Chapter 7

Please read Exodus, chapters 13,14.

The truth that Israel was delivered through the door of faith and the blood of a lamb made the nation responsible to have no leaven (yeast) in their total environment. That meant that, while on the freedom way, they must learn, to look at self and others from God’s point of view. In His abundance of grace He did accept them as if there was no sin amongst or in them. This was now their new position. From one day to the other they would be sinful and in need of ongoing blood-sacrifices and forgiveness. But also, now they knew they were no longer under the hand of a cruel slave-master but could walk hand in hand with the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of Heaven. In their daily lives it would be a long way of learning to please God.

Exodus 13:3 “Then Moses said to the people: ‘Commemorate this day, the day you came out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery, because the Lord brought you out of it with a mighty hand. Eat nothing containing yeast.”

In other words, ‘you are now free, but you cannot do as you like’. Customs and habits of many yesterdays are no longer valid or acceptable, but the honor and glory of God must be of paramount importance. Not only did the God of Heaven set you aside for Himself, a holy people, in your sinful bodies He desires you to walk with Him, as His holy nation, through this sinful world. Choose, keep on deciding, put away all corruption, eat nothing containing yeast.

Exodus 13:6,7 “For seven days eat bread made without yeast and on the seventh day hold a festival to the Lord. Eat unleavened bread during those seven days; nothing with yeast in it is to be seen among you, nor shall any yeast be seen anywhere within your borders.”

God’s plan for His people went much further than freedom. While they were sweating slaves they had cried out to God for deliverance. But they had not been counting on the land as promised. They travelled there and after arrival, year after year, they would need the reminder ‘Know who you are. You are God’s holy nation. Honor, trust and obey Him Who, with His mighty hand, delivered you from Egypt. Remember, God will not, can never accept sinfulness. He will not tolerate the corruption of any yeast within your borders.’ Still and before long, the finger of God would write the death warrant over His sinful people. We will come to that a little later on.

For people who were truly born again, not just chosen, not only bought, but born of God (John 3:16,17) there is a firm foundation to rest on. We find it in the New Testament.

2 Corinthians 5:21 “God made Him Who had no sin to be sin for us, so that IN HIM we might become the righteousness of God.”

8: 9 “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.”

How can it ever be, the righteousness of God, in a corrupt, sinful human being? Yes, in me! Why? Because, by faith in the sacrifice of Jesus, the Lamb of God, I became born again, born of God (John 3:16,17). By faith I became a child of God and His holy nature now lives in me. In my sight I see myself a sinner, a son of sinful parents, but God sees me as holy. Now He is my Father in Heaven and that relationship can never be broken because its strength rests in His Son, Jesus. Not the relationship, but the fellowship with my Father may be broken. That will happen when while in this world I choose not to do His will, but my own. When I decide not to live the Jesus-life but my own natural life. In other words, when I live a sinful life and wilfully neglect His holy nature that lives in me. Every day, often more than once a day, I need to confess to Father my sinfulness and what I am like. And again and again He tells me what He is like, loving, forgiving and restoring. On the ledger of my account in Heaven the record of my sinfulness has been wiped out and in its place God and I read these words: “The righteousness of God”. I am not writing about the God of religion. I pray that you may know the God of the Bible.

Now back to Moses and the Israelites.

Exodus 13:17,18 “When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said ‘if they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt. So God led the people around by the desert road toward the dead sea. The Israelites went up out of Egypt armed for battle.”

Many people would send a sign to heaven. ‘Lord, why the longer road and not the shorter?’ But what do we read? It was God Who did the leading. Never question His wisdom! Where He leads nothing is ever out of control!

From before the beginning, we all need to grow in our trust in Him. We need to understand that setbacks to us are His way to move us forward in our walk with Him, a walk of faith.

Exodus 14:3 “Pharaoh will think ‘the Israelites are wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert.’ “ (And in front of them the sea.)

The Lord is still talking to Moses:

Exodus 14:4 “And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them. But I WILL GAIN GLORY FOR MYSELF through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.”

There we see the answer to the whole affair of Israel’s delivery from Egypt. It was not about Moses and Aaron. It was not about Pharaoh, Israel or Egypt.

But it was in order that God may gain glory for Himself. Here we need to understand that the God of the Bible is not like you or me! He is holy and righteous. Never selfish or self centred. By and for His glory He created heaven and earth. In His glory He named all the stars of heaven by name. Through His glory the human race came into being.. All His ways and all His works were never about Israel and are never about you or me! But our trust in Him, our faith in His love, His wisdom and His power glorify Him. We will never be able to add to the glory of God. But in all circumstances and situations we may praise His glory and be to the glory of His grace. Glory for Himself, seemingly, did lead Israel into a trap. And Pharaoh knew Israel’s position. But what did that mean to the God of Israel? In His glory He knew the heart of Pharaoh like He knows yours and mine. He already knew Pharaoh’s thinking and plan before Pharaoh could move one foot. But the glory was not to be for Pharaoh, or for Israel, but for God Himself! All the ups and downs in our lives never come as a surprise to God. Whatever it may be, it will never be outside His control. But towards His glory, always.

Exodus 14:5,6,7 “When the King of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them and said: ‘What have we done? We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!’ So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him. He took six hundred of the best chariots, along with all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them.

