God’s Glory at the Sea, Part 1

Sermon 32 in Series

Exodus 14:1-14
[1] Then the LORD said to Moses, [2] “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. [3] For Pharaoh will say of the people of Israel, ‘They are wandering in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.’ [4] 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.[5] 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?” [6] So he made ready his chariot and took his army with him, [7] and took six hundred chosen chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them. [8] 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. [9] 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.[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.”
DEEP SHEET: Sermon Study Questions
1.   How does the lead up to the Red Sea crossing focus our attention on God’s glory? What impact should this have on our reading of this famous story?
2.   How does this passage encourage us to trust God when life doesn’t seem to make sense? How has God brought you through the unexpected?
3.   Why does Pharaoh pursue the Israelites? How does his change of heart demonstrate the tenacity and folly of sin?
4.   Why does God place his people in a seemingly impossible and entirely vulnerable situation? What are the three responses of the Israelites when they see the Egyptians pursuing them?
5.   How are the three responses reversed by Moses’ three-fold call? How do we avoid a knee-jerk reaction of fear in the face of difficulty and distress?
6.   How can we fall into merely living for our own wellbeing (cf. 14:12b)? What does the content of your prayers reveal about your pursuits?References: 2 Corinthians 4:6; Ephesians 2:1-10; Matthew 6:32-33; Genesis 15:1.