Isaiah 43:18-44:5 Salvation is about God, not about us.

Isaiah 43:18-44:5

Have a look at this picture. It’s the famous ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, painted by Michelangelo, showing the creation of man. God, in all his glory, giving man the divine spark of life.

But this is what we often reduce God to. This is from the Christian comic artist Adam4d. We reduce God to the genie out of Aladdin. We want him to jump out when we call, and say “Poof! What do you want, Master.”

That is what Israel had been doing with God. But life does not work our way. We are not the master. Life is not designed to glorify us. All creation exists for one purpose and one purpose only: to glorify God.

And that’s the only way it works. Everything is designed to glorify God. And when we go against that things go wrong. It’s like trying to run a freight train off the rails. Evertyhing goes wrong. A train is designed to travel on rails. On rails – good. Off rails – very, very bad!

And we, and everything around us, are like that. Living to God’s glory – good. Living against God, ignoring God, rebelling against God – very, very bad. For us! We must learn from the painful lessons Israel learned! They treated God like a genie. They put themselves over God. And things went very wrong. So now they’re in exile and Jerusalem lies in ruins.

It is actually in our own self-interest to live God’s way. The problem is, even if we see it, even if we know what is right, we still don’t do it. We are spiritually blind. Don’t believe me? Think about this: we all agree it is wrong to lie. Right, that’s what you teach your kids: “Don’t lie”. How many of us in this room tell lies. How many of you have told a lie? Everyone who’s told a lie stand up. Well, I know it’s not just me!!

So our first point this morning is from v18-25 We are spiritually blind, which leads to suffering and judgement.
And our second point is But God as chapter 43 begins. But God saves us because of God. It’s his decision. It’s his choice. For his glory.

1. We are spiritually blind which leads to suffering and judgement (42:18-25)

Is 42:18 “Listen, you who are deaf! Look and see, you blind! 19 Who is as blind as my own people, my servant? Who is as deaf as my messenger? Who is as blind as my chosen people, the servant of the LORD? 20 You see and recognize what is right but refuse to act on it. You hear with your ears, but you don’t really listen.”

Israel are spiritually, morally blind. They know what is right… but they don’t do it. Has anything changed in 3000 years?
All of us are guilty, blind, even by our own standards of right and wrong, never mind God’s standards! Ever had a new year’s resolution: this year I’m going to change this. This will be different. How many of those did you actually keep? We fall even by our own standards! How ridiculous to think we can be acceptable to God, even we’re not even acceptable to ourselves. How blind!

Now, we often give ourselves a free pass when we fail to live up to our own standards. Well, I was tired. She was horrible, so I had to be horrible back. Telling a lie was totally the right thing to do in this situation. We brush off our failures, our sins, with ah, it doesn’t matter. And that’s because we’re not holy.

But God is holy. He is perfect in his goodness. And he cannot just brush away our sins.
Imagine you’ve just been robbed – everything you own has been stolen. And the policeman who comes to investigate suddenly says “ah, you know what, it’s not important”. And leaves!
Or the judge in a murder trial says, “yawn, it doesn’t matter. Case dismissed.”
What!!! That’s unjust! That’s not right! That’s not fair!

That would be like God ignoring our sin. Our rebellion against him. Imagine all the horrors of World War 2. Ah doesn’t matter says God. Or the ongoing war in Sudan. Who cares says God, I love everyone. That would make us mad. Or that person who really hurt us in third grade, who said horrible things the whole year until we just exploded. Doesn’t matter? Or what about the lies that I’ve told. Or the people that I’ve hurt? We’ve all done it. Done things we reject. Said something really hurtful. Done something we’ve regretted ever since. Would it be right for us just to be let off the hook. For God to says “it doesn’t matter”. No.

21 Because he is righteous, the LORD has exalted his glorious law.

Because God is righteous. Because he is good. We mistake being good with being polite or being nice. You know, shine your shoes, don’t say anything offensive. But that’s not goodness. Being good – standing up for what is right – can make you a real pain. Think about people standing up to protest against injustice, often going to jail, even being killed because people get so angry with them. God is that kind of good – but a lot more. God is frighteningly good!
God is terrifying to us precisely because he is good! Because his perfect goodness shows up our imperfect goodness. It’s like getting dirt all over your clothes in the night – you know you brush past the car in winter and when you come inside, into the light – oh, look at how dirty I am!
Meeting God’s righteousness is seeing how dirty we are. It is a painful thing to become a Christian, because it involves admitting I am dirty. I am a sinner. Compared to God, I am not good. I need a saviour.

