Title [Text: Hebrews 11:27-30] Adventurous Faith
We hear a lot about ventures these days. It means to take risks or adventures. If you have the knowledge and skills but lack the funds, it is called a venture business when several people decide to share responsibilities, obligations and income and start a business with small capital. Faith is, in a way, an adventure. But it's an adventure with a solid guarantee. Ventures are more likely to fail, but a religious adventure is an adventure that never fails. This text is a brief record of the journey from Egypt to the conquest of Jericho, the first city of Canaan, under the leadership of Moses. Four important events are recorded, all showing the adventurous faith of the people of Israel.
1. Keep the Passover
2. Venturing out of Egypt
When the firstborn son was killed, Pharaoh called Moses. I ordered him to leave immediately. Moses instructed the people to ask for food and articles of gold and silver. The Egyptians did what they asked for and let Israel go. But for the Israelites, the Exodus was an adventure. It was too vague to abandon a settlement where they had lived for more than 400 years and go to an unknown world. The way they longed for Egypt whenever they were in crisis shows that the Exodus was definitely an adventure.
But they took this adventure. Because they believed in the promises of God. It was because he trusted the leader Moses. It is not easy for people who have taken root in the world to abandon all their customs and habits and start a Christian life. Adventure. However, just as the Exodus from Egypt was the greatest decision and blessing in the history of Israel, it is the greatest decision and blessing to give up our physical and worldly life and enter the world of faith.
And the future is sure to be guaranteed. The Bible clearly promises. I hope that we will all live by faith just like the people of Israel who looked only at God with spiritual eyes and did not care about Pharaoh's wrath.
3. Crossing the Red Sea
The first ordinal he faced after the Exodus was when the Red Sea blocked his way. Shortly after the Israelites left, Pharaoh mobilized an army to pursue them. Israel was in a dilemma, unable to advance because of the Red Sea and unable to turn back because of the Egyptian army. Then, of course, there was the voice of resentment. At this time, God told Moses to put out his staff into the sea, and when he obeyed, the Red Sea parted and became a wall of water. He commanded Israel to cross between them. It is not an easy task to step in and cross between the flowing walls of water. It was an adventure. They tried this adventure. jumped into the sea. Everyone crossed safely. It is the result of faith. However, the Egyptian soldiers recklessly jumped into the sea and were annihilated.
There are always trials in the Christian life. But you should not be discouraged, frustrated, or resentful because of it. If you break through with faith, good results will surely come. But if you jump in without faith, you will fail. I hope that we will become believers who can go through the strength of any hardship with faith.
4. Conquest of Jericho
Today, God demands adventurous faith. Let's not give priority to theoretical or computational methods. Faith is an adventure. But it's a guaranteed adventure. May we all be successful in challenging ourselves with this adventurous faith.