Never Look Back
Exodus 14
Introduction
Recovery Month has been a series of messages encouraging us to break free from the addictions, habits, struggles in our life by:
-Build The Boat (Believe, Obey, Abide, Trust)
-Hear the Call (leave behind some things, Come Home to God)
-Run to God (Win, Fight, Run - and Know When to do so!)
-Today we arrive at the Exodus and we decide to NEVER LOOK BACK.
By the time we get to Exodus 14 the thundering power of God was displayed through ten plagues on Egypt. Through his servant Moses, God set about delivering Israel from Egyptian slavery. 600,000 men, plus women and children, large droves of livestock made their way out of Egypt. Thus ended 430 years of oppression and the opening chapter of God’s gift of the land of Canaan to His people as was promised so long ago to Abraham. God’s presence was evident as he led them with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.
What should have been a triumphant victory march suddenly became a frightening realization.
Exodus 14:5-7
5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them and said, “What have we done? We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!” 6 So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him. 7 He took six hundred of the best chariots, along with all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them.
With the Red Sea in front of them and hundreds of Pharaoh’s chariots behind them, a spirit of crushing doubt took hold of them.
Exodus 14:10-12 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the Lord. 11 They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”
The people started looking back . This is the moment when Israel has to decide who they are and what they want.
I want to encourage you today to NEVER LOOK BACK.
1. The Danger Zone of Looking Back
The Israelites were looking back to their stay in Egypt. It was time of slavery / bondage / struggle / loss of identity. It was all they knew. “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us into the desert to die?”. In a moment of rescue, they almost turned back to the painful oppression of Egypt.
Looking Back is Not All Bad When it has Purpose. Apostle Paul often reflected back on his life before he belonged to Jesus.
-Reminds you how far you’ve come. (Fearless Moral Inventory)
-Helps you turn your mistakes into assets. Benz: When we honestly and courageously face the chinks in our own armor, we can then glimpse who this Jesus really is and just how much he is rooting for us.”
-Reinforces your mission to help others who are walking the same path. “Your story that once filled you with shame and the fact you survived and thrived, can be a source of inspiration for someone in a time of crisis.”
- Looking Back Can, however, draw us back into our old life. When we look back, we can be enticed into going back to old ways and old lives that brought us and others pain. The past is filled with reminders that can cause us to live in: Shame, Regret, Failure. Butler: The big problem with spending too much time looking back is that we are looking at something we cannot change. We can make a difference today, but we cannot change the past. We can learn from it - but not change it. Mainland: "Learning to let go of the past is the key to "your healing, growth and development throughout life.
The danger zone of looking back is when we are enticed to return to old ways… and this is hard to escape.
2. The Obstacles to Going Forward in Faith
Obstacle of Fear (10). Fear is a powerful force in our motives and emotions. Fear tells us not to believe God’s promises. Fear convinces us that God is not at work. Fear lies to us that what we were is what we always will be. Hundreds of times the Bible tells us ‘do not fear’. Faith in God is the answer to the lies of Fear that we face.
Obstacle of Doubt & Uncertainty (11). These are human responses - We are finite people and our
experience, knowledge, and perception is limited. When we place our faith in God, then we can trust Him to be what He promises.
Obstacle of Romanticizing the Past (12) Part of being honest with ourselves is admitting that the actions of the past were not fun or exciting - underneath they were profoundly sad.
3. The Power to Move Forward (Exodus 14:13-14)
Exodus 14:13-14 13 Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again.
14 The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
Stand Firm. As Pharaoh’s army gets closer, Israel may be tempted to wave the white flag of surrender. But victory is just ahead. Paul often encouraged Christians to stand firm in faith.
1 Corinthians 16:13 ”Keep alert, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong"
Ephesians 6:13 "Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm".
Be Still. To Keep still means to trust God and let Him do the work. The victory had been won, all they had to do was walk across the Red Sea on dry land. God was going to part the water. God was going to hold off the Egyptians. God was going to destroy Pharoah's army when the water was released. They would not be threatened by them again.
Being Still doesn’t mean putting forth no effort - it means that as we make every effort to walk through the recovery effort, we are trusting God in all of it.
Experience Deliverance
Exodus 14:21-22 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided,
22 and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.
The Lord will Fight for You. The Lord is “a warrior” (Exodus 15:3). God Fights for us when we submit ourselves to His ways. (24, 25 During the last watch of the night the Lord looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion. 25 He jammed the wheels of their chariots so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, “Let’s get away from the Israelites! The Lord is fighting for them against Egypt.”)
The Enemy is strong, but God is stronger! (29-31 But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. 30 That day the Lord saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore. 31 And when the Israelites saw the mighty hand of the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant.)
Conclusion
When being faithful is uncomfortable, difficult, or carries some consequences that are hard... Never Look Back. Instead, Stand firm, Be still, Experience Deliverance.
One Day at a Time is a recovery slogan that makes sense. So don’t be caught up in the past, don’t worry so much about tomorrow. This is a principle Jesus taught and lived by. It’s not until he is within 24 hours of the cross that he prays in the Garden with such intensity. The Christian focus is on today - this moment. Are you following Jesus today?
Recovery Meetings often end with the Lord’s Prayer. Let’s say that together and notice the focus
on today:
Our Father, Who art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Your kingdom come, Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread.
Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass
against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from
evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory
forever and ever, Amen.
Build Your Boat, Hear the Call, Run to God, Never Look Back.
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This message will be available on video on our YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/c/ForsytheChurchofChrist
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Discussion Questions for Exodus 14
1. The Children of Israel didn’t just doubt that this was going to turn out well, they expressed a desire to be back where they were in Egypt. What was the appeal of going back? Why do you think that witnessing the plagues of Egypt was not enough to sustain the faith of the Israelites? How does that relate to our journey?
2. God’s presence was noted as a pillar of cloud by day, a pillar of fire by night. When the Egyptian army approached, the pillar of fire moved from leading Israel to a position between Israel and the Army. Read Exodus 14: 20. What are some ways that God moves to rescue us today? What can help us when we are struggling, thinking God has failed to act in our behalf?
3. A recovery resource reads, “We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness. We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it.” What are the dangers of being focused on the past? What are some of the things we can gain from the past? What is Peter’s perspective in 2
Peter 1:8-10?
4. Psalm 46:10 says, ““Be still, and know that I am God…” Moses told Israel, “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” What would you say to someone who asked you how to ‘be still’ before the Lord? What does that mean?
5. The Psalms contain many references to the Red Sea parting.
- Psalm 66:5-7 - Why should we rejoice?
- Psalm 77:18-20 - Name a couple of qualities of God
- Psalm 106:7-13 - What is the initial response of Israel? What was the next response?
6. What are some things you can recall that Jesus taught in regard to living one day at a time?
7. What else did you want to talk about today?
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Resources
Benz, Jonathan. The Recovery-Minded Church. InterVarsity Press, 2016.
Butler, Kristen. The Only 5 Reasons You Should Ever Look Back on Life. https://www.powerofpositivity.com/the-only-5-reasons-you-should-ever-look-back-on-life/
Mainland, Mirjam. 5 Reasons Why You Should Let Go of the Past. https://recoverywarriors.com/5-reasons-why-you-should-let-go-of-the-past/
Shame and Regret. https://addictionsuk.com/blogs/shame-and-regret/
