I invite you to turn in the scriptures this morning to the second book of the Bible, the second book of the Bible, Exodus chapter 14, as we last week began this glorious scene at the Red Sea. And to set the context here a little bit, remember they have turned around and there come 600 chariots 600 choice chariots of the egyptians after them and they are panicked i'm going to read at verse 10 to the end of the chapter this is the word of the lord exodus 14 beginning at verse 10 when pharaoh drew near the people of israel lifted up their eyes and behold the Egyptians were marching after them and they feared greatly and the people of Israel cried out to the Lord they said to Moses is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you've taken us away to die in the wilderness what have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt is not this what we said to you in Egypt leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians for it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness. And Moses said to the people, fear not, stand firm and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you and you have only to be silent. The Lord said to Moses, why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. Lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground. And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they shall go in after them. And I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his hosts, his chariots and his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord when I have gotten glory over Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen. Then the angel of God who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel and there was the cloud and the darkness and it lit up the night without one coming near the other all night then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land and the waters were divided and the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left the Egyptians pursued and went in after them into the midst of the sea all Pharaoh's horses his chariots and his horsemen and in the morning watch the Lord in a pillar of fire and of cloud looked down upon the egyptian forces and threw the egyptian forces into a panic clogging their chariot wheels so that they drove heavily and the egyptians said let us flee from before israel for the lord fights for them against the egyptians then the lord said to moses stretch out your hand over the sea that the water may come back upon the egyptians upon their chariots and upon their horsemen so moses stretched out his hand over the sea and the sea returned to its normal course when the morning appeared and as the egyptians fled into it the lord threw the egyptians into the midst of the sea the waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen of all the host of pharaoh that had followed them into the sea not one of them remained but the people of israel walked on dry ground through the sea the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left thus the lord saved israel that day from the hand of the egyptians and israel saw the egyptians dead on the seashore israel saw the great power that the lord used against the egyptians so the people feared the lord and they believed in the lord and in his servant Moses. May the Lord bless the hearing of his word. As we started the wilderness journey, as we began this great wilderness journey, we learned something last week about the Lord's ways and the Lord's leading. The scene before us, you remember Israel was ready for battle and that was a striking little phrase that they had lined up for war. They were in ranks and ready to fight But the Lord told us at the beginning there of chapter 14 and the end of 13 that he wasn't leading them by the way of the Philistines and a certain route, lest when the children of Israel saw war, they would run back to Egypt. A fascinating thing that the Lord had pulled out there. Here they were ready for battle, but he knew they couldn't handle it. so he had rerouted them and he rerouted them and had an entirely different plan for them he took them south and then notice what he did he backed them up here we have them backed up all against the red sea with no way of running now in other words if you thought the first scene was bad the thought of them fighting the philistines he put them in a worse situation now only that they can't run at this point we looked at that from a military standpoint that that is the worst thing you could possibly do to your army that is the worst thing they are sheep for the slaughter you just put them in the most vulnerable position possible they are yes armed with the egyptian swords but have never fought a battle in their life never been trained for war they've been slaves for 400 years and this is where god wanted them that was the the beauty of where we had left off this is exactly where the lord wanted them helpless hands up helpless in that kind of position and from right there god had backed them into something they couldn't get out of couldn't get out in the most vulnerable position possible you figured out what this was right it's the story of salvation this is what the lord's teaching us he's teaching us about salvation today was the day of their deliverance today they would be able to sing to the lord in that new song that moses will sing in chapter 15 which is the song that they sung this is the lord he is our salvation they understood it they got it but it had been quite a ride already, hadn't it? Name one thing Israel did this entire time since they had been in Egypt to deliver themselves. Not one. It all comes down to the fact what's driving all of this, what the Spirit has inspired for us, is driven by the fact that God had made a promise to Abraham so many years ago that he would do this, and nothing could change that. Nothing could change that and this would be the basis of the song that they sing it's on their lips in their hearts from beginning to end the truth is the lord fought for me and the lord won the lord fought and the lord won and so i won the lord would have to fight for me all the way through the lord has to fight for us all the way