Exodus 14 - Bible Study - Pastor Daniel Batarseh

exodus chapter 14 verse 1 and the Lord said to Moses tell the people of Israel to turn back and a camp in front of pie ha ha ha thought between McDole and the sea in front of bales of fun you shall in camp facing it by the sea for Pharaoh will save the people of Israel they are wandering in the land the wilderness has shut them in and I will harden Pharaoh's heart and he will pursue them and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his hosts and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord and they did so when the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled the mind of Pharaoh and his servants was changed toward the people and they said what is this what we have done that we have let Israel go from serving us so he made ready his chariot and took his army with him and took six hundred chosen chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers all over all of them and the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt and he pursued the people of Israel while the people of Israel were going out defiantly the Egyptians pursued them all Pharaoh's horses and chariots and his horsemen and his army and overtook them encamped at the sea by Pajaro in front of bales of fun can I have Moody pray and then Barrett can you pray right after moody before we expound on his text please do so I'm excited for tonight's meeting Lord I've eaten expectant knowing that you have something for each of us breathing none of us can leave here the same horses maybe never gathered in your name as a community change maybe not be like a man who looks in the mirror and forgets what he looks like where are our words our thoughts our actions or can we change something fathers simply we believe right now we are standing on holy ground you are here Lord we just pray that no man would be seen and that Jesus would be exalted and Lord made the words of our mouths the meditation of our hearts be acceptable in your sight in Jesus name we pray amen may be seated Exodus 14 beginning in verse 1 if you remember from last week if you were here last week we talked about the principles of God's guidance in our lives the principles of God's guidance in our lives and though God worked in a specific way with the people of Israel coming out of Egypt the way he deals with us the way he leads his people are still the same there are timeless truths and we talked about how he takes us the long way sometimes and how he makes us wait and how he develops us and how he knows what we can handle in this season and what we can handle in the next season and I would like to say that those principles still continue into the next chapter and as we come from verse one down we kind of touch on these verses last week but we're going to spend some more time with them this is a glorious chapter and by God's grace we would try to cover all of it without rushing but let's look over the first five four verses did anybody notice anything in verse one the Lord said to Moses tell the people of Israel to do what turn back you want to talk about leadership you want talking about leading people out of Egypt and here they are they're coming towards where they need to be and God all for a sudden says I want you to turn back I want you to turn back now only turn back what else do I want you you can stay at a certain location and so what does that mean well what is that what does that have to do with what we learn about last week it's still the same thought really we don't understand his leadership sometimes and so we talked last week about how they were moving forward and God led them the longer way now all for a sudden he's doing this 180 and he is telling them to turn back and to stop now why would God want to do that what does he have in mind in this chapter so he wants to prove once and for all - not the Israelites necessarily but to the Egyptians that he is Lord sure yes for the people to believe who he is absolutely God has some unfinished business with Pharaoh he wants to deal with some issues here he wants to put a final exclamation mark on his sovereignty on his power and it required something though it required the faith and the trust of the people in his leadership and if we were to just continue the thoughts that we were expounding on last week and we talk about God leading us in this life through the wilderness journey when he delivered us out of Egypt we have to trust that not only in the longer way remember he took that detour now only we have to trust him that in the things that we eagerly desire to do or get to he takes us in a way in which he develops us we also have to trust them in the moments where everything seems like it's on pause because that's exactly what's happening to them right now they're not even moving at this point we talked about going the longer way how God wants to develop our character and a personality wants to give us experience about what happens and we touched on this a little bit well not only do you feel like everything is on pause but when everything feels like it's going in Reverse turn back if you go the other way it's Lord are you sure you you took us out of there now you want to you want us to go closer to Egypt and sometimes in our own lives we feel like things are not moving things are not changing we're praying we're fasting we're faithful what we're doing and we literally see nothing happening but even in those moments where everything seems to be frozen spiritually in our fruit God has something in mind he tells it to Moses of verse 3 for Pharaoh will save the people of Israel they are wandering in the land the wilderness has shut them in and now will harden Pharaoh's heart and he will pursue them and I will get glory over Pharaoh so he gives a little bit of insight specifically to Moses but I believe that people of Israel have no idea what's going on and I believe that God is developing them to trust in not only God by God through Moses and he has something in mind though that he wants to get glory over Pharaoh but even Moses himself doesn't have the full picture he does it God loves to just hide blueprints he doesn't want to give us it's like when we're led by the Lord it's like your street lights or not your street lights your car lights you don't see the full road you just see the necessary amount and then when you get to that point you see the next amount then you get to that point you see the next amount you're not gonna see the full street okay so you just gotta trust in the light to lead you to the next step so what else can we say so what else does he what does he have in mind by saying turn back and it camp what does he want to do it says in him specifically in verse 4 he wants us glory God wants glory God loves to share does he not he loves to share he shares his goodness he shares his love he shares his mercy but there's one thing he does not share his glory that's all to him and some of us had