I invite you to turn in the Bible this morning to the second book of the Bible as we continue our study through the book of Exodus. And this morning, we come to Exodus 13, beginning at verse 17, and we will read through chapter 14, verse 14. As we now come to the Red Sea event. Exodus 13, beginning at verse 17. This is the word of the Lord. When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by the way of the Philistines, although that was near. For God said, lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt, that God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle. Moses took the bones of Joseph with him. For Joseph had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, God will surely visit you and you shall carry up my bones with you from here. And they moved on from Succoth and encamped at Etham on the edge of the wilderness. And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people. And the Lord said to Moses, tell the people of Israel to turn back and encamp in front of Pi-hahiroth between Migdal and the sea. In front of Baal-ziphon, you shall encamp facing it by the sea. For Pharaoh will say of the people of Israel, they are wandering in the land the wilderness has shut them in and i will harden pharaoh's heart and he will pursue them and i will get glory over pharaoh and all the host and the egyptians shall know that i am the lord and they did so when the king of egypt was told that the people had fled the mind of pharaoh and his servants was changed towards toward the people and they said what is this we've done that we have let israel go from serving us so he made ready his chariot and took his army with him and took 600 choice chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them. And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he pursued the people of Israel while the people of Israel were going out defiantly. The Egyptians pursued them, all Pharaoh's horses and chariots and his horsemen and his army and overtook them and encamped by the sea by Pah-Hahiroth in front of Baal-Ziphon. 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 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 you only have you have only to be silent may the lord bless the hearing of his word the lord had just told israel to to celebrate and to practice the passover the feast of unleavened bread and the law of the firstborn when they entered into the land in the midst of it i i don't know if you caught it but in the midst of it the lord said numerous times the ones that i'm thinking about are in Verse 5, when the Lord brings you into the land. Verse 11, he says it again. When the Lord brings you into the land, crucial emphasis here, as he swore. To which you say, when did he swear? We'll come back to that. He is presenting this as if it is as good as done. He is going to bring them into the land. And as soon as he had instructed them, We open up the first scene, we begin the wilderness journey, and the whole thing seems to fall apart. I mean, it really seems to fall apart. They turn around and look behind them, and there come the Egyptians marching after them. What were they to do? They can't fight them. This was something Israel did not yet understand. They were setting off on this journey home and the Lord wanted something. The Lord was now teaching them something. He had been working all of His splendor and power and might in front of them. But what did He want from them? Well, it shines today that the Lord is calling them. What shines is He is calling them to trust. The scene is a call to faith. The scene is a call to believe His promises. Now as they're heading out, and they're being tested right out of the gates with that. First scene, first act. And as the Lord tests them, the Lord wanted them to understand he's doing this for his own glory. He can't renege on that. His name is at stake in this. And he wants them to believe that the entirety of their deliverance all the way through, from beginning to end, is his work. It's his battle. It's his fight. It's his salvation. Salvation belongs to the Lord. he is that committed he wanted them to stand back and say whoa the lord is that committed to complete this work nothing can take that he is that committed to bring you home and we see that today as we open up this glorious section of exodus chapter 13 i said to i don't know how many people this is the most exciting passage in exodus and everyone said pastor stop saying that you say that all the time but it's true somebody once asked what's your favorite passage the one i'm preaching that week this one is awesome and the lord is showing his power to deliver them by demonstrating his presence with them his purpose to fulfill what he swore and that his promise to fight for them the whole way through presence the purpose and the promise to fight. He has put his name on the line. How could he not do what he said? Let's begin with this encouraging presence of the Lord that the text now emphasizes. Remember back in chapter 3 as the Lord was commissioning and sending Moses over to Egypt to deliver his people, there was that glorious burning bush event. You remember what had happened. Moses had looked at this little desert shrub and the thing would not be consumed fire was in the midst of the bush and it did not consume the bush and there we learned that the angel who that is Yahweh who is Yahweh was in the bush he had appeared to the Lord to Moses and there he made a promise to Moses and all of Moses's struggle and doubt and fear and anxiety the lord said i will certainly moses be with you and we've heard that so much but but what does that look like what does that look like well even after the golden calf event the lord would come again and moses would would intercede and would plea and the lord would again reassure them that he would be with them he said that in exodus 33 my presence will go with you the threat had been for the presence to be removed and he