21 Because he is righteous, the LORD has exalted his glorious law.

God is righteous which means he upholds his good law. God has created this world with laws. In science we investigate his physical laws, like gravity. But God also created moral laws. And when you try to break the laws of gravity, like jumping from the roof and saying I can fly – the results are painful. The same is when we disobey God’s moral laws. When we ignore him, do not worship him. When we lie, when we hurt others. When we ignore his laws on sex and marriage. When we hate our enemies and give in to anger and bitterness and revenge – instead of being like him. Soon everything spirals down into chaos. Some of us know this well. We have lived without God, against God, and our lives are a mess. Like Israel.

22 But his own people have been robbed and plundered, enslaved, imprisoned, and trapped. They are fair game for anyone and have no one to protect them, no one to take them back home.

The point of all this, though is to teach us! For us to learn: 23 Who will hear these lessons from the past and see the ruin that awaits you in the future? 24 Who allowed Israel to be robbed and hurt? It was the LORD, against whom we sinned, for the people would not walk in his path, nor would they obey his law. 25 Therefore, he poured out his fury on them and destroyed them in battle. They were enveloped in flames, but they still refused to understand. They were consumed by fire, but they did not learn their lesson.

What should they understand? To listen to the Lord and obey him. To stop living their own way. To stop worshipping idols. Last week we saw how we are all idolators. An idol is not just something made of wood or stone or gold, not just a thing, but anything that takes God’s place in our life. Even good things like family or spouse (husband or wife), exercise, even church – can take the place of God. That is an idol.
You see, some of us have been lucky enough to grow up in Norway, a country where God’s laws have been known for a 1000 years and followed to a large extent, so our lives have pretty much worked out well. Norway is a fantastic country to live in. But we don’t know the Lord, don’t know why things have worked. We are like Israel described in 43: 22 “But, dear family of Jacob, you refuse to ask for my help. You have grown tired of me, O Israel! 23 You have not brought me sheep or goats for burnt offerings. You have not honoured me with sacrifices, though I have not burdened and wearied you with requests for grain offerings and frankincense.

We’ve just ignored God. Well, thanks for your gifts, but I don’t need you, I’m doing a good job with my life.

What do you think God’s response will be?

Learn from history. Learn from the mistakes of others. Because if you make this mistake, if you ignore God, thinking it will be ok, well, history tells us exactly how it will go.

25 Therefore, he poured out his fury on them and destroyed them in battle. They were enveloped in flames, but they still refused to understand. They were consumed by fire, but they did not learn their lesson.

The future for those who ignore God, who live against God, is dark. It is fire, it is bloodshed, it is suffering and pain.

We are spiritually blind. But there is hope.

2. But God – God’s salvation is because of God. His choice (v10) for his glory (v7)

Is 43 But now, O Jacob, listen to the LORD who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine.

I hear a lot of rubbish these days about people seeking God, taking steps of faith, and that God doesn’t know who is going to respond to him. We are BLIND. We are in darkness. Look at v1. I have ransomed. I have called you. Salvation is his work from start to finish.

Praise God! It is his work. How does he do this? Well, remember last week the servant was going to open the eyes of the blind. (42:7) 7 You will open the eyes of the blind. You will free the captives from prison, releasing those who sit in dark dungeons.

It is the servant, the servant of God who will do these things. And as we follow the Bible story through the centuries, the amazing, surprising, wonderful thing, is that this servant is God himself. Yes, the mighty King, the messiah, the rescuer, the Mighty Warrior, Lord of Heaven’s Armies: came as a baby, small, vulnerable, humble. Jesus shrunk himself down to nothing, to become like one of us. He lived among us, becoming one of us in order - not to judge, not to condemn – but to rescue by taking our place.

And he does this because he wants to. It is his action, his motivation. It’s not because we, or Israel before us, have sacrificed enough or been religious enough or given enough money to charity or got baptised and confirmed in den norske kirke!

No, he saves us when we’re busy ignoring him! Look at v22-2522 “But, dear family of Jacob, you refuse to ask for my help. You have grown tired of me, O Israel! 23 You have not brought me sheep or goats for burnt offerings. You have not honoured me with sacrifices, though I have not burdened and wearied you with requests for grain offerings and frankincense. 24 You have not brought me fragrant calamus or pleased me with the fat from sacrifices. Instead, you have burdened me with your sins and wearied me with your faults. Not looking good is it. And if salvation was based on our performance, it wouldn’t be good. But just look at v25. “I—yes, I alone—will blot out your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again.

That’s why He says in v1 “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine.”

He’s ransomed us – paid the price to set us free. It’s like we’ve been kidnapped “give a million dollars or else” – and he’s paid the cost to set us free. Why? Because we are his, we belong to Him. He is our Father. We are His children. And under his protection. And so, no matter what life throws at us, we are safe.

