Redemption by power is illustrated through the Israelites' miraculous escape from Egypt at the Red Sea, demonstrating God's salvation in two aspects: deliverance by blood in Egypt and deliverance by power from Egypt. The sermon details the hopeless situation the Israelites faced, trapped between the Red Sea and the pursuing Egyptian army, to show that God brings individuals to a place of recognizing their helplessness before salvation. It emphasizes that God does not always lead by the easiest path but by a way that teaches lessons and ensures complete deliverance, as seen when God's presence protected Israel and destroyed the Egyptian army. The core lesson is to stand still in helplessness and then go forward in faith, trusting God's power to open the way, as exemplified by Moses lifting his rod and God parting the sea, a picture of Christ's sacrifice at Calvary that provides salvation and puts away sin.
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Before we read some of the scriptures, I would like to say a few words and tribute to my late brother John Smart, who went home to be of the Lord very suddenly, this past week. Brother Smart was a gifted servant of the law of laboring various times for over 40 years. And when such are taken away, one feels a vacancy in their own life. We were together at many Bible conferences. Each year we used to be together for a month at the Gloss Summer Bible School by the host of young people from all over.
And we talked together at the Emmaus Bible School. As you may know, he was one of the original founders of it and was president of it when he was taken home to the Lord, and we have corresponded, of course, and been in contact with each other in various ways, quite frequently during these 40 years. And when I received word the other night that he had very suddenly gone home to be of the Lord, a heart attack, it was with a sense of real personal loss. We know it was for him to be very far better, terrible shock for his wife's faith, And the children, we had one son and two daughters, one of whom was serving the Lord in Africa.
That's the Kajji school there. And so we would like to just pray tribute to another one whom the Lord used in his service in a very expensive way. Now I'm going to ask you to turn to the book of Exodus chapter 14. tonight redemption by power and frankly I've been looking forward to speaking to you from this chapter because it's one of the great chapters in our Bible there are a lot of great chapters this is one of the great ones and I believe there are many practical lessons that we should learn, and must learn, as well as a very clear presentation of one aspect of God's salvation.
I'm just going to ask you to read from verse 13, that if you'll keep your Bible open at the chapter, we'll be referring to it from time to time. Chapter 14, the book of Exodus, verse 13. And Moses said unto people, Hear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will show you today. For the Egyptians whom he has seen today, he shall see them again no more forever. And the Lord shall fight for you, and he shall hold your peace.
And the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore Christ, now unto me, speak unto children of Israel, that they go forward. Now, just to gather up the story as we have it here, I have thought we would look at three things concerning the children of Israel. Now we have seen them delivered by blood in Egypt. Now we're going to see them delivered by power from Egypt. Now that's a two-fold aspect of something. salvation that we should be clear on. We are saved in the world and were saved from the world.
They were saved in Egypt by the blood. They were saved from Egypt by the Red Sea. And so we have a twofold aspect of God's salvation. But I want us to take a good look at the situation that they were in. Because actually, that is what gives the whole story force and meaning. We must see clearly the situation that they were in. And we will see that that situation is that into which the Lord brings every person before they are saved, not literally and physically as it was for them, but spiritually.
And I believe in the situation we will see a situation that you and I as Christians very often find ourselves in. Then we will look, having looked at the situation they're in, we'll look at the state they were in. situation, naturally, brought them into a certain state of mind. And there we can learn some very important lessons. Then we will look at the foundation that God provided for that. Now look at the situation. You'll have it in the opening verses.
If we had the chart up tonight, we would see the shortest way, the easiest way, to get to where they were going would have been to come out of Egypt and go around the end of the Mediterranean Sea and head right for Canaan. Now normally, when you're going someplace, you go in the straightest possible route. When I'm going to someplace, I get my roadmap of I look it over, possibly I inquired some who made the trip before, and I try and find the shortest and the best road to that destination.
Now that would have been the way for them to come on out and have gone around by the Mediterranean Sea on up a little and then head right across to the land of Canaan. But we are told in the previous chapter, in verse 17 of chapter 13, that God led them not to the way of the land of the Philistines. That's the way I've been talking to you about. Although that was near, for God said, last fair adventure, the people repent when they see war and they return to Egypt.
