Title How the Glory of God Appears
How does the content glory appear (Exodus 14:1-20)
God is the one who will be glorified by creation. So, “Glory to God alone” specifically refers to a life centered on God. A life that gives glory to God is called a life that gives glory to God, not ourselves. When we are spiritually born again, it is the life of Christ living in ourselves. Therefore, the born-again believers are supposed to glorify God if they live centered on God. Today's text is going to look at how God revealed the people of Israel when they left Egypt.
1. The prelude to the Exodus (verses 1-3)
(1) Guidance (verses 1-2).
God told Moses to tell the Israelites to pitch their tents by the sea. However, the problem started when Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, who had allowed the Israelites to leave Egypt, was troubled in his heart.
(2) Pharaoh's human calculation (v. 3).
Pharaoh heard that the plague of the death of the firstborn in Egypt ceased and the people of Israel were returning to Egypt and going down south. I've heard that it's also going a long way. So King Pharaoh mobilized his army to calculate the total annihilation of the Israelites. However, King Pharaoh did not know that this was another way to reveal the truth.
2. The process of going to the stage (verses 4-9)
(1) Pharaoh's army was mobilized (verse 4).
It is to make us believe that Jehovah is truly God. To do that, they had to see a miracle that only God could do to the Gentiles. Through the miracle of crossing the Red Sea, God was trying to show the glory of destroying the Egyptian army and saving Israel. The glory that God raises has the ultimate purpose of making people believe in God. No matter how many crises come into our lives, if we believe for the purpose of revealing the truth, God will surely work miracles.
(2) Pharaoh's regret and pursuit of Israel (verses 5-9)
What regret did Pharaoh feel after telling the Israelites to leave Egypt? I don't know how the people of Israel served us as our slaves and how they got them out. So he mobilized an army and followed them to the place where the Israelites were pitching their tents by the sea. When the Israelites saw the fearsome army of Pharaoh, they were very afraid.
3. Verses 10-20)
(1) The people of Israel longing for life in Egypt (verses 10-12)
(2) The great Moses confession of faith (verses 13-14)
But like Moses, we look to the future beyond the obstacles of reality. Fu 泳汰? Look ahead. We know that reality is a stepping stone to the future. Satan accuses us of our past. Satan has no future. We must never let our future be tied to the past. Looking back and clinging to the past is a stumbling block to the present and future. You must forget Egypt to enter Canaan. God completely forgot Egypt, gave up slavery, and allowed them to enter Canaan. This took 40 years. How did Moses completely entrust this matter to God (verse 14). Three things should be noted.
First, do not be afraid and be still.
Second, see salvation.
Third, you must have faith that Jehovah will fight for you. In John 16:33 the Lord said, "In the world you will have tribulation, but take courage, I have overcome the world." It means that we can also be victorious with the faith that God has already won on the cross.
⑶ Parting the Red Sea? Verses 15-16)
While Moses was praying, God told Moses to stop praying and tell the Israelites to go forward. Even though Moses prayed and declared to the people of Israel, “Be quiet and see what God is doing,” we can see that Moses was still praying. Faith is obedience. Faith is obeying God's commands, even if it seems reckless. Faith has this adventurous element. Even if there are obstacles, if you move forward, you will see God at work. It is not that God is unaware of the circumstances of the people of Israel. It was not impossible to make sure that Pharaoh's chariot could cross the Red Sea before it even left. However, the reason he did not do this is because if he did, the people of Israel would not be able to experience it practically. And the evil armies of Egypt will not be destroyed. Finally, Moses obeyed, saying, “Take up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea, and let it part.” Then the Red Sea parted. What does that wand mean?
First, it is the staff with which God is with us. “He took it in his hand” (Exodus 4:20).
The second is the miracle staff (Exodus 4:17).
The third is the talents or gifts that I have. It is a free gift from God. And these are the talents you receive through earnest loyalty to the Lord. God wants to use this.
⑷How? (Verses 17-18,)
It is manifested when we come to believe that God is the true God. We Christians, who must give back, must have faith in order to always show that God is the true God to Gentiles who do not know God. When you encounter the Red Sea, you must pray for faith. As Jesus said when he raised Lazarus, we must remember the words, “If you believe, will you not see?” (John 11:40).
⑸ Separation by the pillar of cloud (verses 19-20)
look! Let's read verses 19 and 20 of how God walks with the people of Israel. It seems that the people of Israel will be killed by the Egyptian soldiers right now, but before crossing the Red Sea, God moved the pillar of cloud that was ahead of Israel to the rear so that the Egyptian soldiers would not harm the Israelites, and placed it between the Egyptian and Israeli camps to prevent them from discerning them. So, the area where the Egyptian army was located was dark, and the area of Israel was bright as daytime.
Do not forget the great salvation because of the small difficulties that are right before your eyes. Do not try to go back to the past because of the small difficulties of the present. The sufferings of the present cannot be compared with the glory to come. The work of salvation that has already begun leads us to finally reach the kingdom of heaven.
Ministry: See what God is doing in my life.