Intro – (Lyrical dance to “No Longer Slaves” will precede sermon)
James 1:23-24
Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.
Do you see what it says? God’s word is like a mirror. We ought to see ourselves there. That’s part of the fun of hearing God’s word! It’s not just stories. It’s real life, and it’s bigger than just the moment that it’s describing.
• The Passover, remember, is also the story of Jesus dying on the cross.
• Moses himself, and many of the stories about him, show how he is a figure of Jesus – foreshadowing Jesus Himself. Moses even told the Israelites, “The Lord your God will raise up a prophet like me….”
• The story of the whole exodus event itself is also the story of how God frees us from the slavery of sin and death.
So, the story we’re looking at today isn’t just Israel’s story. Many of you will recall as we went through a series called “The Story” that God’s word is a story with “an upper story - what God is doing,” and “a lower story - what is happening in history” and “your story - how your life fits into the whole.”
So, the Exodus of Israel, out of Egypt, is the story of me and you and the same loving God who loved and interacted with His people Israel. Later on, for hundreds of years, God is still reminding Israel about their deliverance from Egypt.
Isaiah 51:10-11
Was it not you who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made a road in the depths of the sea so that the redeemed might cross over?
Hebrews 11:29
By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.
God frequently reminds us too. Why? There’s a lot of help now from what happened 3,400 years ago. It’s there for a purpose – it’s there for us!
I want to give you 3 phrases to remember today. Chances are that at one time or another one of these will you useful to you – either now or later. They tell the story of Exodus 13-15, and they’ll help you remember parts of it when you most need them.
1. It’s hot in the desert
2. Chariots don’t float
3. Song and dance will follow
(I. It’s Hot In the Desert)
There’s a lot of desert on the Sinai Peninsula just east of Egypt. There’s a lot of heat, too – 106 deg. average highs in the summer. And there’s a lot of sand – the kind that blows around and buries things so there’s no trace left of them for months.
That’s where the whole nation of Israel is walking. Israel is 600,000 men on foot. That doesn’t include women and children, and “many other people” who went with them. So Israel had to be at least 1 mil. in number. That’s a lot of people to take on a campout in the desert!
It was still night time when Pharaoh told Moses and Aaron to leave. All the Egyptians wanted them to hurry up and leave. The window of opportunity was open, and they made a quick exit.
As they left, they asked the Egyptians for gold, silver, and clothes – and the Egyptians gave them to them! Can you imagine it: “Say, I really like those sandals you’re wearing. Can I have them?” “Sure!” “And that earring…you don’t need it do you?” “No. Take it. Please!” The Bible says that Israel “plundered” the Egyptians this way. It’s as if they had invaded their country and made off with the spoils of war.
Then 13:18 says they marched out “armed for battle.” That’s quite a change from being the peon slaves! Egypt had been visited by God’s wrath, and they were still reeling from it.
OK. We’re out. So….where do we go now? Every direction they look it seems like sand - just a lot of sand.
But God knows where He’s taking Israel, and He guides them with a special help – a big pillar of cloud at day, and the same turns to fire at night. When it moves, they move. When it stops, they stop. So where will God take them? The most direct route to the Promised Land, Canaan, would be through what Moses refers to as “Philistine country” (13:17). God knew Israel. They weren’t a warring nation. Really, they didn’t ever need to have an army before. God knew that marching straight into war would be too much on them.
So, they begin a journey into the Sinai Peninsula. We’re not entirely sure of the route they took. The names of things have changed. The geography has changed. But there are some indicators that they crossed east and then, in 14:1, God tells them to “turn back.” He has a plan. It makes it look like they’re lost and confused. So, they “turn back” somehow. They’ve been out on this excursion probably some 4 days or so. It’s in the meantime that Pharaoh and his armies decide to go back and get them. Lose Israelites, lose free slave labor. So, he gathers up his chariots and takes off after them.
Out in the desert, you can see pretty far away. Imagine how Israel felt as they looked up and saw the dust cloud of chariots approaching. They’re boxed in with the Red Sea to their east, possibly a mountain to their west and south, and with the wilderness everywhere else. No place to run, and here comes to the Egyptians.
This is what’s called a “high anxiety time” for Israel. Remember, they’ve never had an army. They know just how cruel their Egyptian slave drivers could be. They saw how the 10 plagues decimated Egypt. When they left, they left with gold, silver, and clothes. No doubt, the Egyptians were feeling… ”gypped.” So, here they come. God told Israel to travel here. I can see where it might start to look like a bad idea.
Yeah, it’s hot in the desert.
(II. Chariots Don’t Float)
There’s actually some humor when Israel starts to whine for the first time:
Exodus
14:11 They said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt?
Well, actually guys, there were plenty of graves in Egypt. You were helping build them, remember? They’re called the pyramids!