But God led the people about through the wave of the wilderness of the Red Sea. And so instead of taking them on that direct wave right across to Canaan, and we'll consider the reasons for that a little later, instead of that, God brought them out and then turned them directly south. Now they're going north. Get that in your mind. and east. That's where Canaan was. God brings them out east a little ways and then our chapter begins that the word of the Lord comes and verse 2 it says, seek on the children of Israel that they turn.
Now that was south. So they apparently turn their back on where they're going and go in the opposite direction. told exactly where the camp it's the floor prime hiris between Migdal and the sea over against Baal Zippa now it's practically impossible for us to understand just exactly what that situation was none of these places have been discovered No one knows exactly where any one of these street places was.
While many of these old locations have been excavated and with considerable certainty have been identified, these three have not. And so it's more or less speculation. No use of much wasting time on that. But it's very clear that the situation was this, and head of them was the Red Sea. They couldn't get through that. Behind them was the army of Egypt, led by Pharaoh, who now had felt that he'd made a terrible mistake in allowing all of these slaves to leave his land.
He gathers together all his army. He pursues after that. So you've got the Red Sea in front of them. You've got the army of the Egyptians behind them. In all probability there was a range of mountains on the one side, and on the other side what is called the Bitter Lakes, which are just north of the Red Sea. Now that's about as specific as we can see. at the present time. But you can think from that if we didn't know any more, and that's about all we know, that that was a serious situation to be in.
Stop and think. Let's just think that there were a million and a half. I have said there may have been three million. But let's think of a million and a half people of all ages, little babies, old men and women, and all in between three and a half million people and you're camped with the red sea in front of you with your enemy coming behind and you can't escape to the right or to the left now what was your right over that situation I think there's only one word you could write on that is hopeless now that's exactly where God brings everyone before he saves them.
As long as a person has any hope in themselves or in anybody else or anything else, God can't save them. But God brings a sinner to a place where he realized he hopeless and helpless. And then, when he turns to God, God saves them. difficult thing about leading souls to Christ is to get them to where Israel was while they're hoping and hoping. I've all been happy when somebody has said to me, there's no hope on me being so. I'm glad to talk to a person right now.
But when people are full of hope, well, I can do this. It says that D.L. Moody said to a man after service one night, he said, what do you think you can do to things yourself? Why should I can pray? Well, he said, get down and get over with that. Get up, and I'll show you how to be saved. The man was still trusting in his prayer, and long as we trust in anything, we'll never be saved. But when we get to the place where we realize nothing we can do, nothing we can say, nothing we can give, we will save us is under Christ and he says it's when Peter was going down and he cried Lord Satan and he reached out to hand and grasped it now that's the way he gets there to get to the now God uses different means to get you to that place but everyone comes to that place spiritually before to get saved.
Remember the woman who came to the Lord? It such as spent all that she had on many physicians. Sounds like today, doesn't it? She's been going from one doctor to another. And the only reason she didn't go to another one was she didn't have anything like it. And she came to the Lord. Now isn't that the way? Sinners will go to start their baptism and got to church membership and got to good works and got to prayers and got to this and got to that and when they get it all spent then they come to a list now look haven't you and I as Christian very often found ourselves in just as hopeless and helpless as the Jewish haven't you and I in our Christian life very often found out, that the sea was ahead of us, and our enemies were behind us, and they were getting near all the time, and you can't turn to the right, and you can't turn to the left.
I brought along tonight, because I want to read it to you, Annie Johnson Flynn's lovely book. There's so much of truth in this, and I want you to listen carefully. Have you come to the red sea plates in your life? Where in spite of all you can do, there is no way out, there is no way back, there is no other way but true. Isn't that true? If you haven't done that, I have. Then wait on the Lord with a trust to reap, so a night of your fear is gone.
