The Great(est) Escape

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THE GREAT(EST) ESCAPE

The Civil War was fought in 10,000 places, from Valverde, New Mexico, and Tullahoma, Tennessee, to St. Albans, Vermont, and Fernandina on the Florida coast. More than 3 million Americans fought in it, and over​​ 600,000 men—2 percent of the population—died in it. American homes became headquarters, American churches and schoolhouses sheltered the dying, and huge foraging armies swept across American farms and burned American towns. Americans slaughtered one another wholesale, right here in America in their own cornfields and peach orchards, along familiar roads and by waters with old American names. In two days at Shiloh, on the banks of the Tennessee River, more American men fell than in all the previous American​​ wars combined. At Cold Harbor, some 7,000 Americans fell in 20 minutes. Men who had never strayed 20 miles from their own front doors now found themselves soldiers in great armies, fighting epic battles hundreds of miles from home. They knew they were making history, and it was the greatest adventure of their lives. The war made some rich, ruined others, and changed forever the lives of all who lived through it.​​ Ken Burns – “The Civil War: the Cause”

We can’t begin to understand American history—the glories, horrors, and contradictions of America itself—without knowing something about the war we fought against each other, North and South, from 1861 to 1865. As one historian put it, “What the Iliad was for the Greeks, the Civil War is for Americans.” As long as there is an America to talk about, Americans will be talking about the Civil War. In the same way, as long as there is a Bible and people who follow the God of the Bible, people will be talking about the crossing of the Red Sea. Poems will be written, sermons preached, and movies upon movies made. It was, perhaps, the most famous event in the history of Israel. For Israel, the crossing of the Red Sea was much like the Civil War is for America. We cannot understand their history apart from it. It’s the event that the​​ Israelites kept telling themselves over and over again, and that God would remind his people over and over again when they forgot his great power and care for them. It was the greatest escape orchestrated by God for His chosen people in their history. In it he showed his almighty power and his power over creation. He showed his power over probably the greatest fighting force in the region at the time. And he displayed his power for all to see in order to save his people and gain glory for himself.

If we can’t understand Israel’s history apart from the crossing of the Red Sea, we surely can’t understand our Christian history apart from it, either. The crossing of the Red Sea became the central act on that side of the cross of God’s redemptive history to save his people. The crossing of the Red Sea was a great escape but some fifteen hundred years later, there would be the Greatest Escape of all time which would save God’s people. In it he would again show his power over creation. He would show his power over sin, death, the grave and Satan. He would display his power for all to see in order to save his people once and for all. And he would again gain glory for himself. That brings us to our big idea this morning that Moses wants us to understand which is “Our God is mighty to save.” He is all-powerful and he wielded that power to save the Israelites once and for all from Pharaoh and the Egyptians and he wielded that power to save us from our sin and from Satan once and for all. Our God is Mighty to Save!!!

“A Flood of Fear of Faith” Kevin DeYoung

Let’s pray: Dear Heavenly Father, you are mighty to save. You have displayed your power for all to see from the beginning of time. You displayed it in the creation of the universe. You displayed it in the plagues culminating with the killing of the firstborn of Egypt. And you continue to display your power throughout the world today. We are grateful for your power, especially your mighty power that saved us from eternal separation from You. Pour out your Holy Spirit on us this​​ morning so that we may see your power once again in your Word. I pray that we would never downplay the mighty miracles we see in the Bible or those we see in our lives. Give us eyes to see and ears to hear your power and might. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Our first point this morning is​​ “Frozen”​​ found in Exodus 14:15-20. Follow along as I read. This is what God’s Word says, “Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen.” Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long.

Right in the beginning of our scripture, we come across a puzzling statement from the Lord to Moses. Most commentators believe that God is talking to the Israelites through Moses because Moses was their spokesman between them and the Lord. The people may have been frozen with fear because the Red Sea was in front of them and they could not see any way to get past it. But it is also possible that Moses was frozen as well, just not with fear. Moses knew that the Lord would somehow gain glory through Pharaoh and his army and that the Egyptians would know that he is the Lord. He knew that the Lord was going to deliver them, but he may not have known exactly how that deliverance was going to happen. Last week, we saw that he told the Israelites to stand firm and be still and they would see the Lord’s​​ deliverance, that he would fight for them, and they would never see these Egyptians again. Moses may have been seeking God in prayer for what to do next and may have been frozen, so to speak, in that position.

And now the Lord says, “Enough. I have heard your crying out, and I have heard your prayers. Now is the time to get up and move. Now is the time to go forward.” This is good for us to think about today, as well. It is good and well to cry out to God about what we are going through. It is good to pray for his direction and guidance for what’s next but there comes a time when we must go forward. Sometimes crying out and even prayer can become a crutch that keeps us from completely surrendering our lives to the Lord or going out to the ends of the earth spreading the gospel. I like this quote from Spurgeon: “Far be it from me to ever say a word in disparagement of the holy, happy, heavenly exercise of prayer. But, beloved, there are times when prayer is not enough—when prayer itself is out of season. When we have prayed over a matter to a certain degree, it then becomes sinful to tarry any longer; our plain duty is to carry our desires into action, and having asked God’s guidance, and having received divine power from on high, to go at once to our duty without any longer deliberation or delay.​​ C.H. Spurgeon – “Forward! Forward! Forward!”

The Lord tells Moses to raise his staff and stretch his hand over the sea. We have seen God work through Moses before using his staff in bringing the plagues of blood, frogs, hail, locusts, and darkness. Moses’ staff or the “staff of God'' was the symbol of God’s power and presence and reminds us that it was not Moses performing the mighty acts but the Lord. It also showed that what was about to happen did not happen by chance. The raising of Moses’ staff will divide the water so the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. The Lord will harden the hearts of the Egyptian army so they will follow the Israelites into the sea. He will strengthen their hearts causing them to do what they already wanted to do which was to capture the Israelites and take them back to captivity.​​ The Lord again states that he will gain glory through Pharoah and his army, his chariots and his horsemen and they will know that he is the Lord. The Israelites may have also been frozen because they could see the Egyptian army close​​ behind them. So, the Lord now moves from guiding his people to protecting his people. The Angel of God, which is the pillar of cloud and fire that had been guiding the Israelites from in front, now moves and stands behind them, coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. We see the protection God gave his people as the cloud brought darkness to Pharaoh and his army but light to the Israelites. The darkness kept the Egyptians from attacking the Israelites all night long.

We may ask, “Why did God tell Moses to go forward and have the Angel of the Lord move behind them in protection only to wait out the night? I believe there are a couple of reasons. First, God’s timing is perfect. Two, maybe God was still pursuing Pharaoh and his people. I am reminded of 2 Peter 3:9 which says, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”​​ Think about this: What happened the last time that the Egyptians were plunged into darkness? The ninth plague of darkness was followed by the tenth plague of the killing of the firstborn of Egypt. Pharaoh was going to know that Yahweh was the Lord sooner or later but maybe it didn’t have to take more death for Pharaoh and the Egyptians to accept it. If they stopped long enough to think about what happened the last time darkness came upon them, they may have turned back and gone home. Three, and I think the​​ main reason for waiting through the night was so that what was going to happen would happen in the light of day. The Lord would gain glory by destroying the Egyptian army and saving his chosen people in daylight, in front of everyone to see.

That brings us to our second point this morning,​​ “Faith,”​​ found in Exodus 14:21-25. This is what God’s Word says, “Then Moses stretched​​ out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea. During the last watch of the night the Lord looked down​​ from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion. He jammed the wheels of their chariots so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, “Let’s get away from the Israelites! The Lord is fighting for them against Egypt.”

We see the faith of the Israelites and the misguided faith of the Egyptian army. First, we see the faith of the Israelites. Moses stretched out his hand (and staff) over the sea as God commanded him to do. This seems to have happened during the night while the Angel of the Lord was between the two armies. The Egyptians had no knowledge of what was happening to the Sea. We see the almighty power of God in a couple of ways here. One, the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind. We are reminded of Jesus calming the storm in Mark 4:39, 41, which says, “He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” Two, the bottom of the sea turned into dry land. The wind the Lord brought was so powerful that the ground wasn’t wet, or even damp but was dry. Three, we see the Lord’s power in that the waters were divided with a wall of water on the Israelites right and a wall of water on their left. Stuart says, “The term used for “wall” here, ḥōmāh, connotes a very large wall—not a small stone wall or retaining wall but always a massively large (usually a city) wall, towering above the Israelites, who marched on dry land with walls of water on either side of them.” Imagine the power that the Lord displayed in dividing the Red Sea with towering walls of water that were probably a mile or more wide. The Lord is all powerful and the Lord of all creation because​​ he is​​ the only one who can command the wind and the seas, and they obey.

There have been many theories put forth trying to debunk the miracle at the Red Sea. There are those who would say that the crossing happened in a shallow body of water, possibly the Reed Sea. “Yam Suph'' can be translated as “Sea of Reeds” which is swampy and marshy, but the Septuagint (the Greek Translation of the Bible) translates Yam Suph as the “Red Sea.” And when Yam Suph is used in the Bible, it always refers to the Red Sea. Because of the cities it references, in 1 Kings 9:26 and Jeremiah 49:21, it​​ must mean the large body of water we know as the Red Sea. Also, the word ‘Yam’ never refers to a marsh or a swamp but always a lake, sea or some large body of water. When we take all this evidence and then see towering city walls of water separated by a mile or more of dry ground, we can believe this was not an ordinary, natural phenomenon or a story that we can explain away. It was a miracle brought by the Lord through his almighty power. (Big Idea).

This brings me to a funny anecdote, from Ryken’s commentary: “No matter how one looks at it, crossing the Red Sea was a miracle. Donald Bridge tells the story of a liberal minister preaching in an old, Bible-believing, African-American church. At a certain point in his sermon the minister referred to the crossing of the Red Sea. “Praise the Lord,” someone shouted. “Takin’ all them children through the deep waters. What a mighty miracle!” However, the minister did not happen to believe in miracles. So he said, rather condescending, “It was not a miracle. They were in marshland, the tide was ebbing, and the children of Israel picked their way across in six inches of water.” “Praise the Lord!” the man shouted again. “Drownin’ all them Egyptians in six inches of water. What a mighty miracle!”

When we try to explain away the miracles in the Bible as ordinary or natural or didn’t really happen that way, we diminish God and his power. We put him in a box and think we can understand or fathom him which is so far from the truth. God is bigger and greater than all people​​ and all things and we must stand in awe of who he is and what he can do. He still does miracles today, but if we continue to diminish his power displayed in the Bible, we won’t have eyes to see the miracles he performs today. This brings us to our first next step which is to​​ Believe​​ in the miracles of the Bible and the​​ power​​ of God to make miracles​​ happen​​ today.​​ Because of the power of God, the Israelites were able to walk through the Red Sea on dry ground. This was a major step of faith for them. They could probably hear the strong wind and see the walls of water towering about them. They had no way of knowing how long the walls of water would stay up. Mackay says,​​ “It was an act of faith to walk through that watery valley and take advantage of the salvation the LORD had provided for them. Salvation is an act of faith on our part, we have to accept it to take advantage of the salvation the Lord wants to freely give us.” We are reminded of Hebrews 11:29 which says, “By faith they passed through the Red Sea as​​ by dry land.”

Next, we see the misguided faith of the Egyptian army in Pharaoh.​​ They all pursued the Israelites right into the sea, following orders from their king. They believed that he knew what the right thing to do was. We continue to see the power of the Lord as he looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud and threw the Egyptian army into confusion. Their confusion would have been heightened as the wheels of their state-of-the-art chariots started to come off. Their chariots literally became “heavy” and they had difficulty driving them. The Lord did this to bog them down until the Israelites could get across the sea. I believe God has a sense of humor so as I read this, I can see a three stooges’ scene being played out with the Egyptians driving around in circles confused with the wheels of their chariots coming off. Psalm 77:17-18, talking about this event, says, “The clouds poured down water, the heavens resounded with thunder; your arrows flashed back and forth. Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind, your lightning lit up the world; the earth trembled and quaked.” With all​​ this happening while they were in a confused state imagine the panic and dread they are feeling. At some​​ point, they finally get the idea that the Lord of the Israelites was fighting for his people, and they realized this was a fool’s errand. They tried to get away from the Israelites, but it was too late. They now knew that Yahweh was Lord and proclaimed it as so.

That brings us to our third point, “Fulfillment,” found in Exodus 14:26-31. This is what God’s Word says, “Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.” Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians were fleeing toward it, and the Lord swept them into the sea. The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh​​ that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived. But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. That day the Lord saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore. And when the Israelites saw the mighty hand of the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant.”

We see fulfillment in this section in two ways. First, we see the Lord’s judgment on the Egyptians. The Lord again commanded Moses to stretch out his hand over the sea and at daybreak the sea went back into its place and the waters flowed back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen and drowned them. The Egyptians were judged for their sins: keeping the Lord’s chosen people in the cruelest and harshest slavery and killing the Israelite babies. Moses again obeys the Lord’s command which brings us​​ to a great truth. God will often use human beings to do his miraculous works on the earth. He used Moses, ​​ the disciples, and he uses us today. It is possible that there are many miraculous works that do not happen today because the people of God aren’t willing to stretch out their hand. It was God who separated the waters and saved his people, but it was Moses who was willing to act on​​ his commands. I pray that we will be like Moses. That brings us to our second next step which is to​​ Be​​ willing​​ and​​ obedient​​ to allow God to use me as an​​ instrument​​ for his will in the world.

