“Xtreme Faith: Doing the Impossible”
Exodus 14:1-15
This is one of those sections of the Bible where the unfolding drama is exciting; the action is hot and heavy. So let’s get right to it.
SCENE 1 – GOD SPEAKS. God tells Moses where to lead Israel. Nothing new; God did that all the time. GOD DETERMINES AND DIRECTS THE JOURNEY. But this time He heads them back towards Egypt. A strange route, it seems. In fact, the whole trip had been strange. If the shortest distance between to points is a straight line, then God had not been leading them via the shortest distance. It would be like me heading to Kalamazoo by way of Milwaukee, Atlanta, Orlando, and Denver; it wouldn’t make much sense. And to make matters worse, God was leading them into a cul-de-sac in which they could easily be trapped. But God directs the journey, EVEN IF to His people, it appears dangerous; even if it doesn’t make sense.
But note that God does it FOR OUR GOOD. There are times God takes us on an alternate route for our own good. He knows that if we travel on the straight line, follow the shortest route, we’ll be unprepared and never make it. Israel was not prepared to fight the battles that would have occurred on the short path. God knew they would quickly turn around and head back to Egypt. Have you ever felt that God led you to somewhere, or to do something, and you faithfully obeyed – only to run into trouble? Then you began to question why God would lead you there in the first place. But God knows what He’s doing. In Israel’s case, God was setting a trap for Pharaoh; it was all part of His master plan. God leads us for our own good.
And GOD TRAVELS WITH US along those paths. God used the cloud and fire not only to lead Israel, but to assure them of His presence. They were not traveling alone. He was with them all along the way – just as He is with us all along our way. When your way, your place, your decisions seem to be working against you, remember that God has you there for you own good; and He is with you.
Meanwhile SCENE 2 – PHARAOH STRATEGIZES. God knew Pharaoh’s heart, and knew he would change his mind. And sure enough, no sooner had this band of millions left Egypt than Pharaoh had regrets. So he called forth a mighty army and went in hot pursuit of Israel. God made sure of it – he hardened Pharaoh’s heart. God’s plan was working. But then, it always does.
GOD RULES – IS SOVEREIGN – OVER NATIONS, PEOPLE, AND CIRCUMSTANCES. Remember King Nebuchadnezzar? After experiencing God work, he said (Dl. 4:34-35) “His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: ‘What have you done?’” Nothing happens without God’s permission. God rules – He is sovereign. As the Heidelberg Catechism eloquently states (26), “Providence is the almighty and ever present power of God by which he upholds, as with his hand, heaven and earth and all creatures, and so rules them that leaf and blade, rain and drought, fruitful and lean years, food and drink, health and sickness, prosperity and poverty – all things, in fact, come to us not by chance but from his fatherly hand.” So Pharaoh thinks he’s in control, that he’s about to re-conquer his slaves. His army feels confident as they catch up with the Israelites and realize they are hemmed in. it will make it easier for the army.
SCENE 3 – THE ISRAELITES RESPOND. The Israelites saw and heard the advancing army. They knew they were trapped in this cul-de-sac – with mountains on the side and the Red Sea in front of them and now the enemy army behind them. The situation seemed impossible. Their response? They were terrified and they yelled at and criticized Moses. IMPOSSIBLE SITUATIONS OFTEN LEAD TO FEAR. That’s what happens when, like Israel, people focus on human potential rather than on God’s power. When we’re looking down and around, we’re not looking up – and we begin to fear.
The problem is that FEAR BLINDS US. It blinds us from remembering the past – Israel had just been miraculously delivered from slavery; they were being led by cloud and fire. But their fear blinded them. Fear also blinds us from doing what needs to be done – we become immobile and impotent. It reminds me of the story of the 747 jetliner taxiing down the runway, with the passengers all buckled up for takeoff. A voice came over the speakers in the plane’s cabin, “Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. Welcome aboard Flight 22 for London’s Heathrow Airport. We will climb to a cruising altitude of 30,000 feet and will travel at an air speed of 660 miles per hour. Our flight plan will take us across Canada, Greenland, Iceland, and over the tip of Ireland. Our flying time will be about nine hours. As soon as we are airborne the flight attendants will be serving you breakfast. We’ll take off … just as soon as I can get up the nerve!” The Israelites were paralyzed and unfocused because of their fears. Can you see the scene? 2-3 million people harping at good old Moses, blaming him for their predicament?
SCENE 4 – MOSES SPEAKS. “Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today.” Calm down – it will be okay. Look up and see what God is doing. What great advice – when fear blinds you, TURN YOUR ATTENTION TO GOD. Stand still. Wait. Watch. Remember. The Psalmist said it poignantly years later (46:1-3, 10 NLT) “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge! ... “Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation.
I will be honored throughout the world.” So Israel, stand still and watch God so the impossible.
