Sermon: Rock and a Hard Place
Bible Passage: Exodus 14: 13-14
I. The LORD planned to lead the people of Israel through a difficult terrain in Sinai Desert for a purpose (Exodus 13:17-22)
1. The LORD brought them to a place of no escape (from bad to worse!)
2. The people of Israel only saw the situation around, but failed to see God’s plan (10-12)
i. They saw the Pharaoh and his army
ii. They feared greatly
iii. Their faith was shaken
3. Without the knowledge of God’s plan, the people of Israel reacted negatively
i. Questioned their decision to leave Egypt (verses 11)
ii. Questioned their leader (Verses 12)
iii. Became fearful (verse 13)
II. God’s plan for the difficult terrain and long route
1. To defeat the enemy
2. To make them cross the Red Sea to go towards the Promised Land
3. To reveal Himself to them, and build their faith (cf. 13-14, ch 15)
III. The expected response from the people of Israel was:
1. To stop fearing (verse 13)
2. To stand firm (verse 13)
3. To see the salvation/deliverance (verse 13)
IV. The LORD would fight for them (Verse 14)
1. The Lord fights for them against Egypt!” (verse 25)
2. The Lord saved Israel on that day from the power of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the shore of the sea
3. When Israel saw the great power that the Lord had exercised over the Egyptians, they feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses
V. Lessons from Exodus 14:1-14
1. When God calls His people for any task, they need not be without challenges
2. When a certain situation is not in your control, do not try to solve it because God may be revealing Himself to you—it is the time to stay still
3. When you face challenges, do not blame others, or attempt to go back to your place of comfort
4. No situation or human being (how much ever powerful they are) can stop God’s plan for His people
VI. Let’s think about the pillar of “cloud and fire” (13:21; 14:24)
The pillar of cloud and fire is called the theophanic presence of the LORD (14:24)
1. Without asking, God blessed the redeemed people with the Cloud as a provision of God’s mercy
2. The Cloud was given to guide the people of Israel through their wilderness jouney (Exod 13:21)
3. God spoke to the people of Israel from the Cloud (cf. Ps 99:7)
4. The Cloud rested on the Tabernacle when it was completed (Exod 40:33-35; cf Acts 2:4)
VII. Jesus gives two promises to His disciples
1. Lo, I am with you always, to the end of the age
2. I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever
Take Away:
Suspend your strivings and let God handle your situation through Jesus and the Holy Spirit of God