WEBVTT 00:00:00.320 --> 00:00:01.040 Good morning. 00:00:01.840 --> 00:00:04.639 Today's text is Exodus 14. 00:00:05.839 --> 00:00:20.000 Then the Lord said to Moses, Tell the people of Israel to turn back and encamp in front of Piharath between Migdal and the sea, and in front of Balziphon, and you shall encamp facing it by the sea. 00:00:20.160 --> 00:00:34.640 For Pharaoh will say to 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 host, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord. 00:00:34.880 --> 00:00:35.920 And they did so. 00:00:36.079 --> 00:00:48.240 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, the mind of Pharaoh and his servants had changed toward the people, and they said, What is this we have done that we have let Israel go from serving us? 00:00:48.560 --> 00:00:58.240 So he made ready his chariot and took his army with him, and took six hundred chosen chariots, and all other chariots of Egypt, with officers all over them. 00:00:59.359 --> 00:01:08.000 And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he and he pursued the people of Israel while the people of Israel were going out defiantly. 00:01:08.239 --> 00:01:20.719 The Egyptians pursued them, all Pharaoh's horses and chariots, and his horsemen and his army, and overtook them, and camped by the sea, by Peha Peha, in front of Balziphon. 00:01:21.760 --> 00:01:30.719 When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly, and the people of Israel cried out to the Lord. 00:01:30.879 --> 00:01:38.079 They said to Moses, Is because there is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness. 00:01:38.319 --> 00:01:40.959 What have you done to us bringing us out of Egypt? 00:01:41.120 --> 00:01:45.760 Is it is not this what we said to you in Egypt? 00:01:45.920 --> 00:01:52.480 Leave us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians, for it would be better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness. 00:01:52.640 --> 00:02:01.439 And Moses said to the people, Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord with uh which he will work for you this day. 00:02:01.760 --> 00:02:09.039 For the Egyptians whom you see today you shall never see again, and the Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent. 00:02:09.280 --> 00:02:11.680 The Lord said to Moses, Why do you cry to me? 00:02:11.840 --> 00:02:37.439 Tell the people of Israel to go forward, lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, and the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground, and I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, so that they shall go in after them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, his chariots and his horsemen, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten glory over Pharaoh, and the chariots and his horsemen. 00:02:37.759 --> 00:02:56.879 Then the angel of the God, who was going before the host of Israel, moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them, and stood behind them, coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel, and there was a cloud and darkness, and it lit up the night, with one coming near and the other all night. 00:02:57.199 --> 00:03:14.400 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided, and the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and to their left. 00:03:14.560 --> 00:03:33.759 The Egyptians pursued and went in after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh's horses and chariots and his horsemen, and in the morning watched the Lord in a pillar of fire and of cloud, looked down on the Egyptian forces and threw Egypt the Egyptian forces into panic, clogging their chariot wheels that they drove heavily. 00:03:33.919 --> 00:03:40.400 And the Egyptians said, Let us free from behort before Israel, and the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians. 00:03:40.560 --> 00:03:48.319 Then the Lord said to Moses, Stretch out your hand over the sea, and the waters may come back upon the Egyptians upon their chariots, and upon the horsemen. 00:03:48.719 --> 00:03:57.360 So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to normal, to normal course when the morning appeared. 00:03:57.599 --> 00:04:10.319 And the Egyptians fled into it, and the Lord threw the Egyptians into the midst of the sea, and the waters turned and covered the chariots and the horsemen and all the hosts of Pharaoh that they had followed them into the sea, and not one of them remained. 00:04:10.560 --> 00:04:18.160 But the people of Israel walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters being a wall to them on their right and to their left. 00:04:18.399 --> 00:04:25.360 Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 00:04:25.519 --> 00:04:32.800 Israel saw the great power of the Lord used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and his servant Moses. 