2 When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. … 5 “Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will gather you and your children from east and west. 6 I will say to the north and south, ‘Bring my sons and daughters back to Israel from the distant corners of the earth. 7 Bring all who claim me as their God, for I have made them for my glory. It was I who created them.’

Now the background here remember is that the people of Israel are in Babylon. Jerusalem was defeated and all the people taken away, out of the Promised Land, into exile. And God is saying don’t worry about the journey back, I will make sure you get to your destination. I will bring you back to the promised land.

For us, our Promised Land is not Israel (thank goodness). Ours is heaven – the new creation, where we will see God face to face. That is where Jesus has promised to take us. No crying no mourning no death no sin. All will be at peace. That is where we are going. And if we are in Christ nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing, can stop us from getting there. Not even our own sin! If we are his, we are His.

Now these verses don’t mean that if you are a Christian you can leap into a burning building and you’ll be fine. Or jump into a raging river and not drown. You will. But it does mean that no matter what happens, even if your life falls to pieces around you, you are safe.

A man by the name of Horatio Spafford went through fire and raging flood. It was 1871, he was a lawyer in Chicago, had invested well in property – and then the great Chicago Fire burned it all up and he lost nearly all his wealth. Gone. He started to build up again but two years later in 1873 the economy crashed. He had been planning to travel to Europe with his wife and four daughters, but had to stay behind to try to sort out his financial mess. The ship his wife and four daughters were travelling in sank while crossing the Atlantic, and Horatio received this telegram from his wife “Saved alone…”
His daughters were dead. His business was in ruins.

How do you respond at a time like that?

We know how he responded. On his way to meet his wife he passed the point where the ship sank and his daughters drowned. And it was there he wrote the hymn “It is well with my soul:
When peace like a river, attendeth my way, (when things are going well). When sorrows like sea billows roll; (when things are going badly). Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to know, It is well, it is well, with my soul. (Whatever happens, we are secure. God is in control). My favourite verse is verse 3: “My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought! My sin, not in part but the whole, (all my sin) Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more, Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

Brothers: may that be our cry this week, this month, this year, and beyond. No matter what happens, let us rejoice, for we are secure. We are safe in his hands.

One last thing. These promises are for those who belong to Christ. He died for his own, his chosen people. So the question is: are you one of his people. Do you belong to him? Because if not, your own your own. And you will not get to the Promised Land. It is not well with your soul. I urge you to learn from history. Learn from the Israelites – what happened to them when they abandoned God. Learn from your own life, your own mistakes. Repent – that is turn from living your own way, and turn to God. Ask him for help.

Dear God, I have no right to ask you for help. I have ignored you. I have lived without you. But I have heard that you are full of mercy. So please save me. For the sake of your name and for your glory. I want to belong to you. And I want you to be my God. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Exodus 1-20 overview: The God who rescues

Exodus 1-20

An Australian preacher called David Cook tells the story of the time he invited a friend of his who was very legalistic, very religious - thought you could earn salvation by obeying God and by being good – he invited him to a talk on the ten commandments. The next day David asked his friend what he thought and his friend said “you know what really struck me: you said 2 comes before 3” “What?” thought David “that’s what he got out of it? 2 comes before 3? What a useless....” But he’s right and it’s a deep insight. Look at chapter 20. 2 comes before 3

2 “I am the LORD your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery.

3 “You must not have any other god but me.

Rescue before law. Salvation before obedience.

God does not save the Israelites because they were good obedient religious people. He saved them while they were disobedient slaves – and then called them to obedience. Obedience is the result of salvation, not the cause.

And if we get that the wrong way round we do not believe the gospel, but man-made or Satanic religion. You cannot please God through obedience but only through his sovereign grace. 2 comes before 3.

That is why Jesus came to seek and to save the lost – as we’ve been reading in Luke’s gospel. He came for sinners, not religious performing monkeys. Praise the Lord.

We’ve learned a lot from Exodus these past few months, but this morning I want to zero in on the central themes of Exodus and particularly what they reveal about the God whom we serve.
God’s sovereign power to save.
God’s sovereign power to judge.
God’s sovereign demand over our lives.

And we see illustrated in the great works and miraculous signs of Exodus the greater work, the greater miracle, the greater rescue in Jesus.

1. God’s sovereign power to save

Exodus opens with the Israelites very quickly in trouble. A new king comes to power, sees the Israelites as a threat, and decides to enslave them and to kill all the baby boys.

The Israelites are in trouble. And so in 2:23–25 [T]he Israelites continued to groan under their burden of slavery. They cried out for help, and their cry rose up to God. 24 God heard their groaning, and he remembered his covenant promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 25 He looked down on the people of Israel and knew it was time to act.