In their confusion, it seems the Egyptians on the shore kept running toward the sea even after it went back into its place and the Lord swept them into it. The Hebrew for “swept” means “shaken” which gives the picture of the Lord shaking out a dusty sheet or towel. I picture them going head over heels into the middle of the sea. The entire army of Pharaoh was killed. Not one survived!!!! We are not told explicitly in this scripture what happened to Pharaoh, but his destruction was inevitable because of the​​ Lord’s judgment on him. In Psalm 136:15, that Teresa read earlier, implies that both Pharoah and his army were swept into and drowned in the Red Sea. The gods of the Egyptians were also again judged by God here. I believe another reason God waited till daybreak to finish destroying the Egyptian was because that was when their sun god, Ra, was supposedly rising in the east. They found out that neither Ra nor Pharaoh could save them. Ryken says, “According to one ancient Egyptian inscription, “He whom the king has loved will be a revered one, but there is no tomb for a rebel against his majesty, and his corpse is cast into the water.” This inscription was a threat to drown Pharaoh’s enemies, but in the end the Egyptians were the ones who were lost at sea!”

Second, we see fulfillment in that the Lord saved his people by his power and might.​​ (Big Idea)​​ His people went​​ through on dry ground with the wall of water on their right and left. This repetition underscores how powerful the miracle was. On that day the Lord saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians. The word “hand” is mentioned a number of times in this section, and it reminds us of what God said in Exodus 6:6, “Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm​​ and with​​ mighty acts of judgment.” This was the fulfillment of what God promised Moses. We notice that the Israelites “saw” a couple of things. They saw the dead bodies of the Egyptians on the shore. Not that long ago they saw the Egyptian army approaching and they were terrified, panicked and criticized Moses. Now they saw their dead bodies and knew they were free from their oppression once and for all. The Lord kept his covenant promises toward his people and demonstrated his faithfulness to them. The mention of Israel marks the beginning of the nation with Yahweh as its leader.

They also saw the great power of the Lord displayed against the Egyptians and this caused them to do two things: they feared the Lord and they trusted in Him and in his servant, Moses. This was the result God intended. Moses being described as a servant here is a result of his obedience to the Lord and he is elevated to a position of honor and authority. He is now vindicated by the people who had vilified him earlier in Exodus 14:11. From the beginning it is clear that Yahweh has orchestrated everything for​​ his glory and so that everyone would know that he is the Lord. ​​ 

(From Ryken’s Commentary) Notice the order: God did not wait for his people to trust in him before he saved them. Instead, God took the initiative. They didn’t earn it or deserve it; God did the work for his honor and his glory. First the people saw their salvation and then they feared and believed. First God delivered them from danger, saving them when they couldn’t save themselves. Then they responded in faith, trusting God and worshiping him. As Christians, Israel’s great escape is part of the history of​​ our own salvation. However, we have experienced an even greater escape—the greatest escape of all. We have been saved from our bondage to sin through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Here again we see the order of salvation, in which God took the initiative. It is while we were still sinners that Christ died for us. God’s saving work comes first, and then we are called to respond in faith.

Maybe you are here this morning and you have never responded to Christ’s call to be saved. Today, you can experience the greatest escape of all – the escape from the bondage of sin and from eternal separation from our Lord. If you have never accepted Jesus as your Savior, this next step is for you:​​ Accept​​ Jesus as my Savior and​​ experience​​ the greatest​​ escape​​ of all.​​ If you made that next step, please mark the back of your communication card so we can be in contact with you and help you move toward baptism and becoming more like Jesus.

What happened at the Red Sea ought to help us clarify our relationship to Christ. The only “Red Sea experience” that really matters is the one that Jesus had when he passed through the walls of death and came out victorious on the other side. This means that baptized Christians have already had their “Red Sea experience.” We had it at Calvary and in the garden tomb, because when Jesus died and rose again, he did it for us. Now that we are safe on the other side we must do what the Israelites did: fear the Lord and put our trust in Him.

As the ushers come to collect the tithes and offerings and as the praise team comes to lead us in a final song, let’s pray: Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for your power and might you displayed in saving your chosen people at the Red Sea. Thank you for your power and might displayed in the death and resurrection of your Son, Jesus. You are truly mighty to save and we honor you and give you all glory this morning. Give us eyes to see your miracles today. Move us to be willing and obedient to be used as your​​ instrument in the world and I pray that you will draw those who do not know you into salvation so they can experience the greatest escape of all. And we thank you for all mothers. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

/by

Glory

Children ages 3 to 4th​​ grade can go to Children’s Church

GLORY

The movie “Glory” is a historical war drama about the 54th Massachusetts Infantry, one of the Union Army's earliest African-American regiments in the Civil War. The film depicts the soldiers of the 54th from the formation of their regiment to their heroic actions at the Second Battle of Fort Wagner. It stars Matthew Broderick as Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, the regiment's white commanding officer. Throughout the movie, the black regiment is mainly given manual labor to do as Colonel Shaw lobbies his superiors​​ to allow them to fight. Finally, they are given a chance and in their first battle at James Island, South Carolina, the 54th successfully repels a Confederate attack that had routed other units.

Afterwards, the Union Army undertakes a major campaign to secure a foothold at Charleston Harbor which involves assaulting Morris Island and capturing Fort Wagner, whose only landward approach is a strip of open beach; a charge certain to result in heavy casualties. Shaw volunteers the 54th to lead the attack and they suffer serious losses as they charge the fort at dusk. As night falls, the regiment is pinned down against the fort's walls. Attempting to encourage his men forward, Shaw is struck by several​​ bullets and killed. One of the men, despite his previous assertion that he would not do it, lifts the flag and tries to rally the men before he himself is shot dead. Then others take up the charge, and the soldiers break through the fort's outer defenses. Seemingly on the brink of victory, the 54th realizes that the enemy has cannons pointed right at them.

The morning after the battle, the beach is littered with the bodies of black and white Union soldiers and are all buried together in a mass grave. A textual epilogue reveals that the regiment lost over half its numbers during the assault and that Fort Wagner never fell to the Union Army. However, the courage demonstrated by the 54th spurred Congress​​ to authorize the raising of black soldiers throughout the Union. Over 180,000 volunteered and President Abraham Lincoln credited them with helping to turn the tide of the war.

The title of the film recalls the "glory" for which First-Sergeant Robert John Simmons, who was mortally wounded at Battery Wagner, came to fight. Simmons himself wrote, in an account of the Battle of Grimball's Landing that was published in the New York Tribune on December 23, 1863: "God has protected me through this, my first fiery, leaden trial, and I do give Him the glory." For at least some of the African American soldiers, it was about something higher than themselves. It was more than just hoping to​​ be freed from slavery. Some like Robert John Simmons were moved to give God the glory for bringing him through the trials and struggles of war.

When I read something like this it makes me think, do I give God the glory for the conflicts and trials that he brings me through? Our trials are nothing compared to war, but do we stop and give Him the glory for the great things he has done for us. In today’s scripture we are going to see four things. We are going to see God’s Plan, Pharaoh’s Pursuit, Israel’s Panic as they forget the great things that God had already done for them, and God’s Power. But right at the beginning, we are told that everything that will happen will be so God will gain “glory” and that Pharaoh and the Egyptians would know that he is the Lord. I want you to think about this today as we delve into Exodus 14:1-14: God took the Israelites the long way around for his glory, he will destroy Pharaoh and the Egyptians for his glory, God is in control of our lives and he promises we will go through trials and tribulations and it will be all for his glory, and Jesus died on the cross for our sins for the Father’s glory. John 17:1 says, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.” Everything that God does is for his glory, and his alone and that brings us to what Moses wants us to know and understand this morning,​​ “God is passionate about His glory.”

As we ponder the implications of that big idea, let’s open our time of study with prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, we pray that your Holy Spirit will fill each of us this morning as we open your Word. Lord, we want to be connected to you more this year and one way to do that is through the study of your Word. So open our hearts and minds to what you want us to learn this morning and what you want us to share this week. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Our first point this morning is​​ Plan​​ seen in Exodus 14:1-4. Follow along as I read those verses. This is what God’s Word says, “Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp near Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. They are to encamp by the sea, directly opposite Baal Zephon. Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert.’ And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” So the Israelites did this.

The Lord unfolds his plan to Moses who in turn will relay it to the Israelites. He tells Moses to “turn back” or literally “go back from where you came.” (Map) If you look at the map on the screen you see that Etham, where they have stopped, is at the top of the arm of the Red Sea. This is where scholars believe Etham was located. Notice the red dotted line. Instead of going east of the Red Sea and into the wilderness, God brings them back into Egyptian territory, to the west of the Red Sea. If they had kept going, they would have missed the Red Sea altogether. But instead, God guides them to a very precise location. Moses mentions three distinct places, Pi Hahiroth, Migdol and Baal Zephon. If you follow the red dotted line, you see where they believe Migdol was located. God guided them to a place between Migdol and the Red Sea. These places have very appropriate meanings. Pi-Hahiroth means “Place of Liberty” which it was about to be. Migdol means “tower” or “fortress.” The Lord was going to be their refuge and a tower of strength against their enemies. Baal-Zephon means “Lord of the North” and in scripture “north” was frequently associated with judgment. Pharaoh and the Egyptians would be judged here at the Red Sea.

The pillar, the presence of God, is still leading the Israelites, but we may wonder what God is doing? For all intents and purposes, they were out of Egyptian control and on their way to Mt. Sinai. If you were here a couple of weeks ago, we learned that God leads his people in a unique and personal way, and this is another step on that unique journey God was leading his people on. The Lord tells Moses why he is turning the people around. He is making the Israelites look vulnerable so he can lure Pharaoh into pursuing them. The Lord was not done meting out his justice to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for their enslavement of his people and the killing of the Israelite babies back in Exodus 1. He wants Pharoah to think that the Israelites are wandering around in circles, confused and not sure which way to go. The Lord wants it to look like the Israelites have hemmed themselves in by the Red Sea and have no way of escape.

This brings us to our first principle that​​ God’s ways are not our ways. Isaiah 55:8-9 says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” We can’t fathom God’s thoughts or ways as they are so much higher than we can even imagine. But as Christ-followers we can and must trust in his ways. Even when we are going through trials or nothing in our lives seems to be going the way we think they should, we can still trust in the Lord. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. That brings us to our first next step on the back of your communication card which is​​ Trust in God’s ways, especially when I don’t understand them, so that my paths are made straight.

The Lord is going to harden Pharaoh’s heart so he will pursue the Israelites. We talked about this before in the plague’s narrative. God did not change Pharaoh's heart, he strengthened it. Pharaoh already had the inclination to pursue the Israelites. All God did was strengthen his resolve so that he could do nothing else but pursue them. We then see why the Lord was doing this. It was to gain glory for himself through Pharaoh and his army and so that the Egyptians would know that he is the Lord. In Exodus 5:2, when Moses went to ask Pharaoh to free God’s people, he said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go.” Everything that God does is for His glory. Not only would Pharaoh and the Egyptians “know that Yahweh is the Lord'', so would the Israelites and the surrounding nations, which would cause the Lord to gain glory.​​ (Big Idea)

Lastly, we are told that the Israelites obeyed Moses and the Lord; they obeyed God’s plan to “turn back.” Now we may wonder, how much did Moses tell the people? Did he really tell them that God was luring Pharaoh and his army out in order to hem them in between them and the Red Sea? We don’t know. We can surmise from what happens later on that he didn’t or that he did and they were overly confident that it wouldn’t pose a problem. But no matter what Moses told them, at this point, we are told they were obedient.

Now that we have seen God’s plan, next we will notice that God’s plan works to perfection, which brings us to our second point,​​ Pursuit, found in Exodus 14:5-9. This is what God’s Word says, “When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them and said, “What have we done? We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!” So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him. He took six hundred of the best chariots, along with all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them. The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out boldly. The Egyptians—all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots, horsemen and troops—pursued the Israelites and overtook them as they camped by the sea near Pi Hahiroth, opposite Baal Zephon.

Pharaoh is told that the Israelites have fled. But didn’t Pharaoh let the people go? In fact, didn’t he “kick” them out of Egypt? Some commentators believe that three days have passed and now instead of coming back to Egypt, the Israelites have continued to go farther away. In Exodus 5:3, Moses asked for a three day’s journey so that the people could worship the Lord and Pharaoh may have been under the assumption they would return after three days. The Israelites have stayed in Egyptian territory so far and​​ Pharaoh’s outposts have seemed to keep him informed as to what they were doing. When they make no move to return, Pharaoh and his officials have a change of mind. They realize they have lost their free labor force and want to go and bring them back into slavery. In fact, they probably believe that it should be easy to do so since the Israelites are just wandering around confused. Interestingly back in Exodus 10:7, his officials seem to side with Moses and lobby for Pharoah to let the Israelites go but now​​ that the danger from the plagues has subsided, the officials now side with Pharaoh.

Pharaoh makes his chariot ready and takes his army with him. The Hebrew here means that he readied in​​ haste. He didn’t waste any time going to bring them back. Pharoah takes six hundred of his best chariots and the “best of the best” charioteers. He also takes all the other chariots in Egypt with him. Chariots would have been the fastest way to catch up to and overtake the Israelites. The chariots also had officers over them. Normally, chariots had two men each. One steering the chariot and holding the shield and the other shooting arrows and attacking the enemy. But Pharaoh takes officers with him that are​​ over each of the chariots. This shows how badly he wanted to bring the Israelites back. Not only did he take the best he had, but he also made sure that the command structure and communication was impeccable. He was doing everything in his power to bring God’s people back.

