Gold for the heart - Exodus 14-16

Exodus14

1 And the LORD spoke to Moses saying, 2 Tell the children of Israel to turn and camp before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, opposite Baal-zephon: you are to camp before by the sea. 3 For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness has shut them in. 4 And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart so that he will follow after them; and I will be honored upon Pharaoh, and on all his army so that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD. And so they did this.

After all that the Egyptians had seen God do, they still didn’t realize that it was the Maker of heaven and earth they were dealing with.

Jeremiah 10:10 the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, the everlasting king: at his wrath the earth will tremble, the nations will not be able to abide his indignation.

5 And the king of Egypt was told that the people fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants turned against the people and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us? 6 And he made his chariot ready, and took his people with him: 7 And he took 600 chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, with captains over every one of them. 8 And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he chased after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with a high hand.9 But the Egyptians chased after them: all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them camping by the sea, beside Pi-hahiroth, before Baal-zephon. 10 And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and saw that the Egyptians marched after them; and they became terrified: and the children of Israel shrieked to the LORD.

Egyptian chariot wheels had flashing blades on their hubs that cut down infantry like lawn mowers cut grass.
Six hundred of these super chariots with razors on their wheels are racing toward them.
Verse I says that they were brought out with a high hand. Acts 13:17 explains this.

Acts 13:17 The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an high arm he brought them out...

God fights for His people

11 And they said to Moses, Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you dealt this way with us to carry us out of Egypt? 12 Is this not what we told you in Egypt saying, Let us alone to serve the Egyptians? For it would be better for us to serve the Egyptians, than to die in the wilderness. 13 And Moses said to the people, Do not fear! Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will show you today: for the Egyptians whom you see today, you will never see them again forever. 14 The LORD will fight for you, and you will hold your peace. 15 And the LORD said to Moses, Why do you shriek to me? Speak to the children of Israel, tell them to go forward: 16 And you lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel will go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.

God hears and delivers in amazing ways.
God arranged this disaster so that His people would learn to trust Him and know that He fights for them.
There is a time to act, a time to move.

17 And I, watch this, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they will follow them: and I will get honor for myself on Pharaoh, on all his army, on his chariots, and on his cavalry. 18 And the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I have gotten myself honor on Pharaoh, on his chariots, and on his cavalry.

Forty years later the people of Jericho feared Israel because they had heard how God had dried up the Red Sea for His people.
We’re still hearing of it today (Joshua 2:9-11).

God became a wall of protection for them

19 And the angel of God who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them: 20 And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came did not come near the other all night. 21 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. 22 And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground: and the waters were a wall on their right hand and on their left.

God wants all to know that what He has done for others He will do for us.

1Corinthians 10:11 Now all these things happened to them for examples: and are written for our admonition, on whom the ends of the world are come.

Zechariah 2:5 For I, says the LORD, will be to her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.

Luke 1:37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.

23 And the Egyptians chased, and went into the midst of the sea after them, even all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. 24 And it happened, in the morning watch, the LORD looked into the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and put the army of the Egyptians into an uproar, 25 And took off their chariot wheels, that they drove them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fights for them against the Egyptians. 26 And the LORD said to Moses, Stretch out your hand over the sea, so that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, on their chariots, and on their horsemen. 27 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD shook off the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. 28 And the waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen, and all the army of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; not one of them remained. 29 But the children of Israel walked on dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand, and on their left. 30 Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the seashore. 31 And Israel saw that great work that the LORD did on the Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses.

In this instance God did not deliver His people from trouble, but through it.

Psalm 145:3 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.

Exodus 15

The LORD has triumphed gloriously

1 Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the LORD saying, I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously: he has thrown the horse and rider into the sea. 2 The LORD is my strength and song, and he has become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him a dwelling place; my father’s God, and I will exalt him. 3 The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name. 4 Pharaoh’s chariots and his army he has thrown into the sea: his chosen captains are drowned in the Red sea. 5 The depths have covered them: they sank to the bottom like a stone. 6 Your right hand, O LORD, has become glorious in power: your right hand, O LORD, has shattered the enemy. 7 And in the greatness of your excellency you have overthrown them that rose up against you: you sent out your wrath, which consumed them like straw.

God has totally defeated evil on our behalf.
God’s title ‘LORD’ is the Hebrew word YHWH which means intense, eternal self-existence.

Colossians 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist (are held together).

8 And with the blast of your nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright in a heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea. 9 The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust will be satisfied on them; I will draw my sword, my hand will destroy them. 10 You blew with your wind, the sea covered them: they sank like lead in the mighty waters. 11 Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? 12 You stretched out your right hand; the earth swallowed them.

God’s word understates His magnificence. Enough volumes could be written about the wonder, majesty, and magnificence of God to fill the universe.

1John 3:8 … In the greatness of His excellency He has overthrown those that rise against Him

Jeremiah 10:11 …The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, they will perish from the earth, and from under these heavens.

2 Samuel 7:22 you are great, O LORD God: for there is none like you, neither is there any God beside you…

13 You in your mercy have led out the people that you have redeemed: you have guided them in your strength to your holy dwelling. 14 The people will hear and be afraid: Sorrow will take hold on the inhabitants of Palestine. 15 Then the dukes of Edom will be amazed; trembling will take hold of the mighty men of Moab; all the inhabitants of Canaan will melt away. 16 Fear and dread will fall on them; by the greatness of your arm they will be as still as a stone until your people pass over, O LORD, until the people pass over whom you have purchased. 17 You will bring them in and plant them in the mountain of your inheritance, in the place, O LORD, that you have made for yourself to dwell, in the Sanctuary, O Lord, that your hands have established.

God purchased the Israelites out of Egypt with His mighty wonders. He bought us back to Himself from sin and evil with the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ.

