Life on the Edge Ex.13:17 – Ch.14

Intro: We left off seeing Children Israel released – journey – Backpackers & Pilgrims

  1. 7 campsites – 1 yr. Journey – 7 lessons
  2. 1st STOP SUCCOTH = TENT TOWN - ( Don’t get comfortable )

this isn’t home !!!!!

TONIGHT – 2ND STOP – Etham - v. 17-20

Couple of things to note here –

A)1ST Wilderness – Not Oregon - ( Burney) We are talking Desert

  1. 2nd – God didn’t take them in the way that was the Quickest & the Straightest – why ? -
  1. See the Philistines & freak out ( Change their minds ) Go back
  1. The time would come for them to encounter the enemy – but that time was just Yet
  1. God at times places a Hedge – He knows what You can Handle

1Cor. 10:13 He will not allow you to be tested beyond what you are able

  1. ENCOURAGING : test comes great !!!! – God will not allow me to be tempted beyond what I am able
  2. God is not going to allow you to be Blown away in something

"The will of God will never lead you where the grace of God cannot keep you."

 

 

So the Lord didn’t take them the quickest way or the easiest route but led them by the edge of the wilderness

  1. Edge of the Wilderness – or the Edge of Desert – ( Edge of Disaster )

    2. Hot / Dry in the day – Cold at night – Not pretty

  2. Why ? - It is in the Wilderness times that we are reminded of How much we need God !!!
  1. Reminded of our own weaknesses – reminded that w/out Him I can do nothing
  1. Maybe you are in the Desert tonight Spiritually – You feel Dry & Cold towards the Lord - ( Hot & Fatigued )
  1. Perhaps the Lord has led you into that Place to Show You how much you need Him
  1. Brought you to that place of Life Support – I can’t go another step w/out You Lord

    2. V.20 says they camped in a place called ETHAM = I am W/ you !!!!

  2. Even in the Dry times even when we are on the edge of the Wilderness God says I am still here !!!
  1. V. 21- We see how THE LORD MANIFESTS HIMSELF TO THEM IN A UNIQUE WAY !!!!

21 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night.22 He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people.

Now this Pillar of Cloud by Day & Fire by night is a neat Picture of the H.S. in our Lives : Consider 5 ways

#1 – The Cloud was not given to Israel until after they were delivered from Egypt

  1. The Passover lamb was first Slain – which resulted in Deliverance & Salvation & then the Cloud came !!!!
    2.
  2. So too – Salvation occurs – we place our Faith in the Lamb Slain – then we are INDWELT w/ the H.S.
  1. Disciples John 20 : after Cross & Resurrection. He breathed on them …. Receive ye the H.S.

#2 The Cloud was given to guide Israel – v.21 given to lead the way

Romans 8:14 Those who are Led by the Spirit – are Sons of God

  1. So too Jesus said in Jn. 16:13 The H.S. would guide us into all truth
  2. HS. Has that GUIDING MINISTRY in our Lives

    3. 1) He guides us by bringing light to the Word & to situations the way this Pillar of fire lit up the night

  3. He guides by Moving us & Prompting us / Led - Not out in front – but over top - ( Moved they moved)
  1. How the Spirit guides us at times ( He is moving / working / we move
  1. Peter at the gate Beautiful – passes a guy passed maybe 30 times – this day the spirit moves Peter responds …. A man is changed forever !!!!

#3THE CLOUD WAS A COVERING – Shade from the heat 120 deg.

Psa. 105:39 He spread a cloud for a covering, And fire to give light in the night.

  1. Same way we are told the H.S. covers us from the Heat - Eph. Told that the H.S. Seals us against the Fires of Judgement !!!

#4 God Spoke to them through the Cloud – Psa.99:7

  1. Rev. letters to the Churches He that has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches
  2. God speaks to us through the Spirit – Words of wisdom / Knowledge Prophecy

#5 – The Cloud never left them in the Wilderness / v.22 & Neh.9:19

  1. Jesus said of the H.S. in John 14:16 He shall abide w/ you forever
  2. As we study through this book keep in mind how this cloud – pictures the work of the H.S. in our lives !!!!

So God was w/ them – leading them on the edge of the Desert – Next stop ( Ch.14 )

14:1 Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: "Speak to the children of Israel, that they turn and camp before Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, opposite Baal Zephon; you shall camp before it by the sea.
  1. Noted they are Boxed in !!!!!!! TRAPPED

    2. 1) Can't you just see the leaders of Israel coming to Moses.....

    "Lose your Thomas Bros. Map IN Egypt?" – What’s wrong w/ You!!

  2. But there was a reason that God did this – v.3,4

    3. 3 "For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, 'They are bewildered by the land; the wilderness has closed them in.'

