15And the LORD said to Moses, "Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. 16But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. 17And I indeed will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them. So I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, his chariots, and his horsemen. 18Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gained honor for Myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen."
19And the Angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them. 20So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. Thus it was a cloud and darkness to the one, and it gave light by night to the other, so that the one did not come near the other all that night.
21Then 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 into dry land, and the waters were divided. 22So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. 23And the Egyptians pursued and went after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.
24Now it came to pass, in the morning watch, that the LORD looked down upon the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud, and He troubled the army of the Egyptians. 25And He took off[1] their chariot wheels, so that they drove them with difficulty; and the Egyptians said, "Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the LORD fights for them against the Egyptians."
26Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the waters may come back upon the Egyptians, on their chariots, and on their horsemen." 27And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and when the morning appeared, the sea returned to its full depth, while the Egyptians were fleeing into it. So the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. 28Then the waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all the army of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. Not so much as one of them remained. 29But the children of Israel had walked on dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.
30So the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31Thus Israel saw the great work which the LORD had done in Egypt; so the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD and His servant Moses.
Let’ go to our Lord in Prayer!
How many of you saw the pictures on the special news reports on TV the other day after the blackout in New York. I mean did you see all of those people crowding out on the ferry docks and all those people walking across the bridge to get out of New York. Well the Israelites walked out of Egypt, and I’m sure they were wishing for a ferry to cross the Red Sea after they had walked out of Egypt.
In our own recent history, and I mean the last couple of hundred years, we have the stories of the Mormons who pushed their Hand Carts with all their belongings in them, across the great plains all the way to Salt lake Utah.
But nothing can compare with the little stroll that Moses and the Israelites took. But they had to cross the Red Sea first.
Can you even begin to imagine what power God must have to not only part the Red Sea, but to dry the ground so his children could cross on the dry ground. And then when the Israelites had to wonder in the dessert for forty years he fed them every day. What amazing displays of power these feats are!
They are most certainly miraculous in our thoughts or in our sight. They could actually rate as miracles of God’s power. But do you really understand the might of God’s strength? Well today I am going to attempt to show you just a small portion of God’s strength!
There was with Moses about 3 million Israelites and they walked through the Red Sea and then wandered about the wilderness for many years.
First let’s look at what it took to cross the Red Sea! The Israelites had to get across the Red Sea at night. Now, if they went on a narrow path, double file, the line would be 800 miles long and would require 35 days and nights to get through. So there had to be a space in the Red Sea, 3 miles wide so that they could walk 5000 abreast to get over in one night.
Now after that Moses and the people were in the desert, but what was he going to do with them?
They had to be fed, and feeding 3 million people requires a lot of food.
According to the Quartermaster General in the Army, it is reported that Moses would have to have had 1500 tons of food each day. Do you know that to bring that much food each day, two freight trains, each at least a mile long, would be required!
Besides you must remember, they were out in the desert, so they would have to have firewood to use in cooking the food. This would take 4000 tons of wood and a few more freight trains, each a mile long, just for one day.
And just think, they were forty years in transit.
And Oh yes! They would have to have water. If they only had enough to drink and wash a few dishes, it would take 11,000,000 gallons each day and a freight train with tank cars, 1800 miles long, just to bring water!
But then, there is another problem...............each time they camped at the end of the day, a campground two-thirds the size of the state of Rhode
Island was required, or a total of 750 square miles long........ Think of it!
All that space for camping.
And just think GOD sent them manna from heaven to eat every day and on the sixth day they gathered enough manna for two days so they would have enough for the seventh day. Because it was supposed to be a day of rest.
Now I want to look at another example of God’s Power. Look at the book of Joshua chapter three verses 14-17.
14So it was, when the people set out from their camp to cross over the Jordan, with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, 15and as those who bore the ark came to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore the ark dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks during the whole time of harvest), 16that the waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose in a heap very far away at Adam, the city that is beside Zaretan. So the waters that went down into the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, failed, and were cut off; and the people crossed over opposite Jericho. 17Then the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan; and all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the people had crossed completely over the Jordan.
The River Jordan was at Flood stage and by so simple an act of faith as the Levites that were bearing the Ark of God stepping into the edge of the water the river was held back and quit flowing downstream. But actually upstream you could still see the water still flowing. But again the Israelites walked across a bed of water on dry ground.
These are just the forerunners of the many many miracles GOD has performed throughout the Old and New Testaments. Miracles that GOD wanted us to know about so we could see what a great and powerful GOD he is. Miracles that teach and guide us as we walk through life trying to do GOD’S will!
There are miracles of life, where people who were dead are brought back to life.
Remember Elijah the Tishbite who commanded it not to rain and that there would be no dew. This took place in 1st Kings in chapter 17. The Lord God sent Elijah to the Brook Cherith and had the Ravens bring him food. Now how many Ravens do you reckon it would take to bring a man enough food for one day? Anyway Elijah stayed there until the brook went dry and then he went to the widow at Zarephath and although she was all but out of oil and meal. But she never ran out as long as Elijah was there. Then her son died and I want you to see what Elijah did then. So let’s look at 1st Kings 17: Verses 18-24
18 And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? Art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?
19 And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed.
20 And he cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son?
21 And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child’s soul come into him again.
22 And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.
23 And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother: and Elijah said, See, thy son liveth.
24 And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth.
A dead child and Elijah cried unto the Lord. He cried unto his Lord and the child lived again!
That is the true Power of GOD we cry or pray unto him and he hears us AND IT IS DONE! It’s not done because we pray for it but it is done because we pray for it as long as it is the WILL OF GOD!
Remember Jesus in the garden and what did he pray for? He prayed for “this cup be removed”. Yes that was his prayer that his Father in Heaven remove this cup. But remember how he closed his prayer, which by the way is a great example of how we all should pray.
Let’s look at Luke 22:41 & 42
41 And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,
42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.
“NOT MY WILL BUT THINE BE DONE” That is how all prayers should be, because we as Christians should always be praying for GOD’S WILL to be done.
Now this brings me to my final example of GOD’S GREAT POWER, and it is one that you have all seen but most likely have never thought about.
To see it we must visit the cross where Jesus is hanging. This Jesus who claims to be GODS SON! He is hanging there cloaked in sin, sin that he never committed. Your sin and my sin and he is covered with it and he is suffering for us. Now look at Mark 15:34 and see Jesus as he suffers and what he does.
34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
Yes that is Jesus suffering on the Cross and GOD has turned his face away and Jesus THE SON OF GOD is alone and he cries out for his Father. Now do you see the GREAT POWER OF GOD do you really see it. It is LOVE!
Yes I repeat it is LOVE!
LOVE so strong, so powerful, so intent that it keeps GOD THE FATHER from saving GOD THE SON from this suffering. LOVE does that the LOVE that our MOST HOLY GOD has for us.
Think about an Earthly father hearing his suffering son cry out in pain. Are there any who would not go to that son and relieve him of his pain if it was within his power?
Yet here is GOD, THE INFINITE, THE ALL POWERFUL GOD turning HIS BACK on HIS MOST HOLY SON who is suffering because HE FOLLOWS THE WILL OF HIS FATHER!
And they both are there because THEY LOVE US. they LOVE US SO MUCH THAT GOD WHO LIVES FOREVER PAYS THE WAGES OF SIN AND DIES THAT WE MAY LIVE FOREVER WITH HIM!
This then is GOD’S TRUE POWER HIS LOVE FOR YOU!
Join me in Prayer.
