TEXT: Exodus 14
TITLE: God is Bigger Than…IMPOSSIBLE!
SERIES: God is Bigger Than…
TOPIC: God’s Power and Might
OCCASION: Burnside Christian Church, October 19, 2008
PROP.: God is big enough to handle the impossible events that we may face in our life! When Moses and the Israelites were facing a dead end; God moved the water to make way for His people!
INTRODUCTION: Today we are going to re-visit a familiar story. A story that has even grasped the attention of Hollywood movie makers. The story is found in Exodus chapter 14. It’s the account of the Israelites crossing the Red Sea. It’s really important that all of chapter 14 is read…and since even IIIIII get tired of listening to the sound of my own voice, I’ve asked some people to come forward and help read.
Please follow along as together our scripture is read…
HEATHER MOHR (Exodus 14:1-10)
SHANE MOORE (Exodus 14:11 - 20)
JIM PRINTY (Exodus 14:21-31)
I believe the reason there is so much interest in the story that we have just read is because it’s a story of the impossible! And this story of the impossible is made possible because God is a God who SPECIALIZES in the impossible!
I need to quickly give you some BACKGROUND…REALLY QUICKLY, I need to tell you where the Israelites and Moses were when this story takes place.
TRADITIONAL SITE:
--Here we see where the traditional Mt. Sinai was. Only there is no evidence to suggest that 2 - 3 million people ever lived here.
--No evidence of a water supply.
--No remains of dwellings.
--Not enough room at the base of this traditional mountain for 2 - 3 million people to
Camp
--No altar
--No caves found
ILLUSTRATION: when I was youth minister and we would take youth trips…when we would arrive home and the kids would hop out of the van, you would see evidence that they had been in the van! You’d see wrappers left behind, clothing…bibles…there was evidence that people inhabited the van! And that was only 15 people in a van!
Now if 15 people can leave proof in a van that we were here…you would think that 2 - 3 million people would leave evidence that they were living in the land for two years. But no such evidence has been discovered at the traditional Mt. Sinai.
However, there has been some new evidence that has come to light at the NEW site.
AT THE NEW SITE:
--evidence of a large water supply (including the rock that Moses struck and water poured forth).
This is a picture of the rock that is believed to be the rock that moses struck and water came forth.
This rock is 60 feet tall.
You can see that it sticks up quite noticeably out of the ground
You can also see that there would be plenty of places for the water to gather into ponds so that people could come drink.
Look at this: The rock is worn smooth. Because of water erosion. In a desert area that only receives 2 inches of rainfall in a years time, this rock is worn smooth with water!
--plenty of room to camp!
--altar (the altar that Aaron built as Moses was on top of the mountain getting the 10 commandments? placed the golden calf upon.)
This looks like a just a bunch of fenced off rocks…until you look at it closer.
Then you can see the inscription of cows all over it!
These drawings look like Egyptian hyro-glifics.
----the remains of dozens of dwellings have been discovered!
The would be portable and easily moved. And there are literally dozen of these remaining around the base of this new mountain.
Plenty more evidence…but no time to hit on it this morning.
--boundaries along the base of the mountain
--even a cave!
So if this is the new site of Mt. Sinai…that means that Israelites and Moses crossed the Red Sea at this location: The Gulf of Aquaba
WHY DID I TAKE TIME TO SHARE ALL OF THIS WITH YOU? Because I want you to know that this story of the impossible has EVIDENCE that it really happened just as the Bible says it happened!
Soon, the Israelites would realize that God is BIGGER than the IMPOSSIBLE!
And that’s my hope for you today. Whatever situation you are facing in your life, I want you to realize that God is BIG ENOUGH to handle it!
First, let’s talk about…
I. The Pursuit (vs. 5-8)
A. THE ISRAELITES:
There was a chase going on. A hot pursuit. The Israelites had just escaped Egypt. They had been there for over 400 years. During that time, their numbers have grown to the mind boggling figure numbering 2 - 3 MILLION people. Their visit to this point really hadn’t been all that great. They were turned into slaves. They were beaten. Forced to work for the Egyptians. So Moses rushed in (well maybe rushed isn’t the right word…) with God’s guidance and was going to lead the nation of Israel to their own land. The Bible calls it the PROMISED LAND because God promised his people that they would inhabit their OWN land.
So we have this chase going on.
1.Why were the Israelites being chased? (vs. 5)
Verse 5 gives us an answer as to why Israel was being chased across the dessert.
verse 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!"
