Tuesday, March 2, 2021

New Battle/Same God - Part 1

 

Pastor Kyle continued in our church’s Sunday sermon series through the book of Exodus by opening that freedom is a word that we throw around a lot and a word that we take for grant. The word “Freedom” is defined as: A state of exemption from the power or control of another; liberty; exemption from slavery, servitude or confinement. Freedom is personal, civil, political, and religious. Freedom implies sacrifice. In Israel’s exodus from Egypt, freedom was such an important word that God would have them set up their must significant holiday so that they would always remember what it was like to be in bondage, what it cost and Who paid the price for their freedom. They had seen God win the most epic battle for them, yet they faced new battles ahead, having to trust that God would come through in victory again. We faces battle today in this fallen world and must too stand on the promises and strength of God. It’s just a new battle, but the same God. We can question God or trust God in them. 

 

Exodus 14:1-4 Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “Speak to the children of Israel, that they turn and camp before Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, opposite Baal Zephon; you shall camp before it by the sea. For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, ‘They are bewildered by the land; the wilderness has closed them in.’ Then I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, so that he will pursue them; and I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord.” And they did so.

 

This direction from God to camp on the shore of the Red Sea left the people of God as “sitting ducks” against Pharaoh’s army. This maneuver was as much for the glory of God as it was for the freedom of the Israelites. Sometimes, we think that some conflict from our past is done and over, but it’s really not. God knows what we do not know, and He knew that if He hadn’t defeated Pharaoh in one final definitive event, then Egypt would continue to attack the Israelites in the future. Pharaoh had to experience and come to the realization that he was battling Almighty God. 

 

Exodus 14:5-9 Now it was told the king of Egypt that the people had fled, and the heart of Pharaoh and his servants was turned against the people; and they said, “Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?” So, he made ready his chariot and took his people with him. Also, he took six hundred choice chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt with captains over every one of them. And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the children of Israel; and the children of Israel went out with boldness. So, the Egyptians pursued them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, and overtook them camping by the sea beside Pi Hahiroth, before Baal Zephon.

 

How quickly people forget the workings of the Lord? It shows that Satan will endlessly pursue Believers. With rage, Pharaoh was thinking that he was smarter than God in pursuing, cornering and pinning the Israelites with their backs against the Red Sea, yet they were mere human coming up against Almighty God, Creator of heaven and earth. 

 

Exodus 14:10-12 And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So, they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord. Then they said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.”

 

The Israelites saw the advancing army of Egypt, and in their fear from such an amanous, formable military sight and the pending doom bearing down upon them, they reflected comparatively upon the life they had before as a better fate. At the moment, slavery seemed better than death. Neither was God’s plan or God’s will. But, what fear often does is polarizes us into thinking of worse outcomes only. It seemed that the Israelite people were not trusting God, but have you ever been in their terrifying situation? But in the face of death, they did the right thing in crying out to the Lord for deliverance. To get us were God wants us to go, there is often a painful journey to endure along the way. 

 

Let’s continue Pastor Kyle’s message on new battles/Same God in the next post.

In Christ, Brian

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