SonRise Community Church Morning Sermons

What is the Christian life? Is it like an afternoon stroll through the park? Is it like walking on the beach at sunset? Is it full of rest and refreshment and peace? Well, we do get a taste of these things, dont we? Mainly, here is this fallen world, the Christian life is war. In his book A Banquet in the Grave Ed Welch describes war as he says, There is something about war that sharpens the senses... You hear a twig snap or the rustling of leaves and you are in attack mode. Someone coughs and you are ready to pull the trigger. Even after days of little or no sleep, war keeps us vigilant. Today I want to you to be sobered in the reminder that the Christian life is war. But, I also want to give you great hope in this war as well. Weve followed Israel these past many weeks, and weve seen them facing many battles and learning many lessons in the wilderness. Lessons like God saves, No complaining, God will always provide for you, guide you, and be with you. And yet, these struggles have all largely been internal battles, havent they? They have been their own enemies since the Red Sea. Today we find them in yet another battle, facing something theyve not faced before. For the first time since theyve come out of Egypt they now face an external enemy, and in this moment they will learn another lesson.[1] Our text is Exodus 17:8-16, lets take it in two parts. See first Israel Victorious (v8-13) Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim.So Moses said toJoshua, Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill withthe staff of God in my hand.SoJoshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, andHur went up to the top of the hill.Whenever Mosesheld up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed.But Moses hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron andHur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.AndJoshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword. v8 jumps right into the action. Not much time has passed since the striking of the rock and the gushing out of water at Rephidim. When God provided that water, Israels thirst was quenched. Yet now, all of the sudden when we get to v8 we read of a new threat. Amalek came and fought with them. Questions arise at this. First, who is Amalek? Going back to Genesis we find that Amalek is Abrahams great-grandson. Abraham had Isaac, Isaac had Esau, Esau had Eliphaz, and Eliphaz had Amalek. So Israel and Amalek are distant relatives, and yet from Genesis and even here, it seems there was tension between these two peoples. After this incident Israel will fight Amalek again later on in Numbers 13. And much later on God would command King Saul to wipe out the Amalekites completely in 1 Samuel 15. But Saul did not do this, which would eventually pave the way for the Amalekite villain Haman in the book of Esther. Hamans ancestors are these Amalekites here in Exodus 17. Second, why did Amalek attack? Were not entirely sure, but guesses could be made. Perhaps they felt threatened by Israel coming into this part of the wilderness. Perhaps they heard of the water gushing out of the rock and they desired to have such an abundant resource for themselves. Or perhaps, they wickedly took delight in preying on any who pass through this region, like pirates in the wilderness.[2] Third, how did Amalek attack? Deuteronomy 25 tells us. There Moses says, Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you came out of Egypt, how he attacked you on the way when you were faint and weary, and cut off your tail, those who were lagging behind you, and he did not fear God (Deut. 25:17-18). So apparently Amalek did have a pirate-like posture, preying on the weak and frail who lagged behind as peoples passed through this region. Thus, this attack in v8 was unprovoked (Israel didnt first attack them), it was dishonorable (they didnt attack the whole, just the weary and weak), and it was wicked (they did not fear God). So once again, Israels survival is in jeopardy. This was the first of many battles Israel would have to fight on their way to the Promise Land.[3] God had saved them from Egypt, and God had saved them at the Red Sea. Back then all they had to do was be still and watch God fight for them (Ex. 14:14). Here they still must trust that God is fighting for them, but now they must take up arms and fight in the battle themselves. What did Israel do about this? Look at v9 to see the plan. Moses will do something, and Joshua will do something. Joshua (mentioned here in this verse for the first time in the Bible) is going to choose able men and go out to war. No doubt, Joshua doesnt have the cream of the crop, as Israel has never had to fight before. And no doubt, putting an army together on such short notice wouldve been an incredibly challenging task. But there is hope because on one hand in a people as large as Israel there were no doubt some strong and sturdy men around. And on the other hand Israel had plundered the Egyptians as they came out of Egypt, so many of the men would have weapons on them.[4] While Joshua does all this, look at Moses. Moses says hell go up on top of the hill overlooking the battle with the staff of God in his hand. Notice that there is no indication of Moses praying, or asking for guidance on what to do, he just moves into action. What is this? He couldve prayed, for sure. We dont have every detail here, so Moses very well couldve prayed and the plan we see in v9 could be the result of that. Or he couldve not prayed and just moved into action as he deemed best, but there is no rebuke of Moses for doing what he did here. So what do we make of this? While there are times for prayer and seeking Gods power to rescue, there are also times for taking immediate action with the power God has already given you.[5] I think we see the latter in view here. In v10-13 we see this first battle. Joshua gets his men and goes out to fight, while Moses goes up on top of the hill with the staff, and we learn he goes up with two others, Aaron and Hur. Aaron we know, but Hur is now introduced to us for the first time. As with Joshua, Hur will be more present in the text later on but for now he and Aaron serve the role of support up on the hill. So the battle begins and we see that what Moses is doing above has great bearing on what Joshua is doing below. Whenever Moses raised up his hands and the staff Israel would begin prevailing, but whenever Moses lowered his hands and the staff Amalek would begin prevailing. Eventually, Moses catches on to this pattern, so he keeps his arms and the staff raised high. But as you would think, he grows weary in this. So Aaron and Hur sit him down and each of them hold up one of Moses arms until the battle is over. Remember Moses is old at this point, this work of keeping his arms held high was hard for him, and this battle was not won in a quick minute, it took all day. In his own strength he couldnt do it on his own. Lesson? Not even the called, equipped, and gifted Moses could be a lone ranger here.[6] He needed others beside him. He needed support. And Aaron and Hur gave him that very thing, coming alongside Moses and did what was needed with him to ensure he could last the whole battle. Now, heres the question. We know Joshua was fighting during the battle, we know Aaron and Hur were supporting Moses arms during the battle, but what exactly was Moses doing? There is more debate about this than you might imagine.[7] Some think Moses raising his hands and holding up the staff was his act of holding up the symbol of Gods presence with His people. Some think Moses raising his hands and holding up the staff was declaring Gods victory over the battle. Others believe Moses was merely seeking to encourage the troops, as if he were cheering them on. Still others believe Moses staff was itself the mediating instrument of Gods power, just as it had been back in the plagues. And finally some believe Moses raising his hands and holding up the staff was an act of prayer, which is to say that as Joshua was engaged in the physical fight, Moses was engaged in the spiritual fight.[8] So what was Moses doing? It is hard to say for sure, since the text doesnt tell us explicitly what hes doing. But, I do think we can say this. Moses actions were a clear sign of dependence on God. Hands held high in the Bible is a clear act of worship and a powerful way to plead with God to come and rescue. So while we dont hear Moses say anything with his mouth, his raised hands are speaking volumes, as if they were an appeal for God to move in power for His people. And move in power for the sake of His people He did. See it in v13? As the sun sets, we read, Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword. This was their first battle. Amalek attacked, Joshua and the men fought, Moses appealed to God, Aaron and Hur supported, God gave the victory. Remembering the Victory (v14-16) Then theLordsaid to Moses, Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears ofJoshua, thatI will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.And Mosesbuilt an altar and called the name of it, TheLord Is My Banner,saying, A hand upon the throneof theLord!TheLordwill have war with Amalek from generation to generation. Here we see Moses is commanded to write something, say something, and build something. Moses was to write about this battle in a book. The crazy fact about this is that v14 is the first reference in the Bible to anybody writing something.[9] What book is in view here? It very well could be evidence of an early copy of the Torah, where the whole book of Exodus is recorded. Anywho, this was to be a written deposit of truth for Israel of future generations to read and remember this moment. Moses was also to build an altar and say something about it. Altar building is not new with Moses, it goes way back to Noahs day (Gen. 8:20). The meaning of altars was always to make much of what God had done, so that anyone who walking by could observe and reflect on a moment when God had intervened to save His people. So just as Israel sang the Song of Moses on the shores of the Red Sea after God saved them from Pharaoh and his host, so too Israel praises God here at this altar for saving them from Amalek. What do they praise God for? v15-16 shows us. The name of this altar is The Lord is My Banner. Perhaps in this we get a glimpse into what role the staff played in Moses raised hand.[10] A banner is a military standard, a piece of cloth with the symbol of an army on it raised on a pole. During battle soldiers could look to their banner, and be reminded of their identity, of who they are, and gain new courage and hope during the battlebecause as long as their banner kept flying, they knew the battle was not lost! And specifically here for Israel, the banner wouldve pointed them to the Lord who always fights for them, against Amalek, and against all their enemies. How wonderful to see all of this after v7 in the scene before. There they tested God asking Is the Lord among us or not? Now, through this battle with Amalek, God has proven that He is present with His people once again, amen! Overall this passage shows us that once more God has provided for His people. Once more He has been present with them in their plight. Once more He has saved them from their enemies. And once more do those enemies learn who the God of Israel truly is.[11] The Church Warring Yet Victorious (Conclusion) This passage teaches us much about Israel and much about what they needed to learn in the wilderness. But it also points far ahead of itself and teaches us much about the Christian life. You see, the Christian life in a fallen world is life at war. So many are looking for peace and rest when war rages within us in our sinful nature and all around us in the spiritual realm. Think of this. Were born into this world enslaved to the enemy, to the Devil, unable to free ourselves. Into such a dreadful state, God sent His Son to wage war and fight this great enemy. Jesus fought the Devil many times in His life, but its on the cross where we see the greatest fight in the history of the world. In that moment, by laying down His life for us and for our sins the Devil surely thought he had won, but as Christ rose from death Jesus broke the Devils strong arm once and for all, disarming all the rulers and authorities of darkness, putting them to open shame, and triumphing over them (Col. 2:15). So now all who come to Christ, all who trust in Christ, all who look to Christ are saved, are freed from slavery to the Devil, freed from their sins, and are adopted as sons and daughters of the King. Is the war over then? Not at all. The battle has just begun. Sure the great fight has been fought, but now the battle goes on. The enemy who sought to destroy Christ now seeks to destroy us. And this enemy is fierce. He attacks without warning and would easily undue us and defeat usbut for Christ our captain. As fierce as our enemy is, in Christ we have a greater warrior and general, who leads us, equips us, and supports us in the fight. So just as Israel fought Amalek here so now the Church fights against the rulers, the authorities, and the spiritual forces of evil. And just as Israel grew weary in the fight so do we. But in this great battle we have great hope. First, we have the great hope of fighting from victory already won. Yes we fight, and the fight is real. But we dont fight for victory, we fight from victory already won! Christ has already defeated and disarmed the great foe, he knows his time is short, so even though he runs amuck we have great hope because we know the fatal wound has already been dealt. Second, we have the great hope of support from one another. As Aaron and Hur were there next to Moses to support him in the fight, so too we have one another. In this we have great hope as well, for we never fight alone. If I grow weary in the fight I need only look beside me to see you. If you grow weary in the fight you need only look beside you to see me. Were never alone in this fight. So when we stand firm and prevail we prevail together. Or if we stumble and fall we fall together. The support of the Church is a great hope in battle. Third, we have the great hope of Christ our Captain. Moses grew weary in holding up the banner of the Lord, for he was just a man. A great man, but just a man. Hear it Church, Christ our Captain, never falters, never grows weary, never needs support, and never weakens. He ever stands to protect us, to defend us, to fight for us still. He is our banner, and it will ever fly high in the sky. Thus, we always have hope in the fight. [1] John D. Currid, Exodus 1-18 (Grand Rapids, MI: EP Books, 2014) 353. [2] Victor P. Hamilton, Exodus: An Exegetical Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2011) 269. [3] Philip Graham Ryken, Exodus PTWC (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2015) 422. [4] Douglas K. Stuart, Exodus NAC (Brentwood, TN: BH, 2006) 398. [5] Hamilton, 270. [6] Ryken, 427. [7] Ryken, 424. [8] Hamilton, 271. [9] Hamilton, 272. [10] Ryken, 430. [11] John I. Durham, Exodus WBC (Waco, TX: Word Books, 1987) 238.

The passage in view this morning is about Israel, its about their sin, their grumbling, their complaining, and yet its also about how God, despite His people, graciously provides for themthis time through Moses striking a rock and water flowing out. All this is there to see today. But there is more to see in this passage. The passage in view this morning is ultimately about Jesus Christ. I say that on one hand because I believe the whole Bible is about Jesus, that He is the main character, and that every law, every principle, and every story ultimately reveals Christ to us. Weve seen so much of this in Exodus so far.[1] We see Jesus in the birth of Moses, the baby born in danger to be the savior of Gods people. We see Jesus at the burning Bush, as Moses encounters the Lord who says His name is I AM, the very same name Jesus takes onto Himself in His ministry. We see Jesus in all the signs, the wonders, the plagues, especially the final plagues of darkness and the death of the first born, which reminds us of Jesus dark death on the cross where God gave His firstborn Son for us. We see Jesus as the Fount of living water which nourishes the soul when the bitter waters of Marah turned sweet. And we see Jesus as the bread of life in the manna come down from heaven. Perhaps youre thinking, Cmon pastor, is Jesus really in all these passages? Arent you just playing fast and loose with the text, and doing a kind of Jesus-juke because you think He should be in every passage? Well, some do indeed play fast and loose with the Bible, and some do indeed force Jesus into places where He is not. Even so, the truth remains, Christ is the end of all Scripture. Listen to what Paul says in 1 Cor. 10:1-4, For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers,that our fathers were all underthe cloud, and allpassed through the sea,and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,andall ate the samespiritual food,andall drank the same spiritual drink (hear it Church!)For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. Clearly, when Paul read Exodus 17 and learned how God provided water from the rock in the wilderness he believed the rock was Christ. How could he make such a statement? How did he arrive at such a conclusion? Those are great questions, and to arrive at good answers we need to examine this passage with care. So, lets turn to it now. A Sinful People (v1-3) All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of theLord, and camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink.Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, Give us water to drink. And Moses said to them, Why do you quarrel with me? Why do youtest theLord?But the people thirsted there for water, andthe people grumbled against Moses and said, Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst? As chapter 17 begins we see Israel on the move once again. This time theyre heading toward a place called Rephidim. In all their movement in and around the wilderness we must remember that theyre not leading themselves, and that Moses isnt even leading them in the direction he thinks is best, no. God is leading them. Through the pillar of cloud and fire God is leading them. His very presence is with them, in every step, every mile, whether pleasing or painful for them, God is the One guiding them. We need to remember this because once they arrive at Rephidim, they encounter another severe trial. Which means, God has once again led His people into another test. This is now the third time He has done this after the Red Sea. Youd think they would remember this, that if God led them here that Hell care for them here, that they have never lacked what they needed as they followed Him. We see the trial in v1b, they camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. Weve seen something like this before havent we? In chapter 15, directly after they praise God for the victory at the Red Sea God leads the people to a place called Marah, where they also encountered a problem with water. The difference between that moment in chapter 15 at Marah and this moment in chapter 17 at Rephidim is that at Marah there was water but it was undrinkable because of how putrid it was, here in Rephidim there is no water at all. That makes this is a bigger problem. Back then there was water and God made it drinkable for them, here it seems God will have to create water like He created the world, ex nihilo, or from nothing.[2] Having faced dire thirst like before Israel shouldve known what to do. They shouldve gotten together, reminded one another of Gods past provision, prayed asking Him to provide again, and waited for God to answer. Thats what they shouldve done. And more so, they shouldve remembered what they all did that very morning. All Israel rose and went out to gather manna, and each family gathered exactly what they needed for that day. This shouldve been a reminder of Gods great care for them.[3] But was it? No. What do they do? v2-3 says they thirsted for water, quarreled with, and grumbled against Moses. In this Israel sins in three ways.[4] First, Israel demands Gods provision. In v2 they make a demand to Moses, Give us water to drink. By doing this they were telling Moses that he had to give them what they wanted, or else. They made this demand of Moses, as if he could do it for them when he cant. He doesnt have that power, hes just as thirsty as they are. Moses rightly responds with some words of his own in v3 telling them that by making such a demand of him, theyre in truth putting the Lord to the test, that their problem is with God not with him. But to them, God has not provided, so they demand provision as they see fit. Second, Israel denies Gods protection. In v3 the people bite back at Moses saying, Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst? By doing this they were assuming the worst, that Moses wasnt just against them, but out to murder them. That Moses intentionally led them to Rephidim to kill them, when, all along it was God who had led them there by the pillar. All they had to was look up to be reminded of that. But in their anger and fear they dont want to look up, instead they choose to attack Moses and accuse him of being the root of all their woes. In this they deny Gods protection. Third, Israel doubts Gods presence. In v7 we get one more detail of their complaint. There we read, they tested theLordby saying, Is theLordamong us or not? By doing this took their sin to another level. Apparently to them, if they didnt have everything they wanted and desired it meant God was no longer with him. To them Gods presence meant blessing, all the time, in every way they desired. v7 is clear, by doubting God in this way Israel was testing the Lord. This is a reversal of sorts. At the waters of Marah God tested them. With the manna from heaven God tested them. Now here at Rephidim God was testing them. But it seems Israel decided to turn the table in their own shocking arrogance and put God to the test. Pause right here. This is us Church, isnt it? When we come into a trial or a test from God and feel the anxiety and worry and fear rise within, what do we do? We also demand God to provide, ignoring how He already has. We deny Gods protection, assuming the worst of Him and everyone else around else too. And we doubt God presence, believing that God has abandoned us, because surely such a severe trial means God is no longer with us, right? Church, this is us. And it all reveals much about our hearts. Our dissatisfaction with our present condition reveals our discontent with God. Dont mishear me. Its never wrong to take our cares and worries and concerns to God, not at all. But its always wrong to openly revolt against God by turning our cares and worries and concerns into grumbling and complaining like Israel does here. Psalm 106:13 says Israel forgot Gods great works and tested God in the wilderness. Theres the problem. They had a kind of amnesia. If they were to simply pause and remember all that God had done for them the only thing that would be unbelievable is their current unbelief! The same is true of us! Far too often we suffer from spiritual amnesia, forgetting the past mercies of God, believing the worst about God as we feel our suffering risewhile all along, Hes always with us. Church, here we learn a great principle that really can help us in times of fear and need and trial. We must become better rememberers. If forgetting, if spiritual amnesia is the problem, we must fight to rehearse, recount, and remember. Remember what? We must fight to remember who God is, what God is done, and what God says to us in His Word. If we do this, fear will be driven out by faith, concerns will be driven out by contentedness, and our revolt against the Lord will be driven out by rest in the Lord. Isnt this what you want for yourself? Dont you want to trust the Lord greater and rest in His care deeper? Then we must set ourselves to remember the Lord in all of life. Remembering His past mercies to us strengthen us, not only in our present need, but in all the need yet to come. A Satisfied People (v4-7) So Moses cried to theLord, What shall I do with this people? They are almost readyto stone me.And theLordsaid to Moses, Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staff withwhich you struck the Nile, and go.Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink. And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel.And he called the name of the placeMassahandMeribah,because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested theLordby saying, Is theLordamong us or not? Curious to hear the words Moses prays, right? What shall I do with this people? Eventually every congregation grumbles against their leader and every leader eventually ends up praying these words to God about the people. But whats going on in Moses here? It seems that the peoples grumbling is contagious, and that Moses has caught it and begins grumbling about his woes as a leader.[5] He feels the pressure, for sure, to such an extent that he believes the people are about to kill him for whats going on. So not only is Moses thirsty along with the people, but now hes fearing for his life. This is not good. Israel thinks Moses is trying to kill them, and now Moses thinks Israel is going to kill him. Thirst abounds and what happens? Everyone believes theyll soon die at the hands of one another. Into his own fears and concerns look at what God does. He tells Moses to do three things.[6] First, God tells Moses to pass on before the people Why? This is similar language as to how the pillar of cloud and fire is described. As it passed on before the people to lead them through the wilderness, so now Moses is to pass on before the people to lead them out of their grumbling. Perhaps Moses even feared this, for these were the people who were raging mad at him, yet Moses would have to walk before them and lead them still. What a picture of Christ this is, of Gods chosen man (Moses here and Christ later on) walking on before a raging mob to love and care and provide for this mob. Second, God tells Moses to take some of the elders of the people with him. These trusted leaders among Gods people will one day help Moses lead, and here theyre with him, showing the people that Moses doesnt now and will never lead the people alone. And third, God tells Moses to take his staff with him, the very one used to strike the Nile. Why do this? I think God intends to make a contrast. The very staff that had struck the Nile depriving Egypt of water, is now going to strike a rock and providing Israel with water. So off Moses goes. But where does he go? v6 says he is to go to a rock at Horeb. Back in chapter 3 we learned that Horeb is another name for Mt. Sinai, so either Israel already at Sinai, or they might be almost there. We dont know where exactly this took place, what rock is in view, or how close it was to the actual place where they would soon receive the Law, but its not that far away. Moses goes to Horeb, to a rock that God was standing on[7] (what did that look like?) and he then struck the rock, and God caused water to flow out for the people. Psalm 105:41 describes this moment saying, God opened the rock, and water gushed out; it flowed through the desert like a river. What a moment! Gods sinful people are now satisfied as they drink freely. Though this was another instance of miraculous provision, the sins of Israel lingered in the peoples memories for generations, because this location is given two names: Massah and Meribah, or, testing and quarreling. Conclusion: At this point, come back to what Paul says in 1 Cor. 10, For I do not want you to be unaware, brothersthey drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ (v1, 4). Lets ask two questions: Question 1: how is this rock, Christ? The best answer is that this whole scene shows how God Himself in the Person of His Son would embrace the blow of His own justice so that out of Him would flow life for His people.[8] This is how the rock was Christ! Christ, like the rock, was struck with divine judgment on the cross. Bearing the curse of our sin, God struck His Son with a rod of wrath. pierced for our transgressionscrushed for our iniquitiesby his wounds we are healed. And what resulted? As the rock was struck and released streams in the desert, so too Christ was struck an out flowed the water of life. This is why Jesus came saying in John 4, whoever drinks of the water that I will give will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life. This is why He said in John 6, whoever believes in Me will never thirst. And this is what He said in John 7, If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. So, what the rock at Horeb was to Israel, so too God in Christ is to us. Through the striking of the rock, sinners like us receive exactly what our thirsty souls require! This is how Paul can say the rock was Christ. Question 2: what does this mean for us? Church, hear it. Into all our needs, worries, fears, in all we thirst for, Christ is there. Will you drink? Church, I know all of you have needs, worries, fears, and sins of all kinds right now. What will you do with them? Will you let them weigh you down? Will you let them drive you to sin, grumble, and complain? Or will you come to Christ, the Fount of Living water, and drink? Only Jesus can meet all the needs of the soul. When guilt weighs heavy and the accuser is loud, Christ is there. When fear grips and tomorrow feels uncertain, Christ is there. When loneliness whispers that no one sees you, Christ is there. When striving and ambition leaves you empty and doesnt satisfy, Christ is there. When your soul is dry, weary, and longing for renewing, Christ is there. What are you carrying? What are you fearing? What burdens you? What are you thirsting for? Come to Jesus. The world offers much but it never satisfies. Sin promises much and gives only death. Others might abandon. Your own strength will run dry. But Christis always enough. Everything your soul is searching for is ultimately found in Him. Come thirsty. Come weary. Come needy. Come to Christbecause Christ never runs dry. [1] Philip Ryken, Exodus PTC, 411. [2] John D. Currid, Exodus, vol. 1, EP Books, 348. [3] Douglas K. Stuart, Exodus NAC, BH, 389. [4] Ryken, 413. [5] Ryken, 417. [6] Currid, 350. [7] Is this a theophany, or Christophany? God Himself standing on the rock? Some think so. [8] Ryken, 419.

The Bread from Heaven So, the year was 2008, I know, seems like a long time ago, right? That is when I packed up my bags and went to seminary. So, I finished college in December of 2007, I was a weird December grad student, and I wanted to get a jump start on school. School wasnt going to start until August, but I wanted to be prepared. So, I saved up money for a few months, had a good two months worth of good supply ready and moved to North Carolina. Thats when I could get into my apartment in Raleigh. So, I moved up there, two months, plenty of time to get that job because, you know, you got to pay for bills. So, I was like, I saved up enough money, two months, good, I got a job waiting for me part time when school starts in August, school will start, thatll be great, I just need that extra 20, 30 hour a week job, easy, part time, simple. Two months of provision, planned out perfectly, until we come to June, which quickly approaches, two months goes away real fast. So, lots of applying online, going into places, again, you could kind of actually still talk to people back then, not that they cared that you said hello to them, but even then they began the, you can go fill out a thing online, cool. So, two months, filling things out online, couple random in-person meetings, doesnt seem to be going anywhere. So, you start to have a little panic set in, like, Ive got like two weeks before I run out of cash on hand, okay, there were still credit cards floating me a little bit here, but you cant pay the rent with a credit card back then. So, its like, Im going to run out of money and Im going to have problems. So, again, praying, I dont know whats going to happen. I just started going to a little church at that point outside of Raleigh, and one of the pastors, associate, theres a church plant, there was only like 30 of us, but he was one of the pastors, was getting a full-time job running the missions department at the seminary. So, hes like, hey, I work this night job, they hire mostly seminary students, Im quitting, I can tell them, hey, theres a guy that goes to my church that needs a job, theyll hire you just because I asked them to. Nice gig. So, I was like, well, sure, I just need a job, so thatd be great. So, he talked to them Monday, I got a call, hey, can you interview Tuesday, theyd probably want you to start on Wednesday morning. Its like, yes, lets do that. So, very quickly turn around from going from a month or a week from running out of money, week to two weeks of running out of money, to having a job, which then I stayed at for four years, working nights, every night, including my day job, 70 hours a week of work, paid those bills, paid off all those credit cards and student loans, very useful. So, Gods provision abundance through it all, a lot of hard work. But there was just that work of, that reality though, of where is my next paycheck coming from? I had a plan. Two months seemed like plenty of time. All the more if you want to, for those who have a history lesson here, if you want to go back to, the year was 2008, I got a job in June. By the time September rolled around, jobs didnt exist anymore anywhere. So, there was a blessing of the financial crisis that then half the people coming to seminary at September couldnt find jobs because there werent existing, especially in the triangle, which is Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill. There were no jobs. So, the Lord was very gracious to me through that, the provision that he gave. And as we turn to our text today, were going to find Israel in a similar situation. So, we have the history of where weve gone, so well back up a little bit, walk through our context as we dive into our text this morning. So, up to this point, God has saved Israel out of Egypt, big miracles. We got the destruction, the plagues, through the Red Sea, weve seen these huge miraculous works of God saving his people. As he took them out of Egypt, he told them to take with them unleavened bread. Youre moving quickly, make quick bread so that you have provisions, so you have food for the journey. This is the picture before us. So, they made what they could, left in haste, and the Lord provided for them along the way. And here we are, roughly a month to two months later, depending on how you break down the language of our text, and theyre about to run out of food. The provisions are gone. They left the oasis, their provisions are slowly running. Theyre running out. And so, what do we do? That is the situation before us as we come to our text today. Its the context. The question is, will God still sustain his people? Yes, he saved them, awesome, but will he also sustain them? Not only is he a God that will save, but as we see, he is the God who sustains them along the way. And this is very important for us to learn as we look at this text, that we serve and worship a God who not only saved us through Christ Jesus, but sustains us through him as well. And so, as we open our text, the first part that we are going to seeis the reality and the nature of the Israelites. We are gonna see them as a needy people. I. Given to a Needy people. (v1-3) So in verses one, two, three, we see their predicament. They set out from Elam. Now again, this is what we talked about last week. Pastor Adam ended with the oasis. Everything is great. Theyve got palm trees and springs of water. What else do you need? It might as well as a mini Florida for those who like that sort of thing. Thats what they were experiencing. And so to pick up and move is a moment, but they werent home yet. They had not reached the promised land. And so its time to move. And so they set out from Elam. And all the congregation of the people of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin. Again, thats just a generic, that is the name for the wilderness. It has nothing to do with actual sin. Its just the name of a region, which is between Elam and Sinai. So halfway to Sinai. On the 15th day of the second month, after they had departed from the land of Egypt, and the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. The people of Israel said to them, would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into the wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger. And so this begins our first picture. So we have the speech of the people, the grumble of the people. Their need is laid bare. They are a people who are now hungry. And so again, like I said, they left with provisions. They had provisions to begin the journey, and now they are running low. Again, theyre not turning to the animals. Again, Numbers 11 will make a point on why, for them to slaughter the animals. They have no sacrifices, and that will go away in a moment. Then they have nothing else. So they do not slaughter the animals. So they need bread. They need something to sustain them day by day. This is a real need. You need food to eat, yes. Now, yes, its not as readily needed as water. You need water every day, but food also, it doesnt take that long before you start to get weak. And if youre walking through the wilderness, you need some sustenance. You need to stay well eaten. You need that gluten for all those allergy people. Im sorry, you need the carbs. You need the heaviness to keep you motivated, keep the fuel going. That is this picture. They need food to survive. And so they are facing a real crisis. This isnt an imaginary one. They do have a real situation before them. What are we going to eat? Its also not a small group of people. Again, this is a group of people larger than Pasco County. Take every person in Pasco County, and then say they are without food. Fix it. So its a tall order before them. Okay, theyre running out of food. Where will their daily bread come from? And this is very much what the people then are confronted with, this trial, this tribulation. Where will they turn to find the answer? And as our text unfolds, we see clearly they turn in the wrong direction. Okay, the obvious one for those we would say is obvious is they should turn to the Lord. But as we see in our text, they do not turn to the Lord, but they also do not blame God either. This is an interesting point when you read the text. They say they wish God would have just killed them in Egypt, but really this is all Aaron and Moses fault. Why did you take us out of Egypt? Why did you lead us here? You guys are such bad planners. You should have had a better plan. Now were here, theres no food, this is your fault. Fix it. Its ultimately what theyre telling Aaron, you fix it, feed us all, give us food. This is your problem. You mismanaged the situation. Now were stuck. What are you gonna do about it? And so they quickly turn on this whole journey into the wilderness. They now look to Aaron and Moses and go fix our problems. This isnt Gods fault, clearly, they are still a little bit. God has saved us, thats cool, but now you need to fix our problems. God clearly cant do this, this is a you issue. And so this becomes the situation. They understand they have a need. Okay, they know their needs, we are hungry, but their problem is they go to the wrong source to solve it. So they go to Mary and blame them for their problem. This is you need to fix our problem. So they grumble. And this is the second of the three grumbles in the book of Exodus. So last week we had their first grumbling when they led them to the drink, or led them to the water they couldnt drink of because it was bitter. Okay, this week we have this daily bread. Next week, Pastor Adam will unpack their grumbling over the lack of water. So they will need a daily substance of water. So each of these continue to show their need for Gods provision. The grumbling will not continue. Then into the book of Numbers well see. see greater grumblings that will lead to greater, and in that point, judgment. These grumblings lead to Gods provision, later will lead to Gods judgment. But before us we have this characterization that Aaron and Moses have messed up, seems to be their point. So they are blindly blaming Moses and Aaron for their situation, but also as you read the text, they are blindly remembering their past. So a need has arisen, theyre in this trial, this tribulation that they need to be solved, and what they look to is a time when this was not a problem. They fondly look back to the past. Remember those good old days in Egypt where we had food every day, we would just eat it lovingly behind our meat pots, just as if it was a romantic occasion of happy times, forgetting all of the suffering. Were chucking babies into rivers, like this is the picture, okay, we have of their experience. They suffered extreme slavery and abuse and beating, but its like, oh, but at least I had food. Like that is literally, they have freedom, they have a God who loves and cares for them, but man, do you remember those old days? They were so great. And we do this all the time. In the midst of one problem, we look back to a time when its like that wasnt a problem and that was a great time. Regardless of anything else going on around it, like it doesnt matter any of the suffering, doesnt matter anything else, that was such a good time. Dont you remember? So again, this is why there are so many children still in the world. This is what happens. You guys laughed better than the first service, thank you. So that picture, the suffering is forgotten for the good. So in this case, this is what we have. They are blindly look back to the past and go like, at least we had food. Even though my life was the worst it could ever be, nothing was good, everything was bad, this one thing was okay, and thats all that mattered. In spite of in the middle of this moment where everything else is good and I have one problem, this is the worst experience of my life because we fixate on the one problem, especially when were not taking that one problem to the one who can fix that one problem, thinking we can. Because clearly, they cannot feed all the people. We dont have an answer, so this is bad. And thats where they are. So they misremember their past, they have a disconnection from reality, and they just look to hope to have this moment fixed. They want a quick fix to their momentary problem. Theres the thing that we do this even with our own situation. If were walking with the Lord, were growing in him, we can stumble or face trials and somehow we look back like, oh, I remember those fondly days where I didnt have this problem. Where has God gone? He somehow left me in this moment. But those other moments when this wasnt a problem, oh, thats when things were good. Its when you were struggling with something else or dealing with something else. Maybe youve been a Christian for a while and somehow, okay, you start to experience those trials and tribulations, which the Lord says will come. And youre like, I was promised a perfect and great life where nothing was ever gonna be bad. I remember before I knew Christ and it was all happy. Because you misremember your life in sin, that in the midst of trials and tribulations, you see wrongly what was. And so this is where the Israelites are. Theyre misremembering the past. But whats amazing here is it highlights all the more how gracious God is. Because again, you read this about the people. Okay, they arent like a great people. Like, this is all Aaron and Moses fault, this is all bad, everything weve experienced is wrong. Wouldve just been better if God wouldve just killed us or left us, whether thats kill them while in Egypt or just leave us in Egypt to die on our own. They have this misremembrance and yet, what we see is God doesnt go, well, too bad, enjoy starving. That is not Gods reaction to their complaint. Rather, in recognition of their needy people, he then will be the one to provide for their needs. He will show them that he is the one who daily provides for his people. He will give them their needs, but he will also do it as a test. It is an opportunity for them to grow in their love and obedience to the Lord in very simple ways. So as the text unfolds in verses four through 20, we see this reality that the manna, the provision that is coming, will be a test of the Lord for them. II. Given as a Test. (V4-20) Begin in verse four. Then the Lord said to Moses, behold, Im about to rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a days portion every day that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily. So Moses and Aaron said to all the people of Israel, at evening, you shall know that the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt And in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord because he has heard your grumbling against the Lord For what are we that you grumble against us? Moses said when the Lord gives you in the evening meat to eat in the morning bread to the full Because the Lord has heard your grumbling that you grumble against him. What are we? Your grumbling is not against us But against the Lord then Moses said to Aaron and say to the whole congregation of the people of Israel Come near before the Lord for he has heard your grumbling And as soon as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the people of Israel They looked towards the wilderness and behold the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud and the Lord said to Moses Ive heard the grumbling of the people of Israel say to them at twilight You shall eat meat and in the morning you shall be filled with bread Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God In the evening quail came up and covered the camp and in the morning do lay around the camp And when the dew had gone up there was on the face of the wilderness a fine flake like thing Finest frost on the ground when the people of Israel saw it. They said to one another. What is it? For they did not know what it is It was and Moses said to them it is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat This is what the Lord has commanded gather it each one of you as much as he can eat You shall each take an omer According to the number of the persons that each of you has in his tent and the people of Israel did so They gathered some more some less But when they measured it with an omer whether gathered much had nothing left over and whether gathered little had no lack Each of them and gathered as much as he could eat and Moses said to them let no one leave any of it over till the morning But they did not listen to Moses some left part of it till the morning And it bred worms and stank and Moses was angry with them And so as our text has moved forward we now see this giving of a test this test in the Provision so the bread of life is coming to them this bread that will sustain them. God has heard their grumblings Hes heard their cries even highlighting that it wasnt against Moses and Aaron that youre grumbling It was against the Lord for he is the one as we see brought the day It seems straightforward. But as weve seen throughout scripture and probably our own lives some of the simplest laws are Things requiring obedience sometimes can be the hardest Again, we go all the way back to Genesis 3 very simple. The first law and command in Scripture was dont eat that tree Thats it thats just simply dont eat this root just one thing you have all the rest of the garden you have all that you could ever imagine and have just dont eat that tree and the Immediate reaction is but the tree looks so good Its such a nice tree The natural heart of sin leads itself towards Disobedience and so even in this moment even in this Okay, a heart not transformed by the gospel has a natural proclivity towards things against God And so he gives them this simple just gather and eat the food Thats it. It seems so simple But yet this simple one will highlight the fact of the peoples inability to keep the rest of the law Because this isnt the beginning of the law. This is the first part. We have some sim some In our These are the first inclinations of the law that is to come so well also get the Sabbath here Which well cover here in a minute, but these are some of the the forerunners like can you just gather food and eat it? Thats it. Im about to give you like 300 and something other ones later, but can you do the basics? I think thats even a good encourager Can we just do the basics like do the basic things that the Lord has called us to do? This is the very simple. Do you trust God to provide your needs? Thats ultimately what the question is before them. Do they trust God to provide I Will give you food every single day. You dont need to worry about tomorrow. You dont need to save any Theyll be more tomorrow. I got you covered Do we trust God with that? We want to put it in a modern Context most of us have food if I told you you would get a paycheck Every single day for the rest of your life. It would cover your food and housing every single day You never worry about until you die. Would you be content with that? Or would you want a little bit more Maybe just set aside a little bit. I really want to go on a vacation next month. Just The natural inclination like God will give you everything you need Is it enough? Because again, well see this same thing later because God will give them manna every single day for 40 years He only gives them quail here to begin with. So this is a misunderstanding Some people think they ate quail every single night for 40 years. They did not God gives them a gift here to show his glory. He gives them meat and bread and Then we will see they will get to Sinai for those who want to read ahead into the book of Numbers Youll get to numbers 11 where they will get sick of all the manna. Its boring. We want meat again! Wheres the quail? He will give them quail as judgment, where they will eat to the point that it comes out of their orifices, is the picture. Like its very much the picture of the historic dad who makes their kid smoke like seven packs of cigarettes to teach them not to smoke cigarettes. Thats the picture of God. Like you want meat? Ill just give it to you. There. You happy now? No, youre not. Trust me with your provision. Thats not actually God. Thats an Andrew version which is sinful. Not real God. So, but this becomes this like picture here is God is providing. Ive given you everything you will ever need. Is it enough? Is it enough? Do we trust him enough? Again, we go in simple like, oh they clearly, they got food. What else do they? But in our real life, is that enough for us? God gives you everything you need for life and godliness and contentment. Is it enough? This becomes their challenge. This is the first law given. Do you trust God to provide? Do you trust God with your provisions? Is he the one you will turn to? Do you trust him? Thus why he gets so angry at the end of that section where Moses angry that some kept some over. Like why? I told you its not that hard. But we know the human heart and the human heart struggles with basic things like trusting the Lord. And so the first test is that test. Will they trust him? Will they walk in his ways? The second part in that section, we see that part of this test is also so that they will see and remember the Lord. They will see and behold the glory of the Lord through this. Again, he has saved them from Egypt, but will he sustain them into the promised land? The question before them. This act of giving the bread every day shows the sustaining work of God. He didnt just leave them on their own. He was going to give them everything they needed to make it to the end. He would be their God. He will give them food. Next week he will give them water. The week after he will give them victory against those who may rise up against them. Well get to the Amalekites. He will sustain them all the way to the end. They must simply walk in faith to the end. Its the whole picture that this whole section of Exodus is unpacking for us. As they continue to grumble as they arent learning this yet, theyre struggling to understand that God will save them to the end. That this is not human effort that will see them to the promised land. This is a work of God alone. He is the one who will provide and they must remember this. His glory is shown to them in the evening. Picture the glory of the Lord is revealed. Its the first time that phrase comes up in scripture. The glory of the Lord is revealed in his provision for their daily needs. This is the first time the glory of the Lord phrase is used in scripture. And its here in this gracious merciful act of God providing for their daily needs. This is the first act we see and theyre to remember it. Theyre not to forget these things because in this we see the trustworthy nature of God. So he gives them this law. He gives them this task to take. And then he says he will give this every single morning. And then he does give it to them every single morning. Every day he provides. And in seeing it every single day, it builds faith in the God whom has saved them. That they will know that he is the Lord, their God. Its what the text says. By giving this daily provision, they will grow in their knowledge of the Lord. The last time I preached highlighted the same understanding as he brought them through the Red Sea. It said that they would know that he is the Lord, their God. They would know him through their salvation. Here they will know him through his provisions. He is the God who saves you. He is the God who will provide for you. This is the picture of God. This is Yahweh. This is the Lord that will see them to the end. This is the God whom we worship. He didnt just save us through Christ at the cross but sustains us through Christ to the end. He is trustworthy. Do we trust his promises? Do we trust his word? Do we believe he will do what he said he will do? For he gives them meat in the evening and then bread in the morning. The manna. The what is it? Its a great phrase. Thats literally what manna is. Its just the phrase what is it. Its a fun thing to echo throughout time. What is it? No one knows. It kind of looks like coriander which I learned is cilantro. Thing I learned. That was a small group thing, just a friend. Small group, you learn all sorts of weird facts. But coriander seed, just a coriander seed, that picture of it, but white and tastes like honey. Just a very weird experience. But this becomes a picture. God not only gives them, but he also gives them a good thing. Because he could have just provided for them very much bland, I was gonna say saltines, but saltines do at least have some flavor. Just hardtack, ugh. So just a picture of just think the most bland thing. He could have just given them just bland bread. No flavor, no nothing, but it would sustain them. Picture is, it is a good thing to eat. This is good bread. This is hearty bread. This is Outback bread, if those who like Outback bread. I enjoy Outback bread, just in case you do. Some of you may have your own restaurant of choice, but some places give you some good bread. Cheesecake Factory, that nice chocolatey bread, good stuff. But that picture, like he doesnt just give them bread. He gives them good bread. This things got a good flavor to it. Hes providing for them in abundance. This is not just, well, I give you the base minimum. Hes giving them good things, great things. Hes providing for them in ways that they would not have imagined. And all he calls them to do is go, collect, make it. Go make bread, enjoy. You aint got nothing else going on. This is what you can do. Enjoy, I will see you to the end. And so day by day, this is their reality. And so in this text, we see the fact that they were a needy people who God has chosen to provide. He will provide for them, and in so doing, giving them this test. Will they obey? Will they follow? Will they listen? But ultimately, through this all, it is also that he can show them that he is their provision and rest. III. Given as a means of Provision Rest (v21-36) He will provide, and he will give them rest through his provisions. He will give them rest. So this is where our text concludes in the last section here, beginning in verse 21 to 36. Morning by morning, they gathered it, each as much as he could eat. But when the sun grew hot, it melted. On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much bread, two omers each. And when all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, he said to them, this is what the Lord has commanded. Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord. Bake what you will bake, and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over, lay aside to be kept till morning. So they laid it aside till the morning, as Moses commanded them. And it did not stink, and there were no worms in it. Moses said, eat it today, for today is a Sabbath to the Lord. Today you will not find it in the field. Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, which is a Sabbath, there will be none. On the seventh day, some of the people went out to gather, but they found none. And the Lord said to Moses, how long will you refuse to keep my commandments and my laws? See, the Lord has given you the Sabbath. Therefore on the sixth day, he gives you bread for two days. Remain each of you in his place. Let no one go out of his place on the seventh day. So the people rested on the seventh day. Now the house of Israel called the name manna. It was like coriander seed white, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey. Moses said, this is what the Lord has commanded. Let an omer be kept throughout your generation so that they may see the bread with which I feed you in the wilderness. When I brought you out of the land of Egypt, and Moses said to Aaron, take a jar and put an omer of manna in it. Place it before the Lord to be kept throughout your generations. The Lord commanded Moses, so Aaron placed it before the testimony to be kept. The people of Israel ate the manna 40 years till they came to the habitable land. They ate the manna till they came to the border of the land of Canaan. Nomer is a 10th part of an Ephes. Its roughly a quart is our English version, but a quart is how much they would gather each morning. And so what we see again is this reality that God gives them this provision. They have enough to eat. It highlights they gathered, and what they gathered was enough to eat. They never lacked for food. They never had too much. They never had too little. If you gathered this much, that was enough for you to be sustained. If you gathered a little bit, that was enough for your belly to be filled. They were never lacking. No one went to bed hungry. No one went to bed engorged. Its the picture. They ate exactly what they needed. The Lord gave them exactly what they needed. Day by day, 40 years providing. Never a lack for food. He was the one sustaining them. Never too much, never too little. Day by day, the Lord was faithful. He was their provision. Until we get to the sixth day, which became the question. They gathered the same. They didnt go out and accidentally gather more food, they gathered as they did every day and there was extra. Thus a conundrum. We have eaten our fill, but theres still more left. We didnt do this. Now again, they left it over and it was bad, so the leaders clearly have a conundrum, like we didnt do anything wrong, what are we doing? Thus the Lord instructs, this is so, you have food tomorrow. You dont have to work tomorrow, you got the day off. Enjoy it. After 400 years of slavery, after wandering in the desert, you know what you get tomorrow? Take a holiday. Kick your feet up. Foods already there. Its already, you just make it, just bake it, just sit in there, just enjoy. This is the Lords gift to you, rest. Ive given you all the provisions you need, rest. Of course you see the immediate reaction of the people is to do what? Go gather some more, where is the food? What is this rest you speak of? Rest isnt something we do. We dont rest, we work, we got things to do, we got places to go, we got life to live. Rest is just a waste of time, but that is not what the Lord is showing. The Lord is showing here that rest is a good gift from God. Six days you will work, and on the seventh, rest. Its a sign of trust in Gods provision. Hes provided all that you need. Do you believe that? Can you rest? Or do you got to do more? I can always get a little bit ahead. I can always do a little bit more. Theres always more to be done. Or do you take the time and rest in Gods provision? Trusting that God is good, that God will do what he said he will do. Do you take the time to step back and remember God? Its one of the great things about the gift of the Sabbath. Its an opportunity to stop and think about how God has provided. Because in a busy world, its very easy to forget all the things God does for you. Especially in our modern society, we dont believe in rest. We say we do, but we dont. We really believe in a lazy rest thats busy scrolling stupid things. Its not real rest, its stupid. This is not restful, I dont understand that. That picture, were not actually resting. Were busy doing other things, but not resting in the Lord. Taking a chance to actually think about what the Lord has done. Its the beauty of what the Sabbath is meant to give you. A, it gives you an opportunity to gather with the saints and worship God. We do it twice, so come back tonight to worship some more with the saints. Its night six. But it gives you the opportunity to spend time with the Lord, with the saints, but also just thinking about what the Lord has done. Im reading a biography on young Teddy Roosevelt, and part of it talks about the way he grew up was his dad always set apart Sunday for one purpose. It was for worship in the morning and for writing letters. That was their day. So, it was to worship God in the morning, they went to their little Presbyterian church, they would worship for roughly three hours. They would come home, eat lunch, sing a hymn together, and then write. That was the rest of your evening. Teddy was not a fan, just in case youre wondering. Some say he has asthma, just because he had asthma. It always happened on a Sunday, historically, funnily enough. But thats a different issue. But that picture of like, thats how his dad, like this is as a family, they wrote together, write to family members, write to friends, write in a journal about what God has done this week, how God is using us. It was all about spending time with family and writing about what God is doing and encouraging the family outside of the four walls. Very cool. Very much the 1800s. Some people wonder how they got so much written. They spend a lot of time writing. We dont do so much. But that picture of using the rest to remember what God has done. God gives us an opportunity once a week to rest in him. And then work. Enjoy the good gift of Gods toil for you. Its good. Work is not bad. Work is a good gift as well, but also to rest. That gives us rest as a beautiful, beautiful gift, and we will unpack an entire sermon on that later in the year when we get back and do the Ten Commandments. Well spend a whole time on the Sabbath. But in this text, this is the first command of the Sabbath, and its all around, do we trust his provision? Do you trust that God has provided everything you need? You dont need to work tomorrow. And how much of a good gift is that to a people who have been in slavery for 400 years? A day off was not a thing. In case youre wondering, slaves dont tend to get vacation time. They dont have PTO. Its just not a thing. And so in that, this is what God has given them. Hes given them rest from your labors. Just rest in me. Enjoy. Its one of the many good gifts of God. All the more why you can then see the slight anger at the end there, when even then, they do not obey. Even then, there are still some who go out to gather. Its like, will you not obey the simple things? Do we obey the simple things? Its the question before us. Do we trust God to provide for our needs and rest in him? And so in doing so, he gives them enough to remember. So they set aside a portion, a manna, God calls them to set aside a portion and keep it throughout all generations to be reminded. Again, weve seen time and time again, this reminder, to set reminders before you of what God has done. So even before the 10 commandments are given, before the Ark of the Covenant is created in the later in Exodus, they set aside the jar to remember. Remember God is the one who provides for us. God is the one who is sustaining us. It is not our works. So even before the full giving of the law, that Gods grace and mercy to his people is before them to be remembered. God is the one who sustains. God is the one whom in the midst of our troubles, we turn to. He is the one who provides for our every need. And as we see scripture unfolds throughout history, we see ultimately this is the very event that Christ himself comes to in the book of John chapter six. So in John chapter six, it begins with the feeding of the 5,000, okay? Those who have been in church a long time may be very familiar with this. So theres a large group of people. They are hungry. They are needy. The disciples are like, lets get rid of them. And Jesus is like, well, well give them food. From where? From me? Kind of becomes a bring me whatever we got and then distribute. And they have plenty left over. Everyone ate to their fill. Its all echoes of this giving of the bread from heaven. And they ate to the fill. They ate until they were done. They didnt eat too much, didnt eat too little. They ate exactly what they needed. And the disciples are amazed because we didnt have bread and yet somehow everyone ate and we had leftovers and they collected it all so that none would go to waste, the text highlights. And so they eat their fill. Then the disciples go on their way and the next morning, Jesus gives them an instruction after walking on water, gives them instruction that he is the bread of life. This is him. After giving them a lengthy discussion, he said to them, I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me shall not hunger. Whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet you do not believe. All that the father gives me will come to me and whoever comes to me, I will never cast out for I have come down from heaven not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of God who sent me, that I should lose nothing, all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my father, that everyone who looks on the son and believes in him should have eternal life and I will raise him up on the last day. So the Jews grumbled about him. Interesting text. But it highlights the fact that Christ is the one who says he is the provision from heaven for life, for all who believe, for those who believe and place their trust in him have come through the waters, have come through the Red Sea, have experienced salvation. He will now also be their sustainer. I will not lose them. I will sustain them is the picture here. He is the one who sees us to the end. He is the one who feeds us day by day. Again, the Lords prayer, give us this day our daily bread. Is he your sustainer? Has he saved you? Is he sustaining you? Have you repented and believed in him, trusting in his work alone? For we can do nothing. We can do nothing on our own to earn our salvation. All that we can do will turn into stinking worms, day-old bread. But what God gives will last, will sustain. Christ will feed our hungry souls to the full. So if you have repented, if you have believed, do you trust in this for your provision? Do you trust God to sustain you day by day, physically, spiritually, in all of life? Or do you keep looking to yourself? How can I solve this problem? How can I accomplish this? Or do you turn to the Lord and trust him through it? Is he your daily provision? For he is the only thing that lasts. We will come and go, Christs word will remain forever. And in that, he sees his own to the end. So are you resting in his provisions? Are you trusting in his grace to see you through?

