Title: Victory by Grace/Exodus 14:10-14
Contents
We come across three facts through the text.
This is a picture of Israel being pursued after being liberated after 1.430 years.
The liberation of the people of Israel from Egypt was not gained by chance, but through victory.
As we know, God sent ten plagues on Egypt to deliver Israel from Pharaoh's hand.
Pharaoh had no intention of freeing Israel until the nine plagues came. However, when the plague of the death of the last eldest son swept across Egypt, Pharaoh raised his hands.
All Israel escaped from Egypt according to Pharaoh's liberation decree, which said that they can leave Egypt and go wherever they want to worship the god they serve. The thrill of Israel leaving Egypt with a tremendous victory is beyond imagining.
But a problem arose. When they reached the front of the Red Sea, Pharaoh's cavalry came after them. When the Red Sea lay in front of them and the sound of the chariot wheels of the cavalry was heard behind them, their joy of liberation was terrified. and turned into despair.
They had to face trials and tribulations before they could fully enjoy the joy of liberation, and they were on the verge of death due to the pursuit of their enemies.
Here we discover that liberation is not completed just by ringing the liberation bell. In other words, liberation proceeds and does not end with the triumvirate. The fact that liberated Israel was pursued by Pharaoh's pursuit It has the same character as the ordeal of the turbulent history that our nation experienced after liberation from the chains of Japanese imperialism.
For 42 years after liberation, our nation has experienced indescribable trials and turbulence. We also experienced the 6.25 Uprising, which was a tragic event for national supremacy, and also experienced turbulence and changes in history leading to 4.19, 5.16, 10.26, and 6.29. Of course, even now Our nation faces many trials and challenges and is going through the pain of dissolution.
The same is true of spiritual liberation.
Just because we are set free from sin does not mean that we become angels from that moment on, or that the kingdom of heaven is established on this earth.
From the moment we are freed from sin and gain freedom, we must fight the trials that come our way and strive to preserve that freedom.
In that sense, liberation is the beginning, not the completion.
In other words, even those who believe in Jesus and are saved can fail, experience sorrow, and suffer.
2. It is the appearance of the conflicting Seon-min.
In verses 10-12 of the text, it is said that Israel, who was so proud and intoxicated with a sense of victory, was "very afraid", "blamed against Moses," and "prayed to the Lord."
This is what their conflict and anguish look like.
Not long ago, they sang hurrah, left Egypt, and marched waving their hands. But now they have become fearful, resentful, and painful beings. They have also witnessed the power of God and witnessed the formidable pursuit of Pharaoh.
However, their complaint was, why did the God who saved us allow us to pursue Pharaoh, and why did he rescue us from Egypt in order to suffer such a horrific mass death?
This kind of conflict exists for us today as well. The reason is because we also have the joy of liberation and the pain of being pursued, and the joy of being blessed and the pain of suffering.
It is a vicious cycle we are going through that repeats “fearing, resenting, praying” over and over again.
If we compare our faith to the mercury in a thermometer, it rises and falls, and we repeat our prayers again after resting. In doing so, we blame God for the blame, complaining, praying, ejaculating, and complaining over and over again. .
This is what we look like.
3. It is the image of God who works His powers.
Moses gave a few commands to the panicking people. Verses 13-14 explain it.
1) I told you not to be afraid.
This command is often given to those who want to do great things.
In Joshua 1:5-7, Joshua said to Joshua, who was in charge of taking over the land of Canaan, "I will not leave you nor forsake you. Be strong, be courageous...Do not turn to the left or to the right."
The saying “Do not be afraid” was spoken to the prophet Habakkuk, to Elijah, and to Paul. The premise behind the saying “Do not be afraid” is that the power of the living God is with you.
So, not being afraid of hot water is all good and right, but not afraid because you believe in God's power is a great faith.
2) I was told to stand still.
Verse 13 says, "Stand still," and in verse 14, it says, "Be still." Those who are afraid of something cannot stand still. No. But if you have faith, there is no need to rush.
Because the Eighth Army is nearby, you often hear the sound of fireworks exploding on the evening of American Independence Day.
It was during a Wednesday evening service about 10 years ago. Suddenly, gunshots and cannons began to explode. I thought there was a war. However, it was the sound of firecrackers exploding by the Eighth US Army. If you don't know it, it's a scary sound.
It would be impossible to stand still, looking out over the Red Sea and listening to the hoofs of the cavalry approaching.
3) He told us to see the salvation He works for you today.
That's what's important. Just standing around is nothing but being a fool. How can you stand still with the Red Sea in front of you, mountains on your left and right, and the cavalry approaching behind you? are you?
So Israel cried out, murmured against God, threw stones at Moses, and wailed aloud. Then Moses said, "Do not be afraid, stand still, and the Lord will fight for you today, and be still." I did.
It's not that you just stand there like fools, it's that God will fight for you and God will work your salvation, so be still.
The meaning of these words is that it is God who put Israel in the face of suffering, and it is God who rescues them.
In verse 14:8, it says, "The Lord awoke and hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, so he followed the children of Israel." In order to thoroughly crush Pharaoh's pride, God had them pursue after Israel, whom he had liberated. No, it was God who originally brought Israel into Egypt, and it was God who set them free.
From that perspective, Israel was in the hands of God. That is not the case with Israel alone. The world, history, and all human beings are in God's hands. They are humans and history.
That day, in the Red Sea, God performed a great miracle.
When Moses pointed the staff in his hand to the Red Sea, an east wind began to blow. And a road opened in the middle of the Red Sea. After Israel crossed the Red Sea like land, a pursuit team entered the Red Sea and God buried them.
They witnessed God's salvation with their own eyes that day. God made the Red Sea. In Genesis 1, God made the firmament, the earth, the sea and water. You can govern.
God created man. Therefore, all the tribulation and suffering that surrounds man can only be solved by God.
In the case of Israel, it was not the Red Sea or Pharaoh's pursuit that was the problem, but the problem of faith standing quietly and longing for God's salvation. Belief is the problem.
Exodus 15:3 says, “The Lord is a mighty man.” And if you look at the entire chapter 15, Israel sang, “You have overcome with your right hand, with your snoring, with your wind, and with your arm.”
There were no nuclear bombs, neutron bombs, or laser beams. But with those things it was a huge victory that could not be won.
In chapter 15, your right hand, your nose, your wind, and your arms represent your grace in one word. It is the victory that God won in battle, not the victory that Israel won. That is why it is grace. I am saved from sin and set free. It was not because of my merits, but because of God's total grace.
It is by the grace of God that our people have lived in such a prosperous 40 years after liberation. Although God is lacking, He listened to our prayers and delivered this country and this people from crisis every time. It will give you grace.
The problem lies in how I receive that grace and how much I trust that God.
What I have lived so far has been the grace of the Lord, and the life I will live in the future is only possible with the grace of the Lord.
He gave salvation that money could not buy with grace, the kingdom of heaven that money could not buy, and life that money could not protect with grace. A Christian who is grateful for that grace is a true Christian.