New Testament Reading: Revelation 21:1–8

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’ And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’ And he said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.’” (Revelation 21:1–8, ESV)

Old Testament Reading: Exodus 15:22-27

“Then Moses made Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore it was named Marah. And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, ‘What shall we drink?’ And he cried to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. There the LORD made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them, saying, ‘If you will diligently listen to the voice of the LORD your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, your healer.’ Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they encamped there by the water.” (Exodus 15:22–27, ESV)

*****

Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

Introduction

In this sermon series, I have tried to convince you that the Exodus event along with the wilderness wandering that followed it and the eventual conquest of Cannan by the Hebrews is to be viewed in a multidimensional way. 

One, we must view this story as historical. The book of Exodus is a historical book. It tells us about what God did for the Hebrews in the days of Moses to deliver them. It tells us about how the LORD went with his people to provide for them and to guide them in the wilderness. These things happened, that is my point. We must approach the book of Exodus as history. 

Two, we must see that the person of Christ and the work of Christ were revealed ahead of time in the Exodus event. In other words, the redemption that the LORD accomplished for the Hebrews was a type or a foretaste of the greater act of redemption that the Messiah would accomplish. The Hebrews were delivered from Egypt through the blood of the Passover lamb. They passed through the waters of divine judgment and emerged safely on the other side of the sea. The LORD was present with them, and he would continue to be. In fact, he would dwell in the midst of his people as he led them towards the promised land. And I am saying that person of Christ and the work of Christ was pictured or prefigured in an earthly way in these historical events. Remember that Jesus the Christ was introduced as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. He was hidden in Egypt for a time and was brought out as an infant. Just as the LORD demonstrated his power over nature and the so-called gods of Egypt, so too the Christ demonstrated his power over the same through the working of mighty deeds. Christ also passed through the waters of divine judgment – not the waters of the sea, but the waters of death – and he was brought safely through to the other side in his resurrection (Christian baptism is a  picture of this, among other things). After rising from the dead and after ascending Christ gave the Spirit to indwell his people as they sojourn towards the promised land. Here I am simply reminding you of what I have said before. The Exodus was not just another common event in a long succession of events in the history of the world. No, it was special, for in it something of the person and work of Christ was revealed. This truth may be observed in the Exodus story itself, but it is made especially clear by the teaching of the New Testament. 

Three, we must see that there is a correlation between the experience of Israel in the Exodus event and the experience of all who have faith in Christ. When I say that there is a correlation I mean that in some ways Old Covenant Israel’s experience matches the experience of all who have faith in the Messiah even to this present day. Of course, in many ways, the experience of the Hebrews who lived in the days of Moses was utterly unique. Only they were brought out of Egypt. Only they were led into the wilderness toward Sinai, etc. But at the same time, their experiences established a kind of pattern – a pattern familiar to all of God’s faithful. Think of it. In Christ, we too have been redeemed from bondage. In Christ, we too are sojourners (we live in this world, but this is not our home). In Christ, we too will enter the promised land – not Canaan, but the new heavens and earth, the heavenly and eternal city of Jerusalem. I’m saying that Israel’s experience in the Exodus mirrors ours. Theirs was earthly, ours is spiritual. So there is much for us to learn. I’ll remind you of what Paul the Apostle wrote regarding this correlation between Israel’s experience and ours. Speaking of Exodus events he wrote, “Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come” (1 Corinthians 10:11, ESV). Stated simply, things that happened to Old Covenant Israel are meant to instruct even those of us who live now under the New Covenant. 

So let us consider our passage for today with these things in mind. 

*****

Those Who Are Redeemed Must Sojourn

We have come now to the portion of the book of Exodus that is about Israel’s sojourning in the wilderness. To sojourn is to dwell temporarily in a place that is not your home. We may refer to the Hebrew’s stay in Egypt as a time of sojourning. In fact, the scriptures do this. In Deuteronomy 10:19 we find this law given to Israel: “Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.” So yes, Israel sojourned in Egypt. They lived there for a long time, but they were strangers there. And after the LORD delivered Israel from bondage, he led them, not immediately into  Canaan, which was the land that was promised to them, but into the wilderness to sojourn there for a time.

In Exodus 15:22 we read, “Then Moses made Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur…” (Exodus 15:22, ESV). The wilderness of Shur is to the East of Egypt in the northern part of the Sinai in what is today northern Saudi Arabia. This wilderness is vast, rugged, and in the days of Moses, it was very sparsely populated. From there Israel would go south. Canaan was to the north! But the LORD led Israel to the south to wander in the wilderness for a time. 

And this is the first thing that I wish to draw your attention to this morning regarding our text. The LORD did not immediately lead his people into the promised land of Canaan, but into the wilderness. Israel would sojourn in that thirsty land. In fact, we know they would remain there for 40 years because of their disbelief. But even before that, it was the will of the LORD to lead them, not directly to Canaan, but into the wilderness to sojourn there. We are to see that Israel went into the wilderness, not because they were lost, but because the LORD led them there in the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. 

So here a pattern is established for us: those who are redeemed must sojourn. Stated negatively, the pattern is not from redemption to glory, but from redemption to sojourning to glory. 

Here is how Old Covenant Israel experienced this pattern: they were redeemed from Egypt, they sojourned in the wilderness for a time, and then they entered Canaan, which was the land that was promised to them. 

And here is how New Covenant Israel experiences this pattern: we have been redeemed by the shed blood of the Messiah from the domain of darkness, bondage to sin, and the fear of death. The new heavens and earth is our home. Our inheritance is the heavenly city of Jerusalem. But we are not there yet, are we? We are sojourners. We live here in this world, but we confess that this is not our home. We long for the world to come. We must view ourselves as sojourners, brothers and sisters. The pattern is this: from redemption to sojourning to glory. We are sojourners now.

This is what Peter calls us. He writes to Christians saying, “Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation” (1 Peter 2:11–12, ESV).

The writer to the Hebrews speaks of our sojourning when he says, “For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come” (Hebrews 13:14, ESV).

So just as Israel was to be ever mindful of the fact that they were not at home while in the wilderness, but were sojourners, so too we must be ever mindful of the fact that we are not at home, but are sojourners in this world. We are just passing through. 

Does it sound strange for me to talk this way? After all, this is our hometown, isn’t it? After corporate worship, we will all go home. It must have been obvious to Israel in the wilderness that they were sojourners. There was nothing permanent about their situation. But you and I live relatively settled lives. In fact, we enjoy a great deal of stability and comfort. But there is a danger in these blessings. We may forget that we are sojourners. The homes we live in are not our homes. This city is not a lasting city. This world is not the world that will be for all eternity, for when Christ returns he will make all things new. This world will be renewed, filled with the glory of God, and established in glory forever and ever. If you are in Christ united to him by faith, that is your home. Presently, you are a sojourner. 

Tell me brothers and sisters, do you have the mindset of a sojourner? Sojourners must still be concerned with the details of their day-to-day life. They must eat and drink, raise their children, and seek to serve the Lord in the land that they find themselves in. But the sojourner will also live with a degree of detachment from the land of their sojourning. As the sojourner goes about their business they will be ever mindful of the fact that this is not home. This will affect their priorities and investments. Though they may love and appreciate the land of their sojourning, their longing will be for home. This is why Jesus speaks to sojourners saying, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19–21, ESV)

Those who are redeemed must sojourn, and we are sojourners now. 

*****

One Purpose Of Our Sojourning Is Sanctification

The second thing that I wish to draw your attention to is that one of the purposes of our sojourning is sanctification. 

Perhaps the question has already come to your mind: why didn’t the LORD lead Israel straight to Cannan? Why the wilderness wanderings? That’s a good question, isn’t it? Why did the LORD permit Israel to experience so much trouble in that desolate and dry land? And perhaps you have wondered the same thing concerning the Christian life. Why this life? Why the sufferings of this life? Why not immediate glory for the one who has faith in Christ? Many things can be said about this, but the truth that I wish to emphasize this morning is that one purpose for sojourning is sanctification. 

By sanctification, I mean growth in faith and in godliness. Sanctification is that process wherein God renews us “in the whole man after the image of God, and… [enables us] more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness” (Baptist Catechism 38). And I am saying that one of the primary purposes for sojourning, both for Old Covenant Israel and for us, is sanctification.

God sanctifies his people as they sojourn. And how does he do this?  It is often through testing. You know this to be true. Growth comes when we are tested. This is true of our muscles. This is true of our minds. And it is also true of our faith, hope, and love. Spiritual growth comes through testing. 

In verse 22 we learn that Israel “went three days in the wilderness and found no water.” This was no minor inconvenience, but a serious problem. The Israelites had certainly carried water with them, but now they were about out. This great multitude would soon perish without a substantial source. The people must have felt great anxiety about this. It would be terrifying to be caught in the wilderness with no water.  