And we go yay! It’s kind of like the moment in Die Hard when Bruce Willis’ character, John McClane, now has a machine gun. Ho.Ho.Ho. The turning point. The advantage has swung to the hero. Or in the recent men’s 50km at the World Cup in Sweden when Petter Northug was in fourth place – and then suddenly starts his sprint.

Something’s going to happen. Something magnificent. God knew it was time to act.

Actually, we lose a little bit in the translation. Because the original Hebrew just says “God saw the people of Israel... and God knew”

God saw. And God knew. And it’s just another indication of the character of God. He does not watch from a distance. Like in Genesis 16 when the Lord “sees” Hagar, whom Abraham and Sarah had just terribly abused. In her suffering – the Lord sees her, and knows her situation and meets her. He is the God who sees. The God who knows.

It is one of the great mysteries of our faith that we find revealed in the Bible a God who knows us. A God who shares our pain and suffering. A God who became human in order to save us.

John 1:14 So the Word became human and made his home among us.

Luke 1:35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God.

Our Lord Jesus laid aside his majesty, was born as a baby, in order to live as one of us, to be the Son of Man as well as God’s Son, so that he could rescue us. He heard our cries as we groaned under our slavery to sin, with our king, Satan, the devil, seeking to kill us and destroy us. And he saw. And he knew.

You see, Exodus, for all its displays of power: plagues, pillars of fire, the sea rising up and parting – all of that is just a shadow, a mere shadow, of the reality of Jesus Christ and his saving work. That is where we really see God’s power to save. The Exodus is just a picture of that.
Want to know if Jesus can save? Look at what he does in Exodus, as he leads his people out – the angel of the Lord in the pillar of fire.
Want to know if Jesus can sustain us, provide for us? Look at how he provides for his people in the wilderness. Manna from heaven – every day for forty years, without fail. Water from the Rock, miraculously given at the right time.
Want to know if Jesus can protect us? Look at the waves crashing down on the Egyptian army as His people go through the same waters safely. Look at the ring of fire protecting the people from their enemy. See them arrive safely at Mount Sinai, just as He promised Moses.

God has sovereign power to save!

But wait there’s more. Because his salvation plan starts before we are even aware that we need saving. That’s how in control he is! The people cry out to God at the end of chapter 2 “Please save us”. But look at the beginning of chapter 2, and what do we see? Ex 2:1 About this time, a man and woman from the tribe of Levi got married. 2 The woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She saw that he was a special baby and kept him hidden for three months.
Before the people even cry out to God their saviour has already been born. Moses was the chosen saviour, kept miraculously safe through, ironically, Pharaoh’s own daughter. The plan to save was already in motion even before the people cried out to God. 2 Ti 1:9 For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus.
Rom 5:8 (NIV) But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

God saw our helpless situation. God knew us. And he set his plan in motion planned from before time even began: to save sinners like you and me. He himself would be the miraculous saviour. He himself would take the judgement we deserve upon his shoulders. He would face darkness and death and go through it.

The first thing we see in Exodus is God’s sovereign power to save. He decided out of his own great love, to rescue us. He is our saviour.

But the second thing we see in Exodus is God’s sovereign power to judge.

2. God’s sovereign power to judge

Ex 7:4-5 [The Lord says:] ...Pharaoh will refuse to listen to [me]. So I will bring down my fist on Egypt. Then I will rescue my forces—my people, the Israelites—from the land of Egypt with great acts of judgment. 5 When I raise my powerful hand and bring out the Israelites, the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD.”

Ex 7:17 So this is what the LORD says: “I will show you that I am the LORD.” Look! I will strike the water of the Nile with this staff in my hand, and the river will turn to blood.

Ex 8:22 But this time I will spare the region of Goshen, where my people live. No flies will be found there. Then you will know that I am the LORD and that I am present even in the heart of your land.

God is the judge of the world. He made us. He owns us. And his judgement on our sin is therefore right. His judgement, however, is not without a purpose: then you will know that I am the Lord. I am Yahweh.

We are made to glorify God. That is our purpose. All of creation calls out “glory to God, glory to God”. Look up at the stars on a clear night and you can almost hear the Milky Way, millions of stars crying out “glory to God”. You drive through Telemark and see the beauty around you crying out “glory to God”.

But we? We rebel against God. We ignore God. We don’t want to give God glory but to glorify ourselves. I am the great I am. I am number one in my life. I am all that matters.

Ex 10:1–2 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Return to Pharaoh and make your demands again. I have made him and his officials stubborn so I can display my miraculous signs among them. 2 I’ve also done it so you can tell your children and grandchildren about how I made a mockery of the Egyptians and about the signs I displayed among them—and so you will know that I am the LORD.”

Ex 12:12 On that night I will pass through the land of Egypt and strike down every firstborn son and firstborn male animal in the land of Egypt. I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt, for I am the LORD!

