Untitled Sermon (8)

Exodus 14-15:21

Have you ever regretted a decision you made and the consequences that followed?

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This is similar to what we will see that pharaoh and his servants were experiencing. Now we also have to consider the differences, which we know they were reacting in pride and hardness of heart.

So, up to this point the Israelites have left Egypt. There is no reference as to the time lapse. And God directs them to camp at a certain location, near the red sea.

Exodus 14:1-12

Read V 1-4

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.

V 1-4

Lord speaking Moses -

Directed them to camp at the certain location near the sea

Pharaoh - thinking “ Israelites bewildered” by land and wilderness

Lord will harden Pharaoh’s heart

Hardened heart causes pharaoh to pursue the Israelites

God will gain honor over pharaoh and over all his army

Pharaoh may know “I AM the Lord” - the self existing God

Read V 5-9 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’s response-

Questioning why they had let the Israelites go

Feeling like pharaoh and his servants had made a wrong decision

Decided to pursue the Israelites

Just as the Lord said would happen

Read V 10-12 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.”

Israelites - lifted their eyes

They lifted their eyes not toward their help (God), but toward their pursuers at first

(Whenever focusing too long on the enemy or the situation we can become fearful)

And that is what happened...

They became very afraid

But, then they turned to God

They cried out to the Lord. Basically, a cry for help.

They were turning to their source of help.

Similar to:

Psalm 121:1 “I will lift up my eyes to the hills—From whence comes my help?”

This all seems good up to this point, maybe lingering too long on the enemy

They did good by turning to Moses the leader.

But, then it goes down hill from here...

No pun intended..

They contemplated the conclusion or potentially fully embraced the belief that Moses had led them out of Egypt to die in the wilderness (no graves).

They recalled their previous conversation.

Exodus 5:21 “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.””

Exodus 6:9 “So Moses spoke thus to the children of Israel; but they did not heed Moses, because of anguish of spirit and cruel bondage.”

The people are saying, “That it would have been better to still be in Egypt than led out in the wilderness to die.”

They are completely disregarding their previous situation.

OPPRESSION AND BONDAGE

Cf. - Exodus 2:23–24 “Now it happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage. So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.”

Exodus 3:9 “Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them.”

They aren’t necessarily complaining here, this is indicated by different wording in subsequent chapters.

However, there is apparent wavering confidence or doubt that the Lord would protect them. Despite all they had previously witnessed.

But, how easy is it for us to fall back into our flesh when things don’t go the way we anticipated.

And, what I mean by the “flesh” is we allow our physical surroundings and situations to dominate or control our lives. The physical ends up influencing our decision making, which then can cause us to make decisions in fear, instead of trusting the Lord.

How can we avoid this reaction?

Before you answer let’s look at some Scripture.

Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.”

Matthew 14:22–33 “Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.””

Luke 7:1–10 “Now when He concluded all His sayings in the hearing of the people, He entered Capernaum. And a certain centurion’s servant, who was dear to him, was sick and ready to die. So when he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to Him, pleading with Him to come and heal his servant. And when they came to Jesus, they begged Him earnestly, saying that the one for whom He should do this was deserving, “for he loves our nation, and has built us a synagogue.” Then Jesus went with them. And when He was already not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying to Him, “Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof. Therefore I did not even think myself worthy to come to You. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him, and turned around and said to the crowd that followed Him, “I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!” And those who were sent, returning to the house, found the servant well who had been sick.”

Again, how can we avoid a similar reaction?

The solution is to keep our eyes on the Lord and trust Him, not focusing on the problem or situation. Focus on the answer.

Read v 13-14

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.”

Moses Exhorts: Don’t be afraid, be still

Cf. - Psalm 46:10–11 “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah”

Being still - meaning to rely upon the Lord, allowing Him to work

Moses emphasizes: they will not see the Egyptians anymore

The Lord will fight for them

Hold your peace - not worry anymore, be at peace

Basically, don’t worry, God is in control

Read V 15-18

15 And the LORD said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? referring to the cry of the people before the Lord)Tell the children of Israel to go forward (Emphasizing to move forward and not worry about what is behind). 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.”