In verse 23 we read, “When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore it was named Marah”, which means bitterness. When they found this pool of water they must have felt great relief. But as they tested the water they found that it was undrinkable. Their hope quickly turned to great despair. 

We must see this as a test of faith, brothers and sisters. In fact, verse 25 says that it was. “There he tested them”, the passage says. What would the people do? How would they respond? Would they trust in God? Would they remember what the LORD has done for them not long before? Remember, the LORD had demonstrated his power over nature in the outpouring of the ten plagues. He turned the water of the Nile to blood. And after the plagues, he parted the water of the Red Sea. Now the LORD tested them at Marah. Would the people remember the promises of God? Would they remember his past faithfulness? Would they trust in his sovereign power? Or would they lose it when faced with the threat of thirst in the wilderness? Verse 24 tells us: “And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, ‘What shall we drink?’”

Notice that the word “grumbled” appears three times in a short span in the Exodus narrative. It appears here in 15:24. It will appear again in 16:2. There the people are hungry and “the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness…”  And the word appears again 17:3 where we read, “But the people thirsted there for water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, ‘Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?’” 

You are probably noticing a theme. This story that we are considering today along with the next two are about testing. After Israel was redeemed from Egypt they began to sojourn in the wilderness. And as they sojourned the LORD tested them three times concerning the provision of water, bread, and water again. By the way, can you think of someone else who was tested in the wilderness three times over? Christ was! He overcame the temptation, didn’t he? But what did Israel do when they were tested? They doubted and they grumbled against the LORD. I take this to mean that most grumbled, but I trust that the faithful ones among them were sanctified as the LORD proved himself over and over and over again. Soon we will see that the LORD provided water from a rock and manna from heaven. Here in the text that is before us today, we learn that the LORD made the bitter waters of Marah sweet.  

Verse 25: “And [Moses] cried to the LORD [notice, he cried, he did not grumble] and the LORD showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.” You can search for a scientific explanation for this if you’d like. I don’t think you’ll find one. Nor do I believe one is necessary. This entire Exodus story is punctuated by the miraculous works of God. And it is has been common in this story for the LORD to instruct Moses to use a physical item through which he works his miracles – a staff, dust thrown into the air, now a log. 

Here is what we know. The LORD demonstrated his power over the waters of Marah through Moses. He proved himself to be faithful once more. He provided for the thirst of his people. He turned that which was bitter, sweet. This he did for Old Covenant Israel through Moses, and this has done in an even greater way for all of his elect through Christ.  

Christ satisfies the thirst of all who trust in him. Everyone who drank the sweetened water of Marah was thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water that Christ gives will never be thirsty again. The water that Christ gives becomes in us a spring of water welling up to eternal life  (see John 4:13–14).

And in Christ, all of the bitterness of life is turned sweet. For “we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Even the bitterness of death is turned sweet for the believer, for Christ has removed the sting of death. For the believer, death is the gateway to glory.  

Brothers and sisters, it is imperative for Christian sojourners to remember these things as we are tested by the trials of life. 

Sometimes it feels as if we are sojourning in a dry and desolate place. The circumstances of life may lead us to think, there is no hope! There is no way out! But we must remember that the LORD is faithful. He has been faithful to us in the past, and he will be faithful to us in the future, for he has promised. He will preserve those who are his in Christ Jesus. He will bring his elect safely home. Between now and then, we must be full of faith. 

And at times it may seem as if the LORD has led us to bitter waters. That which we thought would bring satisfaction and refreshment in this life brings disappointment. Will we trust the LORD in our disappointments and despair? Will we believe that the LORD is able to make the bitter waters of this life sweet in Christ Jesus as he brings good from that which is evil and leads us through the waters into life eternal? Brothers and sisters, we must. 

Verses 25 and 26 are important. Starting in the second half of verse 25 we read, “There [at Marah] the LORD made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them, saying, ‘If you will diligently listen to the voice of the LORD your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, your healer” (Exodus 15:25–26, ESV).

Notice a few things about this portion of the passage. 

One, here we learn that the LORD sanctified his people not only through the trial of the lack of fresh water in the wilderness but also through his word. Yes, he tested them through a difficult life experience but he also spoke to them. And this is how the LORD sanctifies us. Through experiences and by his word. 

Two, the lesson that he taught them was really quite simple. If Israel would diligently listen to the voice of the LORD their God, and do that which is right in his eyes, they would be blessed. None of the diseases that the LORD put on the Egyptians would be put on them. This implies that if Israel failed to listen to God’s word and to keep his commandments, they, like the Egyptians, would be cursed. Note this principle well. We will return to it in just a moment.  

Three, the LORD reveals himself to Israel here as their “healer”. The word healer can also be translated, “to make fresh”. It refers to the process of being restored to health or being made fertile. When the LORD said, “for I am the LORD, your healer”, he was saying, I am the one who has the power to make you healthy, fruitful, and prosperous. 

So then, here is the lesson that the LORD taught to Israel at Marah as he spoke to them after satisfying their thirst. I am here to bless you, to make you fruitful and prosperous as a people. But here is the condition: you must listen to my voice and keep my commandments. 

As you probably know, this little simple lesson would end up being central to Israel’s existence under the Old Mosaic Covenant. This principle – obey God and be blessed in the land, disobey and be cursed – would be the core element of the covenant that God made with that nation through Moses. If Israel was to be blessed and prosperous they needed to obey the law of God. This work’s principle was stated at Marah and it would prove to be foundational to the Old Mosaic Covenant. 

Christians living under the New Covenant who’ve had it ingrained in them that we are saved from our sins, not by works or through the keeping of God’s law, but by God’s grace alone through faith in Christ alone, might be troubled by the works principle found here. Listen again to the conditional nature of this arrangement: ‘If you will diligently listen to the voice of the LORD your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, your healer” (Exodus 15:25–26, ESV). The arrangement is certainly conditional. It is an if/then arrangement. But pay very careful attention to what is going on here. The offer is not forgiveness of sins, nor is it life eternal in the new heavens and earth, but blessings and fruitfulness on earth. 

What I have just said is key to understanding the works principle that is clearly present in the Mosaic Covenant. Was the Mosaic Covenant a covenant of works? In other words, did the blessings offered by God to Israel in that Covenant depend upon the obedience of the people of Israel? Yes, certainly! But the blessings offered were earthly blessings. If Israel obeyed the LORD, they would be blessed by the LORD in the land. If they disobeyed, they would be cursed and even vomited out of the land. How then could an Israelite be saved from their sins for all eternity? How could an Israelite inherit blessed eternal life in the new heavens and earth? In the way that you and I receive it! Not by good works. Not by law-keeping (for we have all violated God’s law in thought word and deed). But only by trusting in the promises made to Adam and later to Abraham concerning the Messiah. Do not forget that those same promises were entrusted to Israel in the days of Moses too. Those promises were not annulled or taken away when God entered into that Covenant of works with them through Moses. No, the promises of God remained. And salvation was obtained by the grace of God and through faith in the promised Messiah. But as it pertained to blessings on earth, the nation of Israel would enjoy them only if they were obedient. This is what Paul the Apostle says so clearly in the books of Romans and Galatians (see especially Galatians 3:17ff.)

Though you and I do not live under this works principle that was imposed upon Israel at Marah and later expanded under the Mosaic Covenant at Sinai, we may still learn from it and apply it. Think of it. What was Israel called to do as they sojourned in the wilderness? They were to trust the LORD and they were to obey him.   

Trust and obey… It sounds so simple, doesn’t it? Christian sojourners are to trust and obey, trust and obey, for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey! It is simple, but it can also be very difficult for us given our frailty. We are so prone to forget God’s faithfulness, to doubt, to panic, and to even grumble against God as Israel did at Marah. And sometimes we struggle to obey his voice. But truly, this is where abundant life is found. We are blessed in Christ when we trust him and obey his word. As Christ said, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:9–11, ESV)

Those who are redeemed must sojourn. One purpose for sojourning is sanctification. The LORD sanctifies us by his word and by testing us through the trials of life. And in this way, the people of God will learn to trust him and obey him with ever-increasing sincerity. 

*****

Those Who Sojourn Must Know The LORD Will Bring Them Safely Home

The final observation that I wish to make from our passage today is that those who sojourn must know for certain that the LORD will bring them safely home.

I draw this principle from verse 27 which says, “Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they encamped there by the water” (Exodus 15:27, ESV). If Marah signifies the trials and the testings of this life, Elim seems to be paradise by contrast. There was an abundance of water there – one spring for each tribe of Israel. And there was an abundance of trees too so that Israel might rest in their shade. After Israel was tried and tested in a dry and thirsty land, they were comforted and refreshed. And so it will be for all who are in Christ Jesus. 

