Exodus 17:8-18:27 How will you respond to the God of Israel?

Exodus 17:8-18:27

I have a confession to make. I must confess that I have struggled with this passage for the past two weeks. I started preparation already last week, together with chapter 17, because I was pretty unsure about this one. It seems so random. Jethro suddenly appears again, out of the blue. He brings Moses’ family. He seems to be a priest of God offering sacrifices, but isn’t part of Israel. And then he sits Moses down and tells him how to lead the people and Moses listens to him. Huh?
This is not a passage I wanted to preach. Not at all! But we are convinced that 2 Timothy 16-17 is correct: All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

So chapter 18 is breathed out by God and profitable, useful to us, for teaching and correcting us. There’s another reason why we can’t just jump over chapter 18: God wrote Bible books as Bible books. They have a beginning, middle and end. They progress. And we need to respect the way God has written it. So we preach passages like this, trusting the Spirit to lead us and teach us. And knowing that we as men of God (and women of God) will be equipped for every good work, and we will not be lead astray by those who seek to twist Scripture to say what they want it to say – because we know the context of the verses they use, and know the themes of the books, and know that the focus of Scripture is Christ, Jesus, the Son of God, not you or me or politics or Israel or Jehovah or health and wealth or anything else people try to make it about! The man of God, complete, equipped for every good work.

So let’s dive in and see what we can learn from this passage. And we’ll start by putting it in context.

Last week’s lesson was for the Israelites: stop pretending to be God. Let God be God. Only God can be God. It’s the same lesson we struggle with. That’s why Paul writes in 1 Cor 10:11 These things happened to them (the Israelites during the Exodus and desert wanderings) as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age. 12 If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall.

Because as we read these stories we see ourselves reflected there. We are quick to complain when things don’t go our way – just like them. We forget what God has done for us. We long to go back to our sinful lives – our pre-Christian lives, forgetting what it was actually like to be ruled by our desires, forgetting what a blessing it is to KNOW the Father, and to have His Spirit with us, in us, at all times.

So last week we looked at the attack of the Amalekites. It was a cowardly attack, attacking those lagging behind at the back of the camp. They attacked without warning, and for no reason. It was a new challenge for the Israelites, a new lesson to learn how to trust the Lord. Who fights for Israel? The Lord fights for Israel. Moses’ hands are raised to the Lord – they win. Moses’ hands are lowered, they lose. Your strength comes from Him. Trust the Lord.

But there is a second thing we learn from the Amalekites, and that is to contrast them with Jethro. Here we have two foreigners, non-Israelites, with two very different responses to God’s people and God’s blessing of his people. The Amalekites fight, they rebel, they seek to destroy the Lord’s people before they can become a threat. Jethro, however, praises the Lord, sacrifices to him, and blesses and helps the people of God.

1. Two responses

17:8 While the people of Israel were still at Rephidim, the warriors of Amalek attacked them.

18:10 “Praise the LORD,” Jethro said, “for he has rescued you from the Egyptians and from Pharaoh. Yes, he has rescued Israel from the powerful hand of Egypt! 11 I know now that the LORD is greater than all other gods, because he rescued his people from the oppression of the proud Egyptians.” 12 Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God. Aaron and all the elders of Israel came out and joined him in a sacrificial meal in God’s presence.

Two responses to God’s people that couldn’t be more different. Both the Amalekites and Jethro were also descended from Abraham. Amalek was the son of Esau, brother of Jacob who God renamed Israel. But Amalek and his descendants had turned long ago from the Lord. They would have known the promise to Abraham. They would have known that Esau, their ancestor, gave up that promise. They would be afraid that Israel was coming to claim their birthright, their promised land – because guess where the Amalekites lived? That’s right, in Canaan, the promised land.

You know, I wonder what would have happened if they had responded like Jethro did? If they had come to offer sacrifices and praise to the Lord. To rejoice for the rescue of their relatives? Could they not have lived side-by-side with the Israelites? Perhaps they could have been grafted back in? For we know the Lord’s name is “the gracious and compassionate God” (Ex34:6). We certainly see that in the way he treats his people!

But, no. They stay on the path laid down by their ancestors. Their brutality and ferocity towards the Israelites tells you a great deal of how they feel towards the Lord. They hate Him, they do not want to bow the knee, they want to wipe Israel out. And so they march out of their own land, into the desert, and attack the defenceless Israelites.

But they forgot that they are not fighting the Israelites. They are fighting the Lord.

Jethro, however, praises the Lord. He rejoices at the rescue of his people. Jethro, too, is a descendent of Abraham. Jethro, too, is a son of Esau. But he and his descendants after him chose to obey the Lord instead of reject him. Later we find Jethro’s son, Hobab, has joined the Israelites. And the descendants of Jethro, known as the Kenites, we later find as part of the nation of Israel, living alongside Judah and sharing in all their blessings!

What a contrast! The Amalekites reject the Lord, and fight against his people. And their judgement is destruction.
The Kenites, Jethro’s people, embrace the Lord, rejoice at his blessing his people. And their reward is to join with his people in the Promised Land. Remarkable.

Be like Jethro, seems to be the obvious application. And it is. But there’s one more thing we need to notice before moving on. And it’s to do with the names of God. Have a look at v8. Moses tells of what the LORD has done – that small capital letters stands for YHWH (Yahweh) God’s personal name in the Old Testament. Jethro, too, in v9, 10 and 11 praises the LORD “YHWH”. But in v12, when he offers sacrifices as worship to God, he offers them to God – the Hebrew word Elohim, not the LORD, Yahweh. Why? Because Jethro is not part of the people of God. He is still an outsider. He can be part of the blessing of God, but he is still outside – and Moses cannot bring him in. Moses, for all his greatness, is a limited saviour.

2. A limited saviour

17:12 Moses’ arms soon became so tired he could no longer hold them up. So Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. Then they stood on each side of Moses, holding up his hands. So his hands held steady until sunset.

18:17 “This is not good!” Moses’ father-in-law exclaimed. 18 “You’re going to wear yourself out—and the people, too. This job is too heavy a burden for you to handle all by yourself.

What do we make of this story? Well, I think there’s some truth in the application that leaders need help. We need to carry each other’s burdens, says Ephesians. I need you to keep my arms upraised towards God, as you pray for me and the other leaders in this church that we would remain God-focussed and God-dependent. In your prayers you are like Aaron and Hur, supporting my arms. It’s a bit like that famous picture of the soldiers together raising the flag on Iwo Jima. Working together. Or the rugby scrum. Working together as a team. Honouring the Lord. I think that’s a fair application. As Jethro says “You cannot do it alone”

I think another is certainly that wisdom comes from many areas, even outside the camp! And the wise man accepts good counsel, no matter where it comes from (Prov 19:20).

Those are probably good secondary applications - but I don’t think those are the main applications.

Because we need to let context drive our application – what has come before, AND what comes after. What has come before is Moses leading the people, rescuing them from slavery and taking them through the sea. Raising his arms and giving them victory in battle. Moses has been the voice of God.

And what comes after is the first church – the gathering of God’s people before God Almighty, hearing God’s word. The mountain shakes, there is smoke and fire and thunder and lightning. It is GOD who has rescued the people. It is God’s power, God’s word.

And in between a couple of stories which reminds us that Moses is weak. That Moses is not the saviour. That God is the saviour. 8 Moses told his father-in-law everything the LORD had done to Pharaoh and Egypt on behalf of Israel. He also told about all the hardships they had experienced along the way and how the LORD had rescued his people from all their troubles. 9 Jethro was delighted when he heard about all the good things the LORD had done for Israel as he rescued them from the hand of the Egyptians.

