I don t think that this will take very long, but you do need to pay close attention.

Transcription

1 [Call to Worship: Exodus 15] God s Sovereign Pursuit of His Well-Deserved Glory Finishing up the Trip: A Survey of Exodus 1-40 [I] Introduction Sometimes we get stuck and we can t see the forest for the trees. We stop and focus on each branch and each trunk. We find ourselves wrapped up in the various trees. Whatever they might be In this particular instance, we get lost staring into the burning bush, or the plight of the Hebrew slaves, or the arrogance of Pharoah, or the faithlessness of Moses on several accounts. We get stuck staring at them. So, this morning, I want us to take flight and look at the entire forest, the entire countryside of Exodus. I want to do this for a few reasons: I want us to finish what we started together. I think it will be very helpful to see how God works over the course of several years, in several different situations, and so that when you come back to read the book in the coming years, you have a good idea what the point of the story is. You can see each situation and how it is pointing towards ONE main idea. I don t think that this will take very long, but you do need to pay close attention. Here we go: [II] Just for the sake of the full picture: So far We made the observation that the Hebrews were in the middle of Bad Times. Their forefather Joseph had won them a place in the Egyptian culture by the grace of God, but we find out that there had been an earlier prophecy stating that his descendants would be enslaved, and they were. The Egyptians had forgotten that Joseph was well-respected and decided to use them to their benefit. Then Moses comes on the scene. He is miraculously delivered by the daughter of Pharoah against all odds. However, when he grows up, he messes up. He attempts to deliver his people on his own strength. He kills an Egyptian. So, we have a Fleeing Savior. He runs from his problems for 40 years and is Chosen to Return. God reveals himself to Moses in the form of a burning bush. He tells him exactly what to do. And even promises his immediate presence with him, But I will be with you. He gives him his personal name, Yahweh. and sends him into the enemy s camp. [III] Now, What happened after that? Moses Returns Home. He marches back into Egypt with a laundry list of demands from the most powerful man on the planet. He is going to inform the

2 King of his Orders. You know the famous line, Let my people go. and we all know that Pharoah doesn t listen. He hardens his heart against Moses and the Hebrews. So, the LORD sends Mighty Plagues to convince Pharaoh. He told Moses back at the burning bush and in subsequent conversations that HE would harden Pharoah s heart against the Hebrews and that it would take many mighty acts to convince him. So the LORD gets to work. [A] He turns all the Water in Egypt to blood. It stays that way for 7 days. People are digging all in the ground looking for a new spring. Moses and his men have taken away the very source of life. The Egyptians worshipped the Nile and all of its tributaries. This was a shock. [B] That wasn t enough so the LORD sent a swarm of Frogs. [C] Next all the dust in Egypt was turned to Gnats. This was the first one that the Sorcerers couldn t emulate. They managed to turn water to blood by their dark arts and even bring up a swarm of frogs, but not gnats. [D] Next a swarm of Flies. [E] Then all of theegyptian livestock died. The Hebrew livestock remained fully healthy, but not the Egyptian cows and sheep and whatever else they raised. [F] Next everyone was struck with a body full of Boils. Men had to flee the very presence of Moses because they were immediately covered with them. [G] After that the LORD sent Hail that was so large that if it hit you it would kill you. Anything that was not under the cover of a roof was killed or badly beaten. All of the crops that had budded were destroyed. Many people were killed. And any livestock that remained was killed. This hail was apparently also mixed with fire and lightning. Quite a storm [H] Then, just in case they thought they were going to be ok, because the hail didn t destroy all of their crops, the LORD sent a swarm of Locusts to finish them off. We are told that there was not anything green left in all of Egypt after this. [I] Next a pitch Darkness covered the land. Nobody even left their houses because it was impossible to do anything. The Hebrews had light though... [J] And then, the Final Sign- The Death of the Firstborn of all without the Blood covering their doorpost. Sprinkled throughout this little narrative is sentences like this,

