Here is a message I sent to you a few days ago to prepare for today’s message. If you have not had a chance to read it, maybe you can read it before you go on to the message. It is a pretty quick read.
Message for preparation:
This Sunday, May 17, I will be providing the Covenant sermon message. Often times, I may use a single verse of scripture to support my sermon topic, or only a few verses. For this sermon, I am taking a different approach. We are going to combine Bible study with this message, for those who miss our Wednesday night study time together. So I am giving you a homework assignment to prepare for that sermon. I am going to ask you to read Exodus chapters 14-16 thoughtfully to prepare. I am sending this message to you in advance so you can choose to read one chapter a day if you prefer, or to read this entire story a few times to absorb more of the details of this important story in the history of the Christian world.
These important chapters in Exodus describe the early journey of the Israelites as they fled from Egypt. See what images are formed in your mind of the Israelites and their response to God during their journey, and think about how that may relate to the current walk we are taking right now in our own lives.
Also, please begin this journey by reading Exodus 13:17-22 to see God’s plan for the more difficult journey he planned for them and how he led them by day and night.
Sermon for today:
Exodus chapters 14-16 tell the story of the Israelites fleeing from Egypt and the early time period of their wandering through the wilderness. It describes their roller coaster ride, their high and low moments, their belief in God and questioning of God. The clear pictures from these chapters show how the Israelites reacted to their early journey – the unknown, the uncertainty, one day happy and relaxed, the next day worried for the future, one day concerned they would die, the next day euphoric in God’s saving grace.
Let me provide a short summary of these chapters. The story begins with the Israelites being chased by Pharoah and his army, after Pharoah allowed them to leave following the last of the 10 plaques God rained down on Egypt. We see that the Israelites “became very frightened” (14:10) and said “it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness?” (14:12). Then we see “the angel of the Lord” and the pillar of cloud and fire that had led them on their journey “moved from before them and stood behind them” (14:19) and protected them from Pharoah’s army overnight.
In the morning, the Lord “turned the sea into dry land, so the waters were divided. The sons of Israel went through the midst of the sea on the dry land” (14:21-22). Then the Egyptians followed them, and “the waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen, even Pharoah’s entire army that had gone into the sea after them; not even one of them remained” (14:28). “When Israel saw the great power which the Lord had used against the Egyptians, … they believed in the Lord and in His servant Moses” (14:31).
The people celebrated with a great song to God. The song included “Your right hand, O Lord, is majestic in power, Your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy” (15:6). “In Your lovingkindness You have led the people whom You have redeemed; in your strength You have guided them to your holy habitation” (15:13). “The Lord shall reign forever and ever” (15:18).
“Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea, … they went three days in the wilderness and found no water” (15:22). “So the people grumbled at Moses, saying, ‘What shall we drink’”? (15:24) “The Lord showed him a tree; and he threw it into the waters, and the waters became sweet” (15:25). “Then they came to Elim where there were 12 springs of water and 70 date palms, and they camped there beside the water” (15:27). So it took only three days for the Israelites to forget how God had saved them from Pharoah and the Egyptian army and to complain about their situation. God responded to them once again, with immediate water and then also plentiful water.
After they had departed from Elim to continue their journey, about one month later, “the whole congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness” (16:2) due to the lack of food. “The sons of Israel said to them, ‘Would that we had died by the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger’” (16:3). How quickly they forgot the song of celebration and belief that they had recently sung! What a short term memory and lack of faith they exhibited!
Yet God responded to them once again with immediate and plentiful food with manna and meat (16:4-19). Psalm 78:23-25 tells us “Yet He commanded the clouds above and opened the doors of heaven; He rained down manna upon them to eat and gave them food from heaven. Man did eat the bread of angels; He sent them food in abundance”.
The Lord became displeased with the Israelites when he said “How long do you refuse to keep My commandments and My instructions”? (16:28) This was in response to the people trying to hoard extra manna to get them through the Sabbath when God clearly gave them instruction that they would have enough. It showed their continued failure to trust and believe Him – in spite of what he had done for them repeatedly on this journey!
