Exodus 14:1-31
Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp near Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. They are to encamp by the sea, directly opposite Baal Zephon. 3 Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert.’ 4 And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” So the Israelites did this.
5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them and said, “What have we done? We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!” 6 So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him. 7 He took six hundred of the best chariots, along with all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them. 8 The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out boldly. 9 The Egyptians—all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots, horsemen[a] and troops —pursued the Israelites and overtook them as they camped by the sea near Pi Hahiroth, opposite Baal Zephon.
10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the Lord. 11 They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”13 Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” 15 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. 16 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. 17 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. 18 The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen.” 19 Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them. 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. 21 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, 22 and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. 23 The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea. 24 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. 25 He jammed[b] the wheels of their chariots 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.” 26 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.” 27 Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians were fleeing toward[c] it, and the Lord swept them into the sea. 28 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. 29 But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. 30 That day the Lord saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore. 31 And when the Israelites saw the mighty hand of the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant.
INTRODUCTION
Lets look together at Vs.13 And Moses said unto the people, fear 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.
I came to this house today to prophesy, and I came to tell you that today can be your day. God said to tell you that today is a day of victory, today God is going to deal the death blow to an enemy that has been plaguing your life, dogging your heels, riding your back, breathing down your neck, making your life miserable. God said today can be the day when you are going to put something that has been over your head, under your feet.
Listen to our text: The salvation he will show to you (today) for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, you shall see them again no more forever.
Egyptians: Represent (Enemies) I don t know what the Egyptians mean to you today, it could be sickness, it could be financial trouble, it could be family strife and turmoil, or it could be people who are trying to destroy your life, attacking your ministry. Or it could be a habit or an addiction that you haven’t been able to conquer.
Whatever it is God said to tell you that today is your day for victory. How many know that the devil is opposed to you having victory, the devil doesn’t want anybody enjoying the abundant life that Jesus came to give us.
After the children of Israel are thrust out of Egypt Pharaoh decides he has made a mistake and wants them back and now he’s in hot pursuit of them.
Vs 3 For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in. Now Pharaoh is saying: I’ve got them right where I want them, they’re trapped, there’s nowhere for them to go. I’ve got them right where I want them.
Most of the time when you hear those words it’s because somebody believes they have somebody trapped, surrounded, hedged in, no escape. It’s because they believe that they have the upper hand, and everything is in their favor. When somebody speaks those words, it’s with a sense of superiority, confidence, and assurance.
It’s spoken with the sense that the other party is at their mercy, and now their fate is in their hands and they have the power to kill, destroy, or save and keep alive.
That’s exactly what Pharaoh was thinking.
How many times have you been at the place where it seems like all hell has broken loose against you, and you look around for help but there is no help to be found? And it feels like you are surrounded and the enemy is coming at you from every side, and then you hear that sinister voice of Satan laughing at you with that attitude of arrogance and self assurance saying: (Now I’ve got you right where I want you).
We’ve all been there: In fact I’m talking to some people who are there right now. You are my assignment because God told me to prophesy to you and to tell you; things aren’t always as they appear.
He told me to tell you that there is more to this than meets the eye. He told me to tell you that (it’s a set up).
He told me to tell you that what looks like the worst circumstances you’ve ever faced in your life is getting ready to thrust you into a brand new glory, a brand new anointing, a new level of faith and power beyond anything that you have ever experienced before.
GOD SENT AN ELEVATOR
Let me go ahead and say it like this: God sent an elevator your way and it came in the form of an enemy, God said he would make your haters into elevators, (Most everyone saw Goliath as a hater, but David saw him as an elevator.
I know it sounds crazy but some of you need to thank those enemies for pushing you into your destiny, (I wouldn’t be where I am if it wasn’t for my enemies) everything the enemy sent to take you down, God is going to use it to lift you up. I preached on Mother’s Day “Provoked Into the Promise.” You need your enemies, you need your adversaries, you need a good enemy to help propel you to the next level.
GOD’S NOT GOING TO LEAVE YOU
I came to tell you: don’t give up on the edge of a miracle. God didn’t bring you this far to leave you.
He didn’t call you out on the water to let you drown.
He didn’t bring you out of the bondage and the slavery of Egypt (Enemy’s Kingdom) to let him devour you.
I came to tell you: Help is on the way, and I came to tell you (it’s closer than you think).
God said for me to tell you: He has heard your cry and he has seen your tears, and help is on the way. There’s a miracle in the making.