3 Exodus 8.10 so that you may know that there is no one like the LORD our God. Exodus 8.19 the magicians told Pharaoh, This is the finger of God. The LORD says in 9.14, For this time I will send all my plagues on you yourself, and on your servants and your people, so that you may know that there is none like me in all the earth. For by now I could have put out my hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth. But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth Then the LORD said to Moses, Go in to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may show these signs of mine among them, and that you may tell in the hearing of your son and of your grandson how I have dealt harshly with the Egyptians and what signs I have done among them, that you may know that I am the LORD. Finally, we know that PHaroah lets Moses people go. They frantically pack up some of their belongings. We are told that they weren t prepared to leave, which leads me to believe that they weren t really trusting in the LORD to deliver them. They begin gathering and before they depart, they ask their slave-masters to give them their shirts and their riches, and they do. The LORD promised that they would, and he fulfilled that promise. So, while all of Egypt is mourning the death of their firstborn, the Hebrews are fleeing the scene. And then the LORD makes Pharoah believe that he shouldn t have let them go. He convinces Pharoah to pursue them and attempt to bring them back. He even has Moses and the 600,000 plus Hebrews camp with the Red Sea to their backs. It seems that it is the perfect opportunity to re-capture them. Then the LORD does a further miracle. He provides a way of Crossing the Red Sea. He has Moses stretch out his staff over the waters and it parts. It parts to such a degree that the land at the bottom of the sea is dry. They have no trouble crossing. So, of course, Pharoah in all of his arrogance, pursues. He doesn t think anything of the miracle of God that he has just witnessed. He has his own glory in mind. You know the story, they get in, and they are enveloped in the sea. They are destroyed for the glory of God. Now, I think that that would be an impressive story if we stopped right there. That would be a deliverance account that would certainly be worthy of the history books. But, the LORD doesn t just save us and leave us. He doesn t do a work and hope for the best. He continues working in us until the end. As you can imagine, the Hebrews are a bit rusty in their survival skills. They haven t travelled in 430 years. Which according to my calculations, means that

4 not one of them had ever attempted to wander through the wilderness, save one, Moses. Their leader had in fact, just returned to Egypt from such a wandering. So, Moses takes the reins a bit more tightly and attempts to help. Then they start running into your logistical problems. Anytime 600,000 people attempt to hike through the desert, you are going to run into a few of these. First they had the problem of Bitter Water. The water that they found was not drinkable. Apparently, this could mean that it is somewhat poisonous to them. Well, the LORD shows Moses a tree to throw in the water. So, he throws a tree in the water and it turns it drinkable. Next, they run into a Food Problem. Feeding that many people would be a chore. And apparently things were running very thin. And they had the audacity to tell Moses that It is better that we live as a slave, than be out here and starve. That we sat by meat pots and ate bread till we were full everyday Yeah we were beaten and worked to exhaustion, but we had some food. The LORD causes quail to flock to their camp by the thousands and manna to fall from heaven. The LORD fed them in this way for 40 years! Next, another Water Problem. They were Out of Water. So, Moses hits a rock, under the direction of the LORD, and gets water for the people. Next there is a Passage Problem. They come across a group of people, the Amalekites, and they don t want to just move out of the way. They don t want them to just March right through. So, we are introduced to Joshua in this account, and the LORD wins a battle for them. Then you get into what is really the second main division of the book. The first was the story of the preparation to depart, and then the actual departure, and then the problems associated with all of that. Then you get to Chapter 19 and the nature of the narrative changes. The LORD begins teaching about his covenant. He begins laying it out in strict language and careful tones. He tells us what we are to do, as he has the absolute right to do. Chapters are a very clear description of how to live, how to worship, and how to build the sanctuary for worship. In these chapters we are given the Ten Commandments, further worship instructions, detailed legislation, and commands for the remainder of the conquest. And then, in a very detailed fashion, we are given instructions for the tabernacle. Everything from the Ark of the Covenant, to lampstands, to oil, to the clothes that a priest is to wear, to the Sabbath.

5 While Moses is off receiving instructions, the people decide to take matters into their own hands, and create for themselves their own god. They want something that they can see, and touch and feel. They want an idol. They want a god that they can manipulate and dictate to. They want a god of their own making. In the middle of the greatest rescue in human history, these people run in direction opposite their rescuer. The LORD is ready to strike them down and Moses intercedes for them. The LORD does not destroy them. They survive by the grace of God. Then we see throughout the rest of the book the building and the careful planning of the construction of the tabernacle. They work and work. And finally it is completed. It is finished. Well, that is a very, very brief account of the story of the Exodus. This is one of the main themes of the Bible, and we just shrunk it down into just a few minutes. And now I want to courageously ask, [IV] What does this all mean? I think that there are 3 main lessons that we can draw from the book of Exodus. [1] Man is rebellious and ridiculous. By that I mean that we are so quick to run in any direction but to God. We are ready to try something new. We are ready to see what else is out there, but we are not patient when it comes to allowing the LORD to work. If you were to read Exodus with a view to outlining a general anthropology, I think that these 2 statements would be your conclusion. I see very little that is commendable, very little that is worthy of praise in this narrative when it comes to men. There are some aspects of Moses faith that we are to emulate, there is come courage lived out by Joshua, but not much beyond that. This entire story is God working on behalf of this people, because they would have died a week into their journey, had they ever gotten out of Egypt in the first place. And this leads us to our second main lesson from Exodus: [2] The Immediacy and Intimacy of God s activity in the lives of the people is astonishing. If we were given eyes to see all of the things that the LORD does for us each and every day, we would be driven to our knees in worship and praise. He works in so many way, in so many forms, in so many people all around us. We would be stricken with awe were we to realize how intimately he is involved in every detail of our lives. In Exodus, we see the LORD providing water. He keeps the water cycle operating properly even today. We saw Him provide food in the wilderness, he keeps crops growing, he keeps livestock growing, he keeps stores operating at various times to supply us with sustenance. He is as involved today, as he was thousands of years ago. Do not think for a moment that his power has diminished, nor his heart s

