Series:
Exodus
Title: Go
Forward!
Text:
Exodus 14: 15-31
Date:
July 8, 2018
Place:
SGBC, NJ
Is there
any one here who is now in a place where you see your total inability to save
yourself? Be it from your sins or be it from your present trial?
For the
children of Israel, the LORD did what he does when he saves his child, he turns
us from the we were going brings us to the end of ourselves and shows us our
total inability to save ourselves. Go does this in the first hour and in every
trial.
The children
of Israel could not save themselves. In front of them were the waves of
the Red Sea, to either side were mountains impossible to climb, behind them was
Pharaoh and his army and within, hearts of unbelief and fear. Is there anyone
here that God has brought to this place? If so, my message to you is Moses
message them.
Exodus 14: 3: 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, and ye shall hold
your peace.
In the
first hour and in every hour of trial, the Lord declares to his child that
salvation is not by our hand. Salvation
is of the LORD. When the Lord has
brought us to that place then it is time to hear the LORD’s next word.
Exodus 14: 15: And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me?
speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:
There is
a time to cry unto the Lord—and there is a time to go forward.
But the
LORD just commanded them to “Stand still
and see the salvation of the Lord.” That
is no contradiction:
Proposition: True faith in Christ is standing still—ceasing from our works, believing salvation is of the Lord; and true faith
in Christ will be justified as true by continuing
to stand still and trust the Lord to fight for us as we go forward—it is
called walking by faith.
Believers
stand still and behold the salvation of the Lord when we cease from all our
works and trust Christ to save us and saving faith goes forward, trusting the
Lord to fight for us every step of the way. True faith goes forward doing the
following:
TRUSTING THE PROTECTION OF CHRIST HIMSELF
Exodus 14: 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.
Faith
goes forward trusting the protection of Christ himself. The Angel of God is
Christ Jesus: he goes before us to lead us and he is also our rear-guard.
Isaiah 52: 11:
Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go
ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the LORD. 12: For ye shall not go out with
haste, nor go by flight: for the LORD will go before you; and the God of Israel
will be your rereward.
The Lord
Jesus save his particular people—God’s elect—and protects his particular people.
Christ comes between his people and our enemies—“And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel.”
Christ is the Shield and Defender of his people
Christ is
Light to his people while being darkness to his enemies—“and it was a cloud and darkness to
them, but it gave light by night to
these.” Christ is Wisdom to the believer in the dark night of this
world while he is confusion to the unbelieving. Christ is Light to you to whom he has given sight, but a cloud
and darkness to his enemies
John 8:12: Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am
the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but
shall have the light of life.
Therefore,
we have constant protection from our enemies—“so that the one came not near the other all the night.”
Brethren,
if any enemy would try to harm one of Christ’s redeemed they first have to defeat
Omnipotence. As we go forth, we have the constant protection of Christ himself.
ASSURED OF OUR DELIVERANCE DUE TO SATISFIED
JUSTICE
Exodus 14: 15…[God said to
Moses] 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…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.
Faith
goes forward assured of our deliverance due to satisfied justice. Moses is
the mediator between God and the children of Israel. So God tells him to give
the command to go forth. The rod is
the rod Moses later used to smite the rock from which the living water came
out—a picture of the rod of the law, the rod of God’s justice. Moses stretches
forth his hand over that tumultuous sea—this is the hand that was
clean then God made it leprous and then clean again—a picture of Christ bearing
the sin and curse of his people thus bearing the tumultuous sea of God’s wrath.
By his own hand, Christ satisfyied the justice of God for us.
So Moses gives
the command to go forth, as he stretches forth his hand with the rod, and the
sea parts so the children go across on dry ground. God’s mediator, Christ
Jesus, effectually commands his brethren to go forth. He stretches forth his
hand holding the very rod of the law that once would have condemned us. But by Christ
having satisfied all its holy demands, now that same law and justice opens the
way, demanding the deliverance of each child Christ justified. So faith goes
forward assured that “Christ is the end of the law for
righteousness to every one that believeth.” (Ro 10:4)
Romans 8: 33:
Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that
justifieth. 34: Who is he
that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen
again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for
us.
