Stand Still and Let God Move:
Exodus 14:9-14
9 But the Egyptians pursued 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 Baalzephon.
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.
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?
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.
13 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.
14 The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.
15 And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:
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.
17 And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour 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 honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.
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, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.
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 the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.
23 And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.
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,
25 And 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.
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 sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them.
29 But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.
30 Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore.
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.
14 The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace
Introduction:
Throughout our life, we often hear or read of impossible task stories involving ordinary people who face an impossible task that requires divine intervention. Illustrations and stories that involve impossible tasks are intriguing, extraordinary and often require more than just brains, muscles or bravery.
Charles Spurgeon, said “We are but men, frail, feeble and apt to faint.” When God wants to do an impossible task, he often first has to break men down before he can use you.
Throughout the Bible, we have situations where God has helped individuals accomplish magnificent victories, glorious triumphs, and extraordinary endeavors. Today, you may be here facing what you feel are insurmountable mountains, hopeless situations, feeling overwhelmed and that no one else understands.
I. Afraid?
A. PRAY
v. 9 But the Egyptians pursued 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 Baalzephon.
Exodus, is literally translated meaning “the way out”; the book is a book of redemption, blood and power. We read that God told Moses to lead the children of Israel to cross over the Red Sea. The children of Israel were facing what they thought were an impossible, insurmountable task. On their back were their enemies, Pharaoh’s army pursuing with rage and tenacity or stubbornness. Unknown to the Children of Israel, Pharaoh’s pursuit of Israel is furthering God’s ultimate plan. II Corinthians 4:8 8 we are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
Instead of sending Israel directly into the promise land, God sent them east toward the Red Sea. From the beginning of this journey, God was their guide. To their left and right is nothing but desert heat, dust and sand and a range of impassable rocks. While on their front is the depths of the Red Sea. They are literally surrounded by big problems with Pharaoh on their back and they have little time to think and find the solution for their escape.
II. Salvation is from the Lord:
V 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.
The children of Israel cried out unto the Lord. There was a sense of desperation, they wanted to be delivered from the hands of the enemy pursuing them. I image for a moment they were camped and a few of the Israelites were outside their tents and cleaning up, maybe some of them were sitting down resting looking out to the distance. When all of a sudden they see dust in the horizon. It was the dust from Pharaoh’s army as they approached.
The opportunity of their deliverance was so close, but now the panicked, they were facing a little danger. They were forced from the wilderness and out of their comfort zone. Now they were wanting to go back under the direction of Pharaoh and serve the Egyptians.
The Word “Cried Out” Remember Esau in Genesis 27:34 34 And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father.
35 And he said, Thy brother came with subtlety, and hath taken away thy blessing.
Esau cried out to his Father for his blessing. He cried out with many tears.
Jeremiah uses this term in a similar way..it was a way of reaching out to God, but it was marked by unbelief and fear. It almost sounds as if God was saying….”why are you whining”…note that joined with this cry, they complained. They see the only possibility is death, we are all gonna die…it was almost a sarcastic cry to the Lord and complaining to Moses…why have you done this, why have you let us get into this situation. Moses, didn’t we tell you before it would have been better to stay in slavery then to die out on our journey? Didn’t we tell you Moses?
The Children of Israel here are in a serious situation that can do nothing without the intervening of God. Jonah 2:9 9 But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.
Their redemption draweth nigh, and it is the Lord who will have to do it. They are all on foot, no weapons, no training to fight.
Psalms 37:39 But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble.
I’m sure that some of the Children of Israel fell to their knees and started praying. Others cried out and wanted to turn back. Some cried out against Moses, their fear set them murmuring. God often brings us to impossible situations to bring us to our knees.
The Bible here in V. 10 “they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the Lord.
“Sore Afraid” literally means terrified.
V 11.12 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?
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.
They were so discouraged here, they are giving up on God. They were ready to die fleeing when the promise land was so close. The Children of Israel had finally reached their topping point. They begin to questions Moses, they even said they would have been better off in Egypt in bondage as slaves.
III. Stand Still and Let God Move:
V. 13-14 Moses is telling the Children of Israel that it is the Lord that will Work on their behalf. They are to stand still and it is God that will move on their behalf. Moses is saying, stand still and don’t think you can fight against your enemy, or retreat, don’t give up, the lord will fight your battles for you.