through without him doing battle we don't win we don't win and that is what we have before us this morning god saying play plainly through his servant he would fight what did he want from them what was he after from them to believe that he would do this for them to trust him and you're going to i'm hoping by the end of this today understand a lot more what true faith looks like what true faith is and what the lord is after because the lord was fighting the battle of salvation for them and this is what he was calling them to the same is true for us that's what today is about we're going to look at this this morning you'll notice here that the lord is their shield you'll notice here he is their first assurance their shield and their salvation their assurance their shield and salvation we left off last time israel turns around and here come 600 of egypt's finest chariots you remember the psalms the psalms talk about the chariots and the horses and the strength of the horses and chariots that people trust in here they are the best of the day the greatest war chariots of the day 600 of them with Egypt's warriors coming at them with all that they have and it's not pretty they are full of rage Pharaoh is full of rage and in the midst of this they have utterly panicked haven't they they have utterly fallen apart of course they were ready for battle but that didn't last very long and they began to cry out to the Lord you'll notice it says that there which is interesting They first cried out to the Lord, but that was not a cry of trust, let me tell you. That was a cry of panic, and then they unleashed their anger on Moses. What have you done to us, Moses? We told you you leave us alone when we were in Egypt. We told you you should have. What have you brought us out here? Were there no graves in Egypt? You brought us out here to let us die in the wilderness so that there are graves out here? What did you do? He stopped and he said, what in the world? Where did that kind of rage in the heart come from? Had they forgotten so soon his power? Had they forgotten so soon that he had rained down every plague for them and delivered them with all kinds of displays of glory and power to set them free? It was all gone. Moses came back with a remarkable statement. Fear not, Israel. Fear not. I want you guys to fear. Stand firm. And I want you with your eyes to look at the salvation of the Lord. He's going to fight for you today. He's going to win this battle for you today. He's going to work for you today. You don't have to do one thing except this. Shut up. I want you to shut up. That's divinely inspired, so I don't want anyone getting mad at me that i said that today stop running your mouth in the moment of greatest despair and frailty the lord had just pinned them up purposely against the back of the red sea and he had completely put them in that position so that they would be cast upon his strength and his powerful hand to deliver we have such a hard time with that oh we have such a hard time with that i can't help but again raise what i said last week we are always wanting to run to something better the very thing the lord prevented here because he knew they would run when he put them in in the battle with the philistines he didn't want them running so now he's teaching them something he put them in a situation they absolutely can't run out of and we looked at last week we're always fence looking we're always looking for something better we want the glory road home we want the red carpet spread for us and we feel somewhat entitled and god backs us up god pins us up into a variety of circumstances where he won't let you run now i know this is the story of salvation that ultimately this is not about our own little personal battle this is the story of redemption but it is true that the lord is constantly teaching us this This is the position he wants us in. You're receivers this way. You understand that? You are receivers this way. You don't come with what you're going to offer to him. You can only trust this way. In these moments, it really does expose the heart. What an awful lashing out that came out from their hearts, wasn't it? What are we dealing with? Here's what you're dealing with. Here's what you're forced to deal with this morning. Israel had come to the moment where they were being called to faith and that what they had just displayed and lashing out against Moses and ultimately against God was no faith in his promises. This is not faith. This is not faith. And I believe when verse 15 happens and the Lord says, why do you cry to me, Moses? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. That is a rebuke, but it's not a rebuke for Moses. They had said, cried out to the Lord and then slammed Moses. So the Lord back through his man speaks to them. Do you know that the Psalms regard what just happened and describe what just happened as rebellion? Listen to Psalm 106. Our fathers in Egypt did not understand your wonders. They did not remember the multitude of your mercies, but rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea. Nevertheless, he saved them for his namesake, that he might make his mighty power known. Rebellion. They had rebelled in their hearts from the Lord right here, right out of the gates first moment. In a few days, they had forgotten all of his acts, they had forgotten all of his power, and they rebelled and they wanted to go back, only that God just put them in a situation they couldn't run. Of course, he had already sheltered them in Goshen for all these years. When it was dark, there was light in Goshen. When the plagues were striking Egypt, it was safe in Goshen. He had made a provision for the angel of death to pass over to them, and now in the first moment of despair, as soon as they're out in wilderness life, They won't in the least bit look to him and pray to him with a believing heart for deliverance. But instead, slander. 