He will send the wind, He will heat the flood. But when he says to your soul, go on. And his hand will lead you through, clear through, ere the watery walls roll down. No fool can reach you, no wave can touch, no mighty sea can drown. Tossing billows may rear their crest, their foe much your feet may break, but over their bed you shall walk dry, that your Lord will make. In the morning watch, youth a lifted cloud, you shall see but the Lord alone when he leads you on from the place of the sea to the land that you have not known.
And your fears shall pass as your foes have passed. You shall be no more afraid. You shall sing his praise in a better place, a place that his hand Oh, how true that is, how much a Christian life is composed of just being brought to a place where you're the standstill. You can't go ahead, you can't go fast, you can't turn to the right, you can't turn to the left, and you just have to look to the Lord. That's what they do. That's why I asked you to read what seemed like a contradiction.
picture. In verse 13 of our chapter, stand still. Then in verse 15, go forth. Now that's the Christian one. Stand still and see. And in your helplessness, you stand still. Then in faith, you go forth. God opens up the way, the voice. So that was the situation that That Israel was in, it was, wouldn't you say, it was a serious situation? It was. And my friend, if you're here unsaved, you're in a serious situation.
Those waters ahead felt dead. Just think of how food, if that company of people had rushed on into that water. Babies were to drown first, and the children. The older one, and then the strong one would eventually have gone down. Death. Put behind, the enemy comes. Death ahead, death behind. No escape. That's the condition if you're here on the set. And I think we should call this situation not only serious, but strange.
Because, as I pointed out, God led them into that. Now, let me say to all of us here at least, when we find ourselves at the Red Sea, it isn't always because we're away from God. It isn't always because we've missed the readings. So many have said to me, Well, where did I go astray? Look at the predicament I'm in. look at my situation where did I listen well now sometimes we do listen sometimes we do go astray there's no question about that but sometimes we don't who told them to go where they were God did how did they get there they got there by obeying the Lord and sometimes when you go in the way the Lord tells you to go and in obedience to him you go on you'll find yourself at the Red Sea.
That's why it was very strange. As I point out, there was a shorter way. That most took. That's the way the caravans went. They tell me that the Palestine Railway runs along right there now. I don't know. I've never been in that park. But I'm told that, and looking at the map, you certainly would believe that that would be so. So there was an easy way. But you see, God doesn't always lead us in the easy way. We have lessons to learn. Now, if I had dropped dead, when I trusted Christ 49 years ago, I had gone straight to heaven, just as sure as if I'd dropped dead tonight, I would have.
But the Lord had a lot of lessons to teach me. And I don't know how those lessons fit into eternity. It's none of my business. I know how many of them fit into life here. That is my business. But God had lessons for them to learn. He tells us in the verses I read to you from chapter 13. He said, now if they go up that way by the Philistines, you see, they were warlike people. They were strong nations for that day. They were warlike people. Now you can imagine these people coming out of Egypt, while it says there were 600 men, yet those men had been slaves all their life.
And God says, no, when they see war, they'll repent and turn back again. Now God's going to bring them by a way that they can't go back, even though they wanted to. between them and Egypt forever, and they never went back. They went down to Babylon, but they never went back to Egypt. And God has so provided salvation that you couldn't be lost if you wanted to be. When God gets through with you and you get God's salvation and you're truly born again even if you wanted to.
And I can't imagine that if I wanted to. But even if you wanted to, you couldn't be lost. You couldn't get back in Egypt again. God takes care of that. By death. And that's what he did here. As we shall see in a moment, it is. And so God says, now, I'm not going to let them go out of ways. And change their mind, repent, and go back again. That's exactly what they would have done. You can see that by what they said in this chapter here. to run saviour like me. I think that which kept me from being saved, the last thing that had to be overcome was, I was afraid I'd turn back.
But I'd make a start, go ahead for a while, and then turn back, and I didn't want that. Now, you see, God takes care of that. And so he didn't leave them that way, although it was the shortest way, because they could have turned back. Then I was thinking of something else. I'm quite sure that those 600 men in Egypt didn't have any weapons. You can be sure that Pharaoh didn't allow these slaves to be armed. Now they're told. Now they're going to see war.
