The First Obstacle: Part III

Living By Faith

Two lessons ago we began to look at the first obstacle (Exodus 14). We said that we would divide our study into four phases. In the first phase, we observed the circumstances leading up to the Red Sea problem. Israel was deliberately led by God into a situation where the Egyptians would be pressing down with no apparent way of escape. They actually had to turn and change directions to get there, but God had a purpose. He wanted Israel to learn dependence upon Him and Pharaoh to think they were trapped, because God was seting a trap for Pharaoh.

Last time we saw the responses of Israel and Moses when they saw the Egyptians coming. Israel waltzed out of Egypt with their fingers pointed in the air, all proud and puffed up. They did not give any attention at all to God’s plan and purpose. Then when a crisis occurred, they collapsed in despair and began to complain. In contrast, Moses courageously said, “Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.” Then he took his burden to God. That is the difference between those who live by faith and those who do not. Are we paying attention to God’s plan and purpose for our lives?

III.) The Deliverance:

The third phase of this Red Sea experience is God’s deliverance. God knows how to deliver the godly (II Peter 2:9a) and He knows how to reserve the ungodly for judgment (II Peter 2:9b). There are four observations to make.

A.) God Our Fortress:

Scripture: Exodus 14:17-20

17 And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. 18 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. 19 And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them: 20 And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.

First, we see God as our fortress (Psalm 18:2-3). Israel camped by the sea with Pharaoh in sight! What would they do? What could they do? Factually, there was nowhere to go. Moses had told them to do the only thing possible. “Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord (vs.13).”

The real question is “What would God do?” Failing to read our Bibles carefully, many Christians mistakenly believe that the waters were instantly parted and Israel immediately crossed. Actually, verse 21 says that it took all night long. During the night, Israel had to simply stand still and wait. God would teach them patience and would do the same for us.

Compare: Hebrews 10:36 and Romans 5:3-4

36For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

Do you see that God thinks we have need of patience and that bringing tribulation into our lives is the way to develop patience? Do you now understand why the health, wealth, and prosperity gospel is all wrong? If we have no troubles or problems, we are at best very shallow Christians. At worst, we may not even be a child of God (Hebrews 12:6,8).

Israel stood their ground, and God made provision. That is how it is with faith! In effect, God became a barrier separating Israel from their enemy. For the duration of the night the cloud rested between them.

To the Egyptians, it was dark and ominous—an impenetrable blackness that blotted out the stars and allowed no light to escape, not even so much as a the glow of a campfire. I am quite sure I could wait for morning to attack if I were them. Couldn’t you?

On the other hand, the cloud gave light to Israel. Black is the absence of light. Those who reject the glorious light of the gospel have only the storm cloud of God’s wrath hanging over them (John 3:36). But we have the light of His Word (Psalm 119:105) to comfort and strengthen us!

Compare: Psalm 34:7 and Romans 8:28

7 The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.

28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

God has decreed that anything touching His children will only work for their good and He encamps around us to assure that is true. He is our fortress!

B.) Waters Divided:

Scripture: Exodus 14:21-22

21 And 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 dry land, and the waters were divided. 22 And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.

Secondly, we see God dividing the waters. All kinds of explanations have been offered. One liberal Sunday school teacher told her class that it was really just a big mud puddle and not a big miracle. Little Johnny jumped up all excited and exclaimed, “What a great miracle! God drowned all those Egyptians in a big mud puddle!”

A number of years ago, a science magazine explained that the Island of Minoa dropped into the Mediterranean Sea about this time and the resulting tidal wave caused the parting. This so-called "science" is nothing more than the vain imagination of those conflicted by the truth of the Bible and their desire to come up with a rational explanation.

God says simply that He used “a strong east wind.” The Red Sea lays almost perfectly north and south. An east wind coming from the Promised Land cuts across the water in a perpendicular fashion. The wind blew hard, forcing the water to back up at either end of the camp and giving Israel sufficient highway for between 2 and 3 million to pass. The all night blowing dried out the seabed, making it a super-highway to freedom. Think of it! All it took was a little wind! We think it is impossible—but it is so easy for our God to deliver us.

C.) Egyptian Pursuit:

Scripture: Exodus 14:23

And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.

Third, we see the Egyptian pursuit. You have to wonder why Egypt, in the face of this miraculous event, would follow Israel. But put yourself in Pharaoh’s shoes. He is filled with blind rage and fury. He wants only vengeance.