I think that the point the text is making must be that Moses is great, yes, but he is not the Messiah. His family’s sudden return – the last time they were mentioned was in chapter 4, before he approached Pharaoh - reminds us of his past. Moses who was Gershom, the foreigner, the outcast, is no longer. He is now Eliezer, the one rescued by God.
We are reminded, after all of Moses’ triumphs, of Moses’ failure before God met him at the burning bush, and like Israel, rescued him. Moses is not the rescuer, but the rescued.

Moses is one of the greatest leaders ever, because he was humble before the Lord. But he is just a man. In case we were putting our faith in Moses – perhaps thinking that “Here’s the serpent-crusher promised in Genesis 3:16, the one who will overturn evil - after all, he overturned the evil Pharaoh.” Here we are reminded that He is just a man. We’re still waiting for the Messiah, the serpent-crusher. We’re still waiting for Jesus. And I think that’s the main point of this whole chapter. Jethro’s arrival, Moses’ family suddenly back in the picture, Moses’ folly, Jethro’s wisdom – all points us towards the perfect leader, the perfect Messiah, the one who does need to be rescued.

3. Jesus is greater than Moses

You see, Jethro had to remind Moses of what his job was: 19 Now listen to me, and let me give you a word of advice, and may God be with you. You should continue to be the people’s representative before God, bringing their disputes to him. 20 Teach them God’s decrees, and give them his instructions. Show them how to conduct their lives.

Moses was to be the people’s representative – the mediator between man and God. But Moses was limited. He couldn’t handle the pressure of a couple of million or so people.
But Jesus! Jesus is our mediator, our representative before the throne of God. The Son of Man is before the throne – we have a human representative in the court of Heaven. But because he is also fully GOD – he is the God-man, born of the Virgin Mary, by the Holy Spirit (as we’ve been reading in Luke’s gospel in the Bible study) – because he is fully man and fully GOD, he can be our perfect representative, and mere numbers are no problem for him. He does not need to divide us up into manageable groups and have a massive bureaucracy to handle our prayers!

Moses was the mediator between man and God – he stood between the people and God. Jesus brings us into the very throne room of heaven. Heb 9:24 For Christ did not enter into a holy place made with human hands, which was only a copy of the true one in heaven. He entered into heaven itself to appear now before God on our behalf.

Jesus is the greater mediator (representative).

In the same way, Moses brought the word of God (v20 Teach them God’s decrees): but Jesus is the word of God. John 1:1 In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Jesus is the very Word of God.

Moses needed the wisdom of men. Jethro says in v19 Now listen to me, and let me give you a word of advice, and may God be with you. But Jesus is the very wisdom of God. 1 Co 1:24 But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.

Jesus is the very wisdom of God.

And Jesus does what Moses could not. Jesus brings the nations in, so that people like Jethro can know God not just as God (Elohim) but in person (Yahweh). We who are Gentiles have been grafted in to Israel (made part of Israel), and so we can know Israel’s God personally. In fact, he comes to live in us by His Spirit. Praise God. That is what Jesus has accomplished.

Jesus is greater than Moses. He is the greater mediator. He is the very word of God. He is the very wisdom of God.

Heb 3:3 ... Jesus deserves far more glory than Moses, just as a person who builds a house deserves more praise than the house itself. 4 For every house has a builder, but the one who built everything is God. 5 Moses was certainly faithful in God’s house as a servant. His work was an illustration of the truths God would reveal later. 6 But Christ, as the Son, is in charge of God’s entire house. And we are God’s house, if we keep our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ.

So, if Jesus is greater than Moses, how are we to respond? Not like Amalek, but like Jethro.

Heb 3 continues 7 That is why the Holy Spirit says, “Today when you hear his voice, 8 don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled, when they tested me in the wilderness..... 12 Be careful... , dear brothers. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. 13 You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. 14 For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ.

There are only two responses to the Lord and to his work. Amalek, or Jethro. Praise God that Jesus is the better Moses, so that if we like Jethro call out to him, he can save us, bring us in, make us one of his people. And if we belong to him, then we belong to him. Brothers and sisters, by His grace we are the people of God! Praise God. Amen.

Exodus 17 Stop pretending to be God!

Exodus 17

1. Testing the Lord (Who will be God?)

Well, Exodus has been quite a roller-coaster ride hasn’t it? Imagine you were an Israelite in those days. From slavery without hope, to a great and dramatic rescue, to being trapped at the Red Sea, to being miraculously given a way out, and the most powerful army of the day being destroyed – to then, a few days later, moaning to the Lord for food and water. “I want an ice cream” indeed! (If that reference makes no sense, download last week’s sermon and listen to it!)

If we were under any illusions that God saved the Israelites because they were somehow better, more holy, than anyone else – chapters 15 and 16, and now 17, today’s chapter, soon show us otherwise. What a bunch of faithless, ungrateful, whiny windbags. I mean just LOOK at the end of verse 7 the people of Israel argued with Moses and tested the LORD by saying, “Is the LORD here with us or not?”

Is the LORD – Yahweh – here with us or not?
Are you INSANE? What has just happened? 10 plagues. Huge rescue of millions of slaves. Pharaoah’s army utterly destroyed. Sheep and cattle and goats, gold and silver, fine clothes provided by the Egyptians. And not to mention the very waters of the sea parting in front of your eyes! Is God with us? Yes! There he is! See, the cloud in front of us. The pillar of fire by night. How can you miss it? Oh, yes, not to mention the bitter water which turned sweet, and the manna you go out and pick up EVERY DAY. Is the LORD with us? Really?

But how often are we like the Israelites. A tiny little problem appears, a bit of pain, a bit of sickness, a bit of heartache. And suddenly our world comes crashing down. Our faith flies out the window and we say “Is the Lord with me”?

I know a number of people in this church are suffering at the moment. Some with chronic illness, which stops them from being who they are. Others with potential serious, life-threatening issues. Others with deep psychological scars. Others have lost loved ones or beloved pets.

And those things can cause us to wobble. Like the Israelites we murmur. We forget the Lord. We forget what he has done for us. All we feel is the PAIN we feel now. WHY, O LORD! Have you forgotten me? Do you not care? Don’t you exist?

Like the Israelites, who only felt their thirst, we cry out like v3 But tormented by thirst, they continued to argue with Moses. “Why did you bring us out of Egypt? Are you trying to kill us, our children, and our livestock with thirst?”

Lord, do you really care about me?

How quickly we forget his past mercies to us. How quickly we forget how we were slaves to our sinful natures. How we were children of wrath. How our lives lacked purpose and direction. How we walked in darkness. And then the Lord saved us. He broke in. He opened our eyes. He flooded our lives with light and life! He gave us a new hope and a new purpose. He is with us, right with us! His Spirit lives inside of us – how much more intimate can you get? We are free! We are loved! We have a hope and a future! Praise the Lord.

And then “thirst” hits. Sickness. Heartache. Financial difficulties. What is it that you are struggling with now? Last week we wrote it on our hands as a symbolic message and gave it to the Lord. Did you give it to him? Or did you take it back, worrying over it? Do you really trust the Lord? Do you have faith?

The answer is sometimes no, we don’t have faith. Sometimes we let the problem fill our minds – become so big we can’t see anything else. The solution, of course, is what Exodus 13 told us to do: Remember the Lord. Remember what he has done. Remember his salvation, his love, how he has rescued ou. Remember how he has blessed you so abundantly in the past. Remember the Lord. Then you will not be swayed to despair, disbelief, and ultimately disobediently testing the Lord. Remember what he has done.

Sounds easy enough. But there’s a problem. And the problem is me. My own heart. But often I don’t want to remember. Because actually I WANT to have a greiveance against God. I want to play the victim, to manipulate Him into doing what I want, when I want!
In short, I want to be God. I want an excuse to go back to my old life, to justify some sinful behaviour. Haven’t you done that? Or is it just me? Oh God, I’m suffering now, I deserve to indulge in this... I know it’s a bit wrong, but you understand, right. Just a little sin....

