The Whole Story
Exodus 14-15
The people of Israel needed God to deliver
them from their oppression and slavery, and God has done just that. Exodus 14
finds the people of Israel on the march out of Egypt. Over the past ten
chapters, God has done for them what they could never do for themselves. God
waged an all-out war on Egypt and Pharaoh through 10 plagues. These plagues
decimated the Egyptian government, economy, and religious sectors. With the
tenth and final plague, the people of Egypt were set free and told to leave Egypt
behind.
Israel’s exit took them to the banks of the
Red Sea. As the people of God arrive on the shores of the sea, they turn back
and see the armies of Egypt pursuing them. In an all-out panic, they call out
to God for deliverance. Once more, God's plan has led to an unexpected and
difficult place. It’s in the unexpected and difficult places that God does His
best work.
God’s deliverance of the people of Israel
from Egypt and His subsequent miraculous salvation on the shores of the Red Sea
reminds us that there is no enemy we face that God cannot save us from. There
is no circumstance we face that God cannot conquer. When the Red Sea stood
before the Hebrews, God parted the sea and destroyed their enemies. When the
sea of sin separated us from God, Christ parted the waters for us to cross and
destroyed sin, death, and hell. The Red Sea crossing was a miracle, but it’s just
a miracle that pointed to a bigger miracle: the cross of Christ. Jesus is here,
even at the Red Sea.
Bottom Line:
God is glorified in the
deliverance of His people.
Read Genesis Exodus 14-15 and make
observations about the text.
What is God teaching us in the passage? What does this reveal about who God is, what God has done, and how I should respond? Which part of the text was most meaningful to you and why? What do you need help understanding about this passage?
SERMON RECAP:
- Despite our beliefs to the contrary, sometimes humanity is not sufficient to deliver themselves from every trouble. There are situations in life that prove too much for us to handle. In those moments, we need a deliverer who can do what we cannot.
- “God will never give you more than you can handle.” False. This is nowhere in the Bible. In fact, what we see repeatedly in scripture is that God continually gives you more than you can handle so that you can learn to rely on him.
- The beauty of Exodus 14 is that we begin to realize that there is nothing that God cannot handle. God is the God of the impossible.
- The situation in Exodus 14 runs parallel to humanity's spiritual situation. In our sinfulness we face an impossible situation, but God overcomes our impossible situation with a deliverance in Christ Jesus.
FOCUS: Exodus 14:10-31
10 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.
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? 12 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.” 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. 14 The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”
15 The Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to
me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. 16 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. 17 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. 18 And the Egyptians shall know that
I am the Lord, when I have gotten glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his
horsemen.”
19 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, 20 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.
21 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. 22 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. 23 The Egyptians pursued and went in after
them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his
horsemen. 24 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,
25 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.”
26 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.” 27 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. 28 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. 29 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. 30
Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel
saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 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.
Discussion Questions
When Have You Felt Trapped Like Israel?
(Exodus 14:10-12)
"As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites
looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were
terrified and cried out to the Lord."
Discussion: How do the Israelites’ fear and
complaints reveal their sense of hopelessness? Can you relate to a time when
you felt trapped, like there was no way out?
Application: When faced with impossible
situations, do you tend to react like the Israelites — complaining or fearing —
or do you turn to God in trust? How can you remind yourself of His faithfulness
in those moments?
What Does It Mean to 'Stand Firm'?
(Exodus 14:13-14)
"Moses answered the people, 'Do not be
afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you
today... The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.'"
Discussion: What does Moses' command to
"stand fi rm" and "be still" teach us about trusting God's
deliverance? Why is it hard to wait on God when we're overwhelmed?
Application: How can you practice "being
still" in the middle of life's storms? Are there areas in your life right
now where you need to let God fight for you instead of trying to control the
outcome?
What ‘Red Seas’ Has God Parted in Your Life?
(Exodus 14:21-22)
"Then Moses stretched out his hand over
the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east
wind... and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground."
Discussion: The parting of the Red Sea was an
impossible event, showcasing God's power. Can you recall times in your life
when God made a way where there seemed to be no way?
Application: How do these past experiences of
God’s deliverance shape your faith in current struggles? Are there situations
now where you need to trust Him to make a way?
How Do You Respond After God Delivers You?
(Exodus 15:1-2)
"Then Moses and the Israelites sang this
song to the Lord: 'I will sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted. Both
horse and driver he has hurled into the sea.'"
Discussion: After their deliverance, Israel
responded with worship and song. How do you respond when God brings you through
difficult times? Do you take time to celebrate His goodness?
Application: What specific practices can you
adopt to cultivate gratitude and worship in your daily life, especially after
experiencing God’s provision?
Why Is It Easy to Forget God’s Faithfulness?
(Exodus 15:22-24)
"Then Moses led Israel from the Red
Sea... For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water... So,
the people grumbled against Moses, saying, 'What are we to drink?'"
Discussion: Just days after witnessing God’s
miraculous deliverance, the Israelites began to grumble again. Why do you think
it’s so easy to forget God’s past faithfulness when new challenges arise?
Application: How can you remind yourself of
God’s deliverance in both big and small ways when facing new trials? Is there a
practice (like journaling or sharing testimonies) that can help you remember
His goodness?
God is the God of the impossible. Where are
you facing impossibilities in life? Where do you need God to deliver you?
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