What Moses tells them to do is something everyone in high anxiety time should do:
Exodus 14:13
And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again.
Don’t fear. Stand Firm. Be still. Then: Move on. Go through.
The pillar that had been leading Israel moved between them and the Egyptians. It was night time. This time the cloud was dark on the Egyptians’ side and it was providing light for the Israelites.
Then God had Moses stretch out his staff over the sea. You have to read the text to see how the waters didn’t instantly part. God sent a strong east wind. It blew all night, and the waters piled up like a wall on the north and the south. It must have been a wide place God made. And, depending on where they crossed, it was around 4 miles across. The Bible says that God did this miracle, that the water was piled up like a wall on each side, and that they walked across on dry ground. It must have taken a few hours to get over 1 mil people across, along with animals, and it was about daybreak. But sometime in the midst of that, the armies of Egypt came in after them. It was all according to God’s plan. God began to make their chariots have wheel problems, and they realized God was fighting for Israel. So, they made a run for it. Moses raised the staff again, and as the Egyptians ran back west, they found themselves running into the water as it returned. Every one of them was destroyed as Israel watched from the shoreline on the other side.
Joke – A 7-year-old boy's mother asked him what he learned in SS. "Well, Mom, today we learned about the time when Moses was leading the people of Israel out of captivity in Egypt across the Red Sea. They got there at the Red Sea, and Moses realized the Israelites couldn't make their way over. So he asked the Israeli corp of engineers if they would erect a pontoon bridge over the Red Sea, and all the people of Israel walked over that pontoon bridge. But when the Egyptians got there, they had their tanks and their guns and all their heavy artillery, and they sank in the mud. So Moses had the Israeli air force come over, and they bombed them and they wiped out all the Egyptians."
“Did it really happen that way?”
“Well…no, but if I told you what the teacher said, you’d never believe it!”
And unfortunately, many people haven’t. Just like there are some people still working hard to Bible on many fronts, there have been supposed “scholars” for years trying to explain away the story of crossing the Red Sea. Some do that even from within the Church.
Joke - One such person was teaching a SS class of kids one week.
One little boy said in his class, as they were reading through Exodus 14 said, "Wow! What a miracle! God parted the Red Sea and let all His people through on dry ground!"
The liberal scholar / SS teacher said, "Sorry, but that wasn't the Red Sea; it was the Reed Sea. And its water is only about 1 foot deep. No miracle was involved."
The little boy said, "Oh," Then, he kept reading after a minute he looked up again. "Wow! What a miracle! God drowned all those Egyptians and horses and chariots in only 1 foot of water!"
God had led Israel to that spot so that He could demonstrate His power. He destroyed the armies of Egypt. They learned that chariots don’t float. Maybe it was God’s way of pronouncing a revenge for all of the Hebrew babies that had been thrown into the Nile River. People knew Who truly was God.
Then, look at
Exodus 14:31
Israel saw the great power that the LORD used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the LORD, and they believed in the LORD and in his servant Moses.
(III. Song and Dance Will Follow)
Throughout the rest of Israel’s history, God would remind the people about the day He did this for them. He reminded them when they needed to trust Him. He reminded them when they should have been more grateful to Him. He reminded them when they needed to see how foolish it was to worship other gods. For 40 more years, He was going to teach them lessons in the desert – lessons of humility, trust, and learning to depend on God.
But at this moment, they had just learned that they were goners and God saved them from it! So, what did they do? They sang a song!
Ch 15 of Exodus is so important in Israel’s history that it became known as “The Song.” You know how colleges have fight songs and how you and your sweetie have your special song. This was like Israel’s national anthem! Only, it was probably a bit catchier then ours. We lose a lot by reading it in English. It must have been something. It seems like there was a men’s and ladies’ part – kind of like some of the hymns and choruses of the past where there are men’s and women’s parts!
Only, Moses’ sister Miriam grabbed a tambourine and led the ladies in a song and dance. And Moses said, “Stop dancing! No dancing in Israel!” Just kidding! Actually, it was a part of their culture to dance as a way of praising God. It would show up at other times in Israel’s history.
In whatever way it’s shown, what shouldn’t surprise us is that the people of God break out into celebration when God does something great. Maybe they’d been hopelessly trapped with no way out, but when the Lord is working for you, song and dance will follow. Note that.
Now, that’s what happened to Israel. That’s the upper story and lower story. What about to you and me? Let’s go back over their story again and see ourselves in this story.
I. It’s Hot in the Desert
This isn’t the only account of a time when God let His people get into some hard situation. There was Daniel, Shadrac, Meshac, and Abednego, Joseph, Job, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and a whole list of others. They could tell you that it’s hot in the desert.
