Sermon Tone Analysis

Leader Guide ESV, Unit 4, Session 6, © 2018 LifeWay Christian Resources.

Permission granted to reproduce and distribute within the license agreement with purchaser, edited by Rev. Lex DeLong, M.A.

Why are we captivated by stories of escape or of people overcoming great odds?

(we have an innate desire to cheer for underdogs; such stories often reveal the nobility of having been made in the image of God; we like to see others who are oppressed or threatened, rise to victory over evil and find it east to see ourselves in these stories)

In the spring of 1940, during World War II, a large force of British and French soldiers became trapped in the coastal town of Dunkirk, France.

The advancing German army had them surrounded on land while the English Channel halted their retreat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-eMt3SrfFU

But then, between May 26 and June 4, the unthinkable happened.

More than eight hundred military and civilian vessels of all kinds made the dangerous run to Dunkirk to evacuate as many troops as possible.

In the end, around 338,000 men were rescued—the original estimate was 45,000 men at most.

The Allies still suffered a great loss in soldiers and resources, but the army survived to fight another day—a turning point for the war. 1

Summary and Goal

God had heard the cries of His people and delivered them from bondage in Egypt through a series of ten plagues, culminating in the death of the firstborn sons of Egypt throughout the land.

God lead the Israelites out of Egypt through—not around—the Red Sea.

God lead His people with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, reminded readers that God, by His Spirit, fills, empowers, and leads even today.

Despite seeing supernatural acts of God, the Israelites continued to doubt Him, much like people today are prone to do.

Session Outline

1. God delivers His people through His guidance (Ex.

13:17-22).

++2.

God delivers His people for His glory (Ex.

14:1-4).

++3.

God delivers His people through His power (Ex.

14:13-14,21-22,26-28).

Sometimes God’s deliverance comes through how God guides His people.

Even the Apostle Paul in the NT, at the start of His 2nd missionary journey, was prevented by the H.S. from going to Asia at the time ACTS 16:6 “They passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia;” Was this forbidding simply to insure that others received the gospel, or was it to preserve God’s messenger, Paul?

Either way, God’s guidance delivered His chosen people, including Paul and his converts.

God delivers His people through His guidance.

God’s deliverance is always for His glory, much like the narrative of David and Goliath. 1 Sam.

17:47 “and that all this assembly may know that the Lord does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the Lord’s and He will give you into our hands.””

All the glory for this victory would be God’s.

That day, God’s people were delivered from the Philistines for His glory.

God delivers His people for His glory.

God’s deliverance is always through His power.

Remember when the Arameans laid siege to Samaria?

They were not saved by any act of their own, but through the power of God, just like Israel and the plagues in Egypt.

We read in 2 Kings 7:6-7 “For the Lord had caused the army of the Arameans to hear a sound of chariots and a sound of horses, even the sound of a great army, so that they said to one another, “Behold, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us.”

Therefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents and their horses and their donkeys, even the camp just as it was, and fled for their life.”

God delivers His people through His power.

Session in a Sentence

God proves He is worthy of praise through who He is and for how He always delivers His people through His guidance, for His glory, through His power.

Christ Connection

God made a way of deliverance for His people through the Red Sea.

In a similar manner, God makes a way for His people, even today.

1 Cor.

10:13

Missional Application

No matter what deliverance you are in need of in this life, please know that God does not change.

The same God who delivered His people through His guidance, for His glory, through His power is the same God who will deliver His people today in the same way.

This hope is for you and for you to share with others.

DDG (p.

65).

As we read the Book of Exodus, we can see ourselves in this story.

Like the Israelites, all of humanity is enslaved, only instead of enslaved by another nation, all are enslaved by sin.

Israel needed deliverance—rescue—from outside of themselves.

They needed a deliverer.

In the same way, so do we.

For the Israelites in Exodus, God raised up Moses, one of their own born in Egypt, to lead His people out of slavery.

For our rescue, God sent Jesus, born as a human, and now His Spirit to lead us out of slavery to sin and into the promise of inheritance as a natural born child of God.

God had heard the cries of His people and delivered them from bondage in Egypt through a series of ten plagues, culminating in the death of the firstborn sons of Egypt throughout the land.

God lead the Israelites out of Egypt through—not around—the Red Sea.

God lead His people with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, reminded readers that God, by His Spirit, fills, empowers, and leads even today.

Despite seeing supernatural acts of God, the Israelites continued to doubt Him, much like people today are prone to do.

Point 1: God delivers His people through His guidance (Ex.

13:17-22).

Read Exodus 13:17-22 (DDG p. 66).

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.

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.”

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.

· Instead of just depending on Moses to lead Israel, God chose to lead the Israelites Himself by going ahead of the people in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.

There would be no mistake that they were precisely where God wanted them to be, even when their journey took them in unexpected directions.

· The Israelites followed the Lord and set out in battle formation, but they would not raise a sword or hurl a spear for some time.

God chose an irregular route for His people because He knew they were not ready for war.

Commentary: God had delivered His people from Egypt as He had promised.

Rescuing them from bondage; however, was just the first part of His plan.

Now it was time to return the people to the land He had promised to Abraham and his descendants (Ex.

3:8).

Joseph had brought Jacob’s family from that land to Egypt four hundred and thirty years earlier.

Now it was time for the patriarch’s descendants to go home.

In keeping with Joseph’s last wishes (Gen.

50:24-25), they took his bones with them to bury him in the promised land.

What can we learn about God from the duration and fulfillment of His promise to His people.

(God wanted His people to know He was with them always; God was concerned about the people’s psychological and emotional well-being; God is kind; God is not bound to time or space; His decree will be accomplished and nothing nor anyone can prevent or change it)

God guided His people in a tangible way in the pillar of cloud and fire, but God’s people today are guided by a greater means: the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit of God lives in Christians, opening our eyes and hearts toward Him and conforming us to the image of the Son.

This is the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead, and this Spirit empowers us to walk a faithful journey through life.

God is with us.

God is with us to guide us in another way as well: through the Bible.

God has spoken to us in His Word and revealed all we need to know about Him and to live faithfully as His people.

The Spirit within us illuminates the Scriptures to help us understand them.

It would be fascinating to see what the pillars of cloud and fire looked like and be guided by them, but God is ever-present with His people and continues to guide us today—He just does so in a better way.

We can’t forget that the same God who led His people out of slavery in Egypt is the same God we follow today.

Through Jesus and by His Spirit, God leads us out of slavery to sin, crushing the enemy of Satan, and then He dwells within us, in our hearts, leading us and guiding us every step of the way.

What are things we can do to be more in tune with God’s guidance through the Spirit and Scripture?

(we can pray constantly; we can immerse ourselves in God’s Word on a daily basis; we can commit to regular attendance with the gathering of God’s people in worship and Bible study; we can fellowship with God’s people during the week for encouragement and support in the faith)

Point 2: God delivers His people for His glory (Ex.

14:1-4).

Read Exodus 14:1-4 (DDG p. 67).

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.

God led the Israelites in such a way that Pharaoh would decide they were easy prey and pursue them.

DDG (p.

67) This was all part of God’s plan to receive glory through them.

· The Israelites had set out from Egypt in an unexpected way.

Instead of heading toward their promised homeland, they took an indirect route and remained within Egypt’s borders, hemmed in by the wilderness.