greater worship than surrender.

Celebrate the little wins. Don’t stop; wait. One quits, the other expects. It’s a mindset that we must be active about achieving. If you ask my wife, I look for the tiniest thread of gold in every situation and I hold onto that. No matter how bleak the outcome looks, I know the Lord has something better, bigger, and that He won’t break my heart for no reason. He won’t break yours either.

Worship Team - Communion

How long are you going to fight? How long are you going to budget? How long until you turn it over to the Lord and shed the excess? The question isn’t “how am I going to get thru this? The question should be “What do I need to do without Lord?” The wilderness reduces us so we can watch the Lord work. I’ve never met a ruined man. The Lord is in the restoration business, amen? He takes broken things and makes them new. How much of the original is salvageable? Sometimes very little of us is, right? What must go? Jesus explains to a rich young ruler in Mark 10:

Mark 10:21 NKJV

21 Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”

How did the rich young ruler leave that conversation? He says he kept every commandment since his youth...he leaves sad. Why? Because Jesus says, everything must go. I’m either Lord of it all, or I’m not Lord at all. When the Lord is your salvation and your strength, you have what people call a “Joy that surpasses all understanding.” It freaks you out to see people like that, doesn’t it? What’s got them so happy? They’re stuck in traffic just like I am...

What happens sometimes, though? Joy is infectious, isn’t it? It’s like a disease, you don’t want their cooties, but you can’t help it, you see them smiling and it effects the muscles in your face, it raises your countenance. Moses’ big sister Miriam became the first worship leader of Israel. This song is what the Jewish people do. They celebrate important things, and they remember. They dance, they sing, they play makeshift instruments, they clap, that’s worship as unto the Lord.

This worship would be short lived...just like us, our relationship with the Lord is often very dodgey. It changes on a whim. How quickly we forget. Be thankful the Lord hasn’t forgotten. He knows right where we are and exactly what we need, if we would surrender our hearts, acknowledge Him as Christ, that He died for our sin and rose from the Grave. He’s every comfort we’ll ever need. He’s the light that shines in the darkness. He’s the lamb that was slain to take away the sins of this world. He knows what it’s like to hurt, just like you have.

Let the sand consume what’s been left in the wilderness, forfeit it to the Lord. Shed that weight and let Him lead you from this day fourth. Stop living problem to problem and start living victory to victory.