The Lord gives instruction and speaks of what will happen:

lift up rod and stretch hand over the sea

Rod- signifying God’s presence and power

Sea will divide

Children will cross on dry land

Harden the heart of the Egyptians

Honor - to gain glory over another

Meaning - the Egyptians will be burdened or shamed and God will be glorified with their defeat

How has God revealed Himself in your life that brings glory to His name?

Read V 19-20

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.

Angel of God - likely the pre-incarnate Christ or an actual angel

Biblical scholars identify “The angel of the Lord”—“The angel of his presence”—“The angel of the Covenant” (Genesis 22:14; 31:11, 13; Exodus 14:19; Isaiah 63:9; Malachi 3:1), as Christ, the Son of God, in pre-incarnate manifestation. “His Incarnation is the center by reference to which all angelic ministrations are best understood.”

While it is possible that these are angels with a specific commission or mission, each of these verses is usually understood to contain a theophany, literally “God appearance,” and more specifically, a christophany, an appearance of the pre-incarnate Christ—Jesus Christ before His birth

The angel is a specific manifestation of the divine presence, usually understood to be a pre-incarnate appearance of the second person of the Trinity.538 Mackay elaborates by saying that this “angel of God” in Exodus 14:19 is directly tied to the LORD in verse 24 and he continues to place them together in Exodus 23:21 and 33:14: In verse 24 

pillar of cloud - that had been leading the way and protecting while advancing

Angel and pillar moved to the back

Providing protection for the Israelites

Cloud of darkness to the “one” - probably the Egyptians

“light” to the other - probably the Israelites

providing a barrier between the two

Showing His providential protection over the Israelites

Encouraging- reminder that He is our protector

Psalm 18:2 “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”

Psalm 33:20 “Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield.”

Psalm 91:4 “He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler.”

Psalm 119:114 “You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word.”

Proverbs 30:5 “Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.”

Ephesians 6:16 “above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.”

Exodus 14:21-31

Read V 21-31

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. 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.” 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. 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.

What do we see here about God?

More powerful than man and creation (the earthly elements)

Faithful to His previous Word in this chapter and His promise to deliver

Worthy of all praise and glory

How did the people respond after everything was done?

Feared the Lord

Believed the Lord

Believed Moses

In the next chapter we see the biblical response to God.

They responded with praise and worship

Chapter 15

Read V1-21

The New King James Version Chapter 15

The Song of Moses

15 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Song of Miriam

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!”

Prophetess - God given gift of song or word of prophecy

In context: gifting of song

4 total mentioned - miriam, Deborah, Huldah, and Isaiah’s unnamed wife

Old Testament Prophetesses Name Key reference Miriam Exodus 15:20 Deborah Judges 4:4 Huldah 2 Kings 22:14 Isaiah’s unnamed wife Isaiah 8:3 Miriam Miriam, sister of Moses, led a choral dance to celebrate Israel’s deliverance from Egypt.…Bible Prophecy Made Easy, p 62

God’s goodness and who He is should lead us to worship

It doesn’t take long to see evidence of His presence

His Spirit leads us to His inexpressible joy through worship

Cf. -

Psalm 2:11 “Serve the Lord with fear, And rejoice with trembling.”

Psalm 5:11 “But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name Be joyful in You.”

Psalm 9:2 “I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.”

Psalm 28:7 “The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I will praise Him.”

Philippians 3:3 “For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh,”

1 Thessalonians 5:16 “Rejoice always,”

1 Peter 1:8 “whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,”

What is happening when we are in an attitude of rejoicing in the Lord??

Attention and focus on the Lord

Reflecting on His goodness

Denying the enemy and the troubles of this world

It is a response in faith

It is claiming God’s power and authority

It is confessing belief through faith in God

Destroys or diminishes fear

Ensures confidence in the Lord

Declares victory over the enemy

if in any given situation we are not rejoicing in the Lord, satan has either won that particular battle or at the bare minimum got a foot hold that has stole the “joy of the Lord” from us.