MOSES: FROM DOUBT TO DELIVERANCE
CUL – DE – SAC FAITH Pt.2
Sunday November 10, 2002
Scripture Reference Exodus 13:17-14:31
Intro.
A. Last week we began learning about what it means to have cul-de-sac faith. That means having faith in the tight spots of life. Having faith in the difficult times of life. Let’s face it, it is easy to have faith when things are going well. I can have enormous faith when my checkbook is full and so is my wallet. I can tell you how much you need to trust in the Lord when my marriage is going well and my kids are all out of trouble. As a pastor I can preach great messages about faith and trust when the attendance is up and the offerings are good. But what happens to our faith when life seems to take a turn in the wrong direction? What happens to my faith when the checkbook is empty and the creditors are calling on the phone? What happens to my faith when I find myself with my back against the wall or I am at the end of my rope?
B. Last week we saw that after God had led the children of Israel out of Egypt, rather than taking the route that seems the quickest to get them away from Egypt and into the land God had promised them. Instead of doing what most of us would say was right and best God led them into a cul-de-sac. Into what seemed to be nothing more than a dead end street.
1. Now it is very important in the understanding of this event to realize
that up to this point the Hebrew children do not suspect that anything is wrong. After all as we learned last week, God has been very clearly leading them. He has used a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. This dead end street they find themselves in right now is no big deal because this is where the cloud is so this is where God is. ** Oh if they, Oh if WE would just realize that truth! God had not abandoned them, as they seemed to feel, as we will see in a moment. NO, God was right there with them as he is with us when it seems like our backs are against the wall.
Trans. Last week we learned about following God into a dead end. This week lets learn about following God to promising future.
I. FOLLOWING GOD … TO A PROMISING FUTURE.
Now remember that I said a moment ago that as the Hebrew children are led into this dead end street they still do not realize that anything is wrong. As far as they are concerned this is where they were suppose to be. And let me go ahead and add here, THEY WERE RIGHT! This was where God wanted them at this time. But after they arrive at Pi-Hahiroth the scene quickly changes.
A. The Scene Changes.
1. We saw last week as we concluded the message how Pharaoh, even though he had let the Israelites go, he was still keeping an eye on them. When he sees that they appear to be lost and vulnerable to attack he decides that he made a bad decision and he needs to go after them and bring them back to Egypt.
2. Friends, let me tell you today, sin is a powerful force in people’s lives. Sin will cause us to do very stupid things if we give in to it. [] The police chaplain in Fresno who had an affair and killed his lover. After all that Pharaoh saw God do and the tremendous punishment that came upon them because of their obstinence, he still decided that he was bigger and better than God. * I just have to make mention of what is said in V.5 (read) “We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services.” My, my, isn’t that a sanitary way of saying we lost our slaves. I guess even Pharaoh knew a little something about political correctness.
3. There is a very valuable lesson for all of us whether we are one year or thirty years old in the Lord. When you decide to walk away from Satan and the ways of this world and follow after Jesus, do not expect to be left alone. In other words do not think that Satan is finished with you. He will continue to purse you just as Pharaoh did the Israelites. He does not want you in heaven he wants you to spend your eternity in a Christless hell.
4. Now look at what happens V.5-10 (read).
a) Once again I call upon you to try and imagine this scene. Here are the Israelites camped out by the Red Sea in this cul-de-sac when all of a sudden the ground begins to shake. Now I don’t know whether or not they had ever experienced an earthquake or not but this must have been something of what it felt like. The ground begins to tremble, then as they look off towards the horizon they see this great cloud of dust rising. Maybe it is some sort of dust storm. They certainly would have been familiar with those, but the dust storms they knew were not normally accompanied with the ground shaking. Then they hear the noise, a noise that I am also certain they were familiar with. It was the sound of chariots. The sound of men yelling and getting excited as they prepared to enter into a great battle.
b) Now in 13:18 it says, “The Israelites went out of Egypt armed for battle.” I am not sure exactly what to make of that statement. Even though they were armed for battle, as far as we know they had never been in a battle. They may have had the equipment but they didn’t seem to know how to use it. If they were prepared for battle then why were they so afraid?
5. V.10 tells us that when they saw the Egyptians coming they were terrified. Now who could blame them? Here comes the world’s mightiest army, fully equipped coming after a bunch of sheepherders and farmers. It was not the kind of scenario that invokes a tremendous amount of courage.
a) Even though we can humanly understand the fear they experienced what we also need to see is that in the face of this fear they also forgot all that God had done before. They forgot how God had been watching over them. They forgot about the plagues, they forgot about the angel that destroyed all the firstborn of Egypt except those of the Israelites. They forgot how God caused the Egyptians to give them their gold and silver as they left the country. It was all forgotten in the face of fear. I will explore this in just a moment but I am certain that this is why Moses said to them, “Do not be afraid”. He knew how blinding fear could be. How it can totally block our view of God and His goodness.
6. Let me quickly show you two more things that happen here before we move on. Look at V.10-11 (read).
a) Now I think we can all applaud the fact that they cried out to God. That was good and that was right, the problem here lies in the fact that their crying out to God did not seem to last a terribly long time. It seems that they did not get that immediate response that they felt they should have so what do they do next? They turn on Moses. Now I think it is important for us to notice again that there is no indication that the cloud or pillar of fire has left them. In other words God is still there, but they refuse to recognize that fact. Instead it is just a whole lot easier to blame the preacher.
b) Now since I am a preacher I am going to defend Moses. I mean think about this. What did Moses do to deserve their turning on him? Had he done ANYTHING to show that he didn’t care about them or that he wanted to hurt them in some way? They had seen with their own eyes the miracles that God had done through him. Why blame him?
c) I need to also say here that I am glad to see that Moses is beginning to mature. Remember back in 5:23 when Moses says to God, “You haven’t done anything you promised to do.” This time rather than Moses going to God and complaining look at what He says in V.13-14 (read).
