GOD KNOWS BEST
Sunday Night Exodus • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Good evening church…
I’m glad to be here with you tonight getting to continue through the Book of Exodus.
I loved Tom’s sermon last week showing us fromExodus that the Redemption of God’s people produced consecration, remembrance and proclamation.
I Just love how God Works… even in the Exodus how God doesn’t expect the people to become HOLY first and then saves them…
No GOD FIRST SAVES THEM AND THEN BEGINS TO MAKE THEM INTO A HOLY NATION… BY SANCTIFYING THEM THROUGH HIS RULE…
Up until this point… the Israelites have been exposed to many false god’s & a King who expected the opposite… they expected something and in return would supposedly give you something and in so doing would claim that they guide, lead and help humanity in their pursuit of this life…
When all actuality the people of Egypt and quite possibly the people of Israel would follow them out of fear… a fear of what might happen if they do not seek to appease the god or King…
They had also been indoctrinated with the believe that Pharoah was their only leader able to provide and who had any ability to help relieve their lives because of his power & resource's.
because of this there was this dependence from the people on Pharaoh for survival in receiving grain and food.
There was this total reliance on Pharaoh for their material to work and because of all of this there was this fear of independence that the Israelites lived with as we will see in chapter 14 and 16.
There was this phycological and physical dependence on Pharaoh & the land of Egypt along with her false gods.
We see God one by one tearing down the possible psychological dependence on some of these false gods by revealing in each of the plague accounts that HE IS THE ONLY TRUE GOD and SOVEREIGN KING.
Pharaoh has now let them go… 430 years since arriving… and as we arrive to chapter 13:17-22… we arrive to a bridge from the Institution of the Passover/ Consecration of the Firstborn and the feast of unleavened bread>>>>>to the Red Sea Narrative.
As we’re on this bridge between theses two passages… Moses uses this as a chance to show God’s people what true divine guidance looks like.
That…
GOD KNOWS BEST HOW TO GUIDE HIS PEOPLE…
He guides His people through His perfect wisdom & knowledge,
He guides His people by keeping his promises,
and He guides His people by His personal presence.
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.
1. God guides His people through perfect wisdom. (V13:17-18)
1. God guides His people through perfect wisdom. (V13:17-18)
Moses reveals God’s wisdom and knowledge to the readers by writing about where God did not lead them through even though it would have been a much shorter distance for them.
>>> Coming out of the land of Goshen… the land of Canaan… had they taken the route of the Mediterranean coastal line (the way of the sea)… would have only been about a 200 miles, 10-15 day journey.
BUT GOD… In HIS WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE…
>>>“did not lead them by way of the Philistines”
>>>“did not lead them by way of the Philistines”
Travelers leaving Egypt had two options:
the eastern route into the desert of Shur, the shortest path to Canaan, which was lined with Egyptian fortresses and likely involved encounters with Egyptian forces. Despite Pharaoh's permission to leave from Rameses, Egyptian forces probably resisted, given their history of oppressing the Israelites, making an escape challenging.
The other shortest distance route would have been by WAY OF THE PHILISTINES. Although limited historical evidence exists about the Philistines' military strength, they were a strong force that remained undefeated by Joshua’s death (Josh. 13:1-5). Judges and 1 Samuel suggest they sought land expansion and more than likely would have been unfriendly to Israel.
GOD KNEW NOT TO TAKE HIS PEOPLE THESE two ways as MOSES WRITES GOD’S WORDS SAYING… “LEST THEY SEE WAR AND RETURN TO EGYPT.”
Although this was the nearest routes… God decided not to lead them this way…
“God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea.”
“God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea.”
Leading them through the wilderness toward the Red Sea would have taken the people southeast, away from Goshen and Rameses.
As previously mentioned, the Israelites are in Succoth. They then go to Etham, and in Chapter 14, they are told to return to Pi-hahiroth between Migdol and the sea, facing the sea—leading to the Red Sea crossing.