said and i will give you rest i'm gonna do it moses understood he said in exodus 33 that without your presence don't even lead us out we can't handle this for a moment we can't fight this battle for a moment it was a distressing thought well as we open up chapter 13 we're seeing the Lord make good again and again, as we've always seen throughout already our study in Genesis and now in Exodus, making good on his word and he is leading them. His presence is going with them. That's the emphasis here as we open up the first section of Genesis chapter 13. And you'll notice there in verse 17 of chapter 13 that a few things are emphasized. First about his leading. When Pharaoh let the people go. God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. For God said, lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt. But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. The people had gone up from Egypt. It'll help to remember that whatever insight you're getting here about the leading they didn't get the lord was leading them they were called to trust but future generations were to read this and see and learn certain things about the lord's leading of them so that we would remember these things and as second timothy says it's profitable for us he's leading them but he wants us to see something the spirit wanted us to see something We're told that the Lord did not take, this is a huge principle in Scripture, according to our wisdom, he did not take the most expedient and the quickest route. Didn't do it. The most efficient way, the best way, would have been to head north along what we know as the Via Maris, meaning the way of the sea. In fact, it's been observed that had Israel gone that way, it would probably take in a few weeks instead of 40 years to get there. What's God doing? What is he doing? There's an interesting phrase. At the end of verse 18, I never caught it before. And the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle. ready to fight word means they have lined up in ranks i had to stop and ponder that for a moment i mean that that's an interesting phrase because they went in ranks they lined up for war they're not warriors they haven't never fought a battle in their life they had a lot of weapons handed to them by the egyptians didn't they when they plundered they had a lot of swords all of a sudden in their hand. They had a lot of plunder in their hand. They had Egypt's best fighting stuff. They had plundered that nation. And here they are marching out and you could imagine the victory marches. You could imagine the chance. They've lined up in ranks. The swords are out. We're taking this by storm. Slaves for 400 years, these guys. Who do they think they are, right? And the imagery you have is when they left, They had plundered, and they are armed. They are the bad boys now heading into the land. They're tough. What's the Lord's concern? They didn't hear. Well, if he had taken them into a situation like that, they can't handle this for a second. And if he takes them by the way of the Philistines and they see those swords, you know what they're going to do? They're going to bolt back to Egypt. They're going to run back. It's too much for them. He can't handle it. So what does he do? I was curious at this moment what other commentators said, and Calvin called this an amazing act of God's condescension and mercy to his people. We go through this life, and we don't see why we're turned this way and that way. We don't see why we're going this way or that way. Some of us take turns. We have no idea why, and the Lord is telling us that he gives strange reroutes often, but not for the reason you think. This is where I think the commentators fell short. Not for the reasons you think. Not to make your life easier. I want to come back to that question, why is God rerouting? Before that's explained, two other things are emphasized as they're heading out. The first is, you'll notice this strange occurrence that the body of Joseph was picked up as they had headed out of Egypt. You'll read in verse 19, and Moses took the bones of Joseph with him for he had placed the children of Israel under solemn oath saying, God will surely visit you and you shall carry up my bones from here with you. You know the Egyptians and Joseph would have sat in the tomb of the kings in some way there in Egypt. They would have walked in there and plundered and taken back the body of Joseph and the Egyptians were great for their embalming, you remember. I don't think we understand how significant this was. When Joseph died years ago, You remember what happened. The children were brought to him and he gathered them all around the bed and he never wanted them. It was prophetic. He wanted them to understand God's promise and wanted his body to be kept there. Remember, they drove Jacob's body back. Joseph said, not mine. Mine stays. And here's why I want it to stay. So God, He wanted them never to forget the promise made to Joseph that his body had to go back and be buried with the fathers because it would be raised one day. That body was to be a kind of token. That body was to be, as people would have been carrying it through the wilderness all those years, an abiding testimony of God's faithfulness to His promises to Joseph himself, Great Joseph himself, the most Christ-like figure in the Old Testament, that he would bring them to the land. There goes a body. If they didn't make it, God would have failed in what he swore to Abraham. Then something absolutely glorious happens. That body was an encouragement. Then something glorious happens. God's presence comes down. Verse 21. And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light. So as to go by day and night, he did not take the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people. An awesome thing happened at that moment. A massive pillar of cloud came down and led them by day and then another kind of pillar of fire by night. And I don't