After the sojourning of God’s people is complete Christ will return to make all things new. And all who are in Christ will be refreshed by “ the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, [they will eat of] the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree [will be] for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever” (Revelation 22:1–5, ESV).

New Testament Reading: Revelation 15

“Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and amazing, seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is finished. And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire—and also those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands. And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, ‘Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations! Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.’ After this I looked, and the sanctuary of the tent of witness in heaven was opened, and out of the sanctuary came the seven angels with the seven plagues, clothed in pure, bright linen, with golden sashes around their chests. And one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives forever and ever, and the sanctuary was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the sanctuary until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished.” (Revelation 15, ESV)

Old Testament Reading: Exodus 15:1-21

“Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the LORD, saying, ‘I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea. The LORD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. The LORD is a man of war; the LORD is his name. Pharaoh’s chariots and his host he cast into the sea, and his chosen officers were sunk in the Red Sea. The floods covered them; they went down into the depths like a stone. Your right hand, O LORD, glorious in power, your right hand, O LORD, shatters the enemy. In the greatness of your majesty you overthrow your adversaries; you send out your fury; it consumes them like stubble. At the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up; the floods stood up in a heap; the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea. The enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them. I will draw my sword; my hand shall destroy them.’ You blew with your wind; the sea covered them; they sank like lead in the mighty waters. Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders? You stretched out your right hand; the earth swallowed them. You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed; you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode. The peoples have heard; they tremble; pangs have seized the inhabitants of Philistia. Now are the chiefs of Edom dismayed; trembling seizes the leaders of Moab; all the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away. Terror and dread fall upon them; because of the greatness of your arm, they are still as a stone, till your people, O LORD, pass by, till the people pass by whom you have purchased. You will bring them in and plant them on your own mountain, the place, O LORD, which you have made for your abode, the sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands have established. The LORD will reign forever and ever.’ For when the horses of Pharaoh with his chariots and his horsemen went into the sea, the LORD brought back the waters of the sea upon them, but the people of Israel walked on dry ground in the midst of the sea. Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and dancing. And Miriam sang to them: ‘Sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.’” (Exodus 15, ESV)

*****

Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

Introduction

Our text for today begins with these words: “Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the LORD.” Because you and I are so accustomed to singing songs to the LORD, we might not think much of this statement. Again, the text says, “Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the LORD.”      

Have you ever reflected on the ability that humans have to sing? It really is a marvelous thing to consider. Humans can sing. We have this ability to utter words in a musical way. No other creature, with the exception of the angels, can do this. We say that birds sing, and indeed that is true. But they do not sing in the way humans do. Humans have this capacity to put words to music, to compose songs, and to communicate complex things to God and to one another in this way. Humans and angels are the only rational creatures created by God. And both angels and humans were created with this ability. 

Why did God make us in this way? Well, I am not saying that this is the only reason, but I am confident that the supreme reason is so that we might give glory to God with our voices. Yes, we are to give glory to God with our words. We are to speak to him in prayer. We are to give thanks to him with our lips. We are to testify to his goodness. But there is something special about singing. Singing joins the heart and the head in a way that speaking cannot. This is why the Psalmist says, “My heart is steadfast, O God! I will sing and make melody with all my being!” (Psalm 108:1, ESV). And Paul the Apostle commands that believers “be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Ephesians 5:18–21, ESV). 

I think it is right to assume that God’s people have always sung praises to him. By that I mean, I think it is right to assume that God’s people, from the days of Adam to the days of Moses, sang songs of praise to God, though we do not have a record of it. But here is the thing that I want you to notice: the record of the songs sung by God’s people begins here in Exodus 15. This song – the Song of Moses – is the first song recorded in the pages of Holy Scripture. And it is a song sung in response to the great act of deliverance worked by God to deliver the Hebrews from Egyptians.    

Note this: all of the songs of praise uttered by God’s rational creatures, whether of angels or men, are in response to the works and revelation of God in creation and redemption. We sing because God has revealed himself to us. We sing in response to the marvelous things that God has done.  

Did you know that the angels sang praises to God when he created the earth? Genesis chapters 1 and 2 don’t speak to this, but Job 38 does. There the LORD questions Job saying, “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” (Job 38:4–7, ESV). The point is this: the angels sang together in response to God’s work of creation. 

And throughout the scriptures, God’s people compose songs in response to his works of creation and redemption. 

Here in Exodus 15 Moses and Israel sing in response to the LORD’s work of redemption. 

In Judges 5 we find the song of Deborah and Barak which they sang when the Lord gave them victory over the enemies of God’s people, Jabin and Sisera. 

In 2 Samuel 22 we find a song composed by David composed in response to his deliverance from the hand of Saul and of all his enemies. “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge, my savior; you save me from violence.” (2 Samuel 22:1–3, ESV)

The entire Psalter may be described as a response to the self-revelation of God in creation and redemption.  

And take special notice of the songs of praise sung in heaven and on earth concerning the Christ at his birth, upon the completion of the work of redemption, at his resurrection and ascension to the Father’s right hand, and concerning his return, the final judgment, and consummation of all things. Read the Gospels to find an account of these praises. Read also the book of Revelation. 

One commentator (Rykan) has noted that the drama of redemption is a musical. I agree! And I will add that this musical comes to a crescendo in the finished work of Christ, his life, death, burial and resurrection, and his eventual return.

The point is this: God created humans with the capacity to sing. The highest use of this capacity is to give glory, honor, and praise to our Maker and our Redeemer. We are to sing praises to our God with all of our being. And the songs that we compose and sing to our God are in response to the revelation of himself in the work of creation and redemption. Here in Exodus chapter 15 we find the first recorded song in Holy Scripture. It functions as a paradigm of sorts for all other songs pertaining to the redemption of God’s elect. 

The song of Moses, as it is called, is divided into five parts. In verses 1-3 praise is offered up to the LORD. In verses 4-10 the defeat of the Egyptians is recounted. In verses 11-13 praise and thanks is again offered up to the LORD. In verses 14-16a something is said about the reaction of the future enemies of Israel – the nations will hear and tremble; dread will come upon the people of Philistia, Edom, and Moab; the people of Cannan will melt away as they hear of what the LORD did to the Egyptians. And then fifthly and finally, in verses 16b-18 a word is said about Israel coming into the land that God had promised to them and how the Lord would dwell in the midst of them in the sanctuary on his holy mountain. Our passage for today then concludes with a remark about Miriam. She was the sister of Aaron and Moses. She was probably the one who followed Moses down the Nile when he was placed in that miniature ark. She was the one who suggested to Pharaoh’s daughter that her mother nurse the child. Miriam, this sister of Moses and Aaron played a very significant role in the leadership of Israel. She is here called a prophetess. She, along with the other women, took tambourines and let Israel in the singing of this song.  “And Miriam sang to them: ‘Sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea’” (Exodus 15:21, ESV).

These five parts of the song of Moses may be summarized in three points. We see that in this song which Moses composed on the day when God delivered Israel from the Egyptians through the Red Sea, one, thanks and praise is given to the LORD for his deliverance, two, thanks and praise is given to the LORD for his just judgments, and three, thanks and praise is given to the LORD for his personal presence with his people now and forever. These will be the three points of the sermon for today.

*****

Give Thanks And Praise To The LORD For His Deliverance

First of all, let us see that the song of Moses moves us to give thanks and praise to the LORD for his deliverance.

Moses’ song begins with praise to the LORD for his deliverance. “Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the LORD, saying, ‘I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea. The LORD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. The LORD is a man of war; the LORD is his name” (Exodus 15:1–3, ESV).

Notice three things about these verses.  

One, notice the emphasis upon the divine name, the LORD. I have said before that the book of Exodus is really about the revelation of the divine name, YHWH. The meaning of this name was revealed to Moses by the LORD through words as he appeared to him in the bush that was burning yet not consumed. And we are to see that the Exodus event itself was a revelation of the divine name. In other words, not only did God tell Moses and Israel who he is with words, he showed them who is through his actions – through the outpouring of the ten plagues and through the parting of the sea. Here Moses sings about it. He recounts what God has done for us… “the LORD is his name.”

Two, Moses describes the LORD as a man of war. The LORD is likened to a warrior. He is a God of action, a God of power and strength, a God who fights for his people to deliver them from evil. 

Three, this song of praise is in response to the deliverance that the LORD accomplished for Israel. This is also the theme of verses 11-13, which is at the very heart, or center, of this five-part song: there we read, “Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders? You stretched out your right hand; the earth swallowed them. You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed; you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode” (Exodus 15:11–13, ESV).

