HOW TO CROSS THE RED SEA IN YOUR LIFE
EX. 14:13
THERE ARE TIMES IN OUR LIVES…WHEN WE LIKE THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL FACE A RED SEA CROSSING. IT IS SUCH A TIME AS THIS THAT WE VISIT THIS MORNING WITH THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. AS YOU KNOW,
FOR 430 YEARS GOD’S PEOPLE HAD BEEN IN BONDAGE IN EGYPT. GOD HAD CALLED MOSES….AND HIS BROTHER AARON TO BE HIS MOUTHPIECE TO TELL PHAROAH A MESSAGE OF LIBERATION…GOD SIMPLY SAID TO PHAROAH…LET MY PEOPLE GO. GOD SENT 10 PLAGUES UPON EGYPT. GOD KNOWS HOW TO PROVE HIS POINT. HE USED THE PLAGUES TO:
1. TEACH THE WORLD THAT THE LORD JEHOVAH, YAHWEH IS THE GOD OF REDEMPTION, SALVATION AND DELIVERANCE.
2. DEMONSTRATE HIS OMNIPOTENT POWER TO ALL THE EARTH SO THAT EVEN HIS ENEMIES WOULD KNOW WHO HE IS.
3. FORCE PHAROAH AND THE EGYPTIANS TO FREE ISRAEL.
4. SHOW THAT THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THOSE WHO FOLLOWED HIM AND THOSE WHO DID NOT.
5. TO JUDGE THE EGYPTIANS FOR THEIR TERRIBLE SINS OF WORSHIPPING FALSE GODS, AND ENSLAVING AND BRUTALIZING HIS PEOPLE
6. PROVIDED CREDENTIALS FOR GOD’S PEOPLE. TRULY, GOD TAKES CARE OF HIS OWN. THE PLAGUES GOD PERMITTED TORE DOWN THE HIERARCHY OF THE FALSE GODS OF EGYPT. EVERY PLAGUE BROUGHT PHAROAH CLOSER TO THE REALITY OF THE ONLY WISE AND TRUE GOD. AS WE STUDY THIS UNFOLDING SAGA OF DIVINE INTERVENTION WE BEGIN TO REALIZE , AS PHAROAH DID, THAT WHEN YOU GET CLOSER TO GOD….YOU EITHER HAVE TO CHANGE OR YOU HAVE TO FACE JUDGMENT. REMEMBER, IF PHAROAH HAD CHANGED…..THERE WOULD NOT BE MUCH OF A STORY TO TELL . PLEASE NOTE, THAT THE EGYPTIANS HAD A MULTI GOD SYSTEM…EVEN THOUGH THE MAJOR GOD WAS “RA”, THERE WERE MANY SUB DEITIES. THE POINT I’M MAKING IS THAT THIS BIBLICAL REVELATION TEACHES THE WORLD (THEN AND NOW) THAT THE LORD JEHOVAH, YAHWEH IS THE GOD OF REDEMPTION, SALVATION AND DELIVERANCE. LET’S LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED!
1ST…(7:17-18)…..WATER CHANGED TO BLOOD! .(GOD COULD DO THAT SINCE HE IS BOTH CREATOR AND SUSTAINER. THE WATER SUPPLY BELONGED TO HIM AND GOD PERMITTED THE WATER TO BE CONTAMINATED) THE EGYPTIANS HAD A GOD NAMED NILUS OR HOPI…(THE GOD OF THE NILE RIVER WHO THEY WORSHIPED FOR CONTROLING THE WATERS OF THE EARTH). BUT WHEN GOD CHANGED WATER TO BLOOD IT PROVIDED PROOF THAT GOD IS THE ONLY LIVING AND TRUE GOD. PHAROAH’S HEART BECAME HARD…7:22..
