Walking On Dry Ground
Exodus 14:10-18
There is no such thing as a life that is filled with rainbows and never has a cloud or even a storm.
As a matter of fact… you have to endure a few clouds and storms to have a rainbow.
This morning I want to talk to you about the rainbows and clouds and I want to use a scripture from Exodus 14.
You know the scene… The Israelites have been released by the Pharaoh and are on their way to the Promised Land.
This is a RAINBOW minute. Everything is going “peachy”.
But this rainbow did not come without a storm. Four hundred years they lived as slaves. That was the storm.
The payoff for not giving up, not turning away is the Exodus… the journey to the Promised Land.
They think this is the end… the summit… as good as it could get.
WRONG!!!
God has much more in mind for them. Many more rainbow minutes.
The problem is… and what they don’t want to hear is… there are going to be more clouds and more storms.
Have you ever noticed this principle is true in life…
There are no smooth roads without excavation
There are no six packs without hundreds of sit-ups
But first there is the storm
While they were laughing and making plans for the Promised Land, thinking about the pot of gold at the end of their rainbow… in blows the cloud.
Verse 10 says, “… the Israelites looked up and there were the Egyptians, marching after them.”
You talk about storms… they felt like Fred Sanford…this was the big one.
Pharaoh’s army was there and they came loaded for bear.
There was no way out
They could not run because they were hemmed in.
They could not fight because they had no weapons.
They did the only thing they knew how to do… they turned on their leader…. Moses.
They blamed, whined, and complained.
Have you ever noticed that is the first response of most people when they run into the storm?
The other thing the Israelites did was to use their “selective remembering”.
Listen to verse 12, “We were better off back in Egypt.”
Oh yeah, then why have you been crying out to God for 400 years to get you out of there?
When the storms come we forget the bad stuff from our former situation and just remember it was easier.
Well, God is not interested in easier… He wants to give RAINBOWS.
Moses does what he always does… He cried out to God.
And God did what He always does…He showed them the way THROUGH… not out… but THROUGH!
God is not always interested in getting you out of your storm.
Sometimes He does… thank God.
But sometimes He has something bigger and better in mind for you.
It may be GROWTH… that your faith may be made stronger… that you could find out that you can do more than you think.
Maybe you are going through some storm right now. Maybe it has been going on for a while and you are afraid. Maybe you have cried out for God to deliver you… but He hasn’t.
Maybe He is waiting… more likely this is not a “getting’ out” storm… it is a “gettin’ thru” storm.
You may need to change your prayer from “Lord, get me out” to “Lord, help me through.”
Like I said, Moses went to God and God showed him the way THROUGH the problem.
In verse 15 Moses tells the people step 1, “GOD SAYS STOP WHINING.”
Whining, pouting, belly-aching and blaming…. fear and anger are not going to get you anywhere.
They just make the situation worse.
Step one is always STOP DOING THE WRONG THING
Those things lead you away from God.
When the storm is black and the winds are blowing, you don’t need to do things that will push you farther away from God.
If they blamed Moses… and he took the blame… how would that help them with the Egyptians?
When the storm is raging and your ship is sinking… throwing people overboard won’t help.
STOP DOING THE WRONG THING
The second thing God told the people was…
2. GET MOVING
Why? Look around you… is this where you want to be?
What do you see? The enemy, impending doom, trouble, waves, wind, clouds.
You might say, “But I’m trusting God to get me out.”
This may not be a “gettin’ out” thing.
This may be a “gettin’ through” thing and if you stay here, you will get crushed.
You might ask the same question the Israelites did…
Which way?
They had the Egyptians on one side and the sea on the other and saw no way to go.
ASK GOD AND HE WILL SHOW YOU!!!
They did not see the way THROUGH because they were still looking for the way OUT.
God was waiting for them to ask.
If God wants you to go through, He will show you the way.
I did not say it would be easy… I said it is the way THROUGH.
Which way did God show Israel? THROUGH the sea.
I’ll bet you not more than 20% could swim. There were babies. There were flocks.
Does anyone know… Can sheep swim?
I wondered and quess what… (Show YOUTUBE video) THEY CAN! For a very short distance.
The Israelites had to be afraid. Maybe they even considered taking their chances with the Eqyptians.
But listen… when God shows the way through… GO that way.
The storm may seem impossible. You may think it is too hard or you are not able.
But when God says go… GO!!!
In their case, God opened a window, an opportunity, the parted sea, and said Go.
I think some of them just ran without thinking or looking to see if anyone was with them.