Ex 14:18 When my glory is displayed through them, all Egypt will see my glory and know that I am the LORD!”

Ex 20:2 “I am the LORD your God...You must not have any other god but me. You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. 5 You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods.

To set ourselves up in opposition to God is foolishness indeed. Pharaoh did – and the Lord took his rebellion seriously. Time had run out for him: the Lord, horrifyingly, said you will now not repent, you will be stubborn and you will face my judgement. There is no way out. And what a judgement he faced!

Opposing God = FAIL! But that’s what I do every time I disobey his commands. Every time I look at his word and think, naah, I disagree. Every time I ignore him and dishonour him. Our attitude is like that of Boromir of Gondor in the Lord of the Rings. When Boromir finds out that the King is in front of him, the heir to the throne of Gondor, he says “Gondor has no King. Gondor needs no King”.
Is that not the attitude of so many around us? Is that not the default attitude of our own hearts? Oh what fools we are when we, like Pharaoh, fancy ourselves as equals to the Almighty God.

For one day all of us will know that HE is the Lord, and not me. A pastor in the US called Mark Driscoll said that we need to understand 2 things: 1. There is a God. 2. You are not Him.

Funny, but very very true. 20:3 I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods.

You see, the Lord God will be glorified whether we like it or not. He will either be glorified in salvation and joyful obedience – or he will be glorified as he destroys those who rebel against him. Israel – saved, brought out by His mighty arm – glory to God. Egypt – in rebellion, refusing to acknowledge God – who is this God – instead turning to other gods, worthless idols which cannot speak and have no power. Judged. Destruction, darkness, and finally death covered the whole land of Egypt.

It is a stark picture and a sober warning to us here in Norway, thousands of years later. Learn from the Egyptians. Their voices cry out to us across the ages – do not rebel like we did. For one day, suddenly, God’s judgement will fall and there will be no chance of repentance. Suddenly you will stand before the Holy God whether through your death or the return of Jesus, and he will open up the book of your life and what will it say? Perfect obedience to God? Honoured him with every breath? No. It will say “sinner”. Rebel. Imperfect. Unholy. And you will be cast out into the outer darkness where, Jesus says, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Yes, it is meant to be scary! It is meant to make us afraid. It is meant to make us act! To seek God. To cry out for mercy. Yes God is sovereign to judge, but he is also sovereign to save, and if he can save people like the Israelites, if he can save a failure like Moses – a murderer, a coward, running away and hiding in the desert – well, there is hope that he can save you and me is there not? So if you haven’t asked him, fall to your knees and plead with him to have mercy on you. And so on that Final Day when the judgement falls “sinner, OUT!” – suddenly Jesus will step forward and say wait, not thi one, his sins are covered by my blood, the price has bdeen paid, I have taken his life and he gets my life. And the gates will open to Eternal Life. Will Jesus step forward for you? Do you know him? If not, ask him now. If you need help to pray Christian will be at the back of the room. Go to him and he will help you pray and ask Jesus to save you.

I’m now going to spend some time talking to the Christians. Those of us who have been saved – 2 comes before 3, salvation before obedience. But, 3 does follow 2 – obedience follows salvation, and so I want to end off by challenging us with

3. God’s sovereign demand over our lives

20:1 Then God gave the people all these instructions (commands).

In chapter 3 God calls Moses to be the rescuer of his people. Moses says no. God says oh yes you will. Moses belongs to God. Ex 3:14 God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. Say this to the people of Israel: I AM has sent me to you.”

6:6 “Therefore, say to the people of Israel: ‘I am the LORD. I will free you from your oppression and will rescue you from your slavery in Egypt. I will redeem you with a powerful arm and great acts of judgment. 7 I will claim you as my own people, and I will be your God.

Now there is a great comfort in belonging to God, in being saved by him – but there is also a great demand there. To belong to God means that you belong. To God. All of me, all that I am, my thoughts, my actions, my reputation, my future, my money, my family, my time – belong to you O Lord. Of course, everyone belongs to him anyway – we’ve just stopped pretending that we don’t. We know that we belong to him.

So, if you belong to him, then live like it. Make decisions in the light of the fact that you belong to him. The Israelites have been a crushing disappointment haven’t they? Moaning and groaning, longing to go back to slavery in Egypt – what is wrong with them? And so they pierced themselves with many unnecessary sorrows. Why?