a privilege preacher to come and having a conversation with him I remember he said one thing that stuck with my mind forever he says don't ever touch the glory because God will bury you alive we had that over lunch you can imagine how that went but it was true God does not share his glory my glory I give to no other belongs to him look at verse 3 for Pharaoh will say of the people of Israel they are wandering in the land the wilderness has shut them in so it seems as though God wants to bring the people in a place in which obviously Pharaoh can see or his spies can see a spies are probably following him and to bring Pharaoh to a place in which he thinks he has the advantage or thinks he has them trapped but there's this this critical analysis that Pharaoh has now the question is a writer is it wrong as the wilderness shut them in are they wandering aimless we know but Pharaoh sees differently Pharaoh has a different understanding Pharaoh has a level of discernment that the people of God don't have we have a different perspective what am I trying to say here ferrule here in verse three is like the world towards Christians they see us being led by God through this journey called life and they go what are they doing in life they look lost they look like they're wasting their time they look like they are giving themselves over to something it doesn't matter look this is what it looks like when God leads you in life this is what it looks like when you dedicate yourself to this thing called the Christian faith look at you look how silly you look and Pharaoh is being very critical but his analysis is wrong and so is the world's because the things concerning the spiritual realm the things concerning the cross are foolishness to the world but it is the power of God for those who are saved and so we see Pharaoh has a different perspective the wrong perspective and so does the world when they look at us and how we live what else can we say about these precious verses and I will harden Pharaoh's heart and he will pursue them and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his hosts and who will know that I am the Lord the Egyptians will know the Egyptians specifically will know that I am the Lord and we're going to get into that in a moment because it's a very very important truth so let's read on verse 5 when the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled the mind of Pharaoh and his servants was changed toward the people and they said what is this that we have done that we have let Israel go from serving us so he made ready his chariot and took his army with him and took six hundred chosen chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them so what happens here it seems pretty straightforward but there's little little hints for us here you can even go back to verse four and grab some insights from there yes Christine right well if you look you that's a good observation if you see here in verse four what does he say I will harden Pharaoh's heart right because sometimes we read that we think that he already heart he did hardened Pharaoh's heart up to this point but if you notice he says I will do it Pharaoh here is that the people have fled he changes his mind he gets the army ready and he pursues the Israelites once he started pursuing the Israelites then it says look at verse eight and the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh do you see that so we can read that kind of just quickly and think that God hardened Pharaoh's heart to go after the Israelites and to chase them but that was Pharaoh's decision and once he made that decision he sealed his heart said okay you want to go that way I'm gonna take you to the bottom of the ocean to be with the fishes that's what happens do you see how the wording is so careful it's so precise when I read verse four I come with a conclusion one conclusion at least that God is in control what am i mean by that that even when we are walking in this wilderness journey we already have this understanding that we are being led into somewhere we would not necessarily know where we're going but on top of that we have Pharaoh attacking us don't think just because you and I left Egypt that Satan is done with us so we think that the Israelites come out and that Pharaoh will never attack us again Pharaoh's coming out of Egypt to come after them and when you and I get out of the world the enemy now sees you as a threat and wants to do something and it doesn't end with the Egyptians either we're gonna see later on throughout Exodus that enemy after enemy come after the people of God and it's never to bring them back necessarily into the bondage that they were in meaning they can't take you being the people of God but they can't hinder your journey and they can rob you from the blessings of the journey right what do I take out at verse four this is what I take even when Satan attacks me God can turn it for his glory even when Satan pursues me God in His wisdom and his power can say yeah but I'm gonna get glory over that too so I can confidently walk through this life knowing that even the adversary of my soul wants to come against me and have full confidence that whatever attack intent especially through people god almighty can turn it around for his glory and that's what we have to learn here that God is in control he's in control that Satan is on a leash I see something else here - because Pharaoh on some level his heart is hardened and look what a hardened heart looks like when the king of Egypt was told that the people have fled the mind of Pharaoh and his servants was changed toward the people and they said what is this that we have done that we have let Israel go from serving us you want to know one evidence of person that has a hardened heart they forget and neglect and disregard the goodness and the warnings of God this is evidence of a hardened heart right here what is he saying he's saying what have we done to let Israel go from serving us where were you the first fourteen chapters dude did you not see ten plagues did you not see your firstborn died what happened to you see when you let your heart hardened when you don't submit to the Word of God when you don't allow Jesus to soften your consciousness soft in your inner man when you allow sin to come and creep into your life you can harden yourself and what is a hardened heart a hardened heart is a conscience that is desensitized to the point in which it can not discern between what is right and what is wrong a hardened heart is a that is desensitized the conscience is seared to be able to discern rightly what is righteous and what is evil that's a hardened heart and we know in Romans 1 that he gives people over to that kind of a heart eventually where they have no discernment between right and wrong so one of the evidences of a hardened heart is that you have no regard for the goodness of God you have no regard for the word of God it doesn't move you when you