God has now assured them that Pharaoh has met his match. He will literally meet his maker. God is saying, follow Moses lead, and allow me to work, just stand still.
This is a clear illustration that God led them into this situation, and he would surly get them out. If you are sitting here this morning facing a difficult situation, you are there because has allowed you to arrive in that place. God is not surprised that you are in a tight spot.
Psalms 121:1-2 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
2 My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.
Illustration:
Keeping a positive outlook on life is pretty hard when nothing much positive seems to be happening in your life. Let’s face it, when things are going bad, really bad, there is nothing worse than a confrontation with an eternal optimist. That’s the last thing you really need. At times like that you would much rather hear “You poor thing!” than “It could be worse!” Sure, it could be worse; it could always be worse. But, at the moment, you don’t need to be reminded of the fact that there is still more trouble that could be hidden somewhere and it is just a matter of time before it catches up with you. When you feel like that, you really would prefer some sympathy. Or, in the very least, if they don’t feel your pain they could pretend?
Life isn’t fair and the fact that some people have more money, more power, more beauty, more –– more and better of everything, is pretty good evidence of that. Sometimes you just want to sink down into the depths of the inequity and dwell in it, wallow in it and let it cover you. If you can’t overcome it, then at least you can learn to cohabit with it. If you can learn to live with your own inability or inadequacy, at least you have accomplished something of value. Unfortunately, when we open the door to defeat, we open the door to negativism and bitterness. Thus embittered, the value of life itself may become meaningless.
“One of the greatest evangelistic hymns of all time was written by a woman who knew well the release and peace that come from confessing one’s sins and failure to God. ‘Just As I Am,’ a hymn frequently sung at the close of evangelistic meetings, was written by Charlotte Elliott, who at one time had been very bitter with God about the circumstances in her life. Charlotte was an invalid from her youth and deeply resented the constraints her handicap placed on her activities. In an emotional outburst on one occasion, she expressed those feelings to Dr. Cesar Malan, a minister visiting her home. He listened and was touched by her distress, but he insisted that her problems should not divert her attention from what she most needed to hear. He challenged her to turn her life over to God, to come to Him just as she was, with all her bitterness and anger.
She resented what seemed to be an almost callous attitude on his part, but God spoke to her through him, and she committed her life to the Lord. Each year on the anniversary of that decision, Dr. Malan wrote Charlotte a letter, encouraging her to continue to be strong in the faith. But even as a Christian she had doubts and struggles. One particularly sore point was her inability to effectively got out and serve the Lord. At times she almost resented her brother’s successful preaching and evangelistic ministry. She longed to be used of God herself, but she felt that her health and physical condition prevented it. Then in 1836, on the fourteenth anniversary of her conversion, while she was alone in the evening, the forty-seven-year-old Charlotte Elliott wrote her spiritual autobiography in verse. Here, in the prayer of confession, she poured out her feelings to God––feelings that countless individuals have identified with in the generations that followed. The third stanza, perhaps more than the others, described her pilgrimage: Just as I am, tho tossed about––With many a conflict, many a doubt,––Fighting’s and fears within, without,––O Lamb of God, I come! I come!
Many years later, when reflecting on the impact his sister made in penning this one hymn, the Reverend Henry Venn Elliott said, ‘In the course of a long ministry I hope I have been permitted to see some fruit of my labors, but I feel far more has been done by a single hymn of my sister’s, ‘Just As I Am.’” (Ruth Tucker, Sacred Stories)
IV. Victory is in the Lord
“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” It is the nature of the natural man, that part of Adam that has transferred to us over countless generations, to bolt when God puts the halter of suffering or inequity over our heads. We toss about and fight against the tide of conflict and sorrow in our lives. We sputter and spew forth the negative in hopes that God will hear us and recognize the injustice He has visited upon us. We long to stand before Him perfected, not in this imperfect state. “Just as I am? Does it really need to be this way Lord? I want to be like him or her, not like me!” Yet, when the negative invades our lives, whether that be personal illness, a handicap or just plain bad fortune, if we would be but still for a moment, perhaps we might hear that still, small whisper of hope that God most surely puts in every sinner’s heart––true happiness is not a product of living; rather it is the result of the attitudes we embrace while we are alive.
God has a plan for you-stop running, stand still and let God move!
In times of our great difficulties, it would be wise for us to stand still and let God move.
Isaiah 30:7 7 For the Egyptians shall help in vain, and to no purpose: therefore have I cried concerning this, their strength is to sit still.