Brothers how often do we do the same thing – deliberately do what is wrong when we know it is wrong and suffer the consequences. Or take so long to do what is right. Even simple things like find a church, find a place to live near the church, then find a job near where you live – so simple. Priorities right: spiritual food, a place to serve God’s people, people who will encourage you to keep your eyes fixed on Jesus. That’s what we NEED. But no we panic and we seek a job first, yes I’ve got that, then we find a nice house because we need that and then we thing Oh, oh dear, I need to find a church. Oh that one will do. And we suffer the consequences because we’re not thinking Christianly about these things. Who do you think provides “your” job, provides “your” salary? Is it not the Lord? Of course it is. He is sovereign over us. He is our Father. So trust him. Risk obeying him. It is glorious when you do and dull when you don’t.

What does Jesus say “seek first the Kingdom, and all these other things will be added”.

Oh Lord, expand my vision of you to fill my mind. I am so stupid when I make decisions, so blind, so hard-hearted. Lord, be my wisdom, be my faith, because I just can’t seem to trust you. I need to pray that kind of prayer more, and, I’m sure, so do you.

The Israelites were in the desert for goodness sake. There is nothing there but rocks and dust. You are in serious trouble if you’re there with no food or water (or a car to get you out of there. The desert can KILL you. And they were about two million people, plus herds etc. Panic, panic. But the Lord knew. The Lord saw. The Lord is sovereign. And so for forty years the Lord provided food and water sustained the people. Shouldn’t this be a lesson to us. Oh, that was then we say, as if that excuses our lack of faith now. Same God. Same ability to provide. And Jesus said “don’t worry about what you will eat or wear but seek first the Kingdom” and “your Heavenly Father knows you need these things”

Time to wrestle yousrself to the ground and say “Time to repent, time to change. Confess your sins, plead with the Lord to help, and then trust that his Spirit is at work in you – and He is – and then make deliberate decisions to change the way you live.”

And remember as you do this that you do this as a beloved child of God because 2 salvation, comes before 3 obedience. Praise God that he is sovereign to save, sovereign to judge, and sovereign over us.

Exodus 14 The Lord will be glorified

Exodus 14

There are people in this church who have lived through the Exodus.

I don’t mean that they’re 3500 years old! What I mean is, is that they have been fantastically, wonderfully, dramatically rescued by the Lord – and their entire life has been turned upside down. Everything has gone wrong – and belonging to Jesus has seemed to make things worse, not better.

Some of you sitting here today feel like the Israelites did 3500 years ago. Some of you feel like you’re being chased through the desert by an army of problems and are crying out to the Lord “Why Lord! Why did you bring me to this place? Did you save me just to kill me? Why are you taking me through this?”

It’s a good question, so let’s see what the God’s answer is from Exodus 14.

1. The Lord will be glorified when he tests you

2. The Lord will be glorified because he protects his people

3. Glory to God in the highest

1. The Lord will be glorified when he tests you

14:1 Then the Lord gave these instructions to Moses: 2 “Order the Israelites to turn back and camp by Pi-hahiroth between Migdol and the sea. Camp there along the shore, across from Baal-zephon. 3 Then Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are confused. They are trapped in the wilderness!’

The Lord sets up a test. He tells the Israelites to turn back, to make it look like they were trapped and confused. The test was for Pharaoh and his officers. Israel are seemingly vulnerable, confused. How will he respond? Will he remember what happened when he stood against the Lord and his people? Does he remember the death of his very own son? Does he remember the cost of standing in rebellion against Almighty God?

Has he learned his lesson? Does he fear the Lord?

But the test is not just for Pharaoh. It is also for Israel. What will they do the first time they seem to be in danger? Will they remember what the Lord has done for them already? That’s what the previous chapter was all about. Remember the Lord. Remember what he has done.

So there is a test: Pharaoh and Egypt, and Moses and Israel. How will they respond? And what does their response reveal about them, about the state of their hearts – who they really are.

And more to the point, when we are tested, what does our response reveal about us, and about the state of our hearts.

As we go through life’s ups and down, our character, our heart, our true nature is revealed. Particularly when we go through difficult times – how do we respond? Do we cling to the Lord? Do we respond in faith? Do we doubt? Do we cry out to the Lord “Why did you bring us into the desert to die?”.

We’d all like to say we respond in FAITH. But if we’re honest I think all too often we’re like the Israelites. Or even like Pharaoh.

Pharaoh is a fool. He is blinded by his own arrogance, his own power. 5 When word reached the king of Egypt that the Israelites had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds. “What have we done, letting all those Israelite slaves get away?” they asked. 6 So Pharaoh harnessed his chariot and called up his troops. And off they go to destruction.

Pharaoh, it seems, has learned nothing. His country lies in ruins, and yet he still rebels against the Lord, he still rushes blindly towards his own destruction. Why? Because he wants to.