6 draw to his people lessened. He is still immediately and intimately involved in our lives. And then lastly, [3] The Sovereign Interaction of the LORD, the overtaking of situations, the divine orchestration of all events, were primarily directed towards the LORD s glory. He did all that He did for the good of his people, yes. But, even that was so that He would receive the glory. There are so many statements throughout the Bible that teach us this 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. Isaiah For my name s sake I defer my anger, for the sake of my praise I refrain it for you, that I may not cut you off. Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction. For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another. Ezekiel Thus says the Lord GOD: On the day when I chose Israel, I swore to the offspring of the house of Jacob, making myself known to them in the land of Egypt; I swore to them, saying, I am the LORD your God. On that day I swore to them that I would bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most glorious of all lands. And I said to them, Cast away the detestable things your eyes feast on, every one of you, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the LORD your God. But they rebelled against me and were not willing to listen to me. None of them cast away the detestable things their eyes feasted on, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. Then I said I would pour out my wrath upon them and spend my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt. But I acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations among whom they lived, in whose sight I made myself known to them in bringing them out of the land of Egypt. So I led them out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. I gave them my statutes and made known to them my rules, by which, if a person does them, he shall live. Moreover, I gave them my Sabbaths, as a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them. But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. They did not walk in my statutes but rejected my rules, by which, if a person does them, he shall live; and my Sabbaths they greatly profaned. Then I said I would pour out my wrath upon them in the wilderness, to make a full end of them. But I acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I had brought them out. Moreover, I swore to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land that I had given them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most

7 glorious of all lands, because they rejected my rules and did not walk in my statutes, and profaned my Sabbaths; for their heart went after their idols. Nevertheless, my eye spared them, and I did not destroy them or make a full end of them in the wilderness. And I said to their children in the wilderness, Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers, nor keep their rules, nor defile yourselves with their idols. I am the LORD your God; walk in my statutes, and be careful to obey my rules, and keep my Sabbaths holy that they may be a sign between me and you, that you may know that I am the LORD your God. But the children rebelled against me. They did not walk in my statutes and were not careful to obey my rules, by which, if a person does them, he shall live; they profaned my Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out my wrath upon them and spend my anger against them in the wilderness. But I withheld my hand and acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I had brought them out. You need any further connection point with the book of Exodus? This truly is God s Sovereign Pursuit of His Well-Deserved Glory. You need any further explanation that the LORD acted on behalf of the glory of His name? Yes, it did the people good, but it was primarily directed to the LORD s glory as it should be. It is right that He acts on behalf of His name primarily, because He is the greatest DESERVER of glory. He deserves to be worshipped over and above all humans. We bear only the image, he is the full representation! Now, even further connection for us at this point, we may need to describe what is coming as [V] The Exodus of Cadron Creek Church We are about to embark on a journey of our own. We are about to venture out into the great unknown of finding a new church. We are about to have to really test the waters. As Nathan mentioned last week, our church covenant binds us to immediately pursue another body of believers with which to attach ourselves. Do not think that that covenant is null or void because this church will no longer be in action. That covenant is only in part with us, it is also in part with the LORD. You know, we could run into some difficulties in finding a church. We could find ourselves in a time of great spiritual thirst, or spiritual hunger. There are some churches that do not take the Bible as seriously as we have taken it. There are some churches that do not take God at His Word. You might be tempted to think, It would be better to be in financial enslavement at Cadron Creek Church, than to run around the community of Greenbrier or Conway, and starve to death!

8 You might be tempted to think that it would be easier to serve a new god. You might be tempted to make your own golden calf out of TV preachers, or your own personal spiritual voyage. You might be tempted to complain and grumble because the water is not sweet out here. You might be tempted to think that we need our little building, or our little group of believers to really function. You might be tempted to think a lot of things, but do not believe the lies of Satan for one moment! If there was going to be a time when he steps into our lives, and throws all kinds of accusations, all kinds of deceit, it will be in the weeks to come. He will do his best to convince you that you can make it on your own. He will tell you that some other christians might slow you down. Or they might hurt you. Or they might not treat you as kindly as Cadron Creek Church did. Do not let these cosmetic features, these asthetics blind you to the real issue, Do they serve the right God? Are they careful in their worship? Do they love the LORD God with all their heart, soul, mind and strength? Are they pursuing a Christlike lifestyle? Exodus 40.33b-38 So Moses finished the work. Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Throughout all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out. But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out till the day that it was taken up. For the cloud of the LORD was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys. The LORD dictates to his people where to go, when to leave, how to worship. He decides. He leads. [VI] One further application: If you have never encountered this God of Exodus, today is the day of salvation. He is worthy of your life s worship. He is worthy of your time. For our sake, he made him to be sin, who knew no sin, so that in Him, we might become the righteousness of God.