00:04:33.199 --> 00:04:34.480 This is the word of the Lord. 00:04:34.720 --> 00:04:35.680 Thanks be to God. 00:04:35.920 --> 00:04:36.879 May be seated. 00:04:40.639 --> 00:04:41.759 Good morning. 00:04:42.879 --> 00:04:44.800 Thanks for joining us this morning. 00:04:44.959 --> 00:04:47.360 It is great to be back together with you. 00:04:47.439 --> 00:04:55.920 I've been basically the part-time pastor of this church over the past month, preaching only every other week, but it's wonderful to gather together with you each Sunday. 00:04:56.079 --> 00:05:00.079 My name is James Rathman, the pastor here at Redemption Church Denver. 00:05:00.399 --> 00:05:03.519 And we are moving through Exodus. 00:05:03.759 --> 00:05:16.879 And we are at uh finally in our long time in Exodus, we have arrived at the crossing of the Red Sea, that glorious moment, definitely one of the top ten greatest hits uh in Scripture. 00:05:16.959 --> 00:05:22.480 It's one of the most popular stories, and we get to look at that together this morning and see what this means. 00:05:22.639 --> 00:05:26.720 So, with that, would you pray with me before we enter our text for the day? 00:05:29.920 --> 00:05:41.600 Our Father in heaven, you have shown us through mighty deeds and great wonders that you have accomplished on earth and that have been handed down to us through history the true revelation of who you are. 00:05:43.120 --> 00:06:01.439 Lord, our hearts are full of questions and fears and insecurities and sin that blinds and darkens our hearts, inscrutable situations, impossible difficulties to resolve. 00:06:02.240 --> 00:06:05.360 And amidst all of these we wonder, Lord, who are you? 00:06:05.759 --> 00:06:07.040 What are you like? 00:06:07.600 --> 00:06:09.279 What are your intentions for the world? 00:06:09.439 --> 00:06:11.120 What are your intentions for us? 00:06:13.199 --> 00:06:15.839 When we come to you in prayer, who are we coming to? 00:06:16.319 --> 00:06:17.920 What will we be met with? 00:06:19.680 --> 00:06:21.680 A scowl or a smile? 00:06:23.519 --> 00:06:26.959 Grace or the severity of your justice. 00:06:29.040 --> 00:06:36.800 Lord, by your great deeds and your mighty power, you show us who you are. 00:06:38.560 --> 00:06:47.439 The wonder of your grace towards your people, the depth of your mercy towards us, that you are a warrior who fights for us. 00:06:48.399 --> 00:06:59.680 Lord, I pray that as we look at this story today, that we would see the wonder of what you did on that night by the Red Sea. 00:07:00.399 --> 00:07:10.399 But in seeing the wonder of what you did on that night, we would not just think of one wonderful, amazing event in history, but we would see the revelation of who you are. 00:07:11.680 --> 00:07:14.800 And who you are is eternal and unchanging. 00:07:15.040 --> 00:07:17.600 We might have absolute confidence in who you are. 00:07:17.839 --> 00:07:25.839 Lord, I pray that we might see who you are and trust who you've shown yourself to be to us, and that we might rest in the truth of that today. 00:07:26.160 --> 00:07:27.759 Lift this up in Jesus' name. 00:07:28.000 --> 00:07:28.639 Amen. 00:07:30.560 --> 00:07:42.240 So on the outskirts of the promised land, Joshua is uh sending in some spies, and he sends in some spies to this great city on the outskirts of the promised land called Jericho. 00:07:42.560 --> 00:07:51.279 And uh Jericho uh will be conquered by um some singing and marching and shouting, uh, but they don't know that yet. 00:07:51.519 --> 00:08:02.879 They just send in some spies to scout out a scary city that they know that the Israelites know they'll have to go through this city in order to move into the promised land that the Lord had given to them. 00:08:03.120 --> 00:08:05.920 So Joshua sends in a couple of spies. 00:08:06.639 --> 00:08:15.279 And he sends in these spies, and they go to the city wall, and living within the wall of the city is a woman named Rahab. 00:08:15.439 --> 00:08:17.199 Rahab is a prostitute in the city. 00:08:17.279 --> 00:08:22.160 She's an outskirts type of person, a borderlands type of type of person. 00:08:22.720 --> 00:08:58.799 And uh they go into Rahab's house, and she discovers the intention of these men, that these are Israelite spies, and with no deliberation, Rahab determines that she will work with these spies who are natural enemies of her people, that she will side with the spies, she will hide them, she will defend them against the people in the city that are pursuing them, and she'll make sure that they have a clean escape and even help to orchestrate uh part of their invasion. 00:08:58.960 --> 00:09:02.080 And the question is, why did she turn so quickly? 