Brothers and sisters, though you and I were not rescued from Egyptian bondage in the way that Old Covenant Israel was, this song of Moses may be sung by us in light of the redemption that Jesus Christ has earned for us. This is what Revelation 15 says. It is not those who were redeemed from Egypt, but those who have been redeemed from sin, Satan, and death, who “sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, ‘Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty!” This is not the song of Moses unaltered,  but the song of Moses advanced in light of the finished work of Christ. If the song of Moses is the seed, the song of the Lamb is the flower. The two songs are related to one another in this way. The song of the Lamb sung by the Saints in heaven is the full-grown and mature version of the other. 

*****

Give Thanks and Praise To The LORD For His Just Judgements

Secondly, let us see that the song of Moses moves us to give thanks and praise to the LORD  for his just judgments. 

We are more accustomed to giving thanks and praise to God for his deliverance than we are for his just judgments. We love to sing songs about the salvation that is ours in Christ Jesus. And I think it is right that our singing is weighted in this direction. But notice the emphasis upon God’s judgments in the song of Moses. 

The people praised the LORD, saying, “The LORD is a man of war; the LORD is his name. Pharaoh’s chariots and his host he cast into the sea, and his chosen officers were sunk in the Red Sea. The floods covered them; they went down into the depths like a stone. Your right hand, O LORD, glorious in power, your right hand, O LORD, shatters the enemy. In the greatness of your majesty you overthrow your adversaries; you send out your fury; it consumes them like stubble”, etc.

These judgments of the LORD were just judgments. By that I mean, these judgments were right, for “the enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them. I will draw my sword; my hand shall destroy them.’”

And for this reason, the LORD “blew with [his] wind…” The Hebrew word translated as wind is rûaḥ. It can also mean “spirit”. The same word is translated as “Spirit” in Genesis 1:2: “The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” I think it is right to hear an echo of Genesis 1:2 in the words, the LORD “blew with [his] wind…” I continue… “the sea covered them; they sank like lead in the mighty waters.” 

This is a song about the just judgments of God. The people of Israel sang praises to God for the outpouring of his wrath upon the Egyptians. You would do well to notice that many of Psalms are about the outpouring of God’s wrath. And many of the songs found in the book of Revelation also carry this theme. 

What is my point? My point is that from Genesis to Revelation we see that God is a God of grace and he is also a God of wrath. God will be glorified now and for all eternity, not only for his grace but also for his just judgments.  This is what Paul famously says in Romans 9:24ff. “What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?” (Romans 9:22–24, ESV). Paul’s point is that God is right, and not wrong, to show mercy to some and to judge others. He would be right to judge all for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and the wages of sin is death (see Romans 3:23 and 6:23). And he is right to show mercy to some. He has this right, for he is God. And we know that he has maintained his justice while justifying sinners by sending Christ to pay for the sins of his elect. This is what Paul says in Romans 3:26.

Here is my question for you: I know that you are eager to give thanks and praise to God for our redemption in Christ Jesus, but do you also praise him for his just judgments? Moses did. Israel did. The Psalms do. The heavenly hosts sing praises to God day and night for his mercy and also his judgments. Consider the opening of the book of Revelation. In 1:7 we read, “Behold, he [Christ] is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen” (Revelation 1:7, ESV). The theme of God being glorified for his wrath is too big to ignore, brothers and sisters. It must be given a proper place in our doctrine and also in our singing.

Is it right that we should grieve over the thought of a sinner being judged? Yes, I think this is right. It is a reflection of the character of God. In Ezekiel 18:32 we hear the LORD say, “I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord GOD; so turn, and live” (Ezekiel 18:32, ESV). So there is a sense in which it is true that we, like God, should take no pleasure in the death of the wicked. But there is another sense in which God’s people must believe and confess that God’s judgments are good because they are perfectly just, right, and true.

*****

Give Praise To The LORD For His Presence With Us Now And Forever

So then, as we consider the song of Moses we should be moved to thank and praise the LORD for his redemption and for his just judgments in Christ Jesus. Thirdly, we should be moved to give praise to the LORD for his presence with us now and forever. 

In my opinion, these lines in the Song of Moses regarding the LORD’s presence with his people are the most beautiful and insightful. 

Verse 13 says, “You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed; you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode.” 

Verse 17 says, “You will bring them in and plant them on your own mountain, the place, O LORD, which you have made for your abode, the sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands have established.” 

I say that these verses are the most insightful because they reveal the purpose of the work of redemption that the LORD had accomplished. The LORD rescued Israel from the Egyptians to dwell in the midst of them.  These people were redeemed to be God’s special possession. They would be his people and he would be their God in a special way. He would speak to them, give them his law, enter into covenant with them, and dwell in the midst of them, first in the tabernacle, and later in the temple which would be built on God’s holy mountain. God redeemed Israel to indwell them. 

But God’s indwelling of Old Covenant Israel was earthly and external. Yes, some had true faith in the promises of God. Yes, these enjoyed the internal operations of God’s Spirit just as we do under the New Covenant today. But God indwelt the nation in an external way. His glory filled the tabernacle and the temple, and the people were invited to draw near.

This principle of indwelling comes to a climax in the New Covenant. The members of the new covenant are those who believe. And all who believe truly are indwelled with the promised Holy Spirit. This is why Paul writes to Christians in Corinth saying, “What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, [now here are citations drawn from many Old Testament texts, including Leviticus 26:12 and Exodus 29:45] ‘I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty’” (2 Corinthians 6:16–18, ESV).

The LORD rescued Israel from Egypt through Moses to dwell in the midst of them. 

This is even more true of the finished work of Christ. It is by virtue of the finished work of Christ and of the New Covenant, of which he is the mediator, that God dwells in the midst of his people, not externally in a temple of stone, but internally in the heart by his Spirit. 

Stated differently, the Exodus in the days of Moses and the Old Covenant that was transacted with Israel in those days brought about an external indwelling – the glory of God would be manifest in the pillar of cloud, on the mountain, and in the temple. But it is through the cross of Christ that sins were paid for and the Evil One was defeated so that God could dwell in the hearts of his people, making them into the temple of his Holy Spirit. All who had true faith in the Messiah in the Old Covenant and New, enjoyed this internal indwelling. 

The song of Moses was about this indwelling.  Again verse 13 says, “You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed; you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode.” And verse 17 says, “You will bring them in and plant them on your own mountain, the place, O LORD, which you have made for your abode, the sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands have established.” 

But listen to how this theme of indwelling is greatly advanced at the end of the book of Revelation. Chapter 21 verse 1 says, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away’” (Revelation 21:1–4, ESV).

*****

Conclusion

Please allow me to conclude now with a few reflections and suggestions for application. 

One, we should take our singing very seriously, brothers and sisters. The New Testament is very clear that singing is to be an element of our worship. We are to “[address] one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with [our] heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ…” (Ephesians 5:19–20, ESV). I think it is right to say that the drama of redemption is a musical. God acts, and his rational creatures, both angels and men, respond to his works with songs of praise. We must sing, brothers and sisters. And when we sing, we must sing truth, from the heart, and in faith. 

Two, if we have not already done so we must make room in our minds and hearts for what the scriptures have to say regarding God’s wrath. Like God himself, we ought not “take pleasure” in the judgment of the wicked, but we must confess that it is good and right. In fact, the thought of God’s just judgments should bring a kind of comfort to the people of God. By that, I mean that God’s people should take comfort in the thought that God will judge with perfect justice and equity at the end of time. In other words, he will set everything straight, while at the same time showing mercy to undeserving sinners like you and me who are found in Christ Jesus. We must give praise to God for his just judgments, for this is right. 

Three, the Hebrews had good reason to sing this song which Moses composed given the marvelous act of redemption the Lord had accomplished for them. You and I have an even greater reason to sing, for Christ has come. He lived for us, died for us, rose for us, and ascended for us. He has promised to return for us, brothers and sisters. And so whenever we come to give God praise, let us sing to him being mindful of all that he has done for us through Jesus Christ. He has rescued us from the domain of darkness, has transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son. He indwells us now and will dwell in the midst of us for all eternity. 

