Between a Rock and a Hard Place
Text: Exodus 14:1–14
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Introduction
Isn’t it funny how we are constantly living in the past...? Isn’t it funny how we concentrate on how things used to be, what we used to have… What we used to do…? Memories are good to have… It’s good to reminisce, but I want to let you know that you can’t progress by living in the past…? We can never move forward, if we keep looking backwards...The Lord has been constantly proving Himself to us, taking us through dangers seen and unseen. Yet every time He tries to take us to the next level, we stand there looking over our shoulder in retrospect, contemplating the past!
My brothers and sisters, the story of Israel at the Red Sea is not just their story — it is our story. They were a people who had been in bondage for over 400 years, crying out to God for deliverance. And God raised up a leader, Moses, who stood toe to toe with Pharaoh and said, “Let my people go.”
Now, if you listen carefully, you can almost hear the chains rattling on our own people. For our ancestors, Pharaoh looked like the slave master with the whip in his hand. Pharaoh looked like Jim Crow laws that tried to choke the dignity out of our communities. Pharaoh looked like economic systems that told us we were “less than” and “not enough.”
And just like Israel, when freedom finally came into view, there was still a Red Sea in front of us, an army behind us, and mountains on both sides.
And that’s where some of us are living right now. You’re free — but you’re still facing impossibilities. You’ve been saved, but you still see Pharaoh’s dust rising behind you. You’ve been delivered, but you still feel hemmed in with no way out.
Let me tell you what the Lord told me to tell you: when you’re between a rock and a hard place, that’s the perfect place for God to show up and show out.
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Point 1 – God Sometimes Leads Us Into Tight Places (vv. 1–4)
The text says God didn’t take Israel the easy way. He didn’t send them by the shortcut through Philistine country. Instead, He led them into the wilderness. And then He boxed them in at the Red Sea. Pharaoh behind them. Mountains on both sides. The sea in front. Nowhere to go.
Why would God do that? Why would God lead His people into a trap?
Because God wanted Pharaoh to know, and Israel to know, and the whole world to know that the battle does not belong to us — the battle belongs to the Lord.
Today many of us would rather go back into bandaged than to pay the price of victory. There are so many times in our walk of faith we act like those wilderness wanderers. We would rather go back into the bondage of the enemy than to fight for the victory. There are times we’d rather settle for the mire of mediocrity, than to strive for the pursuit and possession of the Promised Land
Come here, church — isn’t that our story?
• When our ancestors were chained in slave ships, God showed up in the midnight moans and the hush-harbor prayers.
• When the marchers at Selma had dogs and hoses turned on them, God showed up on the Edmund Pettus Bridge.
• When mothers cried over sons lost to the streets, somehow God still kept the family together.
God puts us in situations where we can’t fix it, so that when the victory comes, we’ll know it was nobody but the Lord.
Somebody shout: Nobody but the Lord!
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Point 2 – Fear Makes Us Want to Go Back (vv. 10–12)
Now, when Israel saw Pharaoh coming, the Bible says they were terrified. They cried out to the Lord — but then they turned on Moses. Listen to what they said: “Why did you bring us out here? Was it because there were no graves in Egypt? It would have been better to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”
Do you see what fear does? Fear has a funny way of making us romanticize our chains. Israel said, “At least in Egypt we had food.” But Egypt was still slavery!
And we do the same thing. Fear whispers, “Go back.”
• Go back to that toxic relationship.
• Go back to the corner.
• Go back to the bottle.
• Go back to the streets.
• Go back to living small when God has called you to live free.
Why? Because freedom is frightening. The wilderness is frightening. The unknown is frightening. But child of God, let me announce this loud and clear: going back is not an option!
Tap your neighbor and say, “Neighbor, don’t go back!”
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Point 3 – Faith Calls Us to Stand Still (vv. 13–14)
The Lord’s hand is the one that leads us out of our Egypt’s; it is the Lord who fills our empty stomachs in the wilderness.
As we move from Egypt to Canaan, we remember that it was the hand of God that kept us safe in Egypt and with that same hand he will guide through our wilderness.
You see we have hindsight, we can reminisce about the past, But God’ wants us to walk into our future.
We can never move forward, if we keep looking backward. The Lord has been constantly proving Himself to us, by taking us through the seen and the unseen dangers. He is always ready to take us to the next level in our ministries, in marriages, in our relationships.