hear it doesn't move you when you know how God has been gracious in your life it just nothing is there it's hard another evidence of a hardened heart is that you attack people he pursues the Israelites a person that is a hardened heart has no problem attacking other people they're not compassionate they're not understanding they're quick to attack they're quick to slander they're quick to go about and rip people apart like no problem that's a dangerous thing I have let me see if air has and it's only gonna get worse because a hardened heart will ultimately end up to your destruction deal you had your hand up sorry when Pharaoh goes he takes all this army he takes every every man you can get and I think God is sovereign Singh knows that he he's accounting for that and that's part of him getting all the glory of wiping out all of Jesus host an army yes absolutely God knows what he's doing he's the master chess player he knows what to move the pieces so he moves Israel at right in the right place for the whole army to see for Pharaoh to see and to take them all out at once absolutely what else can we say we touched on this last week a little bit too remember he says I will get glory over Pharaoh oh wait God don't you only get glory through people who obey you what do we say to that no God gets glory regardless of your obedience now God gets a specific amount of glory and a specific type of glory from those who obey Him but no matter what India and every knee will bow every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord in the end even Satan thinking that he's running loose and wreaking havoc God is still getting glory out of that God gets all the glory in the end the one who doesn't benefit is us when we don't want to live for God's glory and so we remember Romans 9 in which he says that he prepares vessels of wrath and vessels of mercy but he endures with much patience vessels of Wrath and he wants us to be vessels of mercy he wants us to be instruments for his glory he he longs he takes pleasure in working in and through us but when we resist long enough he says okay I'll get glory out of you one way or another and so he's gonna get glory out of Pharaoh by showing his strong arm in his wrath and in his justice and so we have to choose whether we want to be vessels of mercy vessels for his glory or to be in direct vessels of his glory and so what happens verse 8 the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt and he pursued the people of Israel while the people of Israel were going out defiantly the Egyptians pursue them all Pharaoh's horses and chariots and his horsemen and his army and overtook them and camped at the sea now look at verse 10 this is where things climax a little bit when Pharaoh drew near the people of Israel lifted up their eyes and behold the Egyptians were marching after them and they feared greatly let's stop what do we see here visualize it for a moment it's good to visualize what you're reading here they are encamped in a specific location in which the sea is right there and now they have what behind them an army chasing after them so you can imagine here this these Israelite families they're pitching their tents probably making some lunch and all for a sudden one person lifts their eyes and they see this cloud of smoke coming from the hills in the desert and they hear from a distance the horses galloping they hear this war cry coming and they look at each other and they all look up and what's their first reaction fear the first reaction is fear but what is their reaction to their fear and the people of Israel cried out to the Lord because when there's something in front of you and there's something behind you the only way you can do it the only thing you can do is look up right lord I need you I'm looking north I'm looking South we're trapped here and God puts us in situations like that so that we can only look up they cried out to the Lord that is the right response to fear that is the right response when there is an anxiety attack that is the right response when you are facing a situation where your sandwich between circumstances and you literally cannot move you and I must have that knee-jerk reaction to when we face anything we have to cry out to the Lord that is the right reaction so is that the reaction whenever fearing that he comes to your life it is for them and what they do in verse 10 is absolutely right what they do in verse 11 is not how things quickly change they said to Moses is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us boy what just happened you are crying out to the Lord you had a prayer session you everything was you know let's trust in the Lord and they got together and they cried out and all for a sudden verse 11 comes is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us a way to die in the wilderness what have you done to us and bring us out of Egypt is it isn't it is this not what we set you in Egypt leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians for it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness their cry turned into a complaint and if you notice the Holy Spirit who wrote this did something very beautiful it looks like in verse 11 that God wants to show us through the recorded sayings that they spent more time complaining than crying out to God do you see that it says they cried out to the Lord quick general statement verse 11 it gives us what they said and so we see here that they took more time complaining about the situation than crying out to God about the situation isn't that true of our human nature we know we're Christians right pray about it lord help me with the situation but we seem to find more relief and complaining than we do about praying now why do you think that is I would argue the reason why they went from verse 10 to verse 11 very quickly is because they did not seek God's immediate intervention when they cried out to him understand what I'm saying they cried out to the Lord and we don't see God doing anything and so that cry quickly turned into a complaint and that complaining is very dangerous it's very dangerous to the Christian walk do you think God heard them when he cried out to him Joshua twenty-four-seven says what happened in a different comment I'll just read to you don't have to turn it there and when they cried to the Lord Josh was telling the people of Israel before they go into the land of Canaan he's telling them rehearsing the story to them and when they cried to the Lord the people of Israel in Exodus 14 he put darkness between you and the Egyptians and made the sea come upon them and cover them so he's saying their God did hear you when you cried out to him Nehemiah does the same thing in Nehemiah 99 he says and you saw the afflictions of our fathers in Egypt and heard their cry at the Red Sea so God did hear them what are we what are we getting here from the Holy Spirit in these different portions of Scripture this is what we're