Oh, because “Egypt” is so tempting. Our old life often seems easier. Or a different life, where I can just do what I want when I want it. Sin and selfishness is soooo tempting sometimes isn’t it. What did they say last week 16:3 “There we sat around pots filled with meat and ate all the bread we wanted” What a lie! What a total fabrication! Egypt was where they were beaten, forced to work hard labour. But in their minds it has become paradise. Pots filled with meat.

How often do we look back with longing at sin. Oh, it’ll be so good (or it was so good). Forgetting what it was actually like when we were in the grip of it. Thinking about lying because it seems the easy way out. Just change a few words here and there on an insurance form or on a tax form. Leave this or that out. Or even talking ourselves out of an opportunity to share the gospel! I’ve been there. We all have. “We sat around pots of meat”, we say. “It was so good to live in Egypt” we lie to ourselves.

But we know in our heart of heart that it’s not true. We’re just angry. We are frustrated with our circumstances and so we lash out at God. Why aren’t you doing things my way?

 

This is not unexpected. You see, the root of sin is selfishness, it is the desire to be God. What did Satan say to Adam and Eve? “Take this fruit and you will be like God”. We want to be God in our lives. We want everything to go our own way. We are just like little children, just that we’re cleverer at covering up our tantrums and are able to make our demands sound reasonable and cultured. But when you strip all that away we’re saying “boo I’m thirsty” “I’m hungry” “I want an ice cream!” “I want” I demand that you, God, do what I want right now.

And so we test the Lord’s patience. It is amazingly rude. We question his goodness. We question his love. Is the Lord with me?

How do we get through this? How do we stop wallowing in self-delusion and self-pity? How do we put God back on the throne? Well, we follow Moses.

2. Let God be God

4 Then Moses cried out to the LORD, “What should I do with these people? They are ready to stone me!”

Moses was under tremendous pressures. In today’s passage the people are ready to stone him! That’s job pressure! “Give us water or we’ll kill you” says the angry mob. Good grief.

But Moses does not sit down in despair. He does not look longingly back to a dream world of life back in Egypt (even though he actually DID have a good life in Egypt in Pharaoh’s palace). No. He goes straight to the Lord. Your problem big guy!

This is a habit for Moses. This is what he always does. It is part of his character. When we first met Moses he was a hothead, and did things his way, in his time. Which ended up with him murdering an Egyptian, fleeing the palace, and hiding in the desert! Moses has learnt obedience, learnt that God’s man needs to be GOD’S man before he can be useful to God (and others).

4 Moses cried out to the Lord

My Dad has a phrase which he uses a lot “Bow yourself out and bow God in”. It means deliberately acknowledging your own weakness, your own need, and asking God to intervene, to take over. It is the very opposite of sin (I am God) – it is saying to God: “Please would you be God here in this situation”.

And then you listen to Him.

5 The LORD said to Moses, “Walk out in front of the people. Take your staff, the one you used when you struck the water of the Nile, and call some of the elders of Israel to join you. 6 I will stand before you on the rock at Mount Sinai. Strike the rock, and water will come gushing out. Then the people will be able to drink.” So Moses struck the rock as he was told, and water gushed out as the elders looked on.

Moses cried out to God “I can’t do this”. And God answered him. Come to me, he says. Walk to the rock where I am standing, and strike it. Now it’s unclear if everyone could see the Lord or just Moses. It may have been the pillar of cloud – in fact it probably was. In which case everyone would see that it was the Lord who provided them with water.

He provides. The situation was too big for Moses. He realised it was beyond him. And so he asked God to be God.

What areas to you try to be God? One area might be suffering and evil. Do you ever get weighed down by it? Well, bow yourself out and bow God in! DO not despair. YOU see no solution – but you are not God. He has it in hand. Leave it in his hands. Let Him be the solution. Let water gush out of the rock.

Ah, but what if you disagree with his solution? Moses could have said “bang the rock? No God, that’s dumb. I’ll look like a complete idiot, smacking a rock in a dry river bed. No.”
God’s solution, God’s way, is the only way. If you find yourself telling God that his plan basically sucks...then repent, stop trying to be God. How arrogant can you be, thinking that your solution is better? Who are you, O man, to question God? Were you there when the foundations of the world were laid? And so on.

It’s like when a toddler is going to decide what to do. We had Jon Espen and Colleen visiting on Friday. Jon Espen with his 18 months of wisdom was determined to touch the fireplace. Colleen patiently said “no, hot!” every time he went near. A bit like how God provided the Israelites with food and water every time. A bit like how God blesses us, provides for us, cares for us, forgives us, every time.
Jon Espen is thinking “WHY can’t I go near the fire. It is warm. It is inviting. This is what I WANT. Mom is such a killjoy. Mom hates me.” Actually, Mom loves him. Loves him very much. And so she says “No”. Jon Espen needs to trust, to have faith in Colleen. And the more he grows and matures, the more he knows that his Mom does love him, and does have his best interest at heart. Mum knows best.

God is our Father. He is a good father. Trust him. Remember what he has done in the past. Remember how he has saved you, rescued you, provided for you, grown you carried you. And trust him.

Who will be God? Let God be God.

Of course, we tend to be a bit dull, so the rest of the chapter just repeats the message. You are not God. God is God. Let God be God.

3. Let God be God

Verse 8 introduces a new problem, a new test for the Israelites: 8 While the people of Israel were still at Rephidim, the warriors of Amalek attacked them.

In Duet 25:17 we find that the Amalekites attacked the weak and weary who were lagging behind the main group of Israelites. It was a cowardly and unprovoked attack. God, do you care? Is the Lord with us? Different problem. Same question. Lord, do you see our suffering. Are you with us?
We say to the Lord: Lord, we are sick. Lord we are grieving. Lord, we are in need. Lord, we are lonely. Lord we are under pressure. Lord, are you with us in Rock International Church? Are you with your people?

And the answer is an overwhelming YES! Because God takes it personally! Just look at verse 14 After the victory, the LORD instructed Moses, “Write this down on a scroll as a permanent reminder, and read it aloud to Joshua: I will erase the memory of Amalek from under heaven.”

It reminds me of Jesus’ words to Saul (later Paul) when he was attacking Christians. “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me”. The Lord is with his people. The Lord is with his people. Be comforted. He is with us.

And during the battle the people of Israel got a big visual aid. If they tried to do things their own way – that is, when Moses’ hands were not raised in obedience to God’s command – they would lose. But if Moses’ hands were raised in obedience to God’s word – they would win. It was clear that the battle was the LORD’s. That just like at the Red Sea, the LORD would fight for them (Ex 14:14). They had to “be still”. That is, close their mouths, stop their moaning, and trust him for the rescue. Bow themselves out, and bow God in.

Oh yes, they had to fight the battle. But they fought it not trusting in their own strength and their skill with the sword. They fought it trusting in the Lord. Moses’ hands raised: they win. Moses hands fall: they lose. It’s quite a strong visual picture isn’t it?

And so when the battle is won, 15 Moses built an altar there and named it Yahweh-nissi (which means “the LORD is my banner”). This victory over the Amalekites belongs to the Lord. He has won the battle. It is his banner over the battlefield. The battle is the Lord’s.

Only God can be God. I cannot be God. I cannot win the battle. I cannot make water gush from the rock. I cannot make manna appear every day. I cannot provide for myself – my provision comes from the Lord. And I cannot save myself from slavery and death.
And, unless you’re Jesus of Nazareth, neither can you!