There have been others in recent history who could tell you the same. We support several missionaries overseas, and have ties with many others. I think of people I’ve met and heard from over the years - C.Y. and Patricia Kim. C.Y. spent time in Communist jail for preaching. He could tell you it’s hot in the desert. I think of Ajai Lall, of Central India Christian Mission, who was threatened by a corrupt police chief that he was going to have Ajai’s daughter kidnapped if he didn’t pay a bribe to him. He can tell you it’s hot in the desert.
Then there are those who aren’t victims of persecution, but who are just up against a difficult time. We have people of our own church family dealing with cancer and with other physical difficulties. There are people who are dealing the recent loss of loved ones. Many are solid believers in the Lord, but they could tell you that it’s hot in the desert. It’s a tough time.
What would you say to the person who’s there? who’s boxed in, and there doesn’t seem to be a way out? What would you tell the person who’s questioning God and His wisdom for the way He does things? Maybe that’s you this morning. I’d tell you…
II. Chariots Don’t Float
I’d take you to this story in Exodus this morning. I’d remind you of the way God led Israel into a tough spot and how it wasn’t without a purpose. I’d remind you that when God led Israel out, there was a shorter route, but it wasn’t the right one. The Philistines were there, and God knew that they couldn’t have handled that.
I’d remind you that that God knows what you’re able to handle, and then I’d remind you of
1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
Where’s your “Philistine country”? Good news! God won’t lead you there! Maybe you’re tempted to give up. Maybe you’re getting bad advice, like Job received, to curse God and forget it all. There’s a lot of other dumb advice around too. But I believe God when He says He’ll not take you where you can’t handle it. He’ll always provide the way of escape. And that, even if He needs to split the sea to do it, He won’t lead you to it if He’s not gonna take you through it! Listen to the encouragement of
Ps 126:5-6 Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.
Some of the difficult times in life might well be compared to a frontier farmer whose family has been through a lean winter. It’s spring, and the wheat of the previous year is almost gone. There sits, however, a sack of grain that he keeps up on the shelf in their house. His field is plowed, and he comes in and does the unthinkable: he takes that big sack of grain, and goes out to the field, and spreads it out all over the ground. There’s a certain sense of loss at that time, but the one who is careful to plant well will also see the time of rejoicing that follows.
What will your difficult time be? Are you using it to be a time when seeds are planted – when God is teaching you patience and trust and reliance on Him? If so, then you get to the 3rd part:
III. Song and Dance Will Follow
Just like Israel needed to immediately appreciate God, and to learn to look back regularly to remember what He did, we need to learn to look back with discernment and understanding to what God teaches us through the tough times. You see, Israel could either say, “God sure set us up in a pickle, didn’t He?” or they could say, “God sure delivered us through an impossible situation, didn’t He?”
Romans 8:18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
Loosely paraphrased: it doesn’t matter what I’m going through. Someday, song and dance will follow! Paul’s point was that we need to consider the joy that’s ahead of us because we trust God will get us through to it.
2 Corinthians 4:16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.
Remember that Israel was delivered from slavery and then from certain death. God used it to bring glory to Himself. Their story is written now for our benefit. Song and Dance will follow.
Now, I want us to look at this story quickly one more time, and see if you can see yourself in it. I’m speaking especially to anyone who has never accepted Jesus, because this story also presents a picture of what happens when someone becomes a Christ-follower.
1 Corinthians 10:1-4 For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.
Now, that may all sound kind of far out and deep, but let it be enough to say that this story we’re looking at today isn’t just Jewish history. Today, it could become a way of describing your history. Because…
I. It’s Hot in the Desert
And right now, some of you are still living life as a slave, or at best wandering around. Jesus said anyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. You need to be taken out of slavery and into freedom. You can’t honestly say that life outside of Jesus is real “freedom,” real “life.” There really is someone who’s after you. His goal is your destruction. There’s really nowhere to run. And it’s hot out there in the desert. But it’s still true that…
II. Chariots Don’t Float
Later on in the OT, God said through Joel
Joel 2:32a …and it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved;
On the first day that the Church began, Peter quoted this Scripture. Paul repeated it in his letter to the Romans. It wasn’t just about Israel a long time ago. It’s about you, today. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. You don’t have to be overcome by the Enemy. You wouldn’t be better off as a slave to sin – addicted to your appetites or wandering around without any direction in life. You can be set free and start all over again with a clean slate! And it’s also true of you that…
III. Song and Dance Will Follow
Listen to the conclusion of some stories that Jesus told:
Luke 15:7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
Luke 15:10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
These are the words that describe what happens when someone becomes a follower of Jesus and sets their old life behind them. Just as surely as Israel was safely free from Egypt and had a reason to sing and dance, Heaven has a reason to celebrate every time someone turns to Jesus. So do we.
Would you be one who does that this morning? Jesus said,
John 5:24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