getting when they did cry in verse 10 God was not deaf in the moment and here is something very important for you and me we cannot confuse God's silence as his absence many people do that many people think that because God is silent it's because he's absent there is never a moment where he is not present he will never leave you nor forsake you and so so many people confuse that when we're there asking God for something that because he's silent he must not be there he doesn't see the situation there's an understanding surgery he's not preparing a solution for the situation that is never the case because what we see in verse 10 in the earthly Rama's they cried and the heavenly commentary in these different verses God heard it and so because they didn't know that because they didn't believe that they needed another way to relief their fear and their anxiety and so what did they do they complain they grumble this is what's gonna mark the Israelites for their whole journey now is all complaining wrong maybe that's the wrong word it's expressing the fear and the anxiety that we are going through necessarily wrong why did he cry out to God there is a sanctified way of crying out to God about your issues about your problems or us throw out 70% of the Psalms which are Psalms of lament there is a holy and sanctified way of going to God with our issues and our problems here's the differentiating factor this is what makes it holy and what makes it sinful one is you are complaining and you are expressing yourself to God the other one is complaining about God - nobody would ever do that right I'm gonna find out how they do it let's analyze the way they grumbled they said to Moses is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness so they're saying something here but there's there's an underlining message behind that statement what are they saying by saying this two things what are they saying here they're questioning God's character they're questioning God's character they're questioning his promises they're saying is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness no the reason why I took out of Egypt is to bring you to the promised land but in their moment of fear and anxiety they begin to question the character of God because they begin to question his promises what else did he do they said to who verse 11 they said to Moses they said to Moses so what are they doing here the questioning his leadership yes I would say that they are unjustly blaming Moses or blaming others for the unfortunate circumstance that they find themselves in that's not good when you look at others and you begin to blame them on rightly and unjustly for what you're going through that's dangerous what else do they do looking for swamp is not this what we said to you in Egypt leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians for would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness what kind of statement is that this is the statement we rather live as slaves in Egypt and follow you Lord in the wilderness do you see the nature of their grumbling do you see what and how they're doing this this is why the Bible is gonna call it a specific word in a moment we're gonna go through it so here they are they're blaming others for their circumstances unjustly none righteously they're questioning the goodness and the character of God because of his promises they are in their hearts and outwardly expressing it was so much better to live in the world and to live for God and all of this really is a failure to realize that when we follow Jesus and when he leads us out of Egypt it's not roses and daisies that we do rejoice in the deliverance out of slavery and bondage but that does not mean we are free from the attacks of the enemy nor does it mean that we are free from trials and tribulations see if we taught people this early on in their faith they would not be so spineless in their devotion to the Lord do you understand what I mean so many people are so quick to give up on their devotion on their sincerity on the pursuit of the Lord because somehow someway they believe that if I want to follow Jesus is just gonna all work out it's not true it's just not true and they failed to realize that and this is true for the New Testament Christian so what is this complaining look like to God he gives it one type of word and it's very very strong word it's in Psalms 106 Psalms 106 seven says our fathers when they were in Egypt did not consider your wondrous works they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love but rebelled by the sea at the Red Sea he gives a word for this what's that word rebellion unbelief mingled with grumbling is seen as rebellion to God why why is grumbling seen as rebellion to God yes how is this achieved apostles of God you know people of God no God you choose just the whole harvest trust issue it's a trust issue yes absolutely that's the core of it but grumbling specifically the fact that these things are coming out of their mouths it's very very very significant yes yes absolutely out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks speaking against God check this out grumbling is our testimony to the world and to those around us that God's goodness power and wisdom is not sufficient and it ultimately taints its character to those around us did you get that grumbling and there's a New Testament versus this grumbling is our testimony to those around us that God's wisdom his power and his goodness is not sufficient for us therefore tainting his character to those who are watching us that's how powerful grumbling is you say why go to Philippians 2:14 Paul tells us why in Philippians 2:14 let's see what the interest interesting international version has for us do all things without murmurings and disputing x' and other translations complaining or grumbling do what all things all things all things like what's all things in the Greek it means all things it means like doing the dishes or being asked to do something in church all things why why what happens if we grumble or we complain what what is the effect of it here's the next part that all of you may be blameless and harmless the sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation or generation among whom all of you shine as lights in the world when you complain and grumble it dwindles your light it dwindles your testimony why because when you who are an ambassador of Jesus Christ begin to grumble and complain you know there are other people who have ears and they're watching your life and when they look at your life a Christian begin to grumble and complain they wonder is your god really worth following when you and I are supposed to be bursting forth from joy I'm not saying everything is happy and dandy all the time but he is saying very specifically he's not suggesting it he's commanding it do all things without dispute without complaint without grumbling because it literally has an effect upon