ILL: When I was 6 years old, some friends and I decided to camp out in yard. One of my friends, the one whose yard we were in, had an older brother. He came out “to check on us” and started telling scary stories. He had me about ready to wet myself. One of his friends snuck up outside the tent and made noises. The older brother convinced us it was some scary thing I can’t remember. He said he was afraid and going to run for the house. We all crowded around the tent flap and when he unzipped it, we shot out of that tent like our pants were on fire. I didn’t look to see who else was running or what was after me. I did not stop til I got home.
I think when Moses parted the sea and said “Go,” some of the Israelites took off like me out of that tent.
I’ll bet it was a scary thing to walk into the midst of those walls of water.
Sometimes going through can be that way.
But I promise you that whatever lies in the way of getting through is a lot better than what lies back where you were.
The next thing God told the people was…
EXPECT TROUBLE
God had led the people on this journey with a pillar of fire at night. That fire was their night light so they could travel at night. It was also their heat. And during the day He led them with a pillar of cloud so they could see the way. It also shaded them. One or the other was always in front so the people would not get lost they would always know God’s way.
Now, God took the pillar of fire and placed it between the Egyptians and the Israelites. It kept the people safe and held the enemy back while the people crossed the sea.
But God warned them that He was going to take away the fire and let the Egyptians come after them.
The Israelites probably wondered, “WHY?” Why don’t you hold them with the fire until we are safely across and THEN you can let them go AFTER you let the water come back.
It seemed so logical, so right.
Sometimes we are like them… we can see how God could do something for us and make it easier for us.
But, again… GOD ISN’T INTO EASY.
Now listen to this… this is the best part of the sermon.
Sometimes God’s will is to deliver you OUT
Sometimes God’s will is to deliver you THROUGH
Sometimes God’s will is to gain honor and glory through what you go through.
Look at verse 18, “… then I will gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen.”
I don’t know why but sometimes God chooses certain situations and certain people to bring glory through.
I can’t think of a lot of them… only two or three.
1. This one where God says that is what He is going to do.
2. The man born blind (John 9) where Jesus said it was to bring glory to God.
3. Lazarus’ “death.”
4. Esther coming to the throne.
I don’t know why and I can’t identify which ones… but some things are sent by God to bring Him glory.
In those cases, God either causes or allows it.
In this case, God was causing it.
Read verse 17 and God says He is going to cause Pharaoh’s heart to be hardened and cause him to come after the Israelites.
There are things, terrible things that happen because God causes them. And He does it for His glory.
I can no more explain them than I can answer “How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?” or “Can God build a rock He can’t pick up?”
But I know this… A person who has the chance to bring glory to God is a blessed person.
I also know this… Glory never comes cheap!
For God to gain the glory through Pharaoh and his men… meant their total destruction.
Why was there more glory through drowning them than by burning them with the pillar or fire?
I don’t know.
Why was there more glory in the man being born blind than using him to preach?
I don’t know.
But the scripture shows us that some things are sent and intended for God’s glory.
And God can get the glory…
IF we will be faithful to GO THROUGH
IF we allow God to have his way in us
Sometimes God chooses to BRING US OUT
Sometimes God chooses to BRING US THROUGH
Sometimes God chooses to BRING HIM GLORY
So today if you are going through a storm.
PRAY FOR DELIVERENCE (OUT)
Jesus prayed to get out
If He does not bring you out, ask Him to show you the way THROUGH
Jesus prayed to get through
And if it is His will to bring glory to Himself… He will do it as you go THROUGH.
Look at how God brought glory to Himself.
The soldiers charged in after the Israelites. They were making good progress. They could taste victory. They were about to catch the last of the Israelites when suddenly, there was a great thunderous sound. The soldiers in the back who were slower than the chariots, began to scream as the walls of water crashed over them. The walls fell faster than the men could run. They crashed faster than the horses could run. Quickly, like a zipper being pulled, the water came together. The lead chariots, no longer concerned with catching the Israelites, were now trying just to get past them, out of the river. But they never made it. The last sandal of the last Israelite left the river bed and the water filled in the footprint. Every last soldier was drowned!
And the story has gone down through history. And God has gotten the glory every time the story is read.
Let me end with an analogy…
Imagine that your trouble is a bear chasing you.
God may choose to bring you OUT
The bear will fall in a hole
God may choose to bring you THROUGH
God will give you strength to outrun the bear
God may choose to bring glory to Himself
You will eat bear steak
I hope you are hungry for bear steak!