The Lord now hardens Pharaoh’s heart and he pursues the Israelites. We get a little tidbit that the Israelites were marching out boldly. In Numbers 33:3, the Israelites marched out “defiantly” and they continued to march “triumphantly” all the way to the sea where God led them. They are probably pretty confident after finally being freed from slavery and moving toward the Promised Land. Pharaoh's horses, chariots, horsemen and troops pursued the Israelites and overtook them near Pi Hahiroth. The Egyptian forces are mentioned again to deliberately show the strength of the military that is coming against the Israelites. It shows the inequality between the Egyptian army and the Israelites and how there was no human way of escape.

We are now set up for what will be the final conflict between Yahweh and Pharaoh. God has led both the Israelites and the Egyptians to exactly where he wants them. His plan for his people, their oppressors and the murderers of Israelite children will come to fulfillment. Pharaoh has pursued God’s chosen people believing they are his people to do with as he wished, and he has them trapped between his army and the Red Sea. Pharaoh and his life are a warning to us today. God is patient but there comes a time when his patience runs out and then comes judgment. He had given Pharaoh and the Egyptians ample reasons to acknowledge him as Lord and let his people go from slavery, but they refused. There are two ways God can be glorified in our lives: either in his saving mercy or in his just judgment. (Big Idea) Which way will you glorify the Lord??? That brings us to our second next step which is to​​ Acknowledge Yahweh as Lord, glorifying Him as the Savior of my life.

That brings us to our third point this morning,​​ Panic, found in Exodus 14:10-12. This is what God’s Word says, “As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”

All of a sudden, the Israelites who had been marching out boldly, triumphantly, and defiantly, look up and see Pharaoh and the Egyptians approaching. They probably saw the massive cloud of dust being kicked up from the chariots and the troops and they panicked. They are terrified and cry out to the Lord.​​ Now we may take this as a positive reaction but then they react negatively toward Moses. They say three things that show where their state of mind is, possibly proving that their crying out to the Lord was not as positive as it may sound.

One, they are sarcastic​​ with Moses. They accuse Moses of bringing them out to the desert to die since there were no graves in Egypt. This is sarcastic because of course there are graves in Egypt. Egypt was known for their massive graves or pyramids. This was not funny sarcasm but angry and biting sarcasm leveled against Moses that was caused by their panic. Second, they blame Moses for the predicament they are in. We are never told that they collectively told Moses to “leave us alone.” In Exodus 4 when Moses and Aaron went to the​​ elders and told them everything the Lord said and performed the signs, they believed and bowed down and worshiped the Lord. Now some individuals may have told Moses to leave them alone but nothing was ever collectively recorded and I believe it would have been recorded in the past if it had bearing on the present. Their panic caused them to blame Moses for their predicament. Third, they distorted the past. Who in their right mind would want to go back to slavery? But even more than that, they say, “it would be better for us to serve the Egyptians.” This word “serve” is the same word as “worship.” Back when Moses asked for permission to take the Israelites on a three-day’s journey, it was to “serve” or “worship” Yahweh. The Israelites’ panic causes them to distort not only the past but the truth. They said it would be better to “worship” Pharaoh than to die. Imagine if we today said that it would be better to worship Satan than to die. Death would be much more preferable and even imperative to worshiping Satan. Merida says, “The Israelites were out of Egypt physically, but Egypt had not gotten out of their hearts.”

We as humans, whether followers of God or not, often forget what God has done. We forget his power displayed in our lives. We see this with Pharaoh. He must have thought that the plagues were the limit to what God could do so he went out with all his chariots, officers, etc. to bring the Israelites back into slavery. It never dawned on Pharaoh that the Lord who could kill every firstborn in the land could keep Pharoah from taking his chosen people back to Egypt. Then we see the response of the Israelites who had witnessed the same plagues and saw the Egyptians burying their dead on the way out of Egypt. It never dawned on them that the Lord who could kill the firstborn of the Egyptians and not kill the firstborn of the Israelites could keep Pharaoh and his army from capturing them. It never dawned on Pharaoh and the Israelites that God’s power was limitless. That brings us to our third next step this morning:​​ Remember the power that God has displayed in the past and trust in his power for my future.

As the Israelites look on in panic and terror at the approaching Egyptian army with their chariots advancing, we are set up to see God’s Power which brings us to our fourth point,​​ Power, found in Exodus 14:13-14. This is what God’s Word says, “Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord​​ will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

Moses has been treated with angry sarcasm by his own people. They have blamed him for the situation they are in and have distorted the past and the truth because they are terrified and in a panic. He could have reacted in a number of negative ways, but he doesn’t. Moses, who had to flee Egypt after killing an Egyptian and who tried to turn Yahweh down when he was called at the burning bush, now reacts positively to the Israelites' negativity aimed at him. He responds with courageous and reassuring words. These same words will be used later to encourage King Jehoshaphat. 2 Chronicles 20:17 says, “You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.’”

We see similarities that should be a lesson for us today. First, “do not be afraid.” The Israelites must have been thinking, “Ok, Moses, we are hemmed in. We are between a rock and a hard place. Of course we are afraid.” Israel’s forefathers also needed to be told “do not be afraid.” Abram in Genesis 15:1, Isaac in Genesis 26:24 and Jacob in Genesis 46:3. I am sure there have been many times in our lives where God has told us to “not be afraid, I got this.” God doesn’t dismiss our fears. He tells us to not​​ be afraid, not because our fears have no basis, but because as Isaiah 41:10 says, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” And Psalm 46:1-3, that Sue read earlier, says, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth gives way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. So we do not need to be afraid.”

Two, Moses says, to “stand firm.” A lot of times our response to fear is “fight or flight.” Our fears can cause us to flee, to run away or to fight our way out. But God wants us to stop and pray and many times wait on him to reveal his plan to us. Three, Moses says if they do “stand firm” they will be ready. Not ready to fight or take flight but to see the deliverance that the Lord will bring them. Moses may not have known exactly what was going to happen, but he had faith that Yahweh would deliver them. Yahweh had said he would gain glory for himself through Pharaoh (Big Idea) and Moses believed him. Hebrews 11:29a says, “By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.” Moses then says something interesting: the Egyptians they see today you will never see again. This may have had something to do with them drowning in the Red Sea but it may also have meant that they were not going back into slavery and so would ever see these Egyptians again.

Four, we see the mighty power of Yahweh as Moses says the Lord will fight for them and all they needed to do was to “be still.” Alexander says, “The narrative leaves nothing to chance in that there is no way Israel gets away from Pharaoh alive without divine intervention.”​​ The battle belonged to the Lord, not them. This brings us to our third principle that the​​ Lord fights for his people.​​ The Israelites needed to know that their deliverance was from God alone. “To be still” meant they did not need to do anything but that they were to stay calm and keep quiet. This was not the time for panic, terror or complaining.

A grandfather and his grandson were on a walk. As they walked along the trail, the grandfather pointed to a small plant and told the young boy to uproot it. The boy did so easily. They came to a slightly larger plant, and the grandfather told the boy to do the same to that one. After some effort and a little more time, the boy was able to complete the task. The grandfather then pointed to a large plant and told his grandson to uproot this one. The boy’s eyes widened as he examined the task before him, but in obedience to his grandfather, went to work. He struggled for some time but was unable to get the plant to budge. The grandfather stepped to the boy’s side and helped him pull. Both of them were finally able to ease the plant from the ground. Along with the plant came a system of roots almost as long as the plant itself.

As the grandfather and the grandson continued their walk, the grandfather told the boy that the largest plant was the most difficult to pull out because of its roots; they had grown too long. He explained to the boy that our habits are much the same. If we catch them early, we can pull them ourselves. If we wait too long, we are powerless against their roots unless someone else comes into our lives and helps us to pry them loose.

The people of Israel had been in captivity for hundreds of years. Their habits of dependency and lack of faith had deep roots. Ten plagues may have broken up a little of the soil in these habits, but ahead of the Israelites were some major acts of prying and pulling to bring them to the point of being ready for the promised land God had told them about. The first huge plant will be the Red Sea and they will be powerless against Pharaoh and his army unless someone else helps them pry it loose. The theme of Exodus is “saved for God’s glory” and the Lord will deliver Israel from Pharaoh and his army in a way that guarantees that he will receive all the credit and the glory. (Big Idea).

As the ushers prepare to collect the tithes and offerings and the praise team comes to lead us in a final song, let’s pray: Heavenly Father, thank you for your Word and the truths in it. Thank you for the applications that we can glean from it. I pray that individually and corporately we will continue to strive to be connected to you by applying your Word to our lives and our church. Help us to trust in your ways, especially when we don’t understand them, so that our paths are made straight. Help us to acknowledge you as Lord, glorifying you as the Savior of our lives. Help us to remember the power you have displayed in the past and trust in that same power for our future. Lastly, help us to know that you fight for us and are passionate about your glory. So let us do everything for your glory and not our own. In Jesus name, Amen.

 

/by

Training Ground

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TRAINING GROUND

The early American Indians had a unique practice of training young braves. On the night of a boy's thirteenth birthday, after learning hunting, scouting, and fishing skills, he was put to one final test. He was placed in a dense forest to spend the entire night alone. Until then, he had never been away from the security of the family and the tribe. But on this night, he was blindfolded and taken several miles away. When he took off the blindfold, he was in the middle of thick wood, and he was terrified! Every time a twig snapped, he visualized a wild animal ready to pounce. After what seemed like an eternity, dawn broke and the first rays of sunlight entered the interior of the forest. Looking around, the boy saw flowers, trees, and the outline of the path. Then, to his utter astonishment, he beheld the figure of a man standing just a few feet away, armed with a bow and arrow. It was his father who had been there all night long. His father was with him and protected him in a unique and personal way.

In our scripture this morning, the Lord has brought the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. Over the past couple of Exodus sermons, the narrative has been interrupted by Moses in order to give important instructions to the Israelites from the Lord. He gave them instructions on who could eat the Passover meal, on observing the yearly Festival of Unleavened Bread and on consecrating the firstborn of men and animals to the Lord. Moses now returns to the exodus narrative, and we will see the training ground that God has marked out for his chosen people. They will need to go through this training to take them from being slaves in Egypt to living as his chosen people occupying the land that he promised their forefathers. The Lord’s training ground will be unique because it won’t be the short way, but it will be the best way – because it is God’s way. And his training ground will be personal because he won’t let them go that way alone. He will lead them uniquely and personally just like he does for those who believe and trust in him today. We can trust that his wisdom for the way he guides our lives is the best, we can trust that his promises to and for us are perfect and we can trust in his continual presence with us along the way. That brings us to our big idea that Moses wants us to understand this morning: God leads his people in a unique and personal way.

Before we begin to study our passage this morning from Exodus 13:17-22, let’s ask the Lord to open our hearts and minds to his Word. Heavenly Father, you have brought us to this place this morning to worship you. We have worshiped you through prayer and song and now we want to worship you through your word. Pour out your Holy Spirit on us. Open our hearts and minds and illuminate us so that we can understand what you want us to know and what to share with others we come in contact with this week. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Our first point is God’s Wisdom and is found in Exodus 13:17-18. This is what God’s Word says, “When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of Egypt ready for battle.”

When Pharaoh finally relented and let the Israelites go, God did not lead them through the Philistine country even though that would have been the shortest route to the Promised Land. (MAP) You see a map up on the screen with the wilderness wanderings. If they took the green route at the top, it would have taken them about two weeks to get to the Promised Land. That would have been through what was known as the Philistine country when Moses wrote the book. But God in his infinite wisdom took them the red route which would end up taking forty years. Moses, the author, tells us the reason the Lord didn’t take them the shorter route was because he knew that if they faced a war, they would change their mind and return to Egypt. That brings us to our first principle which is “God is All-knowing.” He knows everything from the beginning of time until the end of time because He is eternal. He knew that if the Israelites faced a war soon after leaving Egypt they would be discouraged and want to turn back. In fact, in Numbers 14:3, we see these words, the Israelites are speaking, “Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?” This took place in the second year after their release from Egypt and they still wanted to turn around going back into slavery or worse.

Now you may wonder about verse 18 which says the Israelites went up out of Egypt “armed for battle.” If they left Egypt “armed for battle” why was God so concerned with them going to war? We need to look at the Hebrew meaning of “armed for battle.” “Armed for battle” meant that they went “in an orderly fashion.” Most commentators say they went fifty abreast just like an army would have. It would have been quite an imposing scene seeing one to three million people walking across the wilderness in “army-like” divisions. This may have kept some smaller tribes in the wilderness from attacking them, but God knew that if a people such as the fierce Philistines attacked then the Israelites would want to turn back. They may have left Egypt in battle formation, but they were not yet battle tested.

So instead of taking them the shorter route to the Promised Land, God led them around the desert road toward the Red Sea. It was a longer way, but it was the better way because it was God’s way. Now we haven’t said anything about the “hard” way. Even though the longer way would keep them from facing warring peoples, it was not going to be the easiest way, either, which we will see in the coming weeks. Both ways were going to be difficult for them, but the difference was that first, God knew what was coming and would guide them and second, God was in control. That brings us to our second principle this morning that “God is Sovereign.” There are a number of reasons, I believe, why God took them the long way around. One, the long way through the wilderness would be their training ground that God would use to teach them to trust in Him and mold them into a nation. I like what Ross says, “God maneuvered his people into a place where they could do nothing else but trust him.” Two, God was not yet done dealing with Pharaoh and the Egyptians. Three, God had given a sign to Moses for the Israelites that it was Yahweh who had sent him. Exodus 3:12 says, "And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.” (Map) Again, as we look at the map of wilderness wanderings, we see that Mount Horeb is there toward the bottom of the arm of the Red Sea. If they had taken the shorter (green) route, they would not have come to Mount Horeb to worship the Lord there. We may think that this was an insignificant promise for God to keep but with what we know about the grumblings of the Israelites in the wilderness, this promise would remind Moses and the people that it was Yahweh who had called Moses at the burning bush, and that it truly was Yahweh who was leading them on the way to the Promised Land.