Pharaoh has just lost his free labor. His workers have just taken a personal leave of absence - PERMANENTLY! The Israelites were highly skilled in various arts and Pharaoh was beginning to fully understand what life was going to be like without 2 - 3 million slaves. Who would make the bricks for their vast architectural structures?
Or maybe Pharaoh after losing his most precious asset (his son) when God sent the 10th plague upon Egypt is now thinking that he has nothing else left to lose so why not get the Israelites back? The worst of Moses’ threats have been accomplished! And maybe, just maybe, the Jehovah didn’t have any more arrows in His quiver.
Or it could be that this Proud Pharaoh has just been made to look foolish by a bunch of slaves! Pharaoh’s pride would want revenge on what has just been done to him and now all the plagues are just as if they had never been. He has forgotten the sorrowful funerals of all of the firstborn sons in the land of Egypt…and so
Pharaoh was going to use everything at his disposal to bring the Israelites back to him.
That leads us to the next question:
2. What was chasing the Israelites? (14:6-9)
The Egyptian army! Verses 6 - 8 describe this army.
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. 8 The LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out boldly. 9 The Egyptians—all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots, horsemen [a] and troops—pursued the Israelites and overtook them as they camped by the sea near Pi Hahiroth, opposite Baal Zephon.
--The Number of Troops
The amount of troops is unknown. Verse 9 tells us what was included in his massive army:
Chariots:
These were the might of the Egyptian army. The Egyptians were famous for their chariots! We don’t know how many total chariots Pharaoh had in his army. But we do know that Pharaoh had 600 officers commanding 600 of the BEST chariots. But the Bible also says that beyond the 600 BEST chariots, Pharaoh also took all of the other chariots of Egypt with him with officers over each of them as well.
This is a picture of a common Egyptian chariot.
This is a picture of the different types of chariot wheels used at the time of the Red Sea crossing. And it just so happens that during the rule of this Pharaoh that some STATE OF THE ART TECHNOLOGY WAS INVENTED…a chariot with 6 spokes! And a chariot with 8 spokes! WOW! AMAZING!
So Pharaoh’s army had chariots with 4, 6, 8 spokes on their wheels!
Horsemen:
Riders upon single horses.
Troops:
Foot soldiers. Commentators suggest the number of foot soldiers could be anywhere from 100,000 - 250,000 troop soldiers.
Basically what you need to know is that all of Egypt’s military might was focused on the Israelites! Bringing them back to Egypt and making them pay for what their God had done to the nation of Egypt.
So we know that if you’re running away from something, you must be running TO something!
3. Where were the Israelites running to?
Their ultimate destination would be the promised land…but that wasn’t for many, many years down the road. (atleast 42 years!) Their more immediate destination was Mt. Sinai where God would give Moses the 10 commandments to give to the people…but before they could go to Mt. Sinai, they came to a dead end. No where to turn. No where to hide. No where to go. They were about to become target practice for Egyptian archers.
B. You
Let’s make the jump from the nation of Israel to you. It’s really not that far of a jump. It’s a pretty easy comparison. The nation of Israel was God’s chosen people. He had a special relationship with Israel that no other nation enjoyed. God wanted to bring the nation of Israel out of slavery to the Egyptians and into a life of freedom.
Did you know that you are not that different from the nation of Israel? You are a child of God! You have a special relationship to God that those who are not children of God don’t have! God has a desire to bring you out of bondage and into a life of freedom!
So since you are a lot like the Israelites, can I ask: What’s chasing you? Why are you being chased? Where are you running to?
1. What is chasing you?
Are you running away from something in your past? Maybe something that hurt you deeply and instead of dealing with it, you are avoiding it.
Maybe you’re running from an addiction. You’re trying to overcome something that has enslaved you and kept you under it’s power. And the more you try to get away, the tighter the grasp becomes!
ILLUSTRATION: Do you remember on the play ground during recess, you would find yourself playing tag? Do you remember running away from the person who was it? And you would run and run and run until your lungs hurt and your legs ached (unless it was a cute girl chasing you, then you would like slow down)? But if it was someone chasing you that you didn’t really care all that much about, you would run and run and run. Remember that?
One thing about being chased: If you are running away on your own power; eventually you will become weary and worn out and eventually you will be captured.
And the thought of being captured will cause you to PANIC.
Second, let’s sense…
II. The Panic (vs. 10-14)
You can begin to see that the panic that was being felt by the Nation of Israel was real! And soon, hopelessness settles in.