There's going to be war later on. Plenty of them. And they need weapons. And God want to outfit them. I believe God outfitted them from the weapons that they gathered up on the shores of the Red Sea. God drowned all of each. He shipped an army, the best equipped army in the world of that day. He drowned them in the Red Sea. Now a lot of their equipment would be scattered around on the shore, just as their bodies were. And I'm sure God met the need of the armies of Israel by that which took place at the Red Sea.
Isn't our lesson for us then? How often God meets our need in a most unusual, unexpected way? What seems almost like a disaster, it looks as though it's going to be the end of everything, just as it did the land. It turns out that is the way that God has of meeting our needs. And I believe he equipped them as a result of Red Street. And then, as long as Pharaoh's alive, and his army's intact, there's always the danger of them being overtaken and brought back. Thoughts was, I'll take care of that.
I'll bring Pharaoh to an end. You'll never have to worry about Pharaoh again. And that's one of the amazing things. Egyptian history is the most accurate and definite of any of the ancient history. And it's amazing that the pharaoh of this time, his record goes on brilliantly for a number of years and then stops. Nothing more is heard of it. And he has no son to succeed him. And his widow rules for a possible 30 or 40 years. And during all that time, because she was in power, there was no attempt made to bring back the other nations under the power of Egypt again as they had been before.
Just another indication of the accuracy of the word of God. But here we have God saying, I'm not going to lead them up that way because they should repent and turn back. I'm going to provide for their in the most unusual way at the Red Sea and I'm going to take care of their enemies once and for all. Never again have to worry about Pharaoh nor his army. I'll take care of that. And so that's exactly what happened. Now, what state were they in?
As they stand there, with the waters of the Red Sea rolling before them, thunder of the chariots getting louder and louder behind them, no way to escape, I think we ought to read of their state. And you get it in verse 10 of our chapter, and when Pharaoh J. Nye, the children of Israel, lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. And they were sore afraid, and the children of Israel cried out unto the Lord, wouldn't we have been? With that army thundering after us, wouldn't we have been afraid to?
So the first thing about their state is here, here. And isn't that often true of us? you found yourself in a situation that was just like a cold hand closing in on you. Here, grips you with a terrible dread. But, verse 11, they said on the moans, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? Wherefore hast thou dealt for with us thus, to carry us forth out of Egypt? Doubt. Fear and death will never make it.
We're going to die. Why didn't you leave us alone to die down there in Eden? Doubts, you know, are terrible things. And so often it grips us shortly after we're saved. Just like these Israelites, they had just been under the blood. Now look, I want you to notice. fear and doubt did not prove that they haven't been under the blood. They have. And because fear and doubt comes to us, in the early days of our Christian life, there's no proof in itself that we haven't been under the blood.
What they hadn't learned yet was the power of God in salvation. And when you learn the power of God here and there he's gone. So there's stateless fear and doubt, and look at verse 12. Is not this the word that we did tell in Egypt, saying, Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians, for it's been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the world? Unbelievable. Unbelievable. And you can just see this whole company, grist with fear and doubt and unbelief.
Now it's time for God here. And we look at his salvation. And Moses said unto the people, Hear ye not, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will show to you today. For the Egyptians whom he has seen today, he shall see them again, more forever. I like that. Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. Isn't that what we have to do when we got saved? We have to stop all of our own efforts, and we have to see the salvation of the Lord.