your testimony do you see now why we need the Holy Spirit we need the Holy Spirit because nobody can bridle this thing called a tongue but he can so I am to do this because what they are doing these people who were delivered from Egypt is testifying outwardly whether they were knowing it or not that you know Yahweh is not as powerful as he says he is he always not good to us as he says he is he always not as wise as he says she is we are the reflection of who God is and when we taint his character with grumbling it's seen as rebellion it's seen as rebellion and that's why we have to learn how to in any circumstance allow our hearts to come before God and to cry out to him honestly that's what the Psalms are for they are honest confessions before the Lord but be careful of how you sound around others around you Jim here no is there anything else we can say about that and if you don't believe that what was the reason why the Israelites did not get into the promised land this generation was it sexual immorality because they did that was a complaining in the sense of this or that partly but it came down to one thing that Express and complaining and grumbling numbers 14 11 tells us and the Lord said to Moses how long will this people despise me and how long will they not believe in me in spite of all the signs that I have done among them the number one thing that did not lead him to the promise thing was not all these gross sins it was unbelief New Testament says the same thing in Hebrews 3:19 what does he say so we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief when we grumble it is a symptom of unbelief it is the fruit of a heart that says I don't believe God for what he says and that says something to God because it's a direct attack to his character in his word and it has a secondary consequences once again around those who around us who are watching our lives and hearing our lives and so it was unbelief that kept them back how many things do we not believe God for especially the things that he's promised us in his word I want to believe God for everything I don't wanna be seeing rebellious in his eyes because I don't believe him and in that grumbling it's it's manifesting and grumbling that's the extreme of it so when we follow the Lord and he leads us through this journey in the wilderness when he takes us out of the captivity of Pharaoh and when we come before a Red Sea and not only do we come before a Red Sea but behind us comes a marching army this is what we don't do verse 11 and 12 what do we do then we do what Moses did in verse 13 and Moses said to the people fear not stand firm and see the salvation of the Lord those are the three things that we do so when you're faced with in a possible situation and when you are being attacked in a way that you know that if it reaches you you're overtaken three things including crying out to God that's four cry out to Lord and when you cry out to the Lord you don't fear because when you fear what happens you panic and when you panic what happens you move and when you move what happens you fail to see God move say that again when you fear you panic and guess what happens when you panic you move and when you move without God telling you to move you failed to see God move so what do we do we do the opposite we don't fear and the result of that is we stand firm when we stand firm we position ourselves to see God move in a interventive way why shouldn't we fear because he's gonna teach us a timeless truth here in this Red Sea story that even the world knows about opposition and obstacles our opportunities to see God's hand move in a mighty way so instead of fearing we should rejoice and I know that's hard to do but we should why because when I'm faced with an obstacle or if I'm facing opposition those things are literally producing an opportunity to see God's hand come in and to do an amazing work and so once again as we talked about last week when we are faced with a red sea when we are facing a transitional period in our faith we should have this sense of excitement because we're gonna see God do something I got so good but I be realistic I am it's the Bible that's what the story is all about and so we should not fear we should not move what is Moses say here in verse 14 the Lord will fight for you and you only have to be silent you only have to be silent just chew on that verse for a moment what does that mean the Lord will fight for you you only have to be silent how many of us need that in our cars when we're driving work how many of us need that on top of our doorpost before we walk out of the room there are certain situations and circumstances in life that do require us to be confrontational and do require us to make practical steps right Jesus gives us specific commands when there are conflicts and we have to actually because some people take this for all things and they do nothing God's like you know I already gave you my word to tell you what to do there are some things that you shouldn't pray for because God already made it clear what yes some people pray about things and say you know what to do already though why are you praying about it do it but this is a specific moment this is a specific situation in which we have to trust in God to do all of that for us so what is the situation once again they are in a place in which they are surrounded by impossibilities where their abilities their network their resources their efforts will prove ineffective and it requires God to do something it is those situations that are out of your control that demand us to put a demand on God that's what this is about and it's more specific than you think because for us this doesn't really mean much to us oh when I'm faced with a red sea or when fair Pharaoh and his chariots are not going to attack me in 2017 yeah but people will slander you in 2017 and you won't know what to do when you have no job and you feel like you've tried to apply everywhere and you have no idea what the next step is in your life and so what have the Lord instructs through Moses and many times throughout the Old Testament that he will fight for you you only have to be silent and that is a practice with godly men in the Bible can I give you a few examples I'm just gonna read these verses and just meditate on them you don't even have to turn there if you want them just come see me afterwards let me just read these verses jeremiah says in jeremiah 11:20 he says this twice as a prophet now if there was one guy that you probably didn't want to be minister ministry partners with it was jeremiah you weren't getting the funds you weren't getting the crowds you weren't getting the Facebook Likes on your ministry page with Jeremiah and what does he say here he says but o Lord of Hosts who judges righteously who tests the heart and the mind let me see your vengeance upon them why for to you I've committed my cause this is idea that we talked about last week of trying to