What God's Protection Looks Like - Exodus 14:15-31

Micah roller coaster.

God protects you as you obey.

Exodus 14:15 ESV

15 The Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward.

Why are you crying to me for? - We don’t have to pray about things that God did not already say to do.

Exodus 14:16 ESV

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.

Lift up your staff - why didn’t I think of that? oh yeah, its crazy!

the staff was a symbol of God’s power and presence.

ILLUSTRATION - ASKING BETH OUT. PRAY ALL YOU WANT, BUT YOU AREN’T GOING TO GET A GF UNTIL YOU STEP OUT IN FAITH.

Exodus 14:17–18 ESV

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.”

I will harden all Egyptians. - Because otherwise they would be asking , is it smart to be chasing them into a sea right now? HAHA!

I will glory - Notice the connection between God getting glory and people’s connection knowing about God.

All he tells Moses is that Egypt will come after him and he will get glory. But not what he will do. Maybe because that would scare Moses.

God protects you through the storm, not from the storm.

Exodus 14:19–20 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.

angel of God - Jesus himself was leading them. Never once did he leave them on their own.

Moved from in front to behind, to shield them.

The only time HE was not leading them, was when He was behind them to protect.

Exodus 14:21 ESV

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.

strong east wind - wind can mean spirit or breath.

all night - it was small enough they could walk in one night.

waters divided - theological conversation, saved through the waters?

God waited to move until Moses obeyed.

Exodus 14:22 ESV

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.

wall on left and right - some say this was sea of reeds - that is legitimate translation. BUT, also has to be large enough.

SHOW VIDEO OF TAMPA BAY!!!!!

Exodus 14:23 ESV

23 The Egyptians pursued and went in after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.

Exodus 14:24 ESV

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,

God’s protection should turn our fear into fearing God.

Exodus 14:25 ESV

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.”

Chariots wer no good in sand and no good on the mushy ground. They got stuck!

Exodus 14:26 ESV

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.”

Exodus 14:27 ESV

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.

Exodus 14:28 ESV

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.

not one of them remained.

Exodus 14:29 ESV

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.

Exodus 14:30 ESV

30 Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore.

All they saw God’s victory .

Exodus 14:31 ESV

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.

feared the Lord -

believed in the Lord and his servent moses.