Crossing the Red Sea

Exodus 14:10-31

-Hardship is an invitation to trust God

“Houston, we’ve had a problem,” were the words of Jim Lovell on the evening of 13 April 1970. Nearly fifty-six hours into the mission to the moon, an explosion aboard the spacecraft plunged the crew into a fight for their survival. Within less than a minute there was a cascade of systems failures throughout the spacecraft. “It was all at one time – a monstrous failure,” said NASA’s flight controller.

The spacecraft looped around the moon, using its gravity to return to earth. Millions of people followed the drama on television. Eventually, the capsule splashed down in the Pacific Ocean near Tonga.

‘Although the mission was not a success from a conventional perspective, it was a triumph of ingenuity and determination,’ wrote Paul Rincon, science reporter for the BBC in an article headed ‘Apollo 13: From Disaster to Triumph’. Jim Lovell said that it showed the people of the world that even if there was a great catastrophe it could be turned into a success.

I. God Reveals Our Hearts vv. 10-12

In our passage, the hardship really comes for the Israelites in their flight from Egypt:

In front of them is a seeming dead-end: The Red Sea

Behind them is an army: Pharaoh is making a final attempt to recapture his lost slaves

They are caught between the promise and a problem:

They have a promise, that God is taking them to a new home and freeing them from slavery

But, they have a very large problem. There seems to be no way of escape

In hardship, their hearts are revealed:

They make accusations, question, and complain

Truth be told, they are directed at Moses, but they are meant for God Himself!

It turns out that they are not yet what they thought they were:

They were dressed for battle, but not ready for war

God’s wisdom in sending them by the way of the wilderness was exactly correct

In this moment, God is going to show them where they really are, who He really is, and will give them an opportunity for growth

This is where we frequently find ourselves

We believe in God’s promise of an abundant and eternal life in Christ, but we do not understand how it is possible, in light of our particular circumstances

The hardship in your life isn’t shielding you from an abundant life; it may be God’s delivery system to prepare you for that life!

Hebrews 12:11

[11] For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. (ESV)

II. God Expects Belief vv. 13-18

Moses announces Good News: God will fight for them and save them, in a way that exceeds their wildest expectations

What is required of the Israelites here?

Honestly, there seems to be very little:

Do not be afraid- trust God

Stand firm- do not flinch or turn

See salvation- wait on the Lord

However, we do have a responsibility that we cannot miss:

Moses is instructed to lift his staff

The staff is not magical and there’s no practical reason it should be effective

However, by faith we listen to God’s instructions

Likewise, the people will have to enter the Sea to walk across

It will be a little scary and uncertain

They will have water on two sides with an army behind them

There will only be one way of escape and they will have to go to it!

They will see God’s deliverance, but they will only see it after they have believed God

I think this is part of the hardship of faith

I want to believe after I see, not before. That is not, however how this works

God expects belief from us; this is exactly what the life of faith looks like

III. God Delivers His People vv. 19-22

That night, an incredible thing happens: The pillar of cloud is moved from the front of the nation to the rear

God moves from a posture of leadership to one of protection over His people

There is a clear separation that takes place at this point between the Egyptians and the Israelites

We don’t need to miss the power of what is already taking place as God distinguishes between His chosen people and the Egyptians

He leaves the Egyptians in the darkness of the cloud

He shines His light on the Israelites; He marks them as His own, under His protection

In the midst of this, Moses lifts His hand and God moves to make a way through the Sea

God is going to deliver His people through the waters

A pattern that has played out earlier in the Bible and even in this story is going to be seen again

Even as Moses was delivered from danger to safety through the Nile, God is going to deliver His people through the Sea

This has to be our ultimate hope: God will deliver us, fulfilling His promise to us through Christ! All who are found in Him will be saved.

All of the promise of deliverance: From the Ark of Noah, to the Basket of Moses, to the Wind of God holding back the waters of the Red Sea points us to Jesus. If we are found in Him we have nothing to fear in life or death!

John 6:37–40

[37] All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. [38] For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. [39] And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. [40] For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” (ESV)

IV. God Judges the World vv. 23-28

There is another promise of God that stands as certain as His promise of deliverance

God absolutely will save His people

God absolutely will judge the world

The Egyptians enter the same divided waters as the Israelites, with radically different results

God confuses and distracts them

They end up stuck, with their chariots unable to move across the sea floor

God is actively fighting against them; He is fighting for His people

The waters that were Israel’s salvation are Egypt’s judgment

We must not miss the power of this

This seems impossible, but you will either be delivered through the waters or condemned in the waters

The world is judged and we know that it is marked by sin and rebellion against God

He has made a way of salvation for us

If we reject or miss that way of salvation, we will share in His judgment on the world

John 3:18–21

[18] Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. [19] And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. [20] For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. [21] But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” (ESV)

In Warren Wiersbe’s Meet Yourself in the Psalms, he tells about a frontier town where a horse bolted and ran away with a wagon carrying a little boy. Seeing the child in danger, a young man risked his life to catch the horse and stop the wagon.

The child who was saved grew up to become a lawless man, and one day he stood before a judge to be sentenced for a serious crime. The prisoner recognized the judge as the man who, years before had saved his life; so he pled for mercy on the basis of that experience. But the words from the bench silenced his plea:

“Young man, then I was your savior; today I am your judge, and I must sentence you to be hanged.”

One day Jesus Christ will say to rebellious sinners, “During that long day of grace, I was the Savior, and I would have forgiven you. But today I am your Judge. Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire!”

V. God Grows Our Faith vv. 29-31

God does exactly for Israel what He promised to do:

What is the result of all of this?

They saw God’s great power- His ability to deliver is revealed to them in a fresh way

They feared the Lord- His holiness and ability to judge is revealed to them in a fresh way

They believed in Him and His servant- His ability to direct them is revealed to them in a fresh way

What they find between the problem and the promise is that the Promise-keeping God is greater than the problem. They can trust Him!

James 1:2–4

[2] Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, [3] for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. [4] And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (ESV)

-Are you trusting in God’s salvation through Jesus?

-Are you faithfully walking in His promise?

-Are you being called to take a fresh step in faith?