Forward by Faith
Text: Ex. 14:10, 13-15
Intro: Many Christians these days possess a distorted view of the life of faith. Some tend to think of faith as nothing more than a positive attitude, or the mindset that everything is going to work out all right in the end. This is sort of a “power of positive thinking” philosophy.
Other well-meaning folks practice a “name it and claim it” philosophy concerning the life of faith. This group tends to think that if they want something, all they have to do is claim it by faith, since the Bible says, “…ask, and it shall be given you” (Matt. 7:7a); “…whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive” (Matt. 21:22); and “…ask, and ye shall receive” (John 16:24b). These scriptures are absolutely true. However, one must consider the whole council of God concerning a particular topic, not merely one’s pet scriptures. The fact is if God has not “named it,” the Christian cannot legitimately “claim it” by faith. Faith is not about saying the right religious words in order to receive what one selfishly wants. Faith is about walking with God and knowing the mind of God about certain needs. Then one must agree with what God has said, and believe that what He has said, He can and will do. The Apostle Paul explains true faith like this:
Rom. 4:20 “He (Abraham) staggered not at the promise of God [what God had said] through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised [what God had said], he was able also to perform.”
This church is at an important stage in its development. We have the opportunity to move forward in our growth and effectiveness in a new location, with new facilities, for the glory of God. However, in the troublous times in which we live, operating on human reason and ingenuity alone will not guarantee spiritual and organizational success. We must ever seek God’s direction in every decision, while proceeding with circumspection and caution. The only way this church can go forward is by faith.
The nation of Israel had spent 430 years in Egypt; but just as God had promised, He delivered them by His mighty power. All seemed to go well until the Jews found themselves blocked on both sides by the wilderness, blocked in the rear by the pursuing Egyptian army, and blocked by the Red Sea ahead of them. They literally had nowhere to go unless God acted on their behalf. They could not make forward progress apart from faith in God. What a dilemma.
One would think that since the Israelites had witnessed God’s power in delivering them from Egypt, only hours before, that they would have automatically responded in faith toward the Lord in this new crisis. However, faith did not come easily to the Jews. As a result, they were about to take another crash course in faith. Notice what happened.
Theme: In this example of going forward by faith, God reveals…
I. THE SOURCE of ISRAEL’S FEAR
A. They Operated Merely on Physical Perception.
Ex. 14:9 “But the Egyptians pursed after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, before Baal-zephon.
10 And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the Lord.”
NOTE: The Israelites had a perpetual problem with this matter of faith toward God. They could readily see the obvious things going on around them, but they always seemed to overlook God’s omnipotence that was always available to them. Physical perceptions often do not match the perceptions of faith:
Get the right perspective. When Goliath came against the Israelites, the soldiers all thought, “He’s so big we can never kill him.” David looked at the same giant and thought, “He’s so big I can’t miss.”1
2 Cor. 5:7 “(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
Jer. 32:17 “Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:
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27 Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?”
B. They Overlooked God’s Marvelous Promise.
Ex. 3:7 “And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;
8 And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.”
Ex. 4:31 “And the people believed: and when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.”
C. They Overlooked God’s Miraculous Power.
Ex. 13:3a & b “And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the Lord brought you out from this place…”
Ex. 14:8b “…and the children of Israel went out with an high hand.”
NONE: Not long after Israel left Egypt, Moses told them to remember that God had delivered them by His power, and not by any strength of their own (Ex.13:3a & b). Ex. 14:8b tells us, “…Israel went out with an high hand.” Those words mean, “The high hand of Jehovah with the might which it displayed.”2 The point is that God demonstrated His great power in behalf of His people by the terrible plagues and other miracles that He brought upon the Egyptians that they might release Israel from bondage.
D. They Overlooked God’s Mighty Protection.
Ex. 11:5 “And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts.
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7 But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast: that ye may know how that the Lord doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.”
NOTE: [1] The swarm of flies did not affect Israel (Ex. 8:22).
[2] The murrain of beasts or the hail did not affect Israel (Ex. 9:4, 26).
[3] The plague of darkness did not affect Israel (Ex. 10:23).
[4] God stills exercises protective watch care over His children, as the following story tells us:
It was Christmas Eve 1875 and Ira Sankey was traveling on a Delaware River steamboat when he was recognized by some of the passengers. His picture had been in the newspaper because he was the song leader for the famous evangelist D.L. Moody. They asked him to sing one of his own hymns, but Sankey demurred, saying that he preferred to sing William B. Bradbury’s hymn, “Savior Like a Shepherd Lead Us.” As he sang, one of the stanzas began, “We are Thine; do Thou befriend us. Be the Guardian of our way.”
When he finished, a man stepped from the shadows and asked, “Did you ever serve in the Union Army?”
“Yes,” Mr. Sankey answered, “in the spring of 1860.”
“Can you remember if you were doing picket duty on a bright, moonlit night in 1862?”
“Yes,” Mr. Sankey answered, very much surprised.
