Faith in the Wilderness - The Parting of the Red Sea
March 8, 2020
After 400 years of slavery to Egypt, the Jewish people were free. They marched out of bondage the night before after 10 miraculous plagues had severed Pharaoh’s hold on them. Suddenly, Pharaoh changes his mind and sends his mighty military to hunt them down. The children of Israel are trapped between an uncrossable sea and an army bent on their destruction. It would be their first test in the wilderness. Would they trust God? Would they succumb to their fears? Would they choose freedom?
Exodus 14:10-14 NIV
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.”
Fear is the great crippler of our generation.
• “Fear not” is most common command in Scripture. “Fear God” is second.
• Notice how many news reports are rooted in fear. Fear sells.
Being afraid is human.
Fear tells us we’re in danger. Healthy doses of fear can keep us safe.
Being fearful is crippling.
• Throughout the Scriptures, God was constantly reminding His people to not be afraid.
Fear is an exaggerated view of the enemy.
Fear minimizes the abilities of God and magnifies the abilities of our enemy.
Stand firm.
Ephesians 6:13-17 NIV
Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
The Lord will fight for you. Be still.
Be still – The Hebrew word for “stop complaining” “stop talking”
The greatest competition for the voice of God is often our own.
Exodus 14:29-30 NIV
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 …”
This was a creation moment similar to Genesis 1. God creates new ground.
What was once impossible and impassable had now become holy pathways.
Where there is no way, he’ll make a way. He’s the way maker!
The Table:
John 5:24 NIV
“Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.
Every human being has stood at the shores of the Red Sea, with their past behind them, looking for freedom.
The moment you say “yes” to Jesus, the waves part and you walk toward freedom. We cross over from death to life.