To God be the glory

Great things He has done

So loved He the world that He gave us His Son

Who yielded His life an atonement for sin

And opened the life-gate that all may go in…

New Testament Reading: Hebrews 11:1-2, 23–29

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation… [verse 23] By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them. By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned.” (Hebrews 11:1-2, 23–29, ESV)

Old Testament Reading: Exodus 14:15-31 

“The LORD said to Moses, ‘Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. Lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground. And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they shall go in after them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, his chariots, and his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.’ Then the angel of God who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them, coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel. And there was the cloud and the darkness. And it lit up the night without one coming near the other all night. Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the LORD drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. The Egyptians pursued and went in after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. And in the morning watch the LORD in the pillar of fire and of cloud looked down on the Egyptian forces and threw the Egyptian forces into a panic, clogging their chariot wheels so that they drove heavily. And the Egyptians said, ‘Let us flee from before Israel, for the LORD fights for them against the Egyptians.’ Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.’ So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its normal course when the morning appeared. And as the Egyptians fled into it, the LORD threw the Egyptians into the midst of the sea. The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen; of all the host of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea, not one of them remained. But the people of Israel walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. Thus the LORD saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Israel saw the great power that the LORD used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the LORD, and they believed in the LORD and in his servant Moses.” (Exodus 14:15–31, ESV)

*****

Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

Introduction

Before we jump into the details of our text for today, can we take a moment to, first of all, acknowledge that it must have been terrifying for Israel to leave Egypt? You know, as we consider this story it can be easy to forget that these were real people with real fears and anxieties. The Hebrews were a very weak and vulnerable people. The only life they knew was life in Egyptian bondage. As awful as that life must have been, it was what they were familiar with. On the other side of the border of Egypt was the unknown. Who would the Hebrews encounter there? How strong would their foes be? Which way would they go? What would they eat and drink in that desert region? And what if Pharaoh decided to pursue them with his army? What would they do then? The Hebrews knew that life was bad in Egypt, but at least it was familiar and relatively predictable. Things could be even worse for them if they left! So we should acknowledge that it took great faith for the hebrews to follow the LORD into the wilderness as they did, to break with Egypt, and to establish Israel.  

Clearly, the LORD had proved himself to Israel to move them to do such an extreme thing. It was through the signs and wonders that he worked through Moses and Aaron that the LORD proved himself to be present with them, powerful, and worthy of trust. And this is one of the purposes of signs and wonders. Through them the LORD proves himself to be present with his people, powerful, and worthy of trust. Israel followed the LORD into the wilderness despite all of the dangers and despite the unknowns, because the LORD had proved himself to them through signs and wonders.

Secondly, by way of introduction, it is important for us to again recognize the similarities between what God did through Moses and what God has done through Christ. In the days of Moses and in the days of Christ, God accomplished a great act of deliverance. Through Moses, God delivered Israel from Egyptian slavery, and through Christ, God has delivered his elect from the domain of darkness, from the power of sin, and the sting of death. 

And please make this connection too: both Moses and Christ call God’s people to an exodus. Moses called Israel to make a physical exit from Pharaoh’s kingdom, and Christ calls his elect in every age to make a spiritual exit from Satan’s kingdom. Israel would physically leave Egypt to sojourn towards a physical promised land. There they would establish a new nation. There they would build a physical temple. And all who are in Christ – all who are united to him by faith – have been called to leave Satan’s kingdom, spiritually speaking. We’ve made an exit. By God’s power and grace we’ve been released from bondage to Satan’s domain, ushered into Christ’s spiritual kingdom, and we are now sojourning towards the heavenly promised land. All who are in Christ have made an exodus. Just as the Hebrews could not follow the LORD without walking out of Egypt, so too one cannot follow Christ without making a clean break from Satan’s domain. 

To state the matter differently, no one can serve two masters. Either Christ is Lord, or the Evil One is. Or we might say that no one can live in these two spiritual kingdoms simultaneously. We either belong to the kingdom of light or the kingdom of darkness. By nature, we belong to the kingdom of darkness, and I am saying that to be a citizen of the kingdom of light there must be a break, an exodus from the kingdom of darkness. To put it yet another way, for there to be faith in Christ there must also be repentance. Faith in Christ involves a turning from sin, an exodus, a break from one kingdom and an entrance into another. This is what Paul says that God has done for those in Christ. “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son…” (Colossians 1:13, ESV). Those who have faith in Christ must learn to think of their faith in these kingdom terms. Following after Christ in this world involves an exodus from one kingdom and an entrance into another. 

And with that said, I pray that it is easier for you to identify with the experience of the Hebrews. What they experienced physically, those in Christ have experienced spiritually. If you are in Christ, you know what it is to be set free from spiritual bondage. You know what it is to transfer your allegiance from one master to another. You know what it is to be set apart in this world as holy and to have the world look in upon you as strange. In fact, you know that the world does not sit idly by, but does often disapprove of, mock, and even attack those who have broken away from them to be citizens of another kingdom and to have another king. 

This is what Christ spoke about when he said, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.” (John 15:18–21, ESV)

Brothers and sisters, Christ has accomplished our redemption. This he did when he died on the cross, rose on the third day, and ascended to the Father. The benefits of this redemption that he has earned come to us when we turn from our sins and to Christ by faith. It is then that, having been set free from the domain of darkness, we are transferred into the kingdom of God’s beloved Son. In Christ we have a new King, a new citizenship, a new calling, a new hope, and new way of life. But do not be surprised, brothers and sisters, when the ruler and citizens of your old kingdom disapprove of your departure. Do not be surprised when they pressure you to return, oppose you, and even pursue you to do you harm. 

In our passage for today, we find Israel in the wilderness. Can you picture them there? They have begun their exodus from Egypt. But instead of heading northeast towards the Promised Land, the LORD led them to the southeast into a vast desert wilderness and towards Mount Sinai. There he would enter into covenant with them and give them his law. 

And it was not long into their journey that they found themselves trapped between Pharaoh’s army and a large body of water, which the text refers to as the Red Sea. It is hard to know where exactly this happened. Theories abound. But the storyline is clear. Israel was trapped with the water of the sea on one side and the armies of Pharaoh on the other.  

We should not forget that it was the Lord that led them into this seemingly dire situation. Wrap your heads around that for a moment. More than this, we are told that it was the Lord who hardened Pharaoh’s heart so that he would pursue Israel with the intent to subdue them again. But we also know that it was the will of the Lord to have the victory over the armies of Pharaoh so that he might show himself to the Hebrews and to nations as God Almighty once again. In this way, God would get the glory. 

We can see all of that clearly as we look back upon this story with 20/20 hindsight, but the Hebrews who lived through it were terrified. We learn of their reaction in 14:10: “they feared greatly. And the people of Israel cried out to the LORD. They said to Moses, ‘Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness” (Exodus 14:10–12, ESV). Moses responded to them with these marvelous words of faith: “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent” (Exodus 14:13–14, ESV).

“The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” That is what Moses said to Israel regarding the threat of the Egyptian army. But is this not also what is said to us in the gospel of Jesus Christ?  Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which Christ has worked for you… The LORD has fought for you, and you have only to be silent.

*****

Go Forward

In verse 15, we find the LORD’s words to Moses. “The LORD said to Moses, ‘Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward.’” 

 “Why do you cry to me?”, the Lord said. Certainly, the Lord is not here rebuking Moses for offering up prayers to him. That was the right thing for him to do – to cry out to the Lord in prayer in the face of this threat. Taken in context, this must mean the time has come to cease from praying and to get up and move. “Tell the people of Israel to go forward”, the Lord said. This means that they were to pack their things to leave.

You know, it is possible to become so fixated on the problems of life and on the threats we face that we grow paralyzed. When the LORD spoke to Israel saying, I “will fight for you, and you have only to be silent” (Exodus 14:13–14, ESV), he did not mean that they would have nothing to do. No, there is always something to do! The people of Israel were called to walk by faith while the LORD fought for them. “Go forward”, the LORD said. 

I think this is a good word for us today. “Go forward”, brothers and sisters. Cry out to the LORD, yes. Trust that the LORD will fight for you. But also go forward. Do not be paralyzed by fear. Do not be inactive. Walk by faith. Walk, knowing that the LORD will fight for you. 

These are perplexing times that we are living in. We are experiencing very rapid cultural changes. Not only has our culture forgotten God, the culture seems to be at war with God. Being a Christian – a true Christian – in this culture is getting more and more difficult with each passing year. The pressures are very great. The enemy seems to be so strong. It is vital that we trust the LORD. And it is also vital that we go forward. We must walk by faith. 

As I see it there is a ditch on both sides of the road. On the left, there are those who are paralyzed by fear. But on the right, there are those who assume that some new and extraordinary thing must be done by the people of God. No, in fact, the Christian is called to do what the Christian has always been called to do. We are to go forward, walking by faith and not by sight. We are to go forward trusting that the LORD will fight for us. We are to go forward living in obedience to the commands of God. We are to go forward in the worship of God. We are to go forward in the raising of our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. We are to work to God’s glory and eat and drink to God’s glory. We are to live lives of faith, hope, and love. We are to give thanks in every circumstance as we entrust ourselves to the care of our gracious Lord. On the one hand, never are we to forget that it is the LORD who fights for us – we must rest in him. On the other hand, never are we to cease from walking. The people of God must always go forward in faith. 