take vengeance Jeremiah is not having chariots follow me you know what he's having people criticize him people beating him up and people throwing him into a well and he says God I want to see your vengeance so I'm gonna take this into my own hands no he says Lord I committed my cause to you and because I've committed my cost to you I trust that you're gonna take vengeance on and for me see when we cry out to God it's an invitation for him to fight for us when we fail to commit our cost to God wanting to do it in our own strength ability and wisdom we miss out on what David missed out could have missed out on when he faced a man named who Nabal remember that story in 1st Samuel 25 what happens he's in this journey where he's running away from Saul and he's low on resources and he's doing his part by taking care of people's land and sheep and he does so for Nabel this man who was a foolish man who had a wise wife discerning wife named who anybody know abigail yes good job Abigail and what happens the men go talk to navel and they say you know we took care of your sheep do you have anything for us just so that we can you know eat and Abel says are you kidding me I don't know who you are not only that David the guy that rebelled against King Saul and he Mont and he criticized and he slandered and the men come back and you know what David does something that he rarely does he gets in the flesh and he says round up the troops we're gonna have a brawl and so they go and they're walking and David is so angry that he's talking to himself on the way the Lord so do to me and he's just going here abigail hears from his servant what happened she comes and runs to him talks to him talks him out of it and she says a specific thing she says do not take vengeance for yourself do not have blood guilt on your own hands believe vengeance unto the Lord and something happens David rejoices over her discernment David takes what she has given her he walks away from the situation and when he walked away from the situation somebody stepped into this situation the Lord and it says that navels heart became like stone ten days later he dies because it says the Lord stroked him the Lord has stricken him and something happens when David finds out first him Samuel twenty five thirty nine look what he says here when David heard that navel was dead he said blessed be the Lord who has avenged the insult we're talking words here the insult I received at the hand of Mabel and has kept back his servant from wrongdoing see when you and I want to take justice into our own hands we want to eventual we want to get back to somebody who's done something wrong to us you are going to most likely step into something which you're gonna regret you're gonna say something you're gonna regret you're gonna do something you're gonna regret you're gonna plan something that you're gonna regret and David realize that later on he goes off thank God if I were to step into this there would have been guilt on my hands there were been guilt on my testimony praise be to God that he avenged for me look what it says the Lord has returned the evil of Nabal on his own head he says these are a lot of Old Testament principles which are true for us but Jesus himself Jesus himself when he taught on prayer which gospel did he teach the most on in prayer Luke Luke is the gospel in which there is more teaching on prayer more observation about Jesus praying than any other gospel account and in Luke 11 he talks about who he talks about a friend that needed bread because a friend was visiting his house what's the other chapter in which he talks about prayer and a story as well Luke 18 and what was that story a persistent Widow now we take both those stories and we say well those stories are Jesus teaching us about persistence true they both are about persistence but we do not have to freak we can't forget rather what they are asking for in those accounts and Luke 11 there's a need there's physical needs something there was a supplication prayer there in Luke 18 it's something else does anybody know what the widow asked for justice against her adversary and the unrighteous judge finally gave in and the Lord says in verse 7 of Luke 18 and will not God give justice to his elect this is a specific request she's asking for justice who cried to him day and night will he delay long over them this is a New Testament truth that Jesus is inviting us to take all the wrongdoings that have been caused to us and to bring it before him persistently this is what we need to do in situations that do not require our confrontation do not require for us to step in or maybe we can't do it we commit it to him and what else do we step back and watch him do it and watch him take revenge because she will do it righteously and he will do it the perfect way and our hands will be free from guilt and so the pain that you might have in your life maybe somebody's tree maybe there is a past hurt and you have no idea how they seem to be going scot-free about it commit it to the Lord commit it to the judge will not the judge of all the earth do right he will you have to do that's what Luke 1818 is about you have to bring it to him you have to bring it to him and saying Lord intervened on my behalf Lord deal with this and it can be about anything it can be about an unrighteous boss it can be about unrighteous parents it could be about anything now we're not once to call down like in the Psalms Lord break their teeth and cast their children upon stones okay we're praying for their souls as well but there is an element in which we find relief to our souls when we say Jesus I need you to step in for me you do it Lord and you step in God and you handle this situation I'm not touching it for some of us here that might sound so weird but wait till you go on in life and you experience some hurt you might have no idea what this means right now but this truth will help you greatly when you move on in life and when you stay around Church culture long enough and you realize that Christians aren't perfect just give us some time learn how to commit it to the Lord learn how to commit it to the Lord once again learn how to commit it to the Lord the wrist 15 the Lord said to Moses why do you cry to me tell the people visitor to go forward lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground wait what verse 15 the Lord said to the Israelites the Lord said to Moses why do you cry to me set them quickly do something so that is what I wrote to you and I give you you know I think you should do you just have to do it and go for it yes so once again there are moments in which we do crafts alone we can cry to lore about everything but then once again there are moments in which Gus's you already have the solution just move forward that's true that's a good observation but there's something else see that there's no link here why did we see Moses crying out to the Lord did we see any recording of Moses