00:09:02.399 --> 00:09:09.440 Why did Rahab turn so quickly against her own people to advocate for the Israelites? 00:09:09.679 --> 00:09:11.840 Well, the answer is recorded. 00:09:12.080 --> 00:09:31.919 In Joshua 2, verses 9 through 10, Rahab explains to the spies, she says, This, I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. 00:09:33.279 --> 00:09:47.840 For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Nag, whom you devoted to destruction. 00:09:48.799 --> 00:09:52.240 Why does Rahab not have to deliberate at all? 00:09:53.440 --> 00:10:01.519 Well, because 40 years earlier there was this event that took place for the Israelites. 00:10:02.240 --> 00:10:05.840 And that event became news in the region. 00:10:06.559 --> 00:10:09.440 Did you hear about how the Israelites came out of Egypt? 00:10:09.600 --> 00:10:11.200 The Israelites came out of Egypt? 00:10:11.679 --> 00:10:15.679 It seems like Pharaoh had a pretty strong hand to keep them in. 00:10:16.080 --> 00:10:19.679 Pharaoh's a pretty mighty, yeah, well, listen to this story, they would say. 00:10:20.639 --> 00:10:34.799 They were pressed up against the Red Sea, and the Lord, their Lord, you know, the Lord, the one they're always talking about, he split the sea so that they walked through on dry land. 00:10:35.440 --> 00:10:38.000 And the news of that just spread through the area. 00:10:38.159 --> 00:10:47.440 So 40 years later, when this prostitute who had just heard that news through the world, she meets these two Israelite spies on the edge of her city. 00:10:47.600 --> 00:10:52.720 She the spies are nervous to go in, and she says, I'm on your side. 00:10:53.759 --> 00:10:58.399 Because your God is the one who's who who split the sea for you to walk through. 00:10:58.559 --> 00:11:00.399 I never heard of anything like that. 00:11:01.360 --> 00:11:06.720 And if that's your God, and if he can do things like that, then our these walls, trust me, I live in these walls. 00:11:06.799 --> 00:11:08.000 They're fine. 00:11:08.480 --> 00:11:12.240 They look great from the outside, but they're they're not as strong as that. 00:11:13.840 --> 00:11:16.799 Everybody knows the story of the Red Sea. 00:11:18.000 --> 00:11:23.120 Everybody knows the strength of the God of the Israelites because of the crossing of the Red Sea. 00:11:23.360 --> 00:11:24.480 They knew it then. 00:11:25.039 --> 00:11:28.000 This was famous immediately. 00:11:28.559 --> 00:11:30.320 And it's famous today. 00:11:31.360 --> 00:11:32.720 Everybody knows the story. 00:11:32.879 --> 00:11:35.440 This morning, we'll know it too. 00:11:36.480 --> 00:11:39.519 We'll remember it just like Rahab remembered it. 00:11:40.159 --> 00:11:42.399 So let's remember this story together. 00:11:42.720 --> 00:11:46.159 In Exodus 14, 1 through 2. 00:11:46.399 --> 00:11:54.320 Then the Lord said to Moses, Tell the people of Israel to turn back and encamp in front of Piharath, between Migdal and the sea, in front of Balziphon. 00:11:54.480 --> 00:11:57.279 You shall encamp facing it by the sea. 00:11:58.080 --> 00:12:02.799 So the Israelites had already escaped Egypt during the Exodus. 00:12:02.960 --> 00:12:08.879 The night of Passover has taken place, and now they had wandered away towards the wilderness. 00:12:09.279 --> 00:12:16.000 And now the instruction of the Lord, once they had moved out into the wilderness, the instruction of the Lord is turn back. 00:12:17.440 --> 00:12:20.480 Now I don't know if you've ever run away from anything. 00:12:21.600 --> 00:12:27.039 But typically you don't turn back towards the thing you're running away from. 00:12:27.200 --> 00:12:32.240 So this would have been very strange instruction for the Israelites to receive from the Lord. 00:12:32.320 --> 00:12:34.879 But the instruction is stranger because of where he tells them to go. 00:12:34.960 --> 00:12:42.879 He says, turn back from your flight from Egypt, head back towards Egypt, then I want you to position yourself in this vulnerable place. 00:12:43.039 --> 00:12:51.200 You'll be between two mountains, Pai Haharoth and Balzifhan, and then you'll face the sea. 00:12:51.679 --> 00:12:57.759 So between two mountains in the sea, now you don't have to be Stonewall Jackson, though you don't want to fight in a basement. 00:12:59.759 --> 00:13:02.399 This is not good military strategy. 00:13:02.559 --> 00:13:07.279 Instead, what's happening is the Lord is this master tactician. 00:13:07.440 --> 00:13:09.279 He is a warrior god. 00:13:09.679 --> 00:13:12.480 And he knows this is bait. 00:13:14.080 --> 00:13:18.639 He's pushing his people into this vulnerable position. 00:13:20.000 --> 00:13:24.480 And what he explains to Moses is Pharaoh's gonna see this. 00:13:25.039 --> 00:13:28.720 And what he's gonna think is they're just wandering in the wilderness. 