And isn't that what we have to do in the Christian life? We struggle and work and plan and canine, and somehow it doesn't work. All the time, I'm God saying to a fan, fan fill and seek. I'm going to do something for you. It's hard to do that. I'm seeking from the Spirit. Just many a time these past 50 years, I've tried to dig myself out of a situation like that. Me with my little bucket trying to make a way through the red tree. But it just doesn't work. God says, Sam, tell me, okay, no, I've got to do something. I've got to do something. and so I keep on working and trying and struggling and it just doesn't work in this man's day and to watch for God to work because sometimes we get so busy we're getting God's way and I think God's saying to us, move all the way in this day I'll take care of you, just get me my rope, get all the way and let me work, I've got this situation under hand and the Egyptians whom you have seen this day, you shall see them again no
more forever. Well, they did see them, but they were dead the next time they saw them. And now that's what God does with salvation. He puts an end to our foes, as well as our feet. The Lord shall fight for you, and he shall hold your feet. That's good advice. The Lord shall fight for you. And he shall hold your peace. And the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore Christ come unto me. Speak unto the children of Israel that they go forward. You say, well, Lord, Jesus told us to stand aside. Now you tell us to go forward, yes, that's it. When the paradoxes of faith we stand still acknowledging our own helplessness then we go forward in faith in God's power.
And as they went forward, God worked. And as you and I go forward, guided by the Lord, depending on Him, oh, it's wonderful what God can do. It's amazing to watch what God can do and what He's done. And so, there was this wonderful foundation. to them or to stand still and then go forward in the way that he would open up. But he has some instructions for Moses also.
He said in verse 16, But lift thou up thy rod and stretch out thine hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground to the midst of the sea. So Moses would take the rod of God that which had been used and bringing the plagues on Egypt. That which later was going to be used to strike the rock and bring out the waters. The rod of judgment, the rod of God, it has to be lifted up over the Red Sea. What a picture of Calvary. This is the other side of Calvary.
We've looked in chapter 12 at the side of the shedding of the blood. Thank God for that. That's what Shelf is on. Now here's the other side, the judgment of God falling on our Lord at Calvary. And because the judgment falls on him, there's a way opened up for us. And the Lord is lifted up and God begins to work. And a strong east wind begins to blow, and the waters are driven by, and they stand up there as a mighty wall.
Then Israel can now see why God says go forward, not in their own way, but in the way that God has opened up for them. Now only God could open up that way. carry them over. They had to walk through it. Only God through Christ could open up the way of salvation. God doesn't carry it through it. You've got to step out in faith. That's where human responsibility comes in. You see? You take a step of faith. Christ says, I am the way, the truth and the light.
No man cometh unto Father but by me. Now that's the way. The only way but you've got to go forward in that way sit there with your arms folded and say if I'm one of the elect I'll be in heaven well if you happen to be one of the elect and you take that I choose you'll be in hell because everyone who refuses so it's that Christ is going to be lost and the elect are those who accept Christ that's your responsibility You see, God has done the work. You are responsible to accept what has been done by God.
Now turning us to those of us who are saved again, when God opens up the way, then you and I go forth. Now it requires faith, but when you and I are convinced that it's the way that God has for us, forward in faith. But I want to show you two other things just in closing. This salvation not only included God's instructions, telling them what to do, but God's intervention. I like verse 19 and 20. And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them.
And the pillar of the cloud went from before their face and stood behind them. And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. And it was to them, it was a cloud and darkness to them. That's the Egyptians. But it gave light by night to these. That's Israelites. So the one came not near the other all the night. God, in fact, by His presence delivered them. Get the picture. Here is the pillar cloud, which was the visible representation of God's presence with them.
We haven't had time to study that yet. You get it back at the end of chapter 12, and in 13, chapter 13, you get the pillar cloud. It's God's presence with them. Now it had been before them. because they need to be led you say they need to be guided and to guide them God went before them now they need to be guarded and God comes around behind them as it so you have God going ahead guiding you have God behind you guarding why did they pillar cloud the presence of the Lord why did it come around to the rear, because that's where the enemy was.
And God, as it were, just put himself between his people and the enemy. And he said, you've got to reach me before he can touch my people. We saw that what took place in the night of the Passover. God himself was at the door where there was the blood. He said, to the destroyer, no, you can't go in here. These are my people behind the blood. Here you have God saying to the Egyptians, No, you can't come any closer. He's a mighty one. Isn't it a wonderful thing to have God between you and your folks? And I believe we need that, brothers and sisters.