know what the Israelites thought when they saw that, but God had continued to emphasize in this whole thing, I'm fulfilling what I swore to Abraham. And I got to go back there. What did God say to Abraham in Genesis 15? Listen to this. And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces. On the same day, the Lord made a covenant with Abraham saying, to your descendants, I have given this land from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates. Where was Abraham? Asleep. Silent. I want you to remember that. We're going to close out the sermon with that thought. God came through in two sort of the legs of God. It was a glorious two-column they call theophany of His presence. These two glorious blazing symbols of God's presence came down and passed through the row, split through the row, and God was telling Abraham, I will fulfill this covenant of grace to you. I have to. God was taking an oath, Walking through promise and oath through those pieces to fulfill what He promised. Here we are. God's about to split the sea and walk right through again. The whole scene is being reenacted. It's a death-like event. His presence is going. His covenant of grace is being shown that He is intending to fulfill. But the Lord wanted them to think about the fact that He was with them. Through the whole thing. Whatever was about to come to pass, He's with them. He's guiding them. He's fulfilling everything that He promised. He's guiding. He's assuring. He's passing through. He's leading them down the safe path so that the judgment won't touch one of them. Abraham, Abraham, Abraham. I swore, I swore, I swore, drives this. The Shekinah glory shows up. The glory is there leading them. The Lord has displayed before the journey even begins His presence. Fulfilling what He promised to Abraham, what He promised to Moses, I'll go with you. Joseph's body is there. I've got to bring my servant back. It's got to happen. Okay, that sets up everything. When you come to chapter 14, now we see this purpose unfolding. His presence is revealed. His purpose is now unfolding. Israel's going up for battle. He has rerouted them. All of a sudden, God does something now completely unexpected. Look at verse 1. Now the Lord spoke to Moses saying, Speak to the children of Israel that they turn and camp before pi-hahiroth between Migdal and the sea. Opposite Baal-ziphon, you shall encamp before it by the sea. Let me put this together, everything that's happened. They had traveled from Ramses to Sukkoth. The Lord on that path says, no, no, no, no, no, no. I'm not taking them that way. They're going to see the Philistines. They're going to see war. They will run back to Egypt. We're not going to go that way. So he stops and he reroutes them to go south by the way of the wilderness by the Red Sea. But now, the wilderness, you'll notice. But now in chapter 14, in verse 2, he turns them around and sends them back north to camp between Migdol, which was this mighty Egyptian fortress and tower, and the sea. Notice the Canaanite god is mentioned there, Baal Ziphon. Put this together. God would not send them one way because they can't handle it even though they're all quit for battle. He takes them back and then what does he do? A different route and then he runs them back north. It's a giant kind of circle here. Does that sound safe? Nothing about this makes sense. They don't know this. Remember, you got two million people running. This can't be comfortable. Complete vulnerability, he just put them in a situation. If you're a military commander, you did the absolute worst thing you could do. I mean, it's worse than Custer's last stand. This is the worst thing. This is the bad choice. You are not leading your people right. You just placed your whole army who has no ability to fight in a position now they can't get out of. They can't run. He's backed them up against the Red Sea. Now remember, he said, they see the Philistines, they'll run. They're sheep for the slaughter. They are sheep for the slaughter. Why? Well, Pharaoh hears about this. It gets back into the courts that there are two million people of Israel mulling around and the Pharaoh's officials are saying, these guys are idiots. Look at them out there. They can't even head out into the wilderness. They don't even know what they're doing. These Israelites are mulling around everywhere. They've gone up, they've gone back, they've gone over, they are confused, they're scared, they don't even know what to do. What just happened? The Lord had just baited and hooked, didn't he? Now I remind you, Israel doesn't know this. You think they're starting to get a little frustrated? This makes no sense. This makes no sense. Verse 3, you get to the Lord's intentions. For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, they're 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 all his army that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord. I'm going to harden one last time. I'm gaining glory. You watch. My glory will be shown. So Pharaoh hardens his heart, Their attitudes turn. 600 chariots he prepares. And they pursue Israel with vigor and force. What a drama. Backed up to the Red Sea. There they stand. Well, they have weapons, but they don't know how to use them. They've never been taught warfare. They don't know how to fight the battle. Slaughter is waiting to happen. In closing them are Egypt's finest warriors, 600 chariots. That's like 600 of the U.S. best tanks coming at you. No one touched Egypt's chariots. Psalms talk about horses and chariots all the time. Here come all of their mighty men. There's Pharaoh at the front. He did the Alexander the Great thing. He rode out in front. This is a nightmare. I mean, this is an absolute nightmare. Have you ever thought of the perplexity of this? They thought they were ready for battle. The Lord knows they couldn't handle seeing any war, right? He said that. They can't handle war. They'll run. So he puts them