*****

The LORD Will Provide A Way

And as we go forward we must trust that the LORD will provide a way. 

The Lord provided a way for the people of Israel, and he did so in a most miraculous way. 

The Israelites were boxed in. As they looked upon their situation with their natural eyes they couldn’t see a way out. But God made a way for them where there was no way. He divided the sea so that Israel could pass through on dry land. Not only that, “the angel of God [who we know to be the LORD himself] who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them, coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel.” So the LORD opened up a way where there was no way, and he positioned himself to protect Israel. He was a pillar of light to them, but a pillar of darkness to the Egyptians. This kept the Egyptians from overrunning the Hebrews as they went on their way.

Not only was this way miraculously opened up, it was also filled with symbolism. 

Please do not lose sight of the fact that the LORD could have delivered the Hebrews in any way that he chose, but he determined to do it this way – through the outpouring of ten plagues, by means of the Passover, and by leading Israel through the sea. Why did he take them through the sea? Why didn’t he take them in another direction so they would not be entrapped? Why did he move Pharoah to pursue? Why this way? The answer is that he was demonstrating something. He was demonstrating his power. And he was also signifying something, namely, salvation from his wrath, and the creation of something new. 

Do not forget the symbolism of water found in Genesis. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light”, etc (Genesis 1:1–3, ESV). The earth was at first a watery expanse not suitable for human habitation and the Lord formed and fashioned the earth by the power of his word to make a home where man could dwell. 

In the days of Noah, God judged the world that then was with water, but Noah and his family were brought safely through the judgment in the ark. They disembarked into a new world to establish a new humanity. 

Here in the Exodus, we see that the Israelites were brought through the waters of judgment being led by Moses, who was himself drawn out of the waters as an infant. The Lord brought him, and through him, the Hebrews, through the waters of judgment to enter into a covenant with them and to make them into a new nation in a holy land which God had promised to them. 

The theme is unmistakably clear. God has determined to provide a way of salvation for his elect. He would make a way for them to enter into the new creation by shielding them from his just wrath. Noah and his family on the ark, and Israel walking on dry land between the divided waters, were pictures of this. Ultimately, these things were pictures of the Christ who said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6, ESV).

When I say, “the LORD will provide a way”, I think it is right to apply that to our life as sojourners in this world. The LORD does provide a way for his people. He is ever-present with us. He does give us this day our daily bread. He is faithful to guide us and direct us. He opens up paths for his people where no path was seen before. You have probably experienced this at some point in your walk with Christ. And if you have not, I trust that you will. The LORD leads his people, and he is with them to protect them.  

But the saying, “the LORD will provide a way”, must mean more than this, for the greatest threats to man are not the trials and tribulations of this life, but death and judgment. As the scriptures say,  “it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment…” (Hebrews 9:27, ESV). This is the ordeal that Christ came to save us from – death and judgment. He has divided the waters of God’s wrath so that those who have faith in him may pass through on dry ground into the heavenly promised land.

Friends, this is the purpose for which Christ came into the world. He came, not to shield us from every trial and tribulation, but to make a way for us into the new heavens and earth. “[H]e has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him” (Hebrews 9:26–28, ESV).

The LORD provided a way for the Hebrews, he provides a way for us as we sojourn in this world, and most importantly, he has provided a way for man to pass safely through the waters of death and judgment. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God” (John 3:16–18, ESV).

*****

The LORD Will Get The Glory

Thirdly and lastly, let us recognize that as the LORD provides a way for his people he will get the glory, both in judgment and in grace. 

In verse 17 we hear the LORD say, And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they shall go in after them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, his chariots, and his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen” (Exodus 14:17–18, ESV).

As the story unfolds we are told that the Egyptians did follow Israel into the sea. It seems to me that the way of the Hebrews was illuminated by the glory of God, whereas the way of the Egyptians was shrouded in darkness. The LORD was light to his people, and darkness to his enemies.  Verse 24: “And in the morning watch the LORD in the pillar of fire and of cloud looked down on the Egyptian forces [I take this to mean that the LORD revealed the splendor of his glory to them] and [this] threw the Egyptian forces into a panic, clogging their chariot wheels so that they drove heavily. And the Egyptians said, ‘Let us flee from before Israel, for the LORD fights for them against the Egyptians” (Exodus 14:24–25, ESV).

“Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.’ So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its normal course when the morning appeared. And as the Egyptians fled into it, the LORD threw the Egyptians into the midst of the sea. The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen; of all the host of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea, not one of them remained. But the people of Israel walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. Thus the LORD saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Israel saw the great power that the LORD used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the LORD, and they believed in the LORD and in his servant Moses” (Exodus 14:26–31, ESV).

The LORD, the God of Israel, was glorified as he graciously provided a way for his people, and as he justly judged the wicked and oppressive Egyptians. These were the Egyptians who decreed that newborn sons of the Hebrews be cast into the waters of the Nile. Now the LORD has cast them into the waters of the sea. 

Just as the salvation that the LORD accomplished for Israel was an earthly picture of the eternal salvation that is our in Christ Jesus, so too the judgment poured out on the Egyptians was an earthly picture of the final and eternal judgment that Christ will administer at the end of time. All who are not united to him by faith will be judged. God will be glorified both for his abundant grace and for his just judgments.  

In Revelation 19:1ff we find a description of the celebration that will take place in heaven when the judgments of God are poured out at the end of time. John writes, “After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out, ‘Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for his judgments are true and just; for he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality, and has avenged on her the blood of his servants.’ Once more they cried out, ‘Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up forever and ever.’ And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was seated on the throne, saying, ‘Amen. Hallelujah!’ And from the throne came a voice saying, ‘Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, small and great” (Revelation 19:1–5, ESV).

As I have said, our God will be glorified at the end of time both for his marvelous grace and his just judgments. As it was at the time of the Exodus, so will it be at the end of time. The one way a small picture and foretaste of the other.  

*****

Conclusion

I think it would be good to conclude by drawing your attention to what follows this story in Exodus. In chapter 15 we find a song. It is called The Song of Moses, but it was a song that all Israel sang after witnessing the great act of salvation that the LORD had worked for them and the just judgments that the LORD poured out on the Egyptians. After passing through the sea, the people sang! This reminds me very much of the songs of the book of Revelation. After witnessing the salvation of the Lord and the judgments of the Lord, angels in men and heaven burst forth in praise. 

In fact, in Revelation 15 the song of Moses is mentioned so that we might make the connection between the Exodus event, our current experience, and what God will do at the end of time. After the introduction of the seven plagues of Revelation 15, we read, “And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire—and also those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands. And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, ‘Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations! Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed” (Revelation 15:2–4, ESV).

Brothers and sisters, as we consider the Exodus event, we must not forget that we too have experienced an exodus in Christ Jesus. We’ve been transferred from one kingdom into another, and this has required us to make a clean break with the former. The Evil One pursues us as we sojourn. The world is not pleased when we refuse to align with them in their evil way, so they revile us and even persecute us.  But we must go forward, trusting that the LORD will provide a way, and that he will get the glory. At the end of time, we will praise him for his salvation. We will sing to him, saying, “Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations!” (Revelation 15:3, ESV)

New Testament Reading: 1 Corinthians 10:1–13

“For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10:1–13, ESV)

Old Testament Reading: Exodus 13:17–14:14 

“When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. For God said, ‘Lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt.’ But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle. Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, ‘God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones with you from here.’ And they moved on from Succoth and encamped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people. Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Tell the people of Israel to turn back and encamp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, in front of Baal-zephon; you shall encamp facing it, by the sea. For Pharaoh will say of the people of Israel, ‘They are wandering in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.’ And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD.” And they did so. When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, the mind of Pharaoh and his servants was changed toward the people, and they said, “What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?” So he made ready his chariot and took his army with him, and took six hundred chosen chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them. And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the people of Israel while the people of Israel were going out defiantly. The Egyptians pursued them, all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and his horsemen and his army, and overtook them encamped at the sea, by Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon. When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel cried out to the LORD. They said to Moses, ‘Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.’ And Moses said to the people, ‘Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.’” (Exodus 13:17–14:14, ESV)

*****

Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

Introduction

We have come now to a new section of the book of Exodus. 

In 1:1-13:16 Israel was in Egypt. There in that section we heard about the brutal oppression of the Hebrews at the hand of the Egyptians, of the call of Moses to serve as the redeemer of God’s people, and of the deliverance of the Hebrews from Egypt through the outpouring of ten plagues. There in that first section of the book of Exodus we considered Israel in Egypt, and we also learned a lot about God. He preserved his people in Egypt. He revealed himself to them through Moses YHWH, the Great I AM, and he saved his people from bondage. Stated succinctly, in that first section of the book of Exodus the LORD is presented to us as the preserver and savior of his people.

