Peaceful Deliverance
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The advent season is an amazing time of expectation. Children await the day and the presents. Adults plan times to be together, claim they eat way too many sweets (all the while enjoying doing so), and decry how incredibly busy this time of year is. In a time where we say peace, others might say, “Peace, peace, there is no peace.”
As we’re continuing our journey, we’re in the Sinai portion of our Casket Empty Series. If you haven’t been here in a while or if you are listening on line, you can catch up on our facebook page, or on our Faithlife page. All of our sermons are posted there.
Faithlife.com/missionwoodschurch
Faithlife.com/missionwoodschurch
I even go back there to hear what I said. One of the greatest delights of any public speaker is to hear themselves quoted. One of the greatest challenges for any public speaker is to hear themselves quoted and realize they never said it! Either way, there is where you can find our sermons.
Last week we were introduced to Moses. Most of us know the story of Moses - we’ve seen the movie the 10 commandments, or perhaps Disney’s Prince of Egypt. And there can be the biblical story and then there can be the enhanced adaptation. So it is always good for us to continue to read and study our Bibles to ground ourselves in God’s Holy Word.
The Story of Moses can be found in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy in the Old Testament of our Bibles. I’m not going to tell the whole story. If you’ve got a book mark you’ll see readings for the Sinai portion of our series in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Judges, Ruth, and the book of Psalms. Obviously I’m not going to hit it all.
Last week we were introduced to Moses. We learned how he was raised in Pharaoh’s household and then called to actually go and talk to Pharaoh about the treatment of the Israelites and to demand that he let them go. Moses himself didn’t want to go, and we discover that he is a reticent leader.
Sounds like most people I’ve asked to lead in one capacity or another.
Often the bigger the task the less we feel up for it, but it is God that is leading, not Moses.
Ten Plagues
Ten Plagues
God sends 10 Plagues.
[Insert plagues slide here]
And last week we spoke of the passover where the Angel of Death passed over the Israelites.
Finally in Exodus 12:37 the people are on their way from Egypt.
And the people of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children.
That’s something to think about whenever you’re leading a group and get a bit of complaining. Imagine the scope of what Moses was taking on.
But it was really God taking it on.
There is a Pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.
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.
Then we get to chapter 14, Moses is told to turn back that the Egyptian king would think they were wandering around.
“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.
Isn’t that what you always want to hear when fleeing an enemy, “turn back?” And to make matters worse, now Pharaoh’s army is in hot pursuit.
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?
There is no peace for Moses. There is no peace for the Israelites as they are fearful - Pharaoh is after them, they are not warriors, they are cornered. What shall they do?
Moses speaks up:
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.”
But apparently, at least to God he was not so confident and had been crying out to God. The very next verse says,
The Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward.
And this is where you get the parting of the Red Sea, perhaps one of the more famous accounts in the history of Moses. The people walk across on dry land and afterwards the Lord closes up the sea over the Pharaoh’s chariots and warriors.
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.
We lit the peace candle today.
We look around our culture we have so many divisions. Just yesterday two protesting groups got into it on our state capitol’s steps. People are afraid to speak for fear of being offensive or blasted for what they believe. We don’t see much peace in our world today.
What about inner peace?
What about what’s going on inside of you?
This is the season of Peace.
Peace on earth and goodwill to all peoples.
The Israelites began to understand that God was with them as they trusted God, and trusted the leader God had given them in Moses.
They remembered that God is in control.
I shared in our newsletter late last month about taking the time to breathe. I think that is important, especially at this time of the year.
You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.
“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”