(Part 3)
Scott Bayles, pastor
Blooming Grove Christian Church: 3/11/2018
A while back, I read a story about a seven-year-old boy who attended church for the first time. When he came home, his mother asked him what he learned in Sunday school. He said, “Well, Mom, today we learned about the time when Moses was leading the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt and across the Red Sea. They got there at the Red Sea,” he says, “and Moses realized the Israelites couldn’t make their way over. So he asked the Israeli Marine Corp if they would erect a pontoon bridge over the Red Sea, and all the people of Israel walked over that pontoon bridge. But when the Egyptians got there, they had their tanks and their guns and all their heavy artillery, and they got stuck in the mud. So, Moses radioed the Israeli Air Force to come over, and they bombed them and wiped out all the Egyptians.” Well, the mother was shocked. She said, “Is that really what they taught you in Sunday school this morning?” The boy said, “Well, not exactly. But if I told you what our teacher told us, you’d never believe it.”
The exploits and experiences of Moses can seem rather unbelievable. And yet, I’m convinced (and I hope you are, too) that every word of it is true. Today we’re going to find out what really happened at the Red Sea—and I can tell you now, it doesn’t involve the Israeli Air Force!
By the way, if you’re just joining us, we’re three weeks into a quick four-part overview of the life of Moses. Moses’ role in Hebrew history can hardly be overstated. He led hundreds of thousands of Hebrews out of slavery and became a hero to the people—a champion to the downtrodden. Moses’ story has resonated with men and women of faith down through the centuries because it’s so relatable. It’s filled with danger and disappointment, anguish and accomplishment, conflict and courage, and so much more.
Last Sunday, Moses confronted Pharaoh, but immediately encountered a problem—Pharaoh’s hard heart. So, Moses stretched out his hand over Egypt and called down a series of plagues—each one designed to demonstrate God’s superiority over some Egyptian god or goddess. But it wasn’t until the Passover—foreshadowing the sacrifice of Jesus, the Lamb of God and Bread of Life—that Pharaoh finally yielded and let God’s people go.
Of course, as we’ll soon discover, we haven’t seen the last of Pharaoh just yet. The next episode in Moses’ story takes place in Exodus 14-16, so if you have a Bible or an app on your phone, you can open it there.
Following the Passover, all of Egypt mourned the death of someone in their family, including Pharaoh. This broke Pharaoh’s will and he ordered Moses, “Get out—leave Egypt and take all the Israelites with you! Take your flocks and your herds and be gone!” The Egyptian people urged the Hebrews to leave as quickly as possible and even gave them supplies, clothing, and gold and silver, just to get them on their way. Over one million Hebrews took part in the Exodus, migrating out of Egypt with all their possessions, their flocks and herds in tow.
As they reached the edge of the wilderness, Yahweh—their God and ours—went ahead of them. The Bible says God guided them during the day with a pillar of cloud, like a whirlwind. And, at night, he guided them with a pillar of fire. For three days, God led the Israelites like this. That’s when Pharaoh had second thoughts. “What have we done,” he thought, “letting all those Israelite slaves get away?”
So, the Bible says, “So Pharaoh harnessed his chariot and called up his troops. He took with him 600 of Egypt’s best chariots, along with the rest of the chariots of Egypt, each with its commander… The Egyptians chased after them with all the forces in Pharaoh’s army—all his horses and chariots, his charioteers, and his troops” (Exodus 14:6-9 NLT).
Pharaoh’s army catches up to Moses and the Israelites along the shore of the Red Sea and that’s where the story reaches its climax and we get to see an awesome display of God’s power!
• GOD’S POWER
As the hoofbeats of Pharaoh’s army echoed off the mountains, panic washed over the Israelites. They cried out to God and to Moses, shouting, “Did you bring us out here to die!? Were there not enough graves in Egypt!? It would have been better to stay a slave in Egypt than be a corps in the dessert!”
Moses, however, never lost faith. He reassured the people, saying, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm” (Exodus 14:13-14 NLT). He was right.
Suddenly, the pillar of fire that had been leading the Israelites moved to the rear of the camp, cutting off the Egyptian army. God said to Moses, “Pick up your staff and raise your hand over the sea. Divide the water so the Israelites can walk through the middle of the sea on dry ground” (Exodus 14:14 NLT).