Only God can be God. Why oh why do we struggle so much with that. So often we try to take the reigns. SO often we forget the Lord, and struggle along in our own strength. I’m going to end by sharing my own story – a time when the Lord tested me like he tested the Israelites. And I did about as well as they did!

And it was about food and water. God’s provision. Did I really trust that my daily bead comes from the Lord?
At work a few years back I was pressured, squeezed into a dishonest situation. My boss asked me to keep things secret from his boss – and his boss in turn was asking me to keep things secret from my boss. And people were being hurt, and things were nasty. The thing is, I allowed myself to be pressured because I didn’t want to lose my job. I needed my salary. I needed to earn it. It was something I did, I provided. Kind of like an Israelite going out and saing “look at all this manna I gathered” or going to the water gushing out of the rock – look at this water I am collecting. Duh!
Until one day the Lord showed me that “my” salary came from his hand, not from the company. That my salary was a gift from him, not a result of my great efforts. He is my Father. He is my Provider. And I was suddenly set free from fear, and the pressure to keep silent. And so I immediately confronted my boss, told him to repent and shared the gospel with him. True story! I’d love to tell you he repented with tears of joy... but he didn’t. I did actually keep my job in the end, but even if I hadn’t the Lord would have provided.
When we moved here to Norway we had to have in faith that He would provide. He called us, he must provide. It’s his problem. Lord I can’t do this, bow myself out, bow God in: you are the provider and protector of my family. You are the Father and Husband no.1. I just follow behind. You see, Daniel can’t be God. Only God can be God.

So whatever it is you are facing – if it feels overwhelming – if you cannot cope. Good. You have a very strong indication that the problem is not something you can handle so hint, hint, take it to the Lord. It is His problem to deal with. Let God be God.

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Exodus 15:1-21 Praise the Lord!

Exodus 15:1-21

Music expresses the soul. When things are too big to put into words, we put it to music, to song. When things need to be shouted, to be cried, when we just need to FEEL – we sing, or listen to someone else sing.

I remember going to the London Mens Convention a few years back. It was at the Royal Albert Hall. 5000 men. And we sang praises to our God. Oh my. It was electric. 5000 strong voices echoing around the magnificent hall – that was singing. We rejoiced at the mercy and grace of our God. I remember singing “In Christ Alone”. Wow. The joy was almost tangible – I could almost reach out and touch it.

Now take that experience and make it bigger – much bigger. 600 000 men, plus women and children, standing on the shore of the Red Sea, just after a most miraculous rescue. A crowd of about 2 million people crying out in song “Praise the Lord!” A whole city shouting and praising God. Wow!

Today I want us to travel back in time, 3500 years ago. To stand on the shore of the Red Sea and FEEL what it was like to sing this song this morning. Let us let Moses lead us in praise.

Are you ready? Get into your time machine. Time circuits set for around 1500 BC. Location Red Sea, near what is now the Suez Canal, Egypt. Ready? But wait. Remember how this time machine works? We don’t go as observers... we lock on to an Israelite in that time, link up with his mind, and we will see with his eyes, and hear with his ears, and feel his emotions, and remember his memories. Are you ready to experience the Red Sea rescue as an Israelite. Yes. Engage!

1. V1-10 Praise the Lord for he rescues his people

1 Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the LORD:
“I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously;
he has hurled both horse and rider into the sea.
2 The LORD is my strength and my song; he has given me victory.
This is my God, and I will praise him— my father’s God, and I will exalt him!
3 The LORD is a warrior; Yahweh is his name!

We’ve arrived! We’ve been transported back in time. This morning, you are now an Israelite, standing on the edge of the Red Sea. You can feel the sand under your sandals, the weight of the pack on your back filled with everything you own. It is the day before the Red Sea crossing. You are camped between Egypt and the Red Sea, and some of the older men are not too happy about, muttering words like “caught in a trap” and “what is Moses playing at”. There is a sense of unease, discontent and murmuring in the camp.

And then you heard a scream, a cry of terror: “They are coming!”. No! It cannot be! Your eyes wide you look towards the rear of the camp – and the sight strikes terror into your heart. The Egyptian army bearing down on you. The huge dust cloud raised by the chariot wheels. The flash of the swords and armour in the sunlight. The shouts of the soldiers and the whinnying of the horses fills your ears. Fear grips you, and 300 years of slavery kicked in. “I’m sorry master”, you shout, as you stumble back towards Egypt, towards your old, familiar life. Back towards slavery and the crack of the whip across your back.

And then suddenly you hear the sound of a rushing wind as the pillar of fire blazed past you overhead. The LORD! You had forgotten him in your terror. “How could I forget?” you think. Moses had just been telling us how we will celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread every year in the Promised Land to remember what God had done for us. And how every firstborn son will be redeemed, bought back, to remind us how God had redeemed us, Israel, his firstborn son; and how he had judged the Egyptians because of their rebellion against him. How could I forget? Have I so little faith?

You see in the pillar of fire the angel of the LORD, a human-looking figure, like a Son of Man. His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were like flames of fire. His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his face was like the sun in all its brilliance. (Rev 1:13-16) And he stands, stands between you and Egyptians. He is your protection and your shield. Your enemy cannot break through. And you cannot run back to slavery. Praise the Lord!

And then suddenly you hear the voice of Moses, loud and strong. “Men of Israel, see today the salvation of the Lord! Be still, and let the Lord fight for you!”

And then you see him raise his staff into the air. And the sea... the sea beings to churn. And the wind starts to blow, stronger and stronger. But you don’t notice the wind, you just stare in wonder at the sea, transfixed. The wind blows, and the sea writhes, waves crashing back and forth – but there, there in the middle, right in front of Moses, the water level is noticeably lower. The wind howls and the sound of rushing water fills your ears, salt spray hits your face, and the sound of shouting – no, of praising is all around you. “Praise the Lord! Hallelujah!” People are shouting. Because now they can see two great pillars of water rising up – and there, there in the middle of the sea a road. A straight road to freedom.

8 At the blast of your breath, the waters piled up! The surging waters stood straight like a wall; in the heart of the sea the deep waters became hard.
11 “Who is like you among the gods, O LORD— glorious in holiness, awesome in splendor, performing great wonders?

Can you picture it? Can you see it? Can you feel it? Walking through the sea on dry land. The waters standing like great battlements- huge walls standing to attention as the people of God walk by. The pillar of fire behind your back, and freedom, a new life, the Promised Land ahead of you! Praise the Lord, for he is good, and his mercies endure forever!

But then suddenly the pillar of fire vanishes, and with a great cry the Egyptian army rises up and rushes forth. No!

“Quickly, come on!” you shout. “Move! Run!” You grab the hand of those with you stumbling, running towards the light. You can hear the whinnying of the horses, the clanking of armour, the creaking of the chariots – and the voices of your slave masters. “9 I will chase you. I will catch up with you. I will plunder you. I will consume you. I will flash my sword; my powerful hand will destroy you.’

Terror grips your heart again. Someone screams behind you. You can feel fear all around you. “We’re going to die!” someone shouts. You gasp for breath, your legs burning. “No, I don’t want to go back” you hear yourself. “Save us, O Lord” someone cries out. You push on... and suddenly you’re on the beach, on the other side – you made it! And you collapse in exhaustion, gulping in great lungfuls of air. You feel the sand against your face, feel it between your hands.

And then you thing in despair: “This is where I will die, on a beach, run through by an Egyptian sword or trampled by an Egyptian warhorse.”