Have you ever experienced a beautiful moment ruined by something unexpected and revolting? This past week I experienced that very thing. We took the kids over to Legoland this past week for a day of fun and they loved it! It really is a cool place, seeing all the huge different Lego builds theyve done over the years. We got there early, did a few rides, walked around a bit, and it was time for lunch. So we went to this burger place, got a table outside, and sat down outside at some tables with umbrellas over them. It was then that a beautiful moment began. The weather was nice, not to hot but not too cold, and a few birds got my attention. They were bouncing all around the tops of these umbrellas over the tables, hoping for some scraps of food no doubt, but they got my attention for how beautiful they were. At first I thought they were just plain black crows but the closer they got and the more they came into the sunlight, I noticed there was a hint of blue in their feathers that stood out. I kept looking at them and noticed there were many shades of blue mingled among the black feathers, and I was a bit awestruck, thinking to myself, Wow, Ive never noticed how stunning these birds really are. It was a nice moment for sure, and I was enjoying a calm sense of wonder whenone of the birds hopped around to the top of the umbrella and pooped all over of it. Moments over! The lovely moment of worshipful awe at Gods creation was done. Clearly the scraps of burger didnt sit well with this bird, as beautiful as the bird was, it was as disgusting watching it empty its bowels in such a surprising and unexpected manner. Such is Israel in our passage this morning. It was great a moment to behold as God parted the Red Sea! Israel was backed into a corner, trapped with no way of escape, and God came to fight for them! And fight He did, destroying their enemies and saving them! Truly it was a wonder to behold, and they praised God for it singing the great Song of Moses but how quick the tables turn. Three days later their praise turned to protest, their delight turned to despair, their triumph turned to trouble, their glory turned to grumbling. Today we witness a beautiful moment come to an end by the sin of Israel. Yet, as ugly as it is, God enters in, uses this moment to teach them, and brings sweetness out of their bitterness. So much to glean here. The text is Exodus 15:22-27, lets take it in a few sections. What Took Place (v22-25a) Then Moses made Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore it was named Marah. And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? And he cried to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. The text begins in v22 saying Moses made Israel set out. This is interesting, isn't it? What does this detail mean? I think it leads us to believe that Israel didnt want to leave the shore of victory. That they were so taken up with the sight of the dead Egyptians and the singing of praise that they didn't want to move on. They wanted to linger in the exhilaration of the moment. But onward they needed to go. They couldnt stay at the Red Sea forever. Theres a Promised Land ahead, and the path to it lies through the wilderness. So Moses has to convince them to leave, and finally they do. But this is when their trouble begins. They go three days into the wilderness and cant find water. Think about that. Three days. You ever gone three days without water? Three days without water is pretty much the limit of human endurance, so can you sense what this was like for them? The dust of the wilderness in their throats. Their children crying. Their livestock weakening. The wonder of the Red Sea replaced by the weariness of the desert. The creeping doom of their own death by dying of thirst. And thenthey see it. Water! Can you imagine the shout that went up? Water! Water! I bet they ran to it, scooped it up, took large gulps only to find that the water was revolting, bitter, unfit for human consumption. So they called this place Marah[1] which means Bitter. So what do they do? They grumble. Crazy fact, but this is the first time grumbling is mentioned in the Bible.[2] It is certainly not going to be the last, as this would become the theme of Israels wilderness wandering. Now, no before we come down hard on them for such a horrible response, we need to realize that this really was a life-or-death emergency for them.[3] They had no water! It was either drink or die, but this water was so bad they couldnt bring themselves to drink it. So to them, they were about the meet their deathagain. At this point what should they have done? They should have cried out to the Lord to help them. Remember they knew who God was. They knew that God answers prayer. They knew that God had power. They knew that God can do wonders, and they had witnessed it all firsthand! All they had to do was the look up and see the pillar of cloud and fire that had guided them to this very point. It was not an act of random chance that brought them here, God brought them here, so God can take care of them! But what do they do? v24, they grumbled against Moses. Do you see yourself here? Grumbling is far too common. Christians grumble about all kinds of things. We grumble about little things. At home we grumble about the brand of cereal our wives bring home, or the jobs your husbands have leave undone, or the state of the home, that the appliances are old or wearing out, how things are too dirty, or how cluttered the kids rooms are. The same grumbling happens at church. You don't like how this was handled or how that was done, or that we sang this song instead of that song, or that the church coffee tastes bad, or that our services start too early to go to late. These are little things arent they? We also grumble about big things too. Persistent sins you cannot overcome, dissatisfaction at work, misfortune in love, family strife, hardship in relationships, friendships dissolving, chronic conditions continuing to plague. And more. Question: are you a grumbler? When little things or big things dont go the way you desire, does a low-grade boil begin in you that leads grows until you complain, moan, or whine about it? Church, we all encounter bitter times in life, we will. This text is a warning to us, that those bitter moments dont need to make us bitter. Paul even says this in 1 Cor. 10, that we have all this written down about Israel for our instruction, that we might not grumble like they did. Do you see the real issue in this passage for Israel? The problem wasnt the water itself, it was the bitterness in them! John Calvin notes in his comments on this passage, God might have given them sweet water to drink at first, but by the bitter water He was making their own bitter hearts known to them. In this dire moment, behold the kindness of God. Look at v25a. Not all the people are grumbling. Moses doesn't grumble, what does he do? In glaring contrast to the people, Moses cries out to the Lord.[4] How wonderful to see him do it, his one little prayer accomplished infinitely more than all of Israels grumbling. And God responds in a unique way, for sure, by showing him a log, or a tree that he can cast into the water so that water becomes drinkable. So he does, and the bitter waters become sweet. This is the big lesson for us today. God can turn what is bitter into something sweet. Much more on that in a moment. There is an echo of past things to notice in this. Moses, the one who was drawn from the water as an infant, the one who struck the waters of the Nile with his staff making them undrinkable, and the one who just led Israel through the waters of the Red Sea, is now used by God to provide sweet drinkable water in the wilderness.[5] What is this? Scholars debate what's going on here, whether there was some kind of tree or root that had the ability to purify water in this region. But no such healing tree has ever been discovered.[6] So, what is this? It's another supernatural wonder, it's a miraculous moment as God provides exactly what His people need when they deserve it the least. It is the mercy of God giving to His grumbling people. He led them here, he let them feel the dire nature of this trouble, because he wants to teach them dependence. And so often, it is only by first tasting what is bitter that leads us to enjoy God's sweet provision. Thats what took place, now see What God Was Doing (v25b-26) There the Lord made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them, saying, If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in His eyes, and give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer. These verses give us another view of these events, showing us what God was doing in them with His people. And here we learn why God brough them into this trial. Why lead them to bitter water just to sweeten it? Why not just lead them straight to Elim in v27? Because God was testing them. Testing them, not for His own information, but for their education. He wanted them to see what was in their hearts. You see, the wilderness was God's classroom and the first lesson was this: what you do when youre thirsty reveals who you really are. Out of this test comes a statute and a rule as v25b says. How interesting to see that God gives them a law, before He officially gives them His Law at Sinai.[7] Whats He up to in this? I think God is teaching them the terms of the covenant. He is saying to them, Im not just your Rescuer; I am your Lord. Im not just the God who saves you, Im the God who sanctifies you. The people need to learn how to do life with God. They need to know that if they listen and obey great blessing will come, and more so, God promises that if they obey, He will be their Healer. This is a profound reality, the Lord their Healer. This can be taken wildly out of context, as if it were a blank check God wrote to them promising that theyll never fall ill ever again. This is not what it means. Rather the whole scene helps us interpret what it means for God to be their healer. What He did to the waters, He can do for them, if they walk in His ways. v26 says it, none of the diseases...that I put on the Egyptians. Remember the plagues God put on the Egyptians? These destroyed them. And yet here, Israel faces the plague of thirst and is healed. If they listen to His voice and look to His provision, God promises to heal them. Lastly see Where God Took Them (v27) Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they encamped there by the water. After Marah comes Elim. Twelve springs[8] and seventy palm trees.[9] Lesson? God provides in abundance. But don't miss it: they had to go through Marah to get to Elim. If they had stayed at the Red Sea, they would never have seen Marah, but they also would never have reached Elim. The abundance of Elim is grace upon grace. Its more than enough. Its God saying, I see you. I know your thirst. And I have provided an oasis for you. Israel must be careful. They likely would want to turn Elim into their permanent home. But theyre still in the wilderness! Elim, as great as it is, is just a rest stop on the way to Canaan. Enjoy the refreshment, yes(!), but keep moving forward. Conclusion: Church, there is so much to learn here. First, this text teaches us where we are as Christians. Israels experience teaches us of our own. We too walk through the salvation of the Red Sea and come into the wilderness where God deals with our sins before we come into the Promise Land. In other words, what comes after salvation for us? Does God take us home right away to heaven? No. He saves us and begins to sanctify us. The Christian life isnt a happily ever after kind of story. No. God saves us gloriously, yesbut we then set out on a long and arduous journey to the Promise Land. To put it another way, going through the wilderness was not necessary for Israels salvation, but it was necessary for Israels sanctification. And the same is true for us![10] So while it's great to sing the praises of God after being saved by Him, its another thing to keep singing His praise while we live life confronting the problems of ordinary life. This text teaches us where we are as Christians. As Israel is living in the in-between, so are we. We have been saved, and He is leading us home, but were not there yet. We are on the long road home and God is using it to make us holy. Knowing this keeps us from having the wrong expectations in life. Dont expect heaven in the wilderness, expect the wilderness in the wilderness. Thats our life now. It wont always be like this, but for now it is. And in it all, God is teaching us to trust and obey. Second, this text teaches us that God can turn what is bitter into something sweet. What God did for Israel is stunning, and it becomes all the more stunning when we realize that God desires to do the same for us. Do you have bitter things in your life right now? Whatever it is, bring it to the front of your mindand, hear it. God desires to sweeten all that is bitter to us. How? By a tree. Is it strange to think about it like this? As God provided a healing tree for Israel here, so too He has provided a healing tree for all our bitterness in the cross of Christ. There we find healing in the truest and deepest sense of the word. There we see the Lord Jesus who suffered for us, who embraced the bitterness of death for us. There He cried out, I thirst! so that we could be given the living water that never runs dry. He gladly took cup of Marah and drank it to the dregs so that our cup could overflow with the abundance of Elim. Church, in the cross God desires to sweeten everything that is bitter for us. I really do mean this, but the question of how needs to be asked, right? How can the cross sweeten our bitterness? Simply put, there is a way to apply the gospel to all that is bitter to you. Are your relationships bitter? Look to the Cross. See how Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for us. Let that tree sweeten your dealings with others. Is your job bitter? Look to the Cross. See how Christ served even unto death. Let that tree sweeten your work ethic. Is your health bitter? Look to the Cross. See the One who was wounded for our transgressions. Let that tree remind you that your ultimate healing is secure in Him. Some of you are living by the waters of Marah today, in a bitter moment, trial, test, or season. If this is you, dont grumble, look the tree God has provided and plead with God to make these things sweet. Others of you are living by the waters of Elim today, in a sweet moment of enjoyment! If this is you drink deeply, enjoy it! Rest under the shade of the Gods grace to you. But don't get too comfortable. Remember that youre on the long road home, and that youre not home yet. Use the strength you gain at Elim to prepare for whatever may come. [1] The same name Naomi would take onto herself due to her own significant sufferings. [2] John D. Currid, Exodus vol. 1, EP Books, 320. [3] Douglas K. Stuart, Exodus NAC, BH, 365. [4] Stuart, 367. [5] Robert Alter, The Hebrew Bible, Norton, 1:277-278. [6] Currid, 320 [7] Victor P. Hamilton, Exodus: An Exegetical Commentary, Baker, 243. [8] Possibly one for every tribe among Israel to come. [9] A number of completion and perfection. [10] Phil Ryken, Exodus PTW, Crossway, 380.

Resurrection Sunday Introduction Today, we take a break from our regularly scheduled programming in the book of Exodus to return to the book of Romans. Right. There you go. Thank you, Arden. RomansPaul's magnum opus, if you will. It's been a minute since we've been in Romans, so let me take a very short time to catch you up on what the book of Romans is all about. This summary can be found in chapter 1 of Romans, verses 16 and 17. Paul says there: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it, the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith as it is written, 'the righteous shall live by faith.'" From those heights, Paul descends into the depths of our depravity and our deplorable sinful nature, showing us that we are not sinners because we do sinful things; we are sinners because it's who we are. We are dead by nature spiritually. We don't just need resuscitation. We don't just need a life raft thrown to us. We need resurrection. And this is Easter hope. Paul stays in the depths for the first three chapters, and then right there as chapter 3 ends, he brings in the great remedy for man's sinful plight in the gospel of Christ. In chapter 4, he explains how this is not newthis was given to Abraham and to David. Then in chapter 5, verse 1, we get the great sentence: "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Because we have peace with God, we are then filled with the peace of God. This is Paul's argument. In these first five chapters, he explains the gospel and describes how it changes and transforms us. But when he gets to chapter 6where we're going to be today, specifically verses 5 to 11he shifts from describing the gospel to applying the gospel. Isn't this wonderful that the Bible talks to us like this? Here's what it is; here's what you do with it. We need this. I know I need this, and I'm not alone. You're like me. We need to be talked to like this: "Here's the truth. Here's what you do with the truth." How wonderful to see that when he's describing how we apply the gospel to our lives, he brings up who we areour identity. So, a question as we begin here this morning: Who are you? I'll begin. This might seem strange. Hello, my name is Adam. I am a man. What a statement in today's modern culture! Son to Holly, father to Jack, Luke, and Piper. Being born in 1983, I grew up with mentors like Rocky, Rudy, Rambo, Top Gun, and Terminator. Naturally, I like waking up early, energy drinks, black coffee, lifting heavy weights, and doing it again and againdoing hard things, climbing high mountains. This was the 80s. Now hear me out. I think these things are awesome, and you should too! But hear methis is not what makes me, me. Let me try this again with Paul's verbiage: "Hello, my name is Adam. I believe in Christ. Therefore, I died with Christ, and I have risen with Christ, and I now consider myself to be two things above and beyond all other descriptors: dead to sin, alive to God." This is what I want to show you today from Romans 6:511. Two headings are before us. I. We Know Death (Verses 57) Listen to Paul in verses 5 to 7: "For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him, in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin." Verse 5 begins our passage by summarizing as if it's a hinge. It takes verses 1 to 4, summarizes them into a few words, and prepares us for verses 6 to 11. It's an "if this, then that" kind of argument. For example, if you come to church on Easter, you will hear about the resurrection. Paul is saying: if we've been united with Christ in a death like his, then we shall certainlynot maybe, not probablybe united with him in a resurrection like his. Verse 5 is basically saying everything that you have ever needed has been richly given to you in Christ: both death and crucifixion for all your sin, and life and power and resurrection for all that you need to walk with the Lord day to day. We can't have one without the other. They go together like pineapple on pizzathey just go together. You can't feast upon the reality that you're covered in the blood of Christ and forgiven, and then do whatever the heck you want to do. The cross leads to resurrection. If we enjoy the bloodshed for forgiveness of sins, we ought to then enjoy the application of that blood to live differently. How do both of these become ours? Is it simply by coming to church? If just coming to church means you're a Christian, then go stand in your garageit doesn't mean you're a car. It's by banking on Christ. It's coming to Christ knowing that you are bankrupt in and of your own stuff. I saw a shirt the other day that said "You are enough" on the back. I thought, "Wait, I believe the Biblethat's a lie!" I'm not enough; Jesus is enough. These things become our own when we no longer bank on ourselves but bank on Christ by trusting Him, following Him, and clinging to Him for everything. Then all that is His becomes ours. His death becomes our death; His resurrection becomes our resurrection. Right now, these are spiritual realities. We weren't there when these events took place, and Jesus' human body is at the right hand of the Father. But one day, all that is spiritually true of us will become physically true of us when another death and another resurrection occur. In verses 6 and 7, Paul says, "We know that our old self was crucified with Him." He clarifies that our "old self"the "body of sin"was brought to nothing. This isn't just the physical body; it's the whole of who we were before we were converted. What did this death bring about? Freedom. Paul says sin was a master over us, keeping us bound and enslaved. We know what slavery to sin looks like: it's alluring and tempting, but it leads to shame, guilt, despair, and emptiness. It stinks like death. Christ died so that our slavery to sin would be brought to nothing. Verse 7 is the great pronouncement: "For the one who died has been set free from sin." This is the deepest kind of emancipation. It's not a call to do anything yet; it's a call to tell you what has already been done. If you are in Christ, the sin that once gripped you no longer binds you. You are free. II. We Know Life (Verses 811) Paul wants us to know more than just death; he wants us to know life. Listen to verses 8 to 11: "Now, if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him. We know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death He died, He died to sin once for all, but the life He lives, He lives to God. So also, you must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus." Verse 8 follows the same pattern as verse 5. It begins with "We believe"a statement of confession and sure hope. Because Jesus rose, we believe we rose with Him. In verse 9, we see that Christ will never die again. This is "bonkers," isn't it? It is finished. Contrast this with Lazarus. Jesus raised Lazarus, but Lazarus eventually had to die again. He had to go through that twice! But when Jesus walked out of the tomb, He never re-entered it. His resurrection is greater; His life is stronger. Death no longer has dominion over Him. How could death ever have authority over the King of Kings? Only one way: Jesus allowed it to. He willingly submitted Himself to the power of death for us. Because He submitted to death, in His resurrection, He was enabled to kill death forever. It hit Him so it won't hit us. The life Jesus lives, He lives to God. That same life that created the world and called dry bones to life is the life that fills a sinner the moment they turn to Jesus in faith. If the Bible didn't say this, we wouldn't believe it. So what does this mean for us? It leads to verse 11: "Consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus." Application: Be Who You Are Paul is telling us: "Christian, how do you live the Christian life? Be who you are." You are free. Live in that freedom. To the Christian We need so much gospel repetition. We need friends to look us in the face and say, "Don't be dumb. You're not a slave anymore. You're a cherished son or daughter of the King. Don't go back into the grave." Does your inner dialogue match this? Are you just beating yourself up all the time? You are likely your own worst enemy. No one lies to you or breaks promises to you more than you do. Learn verse 11. Preach this to yourself: "I died with Christ. I rose with Christ. The old self is gone; newness of life has come." For some of you, the resurrection has become monotonous because you've heard it year after year. But have you ever called the sea monotonous? You've seen the tide and the waves thousands of times, yet it's always a fresh thing of wonder. Why would we call the resurrection monotonous? It is always a thing of wonder with fresh grandness to grab hold of. To the Non-Christian I don't want to be rude, but I want to be honest: none of these glories are for you yetbut they could be. The gospel is what you need. You are far more sinful than you could ever imagine, but in Christ, God has loved you more than you could dare hope. Sin is your biggest problem. Sin doesn't just make you bad; it makes you dead. The world isn't full of "bad" and "good" people; it's full of dead sinners and Jesus. You are your own worst enemy, but you're not just a "train wreck" who needs a life coach. You're a dead sinner in need of resurrection. Jesus loves the sinners, the down-and-out, and the outcasts. He loves His church, as messed up as we are. May you see this Savior with fresh eyes today and walk in the power of His resurrection.

Watch at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoxFLS_V_Fw&t=4s

So just a few months ago, our culture experienced one of its pinnacle moments of the last 10 years. It had been waiting for it. It had been building. It had been so important that Americans could not wait any longer. It was the conclusion to Stranger Things. We had waited years for this thing to finally come to a close. Would they defeat Vecna? How would they defeat Vecna? What would happen? For those of you who do not watch TV or Netflix, good for you. But the point is there is something about stories and the joy of a conclusion. There's an anticipation of what is going to happen. How will the protagonist get out of this situation? How will these things come to fruition? Many people, maybe you're not a TV watcher, maybe you're a book reader, maybe you enjoy some fictional novels, will find that the main point of the story, the conclusion, isn't actually the conclusion. The climax comes about 90% of the way through the book. And then the last 10% is roughly a rough down of how it all worked out, how everyone has a happily ever after, everyone's going to sing songs, and it's going to be great. That is next week's sermon. We are at the climax sermon. So we're at the penultimate moment of the exodus. So this is God leading his people finally completely out of Egypt. This is the culmination of what we've been working through since August. So this is the culmination of the exodus itself. We are then going to journey into the wilderness to Sinai, which will be its own episode series, if you will, using modern ideas. This is the end of the big climax, the big final showdown between Yahweh and Egypt. We've been building it up week after week in different ways. Some of you may have thought that that was Passover, but it's not. They still have not left the grips of Egypt. As we saw last week, they are right on their heels. The Pharaoh is still present. He is still chasing them. The Lord has not fully removed his people from Egypt's grasp. Today, we will experience that full salvation of God's people. And part of it we will see is because one thing has not fully been revealed yet. It's the fact that God said very early on that he will be known in Egypt, that they will know him as the Lord, that Egypt will know him, and that the Lord is the one who will do this thing. We've seen this play out, this picture of that they will know me not just as God, but as the Lord. It's what he told Moses on the mountain. They have known me as God, but now they will know me as the Lord. This picture of this revelation of God in full for his people in a new way. This is what will be unveiled today as we will see the personal relationship of God with his people all the more, but we'll see the knowledge of himself revealed. We'll see it in his presence with his people. We'll see it in his judgment against Egypt, and we will also see it in his salvation. And so it begins with him answering Pharaoh's question from chapter five, verse two, when we first saw Moses come into Pharaoh's chamber demanding, let my people go for the Lord has commanded it. Do we remember Pharaoh's response? Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? Who is this Lord? Who is this God that I should care about? We highlight this back in October, and today, here we are nine chapters later, months later in the actual history of time, the Lord will now be revealed completely to Egypt, so much so that we'll get to a moment that they declare the Lord is with Israel, the first time that they declare him as Lord. But as we work through this text, we set our context up to this point. The Lord has led them out of Egypt. We've seen this over the last few weeks. He led them by a different path, not through Philistia straight into the promised land, but through this little wilderness wandering and camped them next to the sea. Again, if you're Israel, this is a weird place to be. We're going towards the promised land, and now all of a sudden we're just camped out next to a sea. This is clearly not the way we should be going. God doing, last week we highlighted, and then Egypt, clear like, well, they're next to the sea, if we just get on one side of them, there's nowhere else for them to go. So we will entrap them next to the sea. What is God doing here? And thus we have, Moses gives that great speech, the Lord will fight for you, encouraging the people that God is with us. And this is where our text turns to as we see God making himself known in his presence with a very interesting opening. Maybe some of you, if you look at your Bibles right now and read the opening verse of chapter 15, you're probably a little confused. If we're being honest, if you read it, you're probably like, what is God doing? The Lord said to Moses, why do you cry to me? What are you doing? Why are you crying to me? Go, tell the people to Israel, go forward. It's kind of a knee jerk, like setback, like what, well, they're crying to you for salvation. This is what they've been doing. What we now see is that the time for prayer has come to an end, it's now time for action. It's time to move. Spurgeon, when preaching on this text, goes, the Lord loves the prayers of his saints, but also the prayers of the saints are meant to move the saints to move, to act according to what God has told them to do. So you've prayed, you have laid out your burdens before me, now go and do them. Again, we don't have the inner monologue of what the Israelites were thinking, because you could honestly go, well, we're next to this water, well, we can't go that way, we can't go that way. Maybe the giant pillar of fire will just consume them all and we'll be done. God will fight for us, maybe that's God, he'll just, he's a pillar of fire, that makes sense. So they're just standing still. And then God simply tells Moses, go. Tell the people to move forward. Lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And so the Lord makes his presence known once again with his people by giving them the instructions on how to follow him. He gives them how to know him and how to be obedient. So the prayers have come to an end, now live this out. So lift up your staff. This is the same phrase that Moses has been told to do time and time again. So lift up your staff and the plagues came. We saw it six different times. Lift up your staff and I will work. We'll see it in a couple weeks when we get to the Amalekites for the first big battle of Israel against the nations. And we'll see Moses must lift up his hands and victory is accomplished. This is all part of God's care and oversight of his people, the lifting of his staff over them. And so this begins their journey. Moses, I will give you the way, and it is through the sea. Now up to this point, we've seen God do some miraculous things, some really crazy things. And now we will see once again one of those miraculous mind-boggling moments where the Lord will open the sea before them that they may cross on it. They must only obey. And so he gives his commands to his people. Will they obey what he has called them to do? Moses, lift up your staff. And in so doing, why is he doing this? Why is he taking them through the sea? Why is he not taking them around through Philistia as we saw before? Why is he not just consuming them with fire immediately? Why is he doing this? What is his goal? So let me harden the hearts of Egyptians so they shall go in after them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his hosts, his chariots and his horsemen, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord when I have gotten glory over Pharaoh. He is doing this so that his name may be glorified and that they may know his name, that the name of the Lord will go forth from that moment. The Lord is far grander. He is the one who splits the water itself. He is the one who brings judgment against those who stand against him. He will not share his glory with anyone. And so in this moment, we've seen time and time again how Pharaoh sets himself up as God. He is God to his people. No one receives glory but Pharaoh. Who is this Lord that I should listen to him? Pharaoh has no regard for Israel, has no regard for their God, has no regard for the Lord. He only glorifies in himself. Always seen at some point, he will get the upper hand. Seeing this, he just continually doubles down. He's the one who keeps losing money and just keeps going back to the tables. Like, one of these days, it's gonna work out. I'll just, one day, I will beat the Lord. I will beat the house. And as we see time and time again, the house, the Lord, never loses. So too, we have today. The Lord will not give his glory to another. The Lord will be seen as God in his name. will go forth to all the nations from this moment and it's all based around the fact that God is with his people. His presence resides with this people. He is their pillar. He is their cloud. He is the one who is leading them. And so they will know, the Egyptians will know, that the God of Israel is the true and living Lord. This is what he's been driving at from the beginning. The Lord will be known. And so we see this truth here, that God gives commands to his people, how they will live, how they will act now. They will walk through this river or through the sea and he will be the one to do it. He will dry the ground. There's nothing that they can do to dry the ground. I mean, 600,000 people may breathe on the ground. Maybe it'll dry. They can't. That's the picture. God is the one who is at work here. And so this is where they will go. Is there faith that God will be with them and will save them? So he is with them through his command, but he's also with them as he leads them and as he protects them. For we've seen the pillar of smoke. And so we have in verse 19, the continuation. Then the angel of God, who was going before the host of Israel, moved and went behind them. And the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them, coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel. And there was the cloud and the darkness and it lit up the night without one coming near the other all night. And so God acts. We talked about this already. Pastor Adam covered this a couple weeks ago. The fact that the cloud, in many ways, is a theophany. Fancy word for God with his people. God present in the text. In this case, we'll see this later in our own text, where it says that he looks down from the cloud and judges Egypt. This picture of God is seen with his people in the cloud. The angel of God is in the cloud. He is with them. He is leading them. So again, we see this later in the book of Deuteronomy and other places, that the cloud goes to the temple of meeting and there God speaks with Moses face to face. Again, so we have this picture, not that God is the cloud, but God is visible to his people through the cloud. Very similar to the temple. It's a physical manifestation of a spiritual greater reality for his people. He condescends. Ultimately, we see this in Christ, the true condescension with his people. But in this, again, we see this cloud as a dividing line that is protecting his people. Up to this point, we saw it lead them. It led them through the desert. It led them to the water and now it will separate his people from the people of Egypt. He will be the divider. He will divide the righteous from the wicked in this moment, protecting his people. Now again, you've got to, this is a sight to behold. If you honestly think about the visual of this moment, this giant pillar. Now, however this pillar works, Isaac and I were having a long conversation of what this pillar could look like. Is it a small pillar or is it like a tornado? Like you think of a tornado, if it's more than a mile wide, you can't see it at all. It just looks like a big cloud. So it's, who knows? Whatever it is, it's big enough to divide a group of people that are close to a million from an entire advancing army. It's a pretty big wall, if you will. But just imagine it going from here over your head to there. It's just the manifestation of God at work, or did it just disappear and then reappear? Scripture doesn't tell us. Use your imagination. But either way, it's an astounding reality that there is this divide that now exists. They see the Egyptians coming. They are frightened the Egyptians are coming. Now they can no longer see the Egyptians coming. That's the picture, that this wall of cloud has completely separated them. Neither can come close to the other. They're completely divided and cut off from one another. God is defending his people in preparing the way of their salvation. This is God at work. And so his people now are preparing for what comes next. And so there is the reality that God is at work for his people, defending his people in preparation for what is ahead. For God defends his people, making the way possible for them to walk in his ways. It's not just that he tells them to walk, but he makes the way possible for them to achieve that goal. Very similar to what we have in the book of Ephesians, that encouragement that he not just prepares good works for his believers, but he is the one who prepares them to do those works. He gives them all that they need to accomplish it through their salvation, through the love of Christ that changes them. He makes the way possible. He does not set forward a path that is not able to be walked in, but rather gives the defense and the means to accomplish his will. And so he gives that to us in his presence with us. In the revelation of his word, we see him at work, the God who works for his people. And so he is the one who accomplishes these things, and so he makes their path straight. Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right and on their left. And so the Lord leads his people, they follow his commands. So with the cloud behind them separating them, they now move forward as the Lord blows back the water. What's interesting, again, if you take a moment and think about the text, it says it blew from the east. It was an east wind. So usually you see the picture and Moses does this and the water starts here and it goes like this. It's the opposite. Moses goes like this and it starts down there and slowly zips towards him. So even that, they're waiting for it to come to them. So there's a bit of anticipation that the Lord said the waters are going to divide. Moses' arms are out. You're still waiting for it to separate. They're waiting for it to come. They don't even see the immediate effects of it. They're waiting for the Lord to separate the waters, which he does. It just gives you that picture of the Lord at work to his people that sometimes it's not immediate. They have to wait on his work. And so they trust in him in this moment, waiting for the wind to blow. And so the wind blows and it dries the ground along the way and it stands on either side. And you have that wonderful Prince of Egypt moment. If everyone's seen the cartoon, if you have kids or were just a Christian in the early 2000s, water on each side, there's random whales and sea creatures just for the dramatic effect. Again, none of this is in scripture, but it's a fun, creative imagination. But the animals will clearly, the water, fish still exist. Fish are still alive. These are all realities of showing God at work. God's supernaturally setting the walls up, all the water, top to bottom. Again, it's not like a small path. If you actually think about this, we've already said there's over 600,000 people, however you want to do the math. If that's just men, it's over 1 point something million. If that's everyone, that's still not, that's all of Pasco County. At minimum, that's all of Pasco County. Just take everyone that lives in Pasco County. Now walk through the Red Sea. So that's probably not going to be US 19. You're probably not getting everyone down US 19 about half a mile in four hours, if we're being honest. This is a big divide. This is a large separation. The Lord greatly opens the water to transverse this dry ground and dries it as well. The wind blows, it separates, it makes the path for all of them to go across safely. We see this at work. We see the Lord lead his people and then they follow on dry ground without hesitation. There's no wondering like, oh, is it safe? They just go. The text says, and they went on dry ground. No questions. The people follow the Lord, leading the command of Moses, and they cross. It says very clearly, the people went into the midst of the sea on dry ground. This isn't any of those moments you've, again, we see lots of movies, which anyone who knows, if you watch a movie about scripture, it's going to be a little off or very off, depending. But most of them have this like weird mark that like they're running to the end, trying to get out of the Egyptians way, like trying to like, oh, last minute, get everyone across before Egypt. None of that's in this text. They're clearly safely on the other side. They're camping out. They're having fun. There's no worry in the people of Israel. They're not rushing through the water, hoping to make it to the other side. God secures their path and guides them to the end. The picture we have here is eventually, okay, as we turn to our next sections, we see God revealed in judgment or God's knowledge. He has made known through his judgments as he makes sure his people are safely to the other side. And then Egypt breaks through because this is all to fulfill, again, what he said in verse 18, the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord. And so he hinders their advances. He opens the way. Again, it doesn't say how, it doesn't say when the cloud was removed, how the cloud was removed. Did the cloud go forward when? We don't have that information. We only have the fact that at some point, the Lord lets Egypt through. The Egyptians pursued and went in after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. In the morning watch, the Lord in the pillar and fire and cloud looked down on the Egyptian forces and threw the Egyptian forces into a panic, clogging their chariot wheels so that they drove heavily. And the Egyptians. Egyptians said, let us flee from before Israel for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians. The Lord makes himself known and here we see it by hindering their advances. He looks down from the cloud and he makes their way difficult. So the picture is we had dry ground, somehow that dry ground got mushy. The picture here isn't just, oh well they walked and naturally if you walk on dry ground. The picture is the Lord makes it mushy. The dry ground is not dry anymore. The dry ground is now a little wet. It's heavy, their wheels are. They're clogged in this seabed. They cannot rush quickly with their chariots and catch up to Israel. The Lord has thrown them into confusion. They don't know what is left and what is right. They are lost in this event. Maybe they're frightened by the water on their left and on the right. This is not a normal moment. Even if you're going into battle, you're not usually running through pillars of water on either side. There is a terror that exists in Egypt's advance. So in this, we have the fact that the Lord is leading them to their destruction to know him. Very much, if you want, it's a trap would be a very good explanation for this moment. It's very much a trap. The Lord has led them into the water to destroy them. So you can have your Admiral Ackbar moment for the Star Wars fans. That's a reality. They are not seeing this clearly. They are blinded by their own rage to destroy Israel. And so the Lord will get his final victory over Egypt. Time and time again, we've seen the Lord victorious over the people of Egypt, over their gods and over their own hubris. He's continually conquered Pharaoh week after week and yet Pharaoh keeps coming. This will be the final destruction. There is nothing to come back from. God's judgment will be final. In that judgment, his name will be proclaimed. It's why it's so important that we do not miss that phrase at the end of 25, the last words of the Egyptians in the book before us. The final words of the Egyptian people in the book of Exodus is that the Lord fights for them. Using the name the Lord. He's not some mythical God. He is the Lord. The one who said he was going to set his people free. The one who Pharaoh refused to acknowledge. Who is this Lord? Who is this Yahweh who has sent you here? I have no regard for him. He is a waste of my time. Again, we had the picture of him brushing off Moses and Aaron as if they were nothing. And this Lord is nothing to me. Here now they proclaim in a loud voice, the Lord fights against the Egyptians. This Lord is God. He is mightier than all of our gods. He is mightier than all of our forces. They walked across dry land. We can't get 10 feet before our wheels are all gunked up. In this moment, the final full revelation of God has come upon the Egyptians and it's too late for them. Judgment is at hand. His name is revealed in his judgment against the wicked. We see this actually throughout scripture. If you read the book of Ezekiel, time and time again, each of his words of judgment against the nations or against those who fight against him, it says, so that they may know that I am the Lord, I will do this. Against Israel, he will say in the book of Exodus, so that they may know that I am the Lord, I will send them into exile. Judgment is a means by which God is revealed. Ultimately, we see throughout scripture, there are two realities of knowing the Lord. We will either know the Lord, as we will see in Israel's case in this moment, as the savior of his people. We'll know the Lord through Christ as the one who lived and died and rose again for the salvation of his people, for those who repent and believe. Or we'll be with all those who every knee will bow in heaven and earth and declare that he is the Lord, not in salvation, but in judgment. God is God of all people and will be acknowledged as such, either in salvation or in judgment. Those are the only options. There is no middle, well, I kind of, he's existed sort of. He will be known in one of two realities. And this is one of the first clear evidences of that teaching in scripture. Egypt comes to know him as the Lord, as they are drowned in the sea. Now, in this, this is not all of Egypt. Take a little aside, back a couple chapters. Stay in Egypt No, it says many went with Israel. They saw the work of God. They saw the death of the firstborn They saw all the miracles and they went. Hey, we want to follow that guy The Lord is the Lord But not all Israel or not all Egypt left many stayed continuing to reject this God And this becomes the reality for them the judgment that is poured out on them that he may be Known as the Lord So he pours out his judgment on Egypt on the Egyptian forces and so he stretches out his hand again And the text says Then the Lord said to Moses stretch out your hand over the sea that the water may come back upon the Egyptians Immediately after they declare he is the Lord Stretch out your hand. That's how the text unfolds So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea and the sea returned to its normal course when the morning appeared Now as the Egyptians fled into it the Lord threw the Egyptians into the midst of the sea The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen and all the hosts of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea Not one of them remained But the people of Israel walked on dry ground through the sea the water being a wall to them on their right and on their left So our text paints this picture of God's full judgment poured out The idea of tossing them into the sea. It's actually an illustration. He just brushes them off His cloak is actually the idea that they're nothing they just brushed. It's just a bug Is this picture of God tossing them into the sea? Again, very similar to a word play on Pharaoh towards the Lord who is this God that I should pay any attention to him? Who is Egypt that I should pay any attention to them? They're thrown into the sea receiving the full judgment do them Again cycling back as every good story does back to the beginning with a different group of people thrown into the sea The children of Israel are thrown into the sea to their death For the prosperity of Egypt they kill the slaves children the sons Here now it is Egypt that is tossed into the sea as if they are nothing They're tossed into the judgment that they are due They aren't innocent bystanders that just got stuck in the crosshairs The they are willful participants in this endeavor These are Pharaoh's army These are men of renown and Pharaoh's household These men are very active in all that has transpired as well and all of this is that God will be known and we will see throughout the rest of the text if you work through the rest of The Old Testament you see God's name go forward from this moment. It is on the lips of the people This is the people who God brought out of Egypt This moment will echo an eternity for them God who saved his people out of Egypt walking on dry ground the Lord is Good to his own and he has gained glory over Egypt and over Pharaoh Now whether Pharaoh dies in the water is a question mark for everyone. It has been pondered throughout history whether or not Pharaoh is in the water Nothing's explicit. Psalm 136 is the closest you're gonna get where it says that Pharaoh was overthrown at the water Either way the point being that's just for your own ponderance Feel free to work that on a small group question if you want the idea though is God gained victory That question all has to do is whether or not Pharaoh sees the reality of his final destruction or if he just experienced death either way but the picture here God is God has received full glory over the people of Egypt. They will be of nothing We won't see them again in Israel history for a long time. They lose their power their majesty their strength They now become but a byword in this moment for Israel God has gained full victory over them the Lord's glory has been Displayed as he saved his people through the water He brought them to the other side safely, but to Egypt it was Destruction it was their judgment And so we see the end is the fact that God makes himself known through the salvation of his people So he is with his people. They know him by his presence They know him now as seeing judgment enacted and lastly we see him known and we can rest in him as we see salvation God saves his people Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians the penultimate moment. The battle is won They've crossed through they stand victorious having done nothing but walk all they did was walk and God is victorious. God is the one who fought for them in ways. They would not have expected walking through the water all you who had to do was walk and they walked on dry land and they saw and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore Israel saw the great power of the Lord used against the Egyptians so the people feared the Lord and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses so through this final work of salvation through everything that they've experienced they fear the Lord this made him more secure that made them more secure in who God is as they've seen in full he has fulfilled his promises he kept the word that he said to them that he would lead them out of Egypt he has now led them out of Egypt he has destroyed the Egyptians along the way and they will not see them again the very thing that he promised you will not see the Egyptians again your last sight of them is dead on the shore this is the great enemy who tortured you enslaved you for 400 years and I have gotten victory over them I fulfill my word my word does not return void I am the God who fulfills his promises to his people and so God saves them God brings them out and in so doing they see the power of God and they fear the Lord the work of God produces two realities produces the fear of him and the belief in him so as you see God at work it should produce these realities one is a sense of fear a real sense of fear and the fact that we serve God who can do anything so we usually think about this as a father who is mighty okay there is a reverent fear there's a fear that he can act like that produces a reality of fear not in a like I'm gonna scare and hide in a corner but there is a confident fear that my father in heaven can do whatever he says he's going to do that is both a confidence and a frightening reality okay and that is this picture it produced the fear God destroyed the Egyptians with water again you look at all the different ways he led them into a sea that is a that is a trap like they just I'm just gonna wander into the water and he closed it in on this is a God to be feared but it's a fearful belief because he fought for them he was their God he was with them through it all and so this fear produces belief we serve a mighty God who is sovereign over all who is this awesome powerful God who fulfills his promises in so we may believe in the Lord we fear the Lord we believe the Lord this is actually the first time that the text directly says that the fear of the Lord is with them throughout scripture up this point again one thing fear of God is often spoke about they feared God and highlighting again this little caveat that we saw back at the beginning of Exodus that the Lord will be known again it's not that it's separate it's highlighting the personal nature of God with his people they have known me as God they will know me as the Lord here now the fear of God has been turned into the fear of the Lord okay so we just see that personal nature that Exodus is trying to add to us to understand of God with his people the whole people of Israel we've had individuals along the way now we have the people of Israel the fear of the Lord okay they fear the Lord and they believe in him and in his servant this picture again of belief being a trust a faith that he is who he says he is now again does that make them rely on that faith this is where it's the fun point of as you work this text out as we work out they believe he is the Lord does that mean they no longer rebel against their belief no they will still struggle to work out what this belief looks like the entire journey 40 years of working out what this looks like this entire generation minus three will die minus two sorry Moses however you want work on Moses dies on the mountain right beforehand but two people that's it Caleb and Joshua everyone else dead 40 years of working through this belief but they are said to believe the Lord they believed he is who he says he is they believe he is the one who has saved them they believe Yahweh is their God they will then struggle in what that belief means and how they will work that out as many of us understand the salvific work of God in working that out belief does not produce perfect obedience but a growing obedience they will work through their relationship with God all the more since we highlight their name is Israel. There's a little bit of a play on word earlier in the text that he fights for those who fight against him. If you will, the Egyptians say that Yahweh, those who strive against God, he is fighting for those who fight against him. It's this weird play on words that ideas, God is with his people. Even as they struggle against him, he fights for them. For they believe and so we believe and we grow and we continue to grow in our knowledge of the Lord as we continue to grow in what he does in us, through us, in our community, we see God at work. One of the great things about living out the faith, not by yourself, but in the church body, we enjoy this element of many of you probably experience this in small groups or just in different relationships, is seeing how God does stuff in other people. Sometimes we get blind spots of God doing stuff in our own lives. You ever had that like, well, what's the Lord doing in your life? Things? But then people start explaining that what God's doing in their life or pointing out and you're like, oh yeah, that is something that's changed. That is something, wow, that's, would have never imagined that God would do those things. Part of living life in community is being able to see God at work in ways that we just don't think about. We read the scriptures and we see God at work in miraculous ways. When we live the faith together, we see God at work in big and small ways. And as you spend life together for the long haul, you see lots of those things play out. Again, as you work through all of each, like we've worked through this actually, we've seen God work in different ways in the people of Israel. As they live life together for the long haul, God will work in different ways in the life of Israel. As we do life together, God works in different ways in each and every one of us here. And we're able to share and experience that knowledge of God together. As God shapes us and molds us into the image of his son together. It's one of the beautiful things about the knowledge of God being revealed to us through the body that he has saved. And so in our text, we see this final conclusion, this final climax of this battle between God and Egypt and the victory of God and the salvation of his people that produces belief, produces a salvation of his people. So too, we're reminded of God's victory over sin and death that brought forth our salvation. For those who repent and believe in the work of Christ, the one who lived and died and rose again for our salvation, who repent and turn from sin, no longer pursuing the things of the world, but pursuing Christ, this salvation is real. He has conquered sin and death. There is nothing that separates us from the love of Christ. The cloud is gone. We're on the other side of the cloud. We have the presence of God with us. The knowledge of God revealed to us. We have blessings beyond imagination that will lead to song. Next week as the conclusion of this chapter of Exodus ends, we have this proclamation of song as they will sing praise to God who saved them from the Egyptians. Miriam will dance and sing. Moses and the people will sing to God. This is the outworking of those who've experienced the salvific work of God. It's a joy beyond measure, a joy that is transformative as we know our God in a new and personal way. If you have not received, if you've not experienced this joy, I would ask you to ponder deeply the reality of your life. Do you know the Lord? Not do you know God, God in an ethereal sense, but do you know the Lord? Do you know the Lord in full as revealed in Christ Jesus? Do you know that salvific work that did not simply lead you through water but led you through and out of sin and death? Do you know this Lord? If you don't, I would ask you to deeply seek him out. Repent and believe, Christ calls us to do. Repent and believe on him. Turn from your wicked ways. Trust in him for the salvation of your soul. Speak to one of the members here who will happily walk you through the depth and the beauty and wonder that is the grace of God is revealed and what salvation looks like. And for those who believe, may you take the joy of your salvation to those around you that his glory may go far.

Ill never forget the first fight I got in. It was in third grade and it was with a kid who lived down the street. His name was Chris, we were in the same grade in school, and he had just gotten a new paintball gun and wanted to show me. I thought it would be cool and that he might let me shoot it, so I ran down to his house and was excited to see it. Heres what happened. I get down the street, and he's there at the end of his driveway with the gun. I got closer and he held it up for me to look at and it was cool. I had never seen a paintball gun, never held one, and here one was, and it was cooler than I thought it would be. All was well so far, until he asked if I wanted to see him shoot it, I immediately said yes, which prompted him to point the gun at my arm and pull the trigger. Now, it was just a paintball gun. It shoots little plastic balls of paint, nothing too crazy. But I was in the third grade, and he just shot me with the barrel of the gun touching my arm. It hurt, it left a scar, which I still have, and it made me furious. So I grabbed the only thing within reach, which happened to be a wet newspaper on the ground still in its plastic bag (they had just been delivered and it had just stopped raining), and I hit that joker across the face as hard as I could. He ran back inside his house screaming, and I walked home holding my arm. That was my first fight. It was quick, I got a scar, I found out I couldnt trust Chris, I discovered what uncontrolled anger can do, and I realized how much my Mom doesnt like me getting in fights. I learned a lot from this small fight. Now, in our text today Israel gets into a fight, and they learn a lot too. They learn about themselves, they learn about their enemy, and most importantly they learn about God. And the crazy thing is, they never wouldve learned these great lessons if they werent in the fight. If their life was all roses and rainbows they wouldnt learn about God as much as they did. Open up, Church, to Exodus 14. As we come to the text, we pick up right where we left off last week with Israel entering the wilderness. As Exodus 13 ends we saw Gods wisdom, Gods faithfulness, and Gods providence on display, as He came down to protect and provide for His people in the great pillar of cloud and fire. How wonderful to see that into all that confused and scared Israel, they could rest because God was there, always there, caring for them and leading them to exactly where they needed to be. That same pattern continues as we begin Exodus 14. I was greatly encouraged in this passage this week, I pray you are as well. See first The Plan (v1-4) Then theLordsaid to Moses,Tell the people of Israel toturn back and encamp in front of Pi-hahiroth, betweenMigdol and the sea, in front of Baal-zephon; you shall encamp facing it, by the sea.For Pharaoh will say of the people of Israel, They are wandering in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.AndI will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will pursue them, and I willget glory over Pharaoh and all his host,and the Egyptians shall know that I am theLord. And they did so. This is an unexpected beginning. In the end of chapter 13 Israel had entered the wilderness for the first time, and even though God isnt taking them the short way, Israel most likely thinks theyll be in the Promise Land soon. Yet, what happens in v1-2 here? God tells them to do a U-turn, and to go back where they just came. Specifically, He tells them to go through Pi-hahiroth (canal opening?), Migdol (tower?), and Baal-zephon (pagan site?). Once they go through these places Israel ends up camping right in front of the Red Sea. Why does God tell them to do this? Great question! You better believe Israels wondering that very same thing too right about now. You dont have to be a military strategist to understand that this looks like a terrible plan. Why? Israel just traveled backwards closer to Egypt, the very place they had just run out of as fast as they could. The Egyptians just so happen to be the most powerful superpower on the earth at the time, which means theyve got a massive armyand Israel, at least at this time is a bunch of scared grumblers who arent ready for a fight. Heres the dilemma: whats going happen if Pharaoh changes his mind and comes out after them? Theyll be sitting ducks! Itll be like shooting fish in a barrel. Yet, God led them here, so God is saying, Youre exactly where I want you to be. Thats v3, see it? God placed Israel here to dupe Pharaoh. Pharaoh no doubt has spies out there watching Israel, and he wouldve got the report that Israel looks all lost and confused in the wilderness, and that right now theyre just camped on the beach of the sea. Now look at v4. God will harden Pharaohs heart once more, and Pharaoh will choose to go back on his word and come out after Israel to re-enslave them. Yet, God is not only is duping Pharaoh, Hell defeat Pharaoh out here, and prove once for all that He alone is God, by getting glory over Pharaoh and all his host. This is the plan. Now in v1-4 Israel learns how all this will play out, so they know the plan, nothing thats about to happen should surprise them. But as the passage continues in v5-14 the text slows down and we see more detail from a variety of viewpoints. From the Egyptians, from Israel, and from Moses. The Enemy (v5-9) When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, themind 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?So he made ready his chariot and took his army with him,and tooksix hundred chosen chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them.AndtheLordhardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the people of Israel whilethe people of Israel were going out defiantly.TheEgyptians pursued them, all Pharaoh's horses and chariots and his horsemen and his army, and overtook themencamped at the sea, by Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon. Here we see how this all looked from Pharaohs perspective. To him, things are looking pretty good. Hes about to go get his work force back! And hes thrilled that Israel is so dumb to get themselves stuck in such a defenseless position. Notice in v5-9 the actors we read of. Pharaoh here acts of his own accord and God acts on him too. Or we could say, Pharaoh has a change of heart in v5-7 and God hardens his heart in v8. Both are true, and both are real. Well, in this change of heart Pharaoh believes he made a mistake in letting Israel go and decides to go after them. How will he go after them? He gets his army and gets 600 chosen chariots ready to go after Israel to bring them back. This is an interesting detail to read. I think the reason we get the details about the chosen chariots is to let us know how powerless Israel is against these Egyptians.[1] They are, after all, the greatest military force in the world at this time, and the soldiers coming after them are Egypts finest. Its like an Egyptian seal team six coming after Israel right now. And once they set out, it doesnt take long for them to reach Israel, see how v9 ends? It says Pharaoh and all his army overtook Israel. This doesnt mean they defeated them, no, it means they caught up to Israel and boxed them in. So to them, this looks like itll be an easy victory. Theyre in front, the Sea is in back, Israel caught in between. The Fear (v10-12) 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 Israelcried out to theLord.Theysaid 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?Is not this whatwe 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. Here we see how this all looked from Israels perspective. To them things are looking pretty bad right? Even though God told them the plan in v1-4 theyve really got no idea why God is leading them so strangely, first heading out to the wilderness but now coming back to camp by the sea, so close to Egypt again. We (as readers) know the end of this story, that God will part the Sea, save them, and destroy their enemies, but they dont know that! They should rest in God and His word to them in v1-4, but the Egyptian special forces in front of them causes sheer panic to spread throughout the Israelites. Once again, Israel must not trust what their eyes can see and lean on their own understanding, no, they must trust the Lord. We get it though, right? Such a scene would cause the bravest among us to tremble. In v10 it says Israel feared greatly and cried out to the Lord. We dont get to read exactly what they cried out to God in these prayers, but we know what they sounded like, dont we? God whats going on? God I thought you were leading us? God dont give us up! God what are you doing? God do you see whats happening? God where are you? After crying out to God in v10 they lambasted Moses in v11-12 in their fear induced panic. These comments we do get to hear. Let me read it again, in v11-12 Israel says, 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?Is not this whatwe 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. Goodness. Faced with what they thought was sure and immediate death, Israel reinterpreted their centuries of slavery in Egypt and said they wished they never left. Israel was in a life or death panic, they arent thinking clearly, so they blame Moses for bringing them out of Egypt in the first place. They accuse Moses of wanting to kill them in the wilderness. And they even tell Moses it wouldve been better for them to stay in Egypt, sure theyd be enslaved and oppressed, but at least theyd be alive. As understandable as this is, they are ridiculous for saying such things. They experienced so much already, they saw the signs and wonders from Moses, they saw the plagues, they saw God destroy Egypt, and they knew God did all that in order to save them! You notice the small detail we passed over in v8? Israel walked out of Egypt defiantly, with their heads held high! But see them now. Deathly afraid, panicking, and full of fear. Its like the moment in the old movie Kingdom of Heaven, you guys see that? Its a brutal movie to watch about the Crusades, and at one point when the Muslim armies are about to capture Jerusalem someone turns to a priest and says, Father what should we do now? He answers, Convert to Islam, repent later! Fear, panic, and doubt, have caused many to do the craziest of things. But, praise God, into their fear and panic comes the Lord of hosts. What a moment were about to see here. The Call Promise (v13-14) And Moses said to the people,Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of theLord, which he will work for you today. Forthe Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again.TheLordwill fight for you, and you have onlyto be silent. Here we see how all this looked from Gods perspective. To Him, all is well, everythings working according to plan. Hes hardened Pharaoh and crushed the gods of Egypt before in the plagues, now God has set the stage for the final blow, where He will be glorified once again. Why did God place His people in such treacherous and dangerous conditions? To dupe Pharaoh, draw out Pharaoh, and to defeat Pharaoh. And all the while, Gods using Israel as bait! Moses is wonderful to see here in v13-14. It might in fact be Moses finest moment so far as a leader. He has eyes to see whats going on. He hasnt given way to panic or fear, no. In great confidence he gives Israel simple commands: fear not, stand firm, and watch. God is about to save you, He will fight for you, you only have to be silent. I actually dont like how the ESV puts it in v14, I think the NIV does better when it says, you need only to be still. What a word from God, right?! God doesnt dismiss their fears, God doesnt say theyre making it up, and God doesnt lie to them about the danger. Not at all. The danger is very real, but God says, In order for the Egyptians to get to you, they have to get through Me first![2] Why? Because God fights for His people. This is the reason why Israel, after the Red Sea affair, will sing and praise God calling Him a Man of war because thats who He is. God is a Fighter, and on one is stronger than Him! He can dispel all fears, deliver from all distress, defeat the strongest enemy, and save His people. How crazy is it to realize that Israel was never in any real danger at all. This is playing out exactly as God said it would. He is fighting for them, they dont have to lift a finger. Theyre not soldiers here, theyre spectators in this fight.[3] Israel must learn this, and how instructive for us to see that God places them in the exact position they need to be in order to learn this. Conclusion: There is so much to learn here Church. As Israel is in this passage, so often are we. Trials and struggles arise for us where we quickly lose sight of who God as a deep fear and panic swells up in us. We know the Lord is with us, we know the Lord is leading us, and we know He always knows bestbut sometimes in life, well have no idea what God is doing, no idea where God is leading, and no idea how God will save us from our plight. But He does, He always does. As He fought for Israel of old, so too God fights for us! What do you make of that? Some of you dont get this, because when moments of great distress come and fear swells up you dont look to or trust the Lord, no, you look at the storm swirling all around you and say the three most dangerous words you can, I got this. Church, hate to break it to you, but you dont got this. We like to think were strong and stable, brave and steady, but when the storms of life come and the enemy seems to have us trapped, we dont got this, were all like Israel, terrified and full of fear. Church, none of us got this But its ok. Because there is One who does got it, One who stood firm for us, One fought for us all the way to death. Of course Im speaking of Jesus. He faced the greatest storm anyone ever could and He looked it right in the face and said, With My fathers help, I got this. And because He does got it, we get it. The life He lived - He lived for us, the death He died - He died for us, and when He rose He broke the Devils grip on all of us. Christ fought for us, Christ fights for us still. This is deeply comforting. Many of you know this and youve seen this. And now you know that when those times come in life when you have no idea what God is doing, you can trust that He does, that He has all things in control, that He has led you and is leading you, and that because of this youre always exactly where you need to be in His sovereign plan. Israel needed to learn all of this so God put them in a treacherous position to learn it, so too He does the same with us. So here it is Church. Perhaps the biggest lesson of this passage: we are safer in a raging storm the Lord allows than any other peace this world can bring. Thus, we can sing in the storm, because the Lord fights for us, and He never loses. [1] John D. Currid, Exodus 1-18 EP Study Commentary (Welwyn Garden City, UK: EP Books, 2000) 281. [2] Victor P. Hamilton, Exodus: An Exegetical Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2011) 216. [3] Philip Graham Ryken, Exodus: Saved for Gods Glory PTW (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2015) 355.