2ND…(8: 1-15)….FROGS EVERYWHERE!.. SWARMED OVER ALL OF PHAROAH’S PROPERTY. BUT THE WHOLE EARTH BELONGS TO GOD! (THE EARTH IS THE LORD’S – PSALMS 24:1) THE EGYPTIAN’S GOD WAS PTHA. A RATHER UGLY FROG-HEADED GOD..AND HEKT GODDESS OF REPRODUCTIONS. BUT GOD PRODUCED MORE FROGS THAN HEKT AND PTHA EVER PRODUCED. ANOTHER TEARING DOWN OF STRONGHOLDS, AND PROOF THAT GOD HAS NO EQUAL. PHAROAH HARDENED HIS HEART AND WOULD NOT LISTEN..(8:15)
3RD…( 8: 16-19)LICE OR GNATS INFESTED THE LAND (THE EGYPTIAN GOD WORSHIPED FOR THE EARTH WAS SEB..GOD OF THE EARTH.) HE WAS SUPPOSED TO BLESS THE EARTH BY PRODUCING AND PROTECTING. GOD MADE THE LICE AND GNATS COME OUT OF THE EARTH. ANOTHER STRONGHOLD TORN DOWN AS PROOF THAT THE POWER OF GOD CONTROLS ALL THINGS, EVEN THE VERY DUST OF THE GROUND. BUT PHAROAH’S HEART WAS HARDENED. 8:19
4TH…(8:20-32)FLIES SWARMED OVER THE LAND. (THE EGYPTIAN GOD…BEELZEBUB…OR KEPHERA WAS WORSHIPED AS THEY BELIEVED THAT HE WOULD MAKE FLIES AND BUGS GO AWAY. ANOTHER STRONGHOLD TORN DOWN AS PROOF THAT THE LORD IS SOVEREIGN IN ALL THE LAND. BUT PHAROAH HARDENED HIS HEART. 8:32
5TH PLAGUE.(9:1-7)….A DISEASE STRUCK AND KILLED ALL EGYPTIAN LIVESTOCK IN THE FIELD; BUT ONLY THE LIVESTOCK OF THE EGYPTIANS WAS KILLED. THE HEBREW LIVESTOCK WAS DIVINELY PROTECTED AND SPARED. THE EGYPTIAN’S GOD WAS HATHOR AND APIS. THIS HEATHEN GOD WAS SUPPOSED TO PROTECT THE ANIMALS FROM PLAGUES. ANOTHER STRONGHOLD TORN DOWN AS PROOF THAT THE HAND OF GOD CONTROLS EVEN THE ANIMAL LIFE OF THE WORLD. AND WHERE WAS PHAROAH? ACCORDING TO SCRIPTURE HIS HEART HARDENED….9:7
6TH…PLAGUE…FESTERING BOILS AFFLICTED MAN AND ANIMAL. THE EGYPTIANS WORSHIPED TYPHON..THE EVIL EYE GOD. BUT THE HEBREWS WERE NOT AFFLICTED. THIS OFFERED FURTHER PROOF OF “I AM’S CHARACTER” AND THAT GOD HAS POWER OVER BODY AND HEALTH. AGAIN, THE LORD PERMITTED PHAROAH’S HEART TO HARDEN. 9:12…
7TH PLAGUE….A CATASTROPHIC HAIL AND THUNDERSTROM. THE EGYPTIANS WORSHIPED IRIS THE WATER GOD, AND OSIRIS, THE FIRE AND LIGHTING GOD AND SHU, THE GOD OF ATMOSPHERE. THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO PROVIDE PROTECTION AGAINST STORMS AND NATURAL CATASTROPHES. ANOTHER STRONGHOLD TORN DOWN AS PROOF THAT THE EARTH IS THE LORD’S. AGAIN, PHAROAH’S..HEART WAS HARDENED 9:32
8TH…PLAGUE..LOCUS SWARMED OVER THE LAND. THE EGYPTIANS WORSHIPPED SERAPHIS..THE INSECT GOD. MORE PROOF THAT THE LORD IS THE SUSTAINER OF ALL MANKIND. BUT THIS ONLY SERVED TO FURTHER HARDEN PHAROAH’S HEART. 10:20
9TH PLAGUE…DARKNESS COVERED THE LAND: THE EGYPTIANS WORSHIPPED RA..THE SUN GOD,(THEIR CHIEF GOD) WHOM THEY CREDITED WITH TO PROTECTING EVERYTHING. ANOTHER STRONGHOLD IS TORN DOWN AND PROVIDES PROOF THAT GOD HAS POWER EVEN OVER THE LIGHT AND DARKNESS OF THE EARTH..ACCORDING TO GENESIS, HE PLACED THE SUN AND THE MOON IN THEIR HEAVENLY SOCKETS!
AND FINALLY….THE TENTY PLAGUE (10TH) THE SAD DEATH OF THE 1ST BORN CHILD AND ANIMAL OF EVERY EGYPTIAN WAS SENTENCED. PTAH WAS THE GOD OF LIFE…BUT WHEN GOD MOVED……IT PROVIDED FURTHER PROOF TO PHAROAH AND THE EGYPTIANS THAT GOD IS THE GOD OF TRUE BELIEVERS..HE SAVES HIS OWN. WHEN GOD MOVES..HE TEARS DOWN STRONGHOLDS!