Believe it or not it is the Lord, who opens the windows of opportunities for us; it is the Lord that brings about new ventures in our life.
It is the Lord who breaks down barriers, which seem impossible to cross. It is the Lord who heightens our spiritual walk.
When enemy tries to delay, deter, detain, discourage and derail your progression, it is God who going to fight your battle, you just stand still and see His salvation. You just are steadfast and unmovable, holding to God’s unchanging hand.
Why, preacher? Because God is going to fight your battle, just be still.
As long as we trust in Him, he will lead us to our land flowing with milk and honey!
Yes he will. So don’t get caught in your yesterdays, stop worrying about your tomorrows.
The Lord will see us through!
But Moses, oh thank God for a leader with faith, Moses stood up in the face of fear and declared: “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today.”
Church, that’s not just history — that’s testimony.
• That’s the faith of Harriet Tubman when she led hundreds to freedom and said, “I never lost a passenger.”
• That’s the faith of Martin Luther King Jr. when he declared, “I’ve been to the mountaintop, and I’ve seen the promised land.”
• That’s the faith of our grandmothers and grandfathers who believed that even when the world was against them, “If God be for us, who can be against us?”
Faith doesn’t mean you don’t feel afraid. Faith means you don’t let your fear control your future. Faith means standing still long enough to see God move.
Somebody shout, “Stand still!”
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Point 4 – God Fights Our Battles (v. 14)
And then God speaks through Moses again: “The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”
The same God who fought Pharaoh is the God who fought the slave master.
The same God who fought Jim Crow is the God who fights racism, poverty, addiction, and violence today.
And the same God who fought for them is the God who fights for you.
Let me put it this way: if you hold your peace, God will handle your Pharaoh. If you hold your peace, God will part your Red Sea. If you hold your peace, God will make your enemies His footstool.
Won’t He do it? Yes, He will!
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Conclusion
So here you are today. Pharaoh behind you. The Red Sea in front of you. Mountains on both sides. You’re between a rock and a hard place.
But I stopped by to tell you, don’t give up. Don’t go back. Don’t let fear rob you of your faith.
Stand still. Hold your peace. Watch God make a way out of no way.
Because the God who brought Israel through the Red Sea is the same God who brought our ancestors through slavery, the same God who brought us through segregation, the same God who brought you through every midnight hour of your life.
And if He did it before — He will do it again.
Yes, He will!
The God who opened the Red Seas is the same God who will open doors.
The God who made a way in the wilderness is the same God who will make a way with your Finances, in your health in your family
Now give God praise like you know He’s still fighting your battles!
SSo give Him praise!
Give Him glory!
Give Him honor!
Because when you’re between a rock and a hard place — that’s when God shows up and shows out!
So here you are today. Pharaoh behind you. The Red Sea in front of you. Mountains on both sides. You’re between a rock and a hard place.
But don’t give up. Don’t go back. Don’t let fear rob you of your faith.
Stand still. Hold your peace. Watch God make a way out of no way.
Because the God who brought Israel through the Red Sea is the same God who brought our ancestors through slavery, the same God who brought us through segregation, the same God who brought you through every midnight hour of your life.
And if He did it before — He will do it again.
Yes, He will!
The God who opened the sea is the God who opens doors.
The God who made a way in the wilderness is the God who makes a way in your finances, in your health, in your family, in your community.
So give Him praise!
Give Him glory!
Give Him honor!
Because when you’re between a rock and a hard place — that’s when God shows up and shows out!
Now open your mouth and shout like you know He’s still fighting your battles!
When I look back over my life…
And I see where the Lord has brought me from…
I can testify… He’s been a way maker!
He made a way for Israel… through the Red Sea…
He made a way for Daniel… in the lion’s den…
He made a way for the Hebrew boys… in the fiery furnace…
And He’ll make a way for YOU… right now!
Won’t He do it?
— Yes, He will!
Ain’t He able?
— Yes, He is!
Didn’t He bring you out before?
— Yes, He did!
And if He did it before…
He can do it again…
Same God back then…
Same God right now!
So don’t give up… don’t go back…
Stand still… hold your peace…
And let the Lord fight your battles!
Because when you’re between a rock… and a hard place…
That’s when my God…
That’s when your God…
That’s when OUR God…
Shows up… and shows out!
Now give Him praise!
Give Him glory!
Give Him honor!
Like you KNOW He’s still making a way out of no way!