Confession time. This past week for me was difficult in ways I did not expect. It was a week where I became very aware of my lack and the many needs I have in life, and so for most of the week I felt weak and frail instead of sure and stable. I know Im not the only one who has weeks like this, many of you do too. All this got me thinking, so I did a quick AI search and asked for a list of basic human needs. This is just some of what popped up. Physically we need to eat and drink healthy things not junky things to sustain ourselves. We need movement and activity and resistance to stay healthy. And we need sleep to recover and restore. Emotionally we need a measure of security to not feel under threat. We need a sense of purpose to drive us onward. And we need time and close friends to process all the noise in our heads so we can think clearly. Relationally we need a sense of connectedness with others, a like-minded community to know were not alone. We need to feel a sense of contribution in that community to know were making a difference. And we need others, to work with, to share joy and sorrow with, to be serious with, and to relax with. Thats a lot of needs. But this list missed a massive item. We also have many spiritual needs. We need to know God, that He made us, that were fallen sinners, that He saves us through Christ, and keeps us through the Spirit. We need to live near to the Lord in all of life, near His Word, near to prayer, and near to His people. Church, were all needy people. Hear it though, this is not bad news, its actually good news to know how many needs we have. Why? Because into our many needs, God delights to show up. Our passage today, shows us this very thing. Israel was a people with many needs and into all their need, God shows up and shows Himself to be strong, and sure, and enough. Into their lack of wisdom and knowledge, God stood forth as wise. Into their worries and concerns about what may come, God stood forth as faithful. And into their wandering, Gods guidance stood forth as sure and clear. All this and more is there for us in Exodus 13:17-22, go ahead and open up there. Some reorienting might be in order as were still getting used to being back in Exodus after a few months away from it. As chapter 12 finishes the waiting had finally ended for Israel. They had been enslaved for over 400 years, they had cried out to God, He heard, He sent Moses and Aaron, and then He sent the plagues. When the final devastating plague fell on Egypt, the death of the firstborn, Pharaoh let the people go. We see this monumental moment occur in Exodus 12:40-42, The time that the people of Israel lived in Egypt was 430 years.At the end of430 years, on that very day, all the hosts of theLordwent out from the land of Egypt.It was a night of watching by theLord, to bring them out of the land of Egypt; so this same night is anight of watching kept to theLordby all the people of Israel throughout their generations. After this text God does many things. He instructs His people to institute certain feasts to celebrate and mark this epic moment: the Passover, the consecration of the firstborn, and the festival of unleavened breadwe saw all that last week. Today we pick back up in chapter 13:17-22 where we see Israel back on the move. Church, there is so much to be encouraged by here. See first God Always Knows Best (v17-18) When Pharaoh let the people go, God didnot lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. For God said, Lest the peoplechange their minds when they see war and return to Egypt.But Godled the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle. As v17 begins we are told of the moment when Pharaoh finally let the Israelites go. But, were also told something unexpected. God does not lead His people by the shortest and most likely road. What is this? Well, if you flip to the back of your Bibles or look at an old map of this region youll see that there was one main road coming out of Egypt that most everyone used. It headed north out of Egypt and went straight to Canaan. One ancient Egyptian document mentions this saying many runaway slaves were caught on this road because it was the fastest way out of town.[1] If Israel took this road on their way out of Egypt, it wouldve taken them about 2 weeks to get to the Promise Land. This road was well traveled, it was short, and direct. It seemed like the best option for them. Yet v17 says that although this road was near, short, and direct God led them by a different way, a longer way. Why? Because this main road was a militarized zone. God knew His people. He knew that if they went that way, they would have to fight. He knew they werent ready for that, and that a war wouldve ended with Israel fleeing back to Egypt. See how v17 ends? For God said, Lest the peoplechange their minds when they see war and return to Egypt. Ask a question at this point. Couldnt God have just defeated any army the Israelites came upon on this road and see them through to safety?[2] Well, of course He could have done that. He couldve dealt with the Philistines easily. But that wasnt the plan. v18 does say they came out of Egypt equipped for battle, or ready for battle, or in a battle like formation, but God clearly said they werent ready for that.[3] The Philistines would be dealt with for sure, but that would come much later on. For now, God was teaching His people to trust. So, He changed the route. Look at v18, But Godled the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. It was not the fastest way, it was not the most obvious way, it was not the shortest way, and it certainly was not the most direct way. But it was Gods way, and because of that it was the best way. God knew His people. He knew exactly how much His people could handle, at this very moment. He knew they wouldnt make it on one road so He led them down another. In other words, God knew His people needed the long way home.[4] How relevant is this to us? Anyone feel as if your life hasnt turned out the way you thought it would? Do you feel your life has taken a detour and that youve never quite made it back on track? Do you feel like youve gotten lost in life and youre now struggling through some backwoods dirt road? Maybe your inner dialogue sounds something like this, God didnt intend for me to be where I am now. God is disappointed in me that Im so off course. Ive made such a mess of things I dont know if Ill ever find my way again. Church, be encouraged. God is too big and too sovereign for you to mess up His plans for your life. He knew Israel and knew what road was best for them to take, they didnt understand why but had to learn to trust Him. So too, God knows you. He knows you better than you know you, and He always knows what road is best for you, and if you dont understand why, rest in the fact that He does. Your life may not look like you wanted it to. Your life may not be anything like what you thought it would be like. It might be far messier and filled with more detours, ditches, and dirt roads than you want it to. But hear it Church, thats ok. Thats ok. God always knows what is best. Romans 8:28 is wondrously true, And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good All things! Theres nothing not included in all things! All the good, all the bad, all the in-between, all things means nothing in your life is random. So everything and everyone in your life is in your life by divine orchestration, so everything in our lives is an opportunity to know and serve and trust the Lord. Church, this first point is really an invitation to trust the wisdom of God. Think of Gods wisdom, what does that mean? That He is wise means God knows everything, and that He knows what is best for us, yes. But it also means He uses His perfect knowledge of all things to govern and guide our lives in the exact manner which is best. Meaning, in the exact manner which brings us the most good and Him the most glory. Church, in all of life remember, God always knows best. God Always Keeps Promises (v19) Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Josephhad made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying,God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones with you from here. Here in v19 we seem to get a detail that isnt all that significant, but it is. Long ago God promised Joseph that His bones would one day be brought out of Egypt and carried into the Promise Land. Hebrews 11:22 speaks of this saying, By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the Exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones. So Joseph knew Gods promise made to Abraham, to Isaac, to Jacob, and to himthat one day all of Israel would come into Canaan, the Land of Promise. Joseph lived and died in Egypt, but before his death he spoke of his bones being taken to the Promise Land. Meaning, he trusted in Gods promise, even when he didnt live to see it completed. Fast forward to now. That Moses is carrying the bones of Joseph here in v19, headed out of Egypt toward the Promise Land, is evidence that God is keeping His promises. Do you need to remember this? That God keeps His promises? When we feel life has taken a detour, and were on the wrong road, it can be tempting to think God has forgotten us or abandoned us. Life as a sinner in a sinful world is hard, its full of burdens, and those burdens weigh down on us, tempting us to think God has left us alone. But He doesnt forget, He doesnt abandon, He doesnt leave us. He always keeps His promises. Church, this second point is really an invitation to trust the faithfulness of God. That He is faithful means He never deceives, is never failing, never wavering, reliable, ever true, and ever constant. Despite our wavering and weary hearts, we can always have hope, because God is always faithful. What He is, He will always be, perfectly, and eternally. Church, in all of life remember, God always keeps His promises. God Always Goes Before (v20-22) Andthey moved on from Succoth and encamped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness.AndtheLordwent 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.The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people. What a moment this is. As Israel moves into the wilderness God is there, always there, how? In a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. I dont think we should see this as two different things, but one unified reality. Its one pillar, you just couldnt see much of the fire during the day or much of the cloud during the night.[5] This pillar wouldve been encouraging to the Israelites for many reasons. First, the pillar wouldve given them comfort. Surely a cloud was a welcome sight on hot wilderness days, just as fire was a welcome sight on cold wilderness nights. Second, the pillar wouldve given them safety. As encouraging as the pillar was to Israel, the sheer sight of it wouldve terrified all their enemies. Can you imagine what this wouldve looked like to armies coming against them? No ones ever seen anything like it! On seeing it all their enemies would know God is on Israels side. Lastly, the pillar wouldve given them divine assurance. Be sure to notice what v21 says, this is no mere sign of Gods presence, its God Himself.[6] the Lord went before them Meaning, just as God with was Moses in the burning bush back in chapter 3, so too God is with His people in the pillar of cloud and fire in the wilderness. This marked Israel out from all other nations. Later on in Exodus 33 Moses tells God, Your going with usmakes us distinctfrom every other people on the face of the earth. So not only is Isreal learning that God knows best and always keeps His promises, now they have a huge, visible, supernatural reminder that theyre not alone, that God was with them, and that they would always be on the right track because this pillar wasnt just God with them in the wilderness, in it God led them through the wilderness. Church this last point is really an invitation to trust the providence of God. That He is our providential God I mean how God wields all His might to govern, preserve, protect and provide for all His people. So in all our days, in all that we experience in all our days, God is there, governing, directing, ordaining, guiding our entire lives according to His sovereign plan. Israel need never fear getting lost in the wilderness because God was there in the pillar going before them. So too, we need never fear getting lost in life because God is here going before us to guide the way. Church, in all of life remember, God always goes before us. Conclusion: Church, Israel's entrance into the wilderness here in this passage taught them profound lessons in dependence. They were called to fix their eyes on and follow the visible manifestation of God's presence, the pillar of cloud by day and fire by night. Gods people would do this for 40 more years, and all the while God was always there with them. So too, He is with us. Not in a pillar of cloud and fire, but in the Person of Christ, the God-Man, who came down to dwell among us. He is the ultimate manifestation of Gods presence thats ever been revealed. And after living, dying, rising, and just before ascending, do you remember what He said? I am with you always, to the end of the age. So, in our own wilderness journeys, in our weeks of unexpected difficulty, in our moments of frailty and need, we are called to fix our eyes on Christ, and follow where He leads. Today we heard how God always knows best, God always keeps promises, and how God always goes before His people. Church, Christ is the ultimate God Always. He is the one who always knows best, guiding our detours and difficulties with perfect wisdom, orchestrating all things for our good and His glory. He is the one who always keeps His promises, fulfilling every ancient word, securing our hope, and never leaving us to wander alone. And He is the one who always goes before us, a constant, comforting, conquering presence, clearing our path, fighting our battles, and leading us safely home. So, when you feel lost, when God seems distant, when the path ahead is unclear, remember the pillar. Remember Christ, our faithful guide. Look to Him. Trust His wisdom. Rest in His faithfulness. Follow His lead. For in Christ, our God always shows up, always provides, and always leads us to Himself, the true Land of Promise. [1] Philip Graham Ryken, Exodus: Saved for Gods Glory PTW (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2015) 348. [2] Douglas K. Stuart, Exodus NAC (Brentwood, TN: BH Publishing, 2006) 322-323. [3] This phrasing in v18 is debated. [4] Ryken, 348. [5] Stuart, 327. [6] Theophany is the technical term in view here.

Watch at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xO4txMkoNf8

After seven weeks we have finally come to the last message in our new year sermon series. Perhaps I can begin by reminding you of why we began this series in the first place. Back on January 4 I said to you that we were taking time to study the sins of the church because we need to. We need to see our sin as it is, dreadful and disgusting, and from seeing such things our hope was to be made more eager to turn away from our sin toward Christ. So church, has that happened? Weve examined pride, greed, anger, envy, sloth, gluttony, and lust. In our trek through these deadly sins have you been disgusted by your sin? Have you found fresh encouragement to fight and abandon these sins? Or has this just been a fun sermon series where we got to hear and focus on things rarely discussed in church? On one hand we needed this series to help us combat modern culture, which normalizes the pursuit of sin and tempts us to believe that righteousness is strange. Virtue has fallen on hard times because the category of vice is now denied altogether. On the other hand, we needed this series to combat much within the modern church, which has followed popular culture. It is now normal to speak of various sinsnot as grievous offenses against God which require repentancebut more as personal struggles or present woundedness from past trauma which require therapy. In every generation we must uphold the doctrine of sin, to see it, to hate it, and to point us back to the wonder of Gods grace given in the gospel. So today, as we draw this series to an end, I want to walk you through Psalm 1 and pose a question to you: who will you be? Will you be one who turns toward righteousness or wickedness? Ive divided Psalm 1 into three headings. See first Two People (v1-2) Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night. The first word of v1 sets the tone. Blessed This word Blessed shows us that theres a great fullness, abundance, and vastness to the blessing flowing from God toto who? To the one who doesnt do some things and does do other things. Notice that? Before describing what the righteous person does theres a description of what the righteous person doesnt do. The language here is all about how one walks, which of course, is a way of referring to course of ones life.[1] So what does the righteous person not do? First, the righteous person doesnt walk in the counsel of wicked. They do not seek out or listen to the advice of the wicked, but it also they avoid the ways, habits, and lifestyles of the wicked. The righteous person does not live like the wicked. Second, the righteous person doesnt stand in the way of sinners. This means he has a select community because he chooses to live with and surround himself with the righteous and not with the wicked. Third, the righteous person doesnt sit in the seat of scoffers, meaning he doesnt get comfortable or close with sinners. Sin is certainly present in his life, but it isnt something hes at peace with. To the righteous, sin is always a defect, a blemish, marring the godly life hes seeking to live. Notice the movement in these words. It goes from walking, to standing, to sitting. This movement begins small and grows to a lifestyle. In other words, sin can quickly grip us. It might begin with a brief moment of giving in to sin but quickly grows into more and more sinful patterns until those patterns become habits and those habits become lives built on the very thing God hates. This is the way of sin is it not? Sin is always a downhill path from bad to worse.[2] This is what the righteous avoids. In v2 we see more. Here we find what the righteous does do. And its all about the Law of the Lord, or the instruction of the Lord. While the wicked is intimate with and settled into all that is sinful, the righteous is intimate with and settled into the Word of God. The righteous rejoices in this, his delight is in this, his happiness is in this, he feels blessed in this, he feels rich and abundant in this. And so he isnt content to merely open the Word for just a moment but meditates on it day and night. Meaning, he lingers over it long enough so that he sees the Lords beauty and his heart warms.[3] In other words, meditating on the Word is the chief pursuit of his life because God is the chief joy of his life. There is a great challenge here for us. Whats your relationship with the Bible? Do we read it? Thats good. Do you sit still over it long enough for your heart to go warm towards God? Thats better. Do we just give a few minutes a day, or do we study it? Is it our most familiar companion in life?[4] Many hear of this and think this kind of study is only for mature Christians, or for pastors. Church dont buy it. The kind of deep and rich study of Gods Word in v1-2 is for Christians! The difference between the righteous and the wicked in v1-2 is massive. The blessedness and happiness of v1 isnt just about saying no to worldly things, its about saying no and then also saying yes to the best things and pursuing them with all our might! The best of all things belongs to God, and so to live a life in pursuit of Him is the best kind of life to live. To further impress this upon us, Psalm 1 now gives us two images. Two Images (v3-4) He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Once again the righteous and the wicked are contrasted. The righteous man is likened to a tree and the wicked man is likened to chaff. These are opposite in nearly every way. v3 begins with the image of a tree. This is what the righteous man is like. They are planted by God near streams of water. So well rooted and fed by that stream that in every season, in plenty and in lack, in lush growth and in dry barrenness, they are ever green and bearing fruit. Why is this tree so well planted and strong? Because of v1-2, the righteous is nourished by delighting in the law of the Lord. They delight in it and meditate on it day and night, and because of that their roots grow deepso deep that even in winter their deep roots are not reached by the frost. Have you ever asked, Why a tree? Of all the images the Psalmist could use, why this one? Think back to the Garden. In Genesis 2 we learn there were trees in the garden. Adam and Eve were commanded to not eat from one tree, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This implies they had complete freedom to eat from any other tree in Garden as often as they so desired. Trees were not only present in Eden, they were woven into the tapestries of the tabernacle (Ex. 25:31-39), and in Solomons temple, (1 Kings 6:18, 29, 32, 7:18), and were in all of Ezekiels visions of the future temple to come (Ezek. 31:8-9, 41:18-26, 47:12), and are in Revelation 22 in the new heavens and new earth. So why trees in Psalm 1? Because its a consistent image of the righteous in all of Scripture. In Revelation we, perhaps, see the most Psalm 1 like language present. There the river of life is flowing out of the throne of God and the tree of life is growing and flourishing all down its banks growing ever green leaves that are for the healing of the nations. Question, are these literal trees? Id say no. In Psalm 1 it isnt a literal tree in view but the righteous described like a tree. So too, at the end as the river of life flows out from God nourishing the saints, it is those saints who are likened to be trees once again, deeply rooted along the banks with ever green gospel leaves that heal the nations. Ultimately, it is Christ is the living water giving life to His people causing them to grow evergreen. As wonderful as this is in Psalm 1:3, the next image in v4 is dreadful. The righteous are like the tree but the wicked are not so. The language of chaff being easily blown away in the wind is used to describe the wicked. Job, Isaiah, and Hosea all employ this kind of language to depict the judgment of the wicked. None of the good and glorious things weve been lingering on that are attributed to the righteous will ever be true of the wicked. They are the opposite in character and in condition. Instead of being planted by God, firmly rooted, ever nourished, and ever green, they are like weeds, shallow and weightless; like a blemish on a healthy landscape. They are like chaff the wind easily drives away. The image in view is a winnowing at a threshing floor, where corn thats been gathered is sifted or tossed up to separate the good from the bad. The corn is then taken into barns and the useless chaff is blown away.[5] Meaning, while the wicked may seem vibrant in this life as they prosper in their worldliness, in the end theyll be seen for what they are as the Lord bares all things and brings all men to account. All of this is leading somewhere in Psalm 1. In v5-6 it all leads to the two ends each person is heading towards and will one day arrive at. Two Ends (v5-6) Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. Here is one more contrast of the righteous and the wicked. While v1-4 primarily contrast the lives these two people lived, this last contrast has everything to do with the end each will experience. Its as if the Psalmist is telling us, Because all of this in v1-4 is true of the righteous and the wicked, do not be unaware of how all this will end.[6] The wicked, v5 says, will not be able to stand in the judgment. We know what this is.[7] To stand is to be stable, and unwavering. This is what the wicked wont be. All their confidence, all their bravado, all their boasting, will end as they are exposed for what they are. It says they also wont be able to join the congregation of the righteous. Throughout the history of the world the righteous have often been scattered abroad while the wicked have assembled against them. In the end that will be reversed when the Church universal is gathered once for all. In that gathering only be the sheep will be present, no goats; only be the wheat, no tares.[8] We might be all mixed together now, but in the end there will be a great separation. Even if they could be present in this host, they wouldnt like it and wouldnt want to be there. Why? Heaven would be hell to those who hate Christ.[9] Also, the absence of sin in glory would be hell to those who made a home with sin here. But see the beauty if we turn this around. To those whove died to sin here, whove hated sin here: hated its power, hated its allure and presenceheaven will be all the greater due to sins absence, as we enter into the joy of our Master and praise Him for His victory forevermore. This thought is developed further one last time in v6 as we see the final contrast in Psalm 1. for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. Wait, doesnt God know all things? Why does it say He only knows the way of the righteous? Doesnt He also know the ways of the wicked? Of course He does. The word know here in Hebrew doesnt mean knowledge of but closeness with. This is the word used in Genesis 4:1 when Adam knew Eve and had a child. This is a word of intimacy, of affection, of great love. So yes the Lord knows all things, but He only knows (greatly loves) His people. In this sense He does not know the wicked. So standing against this picture of the Lords intimate dealings with His own in v5 is the destruction of the wicked in v6. Conclusion: Church, Psalm 1 is a fitting place to end because it forces us to ask, who will we be? Righteous or wicked? If you choose the way of the wicked and make room in your soul for sin, youll have quick thrills and instant gratification, but youll eventually whither up and die. If you choose the way of the righteous and make room in your soul for delight in the Lord, youll have deep joy and lasting satisfaction in the Lord, but itll take time. Thats something of the point of Psalm 1. By using the image of a tree, Psalm 1 calls us to growth, yes, but remembertrees take time to grow. So too you can grow to be spiritually robust, but it wont happen by a quick Google search or a few Bible studies, it takes time. You cant see this growth day by day but can see it year by year. So, heres my challenge to you. For nearly two months weve examined the seven deadly vices and their corresponding virtues. And now weve seen the call and challenge of Psalm 1, to choose the way of the righteous over the way of the wicked. Church, take one year. Put your sins to the side and commit to be the righteous person of Psalm 1. You wont see much change after a few days, a few weeks, or even a few monthsbut this time next year, youll be an entirely different person! I know this hits many of you differently. Some of you here are fighters, youre doing this already. I love that spirit. If thats you take this sermon as your cue to keep going! Others of you here are fighting and feeling like youre losing. Youve still got that fire within you and still want to fight, but its as if you know you cant hold out much longer. Still others of you are here and youve given up the fight because every time you have worked up the courage the fight youve been smacked in the face and fallen off the horse. Now, the last thing you want to do is get back up again. Wherever you areheres the encouragement of Psalm 1. Jesus is the point of Psalm 1. These words apply to Him in far greater ways than they actually apply to us. But the crazy thing about that is when you trust in Christ, are saved by Christ, and filled with the Spirit of Christin Gods eyes what is true of Jesus is now true of you. Psalm 1 then leads us to Christ and shows us the kind of blessed life that characterizes all those who are in Christ. [1] William S. Plumer, Psalms (Carlisle, Pennsylvania: Banner of Truth, 2016), 27. [2] Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible, vol. 3 (Hendrickson Publishers, 1991), 194. [3] James Johnston, The Psalms: Rejoice, the Lord Is King, Vol. 1, ed. R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word Commentary (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway, 2015), 27. [4] Charles Spurgeon, Treasury of David vol. 1 (Mclean, Virginia: MacDonald Publishing, reprint) 2. [5] Derek Kidner, Psalms TOTC (accessed via Accordance Bible software, 6.5.20) 67. [6] Waltke and Houston, The Psalms as Christian Worship, 141. [7] Plumer, Psalms, 31. [8] Plumer, 31. [9] Spurgeon, Treasury of David vol. 1, 3.

So the very first C.S. Lewis book that I ever read, it was not Narnia, it was not mere Christianity, it was the Screwtape Letters. You are familiar with this text, it is a phenomenal work. So it works through the perspective of a demon instructing his nephew, a junior demon, on how to lead astray a new believer, roughly. So it gives different tips, topics, deals with all sorts of areas of the Christian life, and giving the negative approach, so how to lead away from doing the right thing towards doing the negative, and so it very much approaches a very big topic of what are the things that distract us from living faithfully, and from a demonic perspective of how are we led away. And so in this, letter number nine, C.S. Lewis reminds us that Satan has never created a single pleasure. He can't. Every pleasure, food, laughter, friendship, sex, beauty was invented first and foremost by God. That the devil is not a creator, he is simply a vandal is what Lewis will say. His strategy is always the same. Take something good and bend it. Take hunger and turn it into gluttony. Take rest and turn it into slothfulness. Take sexual desire designed for covenant love, strip it of love, commitment, and self-giving, crafting it into sinful lust. The pleasures are God's good gifts. The distortions are hell's works. And so this is how we've ultimately been working through these topics. We've been looking at many of the ones that Lewis highlights even in this simple letter. We've looked at gluttony. We've looked at slothfulness. We've looked at good gifts of God that are distorted by our sinful desires and lead us astray from what God has for us. And so today we come to the final one of the seven deadly sins. We come to the sin of lust. And so in this we've already seen Lewis gave us a brief definition. It is that which is stripped, sexual desire stripped of love, commitment, and self-giving. This is Lewis's rough definition from this letter that we can see. Aquinas, who again is one of the medieval church leaders, great scholar of his day, one of the ones we get the seven deadly sins from. We highlight him at times. In his great text, the Summa Theologica, very fancy title because he's a fancy person. He gives this definition. So lust is the pursuit of sexual pleasure apart from the governance of reason and divinely intended orders of marriage. It's a fancy phrase. Ultimately, it's the fact that sexual pleasure of itself is not evil, but is a good gift of God. It is good and naturally ordered when driven towards and in marriage. So clearly he highlights that it is part of God's good design. However, it is disordered and out of step when lust is not about strengthening the desire towards marriage, but rather about a misdirection of its object. So it becomes sinful when it contradicts reason itself, when it violates the proper ends of sex, which is marital unity and growth, or that it occurs in any way, shape, or form outside of a marriage covenant. So when we think of the word lust, we tend to think of it as the mental aspect. But historically, the idea of lust is all encompassing of sexual distortion. So whether that be mental or physical. So the term is an all-encompassing one in scripture, and it is something that we see time and time again. The call to flee sexual immorality is throughout the scripture. The Old Testament will use sexual immorality rampantly as a distortion of God's good. It's often seen as a judgment by God. He will call Israel sexually immoral in their relationship with him. They're an adulteress time and time again. You can just read the book of Ezekiel. That's pretty much the entire book. It's graphic in many ways. In this picture of their immorality against God. In the New Testament, Jesus addresses it multiple times. The three synoptic gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, all have long discourses against sexual immorality. In the book of Acts, the Jerusalem council, when they asked how should the Gentiles live, they're to avoid blood, they're avoid strangled animals and sexual immorality. These are the key things. It is clearly an important aspect of their life. Paul, in nine of his 13 letters, gives extended discourses about fleeing sexual immorality. In the other four, he has passing comments of fleeing sexual immorality. Hebrews, James, Peter, and Jude all have sections dealing with sexual immorality and its avoidance. And of course, in the letters to the churches in Revelation, there are multiple discourses against fleeing sexual immorality in the church. So clearly it is not a small issue. It is clearly a major issue that needs to be addressed. And it is no different today. Just as the church in their day was filled with a culture steeped in sexual immorality, so too we see in our world today. And so this is where we come to our text before us. We see in 1 Thessalonians four, one to eight, the text that will be before us as we dive into this idea of fleeing sexual immorality and pursuing love. So we're gonna see these contrasts as we flow from one thing to the next. Now, 1 Thessalonians, setting the context a little bit here, again, written by Paul. Its introduction is Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy. They're all meeting up in Corinth when this letter is written. So they've gone on different journeys. They've come back to Corinth where they send this. So Corinth, if those who remember the book of Corinthians is not the most sexually moral church, is one who struggles rampantly with it. Corinth itself was a center in many ways of sexual immorality. It was cult worship. It was a major part of their culture. It is from Corinth that they are writing to Thessalonica, giving them these encouragements to grow in love, grow in their love for God in the fleeing of the desires of the flesh to grow in him. So the first part of the letter, the first two chapters of them just talking about their love for the Thessalonians, God's gifts for them, their heart to come back to them, their desire to see them grow in the faith. So they lay down this truth of how much they want to see them grow in their love for the Lord. And so we get to chapter four and it in tradition has this transition, which is a very short transition because this one has probably the smallest amount of application of his entire letters. Beginning in chapter four, finally then brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus that as you receive from us, how you ought to walk and to please God just as you are doing, that you do so more and more, for you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus, through the Lord Jesus. And so our text begins with this encouragement that Paul is recognizing they have heard the word, they know the word, and we want you to grow more in it. Not that you have necessarily trespassed, but that there's more to do, that there is more to grow in. And we want you to be continually growing in Christ Jesus, your love for him, the work of him, okay, that you may please God. This is the end of the matter. This is the goal is to live a life pleasing to God. Flee Lust And so in our text, he will begin as Paul often does with this call is to flee sexual immorality. So from there for verse three, for this is the will of God, your sanctification, that you abstain from sexual immorality. It's the very first thing on the list. If you go through most of Paul's lists where he lists sins, the very first one is usually some sexual immorality or a form of sexual immorality. It's usually number one on all of Paul's lists. Again, we look at the world today as if somehow we today are falling into the worst that it's ever been. If you read the Roman Empire and the history of the Roman Empire, sexual immorality was way worse. That's not an excuse for today, but when he calls you to flee sexual immorality, it's not like, oh, he just doesn't understand how hard it is. It was much worse, much, much worse. And so in this, we have this call to flee sexual immorality. So Paul continually highlights to the church as believers, our job is to live different from the world and live towards Christ. And so it begins here with fleeing sexual immorality. Now, the word here for sexual immorality is porneia. That is the Greek word. The most common word, though not the only word, there are many other Greek words, but this is the most all-encompassing general term used for sexual immorality. It encompasses everything outside the bounds of God's demands and design. So in this, we see the idea of adultery, consensual fornication, so sex outside of marriage, orgies, homosexuality, prostitution, pornography, rape, sinful sexual desires, and many more. All-encompassing, this is the word porneia, just generally sexual immorality in every way, shape, and form. And so as we've said, the first century was filled with all sorts of different sexual immoralities. It was very common. In our society today, it has become more popular and pretty much every show that now captures the life of Rome is filled with sexual immorality and pornography. That is, if anyone is familiar, assuming you have not seen it, but if you have, there's show Spartacus, it's very big on stars, all it is is sex, that's the whole thing, but it's Rome, so it's good. It's not good, it's bad, but my point being. They're trying to accurately reflect Rome, and so in so doing, it is filled with a lot of sex. That's their whole marketing pitch. That's the culture we live in as well. But this becomes their drive. Rome was filled with sexual immorality, and in many cases, it was the expectation to live this way. For them, it is not immorality, it is simply life. Many cases, it is morality. It is cultural morality. Men were not expected to be monogamous with their wives. Wives were expected to be monogamous with their husbands. If a wife committed adultery, she was to be murdered for the honor of the family. The husband was expected to have a mistress and also to use the slaves as necessary. It was a common and expected practice of being a man. Man, man, man. That was the idea. Again, the distortions that existed in many places of the first century. And so when you have Paul here writing, he is very, this is not the way of God. This is simply the way of the world. Again, we have the Book of Romans where he highlights the fact that God gave them over to their sexual depravity. He gave them over to their lusts and that is what they live in. Those are not well-reasoned, using Aquinas' terminology. That is not well-reasoned living. That is living based solely on desire alone. It does not accurately think clearly. And so into this, we also have Rome was known for its cultic prostitution, as well as homosexuality and pedophilia was all part of the Roman Empire. And so again, you see this continual, flee sexual morality. This shall not even be named among you, Paul says in other letters. This is not who we are. We must be different. And what is that in? It is in becoming like Christ. Because what is the will of God? Your sanctification. What is the sanctification? Fleeing sexual immorality. That's first one. There's more we'll work through, but that is the first point that he begins with the Thessalonians. Flee sexual immorality. The Mark of a believer is one who is pursuing Christ, pursuing sanctification, becoming more and more like Christ day by day, that we flee these actions, that they aren't even named among us. And not only the actions, so he begins here with the actions, but to an aside, he also, we would see the thoughts themselves is what Jesus will command, that it takes the extra. He goes up a little bit again in Matthew five, which we covered extensively. If you would like the sermon on Matthew five, you can go on our website. It's on the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew five, fleeing sexual immorality and lust, where he says, but you have heard it is said, you shall not commit adultery. But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away for it's better that you lose one of your members than your whole body be thrown into hell. We said Jesus ups the ante and it's not just what we physically do, but it's what we are thinking along the way before and after. Are these things that reflect the godliness? Are we seeking God or are we seeking ourselves? Because ultimately becomes the idea of lust is a pursuit of selfish sexual gratification for one's own ends. It is all about you as an individual. As we've highlighted, all of these ultimately become about pride in some way, shape or form, because they're all self-centered. These are all about accumulating for ourselves things, whether it be pleasures, food, all of this becomes about us. So too in sexual immorality. It is based on our own desires to grow and our own self worth, worth our own self desire, our own self gratification. And all the more as we live in a day that requires instant gratification. We have little boxes that you can pull up anything you want in half a second. Evil little toy. Like this is the reality of the world we live in. That you can have it at your fingertips whenever you desire. All the more the call to be purposeful, to flee sexual immorality. So do not participate in these things. Do not let your imagination wander away into those things. For as the mind goes, so too will the body and the will. The warning that James gives us, that you allow your mind to lead you into sin. You allow the temptation to linger, which then gives birth to action. Whether you realize it or not, this is the reality of what happens. And so we're warned to keep our thoughts in order. Everything requires volition. We must be a volitional people. We are people who work. We think, we act, we are not passive. Sexual immorality comes all the more as we are passive in our lives and in our actions and in our minds. We do not spend time in God's word. We don't grow in our knowledge of God. We entertain the things of the world more and more frequently, rather than pursuing the things of God. So we must not allow this to distract us. We must not allow the things of this world to consume us. We must flee sexual immorality and pursue sanctification. And so this becomes his point. As he drives it farther, it becomes, fleeing requires a purpose. That each of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor. So Paul then is highlighting that part of fleeing sexual immorality is fleeing with a required purpose. We are not just fleeing for the sake of fleeing. We're fleeing with a reason. And part of that is self-control. That you are controlled in your body for the purpose of holiness and honor. Are we a holy people? Again, Peter will echo, we have been called just as Christ God is holy, so to be. Echoing the Old Testament text. Time and time again, we are called holy. We are saints. We are those who are set apart. Do we reflect the reality of who we are? There is a call to character. Is what we say we are reflected in what we do? Are we properly controlled in our body leading to holiness and honor? Are those things we strive for? Do we strive to be holy? Do we strive to show honor? Are we properly controlled? We think about in the realm of sexual desire, think of it as the idea of a dammed river. People are familiar with dams. They hold water back, okay? Water is good, but it is contained. Otherwise it will destroy an area. And so it is slowly released. It is properly released at proper times for purpose to keep water levels at the proper height, to keep the fish going. Dams have a good purpose. What happens when a dam breaks? Destroys everything around it. All the good that was being done is gone. Cities are washed away. Houses are washed away. Boats are destroyed. The wildlife that was living in the river are now dead on the shore. So all the good is now gone. Many ways, this is the self-control that God has given us through the Holy Spirit to regulate our lives. So within marriage, that is regulated well. And when regulated properly, in accordance with God's word, has immense benefits. Is immensely edifying. And in it is a seeking of holiness. So believers are not controlled by anything, but the word of God and the Holy Spirit leading us to display these things well. So we are to be people of discipline. We are not passive with our minds. We are not passive with our actions. So we are controlled in all that we do. And so we grow in our faith and we mature in our faith. And as we strive to make much of Christ every day, we grow in these things. It is an active part of growing up and maturing. The great Olympic athletes didn't start as great Olympic athletes the first day they hopped on a sled. Watching the skeleton, it's a terrifying idea to me. Just going to throw my body on a, pretty much a cafeteria tray at 90 miles an hour downhill. Like, but the amount, like, and it also looks very easy. Like, to be fair, it looks extreme. Like you're just falling down ice. Like, but you listen to like the training routines, the discipline that goes into just throwing yourself down ice is a lot. Ski jump, same thing. To throw yourself off a mountain on skis. There is a lot. Not only is there a lot of physical, there's a lot of mental that goes into ski jumping. I didn't realize that a whole, there was a physicist that was actually on one of the Olympic things explaining, like literally learning the math of how to fall. Like how to fall properly with the curve of the earth and the mountain slope so that you get farther down. You're like, it's insane. You go, yeah, you just threw yourself off a mountain and you landed. It seems so easy. In many ways, that's how we approach life. It's like, you just do it, right? Everyone else has done it. We've got 8 billion people that are doing it. Are you doing it well? Are you doing it right? Are you doing it to the utmost? And again, as we come to the Christian faith, the encouragement is are we doing it in a way that pursues God, honors God, and grows in our relationship with him? As believers, we have all the tools to be. To grow, to be professional athletes, not professional Christians, sound bad. But that idea, like you have the tools to grow in the faith, to grow up in maturity. There isn't an excuse as if like, well, I don't know how. We know how. We just need to take the volitional action to do the how. To allow God to work in us. This is why this admonition is continually before us. Are we living lives that are holy and honoring to God? For those of you who are married, it's a command to love and honor your spouse. Directing your eyes back to the Lord who has given you them. That you are honored by God's grace in that way. That you give yourself over to the gift of God in selfless love and marriage and joining together. Also, this would be Aquinas's. Aquinas would be very clear that lust is not gone simply because one is married. And there is a negative lust even towards your spouse. Maybe contradictory today. Everyone's all, the only good lust is lust towards your spouse. Aquinas would be very clear, no. Because it's an immoral direction. Where your spouse only exists for your own gratification and not for their own self-beat. You cease to see your spouse as a person of God, loved, made in his image, and not simply for your gratification, you are now in sin. I don't know if I have a verse for it, but it sounds pretty accurate. When your spouse only exists as a mannequin for your self-pleasure, you've lost the covenant love and affection of who they are and the gift that they are to you. Well, even for those who are married, there is a lesson in this. It's not a get out of jail free card. This is where many errors have come. Where simply spouses are used for one's own pleasure and not for the good of marital unity. So these acts are meant to unify the body, not to build one up at the expense of the other. So it's important that we use our bodies well as God has commissioned. Again, you have Paul's long discourse on sexual union within marriage and among singles of how to live this out in 1 Corinthians. And the idea is for mutual upbringing. This is the picture of marital unity. So even in this, there are actions that could be sinful. And so do we seek to honor and glorify God in our bodies? And so these are general things. I think most of us as Christians are always gonna, yes and amen, sexual immorality is bad. But are these things that do take root in us? Do our eyes wander? Do we linger too long on false sexual thoughts? Do we allow the world to dictate to us what is good and right? Again, why scripture continually reminds us to think on the good things, to think on Christ, to think on holiness, to think on the good gifts of God and not the world. We too easily are satisfied with the things of the world and not in Christ. But lest you hear this sermon and hear a list of do's and don'ts, I would like us to then see the reality. So self-discipline is a portion of it, but self-discipline is not the end. Because if I only leave you with self-discipline, I've left you with good morality. Do good things, but that is not the end. There is a goal. Again, athletes train their entire lives for a goal. Paul will highlight that saying, I train for the end. Athletes train for a crown. Picture we train for a purpose. In that purpose, ultimately we see is love. So from lust to love, and it is the love of neighbor and the love of God, the two great commandments, that we will love our neighbors as ourselves and we will love God. II. Pursue Love This is the calling on us so that we flee sexual immorality and we pursue love. We will properly pursue the love of God and neighbor. Okay, John Stott, when looking at this text, says that it's very clear that the fact is that there is a world of difference between lust and love, between dishonorable sexual practices, which uses a partner, and true lovemaking, which honors them, between selfish desires to possession to unselfish desires to love, cherish, and respect. We must move from lust through self-control and in love. He said, this is where I would say we have a large history in the millennials of failure due to what we would say was purity culture of the 90s and 2000s. This isn't to hit the whole idea, it is good to flee sexual immorality. The problem in the world that I grew up in and maybe some of you in millennial world of church was that's where it ended. Flee sexual immorality, and if you do that right, God will bless you with all of the goodness of the world. You'll have a perfect marriage, you will not struggle, everything will be great, you'll be happy all the time. You weren't really told to pursue anything, but just don't have sex. If you just don't do this, everything will be great. There was no call to pursuit, there was no call to knowing who you are in Christ, and oh man, pity, pity, pity if you did not accomplish it, then you were a waste of time and God's mercy is no longer on you, you're outside of God's will. You have failed the will of God because the will of God failed sexual, flee sexual immorality, you're outside God's will. Hopefully God will make something of your mess. We'll move on to other people. This is very much the culture I grew up in. There's a book on the will of God, I will not name the author, but he highlights the fact he's like one of my best friends, man, he was going into ministry and then he met this girl, man, they had premarital sex and he was outside of God's will, the rest of his life was wasted. His life was over at that point, he settled for becoming a plumber. It's sad, he could have been used by God by so many ways, but he met this girl. That's literally a book, it's an entire section on the will of God. Blows your mind. So it's that picture that there ceases to be a pursuit of God and restoration in the gospel and that there is hope for sinners. The pursuit of love shows us a pursuit of love, not just us pursuing God, but the reality of scripture of a God who pursued us. Again, highlighting the book of Ezekiel, if you spend some time in it, God has some very harsh things to say for Israel. A lot of harsh things. But also in the end, his point is, and I will redeem you, I will come to you and buy you back. Hosea in the Old Testament, complete immorality and adultery, and then what the picture is, Hosea goes and buys his wife back as he's commanded by the Lord to illustrate, God will purchase his people back. You're never too far outside of God's love for us. So the pursuit of love for God, for neighbor, stems from God's pursuit of us in love, in forgiveness, in grace. Again, the text of scripture, we are never too far outside of God's grace. You've never out sinned God's grace. You've never fallen so far down sexual morality that God is done with you. You are of no value anymore. You're of infinite value because of the God who has saved you, who gave himself Christ Jesus for you. That's an immense gift when someone dies for you, for your sins. That is an immense love that is beyond our comprehension. So this is far more than just don't do this, but rather do this, pursue God. Pursue the forgiveness of grace. As our text continues, the reality is, sexual immorality does have an effect on others. So if we love others well, we love others well, we will not pursue this. It says, okay, as we continue in our text, control your body, not in the passions of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God, that no one transgresses and wrongs his brother in this manner because the Lord is an avenger in all these things as we told you beforehand and solemnly warn you. In five through six, he points out the fact that those who pursue sexual immorality and live in it are just like the Gentiles who do not know God. They have no problem with offending their brothers and sisters. People only exist for you. People are but objects for your own will, for your own good. And God is the one who will hold to account these realities. But we are not like that. We understand. in our text, control your body, not in the passions of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God, that no one transgresses and wrongs his brother in this manner because the Lord is an avenger in all these things as we told you beforehand and solemnly warn you. In five through six, he points out the fact that those who pursue sexual morality and live in it are just like the Gentiles who do not know God. They have no problem with offending their brothers and sisters. People only exist for you. People are but objects for your own will, for your own good, and God is the one who will hold to account these realities. But we are not like that. We understand, okay, that people are affected. That's the key part there, that no one transgresses and wrongs his brother in this manner, that in sexual immorality, people are involved besides you. You are not the lone part. Our sexual immorality affects all those around us because it affects the souls of people around us. No matter what that may be, whether it is the person in front of you today, maybe that's a person in the future, it has lasting effects. But as we love our neighbors well, we see that they are more than objects for our consuming, for we are not like an unbelieving world. We understand that every person is made in the image of God and worthy of honored glory and respect, and in so doing, the proclamation of the gospel to them, the hope of forgiveness granted to them. And so we offer that not by pursuing these sinful things. So he gives them the negative, do not go against your neighbor. So in seeking to honor God, we want to not be like an unbelieving world. So we will not live in the passions of the flesh like the unbelieving world because we know God. The opposite, we know God, and therefore we will live in light of it. We will not transgress our brothers in this manner. We know that the Lord is in control. And so we live in light of that truth. We do not take life carelessly. We do not use our bodies lightly. We do not take advantage of other people for our own selfish pleasure. They said again, can apply to marriage as well. You do not abuse others for your own ends. And so we're called to view others as we see is more important than our selves, continually reminding ourselves of the good gift that God has given to us. And we extend to others that others can know the good forgiveness and grace of God, that he is a good and loving God. And so we see this in our love for neighbor. And then ultimately, of course, we see this in the love for God, as it says in for the final wrap up of the text for God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. Therefore, whoever disregards this describes not man, but God who gives his Holy Spirit to you. As believers, our actions reflect the God whom we love and serve. And so we pursue God again, first Corinthians six, flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexual immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple, the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, you are not your own. You were bought with the price. So glorify God in your bodies. Again, First Corinthians six is echoing what Thessalonians said. Why? Because God lives within us because the Holy Spirit is with us. So he doesn't even immediately, which is a fun point. So he says, don't live like the Gentiles because you are Christians. Don't live this way. Okay. If knowing the truth, this is a reality of who you are. So don't become like them because you know, God, you've experienced the saving work of Christ. If you've experienced it, the saving work of Christ, you know, you know how much better it is than what the world has to offer. You've experienced the forgiveness that transcends logic where we were sinners. And yet now we are saints. We have been made holy. Why would we return to unholiness? Why do we get ourselves so steeped into these things that we cannot break out? Because we do not see the full forgiveness of Christ is that which transforms us. We aren't just saved. We are being transformed. We're being sanctified. You've been forgiven for a purpose to grow in Christ likeness, to grow, not into the flesh, but to grow in the spirit. And so we let the spirit change us as we pursue God all the more. It's why he continually reminds us of the work of God in us, that we are then called to glorify God in all that we say and do. So we should not live like the world. We should pursue holiness in God as he has called us to represent him to the world, encouraging us to walk in the spirit. So give life to the spirit as you see the gospel and work in your life day by day. Again, are you growing in the word? Do you pursue God? Is God actually actively at work in you day by day? It's most easy to get sidetracked when we're not purposely spending time with the Lord. We are not spending time in his word. We're not spending time in prayer. The world will spend time with us all day long. What do we spend more time with, the world or the word? Where are we finding our joy and passion and purpose and love? Is it being poured out towards God or the things around us? We must be people who pursue a love for God because we have been loved by God. We've been redeemed by his immense grace. And because of that immense grace that we have received, we can experience a life that is different, not perfect. Again, everyone makes this picture. If you just do the right things, it'll be the most amazing experience ever. It's not that it'll be the most amazing experience ever on this side of life, but in eternity with Christ is the most amazing experience we can imagine. There will be difficulties. There is suffering. Scripture is full of that truth as well. But what we experience is God honored. And what is God honoring is of immense more value than comfort and of the world. And because of the immense grace that we've received, marriages can be restored in the midst of adultery. Adultery is not the end of marriage. God's grace is sufficient to restore. God's grace is sufficient for forgiveness. Because we have done far worse against the Lord, and yet he has saved us. He has redeemed us. He has restored us to him. Even those who've walked away. There are many who have left the faith and God has restored them back to the faith because he is a gracious and loving God. People can have wonderful, flourishing, God-honoring marriages, even if they had sex outside of marriage before they got married. God can restore those things. God can restore and build up your marriage. God has pulled many men and women out of the evil, ensnaring power of pornography. God has redeemed. God can redeem. God changes minds and hearts, seeking to honor and glorify him. God calls people to himself, freeing them from the bonds of homosexuality, living lives that honor him day by day, even restoring those who've been victims of other people's sexual immorality, bringing them comfort in his grace that he is the one who loves and sustains us in spite of other people's sins. God's grace is far greater than we can imagine. And because of that grace poured out on us, it motivates us to pursue him. And in pursuing him, we will not pursue the world. And so if you are a believer here today and you're part of this body and you are struggling with these things, you're struggling with your mind, if you're struggling with the lust of the mind, or maybe it is, unrepentant and unknown sexual sins. Repent. Believe in the full power of Christ. Find a brother or sister and talk to them about your struggles. Find someone to walk through these things with. We do not walk alone. The letter is to the church and Thessalonians. It's to all of them to flee together and to pursue God together. This is not an individual sport. The Christian life is a team sport. And sometimes you'll get knocked down. People will end up in a penalty box. But we come back together because of Christ. And so we build one another up. We work together. We labor together. And so let's labor well. If you're a non-Christian here and you are as the world has for you, you pursue the lust of the flesh and the desires of the eyes. And that is your life. I would ask you to experience something far greater than what this world has to offer. Experience a love far greater than that of another person. One that frees you from your own brokenness. Pursuing the love of God that comes in repentance of those sins. In a pursuit of him. Again, together. You do not do this alone. Repent and believe for the hope of the gospel is there. Christ has died for all your sins. You will simply believe and trust in him for that forgiveness. And come and join the body. Speak to someone today about that. Speak to someone and join the work of growing in faithfulness. Growing in grace.

