Exodus 14:30,31

Exodus 14:30,31 Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore. And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses. As Israel watched, God delivered them from the Egyptians one last time. The Egyptian army was no more. They were free. When the realization of the day’s event sank in, the Children of Israel began to fear. God was Almighty and had delivered them in a powerful way. They respected God and God’s leader, Moses. They were ready to follow God and Moses, wherever they were led. But they soon forgot. Time and again they would murmur and complain to Moses. They saw God’s deliverance, but they soon forgot. Too often we are just like the Children of Israel. We see God’s goodness, but we soon forget. Satan sends discouragement and we forget God’s provision in the past. We question God’s direction for the future. We need to remember. Remember God’s miracles in the past and God’s constant care and protection. He will never leave us, even when we go through difficult times. God loves us and He will be with us. Remember.

Exodus 14:13,14

Exodus 14:13,14 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. With Pharaoh and his army closing in from behind and the dangerous waters of the Red Sea ahead, the Children of Israel cried out to the Lord. God gave instructions to Moses and Moses passed them on to the people. God said, “Why are you people just standing there crying? Move forward and I will show you my power and deliverance.” So Moses encouraged them and they began to move forward. And then God’s cloud moved from before them to behind them – between them and the Egyptian army. God’s cloud was light to the Children of Israel that night, but darkness to the Egyptians. As Israel moved towards the Red Sea, Moses held up his shepherd’s staff to the sea. The waters of the Red Sea parted and stood up on the left and the right as a pathway through to the other side. It took a long time for everyone and their herds to safely pass through to the other side, but God’s cloud stalled the Egyptians until everyone was on the other side. God removed his cloud and the Egyptians went down into the passageway to pursue the Children of Israel. But God had another surprise. When the Egyptians got halfway through the Red Sea, God caused their chariot wheels to fall off. Then, as Pharaoh watched in horror, the waters closed back drowning the entire army. With their heavy armor, the soldiers could not swim. As Pharaoh stood alone in shock at the Red Sea, the Children cheered from the other side. God had delivered them in a miraculous way! They were free at last!

Exodus 14:5-7,9

Exodus 14:5-7,9 :.. and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us? And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him: And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them. But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them ... The Children of Israel weren’t gone very long before Pharaoh realized what he had done. He had lost all of his cheap workers. So Pharaoh gathered his army with all of the soldiers and chariots and set out after Israel. In the morning, Israel’s rear guard looked up and saw a cloud of dust coming toward them. Soon they realized that it was the Egyptians coming after them! “Oh no!” they thought. As word spread forward in the crowd, the people panicked! They were just poor slaves and here was Pharaoh and his skilled soldiers getting ready to attack! But they couldn’t go forward; they were facing the Red sea. They were in a real jam! The sea was ahead of them and Pharaoh was attacking from the back. Why had they followed Moses and God?! What were they going to do?! God used Moses to calm their fears. He told them to stand still and see the deliverance of Almighty God. And they did!

Exodus 13:18-21

Exodus 13:18-21 But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea: and the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt. And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him: for he had straitly sworn the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you; and ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you. And they took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness. And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: Just before Joseph had died four hundred years earlier, he had given instructions not to leave his body buried there in Egypt. Joseph was a Hebrew and he wanted to be buried in the Promised Land with all of his relatives. So Moses took Joseph’s bones in a box when he left Egypt. Although Joseph had given those instructions four hundred years earlier, Moses was careful to honor the promise! A promise made should be a promise kept! But as the Children of Israel left Egypt, how would they know the way to go? God provided a wonderful GPS to lead them!  His divine glory went before them and led them! It took the form of a billowing cloud in the daytime and a fiery cloud of light at night. When the cloud stopped, they stopped. When the cloud began to move, they began to move. God was leading and they were following. I remember an old invitation hymn: “Where He Leads Me, I Will Follow”. That is what the Children of Israel did, and that is what we should do. Follow God’s leading. But how do we do that? By reading His Word, the Bible. God will lead us, but we must follow Him.

Exodus 13:1,2

Exodus 13:1,2 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, ... both of man and of beast: it is mine. Because the Death angel took the firstborn in all of Egypt, God started the tradition that the firstborn of man and beast belonged to Him. The firstborn of the animals were to be given to God as a sacrifice. The firstborn child had to be as well. But we don’t sacrifice children, so the firstborn child had to be redeemed with an animal sacrifice. Do you recall that Mary and Joseph had to take baby Jesus to the Temple when He was eight days old and offer a sacrifice for Him? That is because baby Jesus was the firstborn in their family and He had to be redeemed with an animal sacrifice. But as the firstborn, Jesus did not only belong to God; He was God! And, about thirty years later, Jesus would die on Calvary as our sacrifice! What a wonderful day it was for us! Jesus died so that we might go free!

Exodus 12:1,2,26,27

Exodus 12:1,2,26,27 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you. And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service? That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the LORD'S passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped. The Lord had a tenth and final plague for stubborn Pharaoh. But before God brought this last plague upon the Egyptians, He gave instructions to the Children of Israel to hold a Passover feast. This new ceremony was odd and serious and joyous, all at the same time. They were to hold this feast with all of their traveling clothes on. They were to kill a Passover lamb and roast it and eat it. And they were to take some the blood from the lamb and put it on their door. This blood would indicate that the people inside were believers in God’s power and deliverance. The house held obedient followers of Almighty God. Then, at midnight, God sent His Death angel to punish all of Egypt. Any house that did not have the blood applied on the doorposts and the lintel above would be the target of the Death angel. The firstborn of every family would die in that unbelieving household. Not only would the firstborn child of that household be affected, but the mother or father might be the oldest in their family as well. And at midnight, such a cry went up all over Egypt that everyone could hear it. Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron to his palace and told them to leave immediately: they, their families, all of the Children of Israel, all of their flocks and herds – absolutely everything! “Just get out of my sight” Pharaoh said. And they did. It was too bad that it took so many deaths for the Egyptians to release the Israelites! But God had to punish Egypt for their brutality upon His chosen people. So in one night, God punished evil and gave deliverance to his followers. Never forget: God is powerful and just.