TEXT
In our text the children of Israel found themselves in a predicament, a bad situation, a trap. I know we re faith people, but let s just be honest about it: (We’ve all been there) we have all found ourselves in a bad situation that we couldn’t get ourselves out of.
Sometimes we are there because of foolishness on our part, wrong choices, wrong actions, wrong associations, wrong instructions. But sometimes there is no other explanation but the work of the enemy, we have an adversary who hates us and is intent on destroying our lives. Physically, emotionally, financially, spiritually, your marriage, your family your ministry. The devil comes but for to steal to kill and to destroy. But whatever the reason: we know what it feels like to be caught somewhere in something with no way of escape.
Somebody I m talking to (you’re in that place right now)
The temptation is when we find ourselves in that predicament is to be just like the children of Israel and begin to murmur and grumble and complain and start looking backward, and begin to blame God for not making everything easy, and to call his love into question for allowing us to struggle and suffer. But I want to remind you: It’s only a small setback to set you up for a comeback. Tell your neighbor: It’s a set back, setting you up for a comeback!
I m trying to help somebody today: You’ve been crying out to God for deliverance, for help and it looks to you and feels to you, like everything has taken one giant step forward from bad, to worse, to impossible.
But I came to tell you: When you’re down to nothing, God s up to something. God is getting ready to show up and show out. Oh yes there was a trap: But what we miss a lot of times is this one little thing (the trap wasn’t for the children of Israel it was for their enemies, it was for the Egyptians).
TRAP IS NOT FOR YOU
The trap is not for you, the trap is for your enemies.
*God let your enemies think that you were trapped.
*God let your enemies see you cry.
*God let your enemies see your struggle and see your pain so they would get in the trap.
What I’m telling you today is this: God is getting ready to care of your enemies, and God has been using this situation, this dilemma, this storm, to draw your enemies together, to draw them out of hiding, some of the ones that used to walk around talking behind your back, are now standing up in your face, and some of them that have been working in the dark, God is turning the light on, and he’s uncovering them.
God is going to pull them out of their hiding places and he’s going to take care of them once and for all. Somebody needs to prophesy right now and declare it: Today is my day. It was an impressive show of fierce military might and strength when Egypt came stampeding down on the children of Israel. All the chariots of Egypt, six hundred chosen chariots captains in every one of them, all the chariots and horsemen of Egypt with Pharaoh leading the charge.
And they followed Israel into the midst of the sea, with the taste of victory on their lips, they charged into the red sea, gaining on their prey.
Let me ask you a question: Have you ever felt outnumbered? Have you ever felt outgunned? Have you ever felt like the underdog? Have you ever felt overwhelmed?
Israel could never out run such a foe ( All of them walking….. Old men, old women, babies and children, all on foot). They were no match for the great army of Egypt.
Four hundred years as slaves, they didn’t even know how to fight, (they had no chariots, no great weaponry, and no artillery). But they had something Pharaoh had forgotten about. (They had God)
WE’VE GOT GOD
Tell your neighbor: I’ve got God.
You may have all the artillery, but I’ve got God.
You may have all the odds in your favor, but I’ve got God.
You may have all the plans, and strategies, but I’ve got God.
You may have the courts on your side, but I’ve got God on my side.
You may have money in the bank, but I’ve got God.
Romans 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
It looked like it was over for Israel: Pharaohs army was closing the gap, the children of Israel could hear the chariots rumble, they could hear the clatter of swords, and shields, and spears. Somebody is in that same place right now: The enemy is so close, you can hear the rattle, and the clanging of his artillery, you can hear his voice, you can hear him talking behind your back, you hear people saying you’ll never make it. You can hear them making plans to take over.
But the bible says in vs 24: And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD (looked) unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians.
THE LORD HAS BEEN WATCHING
I came by to tell somebody today: The Lord has been looking, he has been watching the enemy, and he has been calculating his actions, and his moves and he has been observing the way he s been treating you, and he’s taking it personal.
The bible says: God troubled the host of the Egyptians
That word trouble means: To distract, to confuse, to disturb, to vex. In other words what it means is: All of a sudden there was dissension in the ranks, they got confused, and distracted, they were irritated and they became angry at each other.
Then the bible says:
25 And God (took off their chariot wheels), that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians.
That means that all of a sudden: The Egyptians have lost their momentum, nothing is going their way anymore, everything that was working for them is now working against them, nothing is turning out the way they planned. I’m trying to tell somebody that God is working on it right now: God is pulling off their wheels.
