13. Children of Israel’s Faith
Hymns: RHC 43 God Is Still On the Throne, 46 A Mighty Fortress Is Our God, 444 Hold the Fort
Hebrews 11:29 (KJV)
29 By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned.
Children of Israel’s Faith
OUTLINE
(1) A Faith that Prays
(2) A Faith that Waits/Hopes
INTRODUCTION
The Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 3:20-21 (KJV) 20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. Andrew Murray observed, “In the great prayer that Paul had just written, he had apparently reached the highest expression possible of the life to which God’s mighty power could bring the believer. But Paul is not content. In this doxology he rises still higher and lifts us up to give glory to God as “able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope. Pause for a moment to consider what “infinitely more” means. Think of the words “whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises (2 Peter 1:4). Think of the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ, when he raise him from the dead (Ephesians 1:19-20). With these words, Paul hope to lift our hearts to believe that God is able to do exceeding abuntandly above all that we ask or think.” The power of God that works in us is nothing less than the exceeding power that raised Christ from the dead. This should cause us to think that there is something that God will do in us that is beyond our imagination. As we worship Him in prayer, let us believe that the almighty God, who is working in our hearts, is able to fulfil every one of His exceeding great and precious promises.”
And to inspire us to great heights of faith and consecration toward Him, the writer of Hebrews, I believe it is the Apostle Paul too, seeks to lift us as he brings us to the scene of the Exodus when Israel left Egypt and the Pharoah’s anger has driven him to summon 600 chariots and all the chariots in Egypt in pursuit of the children of Israel. The chariots are the modern day tanks! Join me in the scene in Exodus 14.
Exodus 14:1-10 (KJV) 1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp before Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baalzephon: before it shall ye encamp by the sea. 3 For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in. 4 And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, that he shall follow after them; and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD. And they did so. 5 And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us? 6 And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him: 7 And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them. 8 And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with an high hand. 9 But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, before Baalzephon. 10 And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD.
This is faith’s response. We pray. Indeed, the words of the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 3:20, 20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us…
(1) A Faith that Prays
29 By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned.
Exodus 14:10 showed us the works of faith in the hearts of the children of Israel, they cried out unto the LORD! It was a desperate cry. The enemy was pressing forward and they have reached a dead end. The forbidding barrier of the Red Sea was before them. It was an impasse impossible to solve, humanly speaking. But not in the sight of God.
Exodus 14:4 4 And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, that he shall follow after them; and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD. And they did so.
It was for God’s glory and honour that He brought Israel to this impasse. It seemed so desperately impossible. Fear was on every side. They had their children and cattle and belongs with them, unable to move forward, they are freezed before the Red Sea with the Egyptians closing in on them. Humanly speaking, they are finished!
You recall when we were studying this chapter in our Wedesday Bible Study on the Beginning of the Hebrew Nation Series, we gave this outline:
(1) The LORD Shall Fight for You (1-14a)
(2) Ye Shall Hold Your Peace (v14b-31)
In times of imminent danger, God is there for His people. They may be still to know that God is still on the throne. He will not suffer His people to lose their witness for His glory. He will intervene in His own time and pleasure to secure His people.
The Egyptian army led by angry Pharaoh gave chase. He took his chariots, modern day tanks to overtake and cut them off. The Israelites were trapped before them was the sea. It was at the moment that they lose their composure.
Exodus 14:11-12 11 And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? 12 Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.
There will not be a lack of trials and temptations befalling God’s people for He sends them to prove us. God’s people are exhorted to keep trusting in Him through every life’s impasse. Keep faith, continue to delight in Him and do that which is pleasing in His sight. He shall make a way for His people.
(2) A Faith that Waits/Hopes
To wait is to hope in God. To wait is to be still before God to know that He is still on the throne.
Psalm 37:1-9 A Psalm of David. Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.
Indeed, God’s people cultivate patience to wait upon God to see His glory. He will not leave them nor forsake them as Jesus said in that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.
Exodus 14:13-14 13 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. 14 The LORD shall fight for you,
Moses assured the people of God of His presence with them to safeguard and protect them and keep them for His Name’s sake. Indeed, the LORD fought for Israel that day.
…and ye shall hold your peace. 15 And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: 16 But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.
God instructed Moses how deliverance will come. The Red Sea shall be parted. They shall walk on dry ground.
Matthew 19:26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
Luke 1:37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.
Matthew 7:7-11 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
Israel shall experience the mighty power of God to save them that day!
Exodus 14:17-18 17 And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. 18 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.
God will prove His existence and presence and power that day so that the Egyptians will know that He alone is God and that they may worship Him.
Exodus 14:19-22 19 And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them: 20 And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night. 21 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. 22 And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.
The angel of God was sent to place a pillar of cloud and darkness so that the Egyptians will not be able to see their way ahead and this would give the Israelites time to flee across the Red Sea who God will part.
Exodus 14:23-26 23 And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. 24 And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians, 25 And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians. 26 And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.
The Egyptians were mad with anger and they purused the Israelites with their chariots. And when the morning came, the LORD caused the waters to return again upon the Egytians.
Exodus 14:27-31 27 And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. 28 And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them. 29 But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. 30 Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore. 31 And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses.
The Egyptian army was destroyed midst the sea when the wall of water fell upon them whilst Israel reached the other shore and were brought to safety.
CONCLUSION
What a deliverance! What encouragement for God’s tried people to keeping praying and not faint, for deliverance is nigh! Amen.