“The Charge of the Light Brigade: Lessons Learned in Battle”
Exodus 15:22-27
In 1997 the Detroit Red Wings, along with the State of Michigan, were in ecstatic euphoria following the Red Wing’s capture of the coveted Stanley Cup championship trophy. Celebrations were ongoing and the sweet taste of victory seemed as if it would never end. Life was great at the top. Then, in a flash, the parties ended, as a limousine carrying two players and a member of the training staff crashed — two very serious, paralyzing injuries. The joy was gone, replaced by bitterness and anger. Life had dealt another cruel hand. Stunned but not immobilized, the rest of the Red Wings learned the lessons of tragedy well and moved on with new resolve, repeating as champions the next season. It was a moving, inspirational story largely because it fits the pattern of life as we know it.
It’s a pattern we see in the life of Israel beginning in this 15th chapter of Exodus. Here we can see ourselves and can learn and grow. So let’s join Israel on her journey.
She has just walked through the parted waters of the Red Sea, turned around, and watched in horror as Pharaoh’s army drowned while crossing the same path. They were free at last. But they soon learned that TRIAL FOLLOWS TRIUMPH. They now knew triumph first hand. Chapter 14 ends with these words (31): “And when the Israelites saw the great power of the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant.” Chapter 15 follows with a song of triumph and thanksgiving to God. This was their victory chant as VICTORY LED TO CELEBRATION AND JOY. Praise and worship was the attitude of the hour. Faith had been reborn; in fact it exploded within them. They were acknowledging God as their firm foundation. They were vowing to never mistrust God again.
When the sacred party was over they continued their journey to the Promised Land. But it proved to be a tough trip. Before long, JOY TURNED TO BITTERNESS. The desert was dry, the sun scorching, and the winds filled with sand. Then, by the third day, their water supply was gone and they were thirsty. What a stark contrast to their euphoria and expectations! About the time they could stand it no longer, they came to the waters of Marah and their hopes rose again. Until they drank – the water was bitter – undrinkable! Their hopes turned to bitterness. Like the Michigan weather, great one minute and stormy the next, their felt their lives being jerked around. So they grumbled at Moses, and God.
Let’s pause for a moment. WE KNOW THE STORY; IT IS OURS. We, too, have learned that bitter waters follow the showers of grace. We’ve seen it in the lives of others, including the saints of old. Prince Joseph was falsely imprisoned, eternal King David was dethroned, godly Daniel was incarcerated with Lions, victorious prophet Elijah hid with depression, dynamic preacher Paul was whipped. And we’ve seen it in our lives. Rejoicing in some victory we recommit ourselves to the Lord, we sing His praises, set out to do His work with even more vigor; but then a major setback occurs. We commit the marriage to Him, but then comes divorce. We commit our children to Him, but then comes rebellion. We give our hearts to a loved one but then comes desertion. We build our life around someone but then death shatters that life. We minister through our job but then the job is taken away. We tithe to the Lord but then our income dwindles. We do good work after good work but then our health turns bad. God seems to shatter what matters most in our lives. We hardly dare celebrate the victories for fear of the storms. We grumble and complain; we search for answers, we seek relief. Israel’s story is ours – trial follows triumph.
Now back to Israel at Marah. They were now ready to learn another lesson: TRANSFORMATION FOLLOWS TRUST. They grumble at Moses so He cries out to God. He knew that God does not change, so he prayed. ALL IT TOOK WAS ONE ACT OF TRUST. The people cried to Moses, “You didn’t tell us it was going to be like this!” And Moses replied, “If I had known it would be like this, I’d never have brought you along!” It was unfair for them to expect Moses to give what only God could supply; so Moses simply pointed them back to their source of life. He prayed. To transform our situations, we must always go back to the beginning, back to God. Prayer is never overmatched on earth. Moses prayed and God acted.
GOD PROVIDED A TREE, a healing tree. God is always able because He’s always ready. Think about it; that tree had been growing for years; now a piece of its wood was ready for use! God always has a remedy in store before our troubles begin! I’ve mentioned briefly before about the difficult time in my first pastorate, when the Senior Pastor was accused of sexual indiscretion. Still fresh out of seminary I was eventually asked, late on a Saturday afternoon, to address the congregation Sunday morning. God used a wise Elder to help me. Since before the whole ordeal began, this man had been reading a great devotional commentary on 1st John. He loaned it to me that Saturday night. That little book contained the seeds of inspiration that perfectly addressed our needs. God was ready and able before I even knew what was coming down the road! God is never caught off guard!
Let’s pause again. Realize THE TREE STILL BRINGS HEALING. God said, verse 26, “I am the Lord, who heals you.” The Lord’s Supper this morning reminds us that there was another tree – at Calvary. It was the tree upon which Jesus died. He took up our infirmities, carried our sorrows, was wounded and crushed for our sins, beaten that we might have peace, whipped so we could be healed, and died so we might have life! As the Psalmist wrote (103:3), He heals all our diseases. You may feel this morning that there is no hope for you; you’ve rejected God too often, shunned Him too long. Perhaps you think you’ve backslidden too far. Maybe you’re sure your sin is too great. It might be that you’re convinced you’re not worth it to God. It’s possible that you are positive you’re too bitter to receive from God. Listen: the tree of Calvary still brings healing. Come to the table this morning. Soak Christ’s cross in the pool of your bitterness and see what happens to your pool.