Moses also told them DO NOT FEAR – THE LORD FIGHTS FOR YOU. Do not fear. Some of God’s favorite words – some of Jesus’ favorite words. They said them often because they were in charge and are sovereign. It’s just that sometimes God is ready to fight the enemy without us – He just needs us to be calm and WATCH FOR DELIVERANCE. For God will win the battle. In this case He would use the pillar and cloud, the Red Sea, the winds, and Pharaoh’s hard heart. Sometimes the best thing we can do is let go and watch God work. As Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! (Peace – Do not fear – Be calm!) I have overcome the world!”
SCENE 5 – GOD ACTS. Boy did He ever act! (15-17) “Then the LORD said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. Then He did what He promised to do. As always GOD DELIVERS THE IMPOSSIBLE.
But note how He did it. First, HE BLOCKS THE ENEMY. (19-20) “Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them. (We now discover that an angel of God had been with them this whole time!) The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, 20 coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long.” The angel, pillar, and cloud not only divided the Egyptians and Israelites, it kept the Egyptians in the dark and the Israelites with light. That gave God time to take the next action – HE OPENS THE SEA (21-22); “Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.” Did you catch that? God not only parted the waters but all night long He sent the wind to dry the sea bed so it would be hard enough to walk on! So Israel crossed the sea.
God was not only moving Israel forward, he was luring the Egyptian army into the sea. And when they entered the sea God created chaos (23-25): “During the last watch of the night the LORD looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion. He made the wheels of their chariots come off so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, “Let’s get away from the Israelites! The LORD is fighting for them against Egypt.”
Then God completed his deliverance of the impossible as He CLOSES THE SEA. “Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.” Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians were fleeing toward it, and the LORD swept them into the sea. The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived.” Not one of the Egyptians survived. The deliverance, the victory, was complete.
Let’s understand that while these scenes are spectacular, and are the stuff of which movies are made, God acts in this way all the time. GOD ALWAYS MOVES US FROM DANGER THROUGH DELIVERANCE TO FAITH. That’s certainly good news. But the greater news is this – not the order of events. God didn’t wait until His people trusted Him to deliver them; he delivered them even when they weren’t all that trusting. First the Israelites saw their deliverance; then they feared and believed. Remember when Jesus sent the disciples across the lake in a boat, while He remained behind? A storm rose and the disciples panicked. Then Jesus walked to them on the water – they saw Him and then feared; but when Jesus calmed the storm – when he delivered them – they believed.
It would be easy now to urge you to think about the impossible situations in your life, and to encourage and challenge you to trust God – even pray to God – to do the impossible. And there’s nothing wrong with that; in fact, it’s a good idea. But the main thrust of the Red Sea deliverance is to teach us that in the struggle between evil and good, death and life, the victory is with God. In fact it points us to the work of Jesus Christ. Israel’s escape prefigures our great escape. Jesus parted the waters of death so we could pass through to eternal life. We have been saved through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Once again, God took the initiative in sending His Son – while we were yet sinners Jesus died for us. So surely we can trust Him.
Now for the EPILOGUE – THE END RESULT. Why did God set things up this way? God did it that way for His own glory. Listen again (4, 18, 25, 31): “…I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord…The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horseman…And the Egyptians said, ‘Let’s get away from the Israelites! The Lord is fighting for them against Egypt…And when the Israelites saw great power the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in him…”
Here’s the thrust of all these scenes – in everything GOD RECEIVES THE GLORY. God wants to use all your circumstances for your good and for His glory. Sometimes God may part the waters and do the impossible for you; He delights in doing so. Yet sometimes He may not part the waters and He will be glorified in the way he sustains you. Paul lived the rest of his life with a thorn in his flesh that he prayed for God to remove. But his life – including his thorn – brought glory to God. God’s power, he said, was made perfect in his weakness. Always remember that the leading of God, the ways of God, though often mysterious and painful, will always bring glory to Him and bring you to a place of singing and praise.
The Apostle John was drawn back to the Red Sea deliverance when he had his marvelous vision recorded in the book of Revelation. In the 15th chapter John sees the saints standing by a sea – not the Red Sea but a crystal sea. They have been victorious, not over Pharaoh but over the antichrist. And he hears them singing the song of Moses from Exodus 15. As William Hogan stated it, “Until that day when we join with the unending chorus of the redeemed in heaven, let us remember that we have something worth singing about here and now, a God who, through Jesus Christ has delivered us from sin and guilt and judgment, a God who is in control of every detail of our lives and is able to intervene in our lives…a God who is leading us to a place of eternal praise, a God whose ways may sometimes be perplexing and very painful, but whose sustaining grace is always sufficient, a God whom we can trust, no matter what.” Keep looking for and expecting God to do the impossible deliverance in your life – for your good and for His glory.
