He Makes a Way
Exodus 14:1-4;9-31
I. Direction from God
a. God’s Qualifications
i. Knowledge
ii. Wisdom
iii. Love
b. Our Limitations
i. Knowledge
1. "To whatever side you turn, you are forced to acknowledge your own ignorance and the boundless power of the Creator." – Voltaire
ii. Wisdom
iii. Love
c. Bad Directions?
i. No trial too much
ii. Does not tempt with evil
iii. Will not allow temptation beyond our ability
Adoniram Judson, American Baptist missionary went to Rangoon, Burma. He studied Burmese and learned it well. He dressed as a Buddhist teacher and preached to the Buddhists. After 7 years he won 1 convert! Judson increasingly devoted his time to translating the Bible into Burmese.
Ko Thah-byu, from a tribe called Karen came to the missionary looking for work. Judson found work for the man and began to introduce him to the gospel. Ko Thah-byu, who had murdered about 30 men in his career as a robber, became a Christian. A missionary couple came and established a school for the illiterate. Ko Thah-byu attended and eagerly soaked up the Burmese language in order that he might read Judson’s translation of the Bible.
The Karen people had a tradition that a ‘white brother’ would come to them and would bring with them a book just like the one their forefathers had lost long ago. The author? The supreme God.
Together with Ko Thah-byu, Judson and the other missionaries saw thousands of Karens baptized in a short time. Judson could never have done the vitally important work of translating the Bible into Burmese had he not gone through years of apparent fruitlessness.
II. Dependence on God
a. God has power over
i. Hearts of men
ii. All the hosts of Egypt (9, 17)
iii. Nature
b. We want to be in control (11,12)
i. Wanted to be back in Egypt
ii. Easier for carnal man to trust humans
iii. We can only control ourselves…to some degree
c. We NEED Him (13)
On the Rock
A storm wrecked a ship. A little boy was the sole survivor. He was swept by the waves onto a rock. When rescued the next day he was asked if he shook the night before. He said that he did but the rock didn’t
i. Nothing they could do
ii. God did not ask them to do anything
iii. This too shall pass!
III. Deliverance from God
a. Situation beyond human help
Play It Safe
A Georgia farmer, ragged and barefooted, was standing on the steps of his tumbledown shack. A stranger stopped for a drink of water. "How is your cotton coming along?" he asked. "Ain’t got none," replied the farmer. "Did you plant any?" asked the stranger. "Nope," was the reply, "afraid of bollweevils."
"Well," continued the stranger, "how is your corn?" "Didn’t plant none," came the answer, "’fraid there weren’t gonna to be no rain."
The visitor persevered: "Well, how are your potatoes?" "Ain’t got none. Scairt of potato bugs."
"Really, what did you plant?" pressed the stranger. "Nothin’," was the calm reply, "I jest played safe."
b. Experienced God’s deliverance
i. Protection within trial (19,20)
ii. Total victory with all credit to God
iii. God glorified and feared
c. Following God’s direction
i. Pillar of cloud/fire
1. Manna (morning) Flesh (evening)
2. Marah
3. Rock at Horeb