Now from 13:17 through 24:11 we will consider Israel in the wilderness on the way to Mount Sinai. And once there, the LORD will reveal himself to Israel on the mountain, just as he revealed hismelf to Moses in the burning bush. He will give Israel the law and establish a covenant with them. So then, if God is presented as preserver and savior in the first portion of Exodus, in the second portion, he is presented as Israel’s companion. Not only is the LORD the saving LORD, he is also the covenant LORD. He saved his people from bondage and oppression, but he also went with them to guide them, to reveal himself to them, and to enter into a covenant with them. 

The last portion of the book of Exodus runs from 24:12 through to the end of the book. And there we will consider Israel around the tabernacle. There in that section the LORD is portrayed as the indweller. 

I mention this general three-part division of the book of Exodus to remind you of the story that is told here. As you can see, this book is not only a story about deliverance. It is also a story about covenantal companionship and indwelling. Can you see the progression? The LORD delivered Israel from Egyptian bondage, and he also went with them as a companion. He revealed himself to Israel on the mountain just as he had revealed himself to Moses in that bush that was burning yet not consumed. He entered into a covenant with them, and eventually, he did come to dwell in the midst of them through the tabernacle. The LORD is not just the savior, he is also the covenantal companion and indweller of his people.

As I say all of this, perhaps you are thinking to yourself, this storyline sounds familiar – redemption, covenantal companionship, indwelling. And you would be right! 

The storyline of Exodus corresponds to the storyline of the gospel. Jesus the Messiah has accomplished our redemption, and he, by the Spirit, does draw men and women into a conventional relationship with himself through faith. And God indwells those who believe in Christ by the Holy Spirit – as Paul says, “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16, ESV). The storyline of Exodus matches the storyline of our salvation in Christ Jesus. 

And not only is this the storyline of our personal and present salvation in Christ Jesus, it is also the storyline of the overarching history of redemption. God has rescued a people from the domain of darkness, he has transferred us into the kingdom of his Son, and he will one day bring us safely home into the new heavens and earth where he will dwell in the midst of us — all will be his temple then.  

So then, what Israel experienced in an earthly way, all who have faith in the Messiah have experienced in a spiritual way – we have been redeemed, we have entered into a covenantal companionship with Christ, and the Spirit of God indwells us even now. Furthermore, this present experience of ours is but a small foretaste of greater things yet to come. When Christ returns our redemption will be brought to a consummation, we will enjoy full and everlasting communion with God as he dwells in the midst of his people forever and ever in the new heavens and earth which Christ has earned. Again, I am saying that the experience of the Hebrews was an earthly type or model of the spiritual experience of God’s elect in every age. Their earthly journey corresponds to our spiritual journey. 

What can we learn from the sojourning of Israel, therefore?

*****

The LORD Leads Those He Redeems

Well, if there is one thing to take away from our passage for today, it is this: The LORD leads those he redeems. This was the pattern or the model that was established at the time of the Exodus. Those the LORD redeems, he does also lead. The LORD delivered Israel from brutal Egyptian oppression. He pried them from the death grip of Pharoah. He set them free from Egyptian captivity. They went out from Egypt with great possessions! But the greatest gift they left Egypt with was LORD himself. He went with them as a covenant companion to lead them in the way. The LORD leads those he redeems. 

This was true for Old Covenant Israel, and it is true for New Covenant Israel too. All who have faith in Christ may say, “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13–14, ESV). And all who have been thus delivered may take comfort in what Christ said to his disciples as he commissioned them: “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20, ESV). The LORD leads those he redeems. Not only does he free his people from bondage, he also goes on with them as their companion and their guide. 

This is clearly demonstrated in the Exodus story. When the LORD freed Israel from Egyptian oppression he did not stand on the border of Egypt to send them off into the wilderness alone. No, he went with them to guide and direct them, as a pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night. The LORD leads those he redeems.

Notice five things about the way the LORD leads his people. 

He Leads His People Personally

First of all, the LORD leads his people personally. 

Consider verse 17. There we read, “When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines… [verse 18] But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea.” (Exodus 13:17–18, ESV). And consider verse 21: “And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night” (Exodus 13:21, ESV).

The thing that I wish to draw your attention to is that the LORD led Israel personally. I suppose we would still say that the LORD led his people if he spoke to Moses instructing him about which way to go. Or perhaps the LORD could have provided Israel with a map, saying, first go this way and then that. I suppose that would still be counted as guidance. But the LORD did not lead Israel in that way. Instead, he led them personally. He went with Israel as a companion and guide. The LORD was present with his people.   

This is what the Psalmist celebrates in Psalm 46:1, saying, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah” (Psalm 46:1–3, ESV). Psalm 145:18 testifies to this too, saying, “The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth” (Psalm 145:18, ESV). And in Deuteronomy 4:7 Moses reflects upon God’s personal presence when he says to Israel, “For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the LORD our God is to us, whenever we call upon him?” (Deuteronomy 4:7, ESV). The LORD leads those he redeems, personally. He is present with his people to guide them. 

At the time of the Exodus, the LORD demonstrated to Israel that he was present with them by appearing to them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. These were not two different pillars, but one and the same. In the daylight, the pillar or column appeared as a cloud. At nighttime, the pillar was radiant. This pillar was a manifestation of the glory of the LORD. We know that God is not a pillar of cloud or of fire. He is a most pure spirit. He is not physical. He is invisible. But God has sometimes manifested himself to his people. He showed himself to be personally present with Israel at the time of their exodus from Egypt through a radiant pillar of cloud.  

Don’t you agree that the LORD was gracious to manifest his glory to Israel in this way? I suppose he could have simply spoken to them through Moses, saying, I will be with you always to bring you safely into the land. The LORD could have gone with them invisibly. And this would have required the Hebrews to walk by faith and not by sight regarding God’s presence. But God accommodated himself to their weakness by showing himself to them in this visible way. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, was a visible and constant testimony to God’s presence with them. 

The LORD leads those he redeems. He leads them, not from afar, and not through intermediaries only, but personally. He went with the Hebrews to guide them in the wilderness. And under the New Covenant, the same is true, but even more so. For under the New Covenant we have been brought nearer to God through the blood of Christ. God is our Father, and we are his children. Those who have faith in Christ are united to him spiritually; the Spirit of God indwells them. God was personally present with Old Covenant Israel to guide them as they sojourned, and this is true for the Israel of God under the New Covenant in an even more intimate way.

Do you remember what Christ said regarding his personal presence with us. “‘I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.’ Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, ‘Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?’ Jesus answered him, ‘If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him’” (John 14:18–23, ESV). If the LORD has redeemed you, then he is with you personally to lead you by his word and Spirit. 

He Leads His People Compassionately

The second observation that I wish to make is that the LORD leads his people compassionately. 

I suppose I could again point to the way that the LORD showed himself to Israel in the pillar of cloud. That was an act of compassionate condescension. But here I wish to draw your attention the way the concern the LORD had for the people’s weakness. The LORD led them out of Egypt and he took them the long way so as to avoid military conflict, for the people were not ready to handle it. 

You can picture Egypt, can’t you? It is situated at the very northeast corner of the African continent. And the Hebrews were likely enslaved in the northeastern corner of Egypt. There they were engaged in the work of building military storehouse cities for Pharaoh to defend Egypt from a northern invasion. The land promised to Israel – the land on Canaan – was to the north of them, and a little to the east. But when the LORD lead Israel out of Egypt, he led them to the east and to the south. Why did he take them this way? Why did he take them off the beaten path, as it were, and into the wilderness? 

Verses 17 and 18 tell us: “When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. For God said, ‘Lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt.’ But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle” (Exodus 13:17–18, ESV).

The LORD works in mysterious ways, doesn’t he? We do not always understand his will for us. Sometimes we may wonder, why has he taken our life on this path? Oftentimes we do not know. By faith, we believe that he has a purpose in all things, but we do not always understand what that purpose is. The Israelites must have wondered why the LORD was taking them the way of the wilderness when there was a much smoother and straighter path available to them. To them, the wilderness path must have seemed like a ridiculous choice, but the LORD led them this way out of compassion. He knew they were not ready for war. He knew that they would shrink back in fear and prefer slavery in Egypt over battles with the fierce Philistines. The LORD compassionately led them into the wilderness to strengthen them there. 