Many places' exact locations are unknown, and everyone is guessing at this point.
MAIN POINT: God led them southeast into a wilderness peninsula with the Gulf of Suez (Red Sea) nearby, where many believe they crossed on the west side, and the Gulf of Aqaba on the east.
Most translations say the people left Egypt equipped for battle, but it can be interpreted in different ways.
Some suggest it means they were organized into squads or military units, like groups of thousands, hundreds, fifties, or tens.
Others believe it indicates they left dressed for travel, ready to go. Both interpretations make sense, especially since the group included families, elderly, and fighting men.
These were a people NOT READY FOR BATTLE…
All of this thought getting at the fact that GOD KNEW out of HIs perfect wisdom and knowledge where He needed to lead the people and why.
He knew that the people were not yet battle tested.
He knew what state their hearts were in having come out of being in Egypt 430 years and probably psychologically still being enslaved to the Egyptians.
He knew the plans He had for His people. Even though they themselves at the time were probably wondering why God was leading them this way instead of the shorter routes…
GOD WAS LEADING HIS PEOPLE IN A CERTAIN DIRECTION OUT OF OF HIS ACTIVE KNOWLEDGE OF HIS PEOPLE.
EVEN THOUGH THIS ROUTE MADE NO SENSE!
Except to God and the purposes He had in store.
This brings into view Gen. 50:20 where Joseph speaking to his brothers of the horrible things that had been done to him… Joseph tells them…
20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.
God in His being knows the thoughts and intentions of man and He knows future things in our timeline with all of that working in concordance with His will.
He has shown this OMNISCIENCE ALL THROUGHOUT GENESIS AND INTO EXODUS…
The people of God needed to know that even though His route may not make much sense… There is a reason within His plan for this route to be taken.
FOR THE ULTIMATE GOOD OF HIS PLAN AND FOR HIS GLORY.
And so the application here for the original readers and for us as well is this>>>>>>
Lean on God’s perfect knowledge.
TRUST IN HIS WISDOM.
REST in the fact that if you are God’s children… He may lead you somewhere that you DO NOT UNDERSTAND… but just know that In his perfect wisdom… there is a reason for that direction which will lead to HIs glory.
Remember Gen. 50:20 is really the OT Rom. 8:28.
God tells us the same thing…
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
We do not understand why God leads us into wildernesses when there definitely would have been a shorter route.
Why God leads us down paths in lie in which we may think in our limited understanding that it was a waste of time…
We do not know SPECIFIC REASONS why God allows evil where He allows it…
Or why He allows death and disease where He allows it…
These are some hard realities of life.
EXCEPT THAT IT’S ACCORDING TO HIS PERFECT WISDOM AND FOR HIS GLORY.
But we can take the same perspective of Paul where he says.
33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! 34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?”
The people of God are able to have this perspective of rest, lenience, and trust in God’s good purposes because of the fact that GOD KEEPS HIS PROMISES.
2. God guides His people by keeping His promises (13:19)
2. God guides His people by keeping His promises (13:19)
Many seem to think that verse 19 is an outlier within this passage… when in all reality… it’s continuing this thought of divine guidance for God’s people over the last 430 years… the fact that this guidance has at no point been disrupted and that the promise of this land has never been far from God’s sight.
The people may have lost sight… but not God…
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.”
This is a nod right from Joseph soeaking 360-430 years before his death in GEN. 50:24-26.
This of course was echoing a promise that God had made to
Jacob in Gen. 35:12
12 The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give the land to your offspring after you.”
This of course was reiterating the promise made to Isaac…
2 And the Lord appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land of which I shall tell you. 3 Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you, for to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father. 4 I will multiply your offspring…
This of course is the same promise in which God gave to Abraham…
7 Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him.
13 Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. 14 But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. 15 As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. 16 And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”
A possible 600+ years after Abraham was originally given this promise… The Israelites are taking Joseph’s bones out of the land of Egypt and taking them to the promise land.