A. J. Gossip has stated, “Every single time a sacrament is celebrated, God takes action, there and then --- does something…in that church…(He ) comes to each soul partaking…We may be cold and dead and unresponsive. Nonetheless, something happens…For God stands to His side of the Covenant, whether we stand to ours or not.” In 1999 the church I was serving designated a particular Sunday morning service for celebrating the lives of our shut-ins. Every effort was made to get them to the church that day. WE highly encouraged their family to make arrangements but had volunteers step up where that didn’t work. After the service I received this note from one family (names have been changed). “Grandma thought it was to be somne kind of coffee and cookies get together for the shut-ins and their families, thus she told us it was very important for us to be there by 9:00 AM.” (Worship started at 9:30). “Quite frankly, I was not overly enthused to have to arrive in Grand Rapids Saturday night in order to have coffee and cookies with the shut-ins at 9:00 AM Sunday. It’s a two hour drive from our home…Little did we know what a blessing God had in store for us! As it turned out, we were invited to God’s table at 9:30. We sat in the back row and took the chairs apart so that I sat on one side of Grandma’s wheelchair and my husband, Bob, her son, sat on her left…Through the years Grandma has irritated and offended me in many ways. She was probably unaware of it; it’s just the way she is. I would mentally forgive and forgive and forgive, then the next bark would come….more recently I just gave up and decided that since she doesn’t value me, I just wouldn’t particularly appreciate her. (However, I did …continue to treat her well.) Communion was served from the right…and passed to me. Grandma is unable to feed herself – so guess who was in line to feed her the body of our Lord? Now how can you do that with ill feelings in our heart? It was truly a blessing….It was a poignant moment…Out thanks to (the church) an praise and thanks to God who knew ahead of time what he had in store for us. Because God acts, the tree of healing reaches all the way from Calvary to this table this morning. Be healed.
Back to Israel once again. In the remaining verses we learn a third lesson: TRUTH FOLLOWS TEACHING. God used this whole experience to teach his children a valuable lesson. In fact, the word “show” in verse 25 – “the Lord showed (Moses) a piece of wood...” – means to instruct, to teach; it comes from the same root as the word Torah, or the Law. Through the tree GOD TAUGHT A TRUTH: the health of his people depends upon obedience to Him. One of the major maxims of the Old Testament is obedience leads to blessing and disobedience leads to cursing. Never forget – in the midst of our bitterest moments, God is always pointing out and teaching His truth. He points us to Christ who, for the sake of the joy that was before him obediently endured the cross; and through that cross Jesus received new life!
For the Israelites, for Jesus, OBEDIENCE WAS THE CHANNEL FOR HEALING. Through her miraculous deliverance from Egypt, Israel knew the privilege of being God’s chosen people. Now she needed to know the responsibility of being God’s people. They had thought of what God was to them, but not of what they were to be to God. Now they heard, for the first time, that the level of their health would be directly proportional to their level of obedience. God would pour out or withhold health and blessing, He would heal them of disease or turn them over to it, based on their obedience to Him. It was not a matter of salvation – they would always be His people; it’s just that it was up to them whether they would be well or sick people.
So we pause again. We are about ready to gather around the Lord’s Table. THE LORD’S SUPPER TEACHES US TRUTH. Never forget that the thread of obedience must always hold together the fabric of our lives. To gather like this is itself an act of obedience. We do it simply and only because Jesus said to do it: “This do in remembrance of me.” In doing so we are enacting a symbol of what our life is to be like. At the center of life is the cross, the tree of healing; we surround the cross with our obedience; then surrounding us is Elim, filled with springs and palm trees, the place of rest. As you partake this morning, consider this: where in your life do you need to obey Jesus? Wherever it is, make sure, at that very point, you fall in line. Do not miss out on Elim; do not miss the healing and rest of God. THE COST OF OBEDIENCE IS NOTHING COMPARED TO THE COST OF DISOBEDIENCE. Do all Christ commands and receive all He promises.
When the sailors took the body of Admiral Nelson and carried it high into the cathedral, it was draped with a magnificent Union Jack. Later they carried it to the graveside. When the body was being lowered down, almost as if there had been a whistle from an unseen quarter-deck, each one of the soldiers who had served with the Admiral took hold of the flag and ripped it apart. “I’ve got a piece of him,” they said, “and I’ll never forget him.” Come to the table; touch the symbols of Christ; take, eat – Jesus says it is his body; take, drink – He says it is his blood. Take a piece of Christ. Take all of Him. Never forget Him. Walk from here in obedience. Be healed! Come, for all things are now ready!