    4 "Then I will harden Pharaoh's heart, so that he will pursue them; and I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD." And they did so.
  3. The Israelites might have been thinking – Don’t they know that by now – wasn’t that the point of all those plagues in Egypt
  1. Yes that was true – But the Egyptians still had one point of Pride left – that was their MIGHT ARMY – greatest in the world at that time
  1. Many Chariots – which was High Tech in those days!! Very sophisticated
  1. So the Lord says that I am going to lead you into this boxed in situation to show My Power in Your Lives
  1. Talked on Sunday how the Lord does that w/ us - Lives be glorified
  1. Our lives a Platform for His Power to be Manifested
  1. So that the World knows that He is the Lord !!!
  1. His Grace & Strength in Your Life – ( Hospital calls )

Chris Warner – such good spirits

  1. So often it is in the Difficulties that the World sees – He is the Lord

5 Now it was told the king of Egypt that the people had fled, and the heart of Pharaoh and his servants was turned against the people; and they said, "Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?"

6 So he made ready his chariot and took his people with him.

7 Also, he took six hundred choice chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt with captains over every one of them.

8 And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the children of Israel; and the children of Israel went out with boldness. ( KJV – High Hand – HIGH FIVES – REJOICING)

  1. So the Egyptians start re thinking – let go of our Free Labor

    2. READ v.9-13

     

  2. Israel realizes they are boxed in – Lifted eyes saw – Enemy
  1. How quickly their mood Changed – from High fives to great Fear!
  1. Why ? Lifted their eyes but not high enough !!!
  1. They saw the Enemy – they saw their circumstances – but they didn’t see the Lord –
  1. This week Neh. Ch.2 v. 1 I had not been sad in the Kings Presence before - ( Neh. Was a man of Prayer – before day started – saw the Lord
  1. His Countenance was Changed !!!!

Much Like David - ( Psalms cries out – See God’s ) Psalm

  1. That is an everyday Decision that we have to make – Am I going to see God in my Circumstances or will I only see my Circumstances
  2. For David & Nehemiah – Devotional times were so important –
  1. Gain a Proper perspective –
  1. We noted as another reason the Lord leads us into Boxed in Situations – See things from His Perspective !!!!
  1. Israel said – we are trapped / Moses said – No they are trapped

We’ve had it !!! No they’ve had it !!!!!

The names of the places that TRAPPED the Lord's people help us to see that things are NOT always as they seem

A) Pi-ha-hiroth means: "Place of liberty"

B)Rather than being TRAPPED, the Israelites actually had come to

the place of liberty... And so do we

1) How Free we become Trusting in the Lord !!!

C) Freedom from fear and unbelief as we see the salvation of the Lord

D)Freedom from self as we learn that our circumstance becomes the place where God is glorified in and through us

Migdol means "tower, or fortress"

  1. The very thing that TRAPS us becomes our source of SAFETY for

there the Lord delivers us from our adversary

B) So The Lord wanted to Show His Power / Change their Perspective

READ V.13-18

4things the Lord says to do : Boxed in ? Trapped ?

1ST V.13 Do not be afraid – Fear is the greatest enemy of your Faith

2 Tim. 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

  1. Fear has a way of Crippling us / put us into a frenzy – get so worked up that we are just going in circles
  1. Lot of motion & commotion / purely dictated by our emotions
  1. We need to put away fear & replace it w/ FAITH – by focusing on the Promises of God !!!!

So the 2nd thing Moses says is Stand Still- Stop !!!!! Freeze –

  1. Stop all of the Activity & take inventory / Size up the situation factoring God into the equation
  2. Be Still & Know that I am God !!!!!! - Joshua at Jericho

 

3rd Interesting Stand still is also translated here – Be Quiet – Stop talking Murmuring & Complaining

  1. Get off the Phone / E-mail – (guys - AMEN) Quit talking to everyone else & LOOK TO ME !!!! Get off the Little Pity parties

4TH – Move FORWARD V.15 - Take that step of Faith & You will see the SALVATION OF YOUR GOD !!!

  1. Note this in v. 15 – The Lord says to Moses why are you crying out to me -
  2. Learn from this there is a time to Pray & there is a time to Proceed / there is a time to Cry out & there is a time to move !!!
  3. Again our Staff Meeting : Neh. Prayed – God gave Him a Vision / A plan – but there came a time to move forward –
  1. How often we wait around for – God to move us - The Lord says it is time to Move FORWARD !!!!

Read v.19,20
  1. Angel of God is Christophony – note it was going before them – but now it is behind them to cover their back side
  2. Went behind them to shield them from the Enemy !!!!
  3. Cloud was darkness to Egypt & Light to Israel
  4. Same thing could be said of this Book - Lamp unto our feet & a Light unto our Path

1) But to those in the World it is Darkness - Those who are not Spiritually minded – foolishness – NATURAL MIND