6 “Your right hand, O LORD, is glorious in power.
Your right hand, O LORD, smashes the enemy.
7 In the greatness of your majesty, you overthrow those who rise against you.
You unleash your blazing fury; it consumes them like straw.
8 At the blast of your breath, the waters piled up! The surging waters stood straight like a wall; in the heart of the sea the deep waters became hard.
9 “The enemy boasted, ‘I will chase them and catch up with them. I will plunder them and consume them. I will flash my sword; my powerful hand will destroy them.’
10 But you blew with your breath, and the sea covered them. They sank like lead in the mighty waters.

As you lie there on the beach, expecting at any moment to feel a cold hard blade pierce your back, and the harsh laugh of an Egyptian soldier – instead you hear a shout of terror from the Egyptian soldiers. “The Lord! The Lord fights for them against us!”

In wonder and hope you stand and turn to look behind you. You see the Egyptians in fear and confusion. Their chariots are stuck in the mud. Their horses are whinnying in fear, trying to turn back. Then suddenly a great blast of wind sweeps in from behind you, pushing you to the ground. You hear a great roar of rushing waters, like a thousand waterfalls, and you see – you see the sea crashes down upon the enemy of God’s people.

1 “I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously;
he has hurled both horse and rider into the sea.
2 The LORD is my strength and my song;
he has given me victory.
This is my God, and I will praise him— my father’s God, and I will exalt him!
3 The LORD is a warrior; Yahweh is his name!

Praise the Lord because he rescues his people!

But that is not all. We don’t just praise him for what he has done. We praise him for who he is. And the great crowd raises its voice in song and praises the Lord for he is the Most High.

2. V11-13 Praise the Lord for he is the Most High

11 “Who is like you among the gods, O LORD— glorious in holiness, awesome in splendor, performing great wonders? 12 You raised your right hand, and the earth swallowed our enemies. 13 “With your unfailing love you lead the people you have redeemed. In your might, you guide them to your sacred home.

Praise the Lord for he is the Most High.

Throughout this Exodus story one thing has become vbery clear: the Lord is immensely powerful. There is no-one like him. He is not an equal amongst the gods – he is far above. Egypt was the world superpower of the day – and the Lord God showed that he was far superior to their gods. Many commentators have wondered about the plagues – why specifically those? And one of the most plausible explanations is that the plagues were all showing God’s power over the different gods of Egypt. Egyptians worshipped many gods, each god with its own little area it ruled: like the sun god Ra, or Khnum the river god of the Nile, and so on. Each plague showed God’s mastery over these little gods – he was more powerful even in their area of power. He is the one true God over all the others. Yahweh is his name – or as he now has fully revealed himself: the triune God; Father, Son (Jesus) and the Holy Spirit. Who is like our God, indeed? Other gods are stone idols or ideas made up out of nothing. Only the Lord speaks, only the Lord acts, only the Lord comes to live with his people.

It is not a surprise that Christianity is the only religion based on verifiable history – things that have actually taken place. Real events, real people, real experiences. And when God speaks through his prophets, it’s not just vague suggestions about things that may or may not happen: it is about specific events – even the names of the people involved - that then take place. In fact, a prophet in Israel whose words did not come true was a false prophet and was put to death!

There may be gods of stone or wood, there may be philosophies and worldviews, there may be evil spirits – but there is only One God above all, seated high and mighty on his throne. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus, the Christ.

11 Who is like you among the gods, O LORD.

Praise the Lord for he is the Most High.

3. V13-18 Praise the Lord for he controls our future

13 “With your unfailing love you lead the people you have redeemed. In your might, you guide them to your sacred home. 17 You will bring them in and plant them on your own mountain— the place, O LORD, reserved for your own dwelling, the sanctuary, O Lord, that your hands have established. 18 The LORD will reign forever and ever!”

This is the point of remembering what the LORD has done. It is to give us confidence for the future. It builds our faith. Remember that Biblical faith is not “just believe”. Biblical faith is believe based on the evidence. Based on God’s past actions we know that he is able to save, willing to save, and powerful enough to not be stopped. Praise the Lord for he saves his people; praise the Lord for he is the Most High – there is no other; and therefore, praise the Lord for he controls our future. Our future is secure. If he saves us, then we are truly saved.

As an Israelite set free, there would come a time after all the excitement has died down when you think: “what now?”. We’re 2 million people... in the desert... not much water... not much food. Where do we go? Oh, there’s the promised land, but last I heard it was occupied.

And then you hear Moses’ voice leading the people in song. 15 The leaders of Edom are terrified; the nobles of Moab tremble. 17 You will bring them in and plant them on your own mountain. 18 The LORD will reign forever and ever!”

And you remember he is in control. Just like he has shown in the past. Our lives are in his hands. Do not be afraid.
And we, dear friends, as “time travellers”, have the benefit of knowing that their hope was not in vain. That they did not die of thirst or of starvation in the desert. That the people of Canaan and surrounding lands really were terrified of them. That God did safely deliver them to his holy mountain just as he had promised. Praise the Lord for he controls the future.
And so, that gives us confidence, because we

4. Praise the Lord for he is our Lord

Do you feel the emotions of Moses and the Israelites this morning? Do you feel the joy of being rescued, the wonder of a God, high and mighty and lifted, who cares for his people, little us down here. Do you feel the hope of the future, a new life, knowing that he will take you there?

If you feel it, good, for this, Christian, is YOUR experience, your emotion, your joy.

For we have been rescued, we have been set free. We are known, intimately known by the one true God and we know him. And he has given us a hope and future, we are headed to the New Creation, and it is secured, guaranteed by His blood and by the Holy Spirit, the deposit guaranteeing our inheritance. He is with us.

So we can sing a new song to the Lord.

Daniel and the people sang this song to the Lord: “I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; he has defeated death and sin on the Cross. The Lord is my strength and my song, he has set me free. This is my God and I will praise him – the God of Moses and Israel and I will exalt him. The LORD is a warrior; Jesus is his name.”

To sum up then. We, like Israel have been set free. Our old sinful life is behind us. We have been taken through the Sea, washed clean, made new. We are headed for heaven and he is before us and behind us, his holy fire is all around us, keeping us safe. The enemy cannot get us, and we cannot go back to our old life. Remember this! Remember when you are tempted. Do not fall. But if you do fall, if you do sin – remember that the price has been paid to forgive you. And stand up, put your pack back on your shoulders, and keep following Him. One day we will see him there face to face, either when we die, or when he returns, whichever comes first. And our journey will be complete. We will be home. Praise the Lord!

11 “Who is like you among the gods, O LORD— glorious in holiness, awesome in splendor, performing great wonders? 12 You raised your right hand, and the earth swallowed our enemies. 13 “With your unfailing love you lead the people you have redeemed. In your might, you guide them to your sacred home. Amen

18 The LORD will reign forever and ever!” Amen

He fought for us on the cross. This is what we celebrate now in the communion. That night in the garden, agonising in prayer, sweat like drops of blood in anguish on his face, as he prepared to take the cup of punishment our sins deserved. As he stands and says “The hour of darkness is here. Here is my betrayer.” At a word he speaks and the whole crowd come to arrest him falls down. Oh, he had power! And yet, he fought for us not with a great display of power, but with a great display of love. Love held his power in check. Love caused him to cry out “Father, forgive them!” as they nailed him to the cross, instead of calling down a legion of angels. Love held him on the cross, nails in his hands and feet. Love took him through the darkness, as he became our Passover Lamb. Love, was why he cried out “It is finished” and gave up his life so that you and I might live.

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.

Exodus 13 Remember

Exodus 13

About two weeks ago, just after Christmas, I was walking along a seaside path. The sun was blazing down with its summer warmth, the sea was glistening – and I saw a strange sight. I was in the coastal town of Hermanus, just outside Cape Town, and there in the centre of town, on the seaside path were two old World War 2 guns.
They had been kept as a monument. There was a stone pillar, and on the pillar was a plaque with the names of all the soldiers who had given their lives during the war. And there was one sentence on the plaque: Their names live forever.
In other words: Remember.

