Redeemer- God’s plan and purpose for your life. Exodus 14:1-15:21

Redeemer- God’s plan and purpose for your life.

Exodus 14:1-15:21

Scripture Reading & Prayer: Exodus 14:19-31 (ESV)

[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.

Recap…

Exodus 12-13

Passover- Salvation through judgment

The lamb, the meal, the sign, and the deliverance.

Final Plague

Exodus out of Egypt

Remember- Passover, circumcision, feast

God’s presence with His people (cloud by day and fire by night)

God promised to deliver them so they can worship Him

God delivers us to Himself.

Our passage today strengthens our understanding of God goal for His plan and purpose for our lives.

God’s plan for your life unfolds according to His purpose, and His glory is His purpose.

See Exodus 14:4

Look with me at Exodus 14:1-18 (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.”

The events that unfold in this passage reveal the deep truth that…

God works according to His purpose without revealing every detail of His plans.

Look back at what God says to Moses in verses 1-4… the route that God sends them isn’t the one they anticipated. God sent them in a different direction than their initial exit would have gone. Instead of going the more direct path, God sent them in a direction that looks like a bad plan.

Pharaoh heard which direction they went and pursued them because it should have been a dead end.

Proverbs 19:21 says, “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.”

Plans are secondary to the purpose. Even the best laid plans are nothing if they do not accomplish the purposes of the Lord.

This is a major issue for all kinds of people and situations.

Some want to make plans that they feel like they can accomplish and ask God to bless those plans.

others want God to show them every detail of the plans before they will commit to follow them.

God accomplishes His purpose through His plan according to His presence and power.

Look with me at what happens next… this is the section we read outloud at the beginning of the sermon.

[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.

God’s presence with Israel was displayed by His power over the Egyptians.

When you are facing a difficult, unexpected, or seemingly impossible situation you can respond with either doubt or faith.

Doubt is revealed through fear, and fear is evidenced by the desire to control.

Faith is revealed through obedience and brings God glory.

God doesn’t promise Google or Apple Maps style directions for your life.

God promises His presence, His protection, and His provision to His people.

God calls His people to obey His Word and depend on Him.

God works through your obedience so that He receives the glory.

God is glorified

God with you is better than a detailed map of His plan for your life.

Unfortunately there are many who would rather have a map or detailed list of all God is going to do if they obey rather than God’s presence. They want to know what the result of their faithfulness will be. They want to see where they are going so they can know if they want to go.

But, this isn’t the way God works. He deals in guarantees… but the guarantee is His presence, His power, and the accomplishment of His purpose.

He doesn’t guarantee to match His plans with your preferences or your priorities. Nope. That’s not how He works and not how He has ever worked.

When we place the plan over His presence we become no different than the Pharisees who crucified Jesus. When we place our priorities over the power of God we become legalists who take the place of God by deciding what God will or won’t do based on what we are willing to do.

Deuteronomy 31:6 says, [6] Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”

Hebrews 13:5-6 says, [5] Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” [6] So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”

Matthew 28:19-20 Jesus said, [19] Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, [20] teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

John 14:15-18 Jesus said, [15] “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. [16] And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, [17] even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.[18] “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”

Jesus delivered us from sin and death through a plan that seemed like it was going to fail.

The journey to the cross seems like the wrong direction. (Like the Israelites

The death of Jesus on the cross and His burial in a tomb seem like everything has failed.

The empty tomb glorifies God and gives us new life!

Following Jesus means pursuing God’s plans by faith, not by sight.

Galatians 2:20 is a verse that I lean on regularly, in fact, it’s one that a friend painted and I have displayed in my study; and it says, [20] I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Living by faith means surrendering your plans to live for God’s purpose.

This means when we are saved we shift from living according to our purposes and plans and our priorities to chasing after God’s purpose… and conforming our lives to what accomplishes His purpose.

When God called Abraham to leave the Ur and go to the promised land, He didn’t tell Abraham where he was going. He told him to follow him to the land that he would show him.

how do you know if you are on the track and following God’s purpose? You know that are living for God’s purpose when you are obeying the Word.

Living by faith requires uncompromising obedience to the Word over the plans and preferences of men.

This is what it means to have faith. To follow God in the fulfillment of His purposes by living in obedience to His Word.

Jesus is the perfect example of what it means to follow God’s plans through obedience. Especially when it doesn’t match up with the expectations and preferences of people.

Living by faith is the path to having something to sing about!

The second part of our passage is Exodus 15:1-21, this is known as the song of Moses.

[1] Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the LORD, saying,

“I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously;

the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.

[2] The LORD is my strength and my song,

and he has become my salvation;

this 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 host he cast into the sea,

and his chosen officers were sunk in the Red Sea.

[5] The floods covered them;

they went down into the depths like a stone.

[6] Your right hand, O LORD, glorious in power,

your right hand, O LORD, shatters the enemy.

[7] In the greatness of your majesty you overthrow your adversaries;

you send out your fury; it consumes them like stubble.

[8] At the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up;

the floods stood up in a heap;

the deeps 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 have its fill of 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.

[11] “Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods?

Who is like you, majestic in holiness,

awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?

[12] You stretched out your right hand;

the earth swallowed them.

[13] “You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed;

you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode.

[14] The peoples have heard; they tremble;

pangs have seized the inhabitants of Philistia.

[15] Now are the chiefs of Edom dismayed;

trembling seizes the leaders of Moab;

all the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away.

[16] Terror and dread fall upon them;

because of the greatness of your arm, they are still as a stone,

till your people, O LORD, pass by,

till the people pass by whom you have purchased.

[17] You will bring them in and plant them on your own mountain,

the place, O LORD, which you have made for your abode,

the sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands have established.

[18] The LORD will reign forever and ever.”

[19] For when the horses of Pharaoh with his chariots and his horsemen went into the sea, the LORD brought back the waters of the sea upon them, but the people of Israel walked on dry ground in the midst of the sea. [20] Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and dancing. [21] And Miriam sang to them:

“Sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously;

the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.”

If you had to write a song about the presence and power of God at work in your life, what would it be?

What song can you write of God’s presence and power at work in your life?

Can you sing of God’s power and presence in your life?

Can you sing of the times when God’s presence and power strengthened you to stand firm and be faithful?

Can you sing of the times God delivered you when everything seemed hopeless around you?

Can you sing of the saving grace of God through Jesus Christ?

I sing because…

God’s plan for your life unfolds according to His purpose, and His glory is His purpose.