“So did I, but I was serving in the Confederate army. When I saw you standing at your post, I thought to myself, ‘That fellow will never get away alive.’ I raised my musket and took aim. I was standing in the shadow, completely concealed, while the full light of the moon was falling upon you. At that instant, just as a moment ago, you raised your eyes to heaven and began to sing...‘Let him sing his song to the end,’ I said to myself, ‘I can shoot him afterwards. He’s my victim at all events, and my bullet cannot miss him.’ But the song you sang then was the song you sang just now. I heard the words perfectly: ‘We are Thine; do Thou befriend us. Be the Guardian of our way.’ Those words stirred up many memories. I began to think of my childhood and my God-fearing mother. She had many times sung that song to me. When you had finished your song, it was impossible for me to take aim again. I thought, ‘The Lord who is able to save that man from certain death must surely be great and mighty.’ And my arm of its own accord dropped limp at my side.”3
E. They Overlooked God’s Majestic Presence.
Ex. 13:21 “And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:
22 He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.”
NOTE: God’s obvious presence was continually with His people throughout their wilderness wanderings. It is rather significant that God’s presence and guidance was with Israel in darkness as well as in the light. God says to us today, “…I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Heb. 13:5c).
II. THE SEQUEL to ISRAEL’S FEARFULNESS
A. They Resorted to Accusation.
Ex. 14:11 “And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? Wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?”
NOTE: [1] It’s amazing that when we are apprehensive over our circumstances, we often blame someone or something else for our condition, rather than admitting that we are fearful and faithless. Such was the case with Israel. Rather than admitting their fear and lack of faith, they began to blame Moses, and ultimately God, for secretly trying to destroy them; and this in spite of all God had already done for them.
[2] It would seem that somewhere along the way we have gotten the mistaken idea, that if we are living by faith, everything will come up roses. Naturally, just the opposite is true. Satan always resists those who seek to walk by faith.
B. They Resorted to Absurdity.
Ex. 14:12 “Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.”
NOTE: Folks, believe it or not, there are some things that are worse than death. Lifelong bondage to sin and Satan in your Christian life is one of those things. The Israelites did not seem to realize that their life in Egyptian bondage was not real life at all; it would merely be a slower form of death. It takes no faith to take the course of least resistance.
III. THE STRENGTHENING of ISRAEL’S FAITH
A. The Statement of God’s Purposes.
1. Israel would be helped.
Ex. 14:13 “And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will show to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more forever.
14 The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.
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16 But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.”
2. God would be honored.
Ex. 14:17 “And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honor upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.
18 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten me honor upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.”
NOTE: Folks, faith always honors God. George Mueller put it this way:
Faith does not operate in the realm of the possible. There is no glory for God in that which is humanly possible. Faith begins where man’s power ends.4
B. The Show of God’s Power.
1. God’s presence with Israel was obvious.
Ex. 14:19 “And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:
20 And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them (the Egyptians), but it gave light by night to these (the Israelites): so that the one came not near the other all the night.”
NOTE: There is a significant contrast brought out here concerning the pillar of cloud: What blinded the Egyptians with darkness, brought light to the Israelites, so they could see their path of escape through the Red Sea.
2. God’s power opened a way through the obstacle.
Ex. 14:21 “And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.
22 And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.”
NOTE: [1] There is an interesting thought brought out here. We are told that the “waters were a wall unto them” (the Israelites—v.22). In other words, the water hemmed them in on both sides, and in the rear, the pursuing Egyptian army hemmed them in. They could travel in but one direction—forward. The idea here is somewhat like cattle driven through a chute, so that they can be loaded on trucks for transport. The narrowness of the chute controls and directs the cattle’s movement. In much the same way, the obstacles and difficulties that God permits to come our way are often His means of moving us in a certain direction that He knows is best for us. What appears to be an obstacle to us may actually be God hemming us in to His divine will and direction.
[2] It is also interesting that what provided a path of deliverance for Israel, proved a path of death for the Egyptians. Paul once said, “Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off” (Rom. 11:22). God offered both the Jews and the Egyptians the opportunity to believe and obey Him. The Egyptians refused to trust and obey God, and suffered the severity of His judgment, while the Jews believed and obeyed God and enjoyed His goodness and mercy.
3. The pursuers were obliterated.
Ex. 14:26 “And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.
27 And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.
28 And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.”
4. The Israelites’ increased faith was the outcome.
Ex. 14:31 “And Israel saw that great work which the Lord did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord, and his servant Moses.”
Theme: In this example of going forward by faith, God reveals…
I. THE SOURCE of ISRAEL’S FEAR
II. THE SEQUEL to ISRAEL’S FAITHLESSNESS
III. THE STRENGTHENING of ISRAEL’S FAITH
End Notes:
1. God Can Make It Happen (Victor).
2. The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, eds. Charles F. Pfeifer and Everett F. Harrison, (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 22nd printing 1987), p. 64.
3. K. Hughes, Liberating Ministry from the Success Syndrome, Tyndale, 1988, p. 69.
4. George Mueller.
Copyright © September 1991 by Rev. Donnie L. Martin. All rights reserved.