The Israelites could trust in God’s wisdom for them as he guided them from Egypt to the Promised Land even as he took them the long way around. This is important as we follow the Lord today and especially as we face the unknown. God’s way is not the easy way and most of the time it’s not the shortest way either. We can trust in God’s wisdom as we follow the path that he has laid out for us. We can trust that God knows what is going to happen before it happens and is in control of it. If you are a follower of Jesus this morning, you can trust that he will faithfully guide you along the path that he has mapped out for you and will be there with you at all times. He leads each one of us in a unique and personal way (Big Idea) Psalm 5:8 says, “Lead me, Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies – make your way straight before me.” And Psalm 23:3 says, “He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.” Each one of us can trust in God’s wisdom and sovereignty for our lives. That brings us to the first next step on the back of your communication card which is: Trust in the Lord’s wisdom and sovereignty as he guides me on the right paths.

The Israelites could trust in the Lord’s wisdom and sovereignty to guide them out of Egypt to the Promised Land and they could also trust in his promises made to them which brings us to our second point, God’s Promises, found in Exodus 13:19. This is what God’s Word says, “Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made the Israelites swear an oath. He had said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up with you from this place.”

We are told that when the Israelites left Egypt, Moses took the bones of Joseph with him. How does this verse show us that the Israelites could trust in God’s promises? In Genesis 50:24-25, we see these words, “Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” And Joseph made the Israelites swear an oath and said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up from this place.” Verse 19 is repeated word for word from Genesis 50:25. This repetition is important because it shows us that some 300-400 years before the Lord brought the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, Joseph was convinced that God would be faithful and keep his promise to his forefathers to bring his people to the Promised Land. Joseph knew that Egypt was not his home and didn’t want his bones to be buried there. Wierbse says, “What did his coffin mean to the generations of Jews who lived in Egypt in slavery? They could look at his coffin and be encouraged. During their years in the wilderness Israel saw Joseph’s coffin as a reminder that God keeps his promises. Joseph was dead but he was bearing witness to the faithfulness of God.” The presence of Joseph’s body would remind the Israelites that God was keeping his covenant promises.

The Israelites could now trust in the promises of God because what Joseph prophesied had happened. They knew that when God came to their aid, the promise to their forefathers and to them had been fulfilled. Since God kept His past promises they could trust in His future promises as well. This brings us to our third principle this morning that “God is trustworthy.” God kept his promises to the Israelites and the same is true for us today. Think about how and why you trust someone, anyone. It’s because they have kept their promises in the past that you can trust them to keep their promises in the future. And the same is true of God. We trust in God’s promises more each time his promises come true in our lives. Sometimes we can struggle with trusting the promises of God because those around us don’t keep their promises. The difference is you never have to worry about God’s promises coming true. God’s promises always come true. That brings us to our second next step this morning which is to Trust in God’s promises in and for my life.

The Israelites could trust in the Lord’s wisdom and sovereignty to guide them out of Egypt to the Promised Land, they could trust in his promises made to them because his promises were always fulfilled, and they could trust in His presence with them, which brings us to our third point, God’s Presence, found in Exodus 13:20-22. This is what God’s Word says, “After leaving Sukkoth they camped at Etham on the edge of the desert. By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.”

We saw back in Exodus 12:37 that the Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, where they rested and ate. Now we learn that they left Succoth and camped at Etham. Again, just like Rameses and Succoth, we don’t know exactly where Etham is today, but they would have known back then. Moses was making it clear by giving us the different stages of the journey that the exodus was a true historical event with true historical places. (MAP) Here is Etham which as you can see, they believe was somewhere on the edge of the desert near the tip of the Red Sea.

We are told that the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud by day to guide them on their way and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light. This allowed them to be able to travel by day or by night. This was one pillar not two separate ones. The fire was burning inside the cloud continuously but not visible during the day. Then at night when it was dark the fire could be seen. The pillar of cloud and fire never left their presence; it was with them at all times. It was always going ahead of them. The most important thing about the pillar of cloud and of fire was that it was the Lord’s presence in their midst. The Lord going ahead of them indicated a repetitive action. His presence never left them the entire time they were in the wilderness. This was indicative of his special relationship with his chosen people, reminding us of our big idea that God leads His people in a unique and personal way. He led them uniquely in a pillar of cloud and of fire and he led them in a personal way by being in their midst and among them continuously. The pillar of his presence would go in front of them, guiding them day and night, it would protect them from the Egyptians as we will see in later weeks, and it would be with them continuously. That brings us to our fourth principle that “God is Ever-present.” He is always with us; he will never leave us nor forsake us.

We can also trust in God’s presence with us today. God’s presence was with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. His presence was with the Israelites in the wilderness in the pillar of cloud and of fire. His presence will be with them in the tent of meeting and in the temple in Jerusalem. And today God’s presence is with his people as the Holy Spirit dwells in those who have believed in Jesus for salvation. If you have not accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, the Holy Spirit does not dwell inside of you. But you can have the presence of God, the Holy Spirit, with you this morning. Romans 3:23 says that we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. The first thing you need to do is admit that you are a sinner. ​​ Romans 6:23 says that for the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. John 3:16 says that God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall have eternal life. The second thing you need to do is believe in God’s son, Jesus, for salvation, that he came to earth to take your punishment for your sins. Romans 10:9 says, if you declare with your mouth that “Jesus is Lord” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. The third thing you need to do is confess Jesus as Lord and then the Holy Spirit will come to dwell inside of you and guide you as the pillar guided the Israelites and much more.

So, if you’ve never accepted Jesus as your Savior, this next step is for you. My next step is to Admit that I am a sinner, believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sins and rose again, and confess Him as Lord and be saved. If you just made that decision the Holy Spirit is now dwelling inside of you. Now there wasn’t room to put this under the Next Step section so if you made this decision today, please put it in the comments section on the back of your communication card that you made that decision so we can have a conversation because the journey has just begun. Now comes the process of becoming more like Jesus. Now’s the time to learn what it means to be connected to God and we want to walk with you in that.

If you have already accepted God’s free gift of salvation and have the Holy Spirit in you, you can trust that His presence is always with you. There may be times that it doesn’t seem like he is with you but like the Israelites in the wilderness you can trust that he is there. In Hebrews 13:5b-6a the writer of Hebrews quotes God from Deuteronomy 31:6, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So, we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.” God is with us for the long haul, and we can trust that His presence will always be with us. That brings us to our fourth next step which is to Trust that the presence of the Lord is with me and will never leave me.

In 1984 Louise Degrafinreid of Braden, TN, astounded the nation when she persuaded an escaped convict from a TN prison to surrender. The prisoner, brandishing a gun, surprised Louise’s husband, Nathan, outside their modest home and forced him inside at gunpoint. Louise was not afraid of the gun. Amazingly, this grandmotherly woman with a confidence that had to be from God, began to talk to the prisoner and convinced him that he should put his gun down while she fixed him some breakfast. Surprisingly, the prisoner responded. She spoke to him about her faith in Jesus, and how the young man could have a better life if he accepted Jesus also. When the breakfast was ready, they had grace together and Louise prayed for the young man. They ate together, and by a miraculous working of the Spirit, the young man telephoned authorities, and before long, he was on his way back to a Tennessee prison.

Responding to questions, Louise Degrafinreid talked about the confidence that was hers in God – how she trusted God as ultimate authority, and therefore could overcome her fears. She was secure in the “pillar of cloud by day” and the “pillar of fire by night” that guided her life. It is everlastingly true. The cloud and the fire do not depart. The guiding and sustaining presence is ours always if we put our trust in God. The “pillar of cloud by day” and the “pillar of fire by night” were the constant presence that guided Israel throughout their journey.

So, there are a couple of questions for all of us to answer today. Do we trust the Lord for His wisdom to lead us on the journey of our lives? Do we trust that the Lord will keep His promises to us? Do we trust that His presence is always with us? Are we guided by the “pillar of cloud by day” and the “pillar of fire by night”? What about our church? Do we trust the Lord for His wisdom to lead us on the journey we are on? Do we trust that the Lord will keep His promises to our church? Do we trust that His presence is always with our church? Are we guided by the “pillar of cloud by day” and the “pillar of fire by night”? If we are then we can trust God for all these things. It may still seem that God is taking us the long way around and it may seem like life is still hard, but we can be assured and trust that His way is the best way. So, I pray that individually and corporately we will all be guided by the “pillar of cloud and of fire” trusting in the Lord’s wisdom, promises and presence in and for our lives and for our church.

As the Ushers come to collect the tithes and offerings and the Praise Team comes to lead us in a final song, let’s pray: Lord, you are faithful and your Word is true and everlasting. As we leave this place and go out into the world, help us to remember what the Holy Spirit has put on our hearts this morning. Help us to trust in your wisdom and sovereignty as you guide us on the right paths. Help us to trust in your promises in and for our lives. Help us to trust that your presence is with us and will never leave us. I also pray these things for our church as well. And mostly Lord, I pray that if there are those this morning who do not know you as their personal Lord and Savior that they would take that step of faith inviting the Holy Spirit to dwell inside of them. Lord, we pray for revival, we pray for spiritual awakening in ourselves, our church, our community and the world. Let it start with me, Lord. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

 

/by

Consecrate & Commemorate

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Rescued

Consecrate & Commemorate

(Exodus 13:1-16)

 

INTRODUCTION

“Christian author and speaker Skye Jethani (Jeh-tawn-ee) wrote about his kindergarten-aged daughter's homework assignment: Help your child identify as many logos as possible. Jethani said that without hesitating, she identified Pizza Hut, Target, and Lego. At home, she collected the logos of Disney, Jell-O, and Goldfish Crackers. Later, while drinking a glass of water, she proudly shouted, ‘That says IKEA!’ She spotted the tiny logo imprinted on the bottom of the glass.

 

Jethani reflected:

 

Should it scare me that my five-year-old had memorized more corporate brands than Bible verses or even names of relatives? Also scary was the fact that no one taught her to identify logos. We didn't have corporate logo flashcard drills at home. Zoe internalized these logos simply by living for five years in a brand-saturated culture.

 

This sort of brand marketing has been so effective that the average ten-year-old has already memorized between 300 and 400 brands. When these children become adolescents, each with an average of $100 of disposable cash to spend every week, they will select from these brands to construct their identities—identities they can eat, drink, smoke, drive, play, ride, and wear.

 

The spiritual value of shopping is not lost on marketers. Douglas Atkins, author of The Culting of Brands: When Customers Become True Believers, states plainly that, ‘Brands are the new religion.’”

 

Source: Skye Jethani, "There's Power in the Name Brand," Skye Jethani blog (5-18-16).

[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2016/september/7091216.html]

 

BODY

  • ME

    • Advertisement Jingles

        • There are certain advertisement jingles or phrases that I can still remember from my childhood

          • “Oh, I’d love to be an Oscar Mayer wiener, that is what I truly like to be. ​​ Cause if I were an Oscar Mayer wiener, everyone would be in love with me.” ​​ (part of the Oscar Mayer wiener jingle)

          • “Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun.” ​​ (McDonald’s commercial from 1975)

          • “I don’t want to grow up, I’m a Toys R Us kid. ​​ They got a million toys at Toys R Us, that I can play with. ​​ I don’t want to grow up, I’m a Toys R Us kid. ​​ They got the best for so much less, you really flip your lid. ​​ From bikes to trains to video games. ​​ It’s the biggest toy store there is. ​​ Geeee…whiz. ​​ I don’t want to grow up, but maybe if I did. ​​ I couldn’t be a Toys R Us kid. ​​ More games, more toys, Oh boy. ​​ I want to be a Toys R Us kid.” ​​ (Toys R Us theme song from 1980)

    • Bible verses

        • John 3:16 (For God so loved the world…)

        • Romans 3:23 (For all have sinned…)

        • Romans 5:8 (But God demonstrates His love for us…)

        • Romans 6:23 (For the wages of sin is death…)

        • 1 John 1:9 (If we confess our sins…)

        • Hebrews 9:22b (without the shedding of blood…)

 

  • WE

    • What phrases or jingles do you remember?

    • What Bible verses do you remember?

 

Moses shared with the Israelites what the Lord had shared with him. ​​ He told them about commemorating the day the Lord set them free from slavery in Egypt and about consecrating their firstborn male sons and animals. ​​ They would need to share with the next generation how God had saved them and why they sacrificed for Him, so they would never forget. ​​ Both commemorating and consecrating would require sacrificing on their part. ​​ What we can learn from this passage today is that . . .

 

BIG IDEA – Sacrificing for the Lord honors Him.