AFTER THE DEATH OF THE FIRST BORN THROUGHOUT EGYPT, GOD’S PEOPLE WERE PRACTICALLY THROWN OUT (EX. 12:33). IT IS ESTIMATED THAT 1.5 TO 2 MILLION PEOPLE MARCHED OUT OF EGYPT (VS. 37) WHAT A SIGHT! THE DAY OF DELIVERANCE HAD ARRIVED; GOD’S PEOPLE HAD BEEN SET FREE. GOD LED HIS PEOPLE THROUGH THE WILDERNESS BY THE RED SEA. DURING THE DAY, HE GUIDED AND PROTECTED THEM IN A PILLAR OF CLOUD, AND AT NIGHT HE GUIDED AND PROTECTED THEM IN A PILLAR OF FIRE. GOD REVEALED TO MOSES THAT PHARAOH WOULD PURSUE GOD’S PEOPLE. WHEN THE ISRAELITES SAW THE EGYPTIANS MARCH AFTER THEM, THEY GREATLY FEARED. IT WAS THEN THAT MOSES SAID; “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. THE LORD WILL FIGHT FOR YOU AND YOU HAVE ONLY TO BE STILL.” AS MOSES PONDERED THE DILEMMA BEFORE HIM, THE LORD SAID TO MOSES “WHY DO YOU CRY TO ME? TELL THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL TO GO FORWARD”(EX 14:13-14). AT THE RED SEA, GOD PERFORMED A MIRACLE TO DELIVER HIS PEOPLE AGAIN FROM THE HANDS OF THE EGYPTIANS. THE WRITER OF HEBREWS DESCRIBES THE CROSSING OF THE RED SEA AS A MIRACLE INVOKED BY FAITH. THE PEOPLE CROSSED THE RED SEA, AS IF ON DRY LAND…BUT THE EGYPTIANS, WHEN THEY ATTEMPTED TO DO THE SAME. WERE "DROWNED"..(HEB. 11:29) IF YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW TO CROSS YOUR OWN PERSONAL RED SEA LOOK AT THE MANY TRUTHS ABOUT FAITH ARE FOUND IN THE ACCOUNT OF GOD’S PEOPLE CROSSING THE RED SEA. LET’S CONSIDER SOME OF THEM.
I. MOSES BELIEVED WHAT GOD SAID!
WHEN MOSES AND GOD’S PEOPLE ARRIVED AT THE SHORES OF THE RED SEA, THEY COULD SEE THE EGYPTIANS RAPIDLY APPROACHING BEHIND THEM. WERE THEY TRAPPED? BUT GOD HAS A PURPOSE..HE KNEW THAT PHAROAH WOULD THINK THAT MOSES AND THE CHILDREN WERE TRAPPED BETWEEN THE SEA AND THE DESERT. THEY WERE AFRAID ACCORDING TO VERSE 10…AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL CRIED OUT UNTO THE LORD…AND THEY SAID UNTO MOSES, DIDN’T WE TELL YOU THIS IN EGYPT..YOU SHOULD HAVE LET US ALONE. WE COULD HAVE GONE ON SERVING THE EGYPTIANS…I WANT YOU TO KNOW SOMETHING THIS MORNING…WHEN YOU ARE FACING THE RED SEA….THERE IS ALWAYS THE TEMPTATION TO GO BACK TO EGYPT. GOD DID SOMETHING UNUSUAL TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM. “THEN THE ANGEL OF GOD WHO WENT BEFORE THE HOST OF ISRAEL MOVED AND WENT BEHIND THEM, COMING BETWEEN THE HOST OF EGYPT AND THE HOST OF ISRAEL. AND THERE WAS THE CLOUD AND THE DARKNESS; AND THE NIGHT PASSED WITHOUT ONE COMING NEAR THE OTHER ALL NIGHT..(EX. 14:19-20). WHEN MOSES CAME TO THE RED SEA. THE FIRST THING HE DID WAS THAT HE TALKED TO GOD ABOUT THE PROBLEM THAT GOD’S PEOPLE FACED WITH THE RED SEA IN FRONT AND PHARAOH’S ARMY CLOSE BEHIND. HIS PRAYER WAS ANSWERED QUICKLY. HE WAS TO LIFT UP HIS ROD AND STRETCH HIS HAND OVER THE RED SEA, AND ISRAEL WAS TO GO FORWARD ON DRY GROUND THROUGH THE MIDST OF THE SEA. IF GOD IS THE SOURCE AND CENTER OF OUR FAITH, THEN WE MUST TRUST HIM AND TAKE HIM AT HIS WORD.. WE MUST SEEK HIM AND THEN DO WHAT HE COMMANDS US TO DO. THERE IS ALWAYS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HEARERS AND DOERS!