A. The Source for the panic (vs. 10)
1. Looking behind them
--The Egyptian army
The Israelites have looked behind them and saw the dust cloud the Egyptian chariots were stirring up as the Egyptians approaching and are probably wondering “will we EVER be free from the Egyptian abuse?”
You see, they as a people have had 400+ years of abuse! They have known life NO differently than to be a slave. Moses would have been among the only man his age. There weren’t many other men Moses’ age. Why? Because when Moses was a baby, Pharaoh had ordered that all the baby boys Moses’ age were to be killed. But Moses was kept safe and placed in a basket and floated down the river.
The Israelites hadn’t forgotten about their past…and here it was coming back on them.
Many people are haunted by what’s behind them. A past wounded them deeply and now a scar remains. They wonder if they will ever truly be ‘over’ what happened to them in the past.
The Israelites also paniced because of what was in front of them!
2. Looking ahead of them -
As they looked behind them, they also had to look ahead of them and realized there was no escape. They were cut off by the Red Sea.
ILLUSTRATION: This is the dead end where the nation of Israel found herself.
Do you see the desperation? No where to go. No where to hide. And so
PANIC HAS STRUCK HARD!
So Moses sees and hears the panic of His people. And he responds.
B. Moses’ response to the panic of the people (vs. 13,14)
So Moses hears the cries of his people. And he tells them what to do in response to their panic. And by the way, it’s the same response you and I can have when we are faced with panic that strikes us in life
Verses 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."
Moses gives clear instruction:
1. Do not fear
2. Stand firm.
3. See - what they will see - The deliverance of the Lord!
What they won’t see - the Egyptians!
4. Keep still (remain silent and confident)
When you are faced with a situation that brings panic into your life, remember these 4 things.
So today we’ve seen: Talked about The Pursuit. We sensed The Panic.
Lastly, let’s marvel at
III. The Lord’s Protection (vs. 19-22; 23-28)
In verses 19 - 28 you get a small glimpse of just how BIG GOD IS! In these verses, a realization is made that God is BIGGER THAN THE IMPOSSIBLE! God defies the laws of nature!
Let’s read 19 - 22:
19 Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, 20 coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long.
21 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.
A. God prevented the enemy from attacking
--God stood between His people and the Egyptian army!
--And 3500 years later, God stood between His people and the enemy once again on the cross of Calvary! And just like that cloud; Jesus brings light to those who choose to follow after Him! He shows us truth. He shows gives us direction. He provides protection!
Well, let’s keep reading this morning…
Let’s read 23 - 28:
23 The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea. 24 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 made the wheels of their chariots come off [b] 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."
26 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen." 27 Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians were fleeing toward [c] it, and the LORD swept them into the sea. 28 The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived.
God not only prevented the enemy from attacking…
B. God removed the obstacle!
For the Israelites, 10 to 15 miles of water stood between them and where God wanted them to be. And so God PARTED THE RED SEA! He parted the sea so that the entire nation of Israel was able to cross over on dry land!!!!
Let me ask you: What is standing in the way of you going where God wants you to go? Doubt? Fear? Sin?
Let me tell you, that God will remove the obstacle! He is the God of the impossible! He is the God of miracles! He is the God who is BIG!
C. God also, prevented the enemy from following!
ILLUSTRATION: These are pictures of things that have been discovered at the bottom of the Red Sea at this location. Pretty convincing pictures (if you ask me) that God is BIGGER THAN IMPOSSIBLE!
Chariot wheels
Horse bones
Chariot pieces
God prevented the enemy from following His people!
CONCLUSION: Exodus 14:31 - Don’t close your Bibles. This is the lesson that needs to be learned!
31 And when the Israelites saw the great power the LORD displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant.
When God works in your life and you recognize it at God. Two things happen:
1. You fear the Lord - Fear: Seeking a right relationship with the fear source!
2. You trust him more deeply. You know that the next time something comes your way, you can lean on God more firmly.
This morning: I hope you understand and are encouraged to know that:
With God…NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE!
I have a card I want you to look at. Can I have the men who will serve communion please come forward and help me pass out this card to everyone here?
On this card, you are going to have an opportunity to voice what you would like to see God accomplish in your life, at Burnside Christian Church and in the world.
Take some time to fill this out.
(give some time for them to do this)
Now we are going to stand and sing our hymn of decision. If you have a decision that needs to be made, please come forward and make that known to us at this time!
Let’s stand and sing.