 

Let’s pray

 

  • GOD (Exodus 13:1-16)

    • Consecrate (vv. 1-2, 11-16)

        • The Lord spoke to Moses (vv. 1-2)

          • The Lord spoke to Moses and told him to consecrate to Him every firstborn male

          • The first offspring of every womb among the Israelites belonged to the Lord

          • It did not matter if it was human or animal, it belonged to the Lord

          • Moses obviously shortened the command from the Lord at the beginning of this section, because he elaborated, in more detail, what the command entailed in verses 11-16 as he shared it with the Israelites

        • Moses spoke to the Israelites (vv. 11-16)

          • The command to consecrate the firstborn human and animal was reserved for the future

            • They would need to observe this command when the Lord brought them into the land of the Canaanites (The Promised Land)

            • The Lord had promised this land to them and their forefathers on oath

              • Genesis 17:8, “The whole land of Canaan, where you are now an alien, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.”

              • PRINCIPLE #1 – God keeps His promises!

                • This message from the Lord about their future should have encouraged the Israelites

                • It was not “if” the Lord would bring them into the Promised Land, then they would have to observe this command, but “after” the Lord brought them into the Promised Land

                • We can trust the Lord to keep His promises, about our future, too

                  • The Lord has promised to never leave us or forsake (Deuteronomy 31:8; Hebrews 13:5b)

                  • The Lord has promised to send Jesus a second time to take us home to be with Him

                  • Read Revelation 21:1-8

                • We should be encouraged with God’s future promises for us

            • What we see next is the details of the command about consecrating the firstborn

          • What was required

            • Give over to the Lord the first offspring of every womb

              • Firstborn males of livestock were to be sacrificed as holy to the Lord

                • The livestock included sheep, goats, and oxen/cattle

                • They were considered clean animals that the Israelites were allowed to eat

                • They were to be offered as a sacrifice to the Lord

                • Numbers 18:17, “But you must not redeem the firstborn of an ox, a sheep or a goat; they are holy. ​​ Sprinkle their blood on the altar and burn their fat as an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the Lord.

                • PRINCIPLE #2 – God has the right of ownership to our first and best.

                  • Just as the Israelites had to offer the first and best of their livestock, we need to offer the first and best of our lives and work

                  • We need to be willing to offer the best of our time, income, and resources to the Lord

                  • How are you doing with offering the best of your time to the Lord? (are you spending time in fellowship with Him on a daily basis and with His people on a weekly basis?)

                  • How are you doing with offering the best of your income to the Lord? (are you giving consistently to the Lord?)

                  • How are you doing with offering the best of your resources to the Lord? (are you sharing the gifts and abilities that the Lord has given you with others?)

                  • Is there room for improvement?

                  • #1 – My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Recognize God’s ownership of my first and best by offering the best of my time, income, and resources to Him.

                  • That may take some sacrifice on our part

                • Sacrificing for the Lord honors Him.

              • Firstborn of unclean animals were to be redeemed

                • In this text donkeys are the token animal mentioned to represent all unclean animals that were used for work

                • Numbers 18:15, The first offspring of every womb, both man and animal, that is offered to the Lord is yours. ​​ But you must redeem every firstborn son and every firstborn male of unclean animals.

                • “In the case of a donkey, a non firstborn lamb was an appropriate substitute (since all firstborn lambs must be given to God and none held back to serve as redemption substitutes).” ​​ [Stuart, The New American Commentary, Volume 2, Exodus, 317]

                • If the owner of the donkey was not prepared to redeem it by sacrificing a lamb, then he had to break its neck

                  • The firstborn was God’s holy possession – it belonged to Him

                  • The holy was not to be used for the ordinary unless it was redeemed

                  • Sacrificing for the Lord honors Him.

                • Redemption of firstborn males was not limited to just unclean animals, but also to human sons

              • Firstborn sons were to be redeemed

                • Scripture background

                  • Numbers 18:16, When they are a month old, you must redeem them at the redemption price set at five shekels of silver, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs.

                  • Leviticus 12:6-8, When the days of her purification for a son or daughter are over, she is to bring to the priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting a year-old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a dove for a sin offering. ​​ He shall offer them before the Lord to make atonement for her, and then she will be ceremonially clean from her flow of blood. ​​ These are the regulations for the woman who gives birth to a boy or girl. ​​ If she cannot afford a lamb, she is to bring two doves or two young pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering. ​​ In this way the priest will make atonement for her, and she will be clean.

                  • Luke 2:21-24, On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived. ​​ When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”

                • Jesus, the Redeemer, was redeemed (even though He did not have to be redeemed)

                • His parents were obedient to the command to consecrate the first male that opened the womb

            • The command was to give over to the Lord the first offspring of every womb, but why was this required?

          • Why it was required

            • It was a way to remember how the Lord rescued the Israelites from slavery

              • For the Israelites, God used His mighty hand to bring them out of Egypt

              • When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let them go, the Lord killed every firstborn man and animal in Egypt

              • Since the Lord passed over the firstborn sons and animals of the Israelites, they remembered His mercy and protection by sacrificing the first male offspring of every womb and redeeming each of their firstborn sons

              • It would be like a sign on their hand and a symbol on their foreheads

                • “The line of thought referred to merely expresses the idea, that the Israelites were not only to retain the commands of God in their hearts, and to confess them with the mouth, but to fulfill them with the hand, or in act and deed, and thus to show themselves in their whole bearing as guardians and observers of the law. ​​ As the hand is the medium of action, and carrying in the hand represents handling, so the space between the eyes, or the forehead, is that part of the Body which is generally visible, and what is worn there is worn to be seen.” [Keil & Delitzsch, Commentary on the Old Testament, Volume 1, The Pentateuch, 343-44]

              • Remembering was important so it could be passed down to future generations

            • PRINCIPLE #3 – God is pleased when we remember how He saved us.

              • Just like the Israelites, it is important for us to remember how the Lord saved us

              • For some of us it was dramatic and supernatural (He saved us from a life of destruction and rebellion)

              • For others it was perhaps a recognition of God’s hand at work throughout our entire lives

              • However the Lord saved you, it is worth remembering

              • #2 – My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Take time this week to remember how Jesus saved me, and thank Him.

          • The importance of sharing

            • If this command was going to make it until the Israelites entered the Promised Land, it would need to be shared from generation to generation

              • When a son would ask his father about the meaning of sacrificing the firstborn animal and redeeming the firstborn son, he would share with him what it meant

              • This also foreshadowed Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross

                • Some of the Israelites in the 1st Century would recognize the significance of Jesus’ sacrifice

                • Matthew 20:28, just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

                • 1 Corinthians 6:19b-20, You are not your own; you were bought at a price. ​​ Therefore honor God with your body.

                • 1 Peter 1:18-19, For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

              • PRINCIPLE #4 – God is glorified when we share why we sacrifice.

                • When our children ask us why we sacrifice our time, income, and resources for the Lord, then we have an incredible opportunity to share what it means for us

                • We can share that we sacrifice our time, income, and resources to serve the Lord at church or with another ministry organization because it is a way of glorifying and honoring God for saving us

                • We model for them that we are grateful to the Lord for rescuing us from sin and death

                • “When they ask you about the Lord’s Supper or other questions regarding salvation, are you ready to answer? ​​ This is a great time to share the gospel with your own child. ​​ We were slaves, but God rescued us. ​​ We deserved the death angel, but God passed over us. ​​ Then tell them of the marriage supper in the future (Rev 19). ​​ One day we will sit down at a banquet table with our King! ​​ Tell them it is ‘by the strong hand of God’ that the captives are free. ​​ As parents, we have a holy responsibility of catechizing our kids, pointing them to Jesus.” ​​ [Merida, Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in Exodus, 75]

                • We can also share the same things with others

              • #3 – My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Glorify God by sharing with __________ (name/group) why I sacrifice ____________ (time, income, resources).

            • Who will you share with even today?

        • Moses not only spoke to the Israelites about consecrating the firstborn sons and animals, but he also spoke to them about commemorating the day they were rescued from slavery

    • Commemorate (vv. 3-10)

        • The Lord had already given Moses and Aaron these instructions, but Moses had not yet communicated them to the Israelites

          • Chapter 12 is the instructions from the Lord to Moses and Aaron

          • Chapter 13, verses 3-10 is Moses instructions to the Israelites

        • How were they to commemorate the day God brought them out of the land of slavery?

          • Do not eat anything with yeast in it

            • When the Israelites left Egypt, it was in such a hurry that they did not have time to add yeast to their bread

            • In order to commemorate this part of the Exodus, the Israelites were to sacrifice yeast/leaven every year

            • Sacrificing for the Lord honors Him.

            • They were to sacrifice yeast for the seven days of the Festival of Unleavened Bread

            • All yeast was to be removed from their dwellings, so that the bread would not accidently be leavened

          • As we learned in chapter 12, and again in verse 10, this was to be a continual, ongoing, annual ceremony for the Israelites

        • They were supposed to share with their children why they were sacrificing yeast in their bread

          • They were to share that they were doing this because of what the Lord did for them when they came out of Egypt

          • PRINCIPLE #4 – God is glorified when we share why we sacrifice.

        • We see again the use of the idea that they were to retain the commands of God in their hearts, confess them with their mouths, and fulfill them with their hands

          • Verse 9, like a sign on your hand and a reminder on your forehead that the law of the Lord is to be on your lips. ​​ For the Lord brought you out of Egypt with his mighty hand.

          • PRINCIPLE #3 – God is pleased when we remember how He saved us.

        • We are going to commemorate our Savior’s perfect sacrifice on the cross this morning following the message

          • We saw today that the firstborn sons had to be redeemed

          • We also saw that the firstborn male animals that were unclean/used for work could be redeemed with a substitute lamb or goat

          • You and I have the opportunity to be redeemed because of Jesus’ substitutionary sacrifice for us

            • 2 Corinthians 5:21, God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

            • Romans 8:32, He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

            • We need a substitute because we have all sinned (Rom. 3:23; Rom. 6:23; Rom. 5:8)

            • We are not good people, even though we think we are (good person test – liar, thief, blasphemer, adulterous, murderer at heart)

            • Ephesians 2:8-9, For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.

            • Are you ready to make that decision today? ​​ (let the Lord know you want Jesus to be your sin substitute and you are accepting His gift of salvation through faith)

 

  • YOU

    • Recognize God’s ownership of your first and best by offering the best of your time, income, and resources to Him

    • Take time this week to remember how Jesus saved you, and thank Him

    • Glorify God by sharing with an individual or group why you sacrifice your time, income, and resources

    • Ask Jesus to be your sin substitute by faith

 

  • WE

    • We need to recognize God’s ownership of our first and best here at Idaville Church

    • Take time this week to remember how Jesus saved us as a church, and thank Him

    • Glorify God by sharing why we sacrifice our time, income, and resources to the Lord

 

CONCLUSION

“In his book The Unnecessary Pastor, Eugene Peterson writes:

 

My two sons are both rock climbers, and I have listened to them plan their ascents. They spend as much or more time planning their climbs as in the actual climbing. They meticulously plot their route and then, as they climb, put in what they call ‘protection’ pitons (pee-taan) hammered into small crevices in the rock face, with attached ropes that will arrest a quick descent to death. Rock climbers who fail to put in protection have short climbing careers.

 

Our pitons or ‘protection’ come as we remember and hold on to those times when we have experienced God's faithfulness in our lives. Every answered prayer, every victory, every storm that has been calmed by his presence is a piton which keeps us from falling, losing hope, or worse yet, losing our faith. Every piton in our life is an example of God's faithfulness to us. As we ascend in the kingdom of God, we also realize that each experience, each victory is only a piton – a stepping stone toward our ultimate goal of finishing the race and receiving the crown of glory.

 

Source: Eugene Peterson, The Unnecessary Pastor, Rediscovering the Call (Eerdmans, 2000), p.12.

[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2005/april/15808.html]

9

 

/by

Relating In A New Way!

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EASTER SUNDAY 2024

Relating In A New Way!

(John 20:10-23)

 

INTRODUCTION

Piercing Word video of John 20:1-31.

 

BODY

  • ME

    • Relating to my parents as an adult

 

  • WE

    • Relating to our spouse (levels of intimacy)

        • Boyfriend and girlfriend

        • Engaged

        • Married

    • Relating to fellow employees

        • If you’ve ever been promoted to a supervisory position within the same company

        • The people you worked beside on the same level now relate to you differently

    • Jesus was going to be relate to His disciples and followers differently

        • It all started after His resurrection

        • Let’s pray

 

  • The First Witness (John 20:10-18)

    • Mary Magdalene remained at the tomb

        • Peter and John had returned home

        • She looked into the tomb again while she was crying

        • She saw two angels in white

          • They are seated where Jesus’ body had been

          • One at the head

          • One at the foot

          • It is a picture of the ark of the covenant with the angels like the cherubim

        • Notice Mary’s reaction to the angels

          • She didn’t seem to be startled, concerned, or fascinated with them

          • We’d probably be taking out our cell phones and either taking a picture or video to post on our social media accounts

          • She had a single focus – Jesus!

    • The angels asked her a question

        • Why are you crying?

        • Mary gives her answer

          • They have taken MY Lord away

          • She uses the word “my” here, because she is fully committed to Him

          • Jesus had freed her from multiple demons

          • She has given her life to serve Him and had followed Him to Jerusalem and was at Golgotha when He died

          • PRINCIPLE #1 – God is pleased when we are fully committed to Him.

            • Can you say today, like Mary, that Jesus is your Lord?

            • If so, that is wonderful! ​​ It means you are fully committed to Him

            • If not, what is holding you back? ​​ (there will be an opportunity at the end of the message to make a commitment concerning Jesus)

            • Maybe you were once fully committed to the Lord, but you have stepped away

            • He is patiently waiting for you to return to Him, just like the father of the prodigal son

            • He is watching and looking for you every day

            • #1 – My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Return to the Lord and be fully committed to Him.