Growing up one of my favorite movies was the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Being a lover of chocolate myself, one of the characters that most stood out to me was Augustus Gloop. Remember him? His insatiable desire for chocolate leads him to disregard the rules and ultimately suffer the consequences of falling into the chocolate river and getting sucked up the tube to who knows where. Augustus Gloop embodies the immediate, unrestrained gratification that defines gluttony, where the pursuit of pleasure and satisfaction prevails over restraint and self-control. He serves as a humorously clear illustration of how an unchecked appetite can lead to downfall. Buts that an older example, maybe the more modern example is all the people in the movie Wall-E. On those cruise ships wandering throughout space men and women are presented as obese, lazy, sedentary people who have so given themselves over to convenience and passivity that not only have they lost nearly all their bone structure, but theyve lost their sense of purpose as well. Both Wonka and Wall-E are powerful critiques of society and modern culture. Church, in our Sins of the Church sermon series, today we come to the sin of gluttony. (DISCLAIMER) How do we begin a discussion on this deadly sin? Perhaps I can say this: most people have a complicated relationship with food. When stress or pressure piles on some people eat and drink too much hoping to drown their woes or swallow their problems, while other people lose their appetite altogether and cant eat at all. Some people believe the best part of the day is mealtime, they wake and think about breakfast and coffee, and as soon as that meal is over, theyre already thinking about the when and what of their next meal. The sin of gluttony is popularly believed to be all about food, and a large part of it is, but it also has much to do with the gluttonous unquenchable desires present in every soul. This morning I want to do two things. First, I want to define the sin of gluttony. And second, I want to direct you to how we can correct the sin of gluttony. Defining Gluttony Youll be hard pressed to find a single passage discussing the evils of gluttony, but you will find many passages describing it.[1] Jacob and Esau are a good place to begin. In Genesis 25 we find the account of Esau selling away his birthright, despising his inheritance, all for a bowl of stew. In Deuteronomy 32 God warns Israel that their gluttonous hearts would lead them into idolatry of many kinds saying, When they have eaten are and full and grown fat, they will turn to other gods and serve them. In Judges 3 were told of Eglon the ruler of Moab, who was so obese that when Ehud stabbed him in the belly the knife disappeared. In 1 Samuel 2 were told of the priest Eli and his worthless sons who did not know the Lord, and yet these helped Eli perform many priestly duties. When the time came for the people to bring sacrifices his sons harshly treated the people and violently stole meat from the offerings for themselves to eat. For their sins the Lord put them to death. Proverbs 21:17 describes the glutton as a poverty stricken lover of pleasure when it says, Whoever loves pleasure will be a poor man; he who loves wine and oil will not be rich. Proverbs 23:20-21 says much of the same, Be not among drunkards or among gluttonous eaters of meat, for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty and slumber will clothe them with rags. Later on in Ezekiel 16 God rebukes His people and calling out their sins of pride, excess of food, prosperous ease, and neglecting to aid the poor and needy. Jesus gives attention to this as well. In the Sermon on the Mount, in Matthew 6 he mentions, O you of little faithdo not be anxious saying What shall we eat? or What shall we drink?for the Gentiles seek after all these things. Paul including gluttony in a list of sins as he warns against certain people in Romans 16:17-18, I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites He gives this warning again in Phil. 3:18-19 when he says, For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly Paul had a choice of which word to use when he wrote that last phrase in v19. Belly could have been literally mentioned in the Greek word stomachos but Paul didnt use that. He used the word koilia. Why did he prefer this word? Because the word koilia specifically refers not just to the belly of a person but points deeper within, to the sinful and disordered desires and cravings of the soul, thats what koilia brings to mind. Simply put, Paul is saying these enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction and whose god is their bellythey are gluttons for all manner of sins. Church, if your god is your belly, for you, food is worship.[2] From all of this, how are we to define what gluttony is?[3] Long ago Gregory the Great defined gluttony as one who has lost restraint and given themselves over to self-indulgence in food. C.S. Lewis would follow this and define gluttony as a defect, where we eat like beasts, driven only by sensual gratification. Or we could put it like this.[4] Gluttons eat wrongly. They eat at the wrong time, not willing to wait to satisfy their hunger. They eat hastily and greedily with excessive desire. They eat abundantly with unnecessary quantity. And they eat exotically to stimulate their palate with new delicacies. Gluttony has economic implications. While the drunk spends an exorbitant amount of money on alcohol, the glutton spends an exorbitant amount of money on food. This can be the poorest quality like fast food, or it can be the highest quality like caviar and bluefin tuna. Gluttony has historical implications. Its a fact that today, we are all heavier and larger than previous generations. The rise of processed foods and our unsatiable desire for them has done this. To illustrate that, let me take you back to 1935. The boxer James Braddock, the real life Cinderella Man, was 63 and 190 lbs. To get that image in your head thats almost me exactly. While many people would call that kind of build skinny in our day, the crazy thing about it is that in 1935 he fought in the Heavyweight division. I think history has shown, we are growing more and more gluttonous. Lastly, gluttony has medical implications. Other sins are easier to hide. You wont see envy, pride, lust, or greed as easy as youll see gluttony. Not all obesity is due to gluttony but gluttony leads to obesity, which of course, brings countless other medical issues with it. This is a widespread problem in the church. The worlds go to sin is drowning their sorrows in alcohol, the churchs go to sin might just be found at the potluck dinners. This isnt just my opinion, multiple studies have found this to be true. One study was done by The Journal of the Scientific Study of Religion, after carrying out multiple tests with multiple patients they found a significant correlation between being religious and being obese.[5] Its as if the church is living out the motto, Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die! Church, I dont want to shame anyone, not at all. Theres no room for that here. But I do want to challenge you and ask some questions, hows your relationship with food? Has this described you? Do you sympathize with Esau selling his birthright, or Elis sons stealing more food than they need? Do you know what Paul means when he says, their god is their belly? Church, this is the problem, lets turn from defining to correcting. Correcting Gluttony To correct gluttony, lets turn to Romans 6:12-14. Here Paul gives us wise and insightful and practical tips for how to live rightly in these bodies. There he says this, Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. Such good counsel is here for us regarding all sin, for us today we employ it to fight our gluttonous desires. Before this, in Romans 6:1-11, Paul establishes a profound theological truth: believers have died to sin, and are no longer bound by evil or the evil one. Our identity is now bound up with Christ, being united to Him by faith. So just as Christ died to sin and lives to God, so too do we through our union with Him. This truth is holding up v12. Because sin no longer reigns over us, we must not permit it to reassert its dominion. Delivered from sin's oppressive rule, we must not willingly place ourselves back under its yoke. The command in v12 is a call to continuous commitment to live under Christ's rule. This is not passive; it unfolds as we deliberately live in obedience to His rule. The word that describes this best is the word appropriation which means we must actively apply in our lives what is already ours in Christ. This means we must resist, fight, and flee from sin, opposing its influence. Passivity in this battle, is a failure to live in light of our new identity and will inevitably lead to a relapse into sinful patterns. Paul further clarifies the struggle in the rest of v12, showing how sin attempts to regain control. The battle is to make us obey our passions. This looks like good instincts turning into exaggerated desires and lusts, imposing their will on us. Paul states that while were dead to sin, sin itself is not dead. Until Christs return well be susceptible to sins sway. So, while we eagerly wait that glorious day when He returns, until then we fight (!), v12 reminds us that sin aims to re-enslave us by tempting us to obey our sinful desires rather than Christ. In v13, Paul goes further, building on the truth laid down in v12. Here he presents both the negative and positive to us. Negatively, v13 commands, Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness. This bans us from using any part of our bodies for sinful purposes. Positively he urges, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. The term instruments in v13 is worth our attention. It refers to tools or weapons used to accomplish tasks. Paul uses that word picture and applies this to all of lifeboth visible and invisible members of our bodies. This includes physical limbs, senses, faculties, including our stomachs, but it also extends deeper to include our minds and hearts. So, the word instruments then refers to our whole person. The call here is that all we are is to be wholly employed in the Lords service and not employed in the service of unrighteousness. No part of life can be left out of this. As far as gluttony goes, you know one way this shows up in us? Perhaps we wear ourselves out for the Lord, busy Sunday at church, loads of Bible reading recently, attending small group, or prayer meetingand we grow proud of ourselves for doing good work, and we begin to tell ourselves, Go get a blizzard on the way home, you deserve it! We can so easily justify indulging in unhealthy foods with a spiritual sense of entitlement. This is the very thing we must fight! As a sculptor wields a chisel, as a mechanic wields a wrench, or as a musician wields their instrument to create masterpieces, so too, these tools can be wielded to make vile things. The same is true of us, body and soul. These great gifts can be directed towards God-honoring ends or towards man-centered destructive ends. The call in Romans 6:13 is an invitation to intentionally employ every member of our being to serve righteous ends, our belly included. By doing so, well visibly demonstrate to a watching world that we have been miraculously raised from spiritual death to new life in Christ. Many Christians are diligently striving to obey the negative command, refusing to employ their bodies to sinPaul challenges us to move beyond mere abstinence. He urges us towards the positiveto actively and entirely employ our lives for God's glory in the world. All of v12-13 are glorious, truly. But, our ultimate hope and fuel for these things spiritual is found in v14, For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. This is a divine guarantee. Our standing before God is now defined by grace, rather than by the law's thunderous demands and severe penalties, thus, sin's power over us has been broken. So sin shall nevernot now, not in the futurehave dominion over us. This liberating truth, which was made our own by the work of Christ, is the sure foundation for all that were called to do for God in life. Were not left to our own strength to obey the challenging commands of v12-13. Rather, we are enabled to do so precisely because of the liberating and enabling promise of v14. This divine enablement is the inexhaustible source of our spiritual strength, perseverance, and ultimate victory in the Christian life. Conclusion: So when it comes to our gluttonous desires, Church, we can say no.[6] Self-control can be strong again, restraint can be real again. Church, remember that gluttony is bondage. No glutton enjoys food, theyre imprisoned by it. Were tempted to think that restraint is oppressive and limiting while, in reality, restraint is the road to freedom. But its not a road to freedom in and of itself. Restraint is the road to freedom because it reminds us of our deepest need, for Christ. Church, our gluttonous desires are not too strong, theyre too little. Food is a great gift, but its an awful god. We must fight to remember that Jesus is the true Bread that has come down from heaven, and He has no recommended serving size. We can, we should, we must, go to Christ once, come back for seconds, and thirds, fourths, fifths, and on and on and on. In the words of Jonathan Edwards, There is no such thing as excess in our taking ofspiritual food. There is no virtue as temperance in spiritual feasting. If we do this, Churchmany things will happen: First, well find the Lord to be our joy. Psalm 4:7, You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their wine and grain abound. Second, well experience the goodness of God. Psalm 34:8, Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Third, well rejoice in Gods abundant love. Psalm 36:7-8, How precious is Your steadfast love, O God! The children of man take refuge in Your wings. They feast on the abundance of Your house, and You give them drink from the river of Your delights. Lastly, our lives will count for eternity as we look to and live for the Lord in all things. 1 Cor. 10:31, So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. [1] Daniel M. Doriani, From Gluttony to Thanksgiving, The Death of the Deadly Sins: Embracing the Virtues that Transform Lives, ed. Daniel M. Doriani (Phillipsburg, NJ: PR, 2025) 120-123. [2] Jonathan Bowers, Killjoy (Minneapolis, MN: Desiring God, 2015) 74. [3] Doriani, From Gluttony to Thanksgiving, 125. [4] Doriani, From Gluttony to Thanksgiving, 124. [5] Doriani, From Gluttony to Thanksgiving, 127. [6] Jonathan Bowers, 80-82.

Today, well be looking at some hard things. Things that may challenge our assumptions, expose our weaknesses, and call us to a deeper level of examination. This is not intended to condemn, but to illuminate; not intended to discourage, but to encourage, not to tear down, but to till up the soil of our hearts. As we approach this difficult topic, let us do so with humility and an open heart, ready to hear what the Lord is saying to the church Today we come to the sin of sloth. For most people, the animal is what first comes to mind when we think of sloth. This animal is humorous, isnt it? To say its slow is an understatement. It seems oblivious, unaware, and obtuse to all going on around it. As humorous as this animal might be, and as humorous as the sloth character in the Zootopia movie might be, when the sin of sloth comes into view all humor vanishes, as we come face to face with a deadly sin. Thus, we have a great need before us today to define the nature of sloth, so that we would understand it, hate it, and be encouraged to fight it. Throughout the Bible you will be hard pressed to find a single passage that does all of this, but you will find that a single book in the Bible mentions the topic of sloth a lot, and that is the book of Proverbs. So, go ahead and open to Proverbs and be prepared to jump around a bit. As youre turning there let me briefly tell you something of the book of Proverbs. This book is a collection of wise sayings from many different people. Its aim is to teach and lead people to, not just any wisdom, but true wisdom that begins with the fear of the Lord. In this light the book of Proverbs contrasts the wise man with the foolish man and shows us how life works best in relation to God and how He made the world. In this way Proverbs isnt like many other books in the Bible, because it isnt a book of promises or commands or rules but more a book that tells us general truths. By doing this Proverbs is all about forming us to be the kind of person who embraces what is wise. There are many more things we could say about Proverbs, but thatll do for now. If you want to dive deeper come see me and we can do that together. Lets turn to our subject at hand. Defining Sloth Sloth has been defined a bit differently throughout history.[1] One of the first to define this vice was an Egyptian monk named Evagrius on Pontus (345-399). He defined sloth with the Greek word acedia which means a lack of care. Later on a theologian named John Cassian (360-435) defined acedia a laziness stemming from a restless unstable soul. Pope Gregory the Great (540-604) picked this up next and described acedia as laziness as well but added that it is a symptom of deep melancholy. Finally, it was Thomas Aquinas who defined acedia as a sadness of soul that leads to an unwillingness to do what love requires. This shows us that sloth has been seen throughout history as a deadly vice that causes us to be so lazy that we no longer care about ourselves or our neighbors, and because we innately know we should care about these things we grow sad because we know were not living as we ought to, and from being sad we grow into a deep melancholy and restlessness of soul that feels busy but never arrives at hard work or peace of mind. The book of Proverbs shows us much of this. But Proverbs mainly teaches on sloth by putting a case study before us in the person of the sluggard. Lets begin in Prov. 6:11-16. There we read, Go tothe ant, Osluggard; consider her ways, andbe wise. Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, she prepares her breadin summer andgathers her food in harvest. How long will you lie there,O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a littlefolding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man. Here the sluggard is being compared to the ant. In v6-8 the ant is described as having no chief or ruler but nonetheless it takes the initiative and works hard and enjoys much benefit from that. This is exactly what the sluggard doesnt do. He does nothing, starts nothing, and so he completes nothing. It follows in v9-11 that the sluggard is warned that his idleness and lazy living will end in a poverty that will surprise him like a robber, even though everyone else can see it coming. Next go to Prov. 10:26, Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to those who send him. By mentioning how bothersome and irritating vinegar is to teeth and smoke is to eyes, the sluggard is said to be as bothersome to others. Why are they bothersome? Because they dont help, they dont contribute, and they dont benefit to anything around them. By relying on others for everything they show themselves to be unreliable. This leads naturally to what we find in Prov. 12:24. There we read, The hand of the diligent will rule, while the slothful will be put to forced labor. In other words, because the sluggard is who he is, he wont be trusted to lead anything in life. Instead he will be forced to work and labor for others who are more diligent. So what have seen so far? The sluggard shows no initiative, does no hard work, is idle, lazy, enjoys no benefit from labor, is bothersome to others, and will be ruled over by those more diligent. The life of the sluggard is not what life is meant to be. Next in the list is two passages that display the irrational sad state of the sluggard. In Prov. 22:13 we read, The sluggard says, There is a lion outside! I shall be killed in the streets! What is this? Well here the sluggard is speaking, actually thats the only thing the sluggard seems to do. And when he speaks he tells of a lion in the street. Now, lions were a real danger in the ancient world, we see many people in the OT have encounters with lions. But all of those encounters were either with caged lions or lions out in the middle of nowhere. It wouldve been very unlikely to see a lion just walking down the street in a crowded area because of how populated those areas were. Also, cities had walls back then to keep out all kinds of things, from enemies to wild animals. Yet, what does the sluggard say? There is a lion outside! I shall be killed in the streets! What is he saying? Is his fear possible? Yes. Is it likely? Not in a million years! Its a hoax, a lie, an invention of his own making. In reality, theres no lion in the street. This is, as many have said, the sluggards imaginary lion. We already know he doesnt want to work at all, so here he invents a convenient reason just for the purpose of keeping himself comfortablethat is seemingly so urgent that his own life is at stake. And more so, there is evidence the sluggard stayed comfortable, for far too long. In Prov. 26:13 we read, The sluggard says, There is a lion in the road! There is a lion in the streets! Now we see the sluggard is still telling the same tall tale. Listen what Charles Spurgeon says on this sluggard, The Sluggard has waited because of that one lion so long that now he believes that there are two lionsHe said that he would have waited for a more convenient or safe season, but where is it? It was inconvenient then because there was a lion. Is it more convenient now? Not at all, for now there are two lions! That is always the result of waiting: procrastination never profits; its difficulties always double, and its dangers only thicken. How sad is this sluggard? Look further at the verses that follow, Prov. 26:14-16, As a door turns on its hinges, so does a sluggard on his bed. The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; it wears him out to bring it back to his mouth. The sluggard iswiser in his own eyes than seven men who can answer sensibly. As grim as this picture is becoming, were not done, theres more to top all of this off. Prov. 13:4 will come last because it makes such a large contribution, The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied. Often we tend to think of the sluggard as one who has no desires in life, but here we find the opposite. The sluggard has great and large desires, pursuits they crave as this verse speaks of. But what happens with these desires and pursuits? Nothing, because they dont ever act on them. So the sluggard deeply desires the things that hard work will bring, but he is unwilling to work, resulting in anger and bitter distress of soul. These desires pile up in him creating a massive heap of unfulfilled longings in the soul, which ends up weighing him down to the point where he just gives up. Because of all the unmet and unfulfilled desires heaped up in him, now we learn that the life of the sluggard is a life full of pain. And Prov. 21:25 shows us the end of the story, The desire of the sluggard kills him Ultimately the lazy, restless, idle, bothersome, unfulfilled, empty, and painful life of the slothful sluggard will end in death. What a tragic waste of a life. This is why sloth is among the deadly sins, and this is why it is so dangerous. Church, time for a hard question. Do you recognize the sluggard in you? Are you slothful? Is your life characterized by laziness, restlessness, or idleness? Do you avoid doing what you need to due to some unrealistic fear? Do you have a pile of unfulfilled desires in you? Remember that book you wanted to read and never started? Remember that small group you wanted to start going to but never have? Remember that person you really wanted to meet with to encourage them but never found the time? Church, sloth affects us all to varying degrees. This is the problem. What then is the needed medicine to correct slothful souls? Lets look at that now Correcting Sloth (1 Cor. 15:10) So how do we correct the sin of sloth? The answer I want to give you today is a simple one, but maybe one you arent expecting because of how simple it is. The medicine for a slothful heart iswork. But I dont mean just a put your head down and get it done mentality, I mean work as in a grace fueled effort. Listen to what Paul says in 1 Cor. 15:9-10, by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. Herein lies the remedy to our sloth. Paul knew himself, he knew he didnt deserve the grace shown to him. In fact, he knew himself so well that he confessed everything good thing in his life was solely due to Gods grace. Before this in v8 he calls himself one untimely born. In v9 he calls himself the least of all the apostles because he persecuted the Church of God. This all leads to v10 where he says, by the grace of God I am what I am. Im sure a modern therapist would believe Paul displays all the signs of having low self-esteem. I disagree. I would not only affirm his words here, I would add that we all need to be able to say the same about ourselves, and we cant truly say this as long as we believe that who we have become is because of our own work, effort, and ability. Paul never preaches the gospel of self-improvement, no. Pauls gospel, the true gospel, is a call to come to the end of ourselves in order to become someone entirely new. Notice that v10 places two massive realities before us. It places the reality of grace before us as well as the reality of hard work. But notice how Paul says what he says here, how these two realities of grace and work relate to each other. He says By the grace of God I am what I am. So Paul admits freely that he is what is only by the grace of God and not by his own hard work. But see what Gods grace in Paul leads to? It leads to hard work! His grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them And this isnt all he says, he freely admits once again that even this hard work of his doesnt come from him, but comes from grace, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. So, for Paul, living life in Gods gracegiven to him in the gospellooks like working hard for the gospel. See that? Paul got grace and got to work! Church, is that you? If youve received the grace of God, you need to know that grace isnt given in vain, no, Gods grace leads to a new life thats characterized by hard work. This hard work is the remedy for the sluggard, its the means by which all his unfulfilled desires can actually be met. The good news for the sluggard is not that he or she must do something. The good news for the sluggard is that something has already been done. The sluggard looks at good things and the hard work required to get them and responds by saying meh. Not Jesus. The eternal Son of God looked at the hardest thing, becoming man, living sinlessly, dying as a substitute for sinners, He looked at that and said, With My Fathers and the Spirits help, I can do that. This gospel is good news for the sluggard, because Jesus has already done the hard thing for us, and once the slothful soul sees that and is changed by that they will feel a new willingness to do hard things for the One who bore the cross for them. The sluggard doesnt need more discipline, the sluggard doesnt need to just stop being lazy, the sluggard needs the gospel! And from getting the gospel and being a recipient of such grace, the sluggard will be changed by that grace, made new by that grace, and the hard work they once feared and avoided now becomes a joy and a pleasure. Yet, I fear youll misunderstand this. Thinking that Im merely objectifying my subjective preferences. I am up early, I do love the structured life, the disciplined life, am I merely telling you to all be like me? Well, if 1 Cor. 15:10 werent in the Bible youd be right, but isso youre wrong. I also fear that my generation has told you many lies about this hard work. Most everyone in my generation writes books, not on the theme of hard work and discipline, but on the nature of burn out and working too much. I feel weve lost track somewhere along the way. The only modern author Ive seen to write a comprehensive overview on the danger of sloth and the pursuit of diligence, is a South Korean author Nam Joon Kim. We need to learn from our Korean friends in this. How do we put this into practice? Two steps. Step one: repent from sloth. Sloth abounds in the Church today. Sluggards, sluggards everywhere! We must own it and admit that we are a slothful generation, scrolling ourselves to death. We have much to repent of and much we need to turn away from. I know most of your schedules are already filled to the brim, but I fear our schedules betray us, revealing our hearts true affections because busy as we may be, what kind of busyness controls our schedules? Worldly endeavors, worldly lifestyles, worldly accomplishments, or worldly pursuits? At the end of his life Paul said he felt like he had been poured out like a drink offeringwhile most of our lives are aimed at increasing comfort until the end. This is deep in us. We need to take it to the Lord, confess it, and ask Him for help in turning away from it. Step two: pursue hard work. Rest in gospel grace yes, but learn anew what gospel grace leads to. Church, if youre not wearing out for the kingdom in the sphere where God has placed you, you havent got grace, or you havent understood the grace youve been given. Puritan Thomas Manton once said, Everlasting joys will not drop into the mouths of the lazy soul; these things are not trifles, they will cost us diligence and seriousness.[2] Pursue hard work in prayer. Pursue hard work in the Word. Pursue hard work where God has placed you. If you do this, life will be hard, youll have many highs and lows, but youll live a full life, and it wont be wasted. Conclusion: Hear these words from 2 Peter 1:5-9, For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faithwith virtue, and virtuewith knowledge,and knowledge with self-control, and self-controlwith steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness,and godlinesswith brotherly affection, and brotherly affectionwith love.For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective orunfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that heis blind, having forgotten that he wascleansed from his former sins. [1] Trent Casto, From Sloth to Diligence, The Death of the Deadly Sins: Embracing the Virtues that Transform Lives, ed. Daniel M. Doriani (Phillipsburg, NJ: PR, 2025) 106. [2] Thomas Manton, quoted in Casto, The Death of the Deadly Sins, 115.

Introduction: In our sermon series through the sins of the church, we come today to the sin of envy. On the surface of things envy might seem like a minor sin because it doesnt make you fall down in the middle of the street, but envys effects on the soul are poisonous. In other words, there are good reasons why envy is in the list of deadly sins. To see this firsthand, lets turn to 1 Samuel 18. Why turn there? Because in this chapter we not only see Sauls envy but we see the consequences of his envy as well. So it forms a great case study on the nature of envy. Since were just dropping down into this passage, we need to know the context. In 1 Sam. 16 the youngest son of Jesse, David, gets anointed by Samuel to be king. In 1 Sam. 17 David has his famous battle against Goliath and is victorious. Formerly unknown, David now gets launched into the spotlight. When 1 Sam. 18 begins we see the results of his victory. Ive divided the chapter into two sections, Davids Rise in v1-5 and Sauls Envious Heart in v6-30). Davids Rise (v1-5) As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. And Saul took him that day and would not let him return to his father's house. Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his belt. And David went out and was successful wherever Saul sent him, so that Saul set him over the men of war. And this was good in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul's servants. Davids victory over Goliath brought about his rise with many. These opening verses show this with Jonathan as he found David to be a kindred spirit such that his soul was knit to Davids. Jonathan also makes a covenant with David and gives him royal robes, armor, and choice weapons. But these are no mere gifts, theyre Jonathans own royal attire and weapons. What does this mean? That Jonathan gives his own objects of royalty to David, many believe, shows that Jonathan is rejecting his own inheritance and giving it to David. A good question to this is, why would Jonathan do such a thing? A good answer to that question is that, I think, Jonathan saw in David a man worthy of a royal inheritance, a man whos been marked out by God to lead Gods people. So here Jonathan is willingly renouncing his position as heir to the throne and, as far as he is concerned, transferring his right of succession to David. Whatever took place in Jonathans heart that caused him to do this, we know one thing for sure. Jonathans action reminds of the humility that will one day be seen in Christ, as He willingly laid aside privileges for the redemption of Gods people. This, I believe, is the primary difference between Jonathan and Saul. Saulyearned to be first, while in the spirit of Christ Jonathan was willing to be last. These opening verses also show Davids rise with Saul. v2 shows this with Saul as he wouldnt allow David to return home to his family because he desired he put him into his service so that he would always be beside him. And as this first section ends in v5 see that wherever Saul sent David out he had success. All the people and all Sauls servants loved him. But as well see, this was just one side of the story. Sauls Envious Heart (v6-30) This is a large section so lets split it in half. See first v6-16, As they were coming home, when David returned from striking down the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with songs of joy, and with musical instruments. And the women sang to one another as they celebrated, Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands. And Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands, and what more can he have but the kingdom? And Saul eyed David from that day on. The next day a harmful spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and he raved within his house while David was playing the lyre, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand. And Saul hurled the spear, for he thought, I will pin David to the wall. But David evaded him twice. Saul was afraid of David because the Lord was with him but had departed from Saul. So Saul removed him from his presence and made him a commander of a thousand. And he went out and came in before the people. And David had success in all his undertakings, for the Lord was with him. And when Saul saw that he had great success, he stood in fearful awe of him. But all Israel and Judah loved David, for he went out and came in before them. Now we see Sauls envy and its deadly results. Its interesting to notice v6. There we find that after a great victory Saul and all his troops, including David, returned to the city. When they entered the city the people came out to the streets to celebrate their return. This was a common custom for this time, as it is still common in our own time. So when the soldiers came into town v7 says the women began singing a song saying, Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands. Certainly the women singing this didnt mean to offend Saul but v8 tells us that Saul took offense and was angry when he heard the song. He then said in v8, What more can David have but the kingdom? Davids victory had saved Israel, thrust him into the spotlight, and everyone loved him and everyone hailed him as a great heroeveryone except Saul. v9 marks a shift in how Saul viewed David from that moment forward, And Saul eyed David from that point on. Think about the song. The words werent sung to be exact, rather, you really could interpret the words of the song to mean that Saul and David make a great team. Yet Saul heard them and interpreted a wildly different conclusion. (feelings are real but dont always tell the truth)Saul felt insecure and inferior to David and grew envious of Davidand he began believing David to be, not a servant to him but a potential threat to him. Rather than seeing him as the asset he was, he looked on him with suspicion. Do you see whats happening with Saul? Hes now eyeing David, hes envious and jealous of him, and hes allowed that to grow in his mind and heart, so much that Saul cannot stand it when David is praised. Notice what happens next as his envy grew and took root. In v10 we see Saul was in his house, he went a fit, and in his distressed state Saul took a spear and hurled it at David trying to pin him to the wall, not once but twice! David probably didnt know what was going on with the king. But we as the readers learn whats happening. v12 tells us, Saul was afraid of David because the LORD was with him, but had departed from Saul. So what did Saul in his fear do to David? He made him a commander of a thousand men in v13. We may ask, Why promote him? Well, Saul knows if Davids a commander hell constantly be in war, and if hes around war long enough, eventually he might die. So rather than dealing with his envious heart, Saul sneakily tries to plot the end of David. Yet, how frustrating was it for Saul? v14-16 show us the result of Sauls plotting. David was successful in his military campaigns, and the people loved him more and more. Now Saul stood in fearful awe of him. Now we come to the last section of our passage, v17-30, follow along as I read it. Then Saul said to David, Here is my elder daughter Merab. I will give her to you for a wife. Only be valiant for me and fight the Lord's battles. For Saul thought, Let not my hand be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him. And David said to Saul, Who am I, and who are my relatives, my father's clan in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king? But at the time when Merab, Saul's daughter, should have been given to David, she was given to Adriel the Meholathite for a wife. Now Saul's daughter Michal loved David. And they told Saul, and the thing pleased him. Saul thought, Let me give her to him, that she may be a snare for him and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Therefore Saul said to David a second time, You shall now be my son-in-law. And Saul commanded his servants, Speak to David in private and say, Behold, the king has delight in you, and all his servants love you. Now then become the king's son-in-law. And Saul's servants spoke those words in the ears of David. And David said, Does it seem to you a little thing to become the king's son-in-law, since I am a poor man and have no reputation? And the servants of Saul told him, Thus and so did David speak. Then Saul said, Thus shall you say to David, The king desires no bride-price except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, that he may be avenged of the king's enemies. Now Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king's son-in-law. Before the time had expired, David arose and went, along with his men, and killed two hundred of the Philistines. And David brought their foreskins, which were given in full number to the king, that he might become the king's son-in-law. And Saul gave him his daughter Michal for a wife. But when Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David, andthat Michal, Saul's daughter, loved him, Saul was even more afraid of David. So Saul was David's enemy continually. Then the commanders of the Philistines came out to battle, and as often as they came out David had more success than all the servants of Saul, so that his name was highly esteemed. Here, we see a strange event. In v17 Saul offers to give David his oldest Daughter Merab (who was the supposed the be the prize for killing Goliath) and makes him promise that hell continue to be valiant and fight the LORDS battles. Davids humble response in v18 contrasts his godliness with Sauls scheming. Clearly Saul was still hoping David would die while leading military campaigns against the Philistines, but when it didnt happen, he sought out another way to kill him. v19 says when it came time to give Merab to David, Saul gave her to another man. Why? He was probably trying to provoke David to act out against him, because if David acted out against king Saul, Saul would be able to have him killed. But how did David respond to this treachery? He does absolutely nothing. Then a little later another of his daughters, Michal, approaches Saul and asks him permission if she can marry David. Saul agrees and encourages David to become his son in law. David is thankful and expresses another humble response in v23, while Saul thinks of another plan to kill him. In v25 we read that Saul desires a hundred foreskins of the Philistines as a bride price. Saul is again thinking that if David tries to do this hell surely be killed, or become such a stench to the Philistines that they wont ever stop hunting him down. Sauls envy it seems, knows no bounds. Yet, David not only accepts the bride price, he doubles it and once the deed was done Saul found himself at a loss and gave in. In v27 he gave Michal to David, and in v28 he grew even more afraid of David because he knew the LORD was with him. Then as weve seen in v5 and v16, v30 once again affirms Davids character and reputation by saying, David had more success than all the servants of Saul, so that his name was highly esteemed. Conclusion: So, weve gone through this narrative and weve seen Davids rise and Sauls envious heart. Weve seen many of the consequences of Sauls envy in himself and in those around him. Question: can you see yourself in Saul here? Its far too easy to point a finger at Saul and look down on him and his envious ways. Church, we are just as prone to envy as he is. Lets pull that thread a bit further. What does our envy look like? Envy could easily be seen as a covetousness posture, where we see what belongs to others and eagerly desire to have that for ourselves. That is true, but I think we can say more. When money and wealth are in view we call that kind of envy greed. When out of bounds sexual desire is in view we call that kind of envy lust. We can be envious of anothers career, status, wealth, power, influence, physical appearance, popularity, relationships, marriage, family, achievements, knowledge, lifestyle, and general experience. We can even be envious of anothers spiritual maturity or giftedness. So what exactlyis envy? I think what we normally have in mind when we think of envy is that extended look over the proverbial fence at anothers grass were convinced is greener than our own. Once we allow an envious thought to take root in us, it naturally produces anger, jealousy, bitterness, resentment, and discontentment. Remember all that took place in Sauls heart once he heard the city singing that song about he and David? He heard it, had an envious interpretation of the song, it went deep into him, and produced all kinds of insecurities, fears, worries, anger, and jealousy. We are like Saul. Always looking over the proverbial fence at our neighbors greener grass. And our time on social media doesnt help this as it exposes us to a whole world of neighbors with whom we can compare ourselves. Church, be sure of this. Envy sours us. It sours our worship, sours our joy, sours our whole life. Whats the remedy and medicine for our envious hearts? Contentment. What is contentment? Its more than just not looking over the fence at our neighbors grass, its not even being concerned with their grass. The Puritan Jeremiah Burroughs in his classic book The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment says contentment is the sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit, which freely submits to and delights in Gods wise and fatherly disposal in every condition. Burroughs says this is not our natural disposition, but is rather a mysterious spiritual art that we only learn by the grace of God. How can we lean into this and grow in contentment? Burroughs suggests three ways: First, by remembering providence. We grow envious because we desire our lives to be something they are not. Contentment begins with a settled confidence in Gods sovereign control over all life events. Since God is truly in control and sovereign over all things, and since God is truly good, then we as Gods beloved children can be quiet and at peace in Gods wise and fatherly disposal of our lives. Or to put it another way, remembering His providence gives a settled confidence in God, who not only numbers the hairs of our head but is orchestrating all things for our good. Second, by remembering satisfaction. We grow envious because we desire to enjoy things we watch others enjoy. Contentment begins when we remember where our true satisfaction is. Being envious doesnt mean our desires are too strong, it means we have forgotten where our true desires are truly quenched. God made us for Himself, and our restless hearts will only be at rest as they look to Him. Third, by remembering Christ. We grow envious because we forget the gospel. When we say Christ is sufficient, we mean it. In Christ, we have everything. In Christ we have redemption, the forgiveness of our sins. In Christ we have the grace to grow in godliness. In Christ we have an eternal inheritance beyond anything we can imagine.In Christ we have a secure identity that is rooted not in our performance or the opinion of others, but in His finished work on the cross. In Christ we have peace in and out of suffering because He is a fountain of rest. In Christ we have freedom from "self which frees us from the need to constantly validate or defend our own ego. In Christ we have all of God's mercies purchased for us by His blood. In Christ we have a down payment of eternal glory, making every present comfort a preview of the joys to come in heaven, and making every painful lack an ache to be filled one day in glory. In Christ we have so much that all of heaven can give us no more. Church, by remembering the gospel, by remembering Christ, by remembering His glorious Person and His saving work we fight envy in deepest way possible. And when we fight envy like this, well find all our lack filled with Him.

Intro The Power of a Question: -Whats in the box? -Are you talking to me? -Why do we fall, sir -Are you not entertained? -What is the matrix? -What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow? These are but a few great questions found in movies over the last generation. Each one memorable in its own way. If you are familiar with any of the films simply saying the questions probably brought to mind the scene its from, the feeling of the moment, maybe even your own memories of watching it for the first time. A well-timed question has the way of permeating deep into our minds and forcing us to think deeply whether that questions is ask of us or we ask it of our selves such as my favorite lines from the show Les Miserable: Who Am I in the book it is: What has to be done, Great God What has to be done. -It is a question asked to provoke the challenging questions whether Val Jean will deny who he was and in so doing condemn another man to suffer his punishment or take hold of his past and in so doing condemn the good name he had built to come to ruin and the town with it. (as the book highlights will he condemn his happiness or his virtue) In this the question forces thought: Today I hope to a question will provoke thought, though not one of my own makings but a question from God himself: Jonah 4:4 And the Lord said, Do you do well to be angry? Context of Series: Clearly this question then highlights today we are diving into the sin of Anger there are many places to go with this subject and we will today unpack to the best of my ability within the time a lot the different aspects of Anger as sinful in the Word using the narrative of Jonah as our Lense and with it the gracious reality of God as revealed in the narrative and as the reality of our own salvation. If you have your bible join me in Jonah 4 As you turn there let me give you a quick Jonah refresher: Overview Jonah: -Called by God to preach to Nineveh about their impending doom (A People not known for their righteousness) _Hed rather not, so he takes off in a book to the ends of the world -Yet God find him judges him for his actions leaving him ultimately thrown into the water and eaten by a large fish -After three days and not dying he cries out to God for mercy which he is given Jonah 2:89 Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love. But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the Lord! -God calls him again and sends him to Nineveh which this time he goes and preaches the impending doom -Nineveh respond in Prayer and repentance and God Relents -Thus, bringing us to chapter 4 and a very upset Jonah- Here we will see the heart of Sinful Anger I. The Heart of Anger But before we unpack this let me give you a definition of anger you may not have heard before: Anger is the rising up of the heart in passionate displacency against an apprehended evil, which would cross or hinder us of some desired good. It is given us by God for good, to stir us up to a vigorous resistance of those things, which, within us or without us do oppose his glory or our salvation, or our own or our neighbors real good. -Richard Baxter This definition highlights for us the heart of Anger that free from sin is pure and good, unfortunately as Mr. Baxter himself will attest this is very often not the reality of what we see in scripture but for rare occasion, usually we see the abuse of this as the self-rise up against the truth. Here we see Jonah angry at Gods mercy and for him Gods Injustice: Jonah 4:13 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. And he prayed to the Lord and said, O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live. -The grace of God towards sinners spurs in Jonahss heart not thanksgiving but Anger. Spurring God to ask a question that should hit us at every turn: Jonah 4:4 And the Lord said, Do you do well to be angry? Jonah has no reply to this He knows he is wrong he just doesnt care Jonah 4:58 Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, till he should see what would become of the city. Now the Lord God appointed a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort. So, Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant. But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered. When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint. And he asked that he might die and said, It is better for me to die than to live. -So now God shows mercy to his angry prophet to teach him a lesson, a lesson he again is quick to forget -Jonah 4:9 But God said to Jonah, Do you do well to be angry for the plant? And he said, Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die. Jonah shows us a man who is consumed by his own anger that even the merciful gifts of God are a front to him. Jonah believes his system and standard of Justice is far superior to Gods, for the most common form of anger arise when we believe injustice is afoot, as even scripture points out this may well be a good gift for anger is not always sinful, but more than likely in our cases due to sin is. Many of us here are probably thinking thats not me, Jonah is out of control. -If I received half the grace Jonah received, I would be beyond gracious but would we. Do we not so often see ourselves as the arbiter of Gods justice and righteousness, deciding who is too far from the kingdom and when we should be clear is not worthy of the gospel, even being so bold as to celebrate their deaths. But sure, let say you are not in Jonahs case you would never be angry like that, at the salvation of sinners that crazy, the depths of Anger in scripture go far deeper than the simple narrative of Jonah: Richard Baxter in his Christian Directory identifies at least 9 different faces of Anger that God condemns throughout Scripture: Lets take a moment and unpack these as they help us to see the depth of the Question: Do you do well to be angry II. The Many faces of Anger 1. When anger is directed against God or anything good, treating it as if it were evil. (This is Jonah) This occurs when individuals become angry at those who seek to guide them toward salvation, point out their sins, or obstruct their sinful desires. It reflects a rejection of divine truth and benevolent intervention. Jonah 4:1-11: The prophet Jonah exemplifies this when he became furious because God showed mercy to Nineveh, contrary to Jonah's desire for their destruction. His anger stemmed from God's goodness and compassion, which he perceived as an offense to his own expectations. Proverbs 12:1:"Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid." This proverb highlights the sinful anger that arises from resisting truth and correction, demonstrating a foolish rejection of wisdom. 2. When anger clouds judgment and prevents clear, rational thinking. (Highlighted in the wisdom Literature) Sinful anger distorts one's perspective, making it difficult to assess situations accurately or make sound decisions. Ecclesiastes 7:9: "Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the bosom of fools." This verse links impulsive anger with foolishness, indicating its detrimental effect on sound judgment. Proverbs 14:29:"Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly." A quick temper, fueled by uncontrolled anger, is presented as a barrier to understanding and a pathway to foolish actions. 3. When anger leads to inappropriate behavior, sinful words, or harmful actions against others. Ephesians 4:31-32:"Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." This passage condemns anger that manifests in destructive behaviors and words, contrasting it with Christian virtues. Colossians 3:8: "But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth." This verse instructs believers to discard anger and its associated sinful expressions that harm relationships. Proverbs 29:22: "An angry man stirs up strife, and a hot-tempered man abounds in transgression." This proverb illustrates how uncontrolled anger leads to conflict and numerous sinful acts. 4. When anger is misplaced or lacks a legitimate reason. Matthew 5:22: "But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment." Jesus explicitly condemns anger that is unjustified, emphasizing its spiritual gravity. Proverbs 3:30: "Do not contend with a man for no reason, when he has done you no harm." This proverb advises against engaging in conflict, which often stems from baseless or mistaken anger. 5. When anger makes us unfit to perform our duties to God or to other people. James 1:20: "for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God." This verse clearly states that human anger, when sinful, obstructs our ability to act in ways that are pleasing to God. 6. When anger diminishes love and kindness, prevents good deeds, and fosters malice, revenge, conflict, and social unrest. Proverbs 15:18: "A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention." This proverb clearly illustrates how uncontrolled anger leads to conflict and disrupts peace in relationships and society. Proverbs 29:22: "An angry man stirs up strife, and a hot-tempered man abounds in transgression." This verse reinforces the idea that anger leads to conflict and sinful actions, hindering good and promoting unrest. 7. When anger persists for too long, even after its legitimate purpose has been served. Ephesians 4:26-27: "Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil." This command directly warns against prolonged anger, acknowledging that while anger itself isn't always sinful, allowing it to fester can lead to sin and spiritual vulnerability. Proverbs 29:11: "A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back." This verse suggests that uncontrolled and prolonged expression of anger is characteristic of foolishness, while a wise person exercises restraint. 8. When anger is selfish and motivated by personal gain or desire, rather than righteous indignation. James 4:1-2: "What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel." This passage directly links conflict and anger to selfish desires and passions, highlighting anger that arises from unfulfilled personal interests. Galatians 5:19-21:"Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." This list of "works of the flesh" includes "fits of anger," indicating that anger stemming from carnal desires and leading to strife and rivalries is sinful. 9. When anger is driven by jealousy or selfish ambition, leading to disorder and harmful practices. James 3:16: "For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice." This verse directly connects selfish ambition and jealousy, which often manifest as sinful anger, with societal disorder and evil actions. Proverbs 13:10: "By insolence comes nothing but strife, but with those who take advice is wisdom." Insolence, a form of pride, is identified as a direct cause of strife, which is a manifestation of sinful anger. Each the 9 faces of Anger that Baxter unpacks draws us back to a misplace sense of self and places ourselves in Gods position, we feel somehow God is not working as he should, and we then should in each moment of Anger honestly reflect on the question Do You Do Well to be Angry For your anger may be different than mine but no less sinful, and this how can we be free from this snare that has entangled our hearts, how do we move from thins state of being into a new state, by the gracious work of Christ who through the out pouring of his grace teaches us the wonder and goodness that it is to bestow on others: III. The Miraculous Gift of Grace For how our text end does but with God showing Jonah how misplaced his anger is, and his need to see things more clearly Jonah 4:1011 And the Lord said, You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also many cattle? God responds to the Anger of Jonah by again focusing on His steadfast love and grace. -He is the creator; he is the one who freely offers forgiveness and mercy -He is the one who chooses how his justice is poured out on an unbelieving word For We were enemies of God and sinners, and he extended grace to us: Ephesians 2:15 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christby grace you have been s-saved -Gods grace was towards us, -His Grace was towards Jonah (He gave him the fish, he gave him a second chance, he gave him shade, he provided and Jonah took gladly but greedily for the mercy of God was only for him) So, when anger creeps up on us are we reminded of who we are, are we reminded of Gods grace towards us, are we reminded of the gospel in that moment Do you do well to be angry If you are a believer here today know that a gospel people should not be known as an angry people, but as a forgiving people, who extended the grace of God to other in proportion to the grace we have received. -Why do we hold on to anger when our Lord has not held onto our sins -Why do we allow the fog of our anger cloud our minds from the grace of God towards others -Why do we allow ourselves to miss the expression of his grace because of our own sinfulness -Do we do well? If you are not a believer today, then I guess the question for you is: What keeps you from this gracious God? -There are no sins he wont forgive -There is no journey that you have taken he cannot redeem -There is nothing that can separate from the love and gracious forgiveness of God, except yourself -Come, ye sinners, poor and needy, weak and wounded, sick and sore; Jesus ready stands to save you, full of pity, love, and pow'r. Repent and believe and receive the gracious compassion of our Lord. So, whats keeping you?