00:13:28.799 --> 00:13:32.960 They have no idea where they are, wandering in the wilderness like this. 00:13:33.279 --> 00:13:39.840 And Pharaoh has just this stump of hubris left in him. 00:13:40.480 --> 00:13:42.240 And the Lord knows that. 00:13:42.399 --> 00:13:53.120 And he'll be able to harden Pharaoh's heart such that he'll see this new vulnerability of the Israelites, and he won't be able to resist. 00:13:53.679 --> 00:13:55.919 He'll have to go get them back. 00:13:57.679 --> 00:14:00.559 The Lord explains to Moses that that's exactly his intention. 00:14:00.720 --> 00:14:04.240 And so the news does come to Pharaoh in Exodus 14, 5. 00:14:04.320 --> 00:14:12.399 It says, When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, the mind of Pharaoh and his servants was changed toward the people. 00:14:13.519 --> 00:14:20.159 And they said, What is this we have done that we have let Israel go from serving us? 00:14:20.720 --> 00:14:24.879 How quickly they had forgotten the murder of all their firstborn sons. 00:14:26.000 --> 00:14:34.720 And they see the loss of their labor, and it becomes irresistible to Pharaoh once again. 00:14:36.159 --> 00:14:43.279 Him casting them out and sending them out was a response of deep pain that he was experiencing. 00:14:43.519 --> 00:14:45.279 But it was not repentance. 00:14:45.840 --> 00:14:47.360 Those are different things. 00:14:47.919 --> 00:14:50.960 Experiences of deep pain and repentance are different things. 00:14:51.759 --> 00:14:54.879 So Pharaoh swells with regret at driving out the Israelites. 00:14:54.960 --> 00:14:56.159 He can't resist the bait. 00:14:56.240 --> 00:15:06.320 He mounts us up his army, and he leads this great force of all his might towards the vulnerable Israelites between two mountains in the sea. 00:15:09.120 --> 00:15:14.159 Towards what for Pharaoh must have seemed like certain victory. 00:15:15.200 --> 00:15:17.519 It must have seemed like certain victory. 00:15:18.399 --> 00:15:22.000 He takes six hundred of his chosen chariots. 00:15:22.480 --> 00:15:23.919 That's a lot of chariots. 00:15:24.480 --> 00:15:29.039 But the text goes on to say, as well as all the chariots in Egypt. 00:15:29.679 --> 00:15:36.159 So you you've got your you've got your cho choice chariots, you know, when you're shopping on Chariot Trader. 00:15:38.559 --> 00:15:39.919 You got your choice chariots. 00:15:40.080 --> 00:15:42.799 So he brings those, and each of those has an officer over them. 00:15:43.200 --> 00:15:46.720 But then he mounts up all the rest of the chariots of Egypt. 00:15:47.279 --> 00:15:52.320 Think of the sound, the force, the might. 00:15:53.120 --> 00:15:57.519 You know, at the Egyptian games they would do chariot drive-bys after they sang the national anthem. 00:15:59.200 --> 00:16:04.639 I don't have any I don't I don't have any evidence of this, but I imagine it was something like that. 00:16:04.799 --> 00:16:08.720 We know what it's like to flex our military might, and it's patriotic and it's wonderful. 00:16:08.879 --> 00:16:09.679 I love it. 00:16:11.360 --> 00:16:14.159 And you picture that sound marching towards you. 00:16:14.399 --> 00:16:18.639 The Israelites see this march coming over the horizon. 00:16:18.960 --> 00:16:27.679 All of the might of the greatest empire that history had made until that point was coming towards them in hot pursuit. 00:16:27.840 --> 00:16:29.120 And where are they? 00:16:29.600 --> 00:16:35.200 There's mountains on both sides, and there's an ocean behind them. 00:16:35.519 --> 00:16:38.159 They are surrounded. 00:16:39.200 --> 00:16:42.080 And so they begin to panic. 00:16:43.200 --> 00:16:48.480 Their response at seeing the Egyptians coming towards them is absolute panic. 00:16:49.279 --> 00:16:52.000 They're in a position that they can't get themselves out of. 00:17:31.599 --> 00:17:32.400 Is that not how it goes? 00:17:32.480 --> 00:17:33.519 I can't remember. 00:17:33.920 --> 00:17:37.680 On the New Hampshire license plates, it's it's die, not live free. 00:17:37.839 --> 00:17:38.559 Isn't that it? 00:17:39.599 --> 00:17:40.240 What it says? 00:17:40.640 --> 00:17:43.039 This is this you see what they've done. 00:17:44.160 --> 00:17:47.920 Look at the terror of the Israelites. 00:17:48.160 --> 00:17:51.759 This is we should not think of this as like a normal response. 00:17:52.000 --> 00:17:54.559 This is a response of deep cowardice. 00:17:55.039 --> 00:17:58.880 It's an expression of the real state of the heart of the Israelites. 00:17:59.039 --> 00:18:02.079 You know, slavery is a type of safety. 00:18:03.440 --> 00:18:06.000 Slavery is a type of security. 00:18:06.720 --> 00:18:14.240 Your decisions are made for you, your needs are provided for you, somebody else is finally responsible for you. 00:18:15.119 --> 00:18:17.839 They had lived this way for hundreds and hundreds of years. 