          • In the midst of her grief and despair, Jesus was there

          • We can also have confidence that in our grief and despair, Jesus is there

    • Mary sees Jesus

        • She did not recognize Him

          • Skiing – dressed in full camo – Judy didn’t recognize me

          • Stories of men who shaved their beard – children start crying

          • Debbie Frost didn’t recognize her grandson, Nathan, after haircut

        • Jesus asks her the same question, but goes further by asking who she is looking for

        • Mary thinks he is the gardener

        • She is willing to carry His body away

          • “Her words reveal her devotion. ​​ She never paused to consider how she would carry the corpse of a full-grown man or how she would explain her possession of it.” ​​ [Tenney quoted in Guzik’s commentary]

          • Mary had a single focus of finding Jesus’ body

    • Jesus revealed Himself

        • He only said her name, Mary

          • Judy recognized me when I spoke to her (dressed in camo)

          • Debbie recognized Nathan when he spoke

          • John 10:3-4, The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. ​​ He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ​​ When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.

          • However Jesus said her name, whether it was with the same tone or flexion that He had said it before, she recognized that it is Jesus speaking

        • She calls Him teacher

        • Jesus gives her a warning

          • Don’t cling to me

            • “Actually, the ancient Greek construction of this phrase ‘means to stop an action already begun rather than to avoid starting it.’ ​​ (Tenney)” ​​ [Guzik]

            • So we see that Mary is already on her knees clinging to Jesus’ feet

          • Why did He say, “Do not cling to Me?”

            • He would be relating to her in a new way

            • “Jesus’ correction is a spiritual redirection away from Jesus’ physical presence, a preparation for the Spirit that is about to be given.” ​​ [Burge, 557]

            • She had been able to minister to His needs and take care of Him during His earthly ministry

            • But, He had to ascend to the Father so that the Holy Spirit could come

            • Also, she had a job to do – witness about His resurrection

              • She was to tell the disciples what she had seen and heard from the Lord

              • As followers of Jesus Christ, we have been given the same job to do

              • PRINCIPLE #2 – God is glorified when we tell others about Him.

                • We need to share with others what we have experienced through the transforming relationship we have with Jesus Christ

                  • Our personal testimony is something that is undeniable

                  • Another person cannot deny that it happened

                  • Even if they try to say that, it does not negate the fact that it did

                • Matthew 28:16-20, Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. ​​ When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. ​​ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ​​ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. ​​ And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

                • #2 – My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Witness about the resurrection power of Jesus Christ in my own life and how it transformed me.

            • Jesus did not want her to cling to Him, because He had a job for her to do

          • He gave her some specific instructions

        • Jesus gives her instructions

          • Go to my brothers

            • He doesn’t call them servants or friends anymore, but brothers

            • John 15:15, I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. ​​ Instead I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

            • That was before His resurrection

            • John 1:12-13, Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor a human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

          • Tell them I am returning to heaven

        • Mary obeys

    • Mary goes to the disciples

        • She tells them that she has seen the Lord and what His message was to them

        • There was doubt about the fact that Jesus had risen and that Mary had seen Him

        • Mark 16:10-11, She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping. ​​ When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it.

        • If something happened like that today, we would probably be skeptical too

        • In the 1st Century women were marginalized

          • They were not allowed to be called as witnesses in a court of law

          • Rabbi’s taught this, “It is better that the words of the law be burned than to be entrusted to a woman.” ​​ [Courson, 595-596]

          • Jesus gives the gospel to a woman and entrusts her to share it with His disciples

        • The disciples doubt was about to change

 

  • The Disciples Saved (John 20:19-23)

    • Jesus appeared to the disciples

        • It happened on the same day they found the empty tomb

        • The disciples are all together

        • They were behind locked doors, because they were fearful of the Jews

    • Jesus encourages them

        • Shalom! – Peace be with you!

          • He does not condemn them for running away in the garden or for being absent at the crucifixion (although John was there)

          • He offers this same peace to us

          • Romans 5:1-2, Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.

        • He proved that He was alive

          • He showed them His hands and side

          • He encouraged them to touch Him and asked for something to eat

          • Luke 24:38-43, He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? ​​ Look at my hands and my feet. ​​ It is I myself! ​​ Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” ​​ When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. ​​ And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” ​​ They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence.

        • The disciples are overjoyed

    • Jesus saved them

        • Jesus again pronounced peace to them

        • He is sending them just as the Father had sent Him

        • He breathes on them and says, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

          • “At this point, the disciples are born again. ​​ Although they were already following Jesus, they were not yet regenerated because He had not yet died for their sins.” ​​ [Courson]

          • God had created Adam, but he did not have life until God breathed into him

          • Jesus would be relating to His disciples in a new way

          • We know that Jesus taught His disciples for 40 days after His resurrection, before ascending into Heaven (Acts 1:3)

          • Jesus related to the disciples in a new way at Pentecost

          • Acts 2:1-4, When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. ​​ Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. ​​ They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. ​​ All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

        • He states about forgiving and not forgiving sins

          • We know that only God has the right to forgive sins, so what does this verse mean?

          • “Jesus gives His disciples authority to announce forgiveness and to warn of guilt, as authorized by the Holy Spirit.” ​​ [Guzik]

 

CONCLUSION/ACTION

We know from the book of Acts that the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to share boldly about Jesus. ​​ Jesus related to them in a new way, through the Holy Spirit

 

Jesus wants to relate to you in a new way today

  • “Historical faith says, ‘Christ lives!’”

    • This is knowing factually that Jesus came alive

    • It’s knowing that Jesus exists – that God exists

    • It’s having a head knowledge

  • “Saving faith says, ‘Christ lives in me!’”

    • This is taking your head knowledge and applying it to your heart, which is the center of your emotions

    • It’s saying to God that you recognize your rebellion against Him – that you don’t want anything to do with Him, because you want your own way and not His

    • It’s repenting of your sins and turning to Jesus Christ as your Savior – recognizing His perfect sacrifice for you on the cross (Hebrews 9:22b)

    • It’s accepting God’s offer to become a part of His family (John 1:12, Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God)

    • The moment you receive Jesus into your life, you receive the Holy Spirit as a part of your life

    • You will experience just what the disciples experienced – Jesus relating to you in a new way

    • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Believe that Jesus died, was buried, and came alive again to take my punishment for sin, so I can be a part of God’s family.

8

 

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Fencing the Table

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FENCING THE TABLE

In Robert Frost’s poem, “Mending Wall” there is a quote: “Good fences are necessary to have good neighbors.” “Mending Wall” is a poem about borders—the work it takes to maintain them and the way they shape human interactions. The speaker and the speaker's neighbor spend much of the poem rebuilding a wall that divides their properties. As they do so, they debate the function of the wall and how it affects their relationship. The speaker suggests that the wall is unnecessary as it excludes people, injuring otherwise harmonious relationships. But the neighbor argues that walls actually improve relationships, because they allow people to treat each other fairly and prevent conflict. The speaker asks the neighbor why they need to continue repairing the wall at all and in response, the neighbor says simply and repeatedly: "Good fences make good neighbors." He believes that a good neighbor establishes clear boundaries, and in doing so prevents conflicts from arising between people who live near each other. The speaker believes that building the wall itself will most likely cause conflict, by creating a sense of "us" vs. "them."

In our scripture this morning, found in Exodus 12:43-51, God is creating a clear boundary between his people, the Israelites and the “mixed multitude” that came out of Egypt with them. There were clearly those whom God considered “us” and others that he considered “them.” God allowed others to come out of Egypt with his chosen people because they were to be a blessing to the whole world. But the “mixed multitude” were not going to have all the obligations and blessings that his chosen people had. One of these obligations and blessings they would enjoy was the Passover. The Passover was to be celebrated by God’s chosen people every year to commemorate his saving them from slavery and bringing them out of Egypt. Because the “mixed multitude” were not God’s chosen people they would be restricted from taking part in the Passover celebration. God’s chosen people were set apart from all others because they had the mark of the covenant called circumcision. But the Lord provided a way that the “mixed multitude” could join the “us” group. By taking the mark of the covenant they would be able to partake in the Passover.

The title of today’s sermon is “Fencing the Table” and refers to the rules set around who may and may not participate in the Lord’s Supper. The idea of “fencing the Table” comes from the Old Testament concept of keeping the holy things of worship holy. The expression appears to be of late-seventeenth-century origin and the practice goes back to the Reformation. It has been in continuous use in the Scottish Church ever since then. In our scripture this morning, God is “fencing the table” making the boundary clear that only those who have the mark of the covenant could partake of the Passover meal. Without the mark, the “mixed multitude” could not understand the significance of the Passover. The same is true for Christians and non-Christians or the “mixed multitude”, today. As Christians, we are under the new covenant, and as such, we must have the mark of the covenant. To enjoy fellowship with God, we must have had a spiritual circumcision, or a circumcision of the heart. For us today, “fencing the table” means that in order to partake in our “Passover” meal, or Communion, we must have had a circumcision of the heart. We must have believed in Jesus Christ for our salvation. Just like Passover, Communion doesn’t mean anything to those who have not trusted and believed in Jesus Christ for their salvation. That brings us to our big idea this morning that God wants us to understand: God requires his people to have a circumcised heart.

Before we look at our scripture, let’s open up our study of God’s Word in prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for bringing us together as a body of believers. Help us to be one as you and Jesus are one. Help us to be guided by your Holy Spirit as we look into your Holy Word this morning. Open and illuminate our hearts and minds to your Word and transform us where we need to be transformed. Then lead us out into the world to share the good news of your son, Jesus Christ, this week with those we come in contact with. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Our first point this morning is Introduction. I am going to read verse 42 from last week and then verse 43a from this morning’s scripture. This is what God’s Word says, “Because the Lord kept vigil that night to bring them out of Egypt, on this night all the Israelites are to keep vigil to honor the Lord for the generations to come.” And 43a, “The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “These are the regulations for the Passover meal:”

God has delivered the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. He delivered them by “passing through” Egypt killing the firstborn and “passing over” the Israelites. Those who had placed the blood of a perfect sacrifice on the doorposts were saved. The Lord then commanded them to commemorate the Passover on that same night every year. The Israelites were to keep vigil in honor of the Lord because he kept vigil on the original Passover night to save them from the Destroyer and bring them out of Egypt.

Last week we learned that the Israelites left Rameses and journeyed to Succoth. Now Moses records what most Bibles title “Passover Restrictions.” These restrictions were needed because of the “mixed multitude” who left Egypt with the Israelites. They may have been Egyptians who married Israelites or realized that the God of the Hebrews was more powerful or real than their Egyptians gods. They may have been slaves from other countries that Egypt had conquered and used the exodus to make their escape. Whatever the case, there were non-Israelite people now traveling with the Israelites. God was “fencing the table” by setting requirements and restrictions that had to be followed to ensure that the Passover would be kept sacred and holy to the Lord. It was not because the “mixed multitude” was racially different, it was because they were religiously different. It was because they worshiped many gods instead of the one true God, not because they weren’t Israelites.

That brings us to our second point called Instructions, found in Exodus 12:43b-49. This is what God’s Word says, “No foreigner may eat it. Any slave you have bought may eat it after you have circumcised him, but a temporary resident or a hired worker may not eat it. “It must be eaten inside the house; take none of the meat outside the house. Do not break any of the bones. The whole community of Israel must celebrate it. “A alien residing among you who wants to celebrate the Lord’s Passover must have all the males in his household circumcised; then he may take part like one born in the land. No uncircumcised male may eat it. The same law instruction applies both to the native-born and to the alien residing among you.”

The Lord is making a distinction between who could partake of the Passover meal and who could not. The Passover was the salvation event that the Lord used to save his people from the Destroyer and bring them out of slavery from Egypt. It was only to be commemorated by the Israelites and if you weren’t an Israelite, commemorating it wouldn’t have made any sense to you. The Lord starts his instructions by placing restrictions on who was allowed to partake of the Passover meal. He mentions different categories of “foreigners.” A foreigner being someone of another race and religion who in some way was associated with the Israelite community. He begins with a slave who has been bought. A slave that had been bought was considered a permanent resident of the community and so was eligible, but only after they had been circumcised. A “temporary resident” or “hired worker” were not considered permanent members of the covenant community and so could not eat it. Some of these may have been God-fearing persons but until they became part of the people of God, they could not partake in the Passover meal. Only those who trusted in the Lord and worshiped him could partake of it. Circumcision was the sign that you had faith and trusted in the Lord.

To understand this, we need to go back to Abraham. In Genesis 12:1-3, we see God’s call to Abraham: The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Abraham, by being obedient to the Lord’s call to leave his family and go to another land, proved that he had faith and trusted in the Lord. Because of Abraham’s obedience, God made a covenant with Abraham and in Genesis 17:11-13, we see God’s covenant sign: “You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner—those who are not your offspring. Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant.” Alexander says, “Those who are circumcised enjoy the benefits associated with the everlasting covenant initiated with Abraham.”