As the New Year begins we now enter into a new sermon series on the church. Weve done this in many ways over the years. Weve looked at the nature of the Church, the doctrine of the Church, the marks of the Church, the mission of the Church, and more. This year we turn toward a theme that is sobering, weighty, and necessary. This year were going look at the sins of the Church. Why take time to study the sins of the church? To see our sin as it is, in its dreadful and vile nature, and be moved and made more eager to turn away from sin toward Christ. So for the next two months, well take a cue from Church history. Christians have always been a people who speak of sin, but in the the 4th or 5th century Christians began to categorize seven particular sins as chief sins from which all other sin flows. These seven sins eventually became known as the Seven Deadly Sins. They include pride, greed, anger, envy, sloth, gluttony, and lust. Certainly there are more sins than these seven, but there is not a sin that does not originate in one of these seven. Up first is the sin of pride. In discussing pride, C.S. Lewis said this in his book Mere Christianity, There is one vice of which no man in the world is free; which everyone in the world loathes when he sees it in someone else; and of which hardly any people, except Christians, ever imagine that they are guilty themselvesI do not think I have ever heard anyone who was not a Christian accuse himself of this vice. And at the same time I have very seldom met anyone, who was not a Christian, who showed the slightest mercy to it in others. There is no fault which makes a man more unpopular, and no fault which we are more unconscious of in ourselves. And the more we have it ourselves, the more we dislike it in others. This sin I am referring to is pridethis is the great sinthe complete anti-God state of mind.[1] Of all the places we could go to examine pride I want to take you back the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11:1-9. This passage easily divides in two, see first The Hubris of Man (v1-4) Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. And they said to one another, Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth. v1-2 serve as an introduction. What first draws our attention is unity. There was one language among all these peoples and they sought to settle together in the land of Shinar. Unity is a good thing, but let me remind you that unity like this is not a good thing. Why? Because God had commanded the opposite. To Adam and Eve, in Gen. 1:28, the command was given to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth with the image of God. That command is repeated after the flood to Noah and his sons, in Gen. 9:1, to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. The idea is that man is to spread out to the ends of the earth. This, they didnt want to do. Instead, they sought to establish a single, great, unified city. So, from the beginning of this passage, we have a hunch that this isnt going to end well. Notice also these peoples migrated from the east. It might seem like a small detail, but eastward movement occurs frequently in Genesis and rarely is it good. Adam and Eve were banished out of Eden to the east. After killing his brother Abel, Cain went off to the East, away from the presence of the Lord. Abraham and Lot separates and Lot chose to go East, ending up in Sodom and Gomorrah. When we read in v2 of this large group heading east, were meant to understand this as a bad thing, as a move away from God, and away from the place of His blessing.[2] In v3-4 all this is confirmed as we hear their intentions. Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth. The desire here is to build a city, and build a high tower in the middle of it. The technological device they intend to use to accomplish this is the brick. Now, let me be clear. God is not against city building, or skyscrapers, or bricks. God is against the pride of man displayed here. There are four evidences[3] in the text that show us Gods displeasure in their pride. First, their desire to build all of this was so that they wont be dispersed over the whole earth, but since the garden God has commanded men to disperse and spread throughout the whole earth. Its as if they knew this command of God and in response to it they rebel by gathering in one place to build a great city in defiance of God. Second, by building theyre sought to make a name and for themselves. Is this a bad thing? After this tower episode we see God Himself promise to work and bless Abraham so that his name is great. Whats the difference between that and this? The difference between all this name making is how the name and renown is achieved.[4] In the tower builders of Gen. 11 we see the name making is a kind of megalomania.[5] But in Gen. 12 its not Abraham, but God, who works to make Abrahams name great. So to seek to make a name for oneself is to declare independence and autonomy from God, the true authority over all. Third, they intend the tower to have its top in the heavens. That might sound like they just want it to be really tall. But in their day this was temple language, used specifically to speak of entering into the realm of the divine. Which means their intention wasnt just to build a high tower, but to launch an assault on heaven itself. Fourth and lastly, there seems to be an intentional echo of the creation account in their own verbiage. They said, Come, let us make just as God said in Genesis 1:26 Let us make man in our image. If this is truly part of whats going on in the building of this tower, it adds more of a rebellious spirit to the builders at Babel. In summary, what we see here is the pride, or the hubris, of man. The word hubris is an old word, not used much today. In ancient Greek tragedies the word hubris is often used to describe excessive pride aimed in a divine direction. The older King James word vainglory gets at this idea. Here at Babel the hubris of man is displayed in a staggering scope. It shows us that by nature man doesnt merely reject God, man doesnt want God to be God. If left to our own devices we would seek to storm heaven, remove God from His throne, and sit down in His place. This remains true to this day. How so? The spirit of Babel continues in us.[6] We are those who employ our modern technological devices to make a name for ourselves. Our whole culture today impresses upon us that we must use everything and everyone at our disposal to make a name for ourselves, and warns us that failure to do so is to become nameless and unknown in a world of fame and celebrity. Sure, we may not do this with bricks like they did but we have bricks of our own making. Chief among our own bricks is our smartphones, which we use to create fake, phony, and beautiful personas of ourselves that must be validated by the court of public opinion seen in likes and follows and views. Everyone must be a content creator, a brand originator, or a YouTube sensation. Or perhaps your Babel-ish spirit takes the form of a contrarian. Where you take pride in not bowing the knee to the smartphone and not taking part in the technological tenor of the present age, and because you dont give room to this you see yourself as superior to all others around you. This is the rise and triumph of the modern self. Each and every single one of us is aiming to be our own Babel thats taller than all the other towers around us. While the vast majority are running fast in this direction, its the Christian who ought to be a disruptive witness by living a different kind of life. While the whole world is using and employing modern technological savvy to make their own name known by building communities around themselves, its the Christian who ought to use these modern technological means to make much of Christ. Its the Christian who ought to live in the true community of the Church where we esteem others over ourselves. In a world full of Babels, where pride is the chief value, the glory of the Church is humility. Or we could say: when so many are trapped in the aims and goals of the modern Babel like pursuitsknowing Christ, being known by Christ, and making Christ known is what were called to do. The proud Spirit of Babel is what we must repent of and the humble Spirit of Christ is what we must pursue. See secondly The Humbling of God (v5-9) And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. And the LORD said, Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one anothers speech. So the LORD dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth. And from there the LORD dispersed them over the face of all the earth. In a sarcastic irony in v5 God mentions He had to come down to see the tower.[7] Remember, God is God. God is not in need of a repositioning to see the tower, He saw it fine where He was.[8] But He says this in v5 to draw attention to how high and holy He is in contrast to how depraved and deluded these builders are. In v6-7 we see God express an honesty, that this is only the beginning of what man will attempt to do if they remain united in their sin. So God comes down and confuses their language. In doing this God isnt seeking to keep mankind divided and dumb, no. By doing this God, in great mercy, is limiting the damage man can do to themselves.[9] God once again uses verbiage Hes used before in v7, Come, let us go down This not only mocks their intentions in v3-4, but it brings us back to His own words in Genesis 1. And v8-9 show us the end of the matter. God brings confusion to their language so they could no longer understand one another. This ends the construction of the tower, resulting in their dispersal over all the earth. Ironically the name they desired to achieve was accomplished. But it wasnt a name they would be pleased with, not at all. They would forever be underneath the banner of the name Babel, the Hebrew word meaning confusion. Church, here we have witnessed two things. First, we have seen the great sin of pride. And second, we have seen how God humbles those who are proud. But know this, Babel is not an isolated event. This passage before us is only nine verses, but it casts a long shadow over the rest of the Bible .[10] The pride of man would continue to be displayed to such a degree that God scattered and dispersed His own people among the nations.[11] And scattered and dispersed they would remain, until they day when God Himself would come in Christ to unite them anew. So in Christ Babel is reversed. In Babel God scattered man out to all the nations, but now in Christ God is drawing all nations to Himself. In Babel man sought to make a name for himself, but now all who come to Christ find in themselves a deeper, truer, and richer desire to make much of the name of Christ. And at Babel God frustrated the building of the city of man, in the end only the city whos Maker and Builder is God will stand forever. Praise God, the confusion at Babel isnt the final word for fallen man! Conclusion: So, question. Are you a proud person? Do you believe youre the smartest person in every room you walk into? Do you dislike others when they are the center of attention? Do you view others as merely supporting actors to yourself? Or, if youve been hearing this message and can only think of someone else who needs to hear this, youre a proud person. Be sure of this. The moment you feel yourself thinking that you are better than anyone else, you are being acted upon, not by God, but the Devil.[12] Maybe pride[13] in you is overt, showing itself in outward, loud and boastful ways. Thats probably the most common way we view and recognize pride. But while this kind of overt pride seeks to establish superiority and demand attention and admiration, there is a quieter pride, a covert pride, that seeks to establish recognition and prominence through suffering and sympathy. When you fail to achieve attention or status, this quieter pride often spirals downward into self-pity, where you embrace a victim mindset believing you are the most wronged or have the most unique suffering of anyone. Both overt pride that seeks to be the most important and covert pride that seeks to be the most tragic come from indulging in your own ego. What eventually happens if you give room to pride in any of these ways? You isolate yourself, ensuring a future of disappointed discontentment. What is the remedy to pride? Humility. A hint of humility in our fallen world is like a drop of cold water in the desert. Church, humility is as wonderful as pride is nasty, and the good news is that humility isnt difficult to define. Humility is not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less. As pride leads to and thrives in isolation, humility leads to and thrives in community.[14] Who do we look to for an example of humility? No surprise, we look to Christ. Paul beautifully describes this in Phil. 2, where he says, Do nothing fromselfish ambition orconceit, but inhumility count others more significant than yourselves.Let each of youlook not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,who, though he was inthe form of God, did not count equality with Goda thing to be grasped,butemptied himself, by taking the form of aservant,being born in the likeness of men.And being found in human form, he humbled himself bybecoming obedient to the point of death,even death on a cross. Jesus is the only One who could insist on His own rights who could truly have His own way. But in coming to save us, He laid aside His privileges. In humility He condescended, in humility He stooped down, to bring us up to Himself. This means that Christs humility not only paved the way for our redemption, but that Christs humility is the example, the pattern, and the model for our lives. How do we learn to combat overt pride and seeking superiority and attention? By looking to Christ! How do we learn to combat covert pride and embracing the victim mindset of self-pity? By looking to Christ! How do we combat our innate bent to please ourselves and put our needs before others? By looking to Christ! Beholding the beauty of His humility is the beginning of our own. Church, isnt this the life you want to live? Then by Gods grace pursue it! Pride is our natural state, only by grace can we begin to recover. May His grace abound in us. [1] C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (New York, NY: Harper Collins, 1980) 121. [2] Kenneth A. Mathews, Genesis 1-11:26, NAC (Nashville, Tennessee: BH, 1996), 478. Contra Boice, 421. [3] Christopher Watkin, Biblical Critical Theory (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, 2022) 207-209. Watkin lists five, but only four are needed for this context. The absent item is too philosophical for the pulpit. [4] Mathews, Genesis 1-11:26, 482. [5] Victor P. Hamilton, Genesis 1-17, NICOT (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans, 1990), 353. [6] Watkin, Biblical Critical Theory, 212-218. [7] Contra Hamilton, 354. [8] Watkin, Biblical Critical Theory, 209. [9] Ibid., 209-210. [10] Watkin, 211. [11] Mathews, Genesis 1-11:26, 486. [12] Lewis, 124-125. [13] This distinction between overt and covert pride is from a conversation I had with David Brotnov. Insightful indeed. [14] Dustin Messer, The Death of the Deadly Sins: Embracing the Virtues that Transform Lives, ed. Daniel M. Doriani (Phillipsburg, NJ: PR, 2025) 53.

Almost nobody wakes up one morning and decides to drift away from God. That's not how it works. Instead, we add, we supplement. We keep praying. We keep attending. We keep using all the right words. But somewhere along the way, we quietly open up other accounts. A little security here. a backup plan there. We're not rejecting God. We're just diversifying, hedging our bets. And before long, we've assembled an entire collection of fallback options. And we can barely notice that our functional trust has shifted from the living God to a portfolio of substitutes that we've carefully constructed with our own hands. That is the situation that Isaiah confronts in chapter 57 today. And what God says to his people there is more terrifying and also more comforting than we might expect. He exposes but then he offers himself. He warns but then he stoops. The Text: Isaiah 57:13-15 So let's read our text for this morning and you can follow along in your Bibles on your devices again. Isaiah 57:es 13- 15. And it reads like this. "When you cry out, let your collection of idols deliver you. The wind will carry them all off. A breath will take them away. But he who takes refuge in me shall possess the land and shall inherit my holy mountain. And it shall be said, 'Build up, build up, prepare the way. Remove every obstruction for my people's way.' For thus says the one who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is holy. I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite." This is God's word. What does it look like when God's people have not abandoned him outright, but have simply just again supplemented him? When the language of faith remains intact, but the heart has quietly diversified. This section in in Isaiah is particularly difficult to comprehend because there are at least three different audiences being written to here. The first is the audience that God himself tells Isaiah earlier in chapter 6 prior to the Babylonian exile that will not listen to him. And because this is a prophetic work, the second audience are those who returning from that exile between 50 to 70 years later or those few who had been left behind. A physical remnant who were leaving a pagan culture and who are already beginning to fall into the same kind of compromises that their grandparents and their great-grandparents did. More on them in a moment. And of course, the third audience is God's covenant people, including us. those of us who struggle with the same kind of struggles that have plagued us since the fall in the garden. So, one text and three audiences. It's a little strange and so it might help us to get some perspective so that we can try to see what God has for us here. So, we'll do a little bit of history. Isaiah 57 belongs to the later portion of Isaiah's prophecy spoken into a moment of deep covenant confusion in Judah. Isaiah's ministry of encouragement in the latter part of the book was focused on the remnant who would survive the exile. Verses 13- 15 come from the last section of Isaiah chapters 56- 66 which scholars sometimes call the third Isaiah based on the thematic shifts. Though I here affirm that Isaiah is the author of this text and writing prophetically under the Spirit's inspiration to audiences whom he would never meet in his lifetime. The future audience that Isaiah was prophetically writing to are the Jewish exiles returning to Judah after 70 years in Babylon who had come home to utter devastation. The land had been abandoned and neglected for nearly three generations. Vineyards were dead, olive groves gone, the terracing systems destroyed, the basic infrastructure like walls and gates and roads that were necessary for life all lay in ruins. And so most returnees were poor and the wealthy Jews who had prospered in Babylon stayed there. For those who those who came back faced immediate survival challenges. how to grow food in exhausted land. How to defend themselves without military protection, how to pay crushing Persian taxes that drove families to mortgage their fields and even sell their children into slavery at times just to survive. They were a frontier society trying to rebuild civilization, surrounded by hostile neighbors who actively sabotaged their efforts and a Persian empire that extracted a heavy tribute. So recovery in other words for these people would take generations not just years. So into this context of economic desperation and social vulnerability Isaiah's words would have landed with tremendous force when God promises in verse 14 to build up build up prepare the road remove the obstacles. These just weren't metaphors, although they were certainly that. They were also literal and urgent needs. The returning exiles faced overwhelming physical obstacles. Rubble to clear, walls to rebuild, hostile opposition to overcome. And you can read more about this in Ezra and Nehemiah in much more detail. But more than their external circumstances, their greatest need was what verse 15 promises. That the high and exalted one who lives forever would dwell with those who are contrite and lowly in spirit. Exile had crushed their national pride and left them dependent and broken and humbled. And in their poverty and in their weakness, they discovered they needed not just an economic restoration, but they needed God himself dwelling among them, reviving the spirit of the lowly and giving life to the contrite heart. So this nation still stood l under the looming shadow of judgment, returning from exile, and the spiritual conditions that led them there were still a danger even to this people. Isaiah's original audience, their grandparents from two or three generations previous rejected God again and again. And like we saw in our study um in Exodus with Pharaoh and the people of Egypt, the people of Israel and Judah had had hardened their hearts toward God over and over again were then hardened by God so that they would not and they could not listen and so they went into exile. The grandchildren returning from exile faced a different but related danger. The exile had cured them of their grandparents blatant idolatry. They would not bow to Baal or sacrifice their children to Molech. But the subtler temptation remained for them to trust in alliances to rely on ritual performance to hedge their bets with quiet compromises. The outward guy idols were gone, but the inward drift toward self-reliance was still there. So Isaiah writing prophetically holds up a mirror of their ancestors sins as a warning to them and to us. This is where a divided loyalty leads. The false shepherds and the careless watchmen condemned earlier in the chapter had failed this previous generation. Would this generation learn that lesson? By the time we reach verse 13 in our text, the Lord addresses people who still cry out in distress. But the question hanging over them is whether their hearts will be wholly his or whether they too will quietly reorient toward substitutes. And yet this chapter does not end with abandonment. It ends with God declaring where he chooses to dwell. The same God who announces that idols will fail also announces that he himself remains a refuge. The same God who exposes pride also prepares a way back for his people. And the same God who inhabits eternity stoops to revive the contrite. And so that's the situation Isaiah is writing into and writing to us through a people who still pray and who still gather and still use the language of faith, but whose hearts have quietly diversified. They haven't abandoned God, but they are beginning to supplement him. And God is about to expose what that looks like and where it leads. So look with me in your text at verse 13. This is a warning and it's sharper than you might expect. It says, "When you cry out, let your collection of idols deliver you. The wind will carry them off. A breath will take them away." The passage does not say here, if you look carefully, if you cry out, he says when you cry out. So here, God's people are still praying to the living God. They're still calling for help, but God is dis exposing the divided heart behind the prayer. And the word here in Hebrew for collection is devastating. It is not a single false god replacing the Lord. It is a carefully assembled set of alternatives. These idols are like insurance policies for the soul. God's people first in Israel and then later here in Judah had accumulated spiritual backup plans, alliances with Egypt, fertility rituals borrowed from Canaan, personal shrines along temple worship. So the judgment is devastatingly simple that when crisis comes, these collected securities will prove absolutely worthless. The wind will carry them off. A breath will take them away. what they had accumulated to protect them could not even protect itself. This warning would go unheeded in the pre-exilic Judah as I Isaiah had predicted and it proved to be true. Consider for a moment how quickly for those people, the pre-exilic people, how quickly all of their idols failed them and how quickly it all collapsed. For over a century after the northern kingdom fell to Assyria, Judah had survived. When Sinakarb's army surrounded Jerusalem in 701 BC, God delivered them miraculously. 185,000 Assyrian soldiers dead in a single night. And that deliverance calcified into Judah as presumption. The people began to believe that Jerusalem was indestructible, that the temple guaranteed their security, and that God would never allow his city to fall. Even though Jeremiah warned them for 40 years, they dismissed him as a traitor. They had their temple and their rituals and their religious confidence. And then Babylon came. The Babylonian siege lasted well over a year. But when the walls were finally breached in the summer of 586 BC, the end came to Judah with terrifying speed. Within weeks, the temple that had stood for nearly 400 years was now a smoking ruin. The king watched his sons executed before him before his eyes were gouged out, the last thing that he would ever see. The city's leading citizens were marched off in chains and everything had accumulated that they had accumulated rather to secure themselves. Political alliances and military defenses and religious presumption had all been scattered now like chaff. The wind carried it off. A breath took it away. Um Jeremiah 21:13 speaks about this. He says, "My people have committed two evils. They have forsaken me. the fountain of living waters and hewed out sistns for themselves, broken sistns that can hold no water." It's the same pattern. It's not an outright rejection, but supplementation that becomes abandonment. And Jesus himself later in Matthew 6:24 would say, "No one can serve two masters." So Jesus applies this principle to money, but it's the same principle. Divided allegiance is an impossible allegiance. And you might ask how this applies to us because most of us here in this audience are reformed evangelicals and we're not bowing to bail or refusing or or or visiting shrine prostitutes like Judah. But the pattern of accumulated spiritual insurance is alive and well among doctrinally sound Christians. Some examples in the age of unprecedented access to information for us. We have planning tools and life optimization systems and AI. And the temptation is for us to pray to God while trusting in our systems to save us. We ask for God's guidance on the one hand and then we follow the algorithm on the other. We request his provision and then anxiously monitor our portfolios and our calendars. Prayer becomes ceremonial for us very often. The device is what becomes the trusted thing. I once knew a missionary family that had s served in uh posts Soviet Romania after the fall of the Iron police protection, public services in general could not be counted on at all. And so this family particularly the children of an otherwise western parents grew up praying for basic everyday things. And when they came to the US for furlow, one of the children remarked to their parents about our well functioning nation and they said this. The child said to their parents, "It's kind of sad here. everything just works and nobody really seems to need to pray for their everyday needs." Because of this outsider perspective, they saw what we tend to forget that we are surrounded by conveniences that constantly threaten to pull us toward mixed confidence. Also, when anxiety arises or conviction presses, we reach for the phone, the almighty phone, the magic box. The doom scroll becomes a refuge instead of scripture. Instead of prayer, our entertainment provides an anesthetic for us to forget our troubles for a few minutes or for a few hours. We often do not formally reject God. we just simply have other places to run when he feels too demanding to us or maybe too silent. Um 2024 2025 to give another example was was a year when the evangelical church felt the gravitational pull of hoping that the right election outcome might help us to secure our collective futures. It's very easy for us to confess Christ's lordship while at the same time functionally placing our confidence in a political victory as important as those are. So the question is not whether we should vote or whether we should engage but whether we have collected political security alongside or in place of our security in Christ and his lordship alone. One other danger for us uh we here at Sunrise are again largely reformed evangelicals and we are under very good teaching and so we can face a unique danger in this. We can collect doctrines in the same way that Judah had collected idols not as substitutes for God but rather as supplements to give us a sense of security of being right. right answers can become their own kind of false refuge and a very sneaky one if they do not drive us to the living God himself. Um, let me just take a personal moment uh and make this personal because I'm not pointing fingers at you from a safe distance because I've struggled with every one of these particularly in the last few years as probably many of you have. you. Like you, I have seen the geopolitical landscape shift and I've watched economic realities change. I've watched social and political ground move beneath my feet. Sometimes daily, it seems like, especially if you're paying attention to your phone. I often feel the weight of the roles that God has given me. I'm a husband of a beautiful wife and father to an adolescent son and now the last year an elder to this church, a leader in my job. I'm a disciple of Christ. The pressures compound and the uncertainties can multiply. And in seasons like that, um I've often found myself reaching for my own collection of idols. So I feel this. The AI tools and the calendars and the organizers that promise control and the phone that offers an escape. The political outcome that whispers security. The theological precision that often makes me feel right even when my heart has slowly started to grow colder and colder. And so I'm just confessing. I've often drifted and I've often supplemented. I've needed to come back and repent of this over and over again. And that's not failure. That's kind of the Christian life. But it only works if we see when we've wandered. And church, when our aisles have idols have failed us, when they have failed us, not if they leave us exposed and afraid. But let's look at the second half of verse 13 back in our text. Because God does not his abandon his people to this fear. Watch for the word in verse 13. But that little word is the hinge of the whole passage. But he who takes refuge in me shall possess the land and shall inherit my holy mountain. So the same God who exposes our idols offers himself not just as the alternative but as the only remedy for them. And what he offers is not a strategy, not five easy steps to spiritual security. It's refuge in him in our savior Jesus Christ. So verses 13b and 14 say, "But he who takes refuge in me shall possess the land and shall inherit my holy mountain." And it and it shall be said, "Build up, build up, prepare the way, remove every obstruction from my people's path, for my people's way." So the contrast here is stark. The wind scatters our idols, scattered Judah's idols, but he who takes refuge in me shall possess the land. So the Hebrew, the Hebrew word for refuge here also appears throughout the Psalms as a technical term for covenant trust. Fleeing to God as one flees to a fortified city. The word refuge assumes danger. It assumes you'll be weak. It assumes weakness. It assumes that something must be fled from. Pride never seeks a refuge. Only humility does. The one who takes refuge admits, "I cannot protect myself. My accumulated resources and tools are insufficient. I need shelter that only another can provide. I need what only Christ can offer." Look again at verse 14. The tone now turns decisively towards mercy. Build up, build up, prepare the way. God does not merely warn his people. He clears the path for their return, for our return. The image echoes Isaiah 40:3. It's the same language that will later describe John the Baptist preparation for Christ. And it reads, "A voice cries in the wilderness, prepare the way for the Lord. Make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill shall be made low. The uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken." God clears the road not only to display his power but to bring his wandering children home. And notice in this verse, he offers himself as the destination. Like Proverbs 18:10 says, the name of the Lord as a strong tower. The righteous man runs into it and is safe. See that verb runs. Refuge is not passive. It requires active urgent movement away from the idols that can't save you and the tools that can't save you and towards the only one who can. And then notice the tender phrase at the end of verse 14, my people. Despite the rebuke and despite the exposure, God has not disowned these people. He has not disowned us. He is removing obstacles from my people's way. So church, the same is true of us right here and right now. God has not disowned you or turned away from you if you are truly in him. He runs to the sinner. He calls the sinner to run to him. And the same God says in Psalm 46 verse1, God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Same vocabulary in the same exclusive claim. We find it in the New Testament as well in Hebrews 6:18. We who have fled for refuge have might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. The New Testament applies this refuge language directly to our hope in Christ. So if you find yourself this morning at the end of this year exhausted, worn down by years of cultural conflict and economic insecurity and information overload like I am. That exhaustion may be grace. Is it possible that that this exhaustion exposes the limits of your own resources and drives you towards a refuge that you can't manufacture for yourself? Or maybe you finally uh you find yourself quietly hedging your bets, trusting God, but quietly maintaining a plan B. So this call to exclusive refuge confronts you. Will you trust him alone? Or will you run to him for refuge without any backup plans? Maybe you've drifted and fear the road back is too long for you. So if so, hear me out. God does not say find your way home. He says, "I will clear to the way." But here's the question that verse 14 leaves hanging. Why? Why would the God of heaven bother with rebels who have spent decades chasing their idols? Why would he run toward a people who ran away from him? And verse 15 answers that question. Look at it. The answer might either offend you or undo you. Maybe it will do both. Verse 15 doesn't just tell us what God does. It tell us who God is and where he has choose chosen to make his home. It says verse 15, for thus says the one who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is holy. I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite. So before God tells us uh where he dwells, he reminds us who he is. Four titles establish his transcendence. Look at the text first. High and lifted up. This echoes Isaiah chapter 6 where the serum hide their faces and the temple shakes. This is the God before whom Isaiah earlier cries, "Woe is me. I am undone." The second is who inhabits eternity. He does not merely exist forever, but he fills all of time as his dwelling place. He is not bound by time that constrains us. Third, whose name is holy. His essential character is set apart and utterly pure and categorically different from everything that he has created. And fourth, he says, I dwell in a high and holy place. This natural habitat is unapproachable glory. And then the term, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, not instead of, but also with. God does not lower his holiness to dwell with the humble. As Jesus Christ, as the God man, he brings his holiness with him. And instead of destroying the contrite, he revives them. He revives us. The Hebrew word for contrite means crushed, broken, pulverized. The word for lowly means low, humble, brought down, meek. And these are not impressive qualities. These are broken conditions. And God says that is where I make my home. The purpose of his dwelling is not judgment but revival and restoration to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite. The text says revival is not just encouragement although it is certainly that. But it is life returning where it seemed to be gone, strength returning where it was spent. Try to sum up in your imagination just for a moment that what this would have meant for the Judeian reader returning to uh from from exile between 60 to 70 years in Babylon. Their parents and grandparents had lost everything because of their hard-hearted refusal to listen to God and to repent of their incredible wickedness. They would return to a ruined land that was a shadow of what it had been for their ancestors. and their people were scattered and broken and compromised because of their sin. And yet here is God comforting these people, not condemning them. As one Isaiah commentary I researched puts it, "None among the gods resembles Jehovah. None can be compared to him. Jehovah is the only God among the nations who saves." So back to us, those who are under good reformed teaching can inadvertently develop a kind of theological competence that feels like qualification. We know all the right doctrines. We can articulate the gospel. We've read the right books. But verse 15 insists that God's dwelling place is not with the impressive, but with the broken. knowledge does not that does not produce contrition has missed the whole point. And so there's good news for you who are struggling here in 2025 for the spiritually depleted. If that's you, if the last few years or or if Christmas, the Christmas season has crushed your spirit. If you have failed more than you have succeeded, if your prayers feel hollow or your devotions feel cold, hear what God says about where he makes his home. He does not dwell with the impressive. He dwells with the contrite. Your brokenness is not a barrier to God's presence. Your broken, humble, and contrite heart is the address where Jesus Christ makes his residence. Many believers live with a lowgrade fear. A fear of death or fear of loss, fear of man's opinions, fear of the future. What might that hold? What does 2026 hold for us? Verse 15 speaks to every one of these. The one who inhabits eternity holds your life, holds your death, holds your future, holds your past. The one whose name is holy defines your worth. The one who revives the heart promises restoration through every loss. Fear is not conquered by denial. You can't doom scroll your way out of it. You can't eat your way out or drink or drug your way out of it. It is conquered by nearness to God and our mediator. an intercessor, the friend of sinners, Jesus Christ our Lord. And so verse 15 tells us where God dwells with the contrite and the lowly. But it raises an urgent and practical question. What is contrition? And perhaps more importantly, can I just manufacture this for myself? Because if contrition is the address where God takes up residence, some of us are immediately tempted to try to produce it for ourselves to work ourselves up into a right emotional state to perform brokenness so that God will show up. But that would just be a disaster. That would turn the gospel back into law. And so before we move to how to apply this, we need to understand the posture that receives this revival. what it is and what it is not. So what is contrition not? What isn't? What isn't it? Contrition is not self-loathing. The goal is not to hate yourself, but rather to be honest before God. Self-hatred is still just a form of pride. It's a form of self-focus. Contrition turns the eyes upward. It's not despair because despair says there is no hope. But contrition says there is hope. There is no hope in me, but there is hope in Jesus Christ. The contrite heart does not sink into hopelessness, but rather as we see in the text, it flees to refuge. Contrition is not performance. We cannot manufacture a broken heart. It is not a technique for unlocking spiritual benefits. Rather, it is a condition that comes when we stop pretending and stop positioning and stand honestly before God. So what is it? Contrition. Humility is truthfulness. At least it is agreeing with God about our sin and our need and our insufficiency. It is the end of spinning. It's dependence. It is a posture that says, "I bring nothing except sin. I deserve nothing except wrath and I depend entirely upon mercy." It's open-handedness. It's releasing the grip of our collected securities and our tools and our devices and our plans and holding out empty hands to receive what only God can provide to us. So examine your collection is the first application. Ask the Lord to show you, to show us what we have been accumulating besides him. It's not to produce guilt, but it's to produce clarity. The goal here is not to make you feel worse about yourself. It's to help yourself, to help you to see yourself clearly so that you can flee to this refuge. Ask yourself honestly here today. If this is the first time this year where you've asked yourself this question honestly, where is my real and functional trust? Where is it really? Not your theological trust. We may know the right answers. A lot of us do in this room. But where is your functional trust when the rubber meets the road? The thing that you actually lean upon when the ground starts to shift underneath you. What do you reach for when anxiety rises? When you can't sleep at 2 am? Where does your mind go? Does it go to prayer or does it go to desperate planning and ruminating? To the promises of God or to your cell phone? When the news cycle spins up and the world feels unstable, what settles you? Christ's lordship over history or hoping for that right political outcome. Here's another diagnostic question that may sting. What would devastate you more? The loss of some earthly security or the loss of of your communion with Christ if your portfolio collapsed tomorrow or if your health failed you or if the election went the other way, which it might. If your reputation takes a hit, if you lost your job again, would these losses grieve you more than a cold and distant prayer life already does? I'm not asking these questions to condemn you again. I'm asking you because I've had to ask them of myself. And the answers often this year revealed a collection that I didn't know that I had been assembling that you may be assembling even now. The wind will carry them all off. A breath will take them away if you're not careful. It's better to see it now and to run to refuge than discover it when the crisis comes. And the crisis will come. So number two, stop polishing your prayers. Don't we do this? We come before God and we clean ourselves up first and we often use this religious language and we use the right phrases and we project this version of ourselves that we wish that we were the attentive disciple or the grateful believer the spiritually mature Christian and then we wonder why our prayers prayers often feel hollow. So real humility is cultivated when we bring our actual selves before the Lord in prayer. Not the selves that we wish that we were, but who we really are. Doubting, distracted, divided in that moment. Perhaps God already knows. He's not fooled by all the polish that we put on these prayers. The question is whether we will be honest about what he already sees in us. The Psalms give us language for this. David didn't come to God with tidy prayers. Read them. He said in Psalm 139:23, "Search me, oh God, and know my heart. Try me and know my anxious thoughts." Notice that David doesn't claim to already know his own heart. He just asks God to search it because he knows that he's capable of infinite selfdeception. and so are we. And so pray the unpolished prayer and tell God, admit that you're distracted or you're confused or you're discouraged. Tell him you're not sure you believe what you're saying. Tell him you're going through the motions and you don't know how to stop. Admit it. Tell him you don't believe in his word. You don't trust these words are his and that they're real and they're inspired. Tell him about your idol that you reach for this week when you should have reached for him. Admit it. Confess it. That kind of honesty does not disqualify you from his presence, but rather it is a door into it. So remember, he dwells with the humble. He dwells with the contrite and the lowly. And you cannot be contrite and lowly about your sin sins. If you're still pretending that you don't commit them, if you've been distant or cold or drifting this year, do not wait until you feel worthy to return. God is clearing the path for you. The obstacles are being removed. The father is running to meet the prodigal. Come home. Run to Christ. If he's running to you, run to him. Don't run away from him. And if you're broken, truly broken, take heart. You are not disqualified from God's presence. You are precisely where he has chosen to dwell. The high and holy one has stooped to revive you. And so, ex, let's examine our collections and pray honest prayer. Let's receive the cleared path and rest in God's dwelling. But underneath all of this, underneath the warning, underneath the refuge, underneath the dwelling, there is a deeper question. Why does any of this work? Why can the idoltor find refuge? Why does the holy God revive the crushed instead of consuming them in wrath? And the answer is not just in Isaiah 57. The answer is also at Calvary at the cross. Christ is the fulfillment of this passage. He was high and lifted up but on a cross. He who inhabited eternity entered time. He whose name is holy bore our sins for us. And though his death and and through his death and his resurrection, he has made a way for the contrite and the humble and the lowly to dwell with God forever. This God who inhabits eternity stooped all the way down. Not just to the advent, not just at Christmas, but also to the cross. He was crushed so that we the crushed could be revived. Um John Newton, famous psalmist and pastor, understood this. The former slave trader had he become a pastor. A man who had seen the depths of human cruelty and his own participation in it said near the end of his life. "My memory is nearly gone but I remember two things that I am a great sinner and Christ is a great savior." And that's the sum of it. Great sinner, great savior. So if you are here this morning and you have never come to Christ, if your refuge has been everywhere but him, hear this invitation this morning. Hear the text invite you. Hear Christ invite you this morning. The wind will scatter all the things that you put your trust and security in. Your house is built on the sand that will be washed away in death and in disaster. But he who takes refuge in the Lord will inherit his holy mountain. He will inherit Christ himself. So if you are a believer and you've been drifting, maybe that the end of this year you found yourself drifting and this text has wakened something in your in your heart. You're supplementing God with substitutes and you're maintaining all the correct religious forms while your heart has been cooling and cooling. Hear both the warning this morning and the welcome. The path is cleared. Come home. If you are broken or crushed or low, hear the covenant promises that are found only in Christ. Run to Christ this morning. Run to Christ this year. The Holy One of Israel makes his home with you. Not to condemn you, but to revive you. Where does God dwell? In the high and holy place, yes, but also with the contrite, with the lowly, with you and with me. Church, let's pray.

Waiting is hard. Have you ever had to wait for something for a long time? Maybe youve been through times when youve had to wait for really big things like: waiting for God to intervene in a hopeless situation, or waiting on guidance from God for a major decision, or waiting to hear news from a doctor about a recent diagnosis. Waiting for things this big can be agonizing. Or maybe youve been through times when youve had to wait for really small things like: waiting in traffic, or waiting longer than usual for your meal at a restaurant, or waiting for someone whos late to a meeting. Waiting for small things like this can also be difficult. But, why is waiting so difficult? Whether the situation is big or small, waiting reminds us of our lack. Its a humbling reminder that were not in control. We wait because we have reached the limit of our own powerwe cannot do something, we cannot figure out something, or we cannot fix something on our ownso we wait. If you can relate to that, then you can relate to the Israelites in our passage today. They were enduring a cruel enslavement in Egypt. Theyd been there over 400 years, and had likely given up hope of God ever coming to rescue them. They werent strong enough on their own to right this wrong, so all they could do was wait. And yet, into their darkness, God came! The promised rescue began, and they watched God attack Egypt with nine fierce plagues. As we come back to the story today in Exodus 12, we see the glorious moment when their waiting finally comes to an end as the final plague falls and the Exodus begins. And those just happen to be our two main headings today. See first The Final Plague (v29-32) At midnight theLordstruck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt,from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of the livestock.And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians. And there wasa great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where someone was not dead.Then he summoned Moses and Aaron by night and said, Up, go out from among my people,both you and the people of Israel; and go, serve theLord, as you have said.Take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone, and bless me also! In these verses God carries out the tenth and final plague as He said He would back in the start of chapter 11. v29 brings us right into the devastating scene. The Lord descends to strike down all the firstborn in Egypt, from the palace on high to the pits in the depths. We can so easily just read by these things and not even notice whats happening, so lets pause right here and look at this. Here in the Bible we read of God killing people. Can our theology handle this? Does our doctrine of God even have a category for this? Or do we just immediately believe something else must be going on because certainly this is too cruel and unjust an act for God to do? Church, we would do well to see this as it is rather than explaining it away. Remember the context. Early on in Exodus we saw Pharaoh enjoying the enslavement and oppression of the Israelites. Then Pharaoh raised the bar by murdering as many Hebrew baby boys as he could. Into this murderous scene God sends His deliverer, Moses, and keeps him safe in a little ark. Years later after God called Moses out and sent him back to Egypt, God gave him these words to tell Pharaoh in Exodus 4, Israel is My firstborn son. Let My son go that he may worship Me. But if you refuse, I will kill your firstborn son (Ex. 4:22-23). Now, in our passage this morning, this Word comes to pass. So what do we make of this? Church, God is not committing wickedness here, no, God is carrying out justice against Egypt for all their many sins. And carry it out He did, as v30 says, And there wasa great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where someone was not dead. Of course, we know that in the land of Goshen, most (if not all) the homes were safe from this plague for one reason onlythe blood of the lamb. The unblemished Passover lamb, slain as the substitute for the firstborn child. When God came near in this tenth plague to destroy and saw the blood He passed by. But for all the homes with no blood, He entered in order to carry out justice. The word for cry in v30 is ironic in the original Hebrew. Its the same Hebrew word used earlier in Exodus to describe Israels crying out to God in the midst of their suffering. Its ironic because now the same word is used to describe the deep cries of death rising all throughout Egypt.[1] This was such a devastating blow to Pharaoh, that after he rises, sees his own child dead, and cries out himself, he summons Moses and Aaron and tells them to take all the people and leave. Can you imagine what this moment was like for him? To finally give in after losing a child? What else could he do? He had been effected before in the previous plagues, but not like this. This time, the plague took his own child, so he commands Moses to take the people and go. But notice in his parting words Pharaoh asks Moses to bless him. Weve seen him ask Moses for prayer on many occasions by now, but here I think we see something different. I think this is Pharaoh acknowledging, in a manner of speaking, that the God of Israel is really where all power and authority lie. Pharaoh once believed he was a god himself, and yet in plague after plague the Lord forced Pharaoh to face the unsettling reality of his own powerlessness. So in a real way, I think Pharaoh knows that God is on the side of Israel, and so he asks for a blessing from the God of Israel. This hasnt happened since the days of Joseph years before this moment.[2] See it Church, here in this final plague Pharaoh is defeated, as God rids him of all the resistance left in him,[3] causing him to finally let the people go. And, the moment Israel has waited fornow finally arrives. The Exodus (v33-42) The Egyptians were urgent with the people to send them out of the land in haste. For they said, We shall all be dead.So the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneading bowls being bound up in their cloaks on their shoulders.The people of Israel had also done as Moses told them, for they hadasked the Egyptians for silver and gold jewelry and for clothing.And theLordhad given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so thatthey let them have what they asked. Thus they plundered the Egyptians. And thepeople of Israel journeyed fromRameses to Succoth,about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children.Amixed multitude also went up with them, and very much livestock, both flocks and herds.And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough that they had brought out of Egypt, for it was not leavened, becausethey were thrust out of Egypt andcould not wait, nor had they prepared any provisions for themselves. The time that the people of Israel lived in Egypt was 430 years.At the end of430 years, on that very day, all the hosts of theLordwent out from the land of Egypt.It was a night of watching by theLord, to bring them out of the land of Egypt; so this same night is anight of watching kept to theLordby all the people of Israel throughout their generations. Finally, the Exodus event long anticipated begins, and as it begins the text is soaked with a deep sense of urgency. In v33 the Egyptians were urging and pressing Israel to make haste and get out of Egypt. They did this because the plagues had so terrorized them they thought theyd all be dead soon. This impressed a deep sense of urgency on Israel in v34, causing them to quickly pack up belongings and leave. They left so quickly took their food, bowls, and clothingput it on their shoulders and left. v34 is also more evidence of how the Passover ceremony and tradition will become normal for Israel from this point on. God reminds Israel of this as theyre about to cross into the Promise Land in Deut. 16:3 saying, You shall eat no leavened bread with it.Seven days you shall eat it with unleavened bread, the bread of afflictionfor you came out of the land of Egyptin hastethat all the days of your life you may remember the day when you came out of the land of Egypt. All that came from this here. In this urgency, just as God had said, Israel plundered the Egyptians on their way out in v35-36 by asking and gladly receiving much silver and gold. On one hand this shows the great favor God gave His people with Egypt. That they were so favored is astounding because think of how drastically things have changed for the Israelites and the Egyptians. Before Israel was a weak, suffering, enslaved peoplenow by Gods great work Israel is the greater nation, enjoying great riches in Gods great victory.[4] But on the other hand we see a double edge in this. You see, this silver and gold would be both used and abused. Israel would use it for godly purposes in the making of the tabernacle but they would also use it in the making of the golden calf. Lesson? When Gods gifts and favor are used in godly ways, it serves the purpose of building their new identity in the Lord. But when Gods gifts and favor are abused in ungodly ways, it serves the purpose of maintaining old idolatries.[5] Church, isnt this true of all of Gods gifts?[6] His favor and blessing is great, and used rightly it serves to build Gods people, but used wrongly it destroys Gods people. Then, what a moment, the Exodus begins in v37-39. Beginning at Rameses they went out toward Succoth. Both of these were historical cities, Rameses being a city Israel likely helped build and Succoth being most likely a city to the southeast.[7] Out they went, 600,000 of them, or were there more of them? Its very likely there were more because of says 600,000 men. Including the women and children this was a company of two to three million people leaving Egypt. And notice, it wasnt just Israelites that left. In v38 it says a mixed multitude left. This is an explicit reference to non-Israelites joining up in the Exodus. They would soon be called sojourners, who joined up after witnessing the great works of God and being convinced that following Him and doing life among His people was the best thing for them. They foreshadowed the many foreigners soon to join up with Israel like Rahab and Ruth. The passage ends with a summary in v40-42 bringing the section and our time in Exodus for the next few months to a close. Conclusion: Here we have seen the Exodus itself, long awaited by Israel, much postponed by Pharaoh, yet carefully prepared by the Lord.[8] We began today with waiting. How waiting is hard in the big things and in the small things. Why? Because of how the act of waiting forces us to face our own lack. Israel had waited over 400 years for God to save them, but save them He did! All of us have to wait on God in life with Him, some of you are waiting right now for big or small things. So, question: how can you and I today take heart and be confident in our own waiting? Answer: we can take God at His Word. Church, we can take God at His Word. God promised long ago to Abraham in Genesis 15 that He would lead His people out of great suffering one day, and that He would punish the nation who caused their suffering. Church, God said this, and guess what? It all happened. Israel went into another nation under the care of Joseph, and they were treated well, but when a new Pharaoh arose, everything changed and their suffering began. Egypt turned on them, enslaved them, and Israel suffered for years. But God came to rescue them! Through sending Moses and through attacking them with ten plagues, God saved His people, and they walked out of Egypt in victory. Israel learned anew that they can take God at His Word. The rest of the OT reveals this too, as Gods people ebbed and flowed throughout their history, they were waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue them! God said He would come. God said His coming would bring great light into their darkness. And God said when He comes nothing would ever be the same. And sure enough, in the fullness of time, He came. The eternal Son of God took up residence in the womb of the Virgin Mary, and was born as one of us. He showed Himself to be the true and better Moses, yes, He is the true Passover Lamb, yes, but He is also the true firstborn son who dies for us and leads us out in a greater Exodus, freeing us from the slavery of our sin. All who trust in Him are victorious in His victory. But then He ascended back into the heavens, and were still here. And though much gospel light has now dawned, this world is still very dark in sin. And so we wait, for the Son of God to come again. God said He would come. God said His coming would bring great light into this darkness. And God said when He comes nothing would ever be the same. So Church, as we waitwe can take God at His Word. Do you do this? Do you take God at His Word? Herein lies our confidence as we wait Church. If were to take God at His Word, we must be in His Word, taking it into ourselves, living by it, living near it, and living to spread it around. (expand?) Dont miss that our passage ended today in v42 with God watching over His flock by night. Sound familiar? He watched over them by night at the Exodus. As the Great Shepherd He watched over His flock by night at Christs birth. Church, He watches over us still. Therefore, in all our waiting we have great hope! [1] Douglas K. Stuart, Exodus NAC (Brentwood, TN: BH Publishing, 2006) 292. [2] Stuart, 294. [3] John D. Currid, Exodus 1-18 - EP Study Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: EP Books, 2014) 248. [4] Stuart, 296. [5] Victor P. Hamilton, Exodus: An Exegetical Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2023) 193. [6] Hamilton, 193. [7] Currid, 252. [8] John I. Durham, Exodus - WBC (Waco TX: Word Books, 1987) 173.

Calendars are important. Over the ages there has been a handful of different calendars used by different cultures. The one we use currently and have been using for near a millennia now is called the Gregorian calendar. It was invented in 1582 and named after Pope Gregory VIII. Before this time many used what was called the Julian calendar, but apparently it didnt keep time well, because important dates in the year kept moving back each year. So in October 1582, when the Gregorian calendar was put into place, they decided the date would have jump ahead a bit in order to catch up, so overnight it went from October 4th to October 15th. The Gregorian calendar, even though it fixed many of the problems of the previous system, didnt catch on right away, but eventually it would. Many other nations would eventually begin using it as well, down to us today who still use itat least until someone comes up with another idea. Long before Pope Gregory VIII signed off on this new calendar, the Church had made and used a calendar to guide their year as well. The church calendar is mainly used by liturgical traditions (smells/bells), and it seeks to center the yearly rhythms around Jesus life, death, and resurrection. It begins withAdvent(preparation for Christmas), followed byChristmas (birth of Jesus),Ordinary Time,Lent(repentance),Holy Week (Passion/Death),Easter(Resurrection), andPentecost(Holy Spirit), before returning to more Ordinary Time once again. The Bible doesnt command us to use a certain calendar, at least not in the NT, but it is worth our attention that for millions of Christians, the yearly Christian calendar drove everything. Why would Christians seek to order their year like this? One reason is that God did this for Israel in the OT. God ordered Israels yearly life to follow certain rhythms that emphasized certain truths about Him and certain great works He has done. I mention all of this today because in Exodus 12 (our text for today) we see this begin. So, while all of Scripture is inspired by God and given to us for our great good, certain chapters in the Bible stand out like Mt. Everest. In all of Exodus, chapter 12 is such a chapter, standing out as one of the most important chapters of the book. To it we now turn A New Calendar (v1-2) TheLordsaid to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt,This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you. Here in v1-2, for the first time in Exodus God tells His people about the importance of specific days in their calendar. At first glance this might not seem all that monumental to you, but Church, this is huge. Why? Because this shows us that even while Israel was in Egypt God was re-ordering their lives.[1] Many people believe (and Ive even said to you a few times) that God rescued His people out of Egypt and then re-ordered the lives of His people at Mt. Sinai by the Law. Rescue and re-ordering, in that pattern. This is generally true. God does re-order Israel at Sinai by the Lawbut some of the changes God wanted to make in Israel didnt wait until Mt. Sinai, nope, God brought about some of these changes while Israel was still in Egypt. Thats what were seeing here in v1-2. Israel, once driven by Egypts yearly rhythms, now has a calendar unique to them that begins with a celebration remembering the Exodus event. What does this teach us? God is not only going to take Israel out of Egypt, Hes going to take Egypt out of Israel.[2] You see that? So much of the Egyptian way of life has been ingrained in the Israelites over their 400 year captivity, BUT, by Gods grace Israel will learn a better way. This is huge for them! Think of what their calendar was like under Pharaohs cruel thumb. When Pharaoh was in charge, Israels days became an endless repetition of wearisome toil that seemed to just go one forever. The ideas of past and future slowly morphed into a confused unbearable present.[3] But what happens when God rescues them and saves them? A new beginning occurs! Bright expectation replaces dark resignation, lively hope replaces dead numbness, great celebration replaces wretched toil. The Lord is indeed kind to His people, not only in saving them but in remaking their calendar to begin each year by remembering His great work in the Exodus! Thats what v1-2 is all about. But what exactly will Israel do to remember the Exodus as each new year begins? They will keep the Passover. Thats what the rest of our text is all about. A New Ceremony (v3-28) Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lambaccording to their fathers houses, a lamb for a household.And if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his nearest neighbor shall take according to the number of persons; according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb.Your lamb shall bewithout blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats,and you shall keep it until thefourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight.Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on thetwo doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it.They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; withunleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it.Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, butroasted, its head with its legs and its inner parts.Andyou shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn.In this manner you shall eat it: withyour belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste.It is theLord's Passover.ForI will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and onall the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments:I am theLord.The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt. v14, This day shall befor you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to theLord; throughout your generations, as astatute forever, you shall keep it as a feast.Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven out of your houses, for if anyone eats what is leavened, from the first day until the seventh day,that person shall be cut off from Israel.On the first day you shall hold aholy assembly, and on the seventh day a holy assembly. No work shall be done on those days. But what everyone needs to eat, that alone may be prepared by you.And you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, foron this very day I brought yourhosts out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day, throughout your generations, as a statute forever.In the first month, from the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread until the twenty-first day of the month at evening.For seven days no leaven is to be found in your houses. If anyone eats what is leavened,that person will be cut off from the congregation of Israel,whether he is a sojourner or a native of the land.You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwelling places you shall eat unleavened bread. All these instructions can easily become difficult to follow so lets carefully look at what God is commanding in this ceremony. In v3-4 God commands that each family is to take a lamb for their household. In v5 God commands that this lamb is to be unblemished, a year old, male, and taken from the sheep or the goats. In v6 God commands that the family keeps watch over this lamb until the fourteenth day of the month when they will kill the lamb at twilight. Then in v7 God commands they take the blood of the lamb and put it all over the entrance to their house. God will tell them more about the blood soon, but first He tells them something else. In v8-11 God commands the family to cook and eat the rest of the lamb, but this meal was to be a meal like no other.[4]Meat was normally cooked in an oven, or in a pan, but not this time, here the lamb is to be roasted over a fire. Normally bread would contain leaven to help it rise, but not this time, here it is to be unleavened bread, coupled with bitter herbs to reflect their bitter slavery. And normally meals were eaten in a relaxed manner, around a table, but not this time, this meal was to be eaten in haste, as they were dressed ready to travel with staff in hand, and their belts and sandals on. Part of the sacred nature of this meal is that it isnt like all the other meals. Yes its a meal, but it isnt to be like all other meals because of what it represents. In v11b God gives the ceremonys name, it is the Lords Passover. Why is it called this? v12-13 explain it, ForI will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and onall the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments:I am theLord.The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt. Here we see the Passover ceremony is bound up with the tenth and final plague God will bring against Egypt. As weve seen, in this plague He will come and put to death all the firstborn in the land of Egypt. This judgment is against the Egyptians and all their gods, and it will bring death to every house in Egypt, every houseexcept those covered by the blood. The blood will be a sign, so when God comes and sees the blood, He will pass over that house, leaving them safe from death. All this wouldve been alarming to the Israelites to hear. Not only was God coming in great might to deliver one final blow to Egypt and their gods, but they must prepare for it lest they leave themselves open to suffering the loss of their firstborn along with the Egyptians. Certainly each Israelite family wouldve been sobered as they heard these words. But, can you imagine what it was like for the firstborn child in each family to hear this news? The importance of the lamb was not lost on the oldest children in Israel.[5] The lamb would be their substitute, its blood would be spilled to save them, as it would die in their place. God said more about this moment in v14. There God calls Passover three things: a memorial day (meaning that it serves as a special day set aside to remind them of the Exodus), a feast (meaning a celebration), and a statute forever (meaning something Israel is to keep on doing every year to remind themselves and teach their children what God has done). In v15-20 God also commands a weeklong feast to be done along with the Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread. These arent two separate holidays but rather they form one weeklong celebration. In the rest of the OT this entire week is sometimes referred to as Passover and at other times its called the Feast of Unleavened Bread.[6] This feast is all about leaven, and the instructions are specific and strict. Four times God commands Israel to not eat anything with leaven, and twice God says anyone who does will be cut off from Israel. Again, normally they can have it, but this week is to be a week in their year thats unlike all the others, and one way its to be different is the lack of leaven. Whats all of this about?[7] Unleavened bread symbolized a clean break from Egypt. How so? Well, for Israel leaven was a bit of unbaked dough set aside from the days baking, kept to be added to the next days baking. That little bit of leave once added to the new dough wouldve worked through the whole new batch causing it to rise. For God to command Israel to banish the leaven during this feast symbolized leaving behind all the Egyptian influences working through their whole life to corrupt them more and more. Thus, I say it again, God is not only going to take Israel out of Egypt, Hes going to take Egypt out of Israel. Paul will even quote this in 1 Cor. 5 to emphasize the holy life God saved us to, calling Christ our Passover Lamb, and warning us against the leaven of the world. Lastly, in v21-28 we see Moses tell Israel all these instructions. Then Moses called all the elders of Israel and said to them, Go and select lambs for yourselvesaccording to your clans, and kill the Passover lamb.Take a bunch ofhyssop anddip it in the blood that is in the basin, and touchthe lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin.None of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning.For theLordwill pass through to strike the Egyptians, and when he sees the blood onthe lintel and on the two doorposts, theLordwill pass over the door andwill not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you.You shall observe this rite as a statute for you and for your sons forever.And when you come to the land that theLordwill give you,as he has promised, you shall keep this service.Andwhen your children say to you, What do you mean by this service?you shall say,It is the sacrifice of theLord's Passover, for he passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians but spared our houses. And the peoplebowed their heads and worshiped. Then the people of Israel went and did so; as theLordhad commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did. Much here is repeated from the previous verses, but notice Moses emphasis in v24-27. Here he anticipates the coming day when Israel is settled down in the Promise Land when their children ask them about the meaning of the Passover. How wonderful a thought, right? This is so far ahead of them, yet it is ahead of them! Little do they know how much theyll have to go through to get there, but by Gods grace theyll get there! And when they do, as each new year begins and they celebrate the Passover, Moses gives them words to say to their children. When they ask What does this mean? a true education is to take place. This is the sacrifice of theLord's Passover, when we remember and celebrate how God passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians but spared our houses. All of this is the new to Israel here in Exodus 12, but this new pattern was now to be the norm from this point forward. Conclusion: This chapter has presented to us with a few massive realities. A New Era: In this chapter God gave Israel a new way to tell time and keep track of their yearly calendar, and it begins with the celebration of Passover. A New Substitution: In this chapter God made a way through the blood of the lamb for Israel to safe and secure in the final plague. A New Feast: In this chapter God instituted a weeklong feast for Israel to maintain each year to remember and teach their children about Gods great work in the Exodus. Church, all three of these things find their fulfillment in Christ. A New Era: In Christ the Kingdom of God and the age to come dawned on earth. Meaning, into our darkness God Himself descended to save a people for Himself and re-order their lives by redeeming them. A New Substitution: In Christ we see the true lamb of God. When John the Baptist saw Jesus he cried out, Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). Paul also calls Christ our Passover lamb in 1 Cor. 5. This Lamb of God is spotless in that He had no sin of His own, yet this Lamb is the substitute for our sins dying in our place, so now all who look to Him in faith are covered by the blood. So on the final day when God judges the world in righteousness and looks out and sees the blood of His Son covering all who believe, His wrath will pass over them, while all who ignore the Son will face His wrath. A New Feast: In Christ we too have received a new feast to maintain, and like Israel this feast marks a new beginning, and in this feast we remember and teach one another about Gods great work in the gospel. This is the called the Lords Supper. Let me end with this. The Exodus changed everything for Israel, and their calendar reflected this. Church, the gospel changes everything for us, may all our days reflect this! [1] John D. Currid, Exodus 1-18 - EP Study Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: EP Books, 2014) 230. [2] Philip Graham Ryken, Exodus: Saved for Gods Glory Preaching the Word Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2015) 311. [3] Victor P. Hamilton, Exodus: An Exegetical Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2023) 179. [4] Hamilton, 181-182. [5] Ryken, 301. [6] Ryken, 307. [7] Ryken, 311.

