Before There Were Kings 4 - Moses: Free at Last!

Reading: Exodus 14:10-31
The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:14 (NIV)

I.   No Escape

     A.  Look at the Facts

           1.  Who wouldn’t be scared?

                 a.  Resist the temptation to ridicule them for acknowledging the obvious.

                 b.  They recognized that they really couldn’t stand up to Egypt.

           2.  An untrained poorly equipped group of former slaves against the best of Egypt?

                 a.  Even I can see the foolishness of confidence in a situation like that.

           3.  Can’t move forward, can’t move back.

                 a.  They were pinned between the sea and the Egyptian army.

     B.  Why did we ever want Freedom?

           1.  Can we ever be free with these powerful Egyptians to chase us whenever they want?

                 a.  Every slave’s fear is that if they would run away, they would only be caught.

                 b.  They lacked power, Egypt had it.

           2.  Fear drives us back to the familiar — even if the familiar is terrible.

                 a.  Don’t dismiss their fear either.

                 b.  It is simply human to prefer the familiar to the unknown.

           3.  Freedom is just another word for “it’s up to us now.”

                 a.  Freedom is really a frightening concept.

                 b.  Many people would much rather have someone tell them what to do.

                 c.  Freedom means responsibility — because we have a choice.

     C.  The Lord will Fight for you.

           1.  It’s not just up to us. God will fight for us.

                 a.  The terror of freedom is set aside when we know God is our helper.

                 b.  Yes, we are free, but we aren’t alone!

           2.  Stand firm and watch

                 a.  Stand (don’t run)—what we do in spiritual battle according to Eph. 6.

                 b.  Just watch what God is going to do.

           3.  Just be quiet.

                 a.  Quit your whining.

                 b.  God has a plan. Don’t worry about it.

II.  Between a Promise and a threat

     A.  The Angel of God

           1.  The angel of God had been leading them.

                 a.  This ‘Angel of God’ appears in many places in the Old Testament.

                 b.  He is a protector of God’s people

           2.  The “Angel of God” is sometimes identified as God, sometimes as distinct from God.

                 a.  Sometimes we have a hard time deciding between the two.

                 b.  The point: God protects his people.

           3.  The Angel of God takes the form of a pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night.

                 a.  The Angel leads God’s people.

                 b.  A visible sign that God is with them.

                 c.  The pillar of fire provides light in the darkness - literally and figuratively.

     B.  Between Israel and Egypt

           1.  The Angel of God moves between Israel and Egypt. (v.19)

                 a.  Like a parent might become between his child and a growling dog.

                 b.  This is a visible sign that God has made a barrier between the two camps.

           2.  God’s protection comes between his people and whatever threatens them.

                 a.  Egypt won’t destroy them. Later Babylon won’t. Rome won’t.

                 b.  Whenever God’s people are threatened God is there to protect them.

           3.  This barrier is there to keep both separate from the other.

                 a.  The barrier is a two way barrier. (v.20)

                 b.  Wouldn’t there be a temptation for some to make peace with the soldiers?

     C.  Separating with Light and darkness

           1.  God’s Angel gives both light and darkness.

                 a.  The first act of creation was to create light and separate it from darkness.

                 b.  Here God’s presence does that again.

           2.  Light falls on the Israelites

                 a.  Light shines like grace on God’s people during the fearful night.

           3.  Darkness falls on the Egyptians.

                 a.  In the night the darkness is even darker.

III. God will Make a way

     A.  Moses Stretches his hand

           1.  Did God need Moses to stretch his hand?

                 a.  Of course not.

                 b.  God could easily have done it alone

           2.  Moses is a channel of God’s power

                 a.  God often works through people.

                 b.  He shows who He is working through.

           3.  Moses does visibly what God does invisibly

                 a.  It is God’s hand that does it and Moses’ hand that mirrors God’s action.

     B.  Israel crosses on Dry ground

           1.  God separates the water from the dry ground as in the creation.

                 a.  The wind blows all night to do this.

                 b.  The wind of God’s nostrils (15:8).

           2.  Wouldn’t it have been a little damp?

                 a.  And what would be so bad about that?

           3.  God’s solution was more than necessary

                 a.  As always!

                 b.  God demonstrates his awesome power

     C.  Free at last!

           1.  The thing that saves Israel dooms Egypt.

                 a.  The path to freedom collapses on those who would enslave them.
I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. “As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day. John 12:46-48

           2.  God removes the threat once for all.

                 a.  All Israel sees their enemy’s defeat.

                 b.  Egypt won’t chase them anymore.

           3.  Israel is now free for the first time in anyone’s memory.

                 a.  They stood and they saw (v.31)

                 b.  They are quiet no longer:(chapter 15)!

The Bottom Line:

Hymn: Red #36 A Mighty Fortress