600 chariots are coming. What would you do? That's 1 Corinthians 10. That is something you can't bear. They can't bear. The answer is the Lord has to make a way of escape. That's what 1 Corinthians 10 is saying. But the question that comes out here this morning, the question of the entire text of this narrative is fairly simple. The question is this, will the Lord bring them into the land or not? Did he bring them out in the wilderness to die? That's what they raised. That's on their hearts and minds. Have you done all this to bring us this far so that we fall and die? Has the Lord started the work and then abandoned it? Does he do that? That's the issue, isn't it? they're not trusting they're not believing what he had spoken to abraham when he says i will do this i will give you the land your descendants will be as the stars in the heavens that magnificent and that many will the lord do it or has he just done all of this to wreck his inheritance, to wreck Abraham's inheritance? Has he done all this to just let us be railroaded by the enemy? Some of you feel that way. This really does touch assurance this morning, doesn't it? That's why I said the Lord is our assurance. Assurance is directly bound up with your view of God and his promises and faith in those promises. Is he a tyrant to you? Do you think He just has it in for you? Or do you believe that He has been so utterly kind and so gracious and so full of compassion and faithful to His promises that you have come to trust that He's going to do what He said regardless of the tyranny of your circumstances? Regardless of how bad, right, you've been. That you know and you so trust in your heart and you believe that whatsoever he has chosen to subject you to, it is to put on display his glory and power to gain glory for himself. Did you hear that when I read the passage? He wants glory for himself and his name is at stake. Those are pretty big things, isn't it? So that then no matter what happens, I can indeed know that nothing indeed can separate me from his love. That's faith. That's faith. Believing that, trusting that He is that kind and good to me and has made these promises to me and He can't waver on them. That is faith. When you're backed up, when you're disabled, and you have nowhere to turn, what is the response of your heart? The Lord tests us that way. When I said last week, had they gone this first route, it would have been two weeks, but instead it was 40 years to test them. To test them. So what does the Lord do? what do you think he calls them to faith notice it tell israel to go forward why are you crying out to me tell him to go forward so they're all full of complaining and misery and you know when people are like this they don't go anywhere they stand there they sulk there they remain there they never stop complaining about this situation that person it incessantly drives their life And notice here what happens. Here's what I love to think about. He just said, go forward. And the question everyone should say is, how? Should ask, how? There's a massive sea right in front of them. So God tells them, turn around, stop looking at the enemies, and start walking. Go forward. And I pondered at this point. He didn't say that after he had split the sea, did he? He said that before he split the sea. And I believe that's the whole point of the text. That's the whole point. The bigger picture here, the bigger story is salvation. We can't go forward. You can't deliver yourselves. You can't set yourself free. And the Lord says, go forward. Who's standing in front of them? Verse 19 tells you someone was standing there and positions himself at the back. To walk forward would be to walk to him. Who is that? Go forward. Something so shocking when you open up the book of Hebrews that I would never expect to be in Hebrews is that this was the moment that Israel trusted. They got into the hall of faith on this going forward. By faith, Hebrews 11, they passed through the Red Sea as on dry ground. Whereas the Egyptians attempting to do so were drowned. Israel makes it in right here. Isn't that remarkable? The psalm says it was rebellion by the sea. God said go forward. They go forward. They make it into Hebrews 11 by faith. In fact, Paul told us in 1 Corinthians 10, This is where they all got baptized. All of them and their babies. It was a definitive moment in Israel's history of passing through the waters of judgment untouched. There are these definitive moments, aren't there? God says, that's it. That's enough. No more. Stop the complaining. Stop the unbelief. Don't be unbelieving but believing. Come to me, says Christ. Come forward. Come to me, I'll make the way of escape. This was the moment, and Christ did that day. As they came to him, he spread out a canopy over them to shield them, he became their shield to shield them through the Red Sea. Upon believing, Hebrews 11, the Lord responded. Upon believing, he responded. What did he do? Well, it tells us in verse 16, the Lord tells us, Lift up your staff, Moses, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground. And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they shall go in after them. And I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his hosts, his chariots and all his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord when I've gotten glory over Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen. That's exactly what happened. Moses takes his giant staff, remember the staff and the rod, and what does God do? As Moses stretches it out, this east wind blows. And notice it was all night long. It wasn't bang, boom. They watched slowly the Lord part the sea so that it became so dry, the ground underneath was like a highway paved with cement. It was a powerful display of God's power and miracle to deliver them. Where do they cross? Lots of debate. I don't really care to get into it. It really doesn't interest me. Some say the Gulf of Aqaba, which is 5,000 feet. Others say, no, it can't be that. Two things the text emphasizes. Moses raised his hands and right in front of them, two giant walls come back and heap up and He splits to show His power the entire sea so that a highway was cast for them to pass through. And then a second thing. We read in verse 19, Then the angel of God who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them. And the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them, coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel. And