On the Bank of the Deep Red Sea

15 verse one then Moses and the sons of Israel sang this song to the Lord there there ready to signal the other side of the Red Sea, they compose this beautiful hymn. I will sing to the Lord for he is highly exalted.

The Lord is my strength and my song. He is become my salvation is my God and I will praise him. Isn't it great because when you're black stand what you think my God is he there is a capable but when he pulls it throughout when you're on the other side. Then you both.

This is my God, I love being in a position in the place in a difficult situation and there was nothing about it. No matter how much you thought prayed about it. There was no way out. Or maybe you faced a tough issue and it seemed like God simply wanted you to wait it out. That's really hard when we face difficult circumstances.

Every instinct is to try to do something to solve the problem, but friend sometimes doing nothing but wait for God is exactly what God wants.

This is wisdom for the heart. And here's Stephen baby with a message called on the banks of the deep Red Sea. I want to turn your attention this morning.

Back to the book of Exodus we are in chapter 13.

As we continue to study the progression of the children of Israel as they exit out of Egypt and this is the first episode that occurs in their lives since they have exited.

There are times in our lives that I think will see paralleled here times when we are with our backs against the wall. We have a number of different phrases we would use for that experience.

We are in a jam to pickle or whatever you want to call it but we find those periods in our lives when there is nothing seemingly that we can do it may be a situation resulting from an unwise decision, perhaps, uncontrollable events and we find ourselves boxed in, wondering what in the world were to do. I think will find the solutions in part as we view the Israelites as they find themselves on the banks of the deep Red Sea Exodus chapter 13 let's begin by reading at verse 17. Now it came about when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them.

By the way of the land of the Philistines, even though it was near. For God said, less the people change their minds when they see war or that is the elements of war and they returned to Egypt. Hence, God led the people around. By the way of the wilderness to the Red Sea and the sons of Israel went up in Marshall array from the land of Egypt and Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear saying God shall surely take care of you and you shall carry my bones from here with you. So they set out from sockets encamped in Eastham on the edge of the wilderness and the Lord was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way and in the pillar of fire by night to give them light and they might travel by day and by night in. He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night from before the people.

You probably studied with us the life of Joseph and you remember on his deathbed he asked the sons of Israel nor his brothers for them to take his bones with them because he prophesied according the Lord of the Lord, that they would surely leave Egypt. And when you leave Egypt take my bones with you and and I felt it possible to draw from this a couple of principles that are so true to the leading of God and if you have your note you will find just about the entire sentence is written up.

The first is this when God is in charge are in control speed does not degenerate into panic.

I could imagine 2 1/2 million Israelites ready to go there exiting Egypt. It's been 400+ years of servitude. And yet, according to God's design. They were panic stricken. They were enough enough time was given for them to go by that mausoleum or wherever that place wise and pick up the coffin with the 400+-year-old bones of Joseph the second thing that I think we can draw from that is when God is in control every detail of his promises are significant. Every detail I find an Israelite, I would've probably said no way where you were getting out of Egypt. 450 year-old bones who cares let's go with God. In effect, to say every detail of my counsel is significant.

Every detail his promises fulfilled down to the letter. One other comment in passing. You note that in verse 18 it refers to the Red Sea. That's interesting because the scoffers or the critics of Scripture or the supernatural element of Scripture would say that since the Hebrews young Sufi could be translated in the Sea of Reeds. So what this is really talking about is perhaps ankle or knee-deep water. A marshy place. This could be translated literally the sea of papyri papyri growing along the banks as was normally done Egypt so there really wasn't anything supernatural to the parting of the sea with his East waited kind and write out a little spot there and they went across. Perhaps you've heard that and you probably heard the rebuttal that it it's to me it's kind of embarrassing to think that the Egyptian army would drown in knee-deep water. You would think they'd be better swimmers than that, but we we really have a hard time pinpointing where this is.

Perhaps this was the Gulf of Aqaba.

Perhaps is one thanks maybe one of the better links we know was deep enough that the people of Israel when they got to the bank didn't say, well, let's just wait across they had their backs and assents to that water, God would lead them to a very difficult place that I'll show you in just a moment, but this is out on expanse of water, perhaps one of the better links that will take a miracle to get across.

They did know how God would do it well. Let's take a look at the way the Lord leads them. Let's look at verse five the king of Egypt was told that the people of fled Pharaoh and his servants had a change of heart toward the people and they said, what is this, we done that we let Israel go from serving us. Remember he has 2 million slaves. This is a financial deal that he's worried that he doesn't pay them but they built his buildings and now when they left they taken most of the jewelry that belong to the Egyptians. He's facing financial ruin, building is stopped, so verse six he makes his chariots ready and he takes his people with him.