then in the absolute worst kind of situation, having to face a worse army, now backed up against the sea, so that they can't run. You see what God's done to them? Backed, surrounded, nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. That is a situation they cannot bear. He had just said they can't handle the Philistines. How are they going to handle this? I hear commonly 1 Corinthians 10 somewhat abused when they say, well, God will never give us more than we can bear. I hear that so commonly said and we really have not read that correctly. We have not read that correctly at all. God will put you in situations you can't bear but he's promised to provide an escape. I mean, you're in situations you can't bear all the time. You can't fight this battle. They're in a situation they can't bear and that's what he wanted. That's what he was after. That's what he was pursuing. Well, what do you do? What's your response? What was Israel's? Verse 10. 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 we told you in Egypt saying, let us alone, that we might serve the Egyptians for it? I mean, this is just unbelievable, right? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness, serve, worship. Here comes all the chariots. Everything's falling apart. They have nowhere to go. They cry out to the Lord. You should have just left us alone, Moses. We told you that. It was better there than this. It was better there than to go through this. Rage. Where did that come from? We would have rather died serving Him than the Lord. we stand back and say you can't possibly mean you cannot possibly mean that you just witnessed the lord pull you out you've forgotten all of his power already and he says what the psalms lamented they forgot his power they forgot his power oh but remember they were all ready for battle right they have fallen apart i'm not going to beat them up too hard today ultimately we are all being confronted right now with the real problem of our lives that's the story of the Christian life God broke their slavery God defeated their enemy he covered them with the blood of the lamb he gave them a feast of unleavened bread translate the Lord broke our bondage to sin he shed his son's blood passing over us at the very cross. He defeated the devil there, making a public spectacle of him, triumphing over him in it, Colossians 2, disarming principalities and powers, gave you a brand new life. Old things have passed. All things have become new. You're ready for battle. Oh man, I'm saved. I'm out. I'm ready to fight. I'm all geared up. Just a few steps, and you find yourselves absolutely backed up against the Red Sea. Just a few steps. Meaning all of your independence, all of your self-confidence has just been assaulted right out of the gates. Physically, they can do nothing to deliver themselves they are totally helpless you turn around who's pursuing you right now you turn around and look who's pursuing you woe to the inhabitants of the earth and sea for the devil has come down to you having great wrath and it's revelation it's a story you have a whole devil in his army coming after you i think he cares about the world he's got the world Simon, Simon, Satan is asked to sift you as wheat. Paul said a messenger of Satan. He spoke so openly about Satan's attacks. We're all nervous about that today, but he did. A messenger of Satan was sent to torment me, said Paul. 2 Corinthians 11, 12. You have no idea what's pursuing. Victorious by the blood of Christ, but the sinful nature and the devil in the world pursues in full force with lusts, idolatry, every resource possible to destroy you, and you're right back in the same disgusting ways, same disgusting sins. Spiritual battle is depicted here powerfully. Here's the truth of the matter. You think, I think, the Christian life is about running to what is easiest and most desirable. That's what you think the Christian life is. Do you understand that God is leading you into situations at times you can't get out of yourself? And what do you face? You face the enemy. Truth be told, who's the enemy here? The real enemy. The greatest enemy the Lord had driven them to face was them. Look at the hatred against God that came out. Who is the enemy against here? I mean, who is the enemy? Who are they raging out against? Well, it always happens to the leaders. Church leaders get the hit, but ultimately it's against God. Your life can get full of bitterness and complaining and you take it out on the church. You know, you struggle in life and you're always wanting to run to something better. You're always looking for something easier. You're always looking over the fence. People do this with church all the time. and you think, come on, are you that shallow? You're always looking to something better. You're always looking to something easier. The reality is you want the glory road home. It's what you want. You want a red carpet spread out for you to come on into the wilderness to get home because you're entitled, right? And what does God do? You ever thought the reason you're so frustrated with life and you feel backed up, pinned up against the sea with a variety of tyranny of circumstances, Lloyd-Jones called him that, is because God has backed you up into a place where he won't let you run so that you face you and you face him. People in times of conflict run. They run the other way. They run to the past. They run back. They try to. God actually backs up his people so they can't run to face the greatest enemy. And then that attitude comes out of the heart and everything that flows out from the heart is exposed. I know some of you are depressed right now. I know some of you are discouraged. I know some of you are panicked. I know some of you are full of fear. You feel completely backed up. You're absolutely weary. You want to run, but you can't. You want to hide, but you can't. You know where you are. You want out. I understand that. And then you can get so