Then he sees before him the dream of every charioteer—a vast, dry, smooth “expressway” leading straight to a defenseless target! No doubt the Egyptians were thanking their gods as they raced between the waters.

D.) Egypt Troubled:

Scripture: Exodus 14:24-25

24 And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians, 25 And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians.

Fourthly, we see Egypt troubled. The chariot drivers dashed into the channel, expecting to draw blood in the battle. At first they were gaining on the feeble figures ahead, and anticipating the lustful ravaging of a vanquished foe. Then something strange happened. A wheel fell off.

The first soldier to lose a wheel probably cursed his luck and the mechanic who worked on his machine. Then others fell off! About that time, turning from the battle, they notice the mountain of water on either side. I don’t think anyone even thought about procurement scandals and defective parts. They knew in their heart that God fought for Israel, just as He fights for us today.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, some day in the not too distant future, God will set another ambush. He will stir the hearts of men to march on Israel. They will gather on the plain of Megiddo, where a great general once said, “all the armies of the earth could gather here.” Suddenly, the resurrected Christ in all his glory with His army mounted on white horses, will appear to take vengeance on the enemies of His people (Revelation 19:11-19).

Friend, will you be among those who come mounted with Christ, or will you be numbered in the valley below? Will your appetite for the world seal your fate, or will you be counted with those whose garments are washed in the blood of the Lamb? Today is the day of salvation. Tomorrow is judgment day. Today, if you hear His voice, harden not your heart. If you repent of your sin, turn to Christ, and ask Him to come into your heart and life, He will surely save you (Romans 10:13).

Next time: The First Obstacle Part IV (Exodus 14:26-15:19)

The First Obstacle: Part II

Living By Faith

Last time we began to look at the first obstacle (Exodus 14). We said that we would divide our study into four phases. In the first phase, we observed the circumstances leading up to the Red Sea problem. Israel was deliberately led by God into a situation where the Egyptians would be pressing down on them, with no apparent way of escape. They actually had to turn and change directions to get there, but God had a purpose. He wanted Israel to learn dependence upon Him and Pharaoh to think they were trapped. God set a trap for Pharaoh. He would have glory over the final Egyptian god—Pharaoh himself.

II.) The Responses:

The second phase of this miraculous episode deals with the responses of both Israel and Moses. How did they handle the stress of an army of angry Pharaoh-worshipers hotly pursuing after them? Perhaps they should all get appointments with a therapist or shrink.

The modern tendency to “psychologize” Christianity breeds numerous seminars to teach us how to “cope”. This has even crept into so many pastors' sermons that are more about "self-help" than God’s Word. Unfortunately, they omit the one ingredient that can really help. That is relationship. The Word of God is about building a strong relationship of faith in God and His promises that will withstand, endure, and gain victory over the deep water situations of life.

Scripture: John 14:21

He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

Observe that Christ says that those who love Him pay attention to the commandments of God and try to keep them. He then adds that if we love Him, we will be loved by God the Father and Christ will reveal Himself to us. Therein lies the problem. We do not want to spend the time in God’s Word that is necessary to demonstrate our love for Christ. He does not reveal himself, and we turn to man for help, thinking God failed. In fact, we are the failures.

It is our relationship with God that makes all the difference in how we respond to difficult times. Those seeking "stress relief" should consider Bible belief. Let us begin with Israel’s response.

A.) Israel’s Fear:

Scripture: Exodus 14:10

And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD.

The first response is Israel’s fear.

The New Scofield Bible and some of the modern translations say, “they were in great fear”, but I like the old KJV. It says simply, “they were sore afraid.” In other words they were so utterly terrified that they literally ached with fright! That is an apt description.

Imagine the scene! Here they were camped by the Sea without a care in the world. No one is listening to God’s plan and purpose. They do not really believe Pharaoh will come. Then, someone notices something in the distance.

3500 years later, with the ending firmly in grasp, it is easy for us to look down our spiritual noses and be very judgmental about Israel. But, how often do we do the same thing? How often do we think we have a handle on everything? How often do we ignore God’s plan and direction? How often do we think we have everything managed? Then something happens. Suddenly, we have circumstances beyond our control. What then? Is it sheer terror? Do we panic and frantically scramble everywhere looking for help? Do we respond as Israel?

B.) Israel’s Complaint:

Scripture: Exodus 14:11-12

11 And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? 12 Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.

The first response was one of fear, but the second translated fear into action. They began to complain. There are two ways to cry aloud to God. One is godly and the other is not. One is the cry of faith and the other is one of complaint. Israel began to complain.

