Sermon Central
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God Divides The Sea Series
Contributed by Jeff Simms on Nov 7, 2004 (message contributor)
Summary: To examine how God protected his people and defeated the enemy and How the Exodus is symbolic of our being freed from sin to a new life in Christ
Goddividesthesea
SBC Philippi
11/07/04 pm
God Divides The Sea
Primary Purpose: To examine how God protected his people and defeated the enemy
Secondary purpose: How the Exodus is symbolic of our being freed from sin to a new life in Christ
We come now to one of the most memorable passages in the Old Testament. God has freed his people from the slavery of Egypt. The taskmasters with their cruelty is behind them. Now, they are pressing on with their first steps of freedom toward the wilderness. God directs their path through a cloud during the day and at night a pillar of fire. He will direct them now toward the sea. To Pharaoh it looks like they are wandering around aimlessly and then he decides to come after them. (Read Scripture) We will see in this passage several things:
1. God deliberately leads them in such a way that the Egyptians follow. V.3-4. They left in a southerly route, but it appears after camping at Succoth turn in a more northerly direction toward the sea. To the appearance of Pharaoh he thinks they have trapped themselves against the sea. The end result of Pharaoh following them will be 3 fold.
A. The destruction of God’s enemy- The Egyptian army realizes too late that they are fighting against God v.25. The enemy that has enslaved God’s people for the last 400 years and treated them cruelly will not get what they deserve.
B. The remaining Egyptians will believe in the Lord v.4,17,18. God desires for the Egyptians to know him and to honor Him as Lord instead of their idols.
C. The Israelites will fear God and trust Moses. They still didn’t trust Moses completely v.11-12. They are going to need to know that God is with Moses and is leading them in a specific direction for their good will and not to kill them out in the desert.
2. God protects Israel though they doubt God and Moses.
A. They responded in fear when they saw the Egyptians coming after them. They accuse Moses of some kind of trick that he would lead them out to the desert to have them killed. They long for the days when they were enslaved in Egypt.
B. They spoke words of fear and doubt to Moses. V.11-12 God was leading them this way in order to deliver them and show Himself strong, but they didn’t understand that yet.
C. Moses clearly tells them that God Himself will deliver them. The emphasis in v.13-14 is on the power of God in salvation. Moses uses phrases like “which He will accomplish for you” v.13 and “The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent.”
3. The Passing out of Egypt and through the water is symbolic. It isn’t that it wasn’t an actual event that happened for it was. But, it is also symbolic of being led out of slavery to life. God is declaring his right to rule and lead over his people.
A. Passing out of slavery and death toward God’s promises. We only experience freedom when we experience truth and Christ is truth. John 8:32 says, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” The truth makes us free by revealing Christ to us and Satan’s lies. We will either be a slave to Christ or a slave to sin. Romans 6:16 says, “Do you not know that when you present youselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness. But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed.” You have become freed from the law of sin and death and now are slaves of righteousness (Romans 6:18)
B. Passing through the water also symbolizes baptism. A passing out of death and into life. 1 Corinthians 10:1-2 Paul said, “For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that or fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.”
So, we see that the Exodus has much to teach us. It teaches us that God can protect us and desires to be honored and glorified. It teaches us that God is powerful to deliver us from our enemies. It is also symbolic of our passing out of death and into life.