II. MOSES DID NOT ALLOW HIS FEAR TO CONTROL HIS FAITH!
NO MATTER WHAT YOU MAY BE FACING, PLEASE BELIEVE THAT GOD HAD A PLAN OF DELIVERANCE FOR YOU. AND I WANT TO SHOW YOU THIS IN THE 17TH VERSE…LOOK AT HOW EVEN PHAROAH WAS DECEIVED INTO THINKING THAT HE COULD DEFEAT GOD’S PEOPLE! GOD USED THE HARDNESS OF PHAROAH’S HEART TO LEAD HIM TO MAKE TAKE ACTIONS THAT WOULD PUT PHAROAH AND HIS ARMY IN A POSITION THAT GOD COULD GET THE HONOR AND GLORY OUT OF THIS WHOLE CONFRONTATION! WHEN WE ARE SURROUNDED WITH DIFFICULTIES AND DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO, WE SHOULD FEAR NOT AND STAND STILL. THE RESTLESSNESS OF THE HUMAN HEART OFTEN CAUSES US TO RUSH AHEAD WITHOUT GOD. WE CANNOT DRY UP THE RED SEAS IN OUR LIVES OR ANNIHILATE THE HOSTS OF EGYPTIANS WHO PLAGUE US. WE NEED GOD! AND WE MUST MOVE WITH HIM-NOT IN FRONT OF, OR BEHIND- BUT WITH HIM. REMEMBER………GOD WILL DO WHATEVER HE PLEASES TO NOT ONLY FIGHT FOR US, BUT TO ASSURE THAT THE VICTORY BELONGS TO HIM. ISAIAH REMINDS US “ BUT THEY THAT WAIT UPON THE LORD, SHALL RENEW THEIR STRENGTH ; THEY SHALL MOUNT UP WITH WINGS AS EAGLES; THEY SHALL RUN AND NOT BE WEARY AND THEY SHALL WALK AND NOT FAINT.” (ISA. 40:31)
III. MOSES ACTED ON WHAT GOD TOLD HIM. (EX. 14:13-16)
NOTICE SOMETHING HERE! AS MOSES PRAYED…HIS DELIVERANCE DIDN’T COME UNTIL HE MOVED TOWARDS THE CHALLENGE. (JUST AS THE HEBREW BOYS WERE NOT DELIVERED UNTIL THEY HAD GONE INTO THE FIRE!)
GOD IS GREAT IN HIS MERCY. HE OPENS THE WAY FOR HIS PEOPLE TO WALK IN FAITH.
A. WHEN GOD SPEAKS WE MUST GO FORWARD
1. GO FORTH IN PRAYER…………MATT 7:7
2. GO FORTH IN EVANGELISM…..MATT. 4:19
3. GO FORTH IN TEACHING……....2 TIM. 3:16
4. GO FORTH IN STEWARDSHIP….MATT 3:10
5. GO FORTH IN SERVITUDE……..MATT. 28:19-20
B. WE MUST REMEMBER THAT THE BATTLE IS THE LORD’S. HE FIGHTS FOR US. GOD KNOWS HOW TO FIGHT AND TO WIN THE BATTLE. HE CAN SEND HAIL FROM HEAVEN..JOSH 10:11
2. HE CAN MAKE THE EARTH OPEN UP AND SWALLOW THE ENEMY! (NUMBERS 16:31)
3. HE CAN LOOSE THE ANGEL OF DEATH TO DESTROY ALL NIGHT…..2 KINGS 19:35
LOOK AT HOW GOD MOVED! GOD DIRECTED MOSES AND THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL TO BE BY THE RED SEA…BECAUSE GOD PLANNED TO USE THE RED SEA TO DESTROY THE EGYPTIANS. ALL THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL HAD TO DO WAS OBEY GOD. GOD HAD ALREADY WON THE VICTORY. AND TODAY. THE BATTLE IS STILL THE LORD’S.
1. MOSES BELIEVED EVERYTHING GOD SAID.
2. MOSES DID NOT ALLOW HIS FEAR TO CONTROL HIS FAITH
3. THEN HE ACTED ON WHAT GOD TOLD HIM.
AFTER GOD DELIVERED THEM CHAPTER 15 RECORDS THE SONG OF PRAISE THEY LIFTED UP FOR THEIR DELIVERANCE!
JESUS WENT TO CALVARY, WAS CRUCIFIED AND RESURRECTED TO OPEN UP THE REA SEAS OF OUR LIVES SO THAT WE COULD GET TO THE PROMISED LAND. DO YOU HAVE A SONG OF PRAISE? YOU DON’T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THE BATTLE IS OVER, YOU CAN SHOUT NOW! OR ARE YOU STILL WAITING ON THE BANKS OF YOUR OWN RED SEA? BELIEVE WHAT HE SAYS, DON’T ALLOW YOUR FEARS TO OVERTAKE YOU AND CONTROL YOUR FAITH, AND THEN GO FORTH IN HIS NAME!