00:18:19.440 --> 00:18:47.279 And you can see that this culture of safety and of and of no sense of the value of the freedom that the Lord is taking them towards renders them impotent before their enemies such that they're willing to turn against the Lord and take the side of their enemy. 00:18:48.079 --> 00:18:49.839 That's what they're doing here. 00:18:51.039 --> 00:19:01.839 Think of what the Lord has accomplished for them over the past several months, the types of things that they had seen, the things that they could have talked about, that others in the group could have could have said to offer encouragement. 00:19:02.000 --> 00:19:06.240 You know, when Moses first came and we had to make the bricks out of straw, we felt like this. 00:19:06.400 --> 00:19:16.160 Remember we felt like this when Moses first came and he talked to Pharaoh, and things got worse right away, and we came to Moses and we said, You're just making things worse right away. 00:19:16.240 --> 00:19:17.759 But remember what happened right after that? 00:19:17.920 --> 00:19:18.880 Remember the Nile? 00:19:19.039 --> 00:19:20.559 It turned to blood. 00:19:21.200 --> 00:19:23.200 I'd never seen anything like that. 00:19:24.319 --> 00:19:26.240 You remember all the frogs? 00:19:27.279 --> 00:19:28.559 That was odd. 00:19:29.759 --> 00:19:33.119 And the flies and the gnats and the boils. 00:19:33.920 --> 00:19:36.960 And do you remember the all the cattle that died? 00:19:37.039 --> 00:19:38.559 All the cattle of Egypt died. 00:19:38.720 --> 00:19:41.839 And then do you remember that none of our cattle died? 00:19:42.640 --> 00:19:43.680 Do you remember that? 00:19:43.920 --> 00:19:45.599 That wasn't so long ago. 00:19:47.759 --> 00:19:51.759 Do you remember the darkness that covered the whole land of Egypt? 00:19:51.920 --> 00:19:56.079 But then Goshen, where we lived, remember, remember Goshen was bright. 00:19:56.319 --> 00:19:58.000 It was daylight. 00:20:00.400 --> 00:20:02.480 So maybe the Lord is on our side. 00:20:02.640 --> 00:20:03.920 Maybe the Lord is strong enough. 00:20:04.079 --> 00:20:06.000 Maybe the Lord can be with us. 00:20:22.079 --> 00:20:28.960 Excuse me, the ocean in front of them, and then the Egyptian army that was marching up to their rear. 00:20:30.799 --> 00:20:32.319 And our lives feel like this. 00:20:32.720 --> 00:20:37.759 The most salient things to us are the immediate problems that we're facing. 00:20:40.079 --> 00:20:44.240 The immediate difficulties and the sense of overwhelm. 00:20:45.200 --> 00:20:50.160 Where it seems like everybody's sort of turned on you in this way, and you don't you don't really have a friend. 00:20:50.400 --> 00:20:54.480 And all these problems are just yours, and you know that nobody can bail you out of them. 00:20:54.960 --> 00:21:00.240 And it feels like life has just been organized in such a way for you to be crushed at every turn, and there's no way out of it. 00:21:00.319 --> 00:21:04.559 And those problems are the most salient, the most real thing in your life. 00:21:04.720 --> 00:21:06.799 This is the way life often feels. 00:21:07.680 --> 00:21:09.359 Even very good lives. 00:21:09.519 --> 00:21:11.920 I know many of you, you have very good lives. 00:21:12.160 --> 00:21:15.440 Very good lives often feel like that. 00:21:18.720 --> 00:21:21.119 Where the most salient thing is our problems. 00:21:23.920 --> 00:21:25.920 There's someone else in the story. 00:21:27.680 --> 00:21:31.680 There's another factor that you've forgotten to consider. 00:21:32.240 --> 00:21:36.559 There's another character that you've forgotten while you're a pin. 00:21:40.000 --> 00:21:41.599 God can do whatever he wants. 00:21:45.200 --> 00:21:46.640 He can do whatever he wants. 00:21:47.039 --> 00:21:48.880 There's no army too great for him. 00:21:51.119 --> 00:21:52.640 Ain't no mountain high. 00:21:56.799 --> 00:21:58.240 Ain't no valley low. 00:22:00.640 --> 00:22:03.759 The sea, it's no problem for him. 00:22:04.480 --> 00:22:06.240 It's no problem for him. 00:22:07.599 --> 00:22:21.440 Now, what do you think the Lord would do to this people when they come to him and they say, it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness? 00:22:23.440 --> 00:22:26.240 It's better for us to be given into the hands of Pharaoh. 00:22:27.680 --> 00:22:41.599 After a lot of work, you know, Moses at the burning bush and preserving the life of Moses and the ten plagues and the staff that turned into a serpent that ate the serpents of Pharaoh's court. 