We see how sacred and holy this covenant was when Moses is on the way back to Egypt with his wife, Zipporah and their son. Exodus 4:24-26 says, “At a lodging place on the way, the Lord met Moses and was about to kill him. But Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her son’s foreskin and touched Moses’ feet with it. “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me,” she said. So the Lord let him alone. (At that time she said “bridegroom of blood,” referring to circumcision.) Seemingly, because Moses had not kept the covenant of circumcision, the Lord was about the kill him. This was a sacred and holy “setting apart” of God’s people for his holy purposes. Circumcision was the sign God required to be counted among his chosen people (Big Idea)

In the middle of giving the regulations for the Passover, the Lord gives a number of specific instructions about how they were to eat the Passover meal. These instructions speak to the unity of the community. First, it had to be eaten inside one house. This goes back to the instructions given to the Israelites at the first Passover in Exodus 12:3-4. Each father was to sacrifice one lamb for their household. But if a household was too small to eat the whole lamb, they were to share it with their nearest neighbor. ​​ The key was they had to eat it together under one roof, specifically under the roof where the blood of the perfect sacrifice had been applied to the doorposts.

Second, none of the meat could be taken outside. Again, this reminded them that the Passover meal had to be eaten inside a house where the blood was applied. This would also keep the meat from becoming defiled in some way and keep them from sharing the meal with a non-Israelite. Third, they were not to break any bones of the sacrificial animal. While this was not specifically mentioned in the Lord’s original instructions in the early part of chapter 12, this seems to have been the point of not cooking the meat in water but roasting the complete animal over the fire. This was a sign pointing to Jesus Christ as our perfect Passover Lamb. Finally, the whole community of Israel was to celebrate the Passover. This was to be a family meal eaten in each family’s home, but it was also a communal meal in that all Israelites were to eat the meal on the same day at the same time. But notice the wording, “The whole community of Israel must celebrate it.” You could not be part of the community of Israel and not share and celebrate the Passover. Every Israelite was obligated yearly to remember how the Lord had saved his people from slavery in Egypt. Because they shared being rescued by the Lord, they were to share in the Passover uniting them into one community.

In verses 43b-45, the Lord instructs Moses on who could not partake of the Passover. Now, in verses 48-49, the Lord instructs Moses on how those same people could partake of the Passover. In “fencing the table”, God was not preventing “outsiders” from participating, but as Alexander says, “he was drawing attention to the importance of circumcision and the covenant associated with it.” “Us” and “them”, meaning everyone, could now partake of the Passover meal as long as they were circumcised proving that they trusted in and worshiped the one true God. By allowing non-Israelites to be included in the commemoration of the “salvation” meal, God was fulfilling his ultimate plan for the redemption of the whole world.

So, essentially, the only persons who could celebrate the Lord’s Passover were those whose family had all their males circumcised. That was the requirement to be able to partake in the meal. This meant that they were identifying with the Lord and his chosen people. They were placing their faith in the one true God and accepting him by faith just as Abraham did. ​​ They were just like one who was born in the land. The “land” here is not Egypt but is looking forward to the time when the Israelites would celebrate the Passover in the Promised Land. Native-born meant those who were born as Israelites and circumcised as prescribed by the Lord to Abraham. This same law of circumcision was to be applied to the native-born and to the alien or foreigner living among them. To be included in the family of God and to have fellowship with him you had to be circumcised. (Big Idea).

That brings us to the third point this morning, Instruments, found in verses 50-51. This is what God’s Word says, “All the Israelites did just what the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron. And on that very day the Lord brought the Israelites out of Egypt by their divisions.”

Both of these verses are familiar because they were recorded before. Back in Exodus 12:28 it says, “The Israelites did just what the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron.” In verse 50, it is reiterated that “all” of the Israelites obeyed what the Lord commanded. Exodus 12:41 says, “At the end of the 430 years, to the very day, all the Lord’s divisions left Egypt.” And in verse 51, it is reiterated that on that very day the Lord brought the Israelites out of Egypt by their divisions. The Israelites were completely obedient to what the Lord commanded, and the Lord was faithful to bring the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. Not that the Israelites salvation was dependent on anything they did but they needed to be instruments of faith in the Lord and his commands in order to be saved. And not that the Lord was saving them because of their works but he was the instrument through which salvation was brought to his chosen people because of their faith in him. Because of the Lord’s faithfulness to his people, they were to remember his salvation by partaking in the yearly commemoration of Passover. The reason these verses are repeated was to show future generations the importance of obeying the Lord and his covenant just as their forefathers did.

Today, we also commemorate the event of our salvation. When we partake in Communion, we are remembering Jesus Christ's sacrifice on the cross for the world and for each one of us. But the Communion meal is also subject to “fencing the table.” For the Israelites a physical circumcision was required for them to partake of Passover. For us today, a spiritual circumcision, or a circumcision of the heart, is required to partake in Communion. A circumcision of the heart means that you have believed in Jesus Christ for salvation, repented of your sins and have been transformed inwardly and outwardly. A true circumcision of the heart involves God “cutting away” things from your heart, which results in the transformation of your life. Before you can partake in Holy Communion you must admit that you are a sinner, believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins and confess He is Lord of your life. Communion doesn’t make sense if you haven’t taken this step of faith. This is important because in the next two weeks, there will be two opportunities to remember Jesus’ sacrifice for us on the cross: This Thursday, during our Maundy Thursday Service and Sunday, April 7, which is our next Communion Sunday. So, if you have never accepted Jesus as your Savior, this next step is for you: My next step is to admit that I am a sinner, believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sins and confess Him as my Lord making it possible for me to partake in Holy Communion.

Once you have believed in Jesus Christ for your salvation “fencing the table” doesn’t end. As Christians, we are obligated to properly come to the Lord’s Table. Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:27-29 says, “So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat the bread and drink from the cup. For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves.” Pastor Stuart, before he serves Communion, instructs us to do certain things. As Christians, we must search and prepare our hearts to take this sacred and holy ordinance. This is “fencing the table.” Charles Spurgeon in his sermon “Fencing the Table” outlines what each of us should solemnly do before we partake in Holy Communion. One, we must know why we are examining ourselves – it is because others have “profaned” themselves and taken part unworthily. Spurgeon talks about those in his day who took it in an unworthy manner. Some would take it on secular occasions, the poor would take it as a means to obtain benevolence, some would take it out of superstition, and some would take it believing that it would save them. What is important is that we can have wrong motives in taking Communion, so we need to examine our motives before we take it. The only reason we should partake is to remember Jesus’ sacrifice for us on the cross. If we take it for any other reasons, we profane it.

Next, we need to personally examine ourselves in certain areas. First, we need to examine ourselves concerning our knowledge. We can’t remember someone we never knew. Spurgeon says, “Have you ever known what it was to be spiritually hungry? Were you ever spiritually thirsty? If you have never known this spiritual hunger and thirst, if you have never realized your own spiritual needs, and if you have not known what it is, for Christ to supply those needs, I charge you to keep away from this table until you do know these things. Otherwise, you will be eating and drinking in utter ignorance; and the mere physical acts will be of no service whatsoever to you.” Second, we need to examine ourselves concerning our faith. Spurgeon again says, “Are you trusting alone in the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ?” I am sure that I have trusted my soul, for time and for eternity, wholly to the keeping of that Savior who lived, and died, and rose again for sinners.” He then says, “If you are believing in him, he invites you to come, and you will be welcome if you do come.”

Third, we need to examine ourselves concerning our repentance. Spurgeon continues, “A heart that has never been broken, because of sin, shall it come and remember the broken body and broken heart of Jesus? If your eyes have wept no tears of repentance, how can you properly remember him whose veins wept blood to redeem his people from their sins?” Do we hate our sin and want to truly turn away from it? Do we say as David says in Psalm 138:23-24, “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” The Lord wants a contrite heart and a broken spirit so we need to make sure we are genuinely repentant before coming to the Lord’s table.

Fourth, we need to examine ourselves concerning our love. Do we truly love the Lord? Three times Jesus asked Peter if he loved him. Can we answer like Peter in John 21:16? “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you?” Lastly, we need to examine ourselves concerning our obedience to the commands of Jesus. If we aren’t obeying the commands of the Lord, then we aren’t truly loving him. When we truly examine ourselves concerning our knowledge, our faith, our repentance, our love and our obedience, then we are worthy to partake of Holy Communion. So, I pray that each one of us would take the time this week leading up to Maundy Thursday and/or Communion Sunday on April 7 to examine ourselves so that when we do partake of Communion it is with the right heart and the right spirit. Remembering Jesus' sacrifice is a sacred and holy thing that we do, and our Lord takes it very seriously and so should we. That brings us to our last next step which is to examine myself concerning my knowledge, my faith, my repentance, my love and my obedience, so I am found worthy by my Savior to partake in Holy Communion.

As the praise team comes to lead us in our final song and as the ushers prepare to collect the tithes and offerings, let’s pray: Lord God, I worship and thank you for your powerful Word. I pray that if there are those here this morning who do not have a circumcised heart, that do not know you as their Lord and Savior, that they will come to salvation. Lord, you are patient with us, not wanting anyone to perish, but wanting all to come to repentance and be saved. So I pray for those who do not know you yet and pray that you would draw them to yourself. Lord, we think about the upcoming opportunities to come together as a congregation to partake in Holy Communion. Instill in each one of us the need and want to examine ourselves so that we are found worthy by you to partake. Let us remember and never forget your sacrifice for our sins on the cross. I worship and praise you for your death, burial and resurrection. Help us to fall deeper in love with you everyday. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The Origin of Fencing the Table by Rev. D.W.B. Somerset

The Short and Incomplete History of Fencing the Table by Rev. Judith Fulp-Eickstaedt

Mending Wall Summary and Analysis https://www.litcharts.com/poetry/robert-frost/mending-wall

 

 

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Up! . . . Leave!! . . . GO!!!

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Up! . . . Leave!! . . . GO!!!

The time has come. The time has come. The time is now. Just go. Go. GO! I don’t care how. You can go by foot. You can go by cow. Marvin K. Mooney, will you please go now! You can go on skates. You can go on skis. You can go in a hat. But please go. Please! I don’t care. You can go by bike. You can go on a Zike-Bike if you like. If you like you can go in an old blue shoe. Just go, go, GO! Please do, do, DO! Marvin K. Mooney, I don’t care how. Marvin K. Mooney will you please GO NOW! You can go on stilts. You can go by fish. You can go in a Crunk-Car if you wish. If you wish you may go by lion’s tail. Or stamp yourself and go by mail. Marvin K. Mooney! Don’t you know the time has come to go, Go, GO! Get on your way! Please Marvin K.! You might like going in a Zumble-Zay. You can go by balloon . . . or broomstick. Or you can go by camel in a bureau drawer. You can go by Bumble-boat . . . or jet. I don’t care how you go. Get yourself a Ga-Zoom. You can go with a BOOM. Marvin, Marvin, Marvin! Will you leave this room! Marvin K. Mooney! I don’t care HOW. Marvin K. Mooney! Will you please GO NOW! I said GO and GO I meant . . . the time had come. So . . . Marvin WENT.

You may have recognized that from the Dr. Seuss book called Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now. (I thought about doing the rap myself but that would have been a sight and sound no one would be ready for) I thought that was an appropriate way to start the study of our scripture this morning in Exodus 12:31-42. This morning Pharaoh and the Egyptian people will tell Moses and the Israelites, respectively, to go, Go, GO! And they won’t care how. They just want them gone and the Egyptians will even give them gifts as they leave the country. After 430 years, in God’s perfect timing and sovereignty, Pharaoh will say GO and GO he meant . . . the time had come. So . . . Moses and the Israelites WENT. Today we will see that Moses and the Israelites will realize that God always keeps his promises no matter how long it takes and that he will provide exactly what they need just when they need it. That brings us to our big idea that Moses wants us to understand this morning: We can trust God’s provision and promises in and for our lives.

Before we begin to study our scripture for today, let’s pray: Dear Heavenly Father, we bow before you this morning as we gather in this place to worship you in Spirit and in Truth. May our thoughts and attitudes be honoring and glorifying to you. Open our hearts and minds to your Word and guide us in learning your truths from it by your Holy Spirit. Help us to be attentive to your words so that we can apply them to our lives and so we can share them with others this week. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Our first point this morning is Complete Surrender found in Exodus 12:31-36. Follow along as I read. This is what God’s Word says, “During the night Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Up! Leave my people, you and the Israelites! Go, worship the Lord as you have requested. Take your flocks and herds, as you have said, and go. And also bless me.” The Egyptians urged the people to hurry and leave the country. “For otherwise,” they said, “we will all die!” So the people took their dough before the yeast was added, and carried it on their shoulders in kneading troughs wrapped in clothing. The Israelites did as Moses instructed and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold and for clothing. The Lord had made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for; so they plundered the Egyptians.”

During the night Pharaoh summons Moses and Aaron. “During the night” is repeated from verse 30 to point out that this is the same night that the Lord “passed over” and struck down all the firstborn of Egypt. Sometime during that night, Pharaoh had been awakened by the sound of wailing. In fact, he may have been awakened first by the sound of wailing in his own household, when it was discovered that his firstborn had been struck down. We may think it odd that he summons Moses and Aaron since back in 10:28-29 we see these words, “Pharaoh said to Moses, “Get out of my sight! Make sure you do not appear before me again! The day you see my face you will die.” “Just as you say,” Moses replied. “I will never appear before you again.” This last time had ended on an angry note and they both probably figured they would never see each other again. But this was a special circumstance that warranted Pharaoh summoning Moses and Aaron for another face-to-face encounter.