GOD IS A PROMISE KEEPING GOD
The people of God had realized this because of the fact that they remembered to get HIS BONES!
They have been reminded of this in what God promised Moses and Aaron through the plague account.
MOSES IS TELLING HIS READERS… AGAIN… by putting this little line in here he is reminding them of this journey that their people have been on and how God through it all has guided them at every step and how hopefully as they read this they realize… that God was at all times in control as He has brought His plan to fruition.
BUT HERE”S THE CRAZY PART… THEY WOULD NOT ACT BY THIS CONFIDENCE>>> THEY WOULD ACTUALLY CONTINUE TO ACT OUR OF FEAR…
Assuredly the faith of the departed Joseph, even in his dry bones, preached loudly to his descendants of the promised deliverance, lest they should grow careless from the long delay; and when at length the Israelites were led forth, the bones or ashes of the twelve Patriarchs were like so many standard-bearers, going before the several tribes to encourage their confidence. Wherefore the cowardice of the people was still more detestable, so often basely turning their backs upon their journey, when they had in sight so eminent a ground for confidence.
Let us church learn from God’s people in allowing God’s kept promises to be a ground of confidence that we DO NOT turn our backs on.
Let us keep His promises before us and walk with all STEADFAST ASSURANCE that if God said it… IT WILL COME TO PASS.
As God’s people, our confidence is strengthened even more so when we add to this equation God’s presence in guiding HIs people.
3. God guides His people by His presence (13:20-22)
3. God guides His people by His presence (13:20-22)
In verses 20-22 we’re introduced to the way in which God was choosing to personally guide His people.
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.
So again the Israelites move on from Succoth and then they encamped at Etham which as scripture says at the edge of the wilderness. We do not know exactly where this was… but we do know that it was a place bordering the eastern desert portion of Egypt.
This is also the first time we have read about The Lord going before them in a Pillar of cloud by day and from a Pillar of fire by night… both of which are the same pillar.
This was going to be the means by which God would personally guide His people throughout the 40 year wilderness journey to he promise land… all the way from Ex. 13 to Ex. 40 where we see the Tabernacle is erected
This singular Pillar is associated with the angel of God or the ANGEL OF GOD’S PRESENCE. (Ex. 14:19, 23:20-33. This is the same Angel of the Lord we see in Ex. 3 meeting Moses on the mountain of God in Horeb. This was a manifestation of YAHWEH HIMSELF.
Isaiah speaks of God’s presence here with His people in Exodus saying…
8 For he said, “Surely they are my people, children who will not deal falsely.” And he became their Savior. 9 In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them; in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.
HAD THREE PURPOSES…
To guide (to show them by way that they should go) (V. 21. “Would lead them along the way)
We also know that it was by this pillar that God would communicate with Moses speaking to Moses at Mount Sinai and in the tent of meeting (Ex. 33:9)
To protect and to give light:
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.
39 He spread a cloud for a covering, and fire to give light by night.
God would be near to HIs people for these purposes and from them He would NOT DEPART.
HIS PRESENCE WOULD BE A CONSTANT.
>>> SOMETHING THAT MOSES WANTED HIS READERS TO HAVE NO DOUBT IN as they prepared to walk into the promise land EVEN THOUGH THE ISRAELITES IN EX. 13 WOULD SOON NOT WALK IN THIS CONFIDENT TRUTH…
LIKE CALVIN’S QUOTE ELUDED TO:
The people would continue to operate out of a sense of fear wanting to turn back to their former way of life several times.
This was all the more shameful BECAUSE OF THE FACT that
GOD HAD GUIDED THEM THROUGH HIS PERFECT WISDOM,
GOD HAD OVER AND OVER AGAIN FULFILLED HIS PROMISES after 600+ years
AND THEY HAD VISIBLE REMINDERS OF GOD’S FAITHFULNESS RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEM AND BEHIND THEM…
YET THEY WOULD LOSE COURAGE AND WANT TO ABANDON THE JOURNEY.