That’s just what Moses did.
Stretching his staff out over the seas, Moses watched as God opened a path right through the water. A powerful east wind blew, water misted the area, and the seabed turned into dry land. So, the people of Israel walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on each side!
Can you imagine how mind-blowingly awesome this must have been? Imagine running your fingers through the velvety dirt that only moments ago was at the bottom of the sea. Imagine, pressing your palm through a wall of water, feeling the current as water rushes between your fingers.
Just before dawn, God allowed the Egyptians to pursue the Israelites across the sea. But he twisted their chariot wheels, making their chariots difficult to drive, and threw their forces into total confusion. Once the Israelites were safely on the opposite shore, Moses raise his staff once more and the waters rushed back, sweeping Pharaoh’s army into the sea.
Safe on shore, the Bible says, “When the people of Israel saw the mighty power that the Lord had unleashed against the Egyptians, they were filled with awe before him. They put their faith in Yahweh and in his servant Moses” (Exodus 14:31 NLT).
God’s mighty power is truly and awesome thing. The parting of the Red Sea is a vivid reminder that there is nothing our God cannot do! Yahweh is a God is infinite might and power and strength and wonder! When his people were in a tight spot, he literally parted the sea to protect them.
Maybe you’re in a tight spot too. You’re not cornered by an army of charioteers, but maybe you’re cornered by unemployment, abandonment, abuse, or addiction. You might face the foes of debt, divorce, drunkenness or depression. Maybe you feel trapped. Maybe you feel like there no where left to run. But whatever you do, don’t lose faith! Moses didn’t. He trusted in God. And the same God who parted the Red Sea can make a way for you. Trust in God and you’ll be amazed by him. And when God does unleash his mighty power in your life, you need to respond the same why the Israelites did—by singing God’s praises.
• GOD’S PRAISES
Immediately after experiencing this mighty miracle, the Bible says Moses actually composed a song. Then Moses and all the people of Israel began singing God’s praises. This is the sang they sang:
I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; he has hurled both horse and rider into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my song; he has given me victory. This is my God, and I will praise him—my father’s God, and I will exalt him! The Lord is a warrior; Yahweh is his name! (Exodus 15:1-3 NLT)
The song actually continues on for 15 more verses, but I think you get the idea. Moses led the people of Israel to praise God for his goodness, greatness, and glory. Together their melodic voices swelled with melodious harmony, echoing off the mountains and wafting across the sea.
Almost everybody loves music. People prefer different artists and styles, but it would be tough to find someone who doesn’t care for any of it. The combination of melody and lyrics captures a person’s innermost thoughts and emotions that are difficult to express in any other form. People identify with their favorite songs and develop a connection to others who share their feelings. We often recognize our favorite song just from the first few notes. And the last song we heard can often get stuck in our heads all day. Music has a way of touching the heart as nothing else can.
And this is especially true of spiritual music. When people first learned to sing, they expressed in music everything that meant something to them. People sang about family and friends. They sang when marching off to work or to war. But the greatest thing mankind has to sing about is God. The people of God have always found joy in music, just as God himself delights in it. From Exodus to Revelation, the Bible tells how God’s followers enthusiastically praise him in song and music. Sacred songs have the power to make the soul smile.
The great reformer, Martin Luther, once said, “Next to the word of God, the noble art of music is the greatest treasure in the world… A person who… does not regard music as a marvelous creation of God…does not deserve to be called a human being!”
But if we keep reading, you’ll notice that the Israelites didn’t stop at singing. The Bible says, “Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine and led all the women as they played their tambourines and danced” (Exodus 15:20 NLT). The Israelites were so full of joyous celebration, they couldn’t contain it. They released it through movement and dancing.
They aren’t the only ones, either. Last Sunday our worship leaders led us in a lively rendition of Love Come Down. From the back of the sanctuary, I could see little Jace Murphy standing on his chair grooving to the music. I’m pretty sure he got his dance moves from his dad. You could just see the joy radiating as he worshipped. And I can’t help be think we could all use a little more dancing in our lives and in our worship.
When God does great and glorious things in your life and mine, there is no better response that to praise him through song and dance! Of course, Moses’ story isn’t quite over. The next chapter, tells of God’s provision.