Pharaoh tells Moses in three successive imperative statements to “GO.” First, he says “Up!” Second, he says “Leave.” In fact, he says, “leave my people, you and the Israelites.” Pharaoh didn’t seem too concerned with his people as God was sending the plagues. But now that he had shared their grief, he was in agreement with them. This was also the first time Pharaoh had called them Israelites, recognizing their identity. And third, he says “Go, worship the Lord as you have requested.” Ross says, “He (Pharaoh) was admitting there was someone who had a greater claim upon their service (worship) than he did.” Pharaoh wanted Moses and the Israelites to GO NOW and he was bent on driving them out of his country. This was predicted by the Lord in Exodus 6:1 which says, “Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country.” ​​ And Exodus 11:1 says, “Now the Lord had said to Moses, “I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. After that, he will let you go from here, and when he does, he will drive you out completely.” There was no question that Pharaoh had now made up his mind that the Israelites had to GO and GET out of Egypt immediately. God promised to free the Israelites from slavery and that promise was now going to be fulfilled. (Big Idea)

“As you have requested” and “as you have said” signal a total and complete surrender. Pharaoh would now allow everyone to go, meaning men, women and children. This was a reversal of what Pharaoh said after the plague of locusts. Pharaoh wanted to know who would be going to worship the Lord, and in Exodus 10:9 we see these words of Moses, “our young and our old, with our sons and our daughters, with our flocks and our herds . . .” And Pharaoh responds in verse 11, “No! Have only the men go and worship the LORD, since that’s what you have been asking for.” And Pharaoh would also now allow them to take their flocks and herds, which was a reversal of what he said after the plague of darkness. Pharaoh summons Moses, and in Exodus 10:24 we see these words, “Go worship the LORD. Even your woman and children may go with you; only leave your flocks and herds behind.” Now, everyone and everything they owned could go and worship as Moses earlier requested. There were no conditions on how far they could go or how long they could go for. For all intents and purposes, in Pharaoh’s mind, he was now giving permission for them to leave and he was not expecting them to return. This was a total, unconditional and complete surrender.

Pharaoh knew he was beaten but didn’t want to admit defeat. We see this in two ways. One, he is still giving orders and acting like he has a say if God’s chosen people stay or go. Two, at the end of saying GO for the third time, he asks Moses to bless him. He may have wanted to be rewarded for letting the Israelites go. Or maybe have felt the land of Egypt had been cursed by the Lord and a blessing from Moses would reverse it. He may have thought that without the blessing, even when the Israelites left, the land would still be under a curse. Seeking a blessing from Moses, again highlights his complete surrender. But Moses does not bless Pharaoh. Again, as we have seen before when he asked Moses to pray to the Lord on his behalf, Pharaoh wanted something from the Lord, but was not interested in a relationship with him, nor was he repentant or did he want to take any responsibility that came with being a true follower. We can fall into this same trap today. We want blessings from God, but we want them on our terms and not on His terms. We want the perks of being a Christ-follower but not the relationship or responsibility. We want to continue to live on the throne of our own hearts instead of submitting to God and letting him rule our lives. God will not bless us unless we are pursuing a personal relationship with him, truly repentant of our sins, and accept the responsibility of being in that relationship. God’s blessing is for those who trust in the blood of Jesus Christ. That brings us to our first next step found on the back of your communication card which is to “Allow God to rule and reign in my heart and life letting him bless me, as he sees fit.”

Not only did Pharaoh completely surrender, but the Egyptian people did, as well. They urged or pressured the Israelites to hurry and leave the country. They felt that if the Israelites stayed any longer, all of the Egyptians would die, not just their firstborn. The proof that the Israelites were pressured to go is seen by leaving in the middle of bread-making. The Israelites took their dough before the yeast could be added, put it in kneading troughs wrapped in clothing and carried it on their shoulders. The next days’ bread would have already been mixed and ready to add yeast the next morning. But they weren’t going to have time to add the yeast and let it rise. When Pharaoh said go, he meant go now. Moses and the people were supposed to be ready to leave at a moment’s notice and that time had now come. They would have to take their bread without yeast with them as they left in a hurry. Later on, the unleavened dough would remind the Israelites of eating the Passover meal and would connect it with the haste and the urgency of the exodus that was about to take place. This was the Lord, in his sovereignty, teaching his people obedience, making their future observance of the Feast of the Unleavened Bread even more meaningful.

We see the fulfillment of God’s promise to make the Egyptians favorably disposed to the Israelites so they would not leave empty-handed in verses 35 and 36. God had promised Moses this would happen back in Exodus 3:21 and again in Exodus 11:3. ​​ The Israelites asked the Egyptians for articles of silver, gold and clothing. The clothing would have been expensive articles. In Exodus 3:22 it says, “Every woman is to ask her neighbor and any woman living in her house for articles of silver and gold and clothing, which you will put on your sons and daughters.” The Egyptians wanted the Israelites to leave the country so badly that they voluntarily gave them anything and everything they asked for. We are never told when Moses gave this command to the people, but are now told that they obeyed, and God provided just what he had promised. (Big Idea). By giving them what they asked for the Israelites “plundered” the Egyptians. “Plunder” is a military term giving us the picture of soldiers conquering a city and leaving with the spoils of war. Numbers 33:3-4 says, “The Israelites set out from Rameses on the fifteenth day of the first month, the day after Passover. They marched out defiantly in full view of all the Egyptians, who were burying all their firstborn, whom the Lord had struck down among them; for the Lord had brought judgment on their gods.” The Israelites left Egypt, not as slaves, but with their heads held high like conquering heroes.

Pharaoh and the Egyptian people had been thoroughly disgraced and conquered and their gods were shown to be impotent and false. They raise the white flag in total, unconditional, and complete surrender. Now our attention turns to the Israelites as they are given Complete Deliverance by the Lord, which is our second point this morning found in 12:37-42. This is what God’s Word says, “The Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Sukkoth. There were about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children. Many other people went up with them, and also large droves of livestock, both flocks and herds. With the dough the Israelites had brought from Egypt, they baked loaves of unleavened bread. The dough was without yeast because they had been driven out of Egypt and did not have time to prepare food for themselves. Now the length of time the Israelite people lived in Egypt was 430 years. At the end of the 430 years, to the very day, all the Lord’s divisions left Egypt. Because the Lord kept vigil that night to bring them out of Egypt, on this night all the Israelites are to keep vigil to honor the Lord for the generations to come.”

Pharaoh and the Egyptian people said GO . . . So Moses and the Israelites WENT. The Israelites were now freed from slavery and the tyranny of Pharaoh. The oppression was over. God had heard their cry, was concerned for his people, and was faithful to his promises to them. They journeyed from Rameses to Succoth that first day, which would have been about a 15-mile journey southeast. At Succoth they probably regrouped, rested and ate. We don’t know where these two cities were exactly located during that time, but Rameses was probably one of the Egyptian storehouses that the Israelites were forced to build in the area of Goshen where they lived. It must have been centrally located as the Israelites seem to mobilize there to start their journey out of Egypt. Our main concern is not that we can or can’t locate these cities on a map, but that the Israelites exodus from Egypt really happened. It was a true event and the places named prove it. Although we do not know exactly where these places are today, when Moses wrote this book, the first hearers and readers would have known.

About 600,000 men “on foot,” besides women and children left Rameses and journeyed to Succoth. It has been estimated that there could have been anywhere from two to three million people involved in the exodus. The phrase “on foot” was used to mean foot soldiers in an army. This is the second time a military term has been used in this passage. This astronomically high number appears consistently in the Bible. In Numbers 1, God commanded Moses to take a census of the whole Israelite community on the first day of the second month of the second year after the Israelites came out of Egypt. The total according to Numbers 1:46 was 603,550. In Numbers 26:51 the number of Israelites taken in the second census was 601,730. These numbers would attest to what Pharaoh said in Exodus 1:9, “The Israelites have become far too numerous for us.” When Jacob and his family originally came to Egypt, they were seventy people, now with God’s miraculous blessing they had multiplied to over 600,000. Their number was also great enough to terrify the Moabites. Numbers 22:3 says, “and Moab was terrified because there were so many people. Indeed, Moab was filled with dread because of the Israelites.” Moses was not worried about giving us exact numbers but with letting the first hearers know that their God was and is a miracle-working and promise-keeping God.

We notice that “many other people” or a “mixed multitude” went up with them. These may have included Egyptians who believed in what Moses was saying and knew Pharaoh was not the right horse to back, so to speak. They may have included Egyptians who had married Israelites and other foreign slaves that had been captured by the Egyptians and had been oppressed as the Israelites were. All of these groups of people and possibly others took this opportunity to get out while the getting was good. Fretheim says, “God’s redemption is not for the chosen few; it is for the sake of all the world.” Isaiah 56:6-7 says, “And foreigners who bind themselves to the Lord to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, and to be his servants, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant—these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.” We don’t assume that all this “mixed multitude” changed their allegiance to God, but it reminds of God’s covenant with Abraham in Genesis 12:3b: “all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Idaville Church should also be a blessing to the “mixed multitudes” around us. All people are made in the image of God and are worthy to be accepted in God’s house. We are to be a hospital for the sick, not a country club for the entitled. Everyone is somewhere on the journey of becoming more like Jesus and we need to be welcoming and accepting of others no matter where they are on that journey. That brings us to our second next step this morning which is to “Be welcoming and accepting of others no matter where they are on their journey with the Lord.”

We also see that large droves of livestock, both flocks and herds, went with them. God is concerned about all of his creation and brings everyone and everything out of slavery. It was truly a complete deliverance. When they had arrived in Succoth to rest, they also took time to eat. They took the dough that they carried in the kneading troughs on their shoulders and now baked them into cakes of unleavened bread. We are again told that the dough was without yeast to remind us of the Passover meal and the haste in which they left Egypt. We might think why didn’t they now add the yeast? First, the journey was far from over. There was still a long way to go, and they were probably thinking that Pharaoh was not going to let them go that easy. They still wasn’t time to waste by letting the dough rise. Second, it continued the theme of remembering what God had just done in freeing them from slavery. In the picture of the unleavened bread God was providing for his people and keeping his promises to them.

The Israelites spent 430 years in Egypt which was foretold to Abraham in Genesis 15:13, “Then the Lord said to him, “Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved and mistreated there. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions.” The difference between the four hundred years in Genesis and the four hundred and thirty years here is insignificant. Again, Moses was not concerned with exact figures. He was concerned that future Israelite generations would know that their God was faithful to his people, and he had brought the Israelites out of Egypt right on schedule on the very day he had planned it. They needed to know that God kept his promises and provided for them, and that he would continue to do so in the future. (Big Idea) At the end of the 430 years, the Israelites left Egypt. “To the very day” doesn’t mean they left exactly 430 years from the day they arrived there. It means that on “that very day” after the Passover night, Moses and the Israelites left Egypt. ​​ “All the Lord’s divisions” is the third instance of a military term being used in this passage. The chosen people of Israel are portrayed as the army of God, looking forward to a time when they would conquer the Promised Land. This is the beginning of the nation of Israel, and they left Egypt as a conquering army and would enter the promised Land the same way.

As we near the end of the passage we are reminded of the commemoration, first introduced in Exodus 12:14, that was to take place in future generations. On Passover night, the Lord kept vigil and “passed through” Egypt striking down the firstborn and “passed over” the Israelites. The word “vigil” gives the sense of “watching” or “observing.” Psalm 121:7-8 says, “The Lord will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” In the future, the Israelites were to do the same. They were to carefully “watch” or “observe” the Passover which would remind them of that night when God kept his promises made to Abraham and brought them out of slavery in Egypt. The phrase “out of Egypt” will be repeated 56 times after this. God wanted his people to remember that he delivered them out of slavery in Egypt and brought them to the land he had promised their forefathers.

On God’s promises, C.H. Spurgeon said: “God never gives his children a promise which he does not intend them to use.” He goes on to say, “There are some promises in the Bible which I have never yet used, but I am well assured that there will come times of trial and trouble when I shall find that that poor despised promise, which I thought was never meant for me, will be the only one on which I can float.” Charles Spurgeon (Spurgeon, Spurgeon’s Sermons, vol. 2, 404.) The Lord had made many promises to Abraham and Moses concerning his people who would be or were now in captivity in Egypt. In Genesis 15:14 and Exodus 3:8, the Lord promised he would bring his people out of slavery in Egypt and into the Promised Land. He also promised that they would leave as wealthy people providing everything, they would need in the wilderness to survive and to worship him. In Genesis 12:2, the Lord promised they would become a great nation and in Genesis 12:3, the Lord promised that they would be a blessing to the world. In Exodus 3:20, God promised Moses that he would perform mighty wonders in Egypt. 1 Kings 8:56 says, “Praise be to the Lord, who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses.” No matter how long it takes, God’s promises always come true. No matter what we need, God will provide it for us.

The Israelites after 430 years may have thought that the Lord had given Abraham and Moses promises that he did not intend for them to use. They may have thought that his promised deliverance was too good to be true. But the Lord’s promised deliverance was the poor despised promise, that they never thought was meant for them, but was the one on which they could float. They could trust and believe in God’s promises and provision for their lives, and we can too no matter how long it takes and no matter what we need. That brings us to our last next step this morning which is to Trust in God’s provision and promises in and for my life.

As the praise team comes forward to lead us in a final song and the ushers prepare to collect the tithes and offerings, let us pray: Lord God, you are so great. You are so high above us. Thank you for teaching us your ways and showing us who you are and how you want us to live. Help us to allow you to rule and reign in our hearts and life letting you bless us as you see fit. Help us to be welcoming and accepting of others at Idaville Church no matter where they are on their journey with you. And help us to trust in your provision and promises not only in and for our own lives but in and for the life of our church. I pray all this in the precious name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

 

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