saying God in fact he gets pretty good advice but sometimes preachers need to take their own advice and the conclusion I make with verse 15 is that Moses did not do it audibly but he did do it internally and God saw his heart because you know what check this out you might seem all calm and collected in church and Friday Bible study and that volume and your heart might be low to the ears of others around you but it is pitch perfect clear to Jesus Christ he hears that he is more near to you than you think that your thoughts are just as loud as my voices in this microphone as you're sitting in that chair think about that as your thoughts throughout the day are going forward and going through they sound like this to the Lord and Moses heart perhaps is saying the right things but internally he's like Lord what's going on here I'm really not because that's the power of complaining from other people it can rub off on you you want proof this is proof in the New Testament when Mary pours out that oil on Jesus's feet it's recorded in Luke Mark and in Matthew and Luke it's not not that specific account and when you read the accounts and you put him side-by-side you realize we all know the story that when she does it the disciples complain right it says why are you doing this why don't you give it to the poor but it did not start with the disciples it started with one person who Judas Judas was the first one to say why are you doing this do not give it to the poor instead and when Judas started to say that it became infectious to the rest of the disciples and they joined in on it it's a powerful powerful contagious thing to grumble Moses begins to feel it God sees it and says why do you cry why do you cry and he says take your staff and stretch it forth over the sea and walk through it in your situations my circumstances the problems that we face in life do not be surprised if God answers it through a human agent do not be surprised if God uses people to come into your life as a direct intervention and that is so true of a body of Christ that God through the Holy Spirit has dispensed gifts unto all men for the good of the body now why because he's the head were the body we are connected to him so technically it's still him but it's through us and so you would be amazed when somebody says Lord I need to hear from you I need a word from you God I need to know what to do next if somebody picks up the phone and calls you two days later a day later sometimes the day of and says something you're on my heart I don't know if this is the law but going on and you're like that is the Lord 100% don't be surprised if there's a sickness and the Lord uses somebody to pray for you and that sickness goes God uses people as extensions of the head to fulfill his purposes and so he could have not used Moses and said alright you want it and blow and the WIMP and they all would all walk through but he uses Moses specifically and so you and I because we fail today we sometimes we say Lord do something we want the Holy Spirit Himself to blow up in the door and come in and fix our problem and it can be as simple as you coming to church Sunday morning there's a word of encouragement from something that's sitting on the same pew as you that's what we have to realize that God uses B we are all spirit filled and God gives inclination and God uses gifts for one another that's the joy of the body now we have to be careful when the Lord uses you like he used Moses there's one truth we cannot forget oh there is one truth that you cannot forget here's the truth what happens and that's right lift up your staff and stretch up your hand over the sea and divide it whose staff was it he says your staff it belonged to Moses right go to Isaiah 1026 this is important for us to highlight Isaiah 1026 God is speaking about judgment against a nation and he's he is bringing confirmation of how he's gonna do it in an Isaiah 10 26 he says something so specific and so beautiful about what we're reading here in Exodus 14 Isaiah 10 26 look what the Lord says what the prophet says rather about the Lord and the Lord of Hosts will wield against them a whip as when he struck Midian at the rock of orab and his staff will be over the sea and he will lift it as he did in Egypt so whose staff is it really God's staff so whatever God has put into your hands as a gift as an ability is not really yours it belongs to him it's his staff whatever God uses your hands for is not really you it's God's hands through you that's what we're seeing here in Isaiah he says you are stopped but anything he says you know it's really mine I think all the credit once again I take all the glory yeah you might have had that staff your whole life you might have been really skilled in that staff but it's ultimately mine what a beautiful truth they said what love got the event sounds days if you really want to get specific the staff as a symbol of authority yeah so we if we were to look at this rightly this is about leadership using their authority rightly when we move on later on in numbers and we see the rebellion of Korah they use this staff as a picture to see who really has authority and it was Aaron's staff right and so it's a picture of authority more than anything about a leader exercising his authority at the right time but it's ultimately God's staff and we can also see it as what God has given us remember Moses had that staff his whole life when he was you know being a shepherd and God says take that staff throw it and watch it turn to his snake we talked about how God uses the simple things in life and makes them supernatural and here it is again God using Moses a simple stick to split open the sea but Isaiah tells us it's his staff it's mine verse 18 and the Egyptians shall know that i am the lord when i have gotten glory over pharaoh his chariots and his horsemen so who really needs to know that he is god the egyptians so in light of all that we've just said what does that say about us concerning God getting glory because it wasn't for the Israelites directly though it was something for them as a memorial but we need to understand that the trials and tribulations and tests that you and I go through will stand as a witness for the people around us did you hear that the red sea that you faced the opposition that you experienced God will use that as a testimony to receive glory and for other people to look at your life and say surely this person serves a living God so this is one of the reasons why it brings them to the Red Sea when you come to the Red Sea and I do something miraculous the Egyptians will know that you serve a living God when you face an impossible situation you face a circumstance you face a transitional period in which you don't understand how it's gonna work guess what it's not just for you to know that he's God is for the people in your life and around you to know that he is God so bring it on I want God to be glorified in my trials and