Ten times Pharaoh, his officials and all his people had been taught they did not have any power or control over God’s creation. But, in spite of all their suffering, they did not learn that creation is in God’s control. Today, the ever great ‘I am Who I am’, in His loving grace, is allowing various calamities to come over this world. But all the calamities of floods, fires, droughts or typhoons, they do not lead the nations to acknowledge the God of all creation. Like Pharaoh, in an attitude of self-confidence, they say ‘We don’t know the Lord, why should we obey Him’. And ‘if you get in my way, I, with rocket-fire and roaring guns, will get you out of my way’. But the day is coming when mankind will no longer see God out of their way. He will step in and move all the poverty of human glory out of His way. Finally, it will be apparent, the glory will be for God alone. Today, the God of the Bible, allows us to see part of His glory.

Exodus 14:10 “As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the Lord.”.

Sensible! And Moses copped the blame. One of a leader’s portions.

Exodus 14:11 “They said to Moses ‘ Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt ’ “.

v.13 “Moses answered the people: ‘Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today The Egyptians you see today, you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only be still’ “.

That was a significant lesson. To me it is taking my lifetime to learn it. Do you remember what we were reading a moment ago?

v. 18: ‘The Israelites went up out of Egypt, armed for battle’.

How often did I stand ready, armed for battle! Struggle here, fight there, defend truth and stand up for my rights. Forgot to allow the Lord His opportunity for His glory. Yes, it takes a lifetime to learn that.

Exodus 14:14 15 “ ‘The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.’ “ Then the Lord said to Moses ‘Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the Israelites to move on’ “

‘Move on?’ Where? Hemmed in by the mountains; the sea in front and the Egyptians behind. We must learn: Human impossibilities may be God’s opportunities.

Exodus 14:16 “(Moses) Raise your staff (the staff of God) and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.”

God would do the fighting. Israel needed to be still. God does not need help from anywhere. But He often desires our cooperation. Moses was not asked to wave the staff. He was not to hit the water. That’s what I want to do to my opponent. Moses was to raise his staff and stretch out his hand. God Himself would divide the waters of the sea. And then, someone must have the faith to take the first step, on dry ground, between those two walls of water. Would you wish to have been that person?

Exodus 14:17 “ And I (God) will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen”.

We need not emphasize the destruction of Pharaoh and his army. But our desire should be to rejoice in the glory of God.

Exodus 14:18 “The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen”

Back home, in Egypt, the wives, sons, daughters and girlfriends had seen them go. After all their horrid experiences by the hand of the God of Israel, they still would not glorify Him as Lord. Finally they must learn. Not their Pharaoh, but the God of Heaven, He is Lord!

Exodus 14:19 “Then the angel of God, who had been travelling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, coming between the armies of Egypt and

Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side, so neither went near the other all night long.”

Danger? What kind of danger? Day and night, back and front, no matter what, Israel was protected by the glory of God. Today, for you and me, that can be the assuring comfort while in difficult situations and circumstances.

Exodus 14:21,22 “Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.”

For our world today, who controls the winds and directs the clouds? Can any human being do something about that? Who decides on life or death? Do you decide on sickness and health? What do you think about Him, Who has never allowed you control of matters to be in your hands? The God of the Bible! On one hand furiously holy and righteous, on the other hand compassionate, gracious, loving and forgiving.

Exodus 14:23-25 “The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea. During the last watch of the night the Lord looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion. He made the wheels of their chariots come off so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said ‘Let’s get away from the Israelites! The Lord is fighting for them against Egypt.’ “

Here is one real life story. It happened during the second world war. They were a young Jewish couple. With his parents, and an older brother, they did believe the Gospel of John, chapter 3:16,17. They became Christian Jewish believers and, as such, desired baptism The German restrictions on them were very strict. Only a few hours per day were they allowed to be outside their home. And most certainly they must never be in a public building. At the risk of being accosted for being in a Jewish home, the pastor and some of the church-fellowship decided to baptize them, in their home, in the bathtub. Shortly after that, German soldiers picked up the whole family. We have never seen or heard of them again. Kurt and Helga, the young couple, had a baby-daughter and we, in the underground resistance, knew where the Jewish babies were being kept. In a hospital, about 40 kilometers away. One day, the lady-leader of our resistance-group put on her nurses-uniform, large red-cross armband, stepped on her pushbike and peddled all the way to that hospital. Politely asked for an interview with the German commander. She offered him that once a week she would take care of the babies, wash them, change the nappies, etc. Permission was granted. The next week our nurse stepped on her bike again, carrying a basket with essential baby-stuff. While working away she soon found the cradle and name of one little baby-girl. The following week she repeated the exercise; peddled the 40 kilometers to the hospital, her basket filled with baby-articles. She washed the babies, worked until she came to one particular cradle. She emptied her basket, placed the baby in it and covered it up with a stack of dirty nappies. Baby powder and a dirty

washer on top. Walked out of the ward, through the corridors, smiling at and greeting the Germans, through the front door, found her bike and peddled away.

I ask you, who was caring and in control? Who helped our sister to work in the light and Who threw darkness over the eyes of all the Germans in the corridors and the armed guards at the front-door and gate? Who kept the baby quiet? Just one kick or cry could have cost sister her life. I tell you, while everybody was blind and deaf; our sister was fully surrounded by the GLORY OF GOD! By faith sister made herself available to HIM and gave Him her cooperation. She has now passed away. The baby may still be alive, she may be about sixty-five years of age and hopefully conscious about the glory of God.

Exodus 14:26-28 “ Then the Lord said to Moses ‘Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen’. Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians were scared, and the Lord swept them into the sea. The water flowed back and covered the chariots and the horsemen - the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea, not one of them survived.”

And back home? In Egypt grandparents, wives, mothers and girlfriends, would they now accept and worship the God of Israel? Or, would they curse Him? We don’t know. In our world today, irrespective of what calamity may strike, nations are stubborn and determined not to turn to God or acknowledge Him. But for all who belong to Him He has His path ready and safely they will arrive at their Father’s house, on the other shore.