there was the cloud and the darkness and it lit up the night without one coming near the other all night. It lit it up. What an amazing event. This pillar of cloud that was before them in fire, it lifts up and it comes behind them, forming a sort of canopy over them. And it comes behind them and we read here that this massive pillar on one side was complete light to Israel. You can imagine it lighting the halls of the water and behind them the cloud was complete blackness and darkness where the Egyptians were coming. What a powerful imagery that the Lord is giving us here. A large column of fire that rolls right up into heaven comes back and positions itself behind. But the text makes really clear that it was the angel of God. Who? Moses had already witnessed this. Where did Moses witness this? At the burning bush. The bush was on fire, but the bush was not consumed. Here is God on fire in their midst, not consuming them, going with them to lead them to fight the battle. And that angel who is Yahweh, We learned last time and we studied the pre-incarnate Son of God was there, leading them, guiding them, shielding them all the way through as a flame of fire. The glory cloud, as it's called. Isaiah 63 describes this. He became their Savior. In their affliction, He was afflicted and the angel of His presence saved them. In His love and in His pity, He redeemed them. he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old he remembered the days of old of moses and his people where is he who brought them up out of the sea with the shepherds of his flock where is he who put in the midst of them his holy spirit holy spirit right there he caused his glorious arm to go at the right hand of moses who divided the waters before them to make for himself an ever lasting name he spreads out a canopy and he shields them all the way through light on one side darkness on the other i always like to think about how many times the scriptures emphasize to us that we are sheltered until the storm is spent we sing out you bless the righteous oh lord you cover him with favor as with a shield and it it kind of now makes us stand back and say what why in the world did they fear what did they have to fear these puny egyptians could they really hurt them was that a battle they thought the lord could not fight did they think the lord could not win did they think the lord didn't want to win for them and yet they lashed out at him as if he had no power he didn't care he didn't love he this was the way they treated him you understand why the lord so often in scripture tells his people not to fear and worry it's all over the place why would you do that you've got a father who who cares about you not only has saved you but he's he's even going to feed you you're worried about this and that and clothing and this and that and he says i've put a canopy around you little quiz who said this who said this have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has on every side. You've blessed the work of his hands and his possessions have increased in the land. Who said that? Satan. He understood that about God's people, yet we don't. And the way we handle hardship tells us. Christ told you, I'll never leave you nor forsake you. I'm with you always to the close of the age. what a life you know not only has he delivered us not only has he sheltered us but then he wants to make you absolutely certain he's fought the battle for you and won this god is our salvation you see it in verses 23 through 28 where you have described this intense pursuit by these fools who in the world are they pursuing and look at what happens we read in verse 23 that the Egyptians pursued and went in after them in the midst of the sea all pharaoh's horses his chariots and his horsemen and in the morning watch the lord in the pillar of fire and cloud looked down on the Egyptian forces and threw them into a panic clogging their chariot wheels so that they drove heavily took them off it's fascinating probably between three and six in the morning keep in mind Ra is coming up soon for them the sun god and just about at the rising there the Lord starts fighting and that's what this was the Lord steps into the battle and Pharaoh is there riding on his horse and chariot and meet now they all meet their doom before Yahweh the final time notice this he begins clogging their wheels they run heavy and they start panicking themselves. Look what they do. Let us flee from before Israel for the Lord is fighting for them. And he's fighting against us. Are you worried about enemies fighting against us? Shouldn't they be concerned about who's going to fight against them? For you? As a kid, I always thought a lot about what happened when the Lord started fighting? I was wondering, how did they get up so close? And then I learned this pillar stood right in the middle. But what happened? What did the Lord actually do? Took off chariot wheels. The Psalms give us a little more indication. This is what Psalm 77 says. The waters saw you, O God. The waters saw you, they were afraid. The depths trembled. The clouds poured out water. The skies sent out a sound. Your arrows flashed about. The voice of thunder was in the whirlwind. The lightnings lit up the world. The earth trembled and shook. Your way was in the sea. Your path in the great waters and your footsteps were not known. You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron. He started firing lightning bolts. It must have been a glorious display of power that utterly terrified the Egyptians. He's fighting. And then comes the climax. And the Lord said to Moses, Stretch out your hand over the sea that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots and upon their horsemen. So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea and the sea returned to its normal course when the morning appeared. And as the Egyptians fled into it, the Lord threw the Egyptians into the midst of the sea. He overthrew them. A creation, decreation event. Water's land, water. Think of the original flood. I love to think about the theological message the New Testament gives us with