00:22:41.680 --> 00:22:44.319 You know, there's been a lot of, the Lord's been pretty active in this. 00:22:44.480 --> 00:22:47.119 He's shown them a lot of things that are worth trusting him. 00:22:47.279 --> 00:22:49.680 They have a lot of good reason to trust the Lord. 00:22:49.839 --> 00:22:55.680 And then they turn to the Lord at the critical moment and they say, We're not on your side. 00:22:55.839 --> 00:22:57.920 We're on Pharaoh's side. 00:22:58.160 --> 00:23:01.440 And the Lord would think, This is who I'm saving? 00:23:03.359 --> 00:23:05.039 This is who I'm rescuing? 00:23:05.279 --> 00:23:10.559 These are the people that I'm drawing out of Egypt by a strong hand and an outstretched arm. 00:23:10.720 --> 00:23:12.960 Well, what might he have said? 00:23:13.119 --> 00:23:15.920 He could have simply said, fine. 00:23:17.359 --> 00:23:18.720 Have it your way. 00:23:21.279 --> 00:23:24.400 You can always just give yourself into the hand of the Egyptians. 00:23:24.720 --> 00:23:26.079 They're right there. 00:23:26.960 --> 00:23:28.240 You can see them from here. 00:23:28.400 --> 00:23:30.160 You can have exactly what you want. 00:23:30.720 --> 00:23:31.759 Go back to slavery. 00:23:31.920 --> 00:23:33.519 I know you like it so much. 00:23:34.799 --> 00:23:35.759 Go back. 00:23:38.319 --> 00:23:39.599 I would get that. 00:23:41.359 --> 00:23:42.960 That's sensible to me. 00:23:45.759 --> 00:23:47.039 This is what the Lord says. 00:23:50.000 --> 00:23:54.880 And Moses said to the people, fear not. 00:23:56.400 --> 00:24:03.519 Stand firm and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. 00:24:04.160 --> 00:24:08.640 For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. 00:24:09.279 --> 00:24:11.359 The Lord will fight for you. 00:24:11.759 --> 00:24:13.920 You have only to be silent. 00:24:15.759 --> 00:24:17.599 How does the Lord respond? 00:24:19.920 --> 00:24:28.160 You know, it'd be wonderful we could imagine that the Israelites showed themselves in this moment to be the type of people that are worth saving, you know? 00:24:29.839 --> 00:24:34.640 And we could see a story where God and the Israelites they're in lockstep together. 00:24:34.880 --> 00:24:41.599 And there's some heroic theme that's played for the courage of the Israelites as they march through the parted waters. 00:24:42.240 --> 00:24:50.000 But the Israelites are not worth saving in this moment. 00:24:53.519 --> 00:25:00.960 So it causes us to see something else, something more wonderful, this character in the story that we forget when we just look at our own problems. 00:25:01.039 --> 00:25:05.920 And it forces in this question of what is God like? 00:25:06.319 --> 00:25:07.519 What is he like? 00:25:09.519 --> 00:25:12.480 You know, I got uh coffee shop friends. 00:25:12.720 --> 00:25:16.559 They're friends that you see in coffee shops and you talk about stuff with. 00:25:17.200 --> 00:25:26.799 One guy uh who's in a coffee shop up the street occasionally, and occasionally he and I are in the same um moment of space-time. 00:25:27.039 --> 00:25:30.160 And his name's Nate, and I call him Nate the Great. 00:25:34.000 --> 00:25:36.880 Yeah, that's why I yelled that out the window one time because I saw him. 00:25:36.960 --> 00:25:37.359 Yeah. 00:25:39.519 --> 00:25:47.119 And uh was talking with Nate the Great the other day, and um he's he had met a celebrity. 00:25:47.359 --> 00:25:49.039 He met Flavor Flav. 00:25:52.640 --> 00:25:56.720 This is so the if you chuckled, it means you're over a certain age. 00:25:58.000 --> 00:26:02.000 And I was like, like in person, was he wearing the clock? 00:26:02.400 --> 00:26:04.160 Was he wearing the clock? 00:26:04.480 --> 00:26:06.160 Which you'll also understand. 00:26:06.400 --> 00:26:09.680 And I and what do you what do you ask when somebody meets a celebrity? 00:26:10.880 --> 00:26:12.079 What was he like? 00:26:12.400 --> 00:26:13.680 What's he like? 00:26:14.160 --> 00:26:20.720 You know, like what is like what I kind of see, I always kind of thought of him as a public enemy. 00:26:24.079 --> 00:26:25.680 I'm so sorry for that. 00:26:29.039 --> 00:26:31.359 Flavor flav, what's he like? 00:26:31.519 --> 00:26:35.759 When you meet somebody and they're a famous one, you want to know what is he like, what's he like? 00:26:36.240 --> 00:26:37.759 Turns out he was a great hang. 00:26:39.279 --> 00:26:41.119 You invited him to a show later. 00:26:41.440 --> 00:26:43.279 Super friendly, super warm. 00:26:45.759 --> 00:26:52.799 In your heart of hearts, you wonder of God what's he like? 00:26:56.720 --> 00:27:00.240 What is it what would he be like if I if I met him in the flesh? 00:27:02.480 --> 00:27:03.839 Would he like me? 00:27:05.599 --> 00:27:06.480 Would we get along? 00:27:06.640 --> 00:27:07.200 Would it be okay? 00:27:07.359 --> 00:27:08.720 Could I meet my heroes? 