Isaiah 43: 1:
But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed
thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee
by thy name; thou art mine. 2 When thou passest through the waters, I will
be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when
thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the
flame kindle upon thee.
SEEING THE LORD FIGHT FOR US
Exodus 14: 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. 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. 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;
Faith
goes forward seeing the Lord fight for us as we hold our peace. Think about
this, the children of Israel did not have a single weapon with which to fight. Neither
do we brethren because our enemies are not carnal.
Ephesians 6: 12:
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against
powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual
wickedness in high places. 13:
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to
withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
But we do
not have to fight, we have the promise they had, “The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.” Read
verses 17-18 and verse 25. Notice the Lord’s “I wills”. Right now in this earth, in his good
providence, Christ is executing justice for his redeemed people because God our
Father has committed all judgment to his Son. He executed justice for us on the
cross. Now Christ executes judgment and justice upon his enemies in his providence as he rules all
things that come to pass.
Notice, the
LORD looked upon his enemies through the pillar. God looks at his enemies through
Christ because God has committed all judgment to the Son. The judgment of the LORD troubles his enemies
through Christ who passes judgment.
John 5: 22:
For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:..27: And hath given him authority to
execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.
Notice
the difference. The children of Israel went into the sea committing themselves
unto Moses—the apostle Paul said baptized unto Moses—a picture of a believer
committing all to Christ and professing Christ publicly in believer’s baptism. But Pharaoh and the Egyptians went into the
sea by their own strength—a picture of a sinner attempting to come to God by the
works of his own hands.
So we see
the judgment of our Lord Jesus pictured—“And
the LORD said unto Moses, [God committed
all judgment to the Son. Moses pictures Christ judging in righteousness
according to his law] Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that
the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon
their horsemen. And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, [the sea of wrath] 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. 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. 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. Thus the LORD saved Israel that
day out of the hand of the Egyptians;
John 5: 28: [Christ said] Marvel not at this: for the hour is
coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29: And shall come forth; they that
have done good, [by casting all care into Christ’s hand, pictured in the
children of Israel] unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done
evil, [pictured in Pharaoh and the Egyptians] unto the resurrection of
damnation.
Men speak
of the law in Christ’s hand. Indeed it is. But it is not against his people. He
is not whipping us as men teach. He is executing justice getting honor to
himself and saving his people from all our enemies. All who reject him, attempting
to come to God by the work of their own hands, instead of by faith in the work
of his, Christ protects his people from. Christ comes between both all our days
and protects us. At last when men
attempt to stand before him in their own works, he shall stretch forth his hand
of justice in the final day, justly condemning them to eternal damnation.
Yet,
because Christ satisfied justice for his people, his justice demands his people
be saved and so he executes what is just toward us. He effectually commands us
go forth and brings us to believe on him—because the justice he satisfied
demands it. He protects us from the enemy all our days coming between us and
giving his people light—because his justice demands it. And by his hand he shall
bring us each safely to him at last on dry ground—because his justice demands
it.
ASSURED GOD SHALL ACCOMPLISH HIS PURPOSE
Exodus 14: 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. 15: 1: Then sang
Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I
will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his
rider hath he thrown into the sea. 2:
The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is
my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt
him.
Faith
goes forth all our days assured that through every trial, against every enemy,
our God and Savior shall accomplish his purpose.
God
purposed to save Israel. He purposed for
Israel to see his work upon their enemies. So they saw it—“And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians.”
He said they would see them again no more—and there remained not so much as one of them—all our sin is slain, the
devil shall be and every enemy. God’s
purpose was to bring the children of Israel to fear and believe him and his
servant. Therefore, God accomplished it—“and
the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses.”
Also, God
purposed to bring glory to his name in the destruction of their enemies and in
their salvation. Therefore, by God’s hand, those he saved gave him and him
alone all the praise—“Then sang Moses and
the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing
unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath
he thrown into the sea. The LORD is
my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s
God, and I will exalt him.”
So be it
the first hour you have heard his voice or be it some trial you and I are in
right now—when he says, “Go forward!” Go forward! And as you do stand still in full assurance
of faith and see the salvation of the Lord!
Amen!