I’m reminded of what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10:13 regarding temptation. “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13, ESV). The phrase that I wish to draw your attention to is, “[God] will not let you be tempted beyond your ability.” We know that God strengthens his people through testing. He strengthens us through trials and tribulations. But here Paul emphasizes the graciousness of God in this: God “will not let you be tempted beyond your ability.” In other words, though he does will that his children be strengthened and refined through trials of various kinds, he will not permit his children to be overrun by temptation. He will give them only what they are able to handle. And of course, they will handle it with the strength he himself provides, to the glory of his name. The LORD leads his people compassionately, being mindful of their strengths and weaknesses, their progress in sanctification or lack thereof. He does not coddle his children. He does not shield them from every trail, tribulation, or temptation, but he is also faithful to never allow them to be tempted beyond their ability, but with the temptation, he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

He Leads His People Faithfully

Thirdly, in our text, we see that the LORD leads his people faithfully. I will point to two things to demonstrate this. 

First of all, consider again the LORD’s presence in the cloudy pillar. How did Isreal know that this pillar of cloud was the LORD and not just a cloud? Two things: One, it must have looked unique. It was a cloud, but not an ordinary cloud. It was shaped strangely like a pillar. And at night it was clearly radiant. Two, this pillar of cloud did not dissipate as clouds typically do, but remained permanently with them day and night. And so I say, the LORD leads those he redeems, and he leads them faithfully.   

Secondly, I wish to draw your attention to this little remark about the bones of Joseph. Did you catch that in verse 19? “Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, ‘God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones with you from here’” (Exodus 13:19, ESV).

You remember Joseph, don’t you? The last part of the book of Genesis was about him. He was the son of Jacob who was sold into Egyptian slavery by his brothers whom the LORD raised up to be the second most powerful man in all of Egypt. (By the way, you can see that Joseph’s own life foreshadowed on a small and individual scale the experience of the Hebrews on a large corporate scale – enslaved in Egypt, preserved by the LORD, saved and exalted by the LORD.)  

The book of Genesis concluded with these words: “And Joseph said to his brothers, ‘I am about to die, but God will visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.’ Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, ‘God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.’ So Joseph died, being 110 years old. They embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.” (Genesis 50:24–26, ESV)

So you can see that this little remark that is made in Exodus 13:19 regarding the bones (or the remains) of Joseph is very significant to the storyline of scripture. The remark about the bones of Joseph ties the story of Genesis and Exodus together. It is a reminder that this exodus from Egypt happened just as God had promised. And as the Hebrews went to the trouble to collect Joseph’s remains to take them with them back to the promised land, it was a reminder to them of the precious and very great promises that God had made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and of his faithfulness to keep his word.

Those the LORD redeems, he leads. And he leads his redeemed faithfully. He leads his people faithfully day and night. And he leads his people faithfully from generation to generation, for God keeps all of his promises. To state it differently, God is faithful to his people momentarily, and he is also faithful to his people covenantal. The exodus was a demonstration of both things. 

And so as God’s people we must trust that the LORD will be faithful to give us this day our daily bread, and we must also trust that the LORD will be faithful to preserve us and to bring us safely home into the new heavens and earth which he promised to Abraham and to us, for God is faithful both on a micro and macro scale. 

You know, I can’t help but make this observation. Interpreted typologically (which I have already argued is the proper interpretation of Exodus), this little story regarding the bones of Joseph being taken out of the tomb and back to Canaan is a picture of the resurrection of Christ and of our resurrection in him on the last day. Egypt typifies the domain of darkness. The Exodus event typifies our redemption in Christ Jesus. Israel in the wilderness typifies our sojourning. And Canaan typifies the new heavens and earth (that’s what Hebrews 11 says). And here I am saying that when Joseph’s bones were lifted out of the grave and carried to Canaan, it was an earthly picture of what all who are in Christ will experience on the last day when Christ returns to raise the dead, to judge the ungodly, and to usher his people into the heavenly and eternal land of promise. 

Brothers and sisters, do not fail to see God’s daily faithfulness towards you. He leads you day and night. He provides you with daily bread. But do not lose sight of his generational and covenantal faithfulness. He has been and will be faithful to keep all of his promises regarding the redemption of his elect in the Messiah. Your momentary trials and tribulations must be considered in the light of God’s big picture, covenantal faithfulness, for it is this big picture story of our redemption in Christ, and of our eternal and unshakable hope in him that gives meaning and purpose to our present sufferings. 

The Apostle Paul and his companions knew that God was faithful to lead him to their heavenly inheritance. This is why he could say, “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:16–18, ESV)

When the Hebrews carried the bones of Joseph out of Egypt they were remembering the promises that God had made concerning Canaan, and more than that, the new heavens and earth, and they were declaring that he is faithful. 

He Leads His People Clearly 

God leads those he redeems. He leads us personally, compassionately, and faithfully. He also leads us clearly. That is the fourth observation that I wish to make. God leads his people clearly. 

I have already acknowledged that God’s ways are mysterious. The Hebwers must have wondered, why is the LORD leading us this way? And where will he lead us tomorrow? There was much that was mysterious in Israel’s sojurning. But here I am saying that despite the mystery, the LORD did lead Israel clearly. 

We should remember how the LORD spoke to Moses. He spoke clearly to him, and through him to  the people. And we should remember the clear message communicated by the plagues. The meaning was unmistakable. The LORD is God Most High, and the Hebrews were his chosen people. And now we learn that the LORD led his people into the wilderness by a pillar of cloud and of fire day and night.  Why the LORD was leading them in the direction he did was somewhat mysterious. That he was leading them where he did was unmistakable. 

We experience this too, don’t we? Have you ever asked the question, why this way, Lord? I know that you have. It seems like I have been asking that question a lot lately. Why this way? The truth is that we may never know. There is much about life in this world that is mysterious. But at the same time, God has also spoken clearly to us. Why has God decreed that our life take a particular path? Only the LORD knows. But we know how the LORD has commanded us to walk on that path, don’t we?

We are to walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). We are to walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16). We are to walk in the light, not the darkness (Proverbs 2:13). We are to walk in the narrow path, not the broad path (Matthew 7:13). And how do we know how we ought to walk? God’s word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Psalm 119:105). 

Mysteries abound, but God has spoken clearly. We must concern ourselves, not with the mysterious will of God, but with obedience to God’s revealed will, for “[t]he secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law” (Deuteronomy 29:29, ESV).

He Leads His People Defensively 

The last observation that I have for today is this: the LORD leads his people defensively. This point is drawn from verses 1 through 14 of chapter 14. 

Here in this text, we learn that Pharoah changed his mind yet again regarding the freedom of the Hebrews. 

Four things prompted this change of mind. 

One, the Egyptians began to feel the loss of the Hebrew slaves economically. In verse 5 we hear them say, ​​“What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?”

Two, the Egyptians took note of Israel’s strange and seemingly erratic course into the wilderness. Humanly speaking, they seemed to go in a bad direction. They boxed themselves in and made themselves vulnerable to attack. In reality, the LORD was luring the Egyptians out so that he might have the victory over them. 

Three, the LORD hardened Pharoah’s heart once more. That is what verse 8 says: “And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the people of Israel while the people of Israel were going out defiantly.” (Exodus 14:8, ESV)

Four, in keeping with the rest of the story concerning Pharoah’s stubborn pride, we must see that Pharoah was driven to pursue Israel because he was a power-hungry tyrant. These figures will always be present in the world, brothers and sisters. They are Satanic, for they further his kingdom – a kingdom characterized by bondage, oppression, and death. 

How did Israel respond as the enemy approached? They lost faith. To their credit, they did cry out to the LORD. But in verse 11 they said to Moses “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” (Exodus 14:11–12, ESV)

This is the response of many who make false professions of faith. They appear to follow Christ for a time, but when the evil one tempts them or attacks them, they conclude that it would have been better to continue in the kingdom of darkness. They forget how miserable and oppressive life in that kingdom was, and so they turn back. 

But the LORD keeps those who are his, just has as he kept Israel from falling. Verse 13: “And Moses said to the people, ‘Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent” (Exodus 14:13–14, ESV).

The LORD was right that Israel was not ready to face battle. This is why he led them into the way of the wilderness instead of on the direct road to Canaan where the Philistines were. But notice that the very first lesson the LORD taught to Israel was not how to fight with the sword, but how to trust the LORD in battle. “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today”, and “The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” Israel would be called to fight in the future. God made them into a nation and he would use them to judge other nations once their wickedness was complete. But even when Israel was called to fight, they were to fight while trusting in the LORD, and not in their own strength. 

*****

Conclusion

The LORD leads those he redeems. He leads us personally, compassionately, faithfully, and clearly. He also leads us defensively. He fights for us. He calls us to fear not, to stand firm, and to see the salvation of the LORD. The LORD fights for us, and often we have only to be silent. “Hear, O Israel… let not your heart faint. Do not fear or panic or be in dread… for the LORD your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory” (Deuteronomy 20:3–4, ESV).