Psalms 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God”
A Southern Gospel Group named “Isaacs” have a song titled “Stand Still”
The Father has a plan, though it’s hard to see it now
You feel you’re walking all alone, but He is there no doubt
When the storm around you rages, and you’re tossed to and fro
When you’re faced with life’s decisions, Not sure which way to go
Stand still and let God move, Standing still is hard to do
When you feel you have reached the end,
He’ll make a way for you
Stand still and let God move
Standing still is really the last thing that your instincts would have you to do… Stand still, for your enemy who you are seeing today, you will never see again.
V. Stand Still In Your Place:
V14 The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace
It’s the Lord who shall fight our battles, it’s God who wrought our salvation and gives to us a peach that passeth all understanding.
V. 15-16 And the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? Speak unto the children of Israel that they go forward:
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.
Moses words of prayer were not written here. Moses was crying out to God, but God had something for him to do. He is to speak to them and go forward. Not to their left or right, but to move toward the sea. They must trust him and move forward, God will be a loser to no man.
God told Moses to take his staff and raise his hand over the Red Sea. To stand in his place, God has called you out, you have been delivered, and you are to stand with God. Stand Still: whose side are you going to stand on?
V18: the Bible makes it clear here in verse 18, the Egyptians remaining behind, those men, women and children will know that God performed a miracle. As I said this morning, God is a loser to no man.
V19,20 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, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.
A natural wind would have never separated the water into two sides, making a wall so that someone could pass…God worked here in our text through the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire. The children of Israel were led, just like you and I should be led by the Holy Spirit today.
Verse 25: And 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.
Now the Egyptians have come to the realization that something above and beyond a strong wind was taking place, it was something supernatural. Now they are turning and running, retreating back in the direction they came.
Historical perspective:
This exodus, this crossing of the Red Sea is a historical event. God caused a strong east wind to blow the waters back so the people could walk ten miles through the Red Sea to safety in Arabia. The crossing path is about a quarter to a half mile wide and is on the gradual slope down to the bottom of the Red Sea and then up to the Saudi beach. On either side of this path are the depths of the Red Sea, the Eilat Deep and the Aragonese Deep, each 3000-5000 feet deep respectively.
Photo’s have been taken of a gilded chariot wheel that remains on the sea floor of the Red Sea. It was found by ron Wyatt using a molecular frequency generator from his boat above, after he set the equipment to search for Gold. Four, six and eight spoke wheels are found here in the gulf, and were only used at the same time during he 18th dynasty or 1446 BC when the exodus took place.
Many sceptics attempt to explain the crossing of the Red Sea was done in a shallow area of the sea. Stating that this was caused by the strong winds and the natural actions of the wind and sea. Maybe an earthquake. Let me remind you that the bible makes it very clear, there was water on both sides.
If the Children of Israel crossed the Red Sea in a shallow area, then explain to me how Pharaoh and his army of what was estimated at nearly 20,000 chariots with 600 of those being choice chariots. (Arkdiscovery.com/Red_sea_crossing/Revealing God’s Treasure).
The bible states that not only was there a wall of water on both sides,
In verse 14:21,22 “and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.” And v22 “And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground”; I can simply explain it in three words: It’s a Miracle
With all the rain we’ve had lately, our ground is saturated, standing puddles and water everyplace. You walk through the yard or even walk along the road, the road is wet, my yard is wet and me feet get wet. They didn’t even get their feet wet...
Verse 22: The water would divide so the Israelites could pass over. God inspired the Egyptians to charge after the Children of Israel. Then the angel of God, the pillar & the cloud that had been leading Israel moved to the rear of the camp. Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the Lord sent a wind and opened up the water so they could pass over. Not only did they pass over, they passed on dry land. Not a drop of water, no wet shoes, no muddy feet.
I’m sure as Pharaoh looked upon this circumstance, he thought that the Children of Israel were like trapped rats, nowhere to go. I’m sure this excited Pharaoh and he pushed the army even more in the pursuit of the Israelites.
Israel’s direction was to stand still. When your enemies come against you, you’re surrounded by the impossibilities, walls are closing in, stand still and watch God move.
Stand your ground with him, trust him, stand still, follow him, obey him, stop being afraid only believe….stop your complaining, stop your grumbling and complaining. Your role is to believe,Stand Still and Let God Move!