Instead of asking God for help, they began to make accusations. They accused Him of leading them to slaughter. They said that it would have been better for them to remain in Egypt as slaves. They forgot what God did for them. Many Christians do the same.

When we find ourselves with our backs against the wall and the Egyptians pressing down, our first tendency is to make accusations. We want to accuse Moses or God. It is their fault and they do not care about us. “We had it so good in the world. Now look how hard it is.”

We forget that we were slaves to a master who could care less whether we lived or died. We existed only for his service and it was hard labor. He did absolutely nothing for us. On the other hand, Christ gave His life for us. He demonstrated His love by sacrificing all. Who is the better master? Christ is by far! He has nothing more to prove. We just need to trust Him.

C.) Moses’ Faith:

Scripture: Exodus 14:13-14

13 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. 14 The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

In contrast to the first two negatives, Moses responded in faith. Ezekiel 22:30 says that God looked for a man to stand in the gap.

It concludes, “...but I found none.” God constantly searches for a man to stand in the gap. This time He found one. In spite of his fear, Moses responded with faith. He said, “...stand ye still and see the salvation of the Lord…” In II Chronicles 20:17 God said to Jehoshaphat, “...stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD.” A similar thought is found in I Corinthians 16:13 where it says, “...quit ye like men.”

God looks for courageous people who will stand in the gap to make up the hedge. Moses was such a man. He stood against the tide of humanity and said, “We are not moving!” God wants us to stand fast and wait for His salvation. God did not save us from the fire of hell just so that we could freeze in the cold, cruel trials of life. He knows how to deliver the godly and reserve the ungodly for the day of judgment (II Peter 2:9). We just need to trust Him.

D.) Moses' Cry:

Scripture: Exodus 14:15-16

15 And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: 16 But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.

The fourth response we see is Moses’ cry. Moses was a man of faith who stilled the voices of the murmurers. But even the faithful have doubts. The difference is what they do with them. Moses took his straight to the Lord and so should we.

Notice God’s answer. He said, “Why do you cry unto me?” Moses made a bold statement of faith and then pleaded with God for a confirmation of what he did. I get the impression that he was hoping and praying that God would back up what he said. Sometimes we do that. We make a bold statement of faith and then wonder if we are foolish to do so.

But God did back up Moses. He always supports those who would live by faith. It is only when we live by faith that we can truly please Him (Hebrews 11:6).

God stood with him and said, “take the rod.” Why the rod? It represents authority. Often we fail to recognize the authority that we have when we go out in the name of the Lord to do the work of the Lord. God told Moses to use the rod of authority that He already gave him. Moses did not need additional power. He only needed to exercise that which he already had.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, God has given us the sword of His Word (Hebrews 4:12). It is our authority for life and godliness. We just need to utilize it in our day to day lives. Jeremiah 48:10 says, “Cursed is he that doeth the work of the Lord deceitfully, and cursed is he that keepeth back his sword from blood.” God has given us the sword. He expects us to use it.

The First Obstacle: Part I

Living By Faith

Having seen the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the cloud and pillar of fire (Exodus 13:21-22), we now want to move on to the first obstacle, but before we do, let us review. Israel’s deliverance in bondage to Egypt is a picture of our salvation experience. When we received Christ as Savior, we were freed from the bondage of sin. As He died for us, we through faith in Him died to sin that henceforth we should not serve it (Romans 6:6). Instead, we are to live in Christ in newness of life (Romans 6:4). God, the Holy Spirit, began the process of freeing us the moment we received Christ.

Scripture: II Corinthians 1:10

Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;

Sanctification—that fifty-cent word which refers to the process of being set apart to God—for the believer is past, present, and future. Positionally, we were delivered from bondage to sin and the world at the very moment of salvation. Practically, we are being delivered on a daily basis from the mindset that makes us think the chains are still there. Perfectly and prophetically, we will be once and for all delivered from our sinful nature at the rapture of the church. Then, we will no longer struggle to do right.

What this means in practice is this: when we received Christ and began to speak of Him to our friends, they began to disassociate themselves from us. They no longer wanted to be in our company. We found ourselves developing new friends among those who share our faith. Furthermore, the Holy Spirit who indwelt us at the very moment of salvation began to convict of sin. We began putting off old habits and putting on new. We started to be different.