I’m prophesying to somebody right now that God is frustrating your enemies, they can’t figure it out, their hexes, and vexes ain’t workin, their gun powder and everything else ain’t getting the job done. they’re scratching their heads right now, trying to figure out why it’s not working anymore, they’re getting frustrated and angry and they’re starting to fight with each other.
Suddenly the Egyptians get a revelation: This is not us, this is not bad planning, this is not mismanagement, (This is God). God is fighting for Israel, let us flee from the face of Israel.
We talk a lot about being good soldiers and fighting the good fight of faith, but there are sometimes when God almighty steps in and says: (let me handle this) I’ll take care of this one.
GOD IS STEPPING IN!
I came to tell somebody: You’ve been fighting the good fight of faith, and you’ve been doing everything you know how to do, but it doesn’t seem like anything has changed (but God said to tell you, he’s going to step in and take over and he’s going to fight your battle for you and give you the victory).
The bible says:
Deuteronomy 28:7 The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.
Some of you would be happy right now, just to see your enemies running away from you, (but if your enemies simply run away, they’ll return again another day)
What I’m trying to tell you, is that God is not just wanting to give you a rolaid, or a tums, or a Tylenol, for a temporary relief. (God wants to give you some permanent victories).
Vs 13 For the Enemies (the Egyptians) whom ye have seen today, you shall see them again no more forever.
Some of you have fought the same battles for years, over and over and over again, you’ve been around the same mountain again and again, you’ve walked through the same fire time and time again. You’ve had some relief but you have never had total victory.
But today is a day for VICTORY (not Relief) Victory.
I want to prophesy to you again and tell you (Your setback is only a set up for God to give you a comeback) In a moment the Egyptians realized (It was a trap, not for Israel but for them) They turned to run for their lives. You don’t ever have to worry about running from your enemies…..God will make them YOUR footstool.
BLESSING IN THE SAME PLACE AS YOUR SETBACK!
Then vs 26 God tells Moses to stretch out his hand over the sea, and the waters came again and the Egyptians fled against it, and the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea, and the waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them, (there remained not so much as one of them).
In the same place where the enemy said: I’ll finish them, in the same place where the enemy said I’ve got them right where I want them and they’ll die at my hand. In that same place God dealt the death blow to Egypt.
CONCLUSION
I’m closing: but I just came to prophesy to somebody and tell you (it’s a set up….you’re coming back from this setback!) God has been setting you up for a Once for all Victory. I know you didn’t understand why you had to go through what you had to go through, and I know you wondered why it seemed like the enemy had you surrounded, and why it seemed like your enemies had the upper hand and they were going to destroy you
But I remind you again: This Trap is Not for You…..It’s just a set up.
IT’S A SET UP FOR A TAKE DOWN
God is not just wanting to pull you out of the fire today, or deliver you from the lion’s den, and he is not just wanting just to give you temporary relief, or make your enemies run away.
God said today is a day for permanent victory.
This is your day to put it under your feet once for all.
This is your day for total victory.
There remained not so much as one of them (enemies).
It’s time for a turn around.
In a moments time everything changed.
MIGHTY EGYPT DEFEATED
Pharaoh, with Egypt in all of her military might, with all her pomp and splendor; Egypt the nation that dominated, and intimidated the Israelites for four hundred years, Egypt the nation that held them in slavery and bondage and made their lives miserable.
Now lay dead at the bottom of the red sea.
I came to tell you: God is going to fight this battle for you and (all he needs from you is to praise him while he works.)
And while you’re praising he’s (looking,) and while you re praising he’s (troubling your enemies,) and while you’re praising, he’s (taking the wheels off their chariots,) and while you’re praising he’s turning the red sea loose. And while you’re praising he’s (drowning your enemies.) I told you it’s a set up for a takedown.
While you’re praising God today he’s taking down your enemies. Debt is going down, sickness is going down, habits and addictions are going down, marriage problems are going down, fear is going down, oppression is going down.
Enemies of your ministry are going down, people who have cursed you and tried to destroy you, God said he’s taking them down, and all you have to do is praise him.
I need some real praisers in here today: I need some people who believe this word, to get on your feet and begin to praise God like he told the truth.
Begin to praise HIM for the setup, praise him for fighting your battles, praise him for knowing what he’s doing even when it don’t make sense to you. Praise him like your enemies are drowning.
This is your day and God said to tell you (It’s a set up for your comeback)