He takes 600 select chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them. The officer according to that they would've been the that the other individual writing in the chariot. Perhaps the Bowman and the other man would be the driver or the writer and there they go 600 of his select chariots for the lead car going after this ragtag band of of liberated slaves to capture them and to bring them back. The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh verse eight, the king of Egypt and he chased after the sons of Israel, the sons of Israel. Going up boldly and the Egyptians chased after them. Of all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, and they overtook them camping by the sea, beside pie, half a Roth in front of bail is a fun it's interesting to note that God in a sense, leads the Israelites to an interesting position. Note verse two of chapter 14. Tell the sons of Israel. Note this in fact underline it to turn back and Before Praha a Roth which is the mountain of the cavern translated from the Hebrew word between Mick Dall. That's a tower that is perhaps one of the Egyptian fortresses at that particular juncture that would impose their mind upon anybody who thought they would invade Egypt. There would be a select guard on that tower watching over that particular terrain take them to the mouth of the Caverns, the mountain of the caverns there where the tower is and that's not all, to the other side opposite it will be the bail Xenophon that is the Lord of the north that that vast desert region and so there they are in a perfect dead-end street.

They are surrounded by a cavernous mountain by the desert and by the Red Sea and coming toward them is the Egyptian army.

I wonder how we would respond being one of the Israelites, having heard Moses say, let's stop right here and turn back and let's get extended this corner here. Well note the response we don't have to imagine verse 10 as Pharaoh drew near the first response is fear in your notes, the sons of Israel locked in the Egyptians were marching after them. Perhaps they couldn't see the soldiers but they could see the dustbowl and they know that Pharaoh was sending his only core perhaps a lookout had run back to Moses and said the chariots are coming.

Somehow they knew they sensed and they were petrified so they became. According to the text very frightened.

So the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord.

They were terrified, boxed in. Nowhere to go. The second would be typical because they were not trusting God.

Look at verse 11.

Then they said to Moses, he's about to get it right here. Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness, why have you dealt with us in this way, bringing us out of Egypt and I can imagine whenever Moses gave the order to stop and turn around 2 million people said, but way Canaan is is this way. Not this way. This is the wrong way and in effect they had literally reversed the direction that would've taken them hundred and 50 miles to Canaan.

There were probably thoughts that he didn't know where he was. Maybe he was law. I can imagine 2 million people were leading us were going the wrong way and Moses says God wants us here and then they hear the rumble of the chariots and they see the dustbowl kicked up from those Steve and then there blame turns to despair.

Third verse 12. Is this not the word that we spoke to you I told you Moses, saying, leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians. They think this is that were either going to return to Egypt. The slaves all were going to die. They were looking all around, they didn't think of looking up and there was that cloudy pillar that had led them thus far in whatever we doubt whenever we lose sight of the fact that God is leading the turns to blame and he's the first one who gets the blame.

But the problem with that, ladies and gentlemen, if you are blaming God ultimately will lead to despair, where you will question the roots of your faith you will question God. You may even come to the point where you say, God, you must not love me. Maybe I don't belong to you and you see the thing picks up and it snowballs and we end up right where they ended up but Moses comes back and he exhorts the people. This really won't help but notice what he says there's a fourfold exhortation.

The first is don't be afraid Moses said to the people do not fear what a great leader.

You see the chariots coming your needs are not getting an Moses is word from God is don't be afraid Moses wake up, rub your eyes. Can you say you know what I believe ladies and gentlemen, I think it will take two things let me add these to your notes for us to not be afraid when our backs are against the wall. We had these two units number one takes an understanding that things do not happen by coincidence, I don't believe in it. Things do not happen by coincidence. Romans 828 has been abused and misused and thrown at people who are earning a golfer yet in all things work together for good, and we seem to because of that. Forget it's in the Bible words great practical theology all things work out for our spiritual good to them who are loving God who are being led by God, it's there and then gets rid of the coincidences of life are designed. The second thing I think it takes is an acknowledgment that God is powerful enough to handle any situation. Exodus chapter 14 the last part of the chapter verse 31, would you note that when Israel saw the great power which the Lord used against the Egyptians. They feared God. In other words, they and come to a point where they have forgotten. This is the awesome God.

The God who took on the gods of Egypt and showed his power.

We forget we?

Can you handle this one so Moses says don't be afraid. I like his next statement.