Over the past five weeks we have slowly progressed through the plagues God brought against Egypt. I pray its encouraged you, sobered you, and comforted you. God shows Himself to be who He is here, and it results in two reactions. For the Egyptians it wouldve been all fear. Watching the God of Israel do these mighty works wouldve dismayed them as all Egypt is destroyed. Seeing all they hold dear ruined wouldve undone them and put a heavy dread within them. They knew they had come to their end. But for the Israelites, I think it wouldve been a double edge. On one hand, watching God do these mighty works wouldve sobered them as well. Seeing His might, wrath, justice, and power revealed wouldve overwhelmed them certainly. But on the other hand, that God would come after Egypt so fiercely for their sake, wouldve brought them great comfort and peace. Yes Hes almighty God, but He has come out to show His might for them, to save them, and rescue them! Church, it reminds me like a moment in C.S. Lewis Chronicles of Narnia. In The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe there is a moment when the two girls, Susan and Lucy, are playing with Aslan rolling around and wrestling in the grass after a great victory. In that moment the girls say they didnt quite know how to describe it. One moment it felt like they were playing with a soft kitten, but the next it felt like they were playing with a great thunderstorm! Such is the glory of the sobered satisfaction Israel felt watching God come rescue them. Nine plagues have come and gone, and these nine occurred in a carefully constructed pattern, in three sets of three, serving to highlight the singular devastation of the tenth and final plague. That is where weve now arrived, at least in part. Exodus 11 is before us today. Ive divided it into three portions, that show us three wonders. See first The Wonder of Favor (v1-3) TheLordsaid to Moses, Yetone plague more I will bring upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt. Afterward he will let you go from here.When he lets you go, he will drive you away completely.Speak now in the hearing of the people, thatthey ask, every man of his neighbor and every woman of her neighbor, for silver and gold jewelry.And theLordgave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover, the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh's servants and in the sight of the people. What God tells Moses in v1 are words weve been expecting.[1] Back in chapter 3 and again in chapter 6 God told Moses He would strike Pharaoh and Egypt so powerfully that Pharaoh would be compelled to let Israel go. But after nine plagues Pharaoh is still refusing. So as we hear God say in v1, one plague more I will bring we know this moment long expected has now arrived. The first nine plagues increased in their severity, one by one, and in them God caused so much destruction in Egypt that even the servants of Pharaoh cried out in despair, saying Egypt was ruined, and telling Pharaoh to give in and let the people go. But he wouldnt. These opening verses remind us of this explicitly. In v1 we see Gods about to make one final devastating move against Egypt. In v2-3 we see two more things will happen to Israel. In v2 they will plunder the Egyptians on their way out, and in v3 they will be held in great favor by the people of Egypt. What a turn of events here! The people once enslaved and oppressed now become objects of awe as well as the new owners of many treasures. And of course it ought to be like this! God has come and shown Himself to be the God of wonders, and Moses to be His powerful servant.[2] They ought to be held in favor. But dont hear this wrongly. Yes, it says God will give them favor in the sight of the Egyptians, but the favor is more like a fearful awe than a celebrity crush. The Egyptians viewed Moses and the Israelites with awestruck wonder, because they knew when this man raises his staff, stuff happens! Stuff they had never seen before. So they will be more than willing when Israel comes asking for their treasures. Why? Because its as if the whole nation is feeling, Enough is enough. What do they want? Gold, silver, jewelry? Give it to them and get them out of here. This isnt the Israelites stealing from the Egyptians. No, God has so shown his might that they will freely give to His people. And long ago God promised it would be like this. In Gen. 15 God told Abraham that after He punishes the nation who enslaved His people, they shall come out in freedom with great possessions (Gen. 15:13-14). But, notice it Church, who is not mentioned in v2-3? Pharaoh. Why is he not mentioned? Because it seems that a great distance has developed between Pharaoh and the rest of the Egyptians by this point.[3] Everyone seems to realize that resistance to the God of Israel and Moses was useless, that continuing to refuse the command would only bring about Egypts sure end. Everyone knew this, everyone that is, except Pharaoh. Pharaoh was still digging in his heels. Yet here in this tenth and final plague, things will be different. What God does will be so severe that Pharaoh will not only let Israel go out of Egypt, Pharaoh will drive Israel out. The Wonder of Judgment (v4-8) So Moses said, Thus says theLord:About midnight I will go out in the midst of Egypt,and every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the slave girl who isbehind the handmill, and all the firstborn of the cattle.There shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there has never been, nor ever will be again.But not a dog shall growlagainst any of the people of Israel, either man or beast, that you may know that theLordmakes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.Andall these your servants shall come down to me and bow down to me, saying, Get out, you and all the people who follow you. And after that I will go out. And he went out from Pharaoh in hot anger. At this point in the chapter, there is a matter of difficulty to address. In v4-8 we see Moses speaking to Pharaoh. But, didnt their last meeting already occur? I thought we saw Pharaoh say at the end of chapter 10 that hed never see Moses face again? Well he did say that. So, what do we make of this here occurring in chapter 11? Did Moses go back into Pharaohs presence to give one more word from God? Some do think thats whats happening here, but I dont. I think whats going on is that chapter 11 is not chronological, but topical, focusing on the final plague.[4] So this dialogue between Moses and Pharaoh that occurs here, I think took place at the end of chapter 10, but Moses includes it here in chapter 11 to highlight the severity of the final plague, and to prepare the stage for the Passover, which will be introduced in chapter 12. In v4 God is ironic. Pharaoh has said repeatedly that he will not let the people go out of Egypt, so what does God say? I will go out into Egypt Its as if the nine plagues weve seen so far have just been a prelude to this one, where God decides to step onto the scene Himself.[5] And when He goes out, nothing will ever be the same. Here the final and most terrible plague is announced, every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the slave girl who isbehind the handmill, and all the firstborn of the cattle. What God intends to do here in the death of the firstborn will bring about massive carnage.[6] Thousands will die in this one act. You could, wrongly, invent naturalistic explanations for all the other plagues. But not here. There is simply no other explanation than the God of Israel coming to strike Egypt with a final blow. How are we to view this? Is this unfair? Is this overly cruel? Or is this not enough? We can only go so far in arriving at an answer in this, but Id think we do well to see this as justice being done for all the sins of Egypt. Early on in Exodus we saw the Pharaohs enjoyed a long pastime of enslaving and oppressing the Israelites, 400 years of it. Then a new Pharaoh arises, who raises the bar by murdering as many Hebrew baby boys as he can. Into this murderous scene God sends His deliverer, Moses, keeping him safe throughout the whole bloody affair. And then God says to Pharaoh in chapter 4, Israel is My firstborn son. Let My son go that he may worship Me. But if you refuse, I will kill your firstborn son (Ex. 4:22-23). Now this Word is coming to pass. There is mercy mixed in with justice here to see. It was a mercy to have these firstborn children to die in the middle of the night during their sleep as opposed to another more violent manner.[7] Yes there will be wailing, but this wailing will occur in the morning when families rise and discover such devastating death. Once it was Israel crying out greatly in their suffering, now its Egypt crying out greatly in a suffering the likes of which theyve not known nor heard before, nor will ever know or hear again. All the firstborn children in this plague will die, from high up in Pharaohs palace down to the lowliest places among the servants who labored in the mills. God will be no respecter of persons here, all of Egypt is in view. Even the firstborn among the cattle are in view, because of how intimately connected the lives of cattle were to the Egyptian way of life. Moses says more to Pharaoh here. He says not even a dog shall growlagainst any of the people of Israel, either man or beast, that you may know that theLordmakes a distinction between Egypt and Israel. This is to emphasize once again that nothing in Egypt can come against Israel any longer, not even the stray dogs, because the God of Israel has worked so powerfully. Lastly Moses tells it like it is to Pharaoh. That in the end, all his servants will come to Moses, and bowing downwill ask him and Israel to leave. At this final word, Moses walks out in hot anger. The Wonder of Sovereignty (v9-10) Then theLord said to Moses,Pharaoh will not listen to you, thatmy wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt. Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh, and theLord hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not let the people of Israel go out of his land. Once again but not for the last time we read here of Pharaohs hard heart. Overall in Exodus we hear of his hardened heart 19 times.[8] Three times we hear it phrased as Pharaoh hardening his own heart; six times we hear it phrased as a general reference that his heart became hardened, and ten times we hear it phrased explicitly said that the Lord has, is, or will harden his heart. Many falter at this kind of language, believing God to be doing something out of bounds or unjust to Pharaoh. I can understand why many feel like this. But that misses much of whats happening here. Pharaoh is not a passive robot merely subject to a sovereign God, no. Pharaoh is an active and agreeable participant in the sins against God and His people. God was indeed sovereign over the heart of Pharaoh, but to quote our confessions of old, God is sovereign over all hearts in such a way that upholds personal responsibility and culpability. In other words, God is not making Pharaoh do something he doesnt want to do here. In his hardened sinful state, Pharaoh is happy to keep on doing what he desired to do. Why did God do this? It tells here in v9-10. God hardened Pharaohs heart so that the plagues could happen, so the Exodus could happen, and so the Israelites could tell these stories to their kids, and grandkids, and on and on as each new generation repeats the great stories of old. Or to put differently, the God of Wonders did all these wonders for the glory of His name and the good of His people. Thats what chapter 11 is all about. Conclusion: So Church, I want to end with this thought: God is not just sovereign over all people, but sovereign for His people.[9] Do you know see the difference in those two statements. We affirm the sovereignty of God, yes. There is no rogue molecule in the universe, there are no surprises to God, He never says oops, He is never caught off guard, He ordains and rules over all, amen! But the plagues push us to go further. We saw it in v4 didnt we? God Himself will go out, to bring one more plague against Egypt, why? To rescue His people! He is sovereign, yes. Church, He is sovereign for us. The same reality applies to the very first Christmas. God made all things, made us, and all was very good until it went very wrong. We sinned and brought death into the world and into ourselves. And the ebbing and flowing of the whole OT is the prelude to the moment when God Himself walked on stage in the Person of His Son. Why did He come? To lead a new Exodus, out from the power of Satan the greater Pharaoh, and out from the cruelty of sin the greater slavery. In Christ we have redemption. This is why we call Christ Lord, because He has saved us, body and soul, from all our sins, not with silver or gold but with His precious blood, and has freed us from all the power of the devil to make us His own possession.[10] Church, this Christmas I pray you feel the same double edge Israel felt in Exodus 11. They saw the Lords might come out against Egypt in great wonders and they all knew that God was God, that no one else was god, and that nothing is too strong or hard for this God. But they also knew God came out in great power against Egypt, for their sake. So too in Christ. God the Son came to the world in order to come out against the world, the flesh, and the Devil, displaying His great might in signs and wonders. He overwhelmed many that were proud and arrogant, but He drew near sinners. Are any of you here today sinners, overwhelmed by sin and its wreckage in you and around you? Look to Christ! If you look to and trust in Christ, know this, the great sovereign God of wonders is for you, not against you. Though all hell break loose, you need fear no evil, because the Lord has saved you and will keep you. He has said that He is making all things new, including us. [1] John I. Durham, Exodus - WBC (Waco TX: Word Books, 1987) 147. [2] John D. Currid, Exodus 1-18 - EP Study Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: EP Books, 2014) 225. [3] Douglas K. Stuart, Exodus NAC (Brentwood, TN: BH Publishing, 2006) 263. [4] Brevard S. Childs, The Book of Exodus (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004) 161. [5] Durham, 150. [6] Victor P. Hamilton, Exodus: An Exegetical Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2023) 168. [7] Stuart, 265. [8] Kevin DeYoung, God of Wonders, sermon on 3.20.2016, accessed via christcovenant.org, 12.5.2025. [9] DeYoung, God of Wonders. [10] Heidelberg Catechism, question 34.

Introduction-Advent (From Darkness to Light) Advent is one of my favorite times of the year, but at the same time, I never grew up in a very liturgical church -We celebrated the Christmas season and of course as every good Baptist the yearly cantata -But when we take a moment and step back and see things from a more traditional liturgical (fancy word for order of worship) view Advent adds so much to this time of year and especially as we come to days text there is a depth of meaning of the hope that light will shine into darkness. -Each week of advent we light another candle signifying the work of Christ and the anticipation of His coming. With each candle the light becomes greater slowly pushing back the darkness that surrounds it, until in Christmas eve evening the final candle is light and the room is bathed in the light of Christ. Each week shows the triumph of the gospel over darkness And this year for Advent we are actually continuing straight through our Exodus series as in it we will see the judgment of sin and the hope found in the Passover lamb. And how through the death of the first born comes redemption. As I said though as we approach Advent we begin in Darkness and shadow a symbol of judgment and un creation and with that in mind let us turn now to the text before us: Where we will see today both the reality of a literal and spiritual darkness has the work of Gods judgment and the grace of his light towards his own: So first we see the Literal Darkness descend: I. A Literal Darkness (21-23) Exodus 10:2123 Then the Lord said to Moses, Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness to be felt. So, Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was pitch darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the people of Israel had light where they lived. We have seen now 8 plagues fall upon Egypt: (each attacking the strength of Egypt and their so-called gods) -Blood -Frogs -Gnats -Flies -Pestilence -Boils -Hail -Locus Here we come to the final plague in the final triplet: Darkness The Lord Commands Moses -No Warning (Just as with the Boils and Gnats good gives no warning to Pharaoh only tells Moses to act) SO, he does -Illustration of darkness falling There is a terror in this reality if you spend anytime really thinking about the suddenness and the depth of what is befalling Egypt This is straight out of a disaster movie -One minute there is light and calm the next darkness rolls over the land -In this we can clearly see the supernatural reality of this moment Purely supernatural -Each of the others have some natural occurrence or are replicated by the magicians -As you go back over the last eight plagues there are elements that these are natural things that happen but have been supernaturally turned up to 11 by God as a sign of his judgment -The only other non-natural occurrence is the Nile to blood which is still replicated by the magicians. Here there is no doubt of the source, there is no middle ground. Darkness does not fall as it does here: -Some falsely try to give it a natural occurrence such as a strong sandstorm (but the language doesnt line up for such a reading) -Rather in this darkness we see the undoing of creation for those not under gods protection -An Undoing of creation (A return to darkness) a return to before creation as the light no longer shines on them they are subject to complete darkness (Genesis 1:12 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.) -Darkness in scripture is often associated with judgment or of those outside Gods covenant John 3:19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. Amos 5:20 Is not the day of the Lord darkness, and not light, and gloom with no brightness in it? -It is also an attack on their False god Ra (Who is the sun god) -IN many dynasties of Egyptian worship Ra is the preeminent of their deities as he is the one who governs all that happens in the world being the source of light and re birth -Here again God challenges their own false worship by showing his supreme authority over their gods. -For whom else can cover the suns power and quench its effects -Not only though does the light from the sun cease to sign in Egypt, but light itself seems to flee For it was a Darkness you could feel It Was a Dark Darkness (The Hebrew doubling adds context to the depth of this reality) A Darkness you could Feel -Darkness has some pretty wicked effects on the human psyche (Thus they become completely inactive) -This darkness was paralyzing to the people -For three days they did nothing (That is darkness) Illustration-Touring caves in Kentucky you get to sections where the turn off the lights and you cant see your hand even if it is right in front of you. -Now turn it up again to 11 -And far more terrifying than I think we can imagine -Truly the perfect set up for the final plague (Not wasted) So, we have seen the judgment of God through literal darkness we will now see in 24-29 the judgment of God through A spiritual darkness: II. A Spiritual Darkness (24-29) Exodus 10:2429 Then Pharaoh called Moses and said, Go, serve the Lord; your little ones also may go with you; only let your flocks and your herds remain behind. But Moses said, You must also let us have sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God. Our livestock also must go with us; not a hoof shall be left behind, for we must take of them to serve the Lord our God, and we do not know with what we must serve the Lord until we arrive there. But the Lord hardened Pharaohs heart, and he would not let them go. Then Pharaoh said to him, Get away from me; take care never to see my face again, for on the day you see my face you shall die. Moses said, As you say! I will not see your face again. We see the realty that Pharaohs heart remains darkened to the reality before him: Pharaohs continues his halfway measure of seeking a compromise He is still seeking to make a deal to keep the people -Moses is done with this and we now see he challenges Pharaoh (Not only will we leave with our animals you will prove some as well) This is a bold moment as we have seen Pharaoh time and again play with the Israelites and with Moses and each time Moses prays for Pharaoh and again Pharaoh refuse to relent or repent truly from his ways, rather we see him even in his compromises show he has no desire to change course. The darkness is greater in him than that which he just walked through, and he doesnt even realize it Once more the Lord seals Pharaohs heard and steadys his resolve to keep the people -And so, we see God seal Pharaohs fate. He will see this thing through to the end Pharaoh become enraged at Moses (Now he threatens him, no more prayers in this moment) He will not turn back he has put all his chips in and will not be deterred In this moment he is done seeking prayers and restoration he is so angry with Moses, and he would rather see them Dead (Should he see them again) -And they are cool with this Moses is equally done with the whole situation -Its hard to watch someone continually drive themselves into destruction -The darkness is deep within Pharaoh and as we have seen God is the one at works so that the whole of Egypt and Israel will Know that HE IS GOD! And so, we have now seen that literal darkness that has befallen the land of Egypt in 21-23 and the Spiritual Darkness of Pharaoh in 24-29 we should go back as we move to the final point to look at the great hope in the midst of all this and it is the light of Hope in vs 23 A Light of Hope (23) Exodus 10:23 They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the people of Israel had light where they lived. This simple verse shows the immense mercy of God in two direct ways and also as a precursor to what we see throughout the scriptures: 1st we see directly the mercy of God The Darkness was Limited to 3 days; it is short and yet dully powerful. We saw in the first point that the dark darkness was a terrible reality, and it was a paralyzing judgment, but the reality was it was still limited, God was still merciful in his execution of judgment Gods judgments are purposeful and direct they 2nd we see the Light of God is always upon His people Again, God is with his people for they are of the light because God is light (not of any good that they have done, but because he is their God) God continues to preserve his covenant people and keep them here from the judgment facing Egypt. It is another moment of God reminding them of who their God is and showing them the immensity of his mercy, love and grace towards them. As we have seen the plagues are not just about Pharoah Knowing who God is, it is about Israel knowing who their God is, these are the moments while they seem subtle are essential moments for them to learn that He is! So that throughout their history in the midst of hardship their descendent such as Micah can say: Micah 7:8 Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me. The two final aspects that we can glean from the light of hope are more forward looking as well as we see this text point us firmly forward toward the greatest day of judgment and redemption the world has ever known at calvary: For in that place for three hours light failed as the wrath of God is poured out on himself to save us sinners: Luke 23:4445 It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the suns light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. It is no accident that the judgment of God is seen in the darkness of the day or that it held for 3 hours. These are all part of Gods divine work, pointing to the reality of Gods judgment against sin, and also His forgiveness. Which leads to the concluding purpose and that is the truth that: Christ Advent was meant to bring s out of the darkness Matthew 4:1517 The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned. From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. He came preaching the truth repent and believe -The great light shines forth into the darkness, hope for those in the shadow -The sun has shown are we watching do we appreciate the reality or is our spiritual darkness so great we do not cherish the reality of the sun. For he is the light of the world: John 8:12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life. May we who have seen live in light of these truths. May we proclaim these truths to those who do not yet know: Acts 26:1718 delivering you from your people and from the Gentilesto whom I am sending you to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me. For we this advent season we who have experienced the light of hope in Christ, the Gospel grace shown upon us by the father who has transferred us from the kingdom of Darkness into his great kingdom of Light, may we shine bright with this wonderful hope that the light of Christ remains for those who will look and see that the baby born in the manger came to die, came to take on himself the darkness of sin and death, so that we may truly experience the light of God and life to the full.

The Plagues, part 4 Exodus 10:1-20 Introduction: Long ago Charles Spurgeon wrote the following words, “Every believer thirsts for God, and longs to climb the hill of the Lord, seeing him face to face. We ought not rest content in the mists of the valley when the summits await us. Our soul thirsts to drink deep of this cup, yet, many saints are content to live like men in coal mines, who see not the sun; they are content to wear the miner’s garb when they might put on king’s robes; tears mar their faces when they might anoint them with heavenly oil. Rouse yourself, O believer, from your low condition! Cast away your sloth, your lethargy, your coldness, or whatever interferes with Christ. Make him the source and center of all thy soul’s delight. What has enchanted you into such folly as to remain in the mines when you may climb the heights? Live not in the lowlands of bondage but press forward to things more sublime and heavenly. Aspire to a higher, a nobler, a fuller life. It is ours in Christ, O believer, reach out for it!” Pray with me. Meat: Well good morning Church, open your Bibles to Exodus 10. Four headings of bright beauty to behold today, see first… Visit 1 (v1-6) “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.” So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, that they may serve me. For if you refuse to let my people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country, and they shall cover the face of the land, so that no one can see the land. And they shall eat what is left to you after the hail, and they shall eat every tree of yours that grows in the field, and they shall fill your houses and the houses of all your servants and of all the Egyptians, as neither your fathers nor your grandfathers have seen, from the day they came on earth to this day.’” Then he turned and went out from Pharaoh.” As we have seen before now a few times, this eighth plague begins just as the second and fifth plague begin, with Moses coming straight into Pharaoh’s presence in his palace court with a command and a warning. In this way the eighth plague is like what we’ve seen before. But there are new things to see here as well. First, notice the reasons God gives to Moses in v1-2. We’ve heard God say He has hardened Pharaoh’s heart before and that He’s bringing about the plagues so that Egypt may know He’s the Lord, God has said that a few times now. But see the beginning of v2? There we learn God is bringing about the plagues not just for the sake of Egypt, but for the sake of Israel. Why? So that Moses can tell his son and grandson about it. In other words, God is doing a work He wants His people to remember, so He commands Moses to tell his sons and grandsons about this. Now, we all know kids love stories, and I think adults do too if their honest enough. If you think about what makes a good story, the Exodus has all of it. An evil villain, an unlikely hero, a bitter conflict, miraculous twists and turns, a daring rescue, the triumph of good over evil, which ultimately, brings about a happy ending. The Exodus all of this. As much as kids would’ve loved this story, God’s writing this story here not just to entertain the kids but to teach them. That’s what Exodus teaches us. It is the story of Israel’s salvation. It is a story that explains everything they needed to know. It explains who God is: that He’s the LORD, the God over all, the God of their fathers, the true King of power and glory. It explains who they are: the people of God, enslaved by Pharaoh. It explains how God rescued them: by His strong and mighty outstretched arm. It explains where they came from: out of Egypt. It explains where they’re going: into the promise land. And it explains why God rescued them: to glorify Him! This story answers all the big questions, doesn’t it? Who is God? Who am I? Where did I come from? Where am I going? What is the meaning of life? This story is important, so important that it must not stop with Moses’ generation, it must reverberate down through the ages. Church, I don’t want to wait till the end of the sermon to get the gospel, it’s right here at the start today, in this point! As God gave Moses and Israel a story, He’s given us a story to tell our descendants! And the story He gave us is greater than the Exodus, and in it God tells us everything we need to know! It explains who God is: our Father in heaven, full of grace and truth. It explains who we are: made by Him, in His image, but fallen in sin. It explains how God rescued us: by the Work of His beloved Son. It explains how the Son’s work is applied to us: by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. It explains where we’ve come from: sin’s cruel death and slavery. It explains where we’re going: to be with God in glory forever. And it explains why God rescued us: to glorify Him. This story answers all the big questions too! And this story, ancient as it is, remains the story we repeat and rehearse as we gather together to worship, as it also remains the story we scatter together to spread abroad! May our children hear it from us, may their children hear it from them, and on and on and on until the dawn of the last day! Let’s get back to Moses. He and Aaron go into Pharaoh’s court, and notice what they first say in v3? “How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me?” This is a good question. Seven plagues have come and gone; how much longer will Pharaoh stubbornly dig in his heels? God is clear in this question, either Pharaoh humble himself now, or God will humiliate him further. After this comes the plague announcement. If Pharaoh refuses to let the people go, locusts will come. So many locusts that they won’t even be able to see the ground. They will eat everything in the land left over from the hailstorm, and they will fill every house, from Pharaoh’s palace to the servants huts. Such a thing, Moses adds, has never happened nor will ever happen again in Egypt. Then notice it, directly after this Moses turns and leaves Pharaoh’s court, without allowing him a chance to respond. This left an impression. See now v7-11… Visit 2 (v7-11) “Then Pharaoh's servants said to him, “How long shall this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, that they may serve the Lord their God. Do you not yet understand that Egypt is ruined?” So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. And he said to them, “Go, serve the Lord your God. But which ones are to go?” Moses said, “We will go with our young and our old. We will go with our sons and daughters and with our flocks and herds, for we must hold a feast to the Lord.” But he said to them, “The Lord be with you, if ever I let you and your little ones go! Look, you have some evil purpose in mind. No! Go, the men among you, and serve the Lord, for that is what you are asking.” And they were driven out from Pharaoh's presence.” Pharaoh, remember, had already heard a question in v3 beginning with the words “How long…” and now he gets another one, this time from his own servants in v7. And what a question this is! It’s not only a call from Pharaoh’s own people to give in to Moses, but it also shows us how bad things have gotten in Egypt. They say in the end of v7 that Egypt itself is ruined. For this reason they tell Pharaoh to let Israel go, so that Moses would no longer be a snare to them. How ironic is that? The very ones who enslaved the Israelites, keeping them trapped and denying them their freedom, they’re now getting a taste of their own medicine, as they feel like Moses is holding them captive! So Pharaoh quickly brings Moses and Aaron back in and in v8 says that he’ll let them go…but he adds a question to it, “Which ones are to go?” Moses responds in v9 saying all of them will go, their young, their old, their sons, their daughters, even their herds are to go. Pharaoh sarcastically bursts out in v10 when he hears this saying, ‘HA! The Lord would indeed be with you if I let all of you go, you clearly are up to some evil here. No, you all cannot go, only take your men.’ Apparently, Pharaoh had a very low view of women and children. To him, only men seem to matter when it comes to worship, so why should they all go? What Pharaoh doesn’t know is that all God’s people matter to God, from the least to the greatest. So Moses tells him this, that they all must go: the young, the old, the sons, the daughters, the men, and the women. Implied in Moses’ response to Pharaoh is a clear reminder that the commands of God are not open for discussion, for debate, or for negotiation. Moses rejects any conditions or limitations added to God’s Word. When God calls, commands, or declares, what He says stands, with no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Yet, Moses doesn’t get a chance to respond to this because, very quickly, Pharaoh kicks them out of his presence without allowing any more discussion. So, we’ve seen two visits with Pharaoh so far, I think we know what’s coming next. See it in v12-15… Lots of Locusts (v12-15) “Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, so that they may come upon the land of Egypt and eat every plant in the land, all that the hail has left.” So Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt, and the Lord brought an east wind upon the land all that day and all that night. When it was morning, the east wind had brought the locusts. The locusts came up over all the land of Egypt and settled on the whole country of Egypt, such a dense swarm of locusts as had never been before, nor ever will be again. They covered the face of the whole land, so that the land was darkened, and they ate all the plants in the land and all the fruit of the trees that the hail had left. Not a green thing remained, neither tree nor plant of the field, through all the land of Egypt.” It's astonishing to me how fast the scene unfolds for us. The command comes in v12, Moses obeys in v13, and we see the results in v14-15. This eighth plague is simply devastating in scope. We know something of locusts don’t we? Each year our own locusts begin small and black, but after a few weeks they’re bigger and yellow and prehistoric looking…but they don’t really bother. They seem more scared of us than we are of them. There have been reports of locust hordes sweeping across the world throughout history. In the 1920’s locusts swept across Africa consuming everything over five million square miles, which, is a space double the size of the United States. Another report came in 2001 of a locust horde sweeping across central Asia, which was so vast the New York Times reported the infestation reached ten thousand locusts per ten square feet. Can you even imagine that? This gives us some kind of idea what was occurring in Egypt in this plague. Perhaps that first night the Egyptians thought they’d be fine as they just heard and felt this great wind that God stirred, a strong east wind. This phrase east wind occurs a few other times in Scripture, mainly in the Psalms and the Prophets, and it’s always referring to judgment and dark and dreadful things (see Ps. 48:7, Jer. 18:17, Ezek. 19:12, Hos. 13:15, Jonah 4:8). So that night the east wind came, and in the morning the dawn brought a different story. That wind brought hordes upon hordes of locusts. v15 says they were so numerous they covered all the ground, nearly blotted out the sun, and consumed all the vegetation left alive from the hailstorm. Nothing green remained. Notice also that the phrase in v14 “such a dense swarm” in the original Hebrew is again the phrase we’ve heard before, kabed m’od, or very heavy. The locusts laid heavy on Egypt. Lesson? God has brought another plague to Egypt as heavy as Pharaoh’s hard heart. But God was up to more than this, wasn’t He? This time the Lord set His sights on their god Senehem (the divine protector against pests) and their god Anubis (the guardian of the fields). These idols failed to do what they were supposed to do, as the God of Israel proves Himself the stronger. This is the eighth plague. The Same Sad Story (v16-20) “Then Pharaoh hastily called Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned against the Lord your God, and against you. Now therefore, forgive my sin, please, only this once, and plead with the Lord your God only to remove this death from me.” So he went out from Pharaoh and pleaded with the Lord. And the Lord turned the wind into a very strong west wind, which lifted the locusts and drove them into the Red Sea. Not a single locust was left in all the country of Egypt. But the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not let the people of Israel go.” As the passage concludes we see more of the same. Pharaoh quickly gets Moses and Aaron back in front of him, and begs for relief. The words he uses are good, he even calls this eighth plague “this death” certainly shows more urgency on Pharaoh’s part as he’s recognizing more of the gravity of the situation. But while these words would seem to give the impression of sincerity, we know Pharaoh is after redemption, only rest from a God who’s afflicting him. But Moses prays and God removes the locusts, blowing them with a west wind into the Red Sea, perhaps foreshadowing what will come of Pharaoh in the end. And Pharaoh did what Pharaoh has done each time, he didn’t let the people go. Conclusion: Come back to v3 with me. There we heard the question, “How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me?” It was a good question for Pharaoh, it remains a good question for us. Peter tells us “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you” (1 Peter 5:5-6). Of course the question can be put in other terms. ‘How long will you continue living in your sin?’ ‘How long will you destroy yourself and those nearest you?’ ‘How long will you put off the day of repentance?’ Think of how you’d answer the question for yourself. Think of Jesus Himself, thorn crowned head and pierced hands, think of Him coming close to you, looking you in the eyes, and in His thunderous loving voice asking you, “How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me?” Church our passage today confronts us. You may not see it today and you may not see it tomorrow, but you can count on this: everyone will either humble themselves or be humiliated before God. Maybe you’ve seen it, in your own life, or in a family member, or a close friend. It’s always tragic…the devastation of sin. The tragic thing about sin is that, sometimes, when people hit rock bottom, they keep digging. This is what sin does. It keeps persisting in folly even when the wreckage it produces is clear. Church, sin ruins you. This is how our passage confronts us. But Church, our passage can comfort us as well, if, we humble ourselves. So hear it again. Hear God ask you today, “How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me?” As I stated at the beginning, we were made to soar on the heights of heaven, yet we are far too willing to settle for the mines below. God promises terrible things to those who refuse to humble themselves like Pharaoh. We see that here. But Church, He promises heaven to those who come to His Son. Forsake your many sins, flee to the Savior, and find shelter and rest for your soul.

Whether you’re brand new to SonRise or have been around SonRise for a while, let me briefly state what we seek to accomplish in this sermon moment each week. During the preaching portion of our services we employ and enjoy a kind of preaching called expository preaching. This means the preacher doesn’t aim to say anything new but only seeks to say what God has already said, such that the point of the passage is the point of the sermon. In this sense our aim is to be the nothing more than servers, whose task is taking the Chef’s meal and bringing it to the table without adding to it, taking away from it, or changing it in any way, shape, or form. We don’t to do this randomly but orderly, as we work through books of the Bible. So, when we come to specific passages week after week, we come to them in their own context, having already examined the verses that come before while anticipating the verses that come after. Or to put it another way, we seek to sit underneath the authority and illumination of the Scripture, rather than standing over it using the Scripture to support our own message. This is our goal, we don’t do it perfectly, but we do aim to do it faithfully. Today we find ourselves in Exodus 9. We’re slowly but surely making our way through the book of Exodus, and it has proved powerful. Many of you have told me over these past months how you’ve been encouraged and emboldened to fight in the midst of temptation or stand in the midst of trial because of what you’ve learned and seen of God in the book of Exodus. And that makes sense, doesn’t it? Among the many things we learn of God in Exodus, we learn how big and mighty and strong God really is. This is horrifying to God’s enemies to see, but it’s simply wonderful for God’s people to see. For in His might we His people are ever safe and secure. Today, I pray that continues as we turn to the text now. Chapter 9 easily divides into four movements, see first… Plague 5 – Livestock (v1-7) “Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, “Let my people go, that they may serve me. For if you refuse to let them go and still hold them, behold, the hand of the Lord will fall with a very severe plague upon your livestock that are in the field, the horses, the donkeys, the camels, the herds, and the flocks. But the Lord will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that nothing of all that belongs to the people of Israel shall die.”’” And the Lord set a time, saying, “Tomorrow the Lord will do this thing in the land.” And the next day the Lord did this thing. All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one of the livestock of the people of Israel died. And Pharaoh sent, and behold, not one of the livestock of Israel was dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go.” The pattern of the plagues remains here in the fifth plague as we see Moses doing again, what he did back in the second plague. Here in v1 Moses goes into Pharaoh’s palace with a message and a warning. And the message is clear, Pharaoh’s heard it many times. God says again in v2-3, “Let my people go, that they may serve me. For if you refuse to let them go and still hold them, behold, the hand of the Lord will fall with a very severe plague upon your livestock that are in the field, the horses, the donkeys, the camels, the herds, and the flocks.” As must be done with each plague, let’s ask and answer some questions. First, what was the “very severe plague” that fell on Egypt’s livestock? It is hard to know exactly what kind of plague falls on the livestock of Egypt but most believe it’s a virus or disease, that attacks livestock with a particular lethality. What we do know is this plague was severe. It says as much in v3, “very severe plague” in Hebrew is the phrase kabed m’od, which translates as very severe or very heavy. This is important to see because this word is the same word used to describe the heart of Pharaoh. In the chapters leading up to this Pharaoh’s heart has been described hard, we know that, but what we might not know is that the word used in these instances is the word kabed. So Pharaoh’s hard heart really could be his heavy heart. This not only shows us more of Pharaoh’s true condition, a heart heavy and weighed down with sin, it shows us how severe this fifth plague was. It fell heavy on Egypt’s livestock, heavy like Pharaoh’s heavy hard heart. So heavy indeed that this fifth plague marks a pivotal transition in the plagues, in that it was the first plague to not just destroy Pharaoh’s own property, it was the first plague to bring death. Second, what’s the extent of this plague? I ask this question because v6 says all the livestock of Egypt died, and yet, more Egyptian livestock shows up in the seventh plague. So how could all the livestock be dead in the fifth plague and then show back up in the seventh plague? There’s a simple answer to this question, and it comes once again from the Hebrew words used here. The Hebrew word for “all” is a collective term, referring not to each individual animal itself, but referring to all kinds of livestock in Egypt. So, when this plague fell, I think we’re meant to take v6 as saying, all kinds of Egyptian livestock died. Third, why does God attack the livestock? As much as their livestock dying would’ve been a blow to the Egyptian economy and way of life, the reason runs deeper. As is true in the other plagues, it’s true here as well, God is attacking their livestock to attack their gods. Numbers 33:4 describes this well when it says, “On their gods also the LORD executed judgments.” So here God is attacking the many Egyptian deities depicted with livestock imagery. There was the god of fertility Buchis, known as the sacred bull of Hermonthis and Mnevis, who was worshiped throughout Egypt. Some believed Buchis was the embodiment of the gods Ptah and Ra, or Apis, the chief god worshiped in a temple in Memphis. There was also Isis (a queen among Egyptian gods) and Hathor (the goddess of love and beauty), gods often depicted with cow horns or even with the head of a cow. These are the deities in direct view in the fifth plague, and to Egyptians they represented fertility and strength. But by attacking them, and killing the livestock representing them, you see what God is saying? He’s saying these gods are nothing and that He alone is God. Notice once again God says He will make a distinction in this plague. While the very severe plague will fall on all kinds of Egyptian livestock v4 says not one of the livestock of Israel will die. As we saw in the fourth plague, this is the covenant blessing of belonging to the Lord. God’s enemies are struck and their animals fall in death while God’s people and their belongings, are safe. This would be humiliating to say the least, losing so much livestock while Israel’s isn’t harmed at all. Many questions would’ve been coming at Pharaoh because of this. And how would he answer? That it’s just Egyptian mad cow disease? Or just a coincidence that Israel’s livestock still thrives while theirs dies? No. God removed any excuse for Pharaoh in v5 when He says He’ll do this, not just tomorrow, but at a specific time tomorrow, leaving Pharaoh no other option on how to interpret this event. Only the hand of God could do such a thing. Pharaoh’s response to this in v7 is both new and not new. The new thing about it is he sent out messengers (?) to check if Israel truly did not lose any livestock, and sure enough, they did not. It was as God said it would be. Do you see how ironic this action is? Pharaoh wouldn’t send out Israel from slavery, but he was eager to send out his own messengers to see if what God said would happen really happened. It’s as if Pharaoh is eagerly desiring to find any other explanation for this event, but he searches in vain. The not new thing about his response is that even after evidence abounded all around him, his heart was hardened (became heavy) and he did not let the people go. This is the fifth plague. Plague 6 – Boils (v8-12) “And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Take handfuls of soot from the kiln, and let Moses throw them in the air in the sight of Pharaoh. It shall become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and become boils breaking out in sores on man and beast throughout all the land of Egypt.” So they took soot from the kiln and stood before Pharaoh. And Moses threw it in the air, and it became boils breaking out in sores on man and beast. And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils came upon the magicians and upon all the Egyptians. But the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not listen to them, as the Lord had spoken to Moses.” Church, again we see the pattern here. Just as we saw the third plague begin with no warning, so the same occurs here in the sixth. No instructions, no visit to Pharaoh, God simply acts. Lesson? As the third plague ended the first cycle of plagues, so too now the sixth plague ends the second cycle of the plagues. This is the shortest description of all the ten plagues. In v8-9 God instructs Moses to take soot from a nearby kiln, throw it into the air, and God will turn it into a disease that falls all throughout Egypt. Moses does this in v10, and we see the results of this in v11-12. And that’s it. As short as it is, this sixth plague is also strange and sobering. It’s strange because it doesn’t seem to make sense at first. Why would God use soot from a kiln and turn that soot into boils and sores? I think there is some poetic justice occurring here. The kind of kiln in view here was likely one used for the baking of bricks. These were all over Egypt, since they had so many slaves working to build so many things, these kilns were very common. To all those enslaved these became a symbol of Egypt’s oppression. Yet, this is the very symbol God uses to inflict grievous wounds on all Egypt. Herein lies the sobering nature of this plague. Dust turned to disease, turned to boils and sores. But it’s probably more than that. Along with boils and sores on the skin usually comes pain and itching and a burning rash. Many attempt to identify this disease but its all speculation, it was a virus of divine origin, infectious in nature, resulting in a scabby leprous condition of the skin probably very similar to Job’s experience in Job 1-2. Whatever the virus was, it would become infamous in Israelite culture. Later on God uses this language again in Deut. 28:27 telling Israel that if they disobey Him He will smite them with “the boils of Egypt and with tumors and with the scab and with the itch, from which you cannot be healed.” Short, strange, and sobering certainly, but let’s not forget God is up to far more in this. We saw the list of gods He attacked in the fifth plague, here God takes aim at more. Specifically here God is aiming at Sekhmet, an Egyptian goddess who was believed to be responsible for health and healing. All of Egypt, who was used to looking to Sekhmet to keep them healthy and strong now learns this god cannot care for them if the Lord brings disease on them. Again, only God is God. In v11 there is one final mention of the magicians, and all we read of them is weakness. Once they proudly stood before Moses and Aaron doing demonic wonders, now they’re reduced to weak, sick, sore covered sorcerers. Yet, in full view of all this, Pharaoh remains hard in heart. Why? Because for the first time in the whole of the plagues so far, we read that God hardened his heart. Which tells us, God is up to far more than meets the eye here. This is the sixth plague. Plague 7 – Hail (v13-26) “Then the Lord said to Moses, “Rise up early in the morning and present yourself before Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, “Let my people go, that they may serve me. 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. You are still exalting yourself against my people and will not let them go. Behold, about this time tomorrow I will cause very heavy hail to fall, such as never has been in Egypt from the day it was founded until now. Now therefore send, get your livestock and all that you have in the field into safe shelter, for every man and beast that is in the field and is not brought home will die when the hail falls on them.”’” Then whoever feared the word of the Lord among the servants of Pharaoh hurried his slaves and his livestock into the houses, but whoever did not pay attention to the word of the Lord left his slaves and his livestock in the field. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, so that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, on man and beast and every plant of the field, in the land of Egypt.” Then Moses stretched out his staff toward heaven, and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and fire ran down to the earth. And the Lord rained hail upon the land of Egypt. There was hail and fire flashing continually in the midst of the hail, very heavy hail, such as had never been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. The hail struck down everything that was in the field in all the land of Egypt, both man and beast. And the hail struck down every plant of the field and broke every tree of the field. Only in the land of Goshen, where the people of Israel were, was there no hail.” Right on the heels of the shortest plague description, this is the longest. And with it we see a new cycle of plagues beginning. As with the first, and the fourth, here in the seventh plague Moses goes out to meet Pharaoh in the morning, he repeats the command, and announces the plague. v13 is the normal pattern we’ve seen before, but look at what God says in v14-17. He God says new things to Pharaoh, things that would’ve undone Pharaoh, and reminded Pharaoh that though he views himself as divine and the epitome of strength, he is really just a weak small, sinful man. Here in v14-17 we find a host of riches to explore. In v14 God announces that more plagues are coming. In v15 God says He could’ve wiped them out by now, but hasn’t, and hasn’t even shown His full might yet. In v16 we see the Josh Groban ‘You Raise Me Up’ moment as we hear God say He has raised Pharaoh up for a singular purpose, to show His power, and that His name might be proclaimed in all the earth. This is such a powerful statement Paul quotes it in Romans 9 as he’s describing the sovereignty of God over all things. And God says more to Pharaoh in Exodus 9. Because Pharaoh keeps exalting himself against Israel (v17), God will send a hailstorm to Egypt (v18). Yet even here God is gracious as He warns them to hide indoors, and to bring their livestock indoors so they won’t die in v19. v20-21 tells us what we all know is true. When God’s Word goes out, what happens? Some will indeed hear and heed, they will fearing the Lord and obey His commands. Yet sadly, others won’t hear and heed the warning at all. Those who fear the Lord will find safety, those who don’t will find death. Then we see it happen. The most severe moment yet. In v22-26 the storm begins. Moses lifts his staff toward the heavens, and thunder, hail, and fire rained down on Egypt. Think on this. I quite enjoy a good thunderstorm, especially if there is a covered front porch to watch it from. But, even then some storms get big enough where I run inside to find shelter. This storm is the stuff of legend! Booming thunder, blinding rain, hail the size of which Egypt hasn’t ever seen, and fire most likely in the form of lighting leaping down all over the place. This was devastating. Everything left outdoors, man and beast, plant and tree was destroyed. Meanwhile those in the land of Goshen are fine and free of terror. Church, so far we’ve seen God inconvenience, attack, devastate Egypt, and even bring death to animals. But here in the seventh plague, God brings death to man. We mentioned it last week and we can mention it here again, it’s as if God is uncreating Egypt, bringing it back into disorder and chaos. The Egyptian goddesses Nut and Shu were believed to hold up the sky and be the reason why Egypt was known as the land of eternal sunshine. Yet here, God strikes, turning the land of sunshine to the land of fiery storm and death. This is the seventh plague. Conclusion (v27-35) “Then Pharaoh sent and called Moses and Aaron and said to them, “This time I have sinned; the Lord is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong. Plead with the Lord, for there has been enough of God's thunder and hail. I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer.” Moses said to him, “As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will stretch out my hands to the Lord. The thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, so that you may know that the earth is the Lord’s. But as for you and your servants, I know that you do not yet fear the Lord God.” (The flax and the barley were struck down, for the barley was in the ear and the flax was in bud. But the wheat and the emmer were not struck down, for they are late in coming up.) So Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh and stretched out his hands to the Lord, and the thunder and the hail ceased, and the rain no longer poured upon the earth. But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder had ceased, he sinned yet again and hardened his heart, he and his servants. So the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people of Israel go, just as the Lord had spoken through Moses.” The sad tale continues as we see Pharaoh give little more than a ruse for relief. We’ve seen him do this before, express a phony repentance. He expressed guilt but was glad to keep on being guilty. Church be reminded. Repentance is far more than merely saying you’re sorry. Any repentance that doesn’t lessen your desire to sin again isn’t repentance. True repentance brings about a true turning of the soul, grieving over our sin and yet gladly reaching back toward God, His ways, His Word, His people. Pharaoh isn’t repenting, he’s just sick of these plagues and wants them to stop. Moses sees through it. See that? In v30 he says I know you do not fear the Lord. This is the first time in the Bible the phrase “fear the Lord” is used. It’s certainly present before this moment, but here in v30 it’s now explicitly stated. And just as Moses said, after he left and prayed, and God removed the hailstorm, Pharaoh found relief and forsook his repentance, not letting the people go. This is where I’d like to end today. With what we see in v30. The lack of the fear of God leads Pharaoh to remain in his many sins. Church, do you fear the Lord? Pharaoh saw the power of God, but did not fear the Lord. He sought relief from the storm, but lacked a true repentance. Moses knew it. God knew it. Pharaoh might’ve hid from the hail, but he didn’t humble himself before God. So Church, do you fear the Lord? Too many soften the word fear, saying it’s not really a fear it’s more of a deep respect. That’s true, but I’d encourage you to go further. To fear the Lord is to be in awe of Him, gripped by the gravity of His greatness. Ironically, only those who fear the Lord come to love the Lord, because while seeing His greatness they see His goodness in the gospel! Silly people make the mistake of not understanding a thing can be terrible and good at the same time (Aslan!) Church, see the plagues (!), fear the Lord, and find life.