AS WE WILL READ ABOUT IN THE COMING CHAPTERS…
Moses wanted to warn His readers to LIVE BY THESE TRUTHS and not allow their people to relive the same mistakes that were made by their parents…He wanted them to see the backsliding that would happen in the sanctification of their parents and to not allow that to happen in their lives…
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
BY GOD’S GRACE… God would continue to GUIDE HIS PEOPLE OUT OF
PERFECT WISDOM
FULFILLED PROMISES
PERSONAL PRESENCE THROUGHOUT SALVATION HISTORY.
As we run into the New Testament period ALL OF THIS WOULD COME TO FRUITION in the GOD MAN - JESUS CHRIST.
It was Jesus…
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Jesus said it of Himself in John 8:12
12 … saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
THIS WAS THE WAY IN WHICH GOD WOULD CLAIM HIS PEOPLE AND REDEEM A PEOPLE FOR HIS NAME…
27 so that he (CHRIST) might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.
AND HOW DOES GOD DO THAT ON THIS SIDE OF GLORY? IN THIS ALREADY BUT NOT YET REALITY OF SALVATION?
Through sanctification. (2 Cor. 3:18)
English Standard Version Chapter 3
are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.
Not by directly taking us the shortest route to be with Him as soon as we come to Christ.
Not by taking us the way in which seems most logical in our minds.
NO… GOD HAS SANCTIFICATION AS HIS GOAL IN OUR LIVES…
He is taking us the longer route. Directing our lives in such a way and in accordance to His knowledge to avoid places where He knows we don’t need to be going… He knows the times of certain divine appointments… He knows the plans he has for you according to HIs glory and not your understanding.
SOMETIMES it might be The more difficult path… the longer path…
Allowing us to go through our own wilderness in this life.
God in HIs knowledge and understanding does not guide us in this life by just sending us a map…
He does not just guide us by sending us a book saying read it and good luck…
HE DOES NOT LEAVE US TO OURSELVES… Completely alone
No God in His wisdom leads us in His knowledge by sending His Word in Jesus… Breathing out the scriptures by the inspiration of the writers… By sending HIs Spirit to be with us in our present need.
Jesus said it Himself that it was important for Him to leave so that He could come!
7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.
This makes Matthew 28: 20 all the more real when Jesus says…
And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
EX. 13:22“GOD DID NOT DEPART FROM BEFORE THE PEOPLE.”
Not only was this true of the Israelites as they made their way into the wilderness… church this is TRUE OF US…
AND AS WE ARE LEAD BY GOD IN HIS WORD AND BY THE SPIRIT…
WE MUST NOT LOOK TO ABANDON GOD’S WAYS AS SOON AS WE COME UP TO SOMETHING THAT DOESN”T MAKE SINCE IN OUR HUMANITY…
We must not fall back into a sense of fear and want to go back to what God redeemed us from…
WE MUST LEARN FROM THE MISTAKES OF THE ISRAELITES AND WITHIN OUR SANCTIFICATION HAVE A CONTINUED UNDERSTANDING THATGOD KNOWS HOW TO LEAD HIS PEOPLE BEST…
We must stop giving ourselves up to a man made guidance that only ends in emptiness.
We must stop giving ourselves up to worry, anxiousness, and anxiety, putting our faith into things that moth and rust destroy…
We must understand that THESE IDOLS OF OURS…
THEY DO NOT GUIDE US BY KNOWLEDGE,
THEY DO NOTHING TO KEEP THEIR PROMISES CLAIMED BY THE WORLD…
AND THEY FOR SURE TO NOT GUIDE US BY A PERSONAL, COMPASSIONATE, LOVING & PROTECTIVE PRESENCE wherever we might go.
NO IT IS ONLY GOD WHO CAN DO THAT…
ONLY…
God knows
God fulfills
God personally guides
LET US WALK IN CONFIDENCE AS THE SONS OF GOD…
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,