I find verses 4 and 8, and verses like it, some of the most terrifying in the Bible. It is when God says I will give the people what they want. I will allow them to do what they want to do. They will not repent, but will be hardened in their sin, and there will be no escape. It is God’s righteous judgement on a rebellious man, a rebellious people, and it is terrifying. 4 The LORD says “And once again I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will chase after you. I have planned this in order to display my glory through Pharaoh and his whole army. After this the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord!” and v8 The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, so he chased after the people of Israel, who had left with fists raised in defiance. The result is v28 Then the waters returned and covered all the chariots and charioteers—the entire army of Pharaoh. Of all the Egyptians who had chased the Israelites into the sea, not a single one survived.

It is a humiliating defeat. The once proud slave-masters, now just corpses washed up at the feet of those they once ruled. The first will be last and the last will be first. It is foolishness to stand against the Lord. You will be broken. You will not stand. God will be glorified.

Now considering what we’ve seen Pharaoh do in the past, his actions are not entirely shocking. Just more of the same. God told us quite clearly that Pharaoh would never respond to him, that he would rebel and that Pharaoh’s rebellion would serve God’s purposes. So, not a surprise. The shock comes in v10. Are the Israelites mad? Do they not remember what God has just done for them, like a day ago? Do they not remember the terrible darkness which covered the land for three days? Do they not remember the terror of the Angel of death passing over their houses and passing through the houses of the Egyptians?

No, they do not. 10 As Pharaoh approached, the people of Israel looked up and panicked when they saw the Egyptians overtaking them. They cried out to the Lord, 11 and they said to Moses, “Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness? Weren’t there enough graves for us in Egypt? What have you done to us? Why did you make us leave Egypt? 12 Didn’t we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt? We said, ‘Leave us alone! Let us be slaves to the Egyptians. It’s better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!’ ”

It is a shocking response. It is a terrifying response. They have responded in unbelief. They have mocked the Lord. They do not trust his word. They have rebelled against him.

And so the Lord wipes them out, as he wiped out the Egyptians. “Foolish worms!” he cries, as his holy fire consumes them and this rebellious people are purged from the land.

Well, that’s what he should have done. If he was a God who was only just. But who is this LORD, this Yahweh who made himself known to Moses at the burning bush? He is the Lord, the Lord, the gracious and compassionate God.

The shocking thing is that he rescues these ungrateful, unfaithful people. And God is glorified. God is glorified in judgement over Pharaoh. God is glorified in saving Israel, in saving his people.

What’s the difference between them and Pharaoh, then? Nothing – except that the Israelites are God’s people, covered by his promises, his word, and Pharaoh is not.

You will be tested. You will fail the test. The real question is not what you do when you are tested. The real question is what will God do? Do you belong to the Lord or not. Are you one of His people?

2. The Lord will be glorified because he protects his people

13 But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. 14 The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.”

Actually v14 is better translated “Yahweh fights for you. You be silent” In other words, shut your pie-holes, Israel!. Stop your whining and complaining. Stop longing for slavery in Egypt!

The contrast is stark: the Israelites say in v12 “We want to serve these Egyptians”. God says in v13 “You will never see these Egyptians again.” You can’t be the slave of a dead person. You cannot serve the dead!

So it is with us as Christians. However tempted we may be to go back to Egypt, go back to our old way of life, to be enslaved by sin, to serve our old masters. We cannot. They are dead to us. And one day sin and evil will be destroyed forever.

One of my Dad’s friends said that the biggest change in becoming a Christian was that he couldn’t sin properly anymore!

There is much truth in that. We cannot sin properly anymore because we are aware of our sin! We are aware of this whole other world, this battle ground that we never even know existed before we came to Christ. How many of us thought that we were pretty ok, pretty good people – until the Holy Spirit started shining His light on us. Oof. What a reality check. Is this really me? Am I so full of sin? Do I so easily give up and want to go back to “Egypt”?

Yes. It’s a big temptation for us, and continued to be for the Israelites. It’s easier to be a slave and be like everybody else, than be different, have faith, and follow Christ. But if he is God, what alternative is there? Say no and end up washed up on the shore, our dead eyes looking up at the sky as the people of God walk by to new life! No! Save us, O God, we cry. I already have he says.

You see, while the people were moaning in fear and wanting to rush back to Egypt, the angel of the Lord is on the move. 19 Then the angel of God, who had been leading the people of Israel, moved to the rear of the camp. The pillar of cloud also moved from the front and stood behind them. 20 The cloud settled between the Egyptian and Israelite camps.

The angel of the Lord moves between the people and their enemies. He stands between the slave drivers and the people. They wanted their slaves back – but the Lord stands in the way.
But little did the Egyptians know that the Israelites also wanted to come back! “We want to be slaves.” So the Lord stands between the people and their old life, their slavery. He will not allow them to go back, to be enslaved again. They have been set free.