Think for a moment about the most insignificant things you deal with every day. Maybe its sand on your floorboard, dust in your house, or a tiny gnat that you must keep waving away. These things are nothing, but they remain a nuisance. Now think about what would happen if these insignificant things were multiplied by a million? What happens when the very dust beneath your feet rises up and becomes a suffocating, inescapable swarm? Thats the terrifying reality Pharaoh faced in the third and fourth plagues. God didn't send a dragon or a tidal wave. He sent the smallest things, gnats and flies, and delivered a message that was impossible to ignore. The text before us today is Exodus 8:16-32. As has been the case, Lord willing, today will be no different as there is much for us to glean and enjoy here. See first Plague 3: Gnats (v16-19) Then theLordsaid to Moses, Say to Aaron,Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, so that it may become gnats in all the land of Egypt.And they did so. Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, andthere were gnats on man and beast. All the dust of the earth became gnats in all the land of Egypt.Themagicians tried by their secret arts to produce gnats, but they could not. So there were gnats on man and beast.Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, This isthe finger of God. But Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as theLordhad said. Right away we need to remember the pattern of the plagues.[1] Before the final and most devastating plague of all, the first nine plagues come in three sets of three. In each set of three the first plague begins with Moses meeting Pharaoh in the morning (plague 1, 4, and 7), the second plague begins with Moses coming into Pharaohs palace (plague 2, 5, and 8), and the third plague begins with no warning at all (plague 3, 6, and 9). This order reveals serves to highlight the last plague which stands in the place of prominent dread. As this third plague begins in v16 what do we see? No warning, no visit with Pharaoh, no command to let the people go, the plague just begins. God instructs Moses to tell Aaron to stretch out his staff and strike the dust of the earth so that it would turn into gnats. Aaron did so in v17, and gnats covered everyone in Egypt. Lets ask some questions here. First question, does the phrase dust of the earth stand out to you? It ought to. This is not the first time we have come across this phrase in the Bible. It first appears in Genesis 13 when God makes a great promise to Abraham. God said He would make Abrahams descendants as the dust of the earth meaning, Hell make his descendants so numerous theyll be beyond count. As glorious as that promise is back then in its context, God uses the phrase here in v16 to indicate how the gnats about to descend onto Egypt will also be beyond count. This is hard to grasp, isnt it? I mean, we know gnats. One gnat, or a few gnats arent that problematic. A simple wave of the hand and they fly away to not bother us again. Will Pharaoh be able to do that here? No way. He and everyone else in Egypt will be so surrounded by gnats that they wont be able to look down and see their feet clearly. The scope of this third plague is incredible. Second question, were they really gnats? I ask this because of the Hebrew word here translated as gnats has some other options. Options that seem far worse than gnats. The Hebrew word is ken (pronounced kain) and it can also refer tolice or maggots. Gross right? Some of you might have been thinking, Gnats arent so bad. But lice and maggots? This third plague just turned into the stuff of nightmares. Lice beyond count, crawling all over you, biting you, laying their eggs, making you itch, sick! Or maggotsnasty, oozy, slimy things, creeping over everything and all over you? No thanks! But, it could also be gnats. Now, you should know that here in the third plague, just like the first two plagues, many try to find a natural explanation. One notable opinion is as follows.[2] Because all the frogs have been destroyed throughout Egypt in the second plague, there necessarily would follow a surge in gnats throughout the land with no frogs to eat them. Thus, this third plague is completely understandable. Church, this is a bad interpretation of the plagues. Why? If we can point to a natural explanation, we lose the main point God is making. All the plagues are miraculous, wonders worked by God for the display of His great power and might. This is what God desires to show both Egypt and Israel. Third question, why gnats? Remember God is up to far more than just destabilizing Egypt in the plagues, Hes attacking the gods of Egypt and showing Himself to be stronger. Here in the third and fourth plague (which well see soon) God is attacking the Egyptian deity named Khepri, the god of life who is often depicted in Egyptian religious imagery as a flying insect.[3] That God here sends a multitude of gnats and later on a multitude of flies, shows us that He is openly challenging Khepri and displaying how this god cant do a thing to stop Him. In this the Egyptians learn afresh how strong and great the God of Israel truly is. While this is all very similar to the first two plagues, one clear difference is found in v18-19. Pharaohs magicians tried, as before, to duplicate the wonders God had done, but now they were unable to do so. For these experts in the secret arts, having to admit defeat was humiliating. Lets pause right here. Ive said before, and Ill say it again now I think these magicians did what they were able to do because of the power of Satan. But what do we learn in their inability in the third plague? Church, learn here the limits of the Devils power.[4] Dont get me wrong, the Devil has power. He has the power to rebel, to tempt, to deceive, to accuse, to hold captive, to afflict, to oppress, to oppose, and to destroy our earthly bodies. But, think of what Satan cannot do. He cannot create, he cannot redeem, he cannot love, he cannot be humble, he cannot undo what God does, and he cannot go where he desires to go, being that he is subject to Gods sovereign pleasure. Like a dog on a leash, the Devil serves Gods designs. All his evil proves to be an instrument for bringing about things far more lovely than he ever desired. This third plague was a defeat for Satan, as his servants could not create gnats. But the Devils greatest defeat was still far off. It would come one day though, on the best of all days, on resurrection morning. He thought he won his greatest battle when the Son of God died on the cross and entered the tomball hell rejoiced, and Satan smiled in vile pleasure seeing a dead Messiah. But the Son who died didnt stay dead, He rose from death, defeating it forever, leading forth a host of captives who come to Him in faith for salvation. In this victory the Devil was defanged. We must remember this, Church. As Christians we dont just face hard times, struggles, and seasons of hardship in this life. We face an enemy and must contend with him. So remember, Satan is potent but not omnipotent, wise but not omniscient, present but not omnipresent. God is stronger. God can deliver us from evil. God can enable us to stand against him. And God can keep us safe in His arms. What we see here in this third plague is meant to bolster us in this fight. The Devil is limited, God is infinite. Be encouraged Churchyes were in a battle, but we fight an already defeated foe, our victory is sure, his doom is absolute. Back to the narrative. After these magicians admitted defeat, they told Pharaoh the last thing he wanted to hear in v19, This is the finger of God. You might initially think this confession is a conversion to the God of Israel, but its not. The word they use here for God is a generic term, and it was a plural term, meaning it was a word they wouldve used to describe their own gods.[5] What are they saying then? Theyre saying a power greater than theirs has proven stronger than their magic. Theyre admitting that theyre in a spiritual battle, and that theyre losing.[6] And theyre saying these gnats are of divine origin.[7] Yet, even this confession of defeat doesnt sway Pharaoh. Due to the hardness of his heart, he remains firm in his unbelief. Thats the third plague. Now see Plague 4: Flies (v20-32) Well start with v20-24, Then theLordsaid to Moses,Rise up early in the morning and present yourself to Pharaoh, as he goes out to the water, and say to him, Thus says theLord,Let my people go, that they may serve me.Or else, if you will not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and your servants and your people, and into your houses. And the houses of the Egyptians shall be filled with swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they stand.But on that dayI will set apart the land of Goshen, where my people dwell, so that no swarms of flies shall be there,that you may know that I am theLordin the midst of the earth.Thus I will put a divisionbetween my people and your people. Tomorrow this sign shall happen.And theLorddid so.There came great swarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh and into his servants' houses. Throughout all the land of Egypt the land was ruined by the swarms of flies. As v20 begins the fourth plague we see God command Moses to rise up early and go to Pharaoh as hes going out into the water. This is the same pattern as the first plague, when the Nile was turned to blood. That this fourth plague begins the same way the first plague does shows us how this fourth plague is the beginning the next cycle of plagues.[8] Pharaoh himself could very well be thinking as hes going out into the water and sees Moses approaching him, Oh boy, here we go again[9] And he would be right to think that. God isnt done. Much more is about to happen. For the sixth time, Pharaoh hears Gods command to let His people go, or else. This time if he wont let Israel go, God will send swarms of flies on all Egypt. The word flies might really mean flies here, but the Hebrew word is general referring to all manner of biting and nonbiting insects.[10] So think flies, but think also horse flies, mosquitoes, no-see-ums, and the like. Psalm 78 gives us an idea of what these flies were like when it says in v45, God sent among them swarms of flies, which devoured them. That Psalm 78 tells us the flies devoured the Egyptians tells us these flies were of the biting variety. Which is alarming to say the least. Again, this is not just one fly or two flies, or even ten flies. God tells Pharaoh here, that just as the frogs swarmed earlier, so too these flies will now swarm and get into every nook and cranny of Egypt. But, something new happens next in v22-23. See it? God makes a divine distinction, saying this fourth plague will not touch His people at all. The flies will cover Egypt and every Egyptian, but not one Israelite in Goshen will be bit. Why does God make such a division? Was it because Israel worked so hard to earn Gods protection? No. Israel, as weve seen and will continue to see, is a stubborn, sinful, and stiff-necked people. Why then does God make such a division here in this fourth plague? One answer we could give is that God has always been a God who makes divisions. He made divisions at the beginning in the days of creation. He made a division between male and female. He made a division between Noahs family and the rest of the world, Abrahams family and the rest of the world, and here He is making a division with the Israelites and the Egyptians. But, why does God make this divine distinction here in the fourth plague? Answer: because of covenant. In Exodus 2 God heard their groaning and remembered His covenant In remembering the covenant, He came and acted to save His people! Covenant is the guarantee, covenant is the pledge, covenant is the assurance that God will always be God to His people, even despite His people. Deuteronomy 7 states this so well when it says, It was not because you were more in number than any other people that theLordset his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples,butit is because theLordloves you and is keepingthe oath that he swore to your fathers, that theLordhas brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.Know therefore that theLordyour God is God,the faithful Godwho keeps covenant and steadfast love (Deut. 7:7-9a). So God made this distinction, and brought the flies onto Egypt, and see what happened in v24? the land of Egypt the land was ruined by the swarms of flies. But thats not the end of our textsee the what happens next in v25-32, Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said, Go, sacrifice to your God within the land.But Moses said, It would not be right to do so, for the offerings we shall sacrifice to theLordour God are anabomination to the Egyptians. If we sacrifice offeringsabominable to the Egyptians before their eyes, will they not stone us?We must gothree days' journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to theLordour Godas he tells us.So Pharaoh said, I will let you go to sacrifice to theLordyour God in the wilderness; only you must not go very far away.Plead for me.Then Moses said, Behold, I am going out from you and I will plead with theLordthat the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, tomorrow. Only let not Pharaohcheat again by not letting the people go to sacrifice to theLord.So Moses went out from Pharaoh and prayed to theLord.And theLorddid as Moses asked, and removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; not one remained.But Pharaohhardened his heart this time also, and did not let the people go. Here our passage ends with Pharaoh not even bothering to call in the magicians. They failed last time, so clearly theyre no more use to Pharaoh.[11] Instead he tries to bargain with Moses, giving up some ground, offering a kind of partial obediencesaying Israel can go and perform their sacrifices to the Lord within the land. Moses calls him on this, that it would be against Egyptian law, which would be dangerous for Israel. So Pharaoh gives up even more ground and says they can go and leave Egypt, but they cant go too far away. And quickly, Pharaoh asks for Moses to pray for him. Moses is again faced with a choice. He knows Pharaoh promised this before and went back on his word, so hes certainly wondering if Pharaoh will do that again. So before leaving, Moses challenges Pharaoh asking him to not go back on his word like he did last time. So off Moses goes to pray and God removes all the flies in Egypt in an instant. Not one remained. And Pharaoh, after seeing this, went back on his word and didnt let the people go. Why? Because he hardened his own heart against the Lord. Thats the fourth plague Conclusion: Church weve seen Gods power displayed in Him using the smallest of creatures to humiliate the greatest of enemies, and by drawing a line in the sand at Goshen, proving His covenant faithfulness. The magicians looked at the gnats and confessed, This is the finger of God. In this they beheld a power they could not replicate. This power exposed the Devil as limited and finite. But the defeat of Satan was not just in the gnats, ultimately it would come in the empty tomb. So our victory is sure because our God is stronger. But the most urgent question for us today comes from the divine distinction between Egypt and Israel. There God set His people apart. Church, this is also the reality of the New Covenant. Were a people God has rescued and redeemed and called out of darkness into His marvelous light. In a true sense were citizens of Goshen in a world that is still Egypt. So, I askdoes your life look like Goshen, or does it look like Egypt? Is the line of distinction clear in your choices, your speech, your priorities, and your worship? Or have the flies of the world, the flesh, and the devil begun to swarm and ruin your life? Be reminded: Gods covenant is not a suggestion; it is a declaration of ownership. He has redeemed you. He has set you apart. So, live like the people of the covenant. Live like you belong to God, because Church, you do! [1] Robert Alter, The Hebrew Bible, vol. 1 (New York, NY: Norton, 2019) 243. [2] Philip Graham Ryken, Exodus: Saved for Gods Glory Preaching the Word Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2015) 212. [3] John D. Currid, Exodus 1-18 - EP Study Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: EP Books, 2014) 177. [4] Ryken, 216-217. [5] Currid, 175. [6] Currid, 175. [7] Douglas K. Stuart, Exodus NAC (Brentwood, TN: BH Publishing, 2006) 212. [8] Currid, 176. [9] Stuart, 214. [10] John I. Durham, Exodus - WBC (Waco TX: Word Books, 1987) 114. [11] Currid, 179. Also notice from this point on, the contest only seems to be between Pharaoh and Moses. With the departure of the magicians, we also see the departure of Aaron as well.

Theres a childrens song I learned of a few years ago that wonderfully describes who God is. Many of you who have grown up in the Church probably already know this song. Its called My God is So Big and its main line says, My God is so big, so strong and so mighty, theres nothing my God cannot do. The mountains are His, the valleys are His, the stars are His handiwork to. My God is so big, so strong and so mighty, theres nothing my God cannot do. This song, as simple as it is, wonderfully describes the moment were in right now in Exodus. Today well see God begin to bring the plagues against Egypt. As He does so all of Israel and all of Egypt will learn that God is big, and mighty, and strong, and that theres nothing God cannot do. Today we begin the plagues. There is much to see in them, and Lord willing, we will see much as we go through them. But before we begin, you should know that there is an order to them.[1] Before the final and most devastating plague of all, the first nine plagues are organized and carried out in three sets of three. In each set of three the first plague begins with Moses meeting Pharaoh in the morning (plague 1, 4, and 7), the second plague begins with Moses coming into Pharaohs palace (plague 2, 5, and 8), and the third plague begins with no warning at all (plague 3, 6, and 9). This order reveals not only the presence of order in Gods attack against Egypt, but it serves to highlight the last plague which stands in the place of prominence and singular horror. Today well work through the first two plagues. See first Plague 1: A Bloody Nile (7:14-25) Then theLordsaid to Moses, Pharaoh's heart is hardened; he refuses to let the people go.Go to Pharaoh in the morning, as he is going out to the water, and stand on the bank of the Nile to meet him. Take in your handthe staff that turned into aserpent.And you shall say to him, TheLord, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you, saying, Let my people go,that they may serve me in the wilderness. But so far, you have not obeyed.Thus says theLord, By thisyou shall know that I am theLord: behold, with the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water that is in the Nile, andit shall turn into blood.The fish in the Nile shall die, and the Nile will stink, and the Egyptians willgrow weary of drinking water from the Nile.And theLordsaid to Moses, Say to Aaron, Take your staff andstretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, their canals, and their ponds, and all their pools of water, so that they may become blood, and there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, even in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.Moses and Aaron did as theLordcommanded. In the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants helifted up the staff and struck the water in the Nile, and all thewater in the Nile turned into blood.And the fish in the Nile died, and the Nile stank, so that the Egyptianscould not drink water from the Nile. There was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.Butthe magicians of Egypt did the same by their secret arts. SoPharaoh's heart remained hardened, and he would not listen to them, astheLordhad said.Pharaoh turned and went into his house, and he did not take even this to heart.And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile for water to drink, for they could not drink the water of the Nile.Seven full days passed after theLordhad struck the Nile. The first plague is all about the humiliation of the Nile.[2] Why is this where God begins? God could begin here because when you attack a city and your aim is to destabilize it, a smart beginning is to cut off or pollute their water supply. This tactic was used a lot in the ancient world, but I dont think this is why God begins here. God begins here because for Egypt, the Nile is where all of life began. It was widely understood in the ancient world that the glory of Egypt was a gift of the Nile.[3] The Nile meant everything to them. It was their mode of transportation, their water supply, their food supply, their source of irrigation, and more. The Nile was such a supreme reality for the Egyptians that they came to believe the Nile was a god itself. They named this god Hapi, wrote hymns to Hapi, and worshiped and praised Hapi for being the source of their existence. Thus, God begins attacking Egypt by striking at this god, spilling its blood.[4] It begins in v14, actually in the same place v13 ended, the hardness of Pharaohs heart. This serves not only to remind us as readers of Pharaohs sinful stubborn state, but it serves to remind Moses that hell continue to encounter rejection and refusal from Pharaoh. But regardless, God calls Moses to go out and meet Pharaoh in the morning as he is in the Nile River. Were not told why he is in the Nile, whether he is out for a morning stroll, worshipping Hapi, or bathing as we saw his daughter bathing back in chapter 2. In v15-18 God gives Moses a message for Pharaoh. Moses is to stand on the banks, staff in hand, and say to Pharaoh, that God still demands he let the people go, but because he has not obeyed so far, God will strike the Nile and turn it all to blood. By this, God says, Pharaoh will know that the Lord is God. When this occurs Moses is to tell Pharaoh three things will happen: the fish will die, the Nile will stink, and the Egyptians will weary of drinking from the Nile. Then God gives Moses a message for Aaron in v19, instructing him to carry this out. He is to take his staff, stretch it over the waters of Egyptso that they all become blood. When he does this, notice what happens in v19? God says there shall be blood in all of Egypt even in the vessels and jars of wood and stone. In v20-21 we see all of this take place. Moses spoke to Pharaoh as God commanded, Aaron stretched out his staff as God commanded and all the water in the Nile became blood. But did it? Perhaps there is another more scientific explanation here as to why the river turned red. Maybe there was a lot of sediment in the riverbed that time of year and it got stirred up and gave the appearance of being red, as if it were like blood.[5] Maybe there had been a lot of rain recently, and it had washed loads of red soil into the Nile, giving it a red appearance. Or maybe there was a red-tide event in the Nile where red algae blossomed giving it the look of being like blood. You should know many scholars would have us believe that there really is a natural explanation to all of this, and I could not disagree more.[6] v17, v19, and v20 do not say the waters were turned into something that looked like blood, or resembled the redness of blood, no, the text is clear, the Nile became blood. Whatever scientific difficulties arise from this occurring, we must not miss that the miraculous happened here! What was God saying in this action? Well, see the results of it in v21. All the fish died so the Nile could no longer provide food for Egypt. It stank to all of Egypt, and the stench was so bad no one could drink it any longer, so the Nile could no longer provide drink for Egypt. To the Egyptians this wouldve been disturbing to say the least. Their god Hapi could no longer provide for them, why? Because God proved the stronger. Yet, before we rejoice in this see v22. The magicians of Pharaoh, by their demonic secret arts, were able to turn water into blood too. But wait a minute, how did they get water at this point if all the water in Egypt, which comes from the Nile, had already turned to blood? The answer is in v24. There we see that the people were able to get clean water through digging down for it. So presumably, this is where the magicians got it. But when they turned that water into blood, Pharaoh comforted himself with the thought that whatever happened, it certainly wasnt that big of a deal because his own magicians could duplicate it. So what does he do? v23 shows us, He didnt even take it to heart. And the Nile stayed this way for seven whole days according to v25. Again, that seven is a biblical number often meaning completion, that the river stayed blood for seven full days means God gave a full defeat to their god Hapi.[7] Thats the first plague, now see Plague 2: Egypt Befrogged (8:1-15) Then theLordsaid to Moses, Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, Thus says theLord, Let my people go, thatthey may serve me.But if yourefuse to let them go, behold, I will plague all your country withfrogs.The Nile shall swarm with frogs that shall come up into your house and intoyour bedroom and on your bed and into the houses of your servants and your people,and into your ovens and your kneading bowls.The frogs shall come up on you and on your people and on all your servants.And theLordsaid to Moses, Say to Aaron,Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers, over the canals and over the pools, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt!So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, andthe frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt.Butthe magicians did the same by their secret arts and made frogs come up on the land of Egypt. Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said,Plead with theLordto take away the frogs from me and from my people, andI will let the people go to sacrifice to theLord.Moses said to Pharaoh, Be pleased to command me whenI am to plead for you and for your servants and for your people, that the frogs be cut off from you and your houses and be left only in the Nile.And he said, Tomorrow. Moses said, Be it as you say, sothat you may know thatthere is no one like theLordour God.The frogs shall go away from you and your houses and your servants and your people. They shall be left only in the Nile.So Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, and Moses cried to theLordabout the frogs, as he had agreed with Pharaoh.And theLorddid according to the word of Moses. The frogs died out in the houses, the courtyards, and the fields.And they gathered them together in heaps, and the land stank.But when Pharaoh saw that there was arespite, hehardened his heart and would not listen to them, as theLordhad said. What do we see as this begins? Contrary to the first, as the second plague begins Moses doesnt visit Pharaoh in the morning, he walks straight into the palace. But like the first, here in the second plague we see that God gives Moses a message to give to Pharaoh in v1-4, and gives Moses a message for Aaron in v5. The message for Pharaoh is the same command, followed by a warning. Let my people go, that they may serve (worship) me. If Pharaoh doesnt, see the warning? Egypt will be befrogged. This is the second plague, that Egypt will be swarm with frogs and the swarming will be comprehensive. This word swarm is the same word used back in Genesis 1:20 at creation when God said, Let the waters swarm with living creatures. Back then it was good for this to happen, but now? Im sure the kids of Egypt laughed at this at first, but after a while, frogs were simply everywhere. See v3? Frogs got into all the nooks and crannies of Egypt. Into their homes, bedrooms, beds, servants homes, ovens, and kneading bowls. In other words, there wasnt a place in Egypt where frogs were not. Did you notice the detail given in v4? This time Pharaoh himself will be affected. In the first plague Pharaoh wasnt really impacted at all, he couldve just sent servants out to dig up fresh water for him. But this time? Frogs will be all over Egypt, including his own palace too. The sheer immensity of this is disgusting. No one will escape this. You wake up with frogs jumping all over you, you look around and see frogs all over your room, you stand up and step on more frogs, you try to ignore them but theyve filled the pantries, filled the bowls and even filled the ovens. Frogs are everywhere. But, why frogs? Perhaps you think, frogs arent that bad. Theyre just little hoppy things, right? Sure some of them are, but even Ive seen frogs as big as my hand before, and those were hideous. Multiply that by the thousands and you get the idea. Was God doing this to simply disgust all of Egypt? No. He is up to far more. Just as before, God is striking another Egyptian deity, this time one of their gods named Hekhet, who was held to be the goddess of power and fertility, who just so happened to be depicted as having the head of a frog.[8] Here God is about to overwhelm Hekhet, to such an extent that she will be rendered powerless before Him. In v5 we see the message God gives Moses for Aaron. Here Aaron is told what to do. As before he is told to stretch out his hand and staff over all Egypt, that frogs may come up onto all the land. The Hebrew here in v5 is humorous. It literally reads, Stretch out your hand with your rodand bring forth the frogs[9] So, Aaron does so, and the frogs come. And just as Pharaoh and all his armies will soon be covered by the waters of the Red Sea (Ex. 14:28), so too all of Egypt is covered with frogs. But once again the magicians did the same in v7. Yet, even though they were able to duplicate this wonder Pharaoh responds in v8 with a new resolve. He surprises us here by begging for relief, asking Moses and Aaron to pray for him, that God would take away the frogs. It certainly must have proven a sore trial for Pharaoh that he would end up asking for prayer. And here right before our eyes, in the OT of all places, is an example of Gods people praying for their enemies. How deep would the temptation be for Moses and Aaron to refuse this request, knowing all Pharaoh had done against them? But pray for Pharaoh they do. Perhaps that played into Moses question in v9. There Moses asks Pharaoh when he would like them to pray and ask for the frogs to be removed. At first glance it might seem a strange thing to ask Pharaoh, but think of how brilliant it was. Moses was not just being polite, no. I think Moses wanted Pharaoh to not have a single excuse this time. By asking Pharaoh to name the date of his prayer, Pharaoh would know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the removal of the frogs was not due to anything else than God Himself.[10] So Pharaoh answered Tomorrow and thats when Moses prayed, and thats when all the frogs died, and were to understand that the end of the plague was just as divine as the start of it.[11] So the Egyptians gathered them all up into piles, and none were left in the places they had gone to, and these piles stunk. How ironic, within a very short time Egypt went from feeling as if Israel was a stench to them, to having the Nile be a stench to them, to now having piles and piles of frogs that are a stench to them.[12] Once again, God has made a thorough defeat of their god Hekhet just as He had of Hapi. But once again, look at v15. When Pharaoh felt relief it didnt make him thankful it made him even harder against the Lord, and he broke his promise to let the people go. This was the first time he reneged on his word, but it would not be the last.[13] Conclusion: We began with the childrens song today, My God is so big, so strong and so mighty, theres nothing my God cannot do. And weve seen Gods big strong might in the passage today. How he came and warred with the gods of Egypt, proving that He alone is God. Church, if nothing else, this teaches us not to trust in other gods because they cannot save us. Sure, you might not bow down before an idol in your living room, but idols abound in our culture: money, power, sex, health, fame, comfort, peace, success, and self. You know what God will to all these idols in the end? Hell do, to our idols, the same thing He did to the gods of Egypt. In Revelation 16 (v3-7, v13-14) we witness God pouring out seven bowls of wrath and the language He uses there is very similar to what weve seen today. As Moses and Aaron said to Pharaoh, there shall be blood and bring forth the frogs so too in the end God will war against the wicked, resulting in a bloody scene and slaying unclean spirits that look like frogs. Lesson? Only the Lord, He is God. Before God, every knee will bow. But, before that final dayChurch, where do we look to see the power of God? Answer: we look to the gospel. Romans 1:16, For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation, to everyone who believes Sin certainly troubles us greatly, but God is stronger still. In Christ crucified the power of sin is broken. In Christ the penalty of sin is removed, and one day at the return of Christ, the very presence of sin will be destroyed. [1] Robert Alter, The Hebrew Bible, vol. 1 (New York, NY: Norton, 2019) 243. [2] Douglas K. Stuart, Exodus NAC (Brentwood, TN: BH Publishing, 2006) 197. [3] John D. Currid, Exodus 1-18 - EP Study Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: EP Books, 2014) 157-158. [4] Currid, 158. [5] John I. Durham, Exodus - WBC (Waco TX: Word Books, 1987) 97. See Stuart also, 201. [6] Philip Graham Ryken, Exodus: Saved for Gods Glory Preaching the Word Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2015) 195. [7] Currid, 164. [8] Currid, 165-166. [9] Currid, 167. [10] Stuart, 208. [11] Ryken, 208. [12] Victor P. Hamilton, Exodus: An Exegetical Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2023) 133. [13] Ryken, 209.

Today we come a turning point in the book of Exodus. As we concluded chapter 6 last week we saw a genealogy, and when we came to that part of the text I told you the genealogy was put there for help us as the readers pause and reflect on what weve seen and learned in the narrative so far. Now, as chapter seven begins we launch back out into the main plot. What will be the main theme and reality in view in the chapters to come? The plagues. The plagues are about to fall on Pharaoh and all Egypt. In these plagues God Himself will attack the gods of Egypt, and make it plain as day who is God and who is not. Our passage this morning, 7:1-13, prepares us for all of this. How? By giving us a preview of the contest to come, hence the title of this sermon, a prologue to the plagues. Two headings this morning. See first Commission (v1-7) And theLordsaid to Moses, See, I have made you likeGod to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be yourprophet.You shall speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron shall tell Pharaoh to let the people of Israel go out of his land.ButI will harden Pharaoh's heart, and though Imultiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt,Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and bring my hosts, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment.The Egyptiansshall know that I am theLord, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring out the people of Israel from among them.Moses and Aaron did so; they did just as theLordcommanded them.Now Moses waseighty years old, and Aaron eighty-three years old, when they spoke to Pharaoh. As we left Moses in the end of chapter 6, he had yet another moment of doubt as he said he was uncircumcised in lips, meaning unfit and unqualified to do what God had called him to do. God had every right to respond with severe rebuke for Moses doubting yet again, but look at what God does. God give Moses another commission, and in so doing God gives Moses divine authority by saying See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh Now be clear, Moses is not God, God is God. But God has made Moses like God to Pharaoh, and like God, Moses will speak to Pharaoh through the mouth of his prophet, Aaron. It is helpful to remember at this point that Pharaoh considered himself to be divine, an incarnation of the gods of Egypt.[1] So when God says Moses is to be God to Pharaoh here in v1-2 God is putting Pharaoh in his place. Moses in a sense will appear before Pharaoh as no one ever has, for he will be like God to him.[2] This is indeed setting the stage for whats about to happen. This emphasizes that the Exodus conflict isnt a political struggle between nations, but a cosmic clash between the sovereign Lord and a rebellious, human king. Pharaoh might truly believe he is divine and mighty at this moment, but he'll soon learn that the One making these demands of him is mightier still. Yet, though this is the case Pharaoh will still resist and refuse to listen to Moses. See v3? In v3, for the second time, we read of God hardening Pharaohs heart. The last time we saw this was back in chapter 4 and there the reason for God hardening Pharaohs heart was generally put, that Pharaoh would not let the people go. Now see more of the reason here in v3. God will harden Pharaohs heart, why? So God can multiply His signs and wonders in Egypt. Meaning, Pharaohs resistance is a key ingredient in setting the stage for the plagues, which will display both the great might of the true God as well as the weakness and frailty of the gods of Egypt. Again by telling this to Moses God is removing Moses resistance and giving him realistic expectations about what will happen as he goes back to speak to Pharaoh. Moses needs to know that Pharaohs rejection is part of the plan and is part of the catalyst for the plagues to come.[3] v4-5 further describe the plagues using the phrase God laying hands on Egypt. This phrase is used often in the OT and it usually refers to hostile actions or judgment, which leads to death.[4] Here this phrase is used to speak of what God will do to Egypt. Add to this what v5 says. There Gods actions to Egypt are described as God stretching out His hand against Egypt. This language of a mighty stretched out hand was used a lot in ancient writings to refer to the power of a king or rulers strength in war. Ancient Egypt even used this phrasing to describe many of their Pharaohs, saying they were strong armed.[5] Taking v4 and v5 together, this is quite the imagery being used isnt it? It gives us a sense of Gods fierce intent toward Egypt for oppressing His people. Perhaps, think about it like this. In a playful manner, sometimes when I play with my kids, Ill bear hug them or, wrap around them, and they try to escape or get out of my grip somehow. They try and try and try and try andwhen they cant and give up, what do they learn? They learn how strong Dad really is, yes, but they learn more. They learn how safe they are in Daddys grip, and how Dad can protect them against the bad guys. In a much more violent and strong and frightful manner, this is something of what God is saying He'll do to Egypt in v4-5. God will harden Pharaohs heart so that he wont let the people go, then God will reveal His wondrous strength as He stretches out His had and lays hold of Egypt, and then God will lead His people out into freedom. When God does this what will the Egyptians learn? Notice the beginning of v5, The Egyptiansshall know that I am theLord What does this mean? Does it mean the Egyptians will be saved and forgiven? Does it mean the Egyptians will be redeemed and know Gods great love? No. This means all of Egypt will learn who God is, but what they learn wont encourage them or bring them rest or comfort, no. What they learn about God will terrify them. In the Exodus they shall come to know that God is God and Pharaoh is not. See the double edge here. When God attacks in the plagues Israel will be redeemed, while Egypt will be judged. One God, doing His singular work, revealing His glory, brings about two different results. Salvation for Gods people, judgment for Gods enemies. This double edge is real. It is said, The same sun which melts wax hardens clay. We see that reality displayed for us here. This is something we need to remember. I often meet people who truly believe that when it comes to God they are unaffiliated, or neutral, as if its all a matter of personal choice. How blind we are. Becoming a Christian, and following Jesus is not a personal choice, as if one group of people decides to take up a hobby of knitting while we have decided to take up religion as a hobby. No, no, no. Church, no one is neutral when it comes to things of God. The double edge reality we see here in Exodus remains true for the gospel too. How? The same Gospel which melts some to repentance hardens others in their sins.[6] Well, as Moses was commissioned again in v1-5, we might wonder how he responds to all of this. Will he doubt again? Will he bring more objections or complaint to the Lord? Praise God we dont see any of that. In v6 we see a refreshing sight. Moses and Aaron obey, doing all just as the Lord commanded them. In fact, for the next long while, we do not see Moses doubt or complain at all. He is 100% on board with what Gods doing. What changed? It doesnt say explicitly, but we can make an educated guess. Moses has tried and failed, and yet, God has called him to go back again. In this I think Moses has realized three things: 1) his own weakness is great, 2) the task before him is impossible, and 3) Gods call remains clear. Perhaps in these things Moses is beginning to understand that he cannot do what God has called to do in his own strength and wisdom. He must trust the Lord to do all of this through him. And so he goes back to Pharaoh courageously, not trusting in himself, but in God who has called him to go. So too Church, we can find strength and courage to obey God, to even try the impossible, not because of what we find within ourselves, but because of the God we look to in faith![7] And lest you think doing hard things for the Lord is a young mans game, did you see v7? Moses and Aaron were both in their 80s! This affirms what we see later on in Deuteronomy, where it tells us Moses will die at 120 years old, which shows us how Moses whole life was evenly split into three 40 year segments. D.L. Moody described it best, Moses spent 40 years in Pharaohs court thinking he was somebody, 40 years in the desert learning that he was nobody, and 40 years showing what God can do with a somebody who found out he was a nobody.[8] May we embrace such a posture as well. Look ahead now to our second heading Contest (v8-13) Then theLordsaid to Moses and Aaron,When Pharaoh says to you,Prove yourselves by working a miracle, then you shall say to Aaron, Take your staff and cast it down before Pharaoh, that it may become a serpent.So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as theLordcommanded. Aaron cast down his staff before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent. Then Pharaoh summoned the wise men and the sorcerers, and they, themagicians of Egypt, alsodid the same by their secret arts.For each man cast down his staff, and they became serpents. But Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs.StillPharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them,as theLordhad said. v8-13 is a brief moment, but in it there is contained most all of what well soon see in the plagues: the obedience of Moses and Aaron, the counterfeit miracles of Satan, the power of God, and the hardening of Pharaohs heart.[9] Here all of these themes are present as the great contest begins. God commands Moses in v8-9, When Pharaoh asks you to prove yourselves by a miracle, throw your staff down on the ground before Pharaoh that it might become a serpent. Question: why a snake? Of all things God could have chosen, why a snake? Answer: because of what the serpent means to the Egyptians. Many historians note that Egyptians were afraid and fascinated by snakes. So many Pharaohs wore the symbol of a snake on their crown or head-dress to strike fear into others. That God turns a staff into a snake tells us He is directly challenging and assaulting Pharaohs supposed sovereignty.[10] To use a modern comparison, it would be like someone taking a bald eagle into the Oval office and wringing its neck.[11] Can you see the challenge in view in that? By doing this before Pharaoh, God begins the great contest of power. Moses and Aaron obey in v10, cast down the staff, and it becomes a snake. Or did it? The normal word in Hebrew for snake is the word nahash but here in v10 the staff becomes a tannin. This Hebrew word tannin can also mean snake, but curiously it has other translation options as well. In Ezekiel and Jeremiah this word tannin is used to describe not just a snake but a large reptilian monster like a crocodile. Some even believe Ezekiel and Jeremiah are referring to a dragon by using this word tannin.[12] So, what did the staff become? A snake, a crocodile, a reptilian monster, a dragon? I always thought it was a simple snake, and it really might be, but the Hebrew word used here is intentionally slippery, causing us to pause and wonder if something more menacing is in view.[13] Whatever it was, it was powerful, because see what happens next. In response to this miracle Pharaoh summons his own wise men, magicians, and sorcerers and in v11 it says they did the same by their secret arts. Pharaohs henchmen were able to reproduce the miracle, but is that the way were to interpret this? Some people believe they were able to reproduce to miracle by magic or a kind of parlor trick, illusion, or sleight of hand. Others believe they were gifted snake charmers who knew the exact nerve on a snake to make them straighten out stiff as a board. But still others believe they really did turn their own staffs into snakes because they had given themselves over to the powers of darkness. Heres what I think. Many modern scholars tend to believe trickery was used here, I disagree. All naturalistic explanations seem, at least to me, to be misleading. The whole point of this moment is the great contest of strength between the Lord and the powers of darkness. So I think Pharaohs magicians really did duplicate this feat but that they did so by demonic spells and incantations, ultimately by the power of Satan. But look what happens in v12. See it? There was a great swallowing. When the magicians of Pharaoh duplicated the wonder, the staff turned to serpent monster from Moses and Aaron swallowed up the others. Pay attention to this phrase swallowed up. It occurs many times in the Bible from this point forward. There is a swallowing up here. Pharaoh and is armies will soon be swallowed up by the Red Sea in Exodus 15. Korah and the rebels will be swallowed up in the earth in Numbers 16. And Jonah will be swallowed up by the fish in Jonah 1. All these moments indicate a snuffing out, or a destroying. Here Pharaoh learns firsthand how much greater and stronger the Lord is, that God can destroy the supposed gods of Egypt, but that this God is the true God over all. Church, this closing scene reminds us that there are spirituals powers and forces all around us, both good and evil. While God is stronger than them all, the spiritual powers of evil are still considered powers. In many cultures around the world families have little altars in a corner of their homes dedicated to various spirits who have plagued their family, village, or region. We saw this in Vietnam firsthand when we went there, and it was dark. But the good news was truly good to them when they heard how Christ had existed well before these spirits and had power over all the spirits and could protect them from the spirits forever. I think in v11-12 we see a glimpse of a small spiritual battle, not only showing us what God is greater, but showing us a preview of the bigger battles to come in the plagues. Yet, v13 ends our text with a sobering note. Pharaohs heart was hard and he would not listen. This sobering final note is a warning to anyone who sees the power of God and yet refuses to bow the knee before God.[14] Conclusion: Id like to end by showing you the rich fulfillment of this passage. Weve seen Moses dwell with the Lord on the mountain by the burning bush and descend to save Gods people suffering in Egypt. This Moses who came down from the mountain of God was like God to Pharaoh. In a richer and greater way, one day far after this moment the eternal Son of God would descend from the presence of God to save Gods people suffering in sins of all kinds. This Son of God is far greater than Moses because He would not just appear to be like God, He would be God Himself wrapped in flesh. And this Son of God would fight greater battles, and would win them all, showing us the true power of the Lord. But in the end, many thought all was lost as death swallowed Him up on the cross. But what happened? The greater swallowing would occur. Yes, the Son of God died in our place, bearing our sin, as our substitute on the cross, and He would enter the grave. But in His resurrection, as He walked out of the tomb death itself was swallowed up in defeat! So Paul rejoices in 1 Cor. 15 saying, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death where is your sting? Church we began with Luthers reformation, and we end with it too. Luther once said, When the devil throws your sins in your face and says you deserve death and hell, tell him this. I know I deserve death and hell, what of it? I know One who suffered on my place, and made satisfaction for all of my many sins. His name is Jesus Christ, Son of God, and where He is one day I shall be also! Praise God! [1] Philip Graham Ryken, Exodus: Saved for Gods Glory Preaching the Word Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2015) 172. [2] John I. Durham, Exodus - WBC (Waco TX: Word Books, 1987) 87. [3] John D. Currid, Exodus 1-18 - EP Study Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: EP Books, 2014) 148. [4] Victor P. Hamilton, Exodus: An Exegetical Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2023) 114. [5] Hamilton, 114. [6] This phrase is normally attributed to Charles Spurgeon. [7] Jay Sklar, ESV Expository Commentary, vol. 1, ed. Iain Duguid, James M. Hamilton Jr., Jay Sklar (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2025) 508. [8] D.L. Moody, quoted in Ryken, 175. [9] Ryken, 182. [10] Currid, 154. [11] Ryken, 185. [12] Durham, 91. [13] Robert Alter, The Hebrew Bible, vol. 1 (New York, NY: Norton, 2019) 239. [14] Ryken, 190.

Today, we open to Exodus 5:22, where Moses, fresh from faithfully delivering God's message to Pharaoh, finds himself not celebrated, but confronted by a people whose burdens have only intensified. The promised rescue has seemingly backfired, plunging Israel into deeper despair and leaving Moses questioning the God who sent him. Have you been there? Youve boldly stepped out in faith, only to find the path ahead unexpectedly harder, met with resistance and the bitter complaints of those you sought to help? If you have been there you know how raw these moments can be. Doubt presses inGod's promises seem to unraveland we often cry out to the Lord in a confused mixture of desperation and anger. Yet, today we dont only see Moses in this raw moment. We see God meet Moses in his distress, not with rebuke or correction, but with powerful encouragement, reminding Moses, and us, of His faithful steadfast covenant comfort. This is where we find ourselves today. There are three headings to work through this morning, see first Moses Confronts God (5:22-23) Then Moses turned to theLordand said, O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me?For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not delivered your people at all. As our text begins we see Moses turn to the Lord. Which on its own is quite encouraging, isnt it? Its always good when one turns to the Lord in the midst of suffering. Usually, people do the opposite and turn to more sin to try and drown their woes. But here Moses suffers and retreats to God. But, ask the questionwhy does Moses turn to the Lord in v22? Is it to find rest and comfort in his suffering? No. He wants to confront God. Theres a pattern to see here. Just as the Israelites are angry and turn to Moses in their anger and confusion, so too Moses is angry and in his anger he turns to God, confronting God and expressing his own disillusionment as to why God has not yet delivered His people from slavery.[1] While Im glad to see him turn to the Lord here, even in anger, Im a bit taken back at his words to God. Not only is Moses calling God into question here, he questions why God even sent him in the first place, and notice how Moses moves well beyond even this, going as far as to accuse God of doing evil against His own people. Moses is clearly dismayed at what has happened. He was told by God that Pharaoh would be stubborn, he was told that it would take a lot to force his hand, and he was even told that God would harden Pharaohs heart so that he would not let the people goMoses knew these things. But it did not even come into Moses mind that Pharaoh would grow crueler to Israel as a result of his speaking with him.[2] He obeyed God and the condition of the people got far worse than it had been before. Thus, Moses final words in chapter 5, you have not delivered your people at all. This lays the heart of Moses bare. Just like Israel, Moses seems to believe that Gods promised rescue would happen quickly and would happen without any setbacks or suffering. Yet here they are. Church, Moses sins in many ways here. Hes complaining, hes discontent, hes not trusting, hes unreasonably impatient with God. He thinks God is out of bounds for not doing what he thinks God should do and for not working as fast as he thinks God should work. What does this show us? It shows us how human Moses is. That hes a sinner himself. Used by God in many mighty ways, yes, but as faithful and fruitful as Moses was, he was a deeply flawed man, in need of a Savior. Much can be learned here, both for Moses original audience, the wilderness generation, and for us ourselves. When were tempted to think Gods timing is off. When were in the midst of the swirl of anger and confusion. When the road of obedience brings suffering our way, may God give us the grace to do as Moses did and turn to Him. But rather than calling God into question, may we trust Him and cast ourselves on Him knowing how good and great He is. So Moses has confronted God, now see that Gods response. God Comforts Commands Moses (6:1-13) But theLordsaid to Moses, Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, and witha strong hand he willdrive them out of his land.God spoke to Moses and said to him,I am theLord.I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, asGod Almighty,but by my name theLORD I did not make myself known to them.I also established my covenant with themto give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they lived as sojourners.Moreover,I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel whom the Egyptians hold as slaves, and I have remembered my covenant.Say therefore to the people of Israel,I am theLord, andI will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, andI will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment.Iwill take you to be my people, andI will be your God, and you shall know thatI am theLordyour God, who has brought you outfrom under the burdens of the Egyptians.I will bring you intothe land that Iswore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession.I am theLord. Moses spoke thus to the people of Israel, but theydid not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery. How wonderful is Gods response! Hes not shocked or stunned or angered at all by Moses out of bounds angry prayer. He doesnt even warn Moses or correct Moses. Rather He says two things in response to Moses. First, in v1 God simply says Watch what Im about to do to Pharaoh.[3] And second, in v2-8 God reminds Moses of covenant comfort. Dont miss that Church. To bolster up, to increase trust, to drive home a rich assurance in Moses quaking and troubled heart, God unfolds His covenant promises. In other words, to encourage Moses God repeats the promises He made to Moses at the burning bush, and promises He made long ago. These promises remind Moses how God has not forsaken His people, but will fulfill His Word to them, in His own way and His own timing.[4] Moses learns here something everything Christian needs to learn. There is rich encouragement to be had for present difficulties in Gods covenant promises of old.[5] See how God does this. In v2-5 God goes all the way back to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. God says He appeared to them just as He appeared to Moses. God does mention a difference though. He says He appeared to the patriarchs as El Shaddai, God Almighty, not as Yahweh like He appeared to Moses. This does not mean we never see Gods divine name back in the book of Genesis, we do see it there. Rather what God means here is that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob didnt know God as deeply as Moses knew Him. This is how divine revelation works in the OT, there is a clear progression to see. Meaning, God revealed Himself to Moses and the people of Israel in the Exodus in deeper and richer and stronger ways than He ever did with the patriarchs.[6] But God did establish His covenant with them, and promised to give them a land, and since that moment God has not been distant or aloof, He has heard the groanings of His people, He has seen their slaveryHe has remembered His covenant. We hear this language a lot when the reality of covenant is mentioned, that God remembered His covenant. Does this mean God forgot it, and is now remembering it? No. This is how the Bible speaks of God, in faithfulness, keeping promises He made long ago. All of this is how God encourages Moses. But see that after encouraging Moses in his own anger and confusion God, in v6-8, gives Moses words to encourage Israel in their anger and confusion. Here, just as before, God reminds His people of covenant comfort. The way God lays it out for Israel is with seven I will statements. First, God says He will bring Israel out from all their burdens in Egypt. Second, God says He will deliver them from slavery. Third, God says He will redeem them with great acts of judgment from His outstretched strong arm. Fourth, God says He will take them to Himself be His people. Fifth, God gives the heart of all covenant language here when He says He will be God to them and they shall know that He is the LORD. Sixth, God says He will bring them into the land promised long ago. And seventh, God says He will give that land to them as their own possession. That God encourages them with rich covenant comfort here is deeply encouraging, but that He uses seven statements to do so, raises all of this to the highest degree of rich encouragement. Seven being a number in the Bible often used to communicate fullness and abundance. That God gives His people seven covenant comforts means He is giving not just a slight encouragement to His suffering people, but a full, whole, and complete encouragement. Do you see this? It means that everything Israel needs in their current troubles, is provided for in Gods Word to themand more! Yet, look at v9, Moses spoke thus to the people of Israel, but theydid not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery. From the heights of beauty in v1-8, v9 plummets into cavernous depths of sin. Tragic isnt it? The best way to describe Israel in v9 is that they are broken by their suffering. At this point, I think its clear to see that Israel no longer believes theyll be freed from Pharaoh. Theyre truly overcome. But Church, does God stop His plan to save them from Egypt because they no longer believe it? NO! God keeps going. See it next in v10-13 as He commands Moses, So theLordsaid to Moses,Go in, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the people of Israel go out of his land.But Moses said to theLord, Behold, the people of Israel havenot listened to me. How then shall Pharaoh listen to me, forI am of uncircumcised lips?But theLordspoke to Moses and Aaron and gave them a charge about the people of Israel and about Pharaoh king of Egypt: to bring the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt. Even though Israel refused to hear and heed Gods covenantal comfort through Moses, God commands Moses to go back to Pharaoh. And Moses, predictably, complains again, groaning that if Israel wont listen to him how much more will Pharaoh not listen to him? He even says his own lips are uncircumcised. I dont think this is a call back to chapter 4 where he spoke of his speech impediment. I think by using the language of uncircumcision Moses believes he is now no longer fit or qualified for the task ahead of him.[7] Yet Gods call is clear. Despite the objections of Moses, the broken spirit of Israel, and the hatred of Pharaoh and all Egypt, the mission goes on.[8] The Genealogy of Moses Aaron (6:14-30) But then what happens? Do we see the plot continue to unfold as Moses goes back in for another round with Pharaoh? No, we see a genealogy. Question: why is this here?[9] Though this might seem a bit out of place to us, things like this were common in ancient Near Eastern literature. Back then genealogies didnt feel out of place or feel like an intrusion into the plot of the narrative. They were placed in positions like this intentionally to let the reader pause and reflect on all that has taken place. Think about it in modern terms. Weve just seen Moses say, I cant go back to Pharaoh and heard God command him to go back anyway. After that command I can imagine the TV zooming in on Moses worried face, followed by a commercial break. Just as the tension rises to a high point, it breaks away before showing us the resolution. Im sure this analogy breaks down in many ways, but I do think that is how this genealogy functions at this point in our text. So Ill read through it and make a few comments on it. These are the heads of their fathers' houses: thesons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi; these are the clans of Reuben.Thesons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman; these are the clans of Simeon.These are the names of thesons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, the years of the life of Levi being 137 years.Thesons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei, by their clans.Thesons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, the years of the life of Kohath being 133 years.Thesons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites according to their generations.Amram took as his wife Jochebed his father's sister, and she bore him Aaron and Moses, the years of the life of Amram being 137 years.The sons of Izhar: Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri.Thesons of Uzziel: Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri.Aaron took as his wife Elisheba, the daughter ofAmminadab and the sister ofNahshon, and she bore himNadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.Thesons of Korah: Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph; these are the clans of the Korahites.Eleazar, Aaron's son, took as his wife one of the daughters of Putiel, andshe bore him Phinehas. These are the heads of the fathers' houses of the Levites by their clans.These are the Aaron and Mosesto whom theLordsaid: Bring out the people of Israel from the land of Egyptby their hosts.It was they who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt about bringing out the people of Israel from Egypt, this Moses and this Aaron.On the day when theLordspoke to Moses in the land of Egypt,theLord said to Moses,I am theLord;tell Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say to you.But Moses said to theLord, Behold,I am of uncircumcised lips. How will Pharaoh listen to me? A few items to note here. The list begins with Rueben, Simeon, Levi, Gershon, Kohath, Merari, Izhar, Uzziel, Korah, and concludes with Aarons grandson Phinehas. Each name in this list matters. Each name is part of a family that matters. And each family is part of the nation of Israel thats being formed before our very eyes. Each name brings us lessons of obedience and disobedience, like the strange fire of Nadab and Abihu, the rebellion of Korah, and the zeal of Phinehas. Again, this genealogy is placed here to not only inform us of Moses and Aarons family lineage, but to encourage us to pause and reflect on what has happened in the narrative up to this point. Conclusion: With this in mind I want to end by saying this. Exodus is a book to read, yes. Exodus is also an event to watch, yes. But Church, Exodus is a pattern to behold. What do I mean when I say Exodus is a pattern? I mean Exodus shows us what redemption looks like. In our passage today, Moses and Israel were broken and overcome in their despair and suffering. What does God do in response to this? Does He stop and give up because His people are so overcome and unable to trust Him? No, not at all. God kept going, keeps attacking Egypt, and keeps pressing against Pharaoh. In other words, God came and did what His people were unable to do for themselves, and brought His people to a place they couldnt get to by themselves. Why did God keep going despite His people? Because of covenant. Church, this is how we were saved. Why did God keep going despite His people? Because of covenant. This is the glorious news of the gospel. We were dead in our trespasses, unable to save ourselves. But God, rich in mercy, did not wait for us to become worthy or willing. He came to us in the person of Jesus Christ, fulfilling His covenant promise to redeem a people for Himself. In the work of Christ God did for us what we could not do for ourselves, and because of the work of Christ God will one day bring us into our promised inheritance. Therefore Church, let us go from here not trusting in our own faithfulness, but in the faithfulness of our covenant keeping God. If you face trials this week, if your spirit is broken, and if you are tempted to despair, remember the Exodus pattern. Remember the God who delivered Israel, despite Israel is the same God who has delivered you from sin and death, and He will not let you go. His grace is amazing, His covenant is sure. [1] John D. Currid, Exodus 1-18 - EP Study Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: EP Books, 2014) 127. [2] Douglas K. Stuart, Exodus NAC (Brentwood, TN: BH Publishing, 2006) 168. [3] Victor P. Hamilton, Exodus: An Exegetical Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2023) 94. [4] Currid, 128. [5] Stuart, 170. [6] Hamilton, 101-102. [7] Currid, 136. [8] Currid, 136. [9] Stuart, 175.