This is the second exhortation standby you translate that standstill. That's the last thing you want to do you want to run but swing this Red Sea. Let's expect a miracle and try to walk across was hide out in the caverns of this mountain, let's do anything but just hear the old adage, don't just stand there do something.

Moses is telling 2 1/2 million people don't do anything just stand there just wait don't run, but along with that comes a perception solution standstill and see watch look.

Note the salvation of the Lord, which he will accomplish for you today for the Egyptians whom you've seen today, you will never see them again forever. In other words just stand there and let God have a chance to do what he can do amazing what God can do without our assistance to amazing what he can accomplish without our help. What God was doing was bringing the people of Israel to appoint where they would recognize at the beginning of their spiritual journey as it were, that he could accomplish what he wanted to accomplish. You see, it is Passover that is the symbol of redemption that is where they became that nation redeemed by the blood. Now these are the first few infant steps of their life and God does the same as last week on the cross he shows his power and salvation in redeeming us.

But what is it take another week, another two weeks and all of a sudden we recognize that that was the starting point and was the beginning God wants to reveal to them that he has the power to lead them through their journey, just as he has power to lead, so don't be afraid to stand there, watch and the fourth one is very convicting verse 14 the Lord will fight for you while you keep quiet. We talk too much.

When we get into a difficult situation. The first thing that we do is we tell everybody that we know and that we tacked on the end of it, but God can handle it.

I'm not suggesting that if you have a difficulty that you don't tell anybody. There are people took to let know what the problem is that we are so busy talking. We don't listen we go to everybody, but the right person.

He says you just stand there and you watch fight for you, and why watching just because when we talk. We tend to doubt we verbalize our doubts and that deepens them in our hearts and we begin to believe what we say what we say is not true. So, God will perform his miracle in his miraculous powers demonstrated by forcing look at verse 15 then the Lord said to Moses, why are you crying out to me. Tell the sons of Israel to go for now and as for you, lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divided the sons of Israel shall go through the midst of the sea on dry land.

This was an option we unconsidered and as for me, the whole I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go after them and I will be honored through Pharaoh and all his army through his chariots and his horsemen and the Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh. When I am honored through Pharaoh through his chariots and his horsemen and the angel of God could been going before the camp of Israel moved in and went behind them.

Here's the first manifestation of his power. That pillar of cloud moved from before the Israelites and stood behind them that accomplished a couple of things that cloudy pillar that was leading the people now stopped and shifted so it came behind the 2 1/2 million people walking their vision so they couldn't see the Egyptians and be even more terrified and it blocks the Egyptians vision so that they couldn't see what was going on because while this pillars here, God is opening the sea and they are walking through it and God will anticipate that cloud and move it again in front at the right time so the Egyptians can notice hey there going through the sea, we better catch up and follow it so. The first is the cloudy pillar moves in between the two camps. The second is an east wing arises. Moses stretched out his hand over the sea and the Lord swept the sea back verse 21 by a strong east wind. It's interesting that this was the same east window brought the locusts into Egypt. This is the same east wind that brought the storm upon the ship Jonah was fleeing from God, and God uses this east wind throughout the Old Testament. This came in to drive the land that is that that dry or that double bed that riverbed it dried it up so that they could take their wagons and their cattle and all of the people in and go through and then of course the Red Sea is divided somehow God use the wind as well. This is an incredible miracle.

The waters were divided.

Verse 21 verse 22 of the sons of Israel went through the midst of the sea on dry land and the waters were like a wall that them on the right hand and on their left and only stop for just a moment because you have a Sunday school picture in your mind of this event you got Moses without long beard and long hair and looks like Charlton Heston. You know he's got a staff and he's walking through this dry riverbed and a couple of people on this site you know in and people behind them. In this long funnel of people walking through the Red Sea, you can kind of reach out and say you like that fish there and you can say all I can touch the site here. Well, thanks to the expositors who are something of mathematicians they have figured out that if you took 2 million+ people and you put them in a line 10 abreast, and if that was as wide as that dry riverbed or that pathway was that line of people would stretch 190 miles. The first person through would've entered Canaan before the last person ever got into the riverbed. Here's the point we have a pathway that is perhaps a mile along the text tells us this was accomplished during the night watch for 2 million people to move through this path was a mile, perhaps even 2 miles wide and will throw in something else to his currents flow that one wall, perhaps either God would stop the current from flowing or that particular wall into which the current flows is getting bigger and bigger and bigger different picture. You have wagons you have people going through that riverbed, perhaps a couple of miles wide and it's all being done in a split second, God's miraculous power widens the thing, not 10 feet but perhaps as wide as 2 miles and they start going to the river. The fourth miracle curse. Of course, occurs when they get through verse 23. The Egyptians took up the pursuit and all of Pharaoh's horses, his chariots and his horsemen went in after them into the midst of the sea, and it came about in the morning watch that the Lord looked down on the Army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud and brought the Army of the Egyptians and the confusion because their chariot wheels to swerve and he made them drive with difficulty so the Egyptians said let's flee from Israel. Note this for Yahweh is fighting for them against the Egyptians.