We remember their sacrifices during the war and we are thankful. I remember what my grandfather went through to win the freedom we take so for granted. We remember those who fought and died for freedom. And we remember what that cost: our freedom came at a great price. Let us never forget, say these monuments, what horror war brings, what terrible price it exacts on us, and what it costs to stand against tyranny. Remember.

Today’s passage is Israel’s “war monument”. Remember. Remember what God has done. Remember how he brought you out. And remember what it cost.

1. Remember: the Lord rescues his people with a mighty hand (slavery and rescue (yeast)) v3-10

2. Remember: the Lord redeems his sons from death with a sacrifice (death, redemption, and the costly sacrifice) v11-16

Redeem means buy back, exchange, transfer, swap (å bytte ut)

3. Remember: the Lord is with his rescued, redeemed people v17ff

1. Remember: the Lord rescues his people with a mighty hand

Remember what God has done. Well, what has God done? Well, I’m glad you asked, since it’s been about a month since we were last in Exodus, and we’ve probably all forgotten!

God saved a tribe of whiny, ungrateful, weak slaves (that’s Israel), by choosing as their leader and rescuer an escaped murderer hiding out in the desert wasting his life (that’s Moses). What an inspiring story! What a bunch of losers. These are the people God chooses? Seriously? Yes, seriously. These are the people God saves!

3 So Moses said to the people, “This is a day to remember forever—the day you left Egypt, the place of your slavery. Today the LORD has brought you out by the power of his mighty hand. And in case the Israelites (and us) are slow Moses reminds us again at the end of his speech v9 Let it remind you always to recite this teaching of the LORD: ‘With a strong hand, the LORD rescued you from Egypt.’

The hero of the story is not us, the people. It is not Moses, or Aaron. It is God. He is the Rescuer, the Saviour of his people. It is his power, his action, his love, his mercy on a small insignificant bunch of slaves. Why?

Because his word is true. 400 years earlier the Lord told Abraham what would happen: that his descendants would be enslaved, and that when the time was right he would rescue them and lead them to the land he had promised Abraham and his descendants.
The Lord God keeps his promises. His word is powerful.
We remember what the Lord has done in the past – because it reminds us that he keeps his promises. What he has done in the past gives us confidence that he will do what he has promised to do in the future: to judge the living and the dead, and to rescue all those who receive Christ Jesus as Saviour and as Lord. Remember! And have faith.

Again we see that faith is not just “believing without evidence”. We talk about a “leap of faith” as being a blind jump – but that’s not Biblical faith. Faith in the Bible is based on evidence. We trust the evidence of what God has done in the past, so we can then live confidently, with faith, trusting that he will do what he has promised. Faith is based on the evidence of what God has revealed already. So remember what he has done, and have faith.

So we remember the Exodus. Great. Nice story. Ah, but there’s more, remember. As we’ve seen as we’ve gone along in these chapters, God’s eye is on the future, on the real Exodus, the real rescue, which this one is just foreshadowing: the Cross of Christ.
That’s why in v3 So Moses said to the people, “This is a day to remember forever. Forever. Forever is a bit excessive isn’t it, for the rescue of a bunch of slaves. But not for remembering the Cross. The point of Exodus is the Cross. Exodus is just a shadow of the real rescue to come. That’s why it’s such a big deal. That’s why the need to remember it forever.

We, like the Israelites, are slaves. But not slaves to the Egyptians, we are slaves to sin – our rebellion against God. We have ignored him, our Creator and King. We have broken his laws and done our own thing. We have insulted him by not giving him glory. We have sinned against him. The evidence of sin is all around us: broken relationships, arguments, hurt, greed, poverty, divorce, locked doors, wars, sexual abuse, terror attacks – all these come from our sinful hearts turned towards ourselves instead of towards the Lord. And because he is just, he will not allow us to hurt and destroy each other and ignore him forever. He has set a day of judgement and warned us about it. Just as Pharaoh was warned of his day of judgement. Pharaoh was arrogant and refused to repent, and brought ruin, destruction, and ultimately death on himself and his people. Learn from his mistake!
A day of judgement is coming, a plague of death when darkness will cover the whole earth and everyone will meet the angel of death face to face. We are in Egypt, waiting for the final plague.

So, how do we escape? How do we live instead of dying? Remember that the Israelites had the Passover lamb, sacrificed in their place. Then they had to leave with the people, following the Lord, in faith, out into the desert. They would remember this with a feast, the feast of unleavened bread (unleavened means bread with no yeast). 6 For seven days the bread you eat must be made without yeast. Then on the seventh day, celebrate a feast to the LORD.

There was no yeast because there was no time to bake bread with yeast – yeast needs time to rise, and they had to leave quickly – they were rescued. Bread without yeast also keeps longer – it is bread for a long journey, the journey to the Promised Land. Eating bread with no yeast was a symbol, a symbol that you were following the Lord into the desert, trusting him to take you to the Promised Land.

That finds its fulfilment in the Cross. Where our Lord Jesus won for us our freedom by taking our place as the Passover lamb. He took our place, taking the punishment of death our sins deserved, in order to break the power of sin over us and set us free. We are no longer slaves to sin, but now are free to follow our Lord God to the Promised Land of the New Creation.

Romans 8:1-2 So now there is NO condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. You are free! Just like the Israelites. So remember what Christ has done. If you belong to Jesus – if he is your Saviour and Lord – then the power of sin is broken in you – particularly the power of sin to kill you. You will not die spiritually. You will not face the darkness of God’s righteous anger. You are sinless because Christ has taken your sins. I am free!

So when we are tempted to sin: to lie, to gossip, to get proud and arrogant, to answer back harshly, to hurt, to steal, to give in to lust, or anger, or hatred, or prejudice, whatever it is – we must remember what Christ has done. Remember that I belong to him.

The Israelites were commanded to look back at the Exodus, that great event where God rescued them from slavery in Egypt and lead them safely to the Promised Land of Canaan.

We are commanded to forever remember the True Exodus the great event where God rescued us from slavery to sin, through the cross, and will lead us safely to the New Creation.

I am free. Remember it.

Remember that the Lord rescues his people with a mighty hand.

2. Remember: the Lord redeems his sons from death with a sacrifice

11 “This is what you must do when the LORD fulfills the promise he swore to you and to your ancestors. When he gives you the land where the Canaanites now live, 12 you must present all firstborn sons and firstborn male animals to the LORD, for they belong to him.

All the firstborn sons belong to the LORD? Why? The answer is in v15 Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, so the LORD killed all the firstborn males throughout the land of Egypt, both people and animals. That is why I now sacrifice all the firstborn males to the LORD—except that the firstborn sons are always bought back.’

Remember the final plague. The final plague was the plague of death. Remember it. Remember that your sons were redeemed, saved by the sacrifice of the lamb. Remember that any son not redeemed by the lambs was killed.

It’s very dramatic, isn’t it? In fact the whole 10 plagues thing is quite dramatic. God could just have blown Pharaoh away with a little flick of his wrist. So why the drama? Why the big event? Why the dramatic memorial?

Because the Firstborn Son before all firstborn sons is Jesus. And he is the great redeemer – the one who buys back sinful men and women, like us, like Israel. He pays the price, a price paid in blood: his own life.
Exodus is a drama, a big event because it is an echo of the death of the Firstborn Son. The death of Jesus echoes throughout time and space, through all of history – a massive cry “It is finished!” as the universe itself is turned upside down. God the Son became a human being and tasted death in order to free...us. He who knew no sin became sin for us. It is the biggest event in time. There is no bigger, there will be no bigger. That God Himself would stoop to take our form, to taste our suffering, to even taste death in order to rescue us.
Some say the gospel is unbelievable and I would say they’re right. In fact, if you don’t think it is unbelievable I don’t think you fully grasp the wonder of the gospel. Have you ever just sat in wonder and thought “Jesus died for me”. Jesus died...for me!