Unfortunately though, there is a fork in the road at the very edge of Egypt (Exodus 13:17-18). Everyone confronted by the gospel faces this choice point in life. The left path, or easy way, seems like a shortcut to happiness, but is the way to disaster (Proverbs 16:25). Many people choke at this point on the cross. They do not want to take up their cross and follow Christ. They want an easier way. But God leads the right way! Every, truly, born again believer sets out on that path.

The paved road ends abruptly. The path becomes strewn with boulders and obstacles. But this is the way of God! The cloud and pillar of fire are there to comfort and help us along the way.

That brings us to the first obstacle. How will we deal with this situation? To enhance our study, we will divide it into four phases.

Four Phases:

I.) The Circumstances:

In the first phase, we want to observe the circumstances that lead up to the obstacle. If we do not carefully note these, we will miss much that is important to our understanding. So, let us walk circumspectly through our text, noting three crucial facts.

A.) Deliberately led:

Scripture: Exodus 14:1-2

1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp before Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baalzephon: before it shall ye encamp by the sea.

Israel was deliberately led by God. Notice that God was in control of this march. He spoke to Moses and told him what to do. Israel was to go down to Pihahiroth. In other words, they did not just "happen" to be there. This was not a navigational error on the part of Moses. The truth is that God directed them to this place! In fact, to get there, they actually had to turn and change directions!

Observe the words of verse 2, “Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn…” God, using the cloud and his instruction to Moses, said, “Change directions and go down to Pihahiroth.” We are intentionally belaboring this point, because it is so vital. God leads His people today, and it is not always where we think. The direct route was not the right route. God would have them to go by way of the Red Sea. He would have us do the same.

Scripture: I Corinthians 10:2

And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;

Observe that the baptism in the cloud pictures Holy Spirit baptism, and the baptism in the sea pictures water baptism. We may think we know a better way to victorious living, but God’s way passes through the water. The first step of faith for the child of God after salvation ought to be believer’s baptism, an act of obedience to Christ’s command (Matthew 28:19-20). If we are not going to obey this simple command, how will we obey the more difficult ones that come later? This is a tiny little baby step of faith, but we must walk before we can run.

B.) God’s purpose:

Scripture: Exodus 14:3-4

3 For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in. 4 And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, that he shall follow after them; and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD. And they did so.

God had a purpose for taking Israel to this place. They were to veer from a straight direction across the wilderness to a campsite somewhat out of the way alongside the Red Sea. From a human standpoint, this was a tactical blunder of colossal proportions. It was like being in a boxed canyon with no way out. But God had a reason.

First, God wanted them to be in a position where they would be totally dependent upon Him for victory. Early on, God wants to teach us that we are helpless without Him (John 15:5). What could Israel do?

Second, God wanted Pharaoh to think that they were trapped, because He was setting a trap. This is a military maneuver popularized by Julius Caesar in his writing concerning the conquest of the Gaul's more than 1500 years later. The idea is to place the weakest troops in the center and the strongest on either side. When the enemy attacks, the weaker give way and the stronger troops turn in, leaving the enemy in a crossfire.

In a sense, the weak become the bait that lures the foe. Becoming proud and puffed up, the overconfident and gullible adversary destroys himself. In football this tactic is called the draw play.

Israel was God’s bait. God was going to judge the only Egyptian god left standing. He would judge Pharaoh himself.

C.) Pharaoh’s hardness:

Scripture: Exodus 14:5-9

5 And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us? 6 And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him: 7 And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them. 8 And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with an high hand. 9 But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, before Baalzephon.

Lastly, observe Pharaoh’s hardness. Pharaoh was in mourning. He lost everything he had, including his first born son. He fell from being the most powerful monarch on earth to the bottom in just a brief time. Most likely, he was in a state of shock.

Then, a lowly minion dared to interrupt his grief with the announcement that Israel had left Egypt. Suddenly, he realized what he had done. He was so determined not to let Israel go, but in a moment of weakness he let them slip through his grasp.

In a rage and fury, he called for the chariots. Verse 7 says that he took 600 of the most elite to be his personal command and then gathered all the rest for the chase.

Chariots were the most feared weapon of the ancient world. They were a relatively new invention and were treated much like tanks would be today. One advantage was speed. Israel was slowed by livestock and children, but even that was not slow enough. So God had them set up camp. He wanted them to wait for the Egyptians to catch up.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the Christian life is like this. At first we are all excited and rejoicing in our new-found salvation. Then, God sets us in a place where Satan can catch up. Like a raging roaring lion he bears down. What will we do? God says, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” The true believer will persevere. He may quake and fear and tremble, but God will bring him through (I Thessalonians 5:24).