00:27:11.440 --> 00:27:13.200 What would his face be like? 00:27:14.640 --> 00:27:18.160 What would his first question or command or assurance or what would he say? 00:27:18.240 --> 00:27:19.359 What would he be like? 00:27:19.759 --> 00:27:21.200 What is he like? 00:27:22.400 --> 00:27:28.880 Think of the this is the this is one of the most important questions you can ask in your life is what it what is God like? 00:27:29.119 --> 00:27:31.839 What is the creator of the universe? 00:27:32.160 --> 00:27:33.519 How does he act? 00:27:33.680 --> 00:27:35.119 What's he like? 00:27:38.079 --> 00:27:47.599 This moment right here, where the Israelites are saying, give us back to Pharaoh. 00:27:51.759 --> 00:27:56.720 And he says to them, I'm going to fight for you. 00:27:58.880 --> 00:28:00.240 That's what he's like. 00:28:01.759 --> 00:28:03.200 That's what he's like. 00:28:04.079 --> 00:28:05.599 You wonder what God's like. 00:28:06.880 --> 00:28:08.319 That's what he's like. 00:28:11.519 --> 00:28:23.519 So you wonder in your heart, you think perhaps you've exhausted his grace, or perhaps you think the Lord is the type of God who helps you in problems that happen to find you. 00:28:25.200 --> 00:28:33.920 But the ones that you got yourself in, or the ones that you made worse by your own sin, well, you're on your own. 00:28:34.240 --> 00:28:35.839 He's no savior there. 00:28:37.279 --> 00:28:39.599 Well, you've forgotten what he's like. 00:28:41.440 --> 00:28:43.200 You forgot what he's like. 00:28:43.839 --> 00:28:44.799 You know what he's like? 00:28:44.960 --> 00:28:57.119 He's like the one where the Israelites were not worth saving, and they had turned against God and they had turned towards their enemies, and he said to them, I'm going to fight for you. 00:29:00.880 --> 00:29:02.400 That's what he's like. 00:29:05.599 --> 00:29:08.240 You think you've worn out his patience. 00:29:09.759 --> 00:29:12.720 And you think, certainly, I've just got I've worn on too long. 00:29:13.200 --> 00:29:14.720 The timeline has lapsed. 00:29:14.880 --> 00:29:16.720 It's too late for me to turn back to him. 00:29:16.799 --> 00:29:21.200 I would have been able to if I had done it earlier, but of course now it's too late. 00:29:21.279 --> 00:29:22.960 You've forgotten what he's like. 00:29:26.880 --> 00:29:29.279 The Israelites had seen a lot. 00:29:31.119 --> 00:29:37.200 You know, just by what they had seen, I bet they had better reason than you to hold fast to the Lord. 00:29:39.200 --> 00:29:41.920 I haven't seen the incredible works of great plagues like that. 00:29:42.000 --> 00:29:44.160 And yet they turn against him. 00:29:44.799 --> 00:29:47.920 And what's the Lord's response to their faithlessness? 00:29:50.480 --> 00:29:52.000 Don't be afraid. 00:29:52.240 --> 00:29:54.240 I'm going to fight for you. 00:29:55.599 --> 00:29:57.039 That's what he's like. 00:29:59.119 --> 00:30:01.119 You think he has no more mercy for you? 00:30:01.279 --> 00:30:06.559 You think that the problems, the particular problems that you're facing are simply too large, they're too big. 00:30:06.880 --> 00:30:08.799 The difficulties that he's placed in your life. 00:30:09.119 --> 00:30:12.559 In fact, you feel like I've done everything he asked. 00:30:15.119 --> 00:30:18.880 Went into the wilderness, left my home. 00:30:19.359 --> 00:30:27.200 When he asked me to turn back in the wilderness against all better judgment, I turned back into the wilderness, and look what it got me. 00:30:27.519 --> 00:30:29.200 I'm pinned again. 00:30:31.200 --> 00:30:35.599 And you think, surely I'm outside of the Lord's grace and outside of the Lord's mercy. 00:30:37.119 --> 00:30:38.799 You've forgotten what he's like. 00:30:41.759 --> 00:30:44.720 Yeah, you're pinned, he's not pinned. 00:30:46.240 --> 00:30:49.680 If you're surrounded, he's not surrounded. 00:30:51.440 --> 00:30:56.799 And what he says to you there, I'll fight for you. 00:30:58.960 --> 00:31:00.480 That's what he's like. 00:31:02.720 --> 00:31:09.039 So the Lord says to Moses, after Moses offers this encouragement from the Lord, the Lord said to Moses, Why do you cry to me? 00:31:09.839 --> 00:31:11.279 Now's not the time. 00:31:11.680 --> 00:31:13.440 Now's the time for action. 00:31:13.759 --> 00:31:16.640 Then you'd be thinking, what action? 00:31:17.440 --> 00:31:18.480 What can we do? 00:31:18.640 --> 00:31:19.920 We're surrounded. 00:31:20.160 --> 00:31:26.960 Start mountaineering, go to a useless battle, run ourselves straight into the ocean. 00:31:27.759 --> 00:31:31.440 The Lord says, tell the people of Israel to go forward. 00:31:33.119 --> 00:31:34.400 Go forward. 00:31:34.960 --> 00:31:35.599 Forward. 00:31:37.200 --> 00:31:39.920 To the forward is the Red Sea. 00:31:41.119 --> 00:31:42.240 Go forward. 00:31:42.720 --> 00:31:45.680 The Lord is always sending his people forward. 00:31:45.920 --> 00:31:48.079 The Lord loves to send his people forward. 00:31:48.160 --> 00:31:49.599 This is his move. 00:31:49.920 --> 00:31:54.160 Ours is not a passive religion. 