bitter. What should you do? Hands are up? You can't fight? You're scared? God says, I want you right there. Right there. What does Moses do? Oh, this is so wonderful. Do not be afraid. Stand still. Stand firm and see the salvation of the Lord which he will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians who you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The Lord will fight for you. Only hold your peace. That's kind of worth a highlight, isn't it? Don't be afraid. How can he say that? 600 chariots are coming at them. You have nowhere to turn. The Lord says, and only he could say that. Only the Lord could say that. There's nothing in life you ever have to fear. Remember, his presence was there. You're my possession. I won't be afraid, says the psalmist of 10,000s of people who have set themselves against me all around. Arise, O Lord, save me, O my God, for you've struck my enemies on the cheekbone. You've broken the teeth of the ungodly. Salvation belongs to the Lord. Your blessing is upon your people. The Lord, we forgot already, as we're looking at this, had already led them and had come down to dwell with them. Openly, he tells us all over the scriptures, I'll never leave you nor forsake you. And then he gives us of his spirit who not only goes with us, but dwells in us. And his power rests upon us. the glory spirit, the Shekinah glory. So blessed are you, says Peter, when the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you in all of your afflictions. I'm bringing you home. There's a body that's going with you. Don't you see it? It's Joseph's. Stand firm. See God's salvation because you're going to see these Egyptians no more ever again. The Lord will fight for you. All you have to do is be silent. Shut your mouths. Stop jabbing. Just be quiet. And put your feet firmly on the ground and watch me work. I backed you into this to show my glory. You just stand still. You can't deliver yourselves. You can't change your circumstances. You can't defeat the enemy. You can't even escape from him. You've brought all this anxiety on your life and all this panic and all this worry, and I'm telling you right now, I'll fight that battle for you. I'm doing this for my glory. I'm doing this because I swore to Abraham to save you. I'm just going to split the sea right now in the next scene next week. You're going to see the covenant of grace unfold, ultimately leading us to the cross. All fight, all fight, all fight. And that's the story today. They were called to believe the single great story of Scripture from beginning to end under the dominion of the devil backed into his kingdom, yet God would back his son up against a cross. God would back up his son against a cross for you. Complete vulnerability, complete weakness. he would put him as an innocent lamb in a violent world. All of our enemies pursued him. All of our enemies beat him. They grabbed him. They split him open. They shed his blood. And when he was backed up on that wood and nailed there to the cross, when the last enemy was there, he confronted it and he beat him for you. Saying it's finished. Displaying his glory and power to the ends of the earth. And He did that for messed up, non-trusting, stiff-necked people just like you and me. Freeing us and giving us the victory. This is your God. This is your God. Don't expect the glory road though. Some of you have got to get off the glory road. Stop murmuring about this and that. The Lord loves you. And calls you today to believe Him. And fight. He'll fight for you. This is why the New Testament's constantly saying, be strong in the Lord and the power of whose might? Therefore, take up the armor of God that you may be able to stand, having done all to stand. You're not fighting this battle with your swords. The Lord's fighting it and you stand in his armor in whatever you face and whatever's going on in your life. Never take your eyes off him. And you see, this table declares to you like the Passover did for them, Looking forward, Jesus instituted the supper to declare to all who believe in Him today, He has fought the battle and won. That's the message. And He wants you to trust Him that He completes the work that He starts in you. Do you believe that today? He completes the work He started in you. He's not reneging on that. So don't panic. Don't worry. Don't fear. He loves you. But you must trust Him and believe His gospel promises. Put your feet down and close them out and with the heart, trust Him today. Today, He wants you to celebrate His supper to all who believe the gospel to know that He finishes the work. The battle is His all the way through, from beginning to end. Justification, sanctification, glorification. It's His battle for you. Believe Him. Trust Him. That's what he secured for you in his Son. Let's pray. Gracious Heavenly Father, where do we begin to thank you this morning for your love and your faithfulness? We have spoken out so much ultimately against you. And you have been so kind and faithful to us. And this is what you do for us. You fight the battle. Give us confidence in your gospel promises. Let's take great joy and delight in being your people in whatever circumstance you put us in. And whatever we face, to know that we belong to you. And that you have said to us, you will fight. And so forgive us for trying to fight this ourselves. Forgive us for our terrible spirit and attitude of complaining against you and leaders and church and all these things. Forgive us for thinking that we could ever do this ourselves. Today we stand firm in the gospel promises and today we look to you, Lord Jesus, the one who has gone before us to split the sea, baptized us in Christ, the one in whom we have life, and ask that you would be the joy of our salvation and that we would be excited that whatever you put us through, you are demonstrating your glory so that all may bow and praise the God of Israel. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.