I was in chains, enslaved by sin. I was in darkness, under the judgement of death. And Jesus saved me. He saved me by redeeming me: paying the price to set me free. He took my place.

And that is the symbol that the Israelites were to remember, and to tell their children. Here is the firstborn son. He is under the sentence of death. But God has said “redeem all your firstborn sons”. So instead of the son being placed on the altar, a transaction takes place. A price is paid, normally 5 shekels, and the son is redeemed, bought back, set free from death. Someone else paid his price.

But now the firstborn donkey is brought forward. There is no redeemer for this donkey. No-one to pay the price. No-one to take his place. The donkey’s neck is broken, and its body falls lifeless in the dust.

Remember: see the price being paid to redeem the life of the son. The price is paid. The son lives.

Remember: see the donkey. There is no-one to pay his price, no redeemer is found. His neck is broken because there is no redeemer. No redeemer = death.

We are all under the sentence of death. We will all die. Eternal death. Unless there is a redeemer: Christ Jesus. Only he can pay the price to save us: not 5 shekels – that was only a symbol. The price to be paid is a life for a life – one perfect life to redeem your imperfect life. Life for death. And so Jesus gives his life for us, paying the price. He is the firstborn son, the firstborn son who goes to the altar and who is not redeemed, he is not bought back, so that he can redeem, by back, all of us.

Is he your redeemer? Have you been bought back by him? Remember! Be redeemed. Or will your neck be broken like a donkey, your body lying in the dust for all eternity?

Remember: the Lord redeems his sons from death with a sacrifice.

3. Remember: the Lord is with his people

21 The LORD went ahead of them. He guided them during the day with a pillar of cloud, and he provided light at night with a pillar of fire. This allowed them to travel by day or by night. 22 And the LORD did not remove the pillar of cloud or pillar of fire from its place in front of the people.

The Lord did not abandon his people after he rescued them. He did not say You’re free, good luck.

If he’d done that, they would have gone the direct route: through the land of the Philistines. And they would have faced battle, become terrified, and run back to slavery in Egypt.

But God called them to follow him. You see, they were set free not to do their own thing, but set free to follow God.

We know that we are saved from our sins – but what are we saved for? We’re not just saved FROM sins, but saved FOR service to God. We are set free not to do our own thing, but set free to be who we were born to be: people who glorify God. We are set free to fulfil our destiny.

Freedom to do our own thing is sin: we do what we want without referencing God – we’re acting like we are God, like we are in charge. What we value so highly as “freedom” the Bible calls sin. And actually, that’s slavery. When we do what we want, we find soon that we can’t do anything else. We become enslaved to our own selfish desires and motivations and we can’t do anything else. We are slaves to ourselves. If the Israelites had been “free” to do what they wanted they would have landed back in Egypt!
I remember a friend of mine at University who had cheated on his girlfriend – and he loved his girlfriend. He said “I couldn’t stop myself”. He was helpless. His “freedom” had trapped him and become his master. That’s sin. Sin enslaves us, ensnares us. Only Christ can set us free. Only in following him can we be truly free.

So remember. Remember what he has done. Remember that he has saved you with his mighty hand. Remember that he redeemed you with a costly sacrifice. And remember that he is with you – the Lord is with his people. So decide today to follow him. No matter what the road, follow him. Obey him. Put him first. Sacrifice your time, your money, your relationships, your reputation, your stuff – give it all up to him – and you will be amazed at what he will do. Don’t stay in Egypt, hanging on to your things – mine. But give it up, head out the door, and trust Christ.

At the beginning of this new year, the Lord is challenging us to trust him. To have faith. Remember what he has done. Remember who he is. And do not be afraid to trust him. Obey him. No matter how difficult it is. Amen? Amen.

Exodus 12:21-51 The Passover: the glorious Cross of Christ

Exodus 12:21-51

On the day that Jesus rose from the dead, two disciples of Jesus, Cleopas and his brother, walked along the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus, a small town a day’s journey away. On the way, they met a man who asked them why they looked so downcast. The man was Jesus, but they did not recognise him. They spoke with grief about the death of Jesus, and that they had hoped he was the Messiah. They said that his tomb was now empty - but they did not understand what this meant.

Jesus’ reply astonished them. Luke 24:25 Then Jesus said to them, “How foolish you are! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures. 26 Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory?” 27 Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

32 They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?”

Well, as we look at this prophetic part of the Law, as Moses’ writings were called, may the Lord cause our hearts to burn as we see the cross of Christ in all its glory: our God, who sent his son to be our substitionary sacrifice – a sacrifice in our place. He took our place in death, taking the blow of death so that he could give us life. This sacrifice was costly. It was efficious (it worked). And leads to eternal glory.

You see, the Passover, as great and dramatic as it is, is nothing but a shadow of the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. The reason for the Passover is so that we can understand the Cross better. So that we can see what Christ has done for us. Even at this moment, God had in his mind’s eye the Cross – the final great ultimate rescue of his people from slavery to sin, the Son paying the cost, so that we could go free – truly free, free to serve God and glorify him forever.

That’s what the Passover is truly about. That’s why movies such as the Prince of Egypt or the upcoming Exodus: gods and kings are not Christian movies. Because they may tell the Exodus story, but they miss what it means, its significance. They miss Christ. And as Christ himself said “all Scripture is about me”

1. You cannot escape from death

In Exodus we have at last come to the final and most dreadful of judgements. Egypt’s unrepentance, their refusal to acknowledge the Lord God of Heaven. They have stood against him despite warning after warning. And now the final blow, the final judgement: death.

Death is the great judgment on us. It is the very proof that we have rebelled against God, and that we have all rebelled.
Fools will tell you that God searches our hearts and finds those who are righteous and saves those – but it is a lie. They may even twist the Bible to make it say that – but it is a lie.
The fact is that no-one is righteous, no, not one. We have all turned away, all rebelled against God. And the proof is that we all die.

There was only one who rose again from the dead and lives forever because he had no sin, because he was righteous. I suppose there is a chance that one of us is sinless – maybe you’re clinging on to that hope. But, I’m sorry to tell you that death will probably catch up with you, just like me, because we’re just not good enough. The standard is Jesus, not “better than those people over there”. So if you’re trusting in your own righteousness you will disappointed in that moment just before you die! Urk! Oh bother, I was wrong!

Death has come because of sin. It is the wages of sin. It is our payment for sin. And there is no escape that we can make. There is no way out that we can find for ourselves. The Egyptians had no way out. Judgement was coming. Darkness lay across the land. There was no way out.

But wait – that’s not entirely true is it? Wasn’t there an area not covered in darkness, not under judgement?
Yes, there was! The Israelite area was in the light. In fact there was a way out for the Egyptians then and there is a way out for us now. But it is not a way that we make for ourselves.

There is a way out of death. And this is it: if someone else dies in your place.

2. Jesus’ costly sacrifice – the Lamb that was slain in your place.

Justice must be done. Rebellion against God is punishable by death. Because God is the source of life – life comes from him, anyone who wants to be “free” from God is actually asking for death. The problem is: we’ve all done it. We’re all guilty. Lived our own lives. Ignored him. Lived as if he were dead. And so justice stalks us. The Grim Reaper awaits.

So how can we be rescued? Who can die in our place? I can’t die in your place because the sentence of death hangs over me. The only one who can die in our pace is someone who is sinless, and who therefore will not die. Only someone who lives forever can die for us. And who would do that?