• GOD’S PROVISION
Sadly, God’s praises were short lived on the Israelites’ lips. After their impromptu worship service, Moses led the people of Israel away from the Red Sea and out into the desert. After traveling three days through the dry dusty climate, they finally found an oasis, but the water was too bitter to drink.
All of a sudden, the Bible says, “the people complained and turned against Moses” (Exodus 15:24 NLT). Moses immediately turned to the Lord for help. God told him to toss a piece of wood into the oasis. Moses obeyed and the water was miraculously purified and good to drink.
From there the people traveled on to another oasis with twelve springs and a canopy of beautiful palms trees. They set up camp there beside the water, but soon more complaints arose. The Bible says: There, too, the whole community of Israel complained about Moses and Aaron. “If only the Lord had killed us back in Egypt,” they moaned. “There we sat around pots filled with meat and ate all the bread we wanted. But now you have brought us into this wilderness to starve us all to death.” (Exodus 16:2-3 NLT).
Once again, Moses turned to the Lord for help and God gave it. God tells Moses, “Look, I’m going to rain down food from heaven for you” (Exodus 16:4 NLT). That’s just what he does. Manna (a bread-like substance) fell from the sky, blanketing the desert floor each morning, and vast numbers of quail flew in and covered the camp in the evening. Bread and meat just delivered to their door. And they didn’t even have to pay for overnight shipping!
When we read this story it’s hard for us to understand, after all God and Moses had done for them, how the Israelites could turn against Moses and God so suddenly and complain so incessantly. “No water, Moses! Where’s the beef, Moses? I have blisters on my feet, Moses. Who died and made you boss? Are we there yet, Moses?”
Yet, God, in his abundant grace, provided for them. He provided clean water and plenty of food. He not only saved them from slavery and set them free, but he piled grace upon grace.
The truth is—you and I aren’t so different from the Israelites. We know how to complain, don’t we? We complain about anything and everything. We complain about the government, we complain about our paycheck, we complain about our boss, we complain about the neighbor’s dog, we complain about the cereal being too soggy or the toast being burnt, we complain about how long the line is at the register or how long the wait is at the doctor’s office, we complain about our aches and pains, we complain about our friends who are always complaining!
I can be just like the people of Israel. “I know you’ve forgiven all my sins at the cross, rescued me from everlasting destruction, and given me everlasting joy in your presence, but I just bought this car and the check-engine-soon light is already blinking!?”
The reason we complain is the same reason the Israelites did—we forget. We have short-term memory loss when it comes to God’s provision. And God knows that. Later in the chapter God commands Moses to fill a jar with some of the manna to preserve it for future generations. This jar of white flakes was to be an enduring reminder that God provides. He provided in the exodus from Egypt. He provided in the desert wasteland. And he still provides today.
God has provided for us in so many ways. Like a loving father, he showers us with gifts. Every breath I breathe, incorporating oxygen into my body, is a gift from God. Every time I open my eyes and see the beauty that surrounds me, it’s a gift from God. Every time I hug and kiss my children, it’s a gift from God. Every time I take a morsel of food, taste it, swallow it and turn it into energy, it’s a gift from God!
A Sunday School teacher once asked her class what they were thankful for. One little boy said, “My glasses.” When she asked why he was thankful for his glasses, he said, “Because they keep the boys from punching me and the girls from kissing me.” Now, there’s a little boy who knows how to recognize God’s provision!
Conclusion:
There is so much for us love and learn in the story of Moses and the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt. The parting of the Red Sea vibrantly visualizes God’s power. Moses and Miriam leading the Israelites in song and dance demonstrates how important it is to sing God’s praises. And the miracles of water, manna, and quail are poignant reminders of God’s provision.
We’re not quite through with Moses’ story though. Next week, Moses will climb Mount Sinai and finally stand in the glorious presence of God.
Invitation:
In the meantime, perhaps, like the Israelites, you’re feeling trapped or cornered. Maybe you feel like everything is going wrong and you’ve got a lot to complain about. Just know that the same God who parted the Red Sea and provided manna in the desert is in your corner. There’s nothing he can’t do and he’s in the habit of piling grace upon grace. Turn to him the way Moses did and you won’t be disappointed. In the meantime, let’s join the people of Israel in singing God’s praises! You’re even welcome to stand up on your chair and dance a little if you feel inclined!
Let’s sing church.