1Peter 1:18 you were not redeemed with corruptible things like silver and gold from your vain way of life received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as a lamb without blemish and without spot:

Psalm 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

He will reign forever and ever

18 The LORD will reign forever and ever. 19 For the horse of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and the LORD brought the waters of the sea back on them; but the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea. 20 And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand; and all the women went out after her with tambourines and with dances. 21 And Miriam answered them, Sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; he has thrown the horse and his rider into the sea.

Revelation 19:16 And he has on his clothing and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

22 So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water. 23 And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah because they were bitter: so the name of that place was called Marah. 24 And the people murmured against Moses saying, What will we drink? 25 And he cried to the LORD; and the LORD showed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he tested them,

God made the bitter waters sweet. By the tree of the cross God has made our bitter waters sweet.

Isaiah 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, and he was bruised for our iniquities: … by his wounds we are healed.

26 And said, If you will diligently listen to the voice of the LORD your God, and will do what is right in his sight, and will listen to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases on you, that I have brought on the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that heals you. 27 And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and 70 palm trees: and they camped there by the waters.

He puts none of the diseases of the Egyptians on those who trust Him. He is the LORD that heals us.

Psalm 103:2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits: 3 Who forgives all your iniquities; who heals all your diseases; 4 Who redeems your life from destruction; who crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercies

Exodus 16

1 And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after departing out of the land of Egypt. 2 And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness: 3 And the children of Israel said to them, We wish to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.

The fleshpots were bronze three legged pots that they put fire under to cook geese or fish. They ate no beef because cows were considered sacred in Egypt.
How easily we forget our cries for deliverance and long for the old things of the world. They had been slaves and now were free.
The Creator of the universe went before them in a cloud by day and pillar of fire by night to guide and provide for them.

God tested His people to see if they would obey

4 Then the LORD said to Moses, Look, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people will go out and gather a certain rate every day so that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not. 5 And it will happen, that on the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in; and it will be twice as much as they gather daily. 6 And Moses and Aaron said to all the children of Israel, At evening, then you will know that the LORD has brought you out from the land of Egypt: 7 And in the morning you will see the glory of the LORD; for he hears your murmurings against the LORD: and what are we, that you complain against us? 8 And Moses said, This is what will be, the LORD will give you flesh to eat in the evening, and in the morning bread to the full; for the LORD hears your murmurings that you murmur against him: and what are we? Your complaints are not against us, but against the LORD.

God hears our murmurings. He provides.
When we murmur about our lives, it is against the Lord. He gives to us life and breath and all things.

Acts 17:24 God that made the world and all things in it, since he is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; 25Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, since he gives to all life, and breath, and all things; 28 For in Him we live and move and have our being

The Lord showed the people His glory

9 And Moses spoke to Aaron, Say to all the congregation of the children of Israel, Come near before the LORD: for he has heard your murmurings. 10 And it came to pass, as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud.

The glory of God that appeared in the cloud is described in Ezekiel:

Ezekiel 1:26 And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and on the throne was the likeness of a man above upon it. 27 And I saw as the color of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from his loins upward, and from his loins downward, I saw the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about. 28 As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD.

11 And the LORD spoke to Moses saying, 12 I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak to them saying, at evening you will eat flesh, and in the morning you will be filled with bread; and you will know that I am the LORD your God. 13 And it happened that at evening quail came up and covered the camp: and in the morning dew was around the camp. 14 And when the dew that lay had gone up, behold, on the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground. 15 And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, What is it/manna? For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, this is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat.

The manna was a picture of the eternal bread of heaven that God gave man for the heart to feast upon.

Psalm 96:5 For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.

John 6:35 And Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life: he that comes to me will never hunger; and he that believes on me will never thirst.

16 This is the thing that the LORD has commanded, Every man gather according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take every man for them that are in his tents. 17 And the children of Israel did this, and gathered, some more, some less. 18 And when they measured it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating. 19 And Moses said, Let no one leave any of it until the morning. 20 But they did not listen to Moses, and some of them left some of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was furious with them. 21 And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun grew hot, it melted. 22 And it happened that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses. 23 And he said to them, This is what the LORD has said, Tomorrow is to the LORD: bake what you will bake today, and boil what you will boil; and what remains, lay up for yourselves to be kept until the morning.

Exodus 23:12 Six days you will do your work, and on the seventh day you will rest: that your ox and your ass may rest, and the son of your handmaid, and the foreigner, may be refreshed.

Exodus 31:17 It is a sign between me and the children of Israel forever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.

24 And they laid it up until the morning, as Moses ordered: and it did not stink, and there were no worms in it. 25 And Moses said, Eat that today; for today is a sabbath to the LORD: you will not find it today in the field. 26 Six days you will gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, there will be none. 27 And it happened that some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather, and they found none. 28 And the LORD said to Moses, How long will you refuse to keep my commandments and my laws? 29 See, the LORD has given you the sabbath, so he gives you the bread for two days on the sixth day; every man stay in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day. 30 So the people rested on the seventh day. 31 And the house of Israel called its name Manna: and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey. 32 And Moses said, This is the thing that the LORD commanded, Fill an omer of it to be kept for your generations; that they may see the bread that I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out from the land of Egypt. 33 And Moses said to Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna in it, and lay it up before the LORD, to be kept for your generations. 34 As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept. 35 And the children of Israel ate manna 40 years, until they came to an inhabited land; they ate manna until they came to the borders of the land of Canaan. 36 Now an omer is the tenth part of an ephah.

Psalm 78:25 Man ate angels’ food: he sent them food to the full.

****************************

SUMMARY: Exodus 14-16

God fights for His people
He became a wall of protection for them
He has triumphed gloriously
He will reign forever and ever
He tested His peoples obedience for their good
He showed them His glory