The Israelites showed a roller coaster of emotions during this time, praising God when things went well, but quickly doubting Him when things did not go as they wished. In the past two months, I believe many people have also experienced a roller coaster of feelings from the coronavirus pandemic. Some days (and nights !) we may feel at total peace and accepting of our circumstances, knowing that God is in control. Then there are other days where we may feel very different. Do you feel some days like you are being chased by Pharoah’s army? Do you wonder if there is hope at all that life can return to normal? What will the “new” normal look like?
The Israelites also had very good days, the highs on their roller coaster. We too are experiencing some positive things in our current journey. One of the positives is that families are spending more time together. Cindy and I see families walking in our neighborhood and we have seen more bikes the past month than we have ever seen riding in our neighborhood. We have reconnected with some neighbors we don’t get to see often enough in our normal hectic lives and now have a weekly Happy Hour in our cul de sac with these folks (with proper social distancing, of course!). I have reconnected with 2 people I worked with in my career but have not seen in about 20 years, because they now walk our neighborhood, and they recognized me. Parents who still have their jobs and now must also care for their children and make sure they are continuing their schoolwork are feeling extra pressure, but it has been a boon for Cindy and me as we have had extended time with all our grandchildren during this period to help out their parents (note that they and we had all quarantined for 2 weeks before getting together and have remained pretty quarantined since).
I have heard of new approaches that are already being considered for improving our food chain distribution, especially due to the food shortages we are seeing in some meat packing plants, and we are finding ways to reduce the loss of food and milk that farmers have experienced due to commercial food distribution being disrupted, due to restaurants and universities shutting down. We will also rethink our global nature of sharing and interacting given the impact of this deadly pandemic. All these changes will result in improvements in our country and world, which will be good for all of us in the future. So there is good that will come from this difficult time in which we currently live.
Human nature leads us naturally to wonder and worry, such emotions will always be with us. Human nature is defined as “the general psychological characteristics, feelings, and behavioral traits of humankind”. Our individual human nature DNA is how God made each of us uniquely in His image, and we all respond uniquely to circumstances in our lives, and our reaction can vary at different times. Some of us tend to wonder and worry more frequently than others, and we need a presence in our lives to help us sort through all our thoughts and feelings at all times and to provide us the calm assurance that all is OK.
That support comes from our conscience, which I describe as the traffic light of our brain, or the rudder of our boat. It is our warning system when we are straying from God’s Word and truth. Conscience is clearly discussed in the Bible in the letters from Paul and the early church leaders. Clear references to conscience can be found in 1 Corinthians 8, 2 Corinthians 1:12 and 4:2, 1 Timothy 1:5,19, and Titus 1:15. I especially relate to 1 Peter 3:16-17 – …and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame. For it is better if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong. The US Military Academy at West Point Cadet Prayer makes a similar statement – “Make us to choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong, and never to be content with a half truth when the whole can be won.” What a code we should all live by, as we follow God daily in our walk. So it is critically important that we are “keeping faith and a good conscience” (1 Tim 1:19) always but to especially be alert to this during times of trials like the coronavirus pandemic.
None of us know exactly how or when this pandemic will end but, rest assured, God knows and He is in charge. In spite of how difficult the challenges we face will be, we know that he will provide for us and care for us. He did that for the Israelites in their march through the wilderness and He does it for us today.
Let us pray.
Heavenly Father:
We thank You for the blessing of Your Word, so that we may understand the early history of Your world, and see how so many of the emotions felt and faced in those early days are still felt in today’s world. You have designed us all to have feelings and emotions, and to be guided by the conscience that You also gave to us. We all have some differences from each other, but yet we are all identical in our faith in You to lead us through anything that happens in Your world.
And we know that You cause all things to work together for good to those who love You, to those who are called according to Your purpose. So while we may continue to struggle with this current chapter in our lives, may we find our continuing peace and comfort in You. Amen
Benediction:
Numbers 6:22 – Now may the Lord bless you and keep you; may the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; may the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.
Go now in peace! And serve in love!