I cannot imagine being an Egyptian soldier driving my chariot with all of the confidence in the world.

After these ragtag slaves I get out of the middle of that thing in a chariot wheel falls off and those with me begin the blog down is that dry riverbed miraculously begins to turn the marsh in it and it licks and it grabs that the wheels and all of a sudden I realize is I'm surrounded by that huge wall of water a mile away and this one. Perhaps 1/2 a mile a mile away that I realize Yahweh is doing this, my friend, this is a tremendous picture that I want to be part of the people led by God, I want to be redeemed, because God does judge those who refuse his name will face that judgment the Egyptian army was defeated. In fact, we know from historians. It took 23 years for an Egyptian to ever come near the Red Sea, they were terrified because that's where God manifested his power in behalf of the Israelite familiar story, but let me draw some application to us today because you and I at times stand on the banks of our own Red Sea.

Let me give you three thoughts first is this predicaments are designed by God to develop trust. Verse 31 says when Israel saw the great power which the Lord used against the Egyptians, the people feared. That is, they revered they had an all trusting all of their God base. In fact it says in the text that they look at the bodies of the Egyptians that had washed up on shore.

They had an undeniable, irrefutable evidence of God's power will that do to you if you'd been in Israelite, where would the doubts be punished. Trust in the power of you. Did you underline that in your text. Verse 18 of chapter 13 I think it's crucial to this point. Chapter 13 verse 18. The first phrase. Hence, God led the people. Isn't it interesting that God led them out of Egypt and he led them into difficulty. He led them into a corner. That is what we hear today. If you're following God. You'll be happy, wealthy, everything is taken care of.

Again, God walks him right into a box.

Why is one of my professors used to say over and over again.

It is because God designs to make us holy. Not happy. Holders happiness in Jesus Christ.

Don't get me wrong I love to laugh but he is designed to predicaments to develop depth and it takes a Red Sea to do that. Secondly, those who are willing to trust eventually see God's power revealed we got play an alien plan being plan saying and maybe when that fails okay Lord what's the option were busy running taught day planning out and we failed to go to him and trust because in the heart of this first away.

Yet, when God's power. Thirdly, is revealed, our ultimate response is praise chapter 15 verse one then Moses and the sons of Israel sang this song to the Lord and they are there greatest thing there on the other side of the Red Sea and they compose this beautiful him. I will sing to the Lord for he is highly exalted. The horse and its writer.

He is hurled into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my song. He is become my salvation is my God and I will praise a visiting great because when you're black Stan what you think boy, my God, is he there and is he capable but when he pulls it throughout when you're on the other side. Then you both. This is my God, I love being in a position in the place. My father's God. I will extol in verse three the Lord is a warrior.

The Lord is his name or Yahweh's name Pharaoh's chariots and his armies cast into the sea. Verse six thy right hand, the Lord is majestic in power, thy right hand, the Lord shatters the enemy. Verse 11 is likely among the gods. The Lord who was like the majestic in holiness often praises working wonders that it stretched out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them in thy lovingkindness that was led to people whom thou hast redeemed. Look at verse 17 that will bring them and plant them in the amount of thine inheritance the place so Lord which thou is made for thy dwelling.

The sanctuary Lord, which by hands of established the Lord shall reign for ever and ever. We see God move when we allow him the opportunity to work and he does know what our responses is praise. I don't know where you are my friend.

Some of you are right on the bank of the Red Sea. Some of you may be facing. Great difficulty. Decisions to be made that all of the details in the questions and the wondering God is our God and he is the same God is the God of the Israelite.

We will wait and watch and keep quiet.

There is no telling what his alternative plan what his option is getting his way. I hope that the next time you face a difficult lesson you learned today will help you. Stephen Davey called this message on the banks of the deep Red Sea. The series is from our vintage wisdom collection that Stephen first preached back in 1989. We enjoy hearing from you and learning how God uses these lessons to build you up in the fact send us an email at info@wisdomonline.org that's info@wisdomonline.org. I hope we hear from you today and I hope you'll be back with us next time. As we bring more