this. This was the boundary and border of Satan's power. This was the end. It represents death, the sea. This is where Satan is cast on the last day and all of his army and all of his hosts and all of his enemies and all those who are fighting with him and who have joined him. You know, Revelation says, devil who deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever then death and hades were cast into the lake of fire that's the second death anyone not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire this is the preview of the end that this cross-like event told the story of deliverance and salvation and destruction for those who don't have Christ. What was this for Israel? Salvation. It's the story of salvation. You couldn't fight the fight. You couldn't win the battle. You don't have enough in you to do it. In fact, it's all wrong what's in you. And the captain of your salvation, the Lord Jesus Christ, came here. And notice how it says here, the children of Israel walked on dry land in the midst of the sea. The waters were a wall to them on the right hand and on the left. So the Lord saved Israel. And Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. This is the event of history. It's describing and anticipating when the angel of God would come. Do you know what Jesus described his death as? Listen to this. This is Luke 9. As he prayed, The appearance of his face was altered and his robe became white and glistening. And behold, two men were with him. Who? Moses and Elijah. Who appeared in glory and smoke, in glory, and he spoke of his decease, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Do you know what word that is? Exodus. He spoke of his exodus at Jerusalem. In other words, his death was the departure out of Egypt, bringing us out. This is his path. He started life going down into Egypt that it might be fulfilled out of Egypt. I've called my son. And his death was the exodus. So that the cross event and his resurrection was his exodus to bring us out as he was baptized, as scripture says, into death for us so that we might in turn be baptized into Christ and come out victorious, being raised with him. All throughout history, people understood that when they crossed over the sea, it was a resurrection-like event. They passed through death and rose. It was the story. It was a new life for them. Oh, death, where is your sting? Where is your victory? The scriptures are explaining this in this language everywhere when it says, We were baptized into Christ. Do you not know as many of us were baptized into Christ, were baptized into His death, which was His exodus. Therefore, being buried with Him through baptism into death, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so what should we do, now having passed through to the other side? Walk in the newness of life. Believing. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes in Him who sent me, has everlasting life and shall not come into judgment but as passed from death into life. That's the gospel. And what was the Lord after for Israel? Well, the end here at verse 31 says it. That Israel saw that great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians so the people feared the Lord and they believed. Highlight that. They believed in the Lord and His servant Moses. God made a name for Himself that day. He saved people for His glory's sake. When Christ went to death for us, He came out victorious on the other side so that you don't ever have to be overthrown in the midst of the sea. And that's always been the message of the Gospel. You see how the Scriptures, I'm hoping to help put it all together for you when you come to something like this, you understand now the whole story. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, Isaiah 43. And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I gave Egypt for your ransom. See, you were precious in my sight. You have been honored and I have loved you. What a God. If that's true, and you believe that how do you think you should be responding to your wilderness way how do you think you should be responding when you're tried and tested how do you think you should guard your mouth how do you think you should go forward not unbelieving but believing him any other response that lashes out and doesn't go forward and stands there moaning and complaining, that's not faith. The Lord wants you to trust Him. He loves His people. He didn't start the project to leave you here. He didn't begin it to abandon you. His intentions have always been good. He's been laboring and working as the fall happened until now to save His people and not one of them will be lost. If He's done that, which He has, He wants you to come to Him today. Come forward. Go forward. Believing Him that He saved you ultimately and fought the battle in paying for all of your sins. That's what He desires from us, and He has fought the entire battle for our salvation. Let's thank Him together this morning. Gracious Heavenly Father, Your loving kindness, Lord, is good and free. You have been wonderful to us. And as we study this people and we look, we see so many similarities and problems with our own hearts that out of the abundance of that heart, the mouth speaks. And as they shot out against You and rebelled by the sea, we've seen that rebellion in our own life, in our own hearts. And ask You for forgiveness for that rebellion. And ask, Lord, that we would trust You and go forward not doubting. knowing that You fight the battle and have won at the cross. And so then our light afflictions, which are but for a moment, You say, are working in us a far and exceeding weight of eternal glory, if that's true. Give us believing hearts to trust You, to love You, and by faith to rest in Your promises. Thank You for showing us this nation and showing us our salvation that Your death, Lord Jesus Christ, was our exodus. Your resurrection is our life so that we never have to suffer and be overthrown in the fires of hell but have been shielded all the way through to the praise and glory of your name and grace. May you get glory for yourself in the hearts and lives of your people here today. In Jesus' name, amen.