Trans. Let’s look at this counsel that Moses gives the Israelites.
B. The Counsel Of Moses.
1. Do Not Be Afraid.
a) Now as I said a moment ago, I know that must have sounded like a tall order to these people. After all they are facing an army that they know in themselves they cannot defeat. I am not saying to you today that you can totally eliminate fear from your life. I think fear is a fact of life, but what I believe God wants us to know about fear is that we do not have to LIVE in it. If we will turn to Gods word we will see that there is no reason to live in fear. It will be like Mark Lowery said about his favorite verse, “and it came to pass.”
2. Stand Firm.
a) Usually I counsel us against being stubborn but in this case I think this is what God is wanting. After you have looked into God’s word. After you have reviewed the ways God has taken care of you in the past. After you have sought the wise counsel of mature Christians. Now it is time to stand firm and say to Satan, I don’t care what tactics you try to pull in my life to defeat my faith, I am standing firm. Let me remind you that Paul said in Eph. 6 that after we have done everything, we are to stand. After you have done all that God wants you to do, then it is time to stand firm and watch God do His part.
3. Watch.
a) Watch, this was Moses’ third directive for them. If you do not give in to fear, if you take a stand and say, “I will not be moved”, then you are in the place where you can see God work. Please note that you are not ready to watch until you have stood firm. Look at what God said in V.13 “The Egyptians you see today you will never see again.” What does that tell you?! It tells you that God wants to DELIVER you from your fears. Praise God! Now I am well aware that other fears may arise in the future, but if we will follow God’s direction when those fears come then we will also experience the same deliverance.
4. Be Still.
a) We talked about this a few weeks ago if you will remember. It is very difficult to stand still; especially when it looks like our world is crashing in around us. We are a people who feel like we have to be always active. Now I am not saying that we are to do nothing. That is not the counsel that is given here. Remember that it has to be taken in the context. After we have said no to our fears, after we have done all that God has asked of us. Then we can stand still and watch the Lord do His mighty work.
Trans. Now let me close by pointing out the four miracles God performs for Moses and the Israelites.
C. The Miracles Of God.
1. Go Forward.
a) Look at what is said in V.15 (read). This reminds me of the quote I have often given you from the great English Preacher C.H. Spurgeon. He said, “We can do more than pray after we have prayed, but we cannot do more than pray until we have prayed.” In other words we must pray but then there comes a time to act. I don’t know how much time elapsed from V.14 to V.15 but I don’t need a commentary to tell me what God was saying in V.15. It is clear that it was time for the children of Israel to act. It was time to GET MOVING!
b) How many more sermons do we have to hear on our need to study the bible before we will start studying it? How many more sermons do we have to hear on prayer before we will start praying? How many more sermons do we need to hear on evangelism before we will start to share our faith? How many more sermons do we need to hear on tithing before we will do what God said? Is God saying to you today, GO FORWARD?
2. The Cloud Came Between.
a) Where had the cloud and pillar of fire been all this time? In front of them. Why did God move it? What they needed now was God’s protection not His guidance. The cloud and pillar of fire had been leading them but now there was no question of which way they needed to go. What they needed was God’s protection from their enemies. ** Let me remind you of what God said to Moses when he had all his objections back in chapter 3. When Moses asked, “Who shall I say sent me?” God said to tell them that “I AM”. In other words I am what you need me to be when you need me to be it. ISN’T THIS EXACTLY WHAT GOD WAS DOING RIGHT HERE! Of course it is. He is what they need Him to be when they need Him to be it.
3. God Opened A Path.
a) V.21-22 (read). You know it was quite a miracle for God to part the Red Sea but it was just as great a miracle that God dried the land. All the movies made about the Exodus do not highlight the dry ground; they highlight the parting sea. I guess the ground is just not quite as exciting, but this was an awesome miracle. It’s one thing for the water to be gone but its something else altogether for the ground to be dry enough for a million plus people to walk through.
4. He Confused The Egyptians.
a) Now this may not sound all that significant at first but let me take you back to V.6 (read). These were the best of the best. These were men who had probably been in many battles. I am sure they thought they had seen it all. Plus I don’t think they expected this to be much of a battle in the first place. Their problem was that they forgot about the God who was watching over the Israelites. I guess these Egyptians were a lot like us. We too forget sometimes who is watching over us and what he can do.
Trans. Let me close with a few more life lessons.
LIFE LESSONS:
A. When Your Back Is Against The Wall, Look Up.
1. What discouraged the Israelites? They looked at the enemy that was advancing on them and they forgot about the presence of God. They were like Peter when he went out for that little walk on the water. When his eyes were on Jesus he was fine, but when he begin to look around at the impossible position he was in he panicked and sank. We must keep our eyes on Jesus.
B. Let God Fight Your Battles.
1. When you have done all that God has asked you to do, stand firm and watch Him fight the battle. Moses wasn’t going to deliver them, God was. Moses did what God asked and when he did, deliverance came. Why not take some time this week and review chapter 14 in your personal devotions and see how God promised to fight this battle for them. Four times in the NIV God says, “I Will”.
C. Your Predicament Ends At God’s Command, Not Before.
1. This may be the most difficult lesson of all. I don’t know of anyone in a predicament, who says, “Oh I just love being in this tight spot.” “I hope it never ends.” Everybody I know who finds themselves in a predicament wants out of it ASAP, including me. Are you a child of God? Then who is leading your life? If God is then he knows where you are right now, and He knows what you need right now. Can you trust him?