That’s what Jesus does for us. He stands between us and Satan. We once belonged to Satan, following his commands, his ways. We belonged to him because we have sinned against God. And he is coming for us. In wrath and fearsome anger he comes for us. And Jesus moves between us and Satan and shields us with his own body. The sins are paid for. We are free.

But our hearts still long to be back under Satan’s rule. Because our hearts are sinful – we want to disobey God, we want to follow our own way, do our own thing, and ignore God. And so we long to be like everyone else. We long to be back in Egypt in “safe” slavery. Where we can sin again and not feel guilty. When we are not called to forgive, to lay down our life for your wife, to lead our families, to share the gospel, to serve in the church. Wouldn’t it be easier to be lazing about in bed now instead of being here? Oh, my hearts longs for such foolish laziness instead of being here, hearing the word of the Lord, being with my Christian brothers and sisters. Praise the Lord that he stands between us and Satan and he does not let us go back to slavery. I thank the Lord that you are here – it is a miracle of his Holy Spirit that you are here this morning.

Our Lord Jesus stands between us. Satan might beat upon him, but he cannot break through. Jesus did not sin. He did not yield. He is alive! And we are forever protected by the power of his indestructible life.

He stands between us. God purposes will be fulfilled. We will be saved. Remember that, when times are tough, when you are tempted to give in, when you want to sin, oh you want to so badly. Be quiet, tell your sinful heart to shut up! And say Lord, please fight for me. This is a battle I cannot win.

And you can be confident that the Lord will answer that prayer, not because you are special or deserving or good enough – the Israelites certainly weren’t – but because he is special. Because he keeps his promises. Because he will be glorified both in judgement – and salvation.

Be still. And let the Lord fight for you.

3. Glory to God in the highest

4 And once again I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will chase after you. I have planned this in order to display my glory through Pharaoh and his whole army. After this the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord!”

Can you take away from God’s glory by rebelling against him? We were created to serve him, to reflect back to him his majesty and glory. All of creation shouts with joy: “God is great, God is great, God is great”.

So can we stand against that, stand against our destiny, stand against all of creation, stand against the Living God and say “God is not great”. I will not bow before this God. Remember Pharaoh’s words way back in chapter 5 when Moses and Aaron first appear before him “Who is this “Yahweh”? I do not know him. Why should I listen to him?”

The answer is, of course, no, you cannot take away from God’s glory. God is using Pharaoh’s rebellion to give glory to... God. He is not affected by our puny rebellion. He is not worried when we raise our little fist in his face. His plans are not shuffled about, rearranged. There is nothing outside of his control.

Oh Pharaoh’s making his choice, and it is a real choice – but God is already there, has already fixed him in his course, and Pharaoh’s will will be made to serve the will of God. Don’t be afraid, dear friends, of any man. For what is man compared to God? Pharaoh chooses to rebel against God, to spit in his eye – and he becomes the very glory of God and God responds in righteous judgement and destroys the Egyptian army in great power.

15 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving! 16 Pick up your staff and raise your hand over the sea. Divide the water so the Israelites can walk through the middle of the sea on dry ground. 17 And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they will charge in after the Israelites. My great glory will be displayed through Pharaoh and his troops, his chariots, and his charioteers. 18 When my glory is displayed through them, all Egypt will see my glory and know that I am the Lord!”

Glory to God who protects his people, and judges the wicked. Praise the Lord! Those who rebel against him will not stand. God will be glorified.

God is glorified in judgement.

But God is also glorified in rescue. Oh unfaithful, disbelieving Israel, see now the salvation of the Lord. See the Lord fighting for you. See the waters rising up like great towers as you walk across dry land. And see the glory of the Lord as he rescues you from your enemies. Praise the Lord!

30 That is how the Lord rescued Israel from the hand of the Egyptians that day. And the Israelites saw the bodies of the Egyptians washed up on the seashore. 31 When the people of Israel saw the mighty power that the Lord had unleashed against the Egyptians, they were filled with awe before him. They put their faith in the Lord and in his servant Moses.

There are only two ways to live.

One. You live like Pharaoh. You live for yourself. You ignore God. You rebel against his word. You are the captain of your destiny. And God will glorify himself in judgement over you, as he hardens your heart so that there is no escape and you will choose hell rather than bow the knee to the Lord.

Or you can cry out to him for mercy. Tell him you want to serve him, to belong to him. And if you do that, you will find that he has already rescued you, that you belong to him, that you are his. And he will be glorified as he saves you, as he protects you.

So, dear friends, if you belong to Jesus, when the tests of life come – do not be afraid, hang on to God, and watch his salvation. Don’t run back to sin, but stand firm, obey his commands, no matter how hard it seems – and you will see what the Lord will do. And like the Israelites you will put your faith in the Lord. Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Glory to God.