tribulations and you and I should desire the same thing and so he says this is what's gonna happen verse 19 to 20 we touched on this last week this pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them coming between the hosts of Egypt and the hosts of Israel and there was this cloud and the darkness and it lit up the night without one coming near the other all nice so the presence of God protected them from the rear that they would not see them it was hazy was foggy they would not be able to come to them and it was dark for them but it was light for it was light for the Israelites so we know what happens Moses stretches forth his staff Moses goes up and he sees this and they're walking through and it's a wall to the left and a wall to the right if we scroll down here to verse 26 and the Lord said to Moses stretch out your hand over the sea that the water may come back upon the Egyptians upon their chariots and upon their horsemen so Moses stretched out his sand over the sea and the sea returned to its normal course when the morning appeared and as the Egyptians fled into it the Lord through the Egyptians into the midst of the sea what can we say about those things in light of God's vengeance and justice yeah hello middle or harshest the difficult times God is still standing like this yes absolutely go back to Exodus chapter one and remember in verse 20 you have to turn there but just remember King Pharaoh did something to the Israelites what did he do specifically he threw babies into the water and to the Nile and what does he do the very people that did that he throws him to the bottom of the Red Sea God is so specific God is so just God is so detailed God is so so involved and we see in verse 29 but the people of Israel walked on dry ground through the sea the waters being a wall to them on the right hand and on their left when God leads our lives he enables us to walk through situations that would cause other people to drown in if they were to walk through the same circumstance when God leads our lives he makes the ocean dry ground but to those who are rebelling against him that think that they can do the same will ultimately be destroyed in other words when God leads our lives we can rest assured that he will take us through it he will take us through things that other people cannot even dare to think that they can walk through without him that's what happened that's the contrast the Israelites walk through it the Egyptians were overcome by it that impossible situation so to speak that thing that seemed like you could not walk over that's right without God you can't and so with him we stand as a testimony with him we can do things that other people could not even think of doing he is God people don't have God they don't have the Lord leading them they are overcome by the Red Sea you and I walk through the Red Sea in Christ verse 30 thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians so that people feared the Lord they feared the Lord oh he is real oh yes when God takes you through a situation that you never thought you can go through you're gonna fear him when you realize that God did it when you realize that what you just experienced was not mere coincidence or happenstance that was God Almighty the creator of all things stepping into your life and doing something you will fear him you'll fear him and they believed in the Lord and the servant Moses and this is the best part I think well not the best part one important part that it caused them to do something in chapter 15 verse 1 the Moses and the people of Israel sang this song they sang as a response to the goodness of God they sang as a response to his deliverance they sang in the response of his power so many Christians have lost that song so many I've forgotten what it's like to sing in response to the goodness of God and not because the worship leader is telling you to do it and begging you to sing worship leaders should not beg people to sing the people should come in with a revelation of the goodness of God already and their heart should be bursting forth the Moses and the people of Israel's sang this song not about the Lord but to the Lord that he is good and this is what we're gonna explore next week but can we do the same thing that they are doing here can we sing to the Lord for His goodness and by faith maybe you're not through that situation that you're facing but there is one thing you did pass if you're a true Christian because this is a New Testament picture of baptism and God delivered you from the world and you crossed the Red Sea you were baptized into Christ you were baptized in water when you're baptized in water it's as symbolist as a picture of pharaoh and all of his devils and all of his henchmen being buried underneath that water and they no longer have authority in your life that's why baptism is so important it's a declaration of something and I believe it's a statement to the devil himself you lost your authority to me when I go into this water and come out I'm not your man I'm not your woman anymore you're going in there that's exactly what happened in Pharoah and all his henchmen they were going in and they're never gonna have that authority over his life now he says you're never gonna see the Egyptians again does that mean that they're never gonna experience warfare again oh no because in Exodus 17 they're introduced to another group called the Amalekites and they're gonna be introduced to another group and usually those attacks come with great moments in God when they drank from the water that's when the Amalekites came so just because this chapter is closed does not mean that problems go away you might go over this problem right now but once again there might be another child mother tribulation but ultimately people of God it's for his glory it's for him it's for the Egyptians to know that he is the Living God and you and I all we have to do is stand firm and we stand for him because we don't fear and we just watch the salvation of the Lord and say god I can't wait to see how you're gonna get me out of this one I can't wait to see how you're gonna come in and bring glory to your name through my life so where's the despair where's the discouragement when we are set up with those things God's gonna glory when all things work together for our good and all things are going well in our eyes we give Him glory and all things we give Him glory so would you stand with me because we're gonna sing to him

Channel: UE Church - Chicago

Views: 1,709

Rating: 4.9000001 out of 5

Keywords: bible, study, exodus, exodus 14, bible study, bible study exodus 14, friday bible study, daniel batarseh, pastor daniel, Uec, ue church, united evangelical church, agape young adults services, ue church agape, christians, sermon, preaching, teaching, jesus, god, holy spirit, christ, christianity, torah, old tastement, moses

Id: ASWH299iUnw

Length: 67min 5sec (4025 seconds)

Published: Tue Feb 06 2018