Exodus 14:15-31 vs. 31
"Israel saw the great work that the Lord did against the Egyptians.  So the people feared the Lord and believed in the Lord and His servant Moses."

‘The Ten Commandments’.

It is a story which has made a recent comeback in the animated production entitled,

‘The Prince of Egypt’.

An entire nation of people, the Israelites have finally gained the opportunity to be free, to no longer live under the oppressive rule of the Egyptian Pharaoh.  One thing stands between them and freedom, the Red Sea.

The Israelite’s excitement is quickly dampened.  Their fears reach a panic state when they look back and see Pharaoh’s army in hot pursuit.  They even long to be back in Egypt as slaves.

It is at that moment, that God parts the Red Sea, providing the Israelite’s their passageway to freedom.  It is a magnificent story of God’s power and triumphant, but what does it mean?  I am not asking you what it meant for the Israelites.

"Israel saw the great work that the Lord did against the Egyptians. So the people feared the Lord and believed in the Lord."

I am asking what does it mean for you?

Do you fear the Lord because of this story? Is your faith in God increased? Does it have any significant impact in your life? How does this story help some of the people and situations we prayed for this morning? How does it help Paul and Judy, or Esther, or Dot, or Josua and his parents, or you?

I fear that this story has lost the power to impact lives because we read it as a history story. Yet in this story are truths which can jolt our faith and our lives. Truths which can help every person and situation which we prayed for this morning. Truths which can help you and me. So what are they.

What truth is being taught to us in the story of Israel’s escape from Egypt?

(I am open for any answer from you.)

What truth is being taught to us?

There are several truths which I come away from this story.

The first truth is that inevitably in life, there will be times when I will be stuck between a rock and a hard place. Sometimes those situations will be brought about by no fault of my own and then again sometimes they will be my fault. Sometimes the rock will be my will, my wants and my desire and the hard place will be God’s will, wants and desires. Ultimately, no one’s life will be exempt from trials and tribulations. No one will be excused from experiencing a situation where there seems no way out.

The second truth is that God will open a way. God will use His power and love to rescue you us. That is not to say that God will snap his fingers and everything will be all better. God did not pick up the Israelites and carry them over the sea and put them down on the east bank. God provided a passageway for them to travel.

Which leads me to the third truth, you and I must be responsible and faithful in following God. While it is vital to pray to God, there is also a place in our lives for action. God said to Moses,

"Why do you cry out to me? Tell the Israelites to go forward.  But you lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it..."

Moses didn’t respond by saying, "OK, God what is plan B?."   He did as God had told him.

Unfortunately we don’t always respond as Moses did. Sometimes we know what to do, but we tend to stall.  We pray for more guidance as an excuse to postpone doing it.

You may have heard the story about the man who refused to be rescued during a flood.   The flood waters had risen to the point that he had to climb up on his porch roof for safety.  A man in a row boat passed and offered him refuge.  The man refused saying, "I prayed to God, He will save me."

The flood waters continued to rise, forcing the man to climb to the roof of his house.  Another person in a boat passed by and offered him refuge.   The man refused it saying, "I prayed to God, He will save me."

The flood waters continued to rise, forcing the man to stand on the top of his chimney.  A person in a helicopter hovered to lift him to safety.  The man refused saying, "I prayed to God, He will save me."

The man drowned in the flood waters.  When he got to heaven he said to God, "I prayed to you to save me how come you didn’t."

God answered, "I sent two boats and a helicopter but you refused to get in!"

The truth is God provides a way, but too often we refuse to act.

This brings me to the fourth and last truth, God uses our trials and tribulation for His glory.  We look at our trials and tribulations and wonder why.   Or we say they are tests from God.   Have you ever looked at your trials and tribulations as situations where God will be glorified?  When God told Moses what his plans were God said,

"and so I will gain glory for myself..."

Is there a situation in your life right now which seems to have you hemmed in?  What are you doing about?  What do you need to do?

This story of the Israelite’s escape to freedom, is not just a story.  It is a powerful testimony of what God can do for you.  It is a powerful testimony of how God can change your life.

Are you willing to embrace the truth of this story and let it change you, so you can cross the often turbulent rivers in your life.  The rivers I refer to are the rivers of doubt, of despair, of uncertainty, of illness, of hurt, of aging, of grief, of death.   God, as he did for the Israelites, will provide a passage way for you.   You trust the truth of His Word and His presence to do so.

amen