Mk 15:33–34 At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. 34 Then at three o’clock Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”

And here we see the amazing grace of our Lord. We see it this Christmas as he shrinks himself down to a human baby. As he becomes human – like us – in order to die our death. He goes into the darkness so that we can go into the light. He takes our place so that we can live. He is our substitute. Like the lambs were the substitute for the lives of the Israelites.
His blood covers us and gives us life, as the blood of the lambs covered the doorposts and gave the Israelites life.

23 For the LORD will pass through the land to strike down the Egyptians. But when he sees the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe, the LORD will pass over your home. He will not permit his death angel to enter your house and strike you down.

The substitute. For the Israelites, life. But for the lambs – death. This is why John the Baptist cries out in a loud voice “Look, the Lamb of God!” as he sees Jesus, our Saviour. (John 1:29) This is why, in Revelation, the symbol of our Lord Jesus is the Lamb that was slain. He took our place. He protected us from death. He died for you and I.

At what cost?

29 And that night at midnight, the LORD struck down all the firstborn sons in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sat on his throne, to the firstborn son of the prisoner in the dungeon. Even the firstborn of their livestock were killed. 30 Pharaoh and all his officials and all the people of Egypt woke up during the night, and loud wailing was heard throughout the land of Egypt. There was not a single house where someone had not died.

There is deep anguish in death (anguish is overwhelming pain and sorrow). Many of us, probably all of us, have felt the pain of death – a loved one taken from us. You can imagine the pain of the whole country of Egypt as they taste the bitter justice of their rebellion against God. But the anguish of Egyptians - the great wail that is heard – is just a foretaste, a foreshadowing of the anguish of Jesus as he weeps in the garden of Gethsemane. Matt 26:38 He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me. His anguish as he sweats blood crying out “Father, is there any other way?”. And his aguish as the King on the cross crying out “My God my God why have you abandoned me”. It is the great cry of the king surrounded by his enemies. And it is the heart cry of the Son of God facing the judgement of God, tasting death so that we don’t have to. Our lives are won at a high price. It is a costly sacrifice. Costly does not begin to describe it. And how easily we despise it because it cost us nothing. Can you see it? Can you see the Son of God upon the cross, my sin, your sin upon his shoulders.

Because what is the life of a lamb, compared to the life of your first born son? That is what the Israelites had to do – offer up the life of a lamb as a substitute for the life of their son. But that is not a fair trade – the life of the son is worth much much more than the lamb. But for the Lord this little sign of faith is enough, because it points to the substitute of Jesus, the Son of God, for their life and for our lives! He is worth so much more than us, of infinite worth, and yet he died, in our place.

The second verse of the song “How deep the Father’s love for us” by Phillips Craig and Dean sums it up well:

Behold the Man upon a cross, my sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice, call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that held Him there, until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life: I know that it is finished

Jesus’ costly sacrifice – he died in your place.

3. It worked – you are free! No longer a slave to sin! No longer under judgement.

“It is finished”. Jesus’ last words on the Cross as he gave his life. His rescue mission was complete. The True Exodus was done. The price was paid. There was forgiveness for sinners.

When Jesus rose from the dead he went to Peter, who had gone back to fishing, a broken man. He was broken because he had betrayed Jesus, denying him publically “I don’t know Jesus!”
So when Jesus found him he said “Peter, you bastard, how dare you betray me! Burn in hell you sinful failure.”
No, he sought him out. He called to him. He spoke gently to him. Ate with him. Restored him. There was forgiveness for the betrayer Peter because Jesus had taken his betrayal and dealt with it on the cross. Peter was free. Jesus just had to help him understand it.
A few months later Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, preached the first sermon on the day of Pentecost, challenging everyone to come to Christ – and 3000 responded. No longer Peter the Betrayer, Peter the Apostle. That is the grace of God.

It is a story we see time and time again in the Bible.

Here we see the people of Israel. A people who responded to God’s word by saying “go away”, who told God’s leaders, Moses and Aaron to leave them alone because “you have made us stink to Pharaoh”. Sinful people of no faith. Yet at the end of this chapter God has rescued them from slavery, made them a people, dealt with their sin so that death has passed over them, and blessed them so abundantly with silver and gold and riches that they could barely carry it all!

This is our God.

They were no longer slaves, doomed to a life in Egypt. They were now free men, with a new hope and new destiny. We are no longer slaves to sin, doomed to a life in this broken world. We are free men (and women), with a new hope – Christ in us, the hope of glory! – and a new destiny. We are headed for the new creation, restored, perfect. When every sin is dealt with and there is no more death, no more suffering.

Did you accomplish that? Did I? Did you wash away your own sin and restore creation? No? Then why do we sometimes act like we do – that it is dependent on us?

What did the Israelites do to rescue themselves? Nothing. Except believe God’s word and take action.

What do we need to do: believe his word and take action. Repent of our sins, confess them to him, and then act like we are forgiven and free.

51 On that very day the LORD brought the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt like an army.

You can imagine the huge crowd of people. 600 000 men, plus wives and children, flocks and herds – a massive exodus of people! But as everyone is rushing back and forth, getting everything ready, loading up their backpacks – there’s an Israelite sitting in his house, looking sad.

“Hey brother, why so sad?”
“I’m so tired of being a slave”
“But we’ve been set free!”
“No, I don’t deserve it. I’ll just stay here”
“Of course you don’t deserve it. None of us do. But God paid the price. Come on!”
“Oh no. I don’t have enough faith. Anyway, God wouldn’t pay for my sin. You don’t know what I’ve done.”
“Who cares? Are you crazy? Look around you! Look at all the people who have been saved. You’re already rescued. Look at the blood covering your doorposts. You’re not dead!”

How often are we like that Israelite, cowering in our house, refusing to believe that the death of Jesus really worked. That all our sins are covered. You might be sitting there thinking: “not my sin. I sinned deliberately. God can’t forgive wilful sin”. Or “my sin is too terrible – God cannot forgive me”. Do you know that some of the worst Nazi war criminals, those who experimented on people and gassed people to death – they found forgiveness at the Cross of Christ. His wounds were sufficient even for them. If they can be forgiven, so can you. It is a costly sacrifice. Costly enough to cover your sins.

The death of Jesus worked, just like the sacrifice of the lambs. The angel of death passed over the houses were he saw the blood. Just like the judgement of eternal death will pass over those of us who are covered by Jesus’ blood.

His death brings life. It is sufficient.

4. We are made for Eternal glory

35 And the people of Israel did as Moses had instructed; they asked the Egyptians for clothing and articles of silver and gold. 36 The LORD caused the Egyptians to look favourably on the Israelites, and they gave the Israelites whatever they asked for. So they stripped the Egyptians of their wealth!

As they were leaving, the Egyptians basically threw their money at them, and the Israelites stripped Egypt. Great. Why?

Ever wondered why you and I are blessed so abundantly. Why we have money and time and talents and gifts and relationships? Ever wondered why we’re still here. After all, God could just whip us off to heaven the moment we are saved. Whee.

Well, the reason the Israelites got all this gold and silver and so on was because it all would be used to build the tabernacle of God. The tabernacle was the tent where God “lived” right with them. They had all this wealth to give back to God for his glory because he was going to live with them! You see, we’re not saved just to be saved. We, like the Israelites, are saved in order to be HIS people. With him, intimately, personally.

We are his people. We are free men, free to serve our King, our Father, our Brother. We are free to be what we were born to be. Born to give glory to God. In this life, imperfectly, always slowed down, ruined a bit by sin. In the next life, gloriously, perfectly, giving praise and glory to the One who saved us. The One who lead our Exodus. The One who died in our place.

Let our lives sing praise to our Lord Jesus, both now and forever. Amen.