Facing Your Red Sea

O.T. #170  "Facing Your Red Sea"
Nov. 14, 2013
Exodus 14-Part 2
So not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today.
Exodus 14:13a,b NIV

LET IT GLOW

Have you ever been between a rock and a hard spot? Have you obeyed God in a particular situation concerning your family, job, or church to have it not be working out like you thought God wanted it to happen? That is when our faith in God's faithfulness must kick in, friend. He keeps His Word. Are you facing your Red Sea? Do you need to see His deliverance today? Continue reading.

Pharaoh's army was in hot pursuit and the Israelites were panicking. They had three options-let the Egyptians capture them, fight the Egyptian army, or have faith in God to deliver them once again. They faced the moving Red Sea. A sea was in front and an army was in back. What to do. Which way do we look, forward, backward, or upward?

We read where the Israelites accused Moses of taking them to the wilderness to die. It would have been better for them to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert, so they thought and said. They were terrified and cried out to the LORD.

Israel had less than 600,000 fighting men. The poorly trained, inadequately equipped, militarily unprepared, and inexperienced Israelite (13:17) were no match for Pharaoh's experienced troops and his highly trained and mobilized chariot force. (MacArthur)

When the children of Israel reached the Red Sea, they might have concluded that God had abandoned His promise to them. The sea was barring their advance, and the murderous Egyptian army was racing to overtake them! No one has ever experienced unfaithfulness on God's part! Allow time for God to reveal His faithfulness to you. Someday you will reflect on what God has done and praise Him for His absolute faithfulness to you.  (Blackaby)

1 Thessalonians 5:24 says, He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.

What was Moses' reply to the doubting Israelites? Here is his answer in verses 13 and 14 found first listed in King James Version, then in  (New International Version):

• Fear ye not. (Do not be afraid.)
• Stand still. (Stand firm.)
• See the salvation of the LORD. (You will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today.)
• For the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more forever. (The Egyptians you see today you will never see again.)
• The LORD shall fight for you. (The LORD will fight for you.)
• Ye shall hold your peace. (You need only to be still.)

God was on their side. They could not win that battle on their own strength. God would fight for His children. It is important that we stand still before we "go forward" (verse 15), for unless we are standing by faith, we can never walk by faith.  (Wiersbe)

Are we still long enough to hear God tell us which way to go?

LET IT GROW

What did the LORD say to Moses?

• Why are you crying out to Me?
• Speak to the children of Israel that they may go forward.
• Raise your staff and stretch over the sea to divide the water so the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.
• I will gain glory through Pharaoh, all his army, his chariots, and his horsemen.
• The Egyptians will know that I am the LORD.

The LORD promised deliverance to overrule all despair and hopelessness for Israel and us.

What happened?
The Angel of the Lord, a pillar of dark cloud and fiery cloud changed the advancing guard withdrew to being a rear guard of Egyptians.
What a sight! The LORD was between the army of Egypt and the children of Israel all night. What was dark to one was light to the other. Neither went near the other all night.

How do we look at our troubles and trials? Is it darkness, defeat, or despair to our life or do we let the light of Jesus shine on it giving us hope and faith?

We are leaving the Israelites on the edge of the Sea. What will happen? We have an advantage of being able to look back at their dilemma and read how it turns out. We don't have that advantage for our problems. We wish we could see how it turns out, but then it wouldn't require faith, would it?
The just are to live by faith, for that is what pleases God.

LET IT GO

Stand firm and be still.

Let go and let God have our problem.

See Him work, then give God the glory for the victory.