00:31:55.200 --> 00:31:57.440 It is a forward-moving one. 00:31:57.839 --> 00:31:59.599 It is an advancing religion. 00:31:59.680 --> 00:32:02.079 It is an adventurous faith. 00:32:02.240 --> 00:32:05.039 It is a conquering and taking new ground type of faith. 00:32:05.119 --> 00:32:07.920 It is facing new obstacles type of faith. 00:32:10.000 --> 00:32:13.279 The Lord is always calling them to go forward because that is what faith is. 00:32:13.440 --> 00:32:15.839 Faith is the move forward. 00:32:17.279 --> 00:32:21.119 Faith is the way of saying, I don't know what's coming next. 00:32:21.279 --> 00:32:26.319 And Lord, by faith in you, I am moving where you've called me to go. 00:32:29.519 --> 00:32:31.039 That's our religion. 00:32:33.920 --> 00:32:46.960 To remain static, to not move forward, to not address, to not move towards where the Lord is sending you, to not face the issues that He's placed in your life is to love slavery. 00:32:47.279 --> 00:32:48.799 It's to love death. 00:32:50.000 --> 00:32:52.160 It's to abandon the hope of the Lord. 00:32:52.240 --> 00:32:53.920 It's to forget what he's like. 00:32:54.079 --> 00:32:56.960 And it's to surrender yourself into the hands of the enemy. 00:32:58.559 --> 00:33:05.519 It's to say that the most important things in my life are the problems which I can see and which have come up so quickly to surround me. 00:33:05.680 --> 00:33:07.279 And that's the most important factor. 00:33:07.440 --> 00:33:11.119 My assessment of those is the most important factor. 00:33:11.279 --> 00:33:12.720 It is not the most important factor. 00:33:12.880 --> 00:33:18.000 There's something more real, there's something more fundamental, there's something more powerful. 00:33:18.640 --> 00:33:20.960 And he's shown us what he's like. 00:33:22.480 --> 00:33:32.240 And what he's like is the type of God who, in the midst of those circumstances, even the ones you've gotten yourself in, he fights for you. 00:33:36.640 --> 00:33:45.440 So the Lord shares his plan to Moses, and he says, Here's what you'll do: you'll lift up your staff, and I will turn the sea to dry land. 00:33:46.319 --> 00:33:52.000 Then I will harden the heart of Pharaoh, so that he will pursue you. 00:33:52.720 --> 00:33:58.720 And then I'm going to bog down Pharaoh's army in their pursuit of you, and I will destroy them. 00:33:58.880 --> 00:34:03.759 And the Lord says, I will get glory over Pharaoh today. 00:34:05.519 --> 00:34:09.199 The Lord will get the glory over Pharaoh today. 00:34:09.679 --> 00:34:12.079 And his people will be rescued. 00:34:13.920 --> 00:34:23.440 And then, like a true king, you know, like the kings in the movies, you know, where they they go first into battle. 00:34:23.760 --> 00:34:26.800 You know, like for Frodo, you know. 00:34:27.679 --> 00:34:30.079 There's a day when the hearts of men will fail. 00:34:32.079 --> 00:34:32.960 Thanks. 00:34:33.679 --> 00:34:38.079 On this day we fight, and then the and then the king goes into battle first, you know? 00:34:38.400 --> 00:34:43.360 Our Lord goes into battle first. 00:34:44.320 --> 00:34:45.760 Look where he puts himself. 00:34:46.000 --> 00:34:48.000 Exodus 14, 19 through 20. 00:34:48.159 --> 00:34:55.519 Then the angel of God who was going who was going before the host of Israel, moved and went behind them. 00:34:56.480 --> 00:35:07.760 And the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them, coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel. 00:35:08.000 --> 00:35:16.719 And there was the cloud and the darkness, and it lit up the night without one coming near the other all night. 00:35:17.039 --> 00:35:22.239 The angel of the Lord says, I know my plan, and I'm here to fight for my people. 00:35:22.400 --> 00:35:26.960 And so he moves from before the people, which would have been just on the cusp of the sea. 00:35:27.039 --> 00:35:30.239 And the angel of God moves behind the people. 00:35:30.320 --> 00:35:32.239 And where does he put himself? 00:35:32.559 --> 00:35:37.760 Between the host of Israel and the host of Egypt. 00:35:37.920 --> 00:35:43.199 And you've got the host of Israel behind him saying, Come on, just give us over to Egypt. 00:35:43.760 --> 00:35:44.960 We don't need to do this whole thing. 00:35:45.039 --> 00:35:46.239 Just give us over to Egypt. 00:35:46.400 --> 00:35:50.000 And then the angel of God saying, Not now. 00:35:51.519 --> 00:35:55.920 And the host of Egypt coming to them, saying, This'll be simple. 00:35:57.440 --> 00:36:02.800 Look at these useless wandering tribe of fools with our 600 chariots. 00:36:02.960 --> 00:36:07.519 And the angel of God saying, Well, you'll have to get through me. 00:36:11.119 --> 00:36:12.559 I'm fighting for them. 00:36:14.079 --> 00:36:16.000