These are very practical things. And I believe the more practical we make them, the better or. We're living in danger, James. physically dangerous things I believe a Christian is in the will of God is going to guard them and protect them I have never I say humbly before God I've never had a fear these 50 years of physical fear of danger I thought that God was if I did care of it take my own way feed myself I can't depend on God but if I'm in God's search and I have been threatened my life has been threatened and whatnot but the Lord is well and it's amazing isn't it the pillar cloud the same cloud made it dark here and light over here and the Egyptians found themselves in midnight darkness
isn't the where they were going and the Israelites had the finest floodlamps you ever saw in your life that you've never seen on your website yes here's the pillar of life it was night and darkness to land it was day and light to land that's just the difference. You see? God himself, by his presence, was delivering him. And then, by his mighty power, it opens up the way. The children of Israel go through. And if we'd read on, we'd read verse 21, the Lord stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and he made the sea dry land, and the Egyptians go in.
You know the story. And they're overthrown. And just to make sure they're overthrown, God pulled out the cotter pins on the axles and let the wheels come off. And their wheels come off, and they're dragging there along on the axles. And you can just imagine these chariots here, You know, I enjoy the way God does things. He not only does a job, but he does a good job. And I tell you, when people get in God's way, they're in danger. And when people get interfering with God's people, they're getting in danger.
That'll take off some of your wheels, if need be. And they drag you, and you can just see these experienced charioteers, you know, whipping up their horses. I don't care what kind of horses you've got. I've driven some of the best of horses, but you can't get anywhere if your wheels are off. And you're dragging along, especially through a sea. I've never been in that shape. But just imagine it. And the water wall comes pouring down on. You know, one of our great liberal preachers a few years ago went over to Palestine, one of those that deny the Bible.
than anything of a miraculous nature. And he went over and he toured around a little bit there in northern Africa. So he comes back with an explanation. He discovered how the Israelites got through the Red Sea. And of course he told his audience that really doesn't mean the Red Sea, it's the Reedy Sea. Now that's a geographical and theological argument that I'm not going to get into. But anyway, it was the Reedy Sea. shallow he told but when the wind blew the waters were driven right back and of course that happened so the Israelites went through you know the sermon was going over big until somebody asked well how did that little bit of water drown me the all this army and cover up all these chariots you see unbelief is harder to believe them faith is.
And so God sends out water walls down in destruction. Someone has said that was a private rose that God opened up for his people. And Pharaoh had no business in it. And he paid the price for trespasses. And so they're drowned. And the next morning, let's just read the end of the chapter if we'll conclude. Verse 30, Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians. And Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the seashell. 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 most. Isn't that a grand climax to this? Yes. They saw God working post. Now look. Most of you have looked to Calvary, and you've seen Christ shedding his blood for it, and you've taken shelter under that blood. Now look again tonight to Calvary. What do you see written all over Calvary? Death. Death. And just as Christ died, so God at Calvary made an end of our sin.
And the Egyptians, whom they saw before, they saw them again no more forever. And when you look to Calvary, your sins should see them again no more forever. They're gone. He appeared, for in Hebrews 9.6, to put away sins by the sacrifice themselves. Not only forgiven, but put away. Thank God that his power broken at Calvary, as we have in Hebrews chapter 2 and verse 14. Through death he destroyed him that had the power of death.
So we stand at the Red Sea as it were, and we see God putting an end to all of our folks and all of our people. Look at the first verse from that chapter, then crying Moses. Is anyone there? You can't help us sing, can you? When you see what God has done it. And when you and I in our Christian life, when we see God working for us with the Red Sea, you can't help us sing. Yes? That's the wonderful thing about the Christian life. You can have God coming in and working for you in such a way as the heart overflows.
and throughout the future. You're here on the same. Would you stand still tonight? Stop all your own efforts? Look to Calvary, see what the Lord has done, and go forward in faith, trust in him, in him who died to the earth. Father in heaven, bless thy precious word we ask of thee. We have been reading all of you. thy mighty workings in the past, we thank that thou art the trained God today. And whatever dangers may arise, whatever problems may appear, whatever difficulties we may be facing, may we remember thou art the God of the Red Sea.