Every now and then its good to remind ourselves what were doing here in this teaching moment called a sermon. Were in a sermon series where were going through the book of Exodus, yes. Were working through it verse by verse, yes. But, how are we approaching this book as a whole? Four ways.[1] Were approaching the book of Exodus historically, meaning were seeking to see the historical context in which these events occur. Were approaching the book of Exodus theologically, meaning were seeking to see who God is and shows Himself to be in Exodus. Were approaching the book of Exodus Christologically, meaning were seeking to see how Exodus points far on ahead of itself to the Person and Work of Jesus Christ. Lastly, were approaching the book of Exodus practically, meaning were seeking to see how Exodus, like everything else in the Bible, teaches us how to live the Christian life. This is how were approaching the book of Exodus. Today we come to Exodus 5:10-21. But remember whats going on in the story. Three big themes are beginning to emerge that will continue to stand out as the main themes for the next ten chapters or so.[2] First there is the demand God makes to Pharaoh to let His people go. Second, there is Pharaohs resistance to that demand which will grow in the chapters to come, even though it ebbs and flows at times. And lastly, there are the consequences Pharaoh and all of Egypt face for Pharaohs resistance to Gods commands. Its these three themes weve begun to see and will continue to see throughout many chapters ahead of us, as God and Pharaoh face off in head-to-head combat. But at this point where we are in chapter 5, weve only seen Moses first interaction with Pharaoh, Pharaohs initial stubbornness, and Pharaoh increasing His cruelty toward Israel. And yet, we must remember, Israel is moving closer and closer towards freedom, even though their suffering is increasing in the present moment. God is saving them, yet, their discomfort grows. This is the big idea set before us today in 5:10-21. A Cruel Yoke (v10-14) So thetaskmasters and the foremen of the people went out and said to the people, Thus says Pharaoh, I will not give you straw.Go and get your straw yourselves wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced in the least.So the people were scattered throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.Thetaskmasters were urgent, saying, Complete your work, your daily task each day, as when there was straw.And the foremen of the people of Israel, whom Pharaohstaskmasters had set over them, were beaten and were asked, Why have you not done all your task of making bricks today and yesterday, as in the past? So after Moses and Aarons first chat with Pharaoh didnt go so well in v1-9, v10-14 shows us the result of that poor encounter. Pharaoh said to Moses and Aaron that the people are clearly far too idle if they have time to think about going out to worship their God, so he set his mind to increasing their workload by not giving them any straw to make bricks while still demanding the same daily quota of bricks. How does Pharaoh carry out this cruel measure? v10-11 show it, Pharaohs taskmasters went out to the foreman of Israel to convey the cruel message. But notice a few things about the message.[3] It begins with the phrase, Thus says Pharaoh This is not the normal way Pharaoh would speak. He does this to make a mockery of Moses and Aarons request. Back in 5:1 Aaron said, Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel so as Pharaoh rejected the Lord and His commands, he now uses the same language to ridicule God and the Israelites. Also notice what he says after this. The message of Pharaoh is, Thus says Pharaoh, Go Why is this the first word he chooses to say? Because that was the main message Moses and Aaron came with, to let the people go. Now, in arrogant mockery Pharaoh will let the people go, not to leave, but to gather up their own straw to make bricks. This language shows us the great contest has begun between Pharaoh and the Lord. And we as readers can look back in wonder and awe because we know Pharaoh wont stand a chance in this fight. The Lord will win, were just watching it play out. In the meantime Israel suffers in many ways. The command was clear, the same number of bricks are required, but now they wont be provided any straw to make them, which means theyll have to go out and gather their own. So off they go in v12-13, scattering all over Egypt to try and get what they need while the Egyptian taskmasters are urgently reminding them of the required task. The sense we get in v12-13 is that they cant find much straw at all and have to resort to using stubble to try and make bricks. What is this about?[4] Well, normally the straw used in brick making came from the stalks of longer crops, normally from grains and vegetables in the fields. When those were harvested they would set the stalks aside and give them to those making bricks. Thats where the straw came from. And straw was an essential part of making bricks as it would reinforce the clay and help it not fall apart when it dried. You can see this firsthand for yourself in many museums around the world that display artifacts from ancient Egypt. In some of them you can see bricks with pieces of straw sticking out of them.[5] Stubble on the other hand, is different. Stubble was the short part of the stalk but the stubble was just above the root. It was not only a bad substitute for making bricks and holding clay together, it was incredibly hard to gather. Not only would it have to be harvest season to get it, but gathering the stubble required tedious cutting and careful pulling to not damage it in the process. So as Israel hears this command, a few days pass and it becomes clear the quota of bricks is simply not going to be met under these harsh new conditions, which is what leads to the dreadful scene in v14. There we see the foremen of Israel are brought before the taskmasters of Egypt, and theyre beaten. Why? Because they didnt meet the quota of bricks. And as theyre being beaten the taskmasters mock them by asking a question they already know the answer to, Why have you not done all your task of making bricks today and yesterday, as in the past? At this point the sense of crushing desperation and injustice is high for Israel.[6] Out of sheer spite and arrogant mockery, Pharaoh requires an impossible task and then beats them when theyre unable to complete it. This is a complete humiliation of Israel. One commentator described the scene in vivid detail saying, They worked out in the hot Egyptian sun all day, driven to optimum production by their taskmasters. They had no hats to protect their heads and wore nothing but thin aprons on their bodiesno one stood by to give the slaves a drink every few minutes. It does not take much imagination to conclude that the severe rigor imposed on the Hebrews resulted in many of them dying of dehydrationheat stroke and the like.[7] This comment was about their normal toil when they had straw! Can you imagine how impossible their work became when they no longer had any straw? Their enslavement was horrid enough, and now Pharaoh just made it worse. What do we learn from this? Well we certainly learn about the historical context of the Israelites enslavement in Egypt. But we can learn more. Weve already mentioned how Moses is a type or preview of Christ, and weve rejoiced as weve seen that so far in our time in Exodus. If we pull those threads a bit further, and say that Exodus gives us a powerful picture of what it means and looks like to be enslaved by sin.[8] Just as the children of Israel were held prisoner in the house of bondage in Egypt under Pharaohs cruel thumb, so too all humanity comes into the world already incarcerated in the prison of sin. Just as the Israelites had to take orders from Pharaoh and despaired in his service, so to all sinners have a worse and crueler master in the Devil, and all in his service face the greatest despair. You see, sin is a harsh taskmaster. Many have said it because of how true it is, sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay. When you indulge in sin, you think its done, that youve satisfied the hunger, and you can move on. But the tricky part about sin is that its hunger only increases. It only grows and increases until it consumes everything in its path. The Devil promises great freedom, but he never tells you about the cost of life in his service. See, the more you give room to sin, the more he tightens his grip, and the more he tightens his grip, the more he binds the chains of sin around our necks. Satans strategy is always like Pharaohs, more bricks, less straw. But praise God (!), just as Pharaohs cruel yoke on Israel would be broken by the Lord, so too the Devils crueler yoke on sinners is broken by Jesus as soon as that sinner turns to Christ. Jesus said, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin but if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:34, 36) Considering how cruel Pharaohs yoke is to Israel, how wonderful is the yoke of Christ? Matthew 11:28ff, Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and my burden is light. So to all who are weary and need rest, all who feel worthless and wonder if God cares, all who sin and need a Savior: the gospel offers welcome in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Weve seen the cruel yoke of Pharaoh, now see A Confused People (v15-21) Then the foremen of the people of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, Why do you treat your servants like this?No straw is given to your servants, yet they say to us, Make bricks! And behold, your servants are beaten; but the fault is in your own people.But he said, You are idle, you are idle; that is why you say, Let us go and sacrifice to theLord.Go now and work. No straw will be given you, but you must still deliver the same number of bricks.The foremen of the people of Israel saw that they were in trouble when they said, You shall by no means reduce your number of bricks, your daily task each day.They met Moses and Aaron, who were waiting for them, as they came out from Pharaoh;andthey said to them, TheLordlook on you and judge, because you have made us stink in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, and have put a sword in their hand to kill us. Here in v15-21 there are really two scenes. In the first we see the foremen of Israel before Pharaoh in desperation, and in the second we see the foremen of Israel before Moses and Aaron in anger. In both scenes we see Gods people in deep confusion. Well take them in turn. As this dire situation continued to play out with the Israelites suffering at the hands of Pharaohs decree, the leaders of Israel, called the foremen here in v15, come before Pharaoh. Perhaps they believed there had been some mistake in protocol, breakdown in communication, or failure in the chain of command going on. Clearly the fault lies with these Egyptian taskmasters who refused to give straw and were beating them for not reducing the quota of bricks, and maybe Pharaoh didnt know about it.[9] Notice the words used in v15. It says they came and cried out These are familiar words. As they face moments of deep distress we see Israel doing a lot of crying out to God. They did it back in chapter 2 during their suffering, theyll do it again at the Red Sea, theyll do again it in the wilderness, and theyll do it in many more places too. But here, who are they crying out to? At the first sign of trouble, they run to Pharaoh. Theres no mention of them coming to the Lord and crying out to Him. It seems that theyve recognized Pharaoh as not the source of their problems but as the one who can give them relief. This shows their confusion. I think this is confirmed even further in v15 when we see them identify themselves. See it? How do these foremen identify themselves in v15? Why do you treat your servants like this?Here and in the verses that follow they identify themselves like this two more times. I think this is more than mere words.[10] It seems they have a true and real devotion to Pharaoh, which is completely out of bounds. They ought to see themselves as servants of the Lord, wherever they are, whatever their condition, yet here we see their confused identity. This is one reason why the Exodus must happen, to save them from Pharaoh and from themselves, and this is one reason why God begins the Ten Commandments, not with a command, but with an assurance of their true identity. Exodus 20:2 says, I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. They must ever know the Lord as their Redeemer and know themselves as the redeemed. But here they come before Pharaoh in bitter distress. They state the obvious in v16, and Pharaoh responds in v17 with the same reasoning hes given before, You are idlethat is why you want to go and worship, go make bricks, go back to gathering your own straw, I will not reduce your quota. In Pharaohs words the foremen of Israel learn two things. First, they learn the reason behind all their trouble is Moses and Aaron. They went and asked to be let go, Pharaoh heard that and believed the people were idle, so he stopped giving them straw and forced them to get their own. The second thing they learn is in v19, see it? At this moment they saw how dire their troubles truly were. Its like a wake-up call for them, as they realize how difficult it actually will be to be freed from Pharaohs grasp, if its possible at all. This brings us to the second scene. The foremen go out from Pharaohs presence and, what do we see in v20? Moses and Aaron are waiting for them to see how things went. Whats this whole scene like from their perspective? Perhaps theyre hoping against hope, maybe they believe Pharaoh will realize his mistake, repent of his sins, alleviate the misery of the people, and let them go. But what happens? The foremen see Moses and Aaron on their way out and they say the following to them in v21, TheLordlook on you and judge, because you have made us stink in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, and have put a sword in their hand to kill us. On one hand their anger is understandable. When people are angry they always try to find someone to blame. So here Gods people in their anger blame the leaders God sent to them. And humanly speaking, they were right, Moses plan had entirely failed. Moses sought to free them and ended up increasing their sorrow and suffering. For this they are angry, and they turn that anger toward Moses and Aaron, using strong spiritual language to rebuke them, going as far as to say God will judge them for their actions! While their anger is understandable on one hand, its entirely inexcusable on the other hand. Instead of suffering and running right back to Pharaoh, they shouldve gone straight to the Lord and pled for rescue and relief! Their current anger is a dark contrast to the worship at the end of chapter 4. Remember that? They met with Moses and Aaron, saw the signs of God, heard the words of God, they believed that God was going to come save them, and so they worshiped God! Im sure they boldly encouraged Moses and Aaron to go out and speak with Pharaoh, without even giving thought to the fact that there might be a cost. They were worshiping, but now at the first taste of increased suffering, their worship turns to anger and confusion. Question, what is their sin is this moment? Its a common one, I wonder if you see it. You might think its anger, or doubt, or even treating Moses and Aaron so poorly. While all of those could truly be in view, I think the biggest sin of Israel here in this text, is believing God wouldnt let such bad things happen to them. Their Gods people after all, hadnt God appeared to Moses in the burning bush and called him to do all these things, and given him the signs to prove it? Hadnt God said He was going to free His people and bring them out by His strong arm? Yes! So why in the world are they suffering so much if God had promised them all of these things? Has God forgotten them? Has Moses and Aaron made all of this up? Clearly something has gone astray, because obedience to God doesnt bring this much suffering, right? Remember the big idea here. Israel is moving closer and closer towards freedom, even though their suffering is increasing in the present moment. God is saving them, yet, their discomfort grows. For this they grow angry. Weve all heard language like this before from Christians, perhaps youve even said it yourself. Language that assumes if people come to God and obey God and love God that bad things wont happen to them. I remember hearing it when I first became a Christian, Adam, staying in the middle of Gods will for your life is the safest place to be. But Church, thats a lie. This passage reminds us that being in the exact place God intends us to be, might just be the most unsafe place to be. Yes, God commands obedience, but God never promises an easy road if we obey. Conclusion: Why do we think this? I think deep down, many Christians believe that if they obey God, God will be in their debt and will give them a good life here and now. Its almost a kind of prosperity light gospel. Of course, none of us would say this out loud, but our anger in hard circumstances might just reveal it. What then are we to do? Church, were to trust the Lord. Wherever He calls us to go in life, even if its incredibly difficult, it is truly the best place for us to be. Amid all the hardship and pain and suffering, God will be God to us, even there! We should never assume that our obedience will bring us a life of ease. The kingdom of darkness never rages so fiercely as when Jesus invades the world. Gods servants will face fierce opposition from the enemy and sometimes from the Church too. But Jesus continues to reign over it all. He will build His Church nonetheless. In His reign and rule, we can ever rest! [1] Philip Graham Ryken, Exodus: Saved for Gods Glory Preaching the Word Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2015) 132. [2] Douglas K. Stuart, Exodus NAC (Brentwood, TN: BH Publishing, 2006) 159. [3] John D. Currid, Genesis 1:1-25:18 - EP Study Commentary (Holywell, UK: Evangelical Press, 2015) 119. [4] Stuart, 165. [5] Ryken, 133. [6] Currid, 121-122. [7] Howard Vos, quoted in Ryken, 135. [8] Ryken, 136. [9] Ryken, 137. [10] Currid, 122.

I. A Bold Approach (1) Exodus 5:1 Afterward Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness. -Ill: There is a boldness that comes from assurance, that sometimes gets us a bit ahead of ourselves -Moses here jumps right to the end with the word of the Lord to him in Exodus 4:2223 Then you shall say to Pharaoh, Thus says the Lord, Israel is my firstborn son, and I say to you, Let my son go that he may serve me. If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son. Ignoring the original commands from Exodus 3:18 And they will listen to your voice, and you and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him, The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us; and now, please let us go a three days journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God. A few things missing and off: -The Elders do not appear to Join Moses and Aaron before Pharaoh (Lots of speculation) -They begin with the Role prophetic command (Let my People go/release in Hebrew) -There is no designated time her the Hebrew is a command of permanent release (They are released from Pharaohs hand to the Lords) There is plenty of Debate as to whether or not Moses was in the Wrong here at the beginning but not following Gods original command or if he simply to his wires crossed with the different phases of Gods plan. but what we do see ultimately is the His encounter with the Lord combined with the worship of Gods people have embolden these two men to stand before the most powerful man in the known word and speak the words of God. So while I would fall in to the camp of seeing Moses being Moses and getting to far a head of himself the reason he does it is quiet remarkable. He Believes God will do what God said he would do -We are reminded of the disciples boldness to go and proclaim the gospel -Have you ever had that kind of faith to boldly proclaim the gospel without fear but with assurance that Gods word doesnt return void - Moses is living life high on the mountain top of God and just went for it, laying all the cards out on the table right from the start. -Of course we have seen his excitement he has left many questions unanswered of which Pharaoh will quickly point out: II. A Prideful Rejection (2) Exodus 5:2 But Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and moreover, I will not let Israel go. -Pharaoh is not impressed by Moses presentation and command -Pharaoh is quick to point out and question who is this Lord -Israel up to this point doesnt us the name Yahweh so even here it could come across as some new foreign deity -Pharaoh is a god unto his own mind and has no room to take any commands from a would be usurper to his own authority (Letting them go would look poorly on him) -This Lord is of no match for his own power in his own mind (Since Israel has been enslaved for generations where has this Lord been) -The Bold words of Moses and Arron fall on deaf ears -Ill: Now it is quick to Look at Pharaoh and call him a fool, I want to linger on a quick application point before we move to the Purposeful response of Moses to Pharaohs words: Pharaohs reaction should reminds us of the depths of the blindness that exist for those who do no know the Lord. -Yes Pharaoh is a prideful king, but even we apart from Christ were just as self centered and prideful -Our world today has created an individualized culture were each person is their own god with their own value systems (that should not be challenged) and their own set of ethics, which usually entails they are never wrong, never in the wrong, and are never to be questioned about the possibility of being wrong. And if you are amenning that statement about others be reminded you are apart of the same world. -So Apart from the move of God no man willingly sees their need of a savior and no man hears the call of the Lord with humility and a brokenness, they must meet God and know God to be changed by God. -And there are only 2 end results of knowing God being changed by him in repentance or broken by him in the rebellion. (Pharaoh will as we see experience the later) -The call for Christians here is to not forget you once were a pharaoh in your own mind, but God is the one who broke through and redeemed you not yourself, He paid the price and so now you have no place to see yourself as the any type of Pharaoh but rather as the humble recipient of the grace of God who saved you. just as Israel will. We can not place ourselves above one another but rather in humility understand our place equally as recipients of Gods grace So from the place of Pharaohs complete rejection of anything Moses just said Moses responds: III. A Purposeful Response (3) Exodus 5:3 Then they said, The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go a three days journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword. Now Moses Returns to the original wording of chapter 3 when he was first commissioned to go: -Yahweh is the God of the Hebrews -He has physically meet with them (They are not coming of their own accord or power) -It is not a call to permanently release the people but a simple request of a three day trip to worship God -We covered this back in chapter 3 that this was to proves the pride and hardheartedness of Pharaoh that even this simple request was too much for him (according some ancient tablets dating back into approximation of the exodus It was common in Egypt to let slaves have a break/ holidays if you will for the purpose of worship (Now ether that was a result of the exodus or common practice can be debated) -He adds though here at the end an very interesting addendum: If we dont go free the pestilence and sword will come -Now no where do we see God saying this to Moses about Israel but he says it often about Egypt so Moses is doing 1 of 2 things: He is trying to leverage sympathy for Israel with Pharaoh that God would punish Israel and Pharaoh should show kindness. (Seems like a stretch) He is saying that the us in view is both Israel and Egypt. God will rain down on them all with pestilence and the sword. (Thus giving Pharaoh a warning that judgment is coming if he doesnt listen and it will be widespread) -Ultimately we see in Moses second response a fuller explanation to Pharaoh about who God is and what he has in store for the future should pharaoh not relent and let the people of Israel go to worship their God. -Of course God has already revealed to Moses that they will not be released except after Pharaoh is humbled greatly and the Lose of his first born, but that doesnt equally negate God command for Moses to warn and offer the hand of repentance (in this case releasing the people and rejecting his own false sense of Lordship over them). So even here we now have another example of Moses after being rebuffed: calmly and accurately presenting the word of God to Pharaoh. -He isnt enraged if anything he might be a little more subdued, but he doesnt back away -Which is still a great reminder for us that people will reject the gospel, but that doesnt negate our call to be a light in the sharing of it. -The rejection of the message is not an excuse to cease being a messenger, especially when we unlike Moses dont know the final result of the messages proclamation However Moses calm and polite response to Pharaohs prideful first response is now an out right and malevolent denial of the whole endeavor: IV. A Malevolent Denial (4-9) Exodus 5:49 But the king of Egypt said to them, Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people away from their work? Get back to your burdens. And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land are now many, and you make them rest from their burdens! The same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their foremen, You shall no longer give the people straw to make bricks, as in the past; let them go and gather straw for themselves. But the number of bricks that they made in the past you shall impose on them, you shall by no means reduce it, for they are idle. Therefore they cry, Let us go and offer sacrifice to our God. Let heavier work be laid on the men that they may labor at it and pay no regard to lying words. -With Pharaohs First response we see he has no regard for God now we see has no regard for man -Pharaoh doesnt even interact with their request he simply dismiss them as a waste of his time. -Pharaohs heart isnt just dismiss of the word that they brought his actions indicated he is angered by them. -He will now seek to crush this new found optimism in this Hebrew God Yahweh who claims to be worthy of his peoples worship, Pharaohs authority is challenged by God and so in many ways pharaohs is going to show them whose god -So he calls them lazy for wanting to take a break and worship God, if they have so much free time maybe they need to work harder. -The goal as we see is to stomp out their faith through brutal labor showing that Pharaoh is stronger than their god. He is no different than those today who see the experiences of the saints and are confused by the faith in the midst of hardship and the belief in that which is unseen. Od those who wish only to make life more difficult based on their misperceived reality. 1 Peter 3:1217 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be Gods will, than for doing evil. 2 Peter 3:47 They will say, Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation. For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. In the end though Pharaohs attempts to bring Israel down into a miry pit of pain and sorrow will only lead to a greater display of the truth of who their God really is and how much more powerful he is over Pharaoh.

This morning we continue our journey through the book of Exodus, and today we arrive at a passage that is both foundational and perplexing. Fresh from his encounter with the living God at the burning bush, Moses is now tasked to go back to Egypt and lead Israel out of slavery. But his return journey is not without its difficulties. We see Moses navigating family dynamics, receiving further divine instructions, and experiencing a deeply unsettling incident involving his own family and the covenant of circumcision. This passage forces us to grapple with profound theological truths: Gods sovereignty and mans responsibility in the hardening of Pharaohs heart; and the foreshadowing of a greater salvation through a bloody sacrifice. Our text is Exodus 4:18-31, and it is a text that challenges our assumptions and deepens our understanding of a God who is both mighty in power and intimately involved in the lives of His people. Let's pray and turn our attention to God's Word. Again our passage is Exodus 4:18-31, see our first heading this morning in v18-23 Toward Egypt (v18-23) Moses went back toJethro his father-in-law and said to him, Please let me go back to my brothers in Egypt to see whether they are still alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace.And theLordsaid to Moses in Midian, Go back to Egypt, forall the men who were seeking your life are dead.So Moses tookhis wife and his sons and had them ride on a donkey, and went back to the land of Egypt. And Moses tookthe staff of God in his hand. And theLordsaid to Moses, When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all themiracles that I have put in your power. ButI will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go.Then you shall say to Pharaoh, Thus says theLord,Israel is myfirstborn son,and I say to you, Let my son go that he may serve me. If you refuse to let him go, behold, Iwill kill your firstborn son. Here we begin to see Moses return journey to Egypt, and the first thing we see him do is return to his father-in-law Jethro. Why? One reason is because Jethro is his father-in-law, and Moses desires his blessing before leaving. Another reason is that Moses has been the one shepherding Jethros flock, so he needs to return his sheep back to his care, so Jethro can find another shepherd. Yet another reason is the one Moses gives to Jethro in v18, he desires to leave in order to see how his fellow Israelites are doing. Do you find this to be interesting request? I do. Im glad to see Moses identifying with the Israelites, yes, but I find it interesting because he mentions nothing about what just happened to him on the mountain. He mentions nothing about the burning bush, about God appearing to him, and about God calling him to go back to Egypt to deliver Gods people from slavery. Moses tells none of that to Jethro. Why did he leave all of this out? I dont think Moses was trying to deceive Jethro. I think Moses said what he did in v18 because Moses himself was still struggling to process and believe everything that had just happened to him. Like many people, I think Moses was somewhere between belief and unbelief.[1] Jethros answer is simple and straightforward, Go in peace. And we dont hear of Jethro again until chapter 18 where he and Moses are reunited.[2] So off Moses goes, or did he? Im unsure of how much time passes between v18 and v19 but I think some time does go by because the next thing we see happening in v19 is God speaking to Moses to encourage him to actually leave for Egypt. God tells Moses that all those who were seeking his life are dead, which means, Moses no longer has to fear returning to Egypt and facing former enemies. So what does Moses do upon hearing this? He leaves. We see it in v20. He packs up and all his family and his staff, and they ride out of Midian toward Egypt. This moment in v19-20 is very similar to a moment much later on in Matthews Gospel when Joseph and Mary remain in Egypt until the death of Herod and only upon hearing of Herods death do they return home. Just as Moses knew it was safe to return to Egypt when Pharaoh died in our text, so too Jesus parents knew it was safe for them to leave Egypt and go home in Matthew 2. This isnt the only foreshadowing in our text, more will come soon. As Moses and his family are leaving to return to Egypt God speaks again to Moses in v21-23 and in this moment Moses learns much from God. Two massive realities in fact. First, God tells Moses hes to do the signs and miracles before Pharaoh, to reveal the power of God. So while these signs are intended to validate his calling and ministry from God with the Israelites, what does God intend to do in these signs with Pharaoh? See it? Through the signs He gave to Moses, God intends to harden Pharaohs heart, so that he will not let the people go. This is the first time in Exodus we see the reality of God hardening Pharaohs heart, and this is important for us to see because this is a major theme throughout Exodus. I dont think this should surprise us all that much really. Weve already read back in 3:19 that Pharaoh wont let the people go unless compelled by a strong and mighty hand, and in the plagues God will do just that. But what does this language mean, God hardening Pharaohs heart? Throughout the Exodus event well read about Pharaohs hardened heart in three different ways.[3] Sometimes well see it phrased that God is hardening Pharaohs heart. Other times well see it phrased that Pharaoh was the one who hardened his own heart. And at other times, well see it phrased more generally, stating that Pharaohs heart was hard without telling us who did the hardening. Church, we affirm all of these. Too often people like to see this one way only, saying it was only God who hardened his heart, or only Pharaoh who hardened his heart. But as the Bible displays in many instances, here is the affirmation of both Gods full sovereignty and mans full responsibility. So yes God was at work hardening Pharaohs heart so that he would not let the people go. This opened the way for the ten plagues were about to see, and thus, revealed the greatness and power of God over all the gods of Egypt. And yes, Pharaoh was a sinner himself who made bad choices that resulted in the hardening of his own heart, and thus in the same way, his choices paved the way for his downfall to come. As we keep on in Exodus and see more of these various statements of hardening, well say more on them as we see them in their own context. For now, just notice this is the first instance of this theme, where we see God as the sovereign One at work, ordaining all these events for His glory and His peoples good. So Moses has learned about Gods hardening of Pharaoh yes, but he learns more in v21-23. The second massive reality he learns about Israels sonship. For God, the Exodus is a family affair. See that detail in v22? God calls Israel His firstborn son. What does this mean? Simply put, it explains why the Exodus happens. Why did God go to all the trouble to strike the Egyptians to save His people? Because they belong to Him! The Exodus, then, is a story about a Fathers love for His son. How that Father rescued His son from great suffering to bring him out to the mountain to worship Him. God loves His son Israel so much, that for enslaving them, God warns that He will strike Pharaoh where it hurts the most by taking his own son away from him. God is a jealous Father. Later on in OT the prophet Hosea will speak of this. In Hosea 11:1 God says, When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son. Much later on in the Bible, the NT picks up this thread and uses it to speak of Jesus. In Matthew 2, the very same text we mentioned earlier where we see Joseph and Mary leaving Egypt to return home after Herods death, Matthew says this in 2:15, This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, Out of Egypt I called My Son. What does this mean? By quoting Hosea 11 and Exodus 4:22 Matthew is showing how Jesus is retelling and summing up the story in Israel in Himself.[4] Since Israel disobeyed, Jesus has come to do what they should have done, so in His own life Jesus retraces Israels steps and at each point where they proved faithless, He proves faithful. Lesson? Jesus is the true Israel of God, meaning Hes the true Son. Theres great encouragement to grab hold of here Church. This matters so much not only because it shows us more of the glory of Jesus, it matters so much because it shows us more of ourselves. We who believe in Jesus, what do we become upon believing in Him? We become adopted sons and daughters of God, who are so closely united to Christ that well now never be without Him. So to trust in Jesus the Son is to become sons ourselves, and being sons we relate to God as our Father, and to read Exodus as a Christian is to see and know our Father for who He really is. Our strong and mighty God who will always defend us from our enemies and rescue us in the end. Amen! As wonderful and clear as this is, we now move to something more difficult and unclear in v24-26. Toward Death? (v24-26) At a lodging place on the waytheLordmet him andsought to put him to death.ThenZipporah took aflint and cut off her sons foreskin and touched Mosesfeet with it and said, Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!So he let him alone. It was then that she said, A bridegroom of blood, because of the circumcision. This is a tough text indeed. Many of you actually requested we deal with this text in our current Sunday evening series on tough texts, but because were in Exodus on Sunday mornings we knew wed arrive at this passage and would deal with it then. Well Church, here we are. I have many questions about these three verses.[5] Question 1: who is God seeking to kill in v24, Moses or one of his sons? Question 2: if its Moses, why seek to kill him when God just labored with Moses to convince him to go to Egypt? Question 3: if its Moses, what did he do to anger the Lord? Question 4: why does it say God sought to kill him? Cant God do whatever He desires to do? Is this evidence of God being unable to carry out something? Question 5: in v25 how does Zipporah immediately seem to know what to do to solve this problem? Question 6: why does she touch Moses feet with the foreskin she just cut off? Question 7: what does bridegroom of blood mean? Question 8: who is the bridegroom of blood Zipporah is referring to? And question 9: why is God satisfied in v26 with Zipporahs actions? Anyone have any answers to these questions? This is certainly among the most difficult passages to understand in the Bible. Perhaps, we can view it like this. As they were resting during their travel, God sought to put Moses or Moses son to death. Why? Because of circumcision. I think its safe to assume this was the issue here, because v25-26 gives circumcision a central place. So whats going on is that God was not going to let someone in this family get to Egypt due to circumcision.[6] But what about circumcision so angered the Lord? In v25 we see that Zipporah performed a circumcision on their son and then seemed to give Moses an emphatic remark, Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me! This leaves the impression that she was angry at Moses for not doing the circumcision, thus implying Moses was the guilty party in view, which Zipporah made up for by doing it herself, which allowed them to continue on their journey. If this is what happened Zipporah would then be another woman in these early chapters of Exodus who saves the day. After this, Zipporah took the foreskin and touched it to Moses feet[7], which seemed to signify that the blood serves as a covering or atoning sacrifice for Moses sin because v26 says So He (God) let him alone. All in all, because of his sin Moses almost loses his life or the life of his son. God truly was about put someone to death, but when the blood covered Moses, God stayed His anger. This tough and strange text, in a deep way, prepares us for whats to come.[8] The God who appears here in anger, ready to kill father or son is the same God who will meet Pharaoh in the plagues. This is the same God who will provide atonement for His people in the blood of the Passover lamb, that is, if they put the blood over the doors. Zipporah responded well by offering a bloody sacrifice to atone for sin. How will the rest of Egypt and Israel respond to God in that final plague? How glorious to see it Church, here God makes a way through the blood. How beautiful to see it, and to see the greater moment this leads to far ahead to the cross of Christ. There its not the blood of circumcision, or the blood of a small lamb, but the blood of Gods beloved Son. His blood that speaks a better word, His blood that opens a better and more lasting way, His blood that can atone for all the sins of all who would come by faith. Just as God stayed His anger at Moses through this hurried circumcision, so too anyone who comes to the Son of God in faith wont be met by an angry God out to kill, but a God of love eager to forgive and save and keep forevermore. Indeed, God makes a way through the blood. Now, after working through a very complex passage, we end our text with clarity once again in v27-30 as we see a final summary. Toward Worship (v27-31) TheLordsaid to Aaron, Go into the wildernessto meet Moses. So he went and met him at themountain of God and kissed him.And Mosestold Aaron all the words of theLordwith which he had sent him to speak, and allthe signs that he had commanded him to do.Then Moses and Aaronwent and gathered together all the elders of the people of Israel.Aaron spoke all the words that theLordhad spoken to Moses and did the signs in the sight of the people. And the peoplebelieved; and when they heard that theLordhadvisited the people of Israel and that he hadseen their affliction,they bowed their heads and worshiped. These final verses of the chapter serve as a summary, moving us as the reader away from the scene at Sinai and the burning bush in chapters 3-4, toward the scene at Egypt in chapter 5 and beyond. Here were brought back to see more of what Moses and his family did before leaving for Egypt. We see Aaron heading out to meet Moses in v27. We see Moses telling Aaron all the words of God, and the signs of God, and we see them both set out for the people of Israel in v28. We then see Moses and Aaron gather the people, speak to the people, and perform the signs for all the people in v29-30. It's a fast wrap up for sure. But does the fast pace surprise you? It's worth noticing how little space is devoted to this meeting between Moses and the people. I say this is worth noticing because this is the moment Moses was dreading and fearing, so much so that it caused him to doubt the Lord before the burning bush. But despite all his fears when the moment finally came, the moment went fine. Moses fear proved to be an invention of his own making. There's a big lesson in this for us. Worrying about what might happen in the future so much so that we doubt the Lord is a sin that can overburden the soul. Once Moses obeyed and went out to meet Aaron and the people, it went fine! Lesson? If God calls you to it, Hell take care of you in it. Theres no need to worry. If youre on a train and you enter a dark tunnel, you dont jump off for fear of the dark, do you? No! You trust that the engineer knows what theyre doing even if you cant see the tracks ahead. Church, when can see, when we cannot see, trust the Lord. He is God, and He is good! Conclusion: Hear v31 again, And the peoplebelieved; and when they heard that theLordhadvisited the people of Israel and that he hadseen their affliction,they bowed their heads and worshiped. Here at the end we see the people who Moses said would not believe, believe, and more, we see them worship God because of what He had said to Moses![9] This is right for them to do.[10] We should take their cue. We know more than Israel does in v31. We have not only heard of the Lord visiting us in the Person of His Son, we have read of it, and we have come to know and trust and love this beloved Son of God. Into our darkness Christ descended to save, and ascended to reign! We know the gospel offer, of freedom from all our sins, and freedom to enjoy God by glorifying Him forever. The only right response to seeing these wonderful works of God, is to worship God. [1] Philip Graham Ryken, Exodus: Saved for Gods Glory Preaching the Word Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2015) 113. [2] Douglas K. Stuart, Exodus NAC (Brentwood, TN: BH Publishing, 2006) 143. [3] Ryken, 114-115. [4] G.K. Beale, A New Testament Biblical Theology: The Unfolding of the Old Testament in the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2011) 406-422. [5] Victor P. Hamilton, Exodus: An Exegetical Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2023) 81-82. [6] Stuart, 152-153. [7] Feet here refers to the male genitalia of Moses. [8] Robert Alter, The Hebrew Bible, vol. 1 (New York, NY: Norton, 2019) 229. [9] John I. Durham, Exodus - WBC (Waco TX: Word Books, 1987) 59. [10] Ryken, 120.

Every time we come to this moment, the preaching of the Word, we come needy, me as the preacher, you as the hearers. Im not wise enough or strong enough to give you all you need, and youre not able on your own to receive it. But our weakness is no obstacle to Gods power. His Word is living and active, and He delights to meet us in it and take His Word farther than we can imagine. As H.B. Charles Jr. reminds us,My preaching is not the reason the Word works; the Word is the reason my preaching works.[1] In that confidence, lets ask Him for help. Last week in Exodus 4:1-9, we witnessed God give Moses three signs to show Israel that proved his credibility. As that passage ended in v9, were wondering if Moses would now finally obey God. God called him to go and Moses responded with doubt and fear asking Who am I? in 3:11. God then once again called him to go and Moses responded with doubt and fear asking Who are you? in 3:13. God then once again called him to go and Moses responded with doubt and fear asking How will they believe me? in 4:1. A pattern has developed and Moses is not doing well. Three times now God has graciously met Moses objections. As we approach v10-17 we sadly see more of the same as Moses raises two more objections. But you should know this is the last scene in the great moment of Moses before the burning bush, so what happens? How does Moses have a change of heart? What more does God to change the mind of this stubborn man? Lets see this for ourselves. A Speech Problem (v10-12) But Moses said to theLord, Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, butI am slow of speech and of tongue.Then theLordsaid to him, Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, theLord?Now therefore go, andI will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak. v10 shows us Moses fourth objection, and its all about his speech. But before we examine the objection, lets linger on the fact that another objection comes at all in the first place. Moses has been promised so much, hasnt he? Gods very presence will be with him, Gods divine name has been revealed to him, and three signs and wonders have been given to him. And now Moses raises a fourth objection?! Apparently according to Moses, nothing that has happened at the burning bush so far has been strong enough to convince him or rid him of his doubt and fear. Church, if this isnt a prime example of how not to respond to God, I dont know what this is. Moses clearly has his heart and mind set on his inability rather than on the Lords ability. Look at his objection now in v10. Its all centered around Moses concern about his speaking abilities. There are many views of whats going here.[2] First, some think this objection is just another attempt to excuse himself from doing what God is calling him to do. Second, some think this objection reveals that Moses did indeed have a kind of speech defect, similar to a speech impediment or a stutter. Third, others think this objection has to do with Moses and no longer being able to speak Egyptian fluently given that he has been out of Egypt for so long. Fourth, still others think this objection has to do with Egyptian culture, because in ancient near eastern Egyptian culture counselors and advisors to Pharaoh were widely known for their compelling and persuasive speech. So perhaps Moses knows he can't compete with them, or that he wont be as captivating as they are. Lastly, a few people think Moses had a psychological issue because his words in v10 in the original Hebrew literally say, O Lord, I am not a man of wordI am heavy of mouth. Whatever the problem was, whether it was one of these options or a few of these options all plaguing Moses at the same time, Moses clearly felt incapable of speaking to Pharaoh. Which is clearly ironic because throughout this whole scene before the burning bush Moses has been doing just fine arguing with God![3] He's actually doing well here that Stephen, the first martyr in Acts 7, will say Moses was powerful in speech (Acts 7:22). Now, Moses was the first prophet called by God to express such verbal limitations, but he would certainly not be the last.[4] Both Isaiah and Jeremiah expressed nearly the exact same thing to God in their own time (Isa. 6:5, Jer. 1:6). And I should add, most of us know what this feels like. To face a situation, a person, where something needs to be said, and you feel hesitation, anxiety, even fear about having to say it. In fact, if Moses really did have a speech impediment, I personally know how difficult that wouldve been. Believe it or not, when I was younger, in middle school and high school and some of college, I struggled with a horrible stutter. Anytime I had to do any kind of presentation in school, anytime I had to discuss something with a teacher, a parent, or a pretty girl, anytime I spoke on the phone, really anytime I did any kind of speaking I would stutter. Words that begin with the letters D and R proved especially problematic for me. Some of this continues still to this day, while the majority of it has lessened. But Church, my oh my, when God saved me and then later on called me into the ministry, v10 was my biggest fear! I knew I could not do it, at all, and that God would be much better off choosing someone more articulate and eloquent than I was. You know what passage of Scripture God led me to when I took my concerns to Him about my own stutter? V11-12 where God responds to Moses here. See it for yourself. God responds in v11-12 by saying, Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, theLord?Now therefore go, andI will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.The point God is making here is that twofold. First God reminds Moses here that He is the sovereign One. It is He who makes man what he is and what he isnt. If Moses had a speech issue he had it because God made him like that. God is sovereignly crafts each of us by His own design, and this includes all kinds of handicaps: mute-ness, deafness, blindness, even a stutter. Second God reminds Moses here that these handicaps dont matter. If God is sending you, God will provide for you. And that, Church, is always enough. Notice God did not heal his speech issue.[5] Notice God did not give Moses a pep-talk telling him to not think so poorly of himself, or try to convince him that he could speak better than he thought he could. No, God gave Moses the one and only thing Moses needed, His own presence. This is so like us isnt it? I hear so many Christians speak of their own weaknesses and limitations, and that they cant do this or that because of it, sometimes I hear people say God couldnt use them because of such things. Hear it, loud and clear.[6] However heavy tongued you think you might be, however dim you think you might be, however weak you think you might be, God delights to use weak things to make much of Himself. Just as Moses imperfections and weakness will be the means through which God will bring about His glory in Egypt, so too, your imperfections and weakness will be the means through which God will bring about His glory in the places He calls us to.[7] Moses had to learn this. I had to learn this. We all need to be reminded of this. That when it comes to speaking for God, eloquence doesnt matter, verbose articulation doesnt matter, and our own ability to compel or captivate doesnt matter. God promised to take His Word and watch over it in greater and higher and grander ways than were able to imagine. So whatever the setting; whether its a moment like this preaching. Or whether youre out on the streets evangelizing, or having that hard conversation where truth must be spoken, we need to remember that it doesnt depend on us and our abilities or lack thereof. It all depends on God! This gives us courage when we fear. This gives us confidence when we doubt. And this gives us a certainty that settles the wavering in our souls. Weve seen Moses fourth objection and seen how God responds to it so graciously. Now see Moses last objection in v13-17. A Person Problem (v13-17) But he said, Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.Then the anger of theLordwas kindled against Moses and he said, Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Behold,he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.You shall speak to him andput the words in his mouth, andI will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you both what to do.He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, andyou shall be as God to him.And take in your handthis staff, with which you shall do the signs. Here is Moses fifth and final objection before the burning bush. What Moses says in v13 iswhat? Its rough to hear isnt it? I say that because so far God has commanded Moses to go to Egypt and speak to Pharaoh 4 times.[8] First in 3:10, So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh Second in 3:16, Go and gather the elders of Israel Third in 3:18, You and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt And fourth in 4:12, Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak. Four times God said go. Moses has asked his questions and raised his concerns and God has graciously met them each time. Yet, what does Moses say here in v13? Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.Yikes. This shows us that under all his reasons there is one ultimate reason driving Moses, a refusal to obey. Moses should have said, Here I am Lord, send me! But he said, Here I am, send someone else[9], send anyone else, as long as you dont send me. You can sugar coat this in all kinds of ways, saying Moses was fearful of returning to a place that didnt welcome him last time, anxious of whether or not Israel will believe him, or nervous about his speaking abilities. But we shouldnt sugar coat, we should call this what it is, disobedience. When God calls, we go. Any other response is out of bounds. Gods response to Moses proves this. In v14 we see it, Then the anger of theLordwas kindled against Moses Literally in Hebrew this says The nostrils of Yahwehs nose burned or heated up![10] That image might be strange to hear but its one were accustomed to. Its very similar to the image of a raging bull flaring his nostrils as he charges toward someone. Here God has been gracious, again and again with Moses, but when Moses stubbornly rejected Gods command a fifth time, it stirs the Lord to anger. What are we to think about Gods anger here? Doesnt the Bible teach that God is slow to anger? Absolutely it does, and weve seen that very slowness throughout this passage! Four times God graciously gives Moses exactly what He needs and asks for in his fear and doubt. But be sure to notice, over and over the Bible God is slow to anger. It doesnt say he never gets angry. It means God is not easily angered. Moses remained stubbornly fixed in his sin long enough to stir up Gods anger, thats what we see here. This is actually the first time in the Bible we see God get angry with an individual person.[11] Weve seen His anger stirred up before in Genesis, but those moments were on a grand scale and large people groups were always in view. Here its Gods anger being stirred up with one man and one man only, Moses. Yet, how surprising is it to see that even here in His anger God provides for Moses once again, in the person of his brother Aaron. In v14 we see God give this next blessing to Moses. But perhaps we as readers wonder at it. When we hear God say, Is there not Aaron your brother? We might think Is there? Weve not heard of Aaron before this, but now we find out he has a brother?[12] Church, see the kindness of Gods sovereignty in this. I wonder if you noticed it. God says in v14 that Aaron is already on the way to meet Moses. We could interpret this to mean Aaron was just already out looking for Moses and God, because He is God, knows that Aaron is about to find Moses, so thats the reason for Aarons coming out to meet him. I think we can do better than that interpretation. See in this the kind and sovereign orchestration of God. Before Moses even expressed his fifth and final objection to God, God sent Aaron out on his way to meet Moses, fully knowing and planning that Aaron would be Moses helper and mouthpiece. The sovereign kindness of God is sweet to see here. In this little moment we learn that before we are even aware of a problem, God has already sent a solution our way. He does that here with Moses, and He does it with us a million times, most of which we arent ever aware of. We find out here that it is to be Aaron, not Moses, who will do the speaking that God had initially called Moses to do. This wasnt all that unusual in the culture of their day.[13] Many kings would have servants whose sole purpose would be to act as the mouthpiece of their king. It was common in Egypt, in many other kingdoms around Israel, and now we see this is going to be the situation with Israel too, at least for a time. In v15-16 we see the instructions for this. God says that Moses will be as god to his brother. Meaning that just as God has told Moses what to say, Moses will now tell Aaron what to say, and Aaron will be the one to speak to the people. And God kindly makes another promise here. He will be with both of their mouths and will teach them exactly what to say. Moses was certainly glad about this turn of events. Glad that Aaron would be the able mouthpiece for him in all of these things. Yet, as glad as he would be for it now, he would in time come to regret it. Aaron was a good spokesman, he could turn a phrase. While he would use these powers of eloquence and articulation for good in the Exodus, he would later use these same powers for great evil at the making of the golden calf. Lesson? I think wouldve been better for Moses to speak for himself here, but he rebelled. And there we have it. v17 functions as the final word to Moses at the burning bush. And Moses, notice it, doesnt speak back to God, or offer another objection. I assume at this point he goes off to meet up with Aaron and tell him all of this. So ends the world changing moment of Moses before the burning bush. Were now left as readers to wonder what will happen.[14] Will Moses obey and go to Israel and then go to Egypt? Or will he return to the bush raise to more objections? Lord willing well see what happens in the weeks and months ahead of us. For now, Ill conclude with this. Conclusion: In time Moses will indeed become a great leader. Hes fearful and doubting and disobedient, yes, but God will use him mightily in the time to come. Think of this. Moses wrote this book to instruct the nation of Israel on their own history. He couldve chosen to leave moments like this out and not reveal his own disobedience to God. But in this passage hes honest about his own failures. Why would he do this? Perhaps its because he desires that Israel know that as great a leader as he is, theres only one perfect leader and savior of Gods people. Later in Deuteronomy 18 God promised Moses that He would send this perfect leader saying this, I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him (Deut. 18:18). Who is this next great leader? Immediately we think of Joshua, the one who would lead Israel over the Jordan and into their inheritance in the promise land. But Joshua was a sinful man too, so Israel was left looking for this greater prophet Moses told them about. Ultimately this prophet would be the Lord Jesus Christ. He would come as a prophet like Moses to the people. But as great as it is that Jesus would come as the prophet like Moses, its very good news that Jesus would come as the prophet greater than Moses. Unlike Moses, Jesus never told God Here I am, send someone else! No. He perfectly lived in submission to His Fathers will. Even though the Fathers will was to have the Son die on a cross, Jesus followed and obeyed and saw it through, offering up His life in death for all the sins of all who would ever believe. Herein is our hope. Only one like Moses but greater than Moses could save us from our sins and lead us safely home. In Christ we have such a Savior. [1] H.B. Charles Jr., On Preaching (Chicago, IL: Moody, 2014) 16. [2] Victor P. Hamilton, Exodus: An Exegetical Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2023) 73. [3] Hamilton, 74. [4] Philip Graham Ryken, Exodus: Saved for Gods Glory Preaching the Word Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2015) 102. [5] Hamilton, 74. [6] Ryken, 105. [7] Hamilton, 74. [8] Ryken, 107. [9] John D. Currid, Genesis 1:1-25:18 - EP Study Commentary (Holywell, UK: Evangelical Press, 2015) 99. [10] Currid, 99. [11] Hamilton, 76. [12] Robert Alter, The Hebrew Bible, vol. 1 (New York, NY: Norton, 2019) 227. [13] Currid, 101. [14] Currid, 101.

After the events of the Exodus Moses led all of Israel in singing the following song, I will sing to the LORD, for He has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea. The LORD is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise Him, my fathers God, and I will exalt Him. The LORD is a man of war; the LORD is His name. Pharaoh's chariots and his host he cast into the sea, and his chosenofficers were sunk in the Red Sea. Thefloods covered them; theywent down into the depths like a stone. Your right hand, OLord, glorious in power, your right hand, OLord,shatters the enemy. In thegreatness of your majesty you overthrow your adversaries; you send out your fury; itconsumes them like stubble. At theblast of your nostrils the waters piled up; thefloods stood up in a heap; the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea. The enemy said,I will pursue, I will overtake, Iwill divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them. I will draw my sword; my hand shall destroy them. Youblew with your wind; thesea covered them; they sank like lead in the mighty waters. Who is like you, OLord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome inglorious deeds,doing wonders? Question: how did Moses first learn that God is a God who of wonders? Answer: long before Moses saw Gods wonders in Egypt, and long before Moses saw Gods wonders by the Red Sea, Moses learned of Gods wonders at the burning bush. In our passage today, Exodus 4:1-9, we see this very thing. Weve been with Moses before the burning bush for two weeks now. Last week we looked at the glories and beauty of the Divine Name given in 3:14, and the week before we looked at all of chapter 3 and the first three scenes of this great burning bush moment. Today we come to scene 4 in this great moment, found in 4:1-9. The passage easily divides into two points, see first The Weakness of Man (v1) Then Moses answered, But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, The LORD did not appear to you. As we begin, see Moses in v1. He now raises yet another objection. This is becoming quite the pattern for him. Back in chapter 3 we saw him fearfully doubt God in v11 and v13, inventing excuses twice even though God had revealed His own name to him and promised that His own presence would go with him into Egypt. More so, God promised to do wonders in Egypt to ensure Pharaoh let them go in v20. And God promised He would give Israel such favor that theyd plunder the Egyptians on the way out in v21-22. How does Moses respond to God after all these gracious promises and encouragements? He continues to question God. Thats what we see in 4:1. Even though God had said the people will listen to him, Moses stubbornly says they wont listen to him or believe him. There is a lot to learn in v1. First, I think this is ironic.[1] Why? Because Moses is accusing Israel of doing exactly what he is doing to God right now. Moses doesnt believe Gods Word, he hasnt trusted what God has said, and in his own lack of trust he believes Israel wont trust what he says! Ironic indeed. Second, I think this is almost reasonable.[2] We can understand why Moses would ask this question. He was the only eyewitness to this appearing of God in the burning bush, and now God was calling him to go tell Gods people of this moment and that their God was sending him to be their savior? Remember the last time Moses tried to speak to some Israelites about him saving them from the Egyptians? In 2:14 they told Moses, Who made you a prince and judge over us? Its understandable, remembering how poorly the previous moment went, that Moses would doubt that theyd listen to him in the present moment. No one else is with Moses on this mountain before the burning bush, so hed have to explain it to the Israelites and theyd have to trust his word about all of this, and theyd have to trust him in all of this.[3] But third, I think that as understandable as this is, his doubt is inexcusable. Why? Because its a direct denial of what God said. Look at 3:18. There God tells Moses they will listen to your voice yet here in 4:1 Moses says, They will not believe me or listen to my voice Understandable? Yes. Inexcusable? Yes. Church, see in this the weakness of man. God has revealed so much to us in His Word, and yet we still doubt Him. God has been faithful to us on so many occasions, and yet we still doubt Him. God has proven again and again to us how trustworthy He is, how kind He is, how strong and true He is, and yet we still doubt Him. We look at Moses here and frown on him as he doubts and fears, while we so often do the same. What will it take for us to trust the Lord? Church, here in v1 is a sin to avoid. Doubting God and the fear of man, as understandable as it is, is also inexcusable. These things will rob much of your assurance and joy in the Christian life. Hear it plain and simple Church, God has given us no reason to doubt Him, He can be trusted. Somay you trust Him, and from trusting Him, may you cease fearing man. The Wonders of God (v2-9) TheLordsaid to him, What is that in your hand? He said,A staff.And he said, Throw it on the ground. So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent, and Moses ran from it.But theLordsaid to Moses, Put out your hand and catch it by the tail so he put out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand that they maybelieve that theLord,the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.Again, theLordsaid to him, Put your hand inside your cloak.And he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand wasleprouslike snow.Then God said, Put your hand back inside your cloak. So he put his hand back inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold,it was restored like the rest of his flesh.If they will not believe you, God said, or listen to the first sign, they may believe the latter sign.If they will not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground, and the water that you shall take from the Nilewill become blood on the dry ground. As we saw before in chapter 3, now we see again in chapter 4 as God responds to Moses doubt graciously. In response to his doubt God gives Moses 3 signs. The first sign comes in v2-5, the staff turned to serpent. This is the first time in Exodus we hear of Moses famous staff. In the time to come he will use this staff to bring many of the plagues onto Egypt, part the Red Sea to walk through, as well as close the Red Sea on Pharaohs armies. In many ancient and modern cultures the staff functions as a symbol of rule and authority and power. Such was the case in ancient Egypt as well. Numerous historical images show Pharaoh with a staff. Some of them even picture Pharaohs staff with an animal head on it. That Moses carries a staff doesnt only remind us of his humble origins as a shepherd, its a subtle hint that Moses carries great authority. Authority that is greater than Pharaohs. Authority will take the form of an animal itself. All of this shows us Gods power. We know Moses isnt going to Pharaoh in his own authority, but Gods. Pharaoh will be forced to learn this in time too. But be sure to note, for now these signs are given to Moses to do before Israel so that they will trust and believe what hes saying. The first sign is described simply enough. In v2 God asks whats in Moses hand. Moses responds that its his staff. In v3 God tells him to throw it on the ground, he does, and wonder of wonders, it becomes a snake. Humorously Moses runs away from it. But God in v4 calls him back and tells him to pick it back up by the tail. Why the tail? I think its because God was encouraging Moses to trust Him. After all, grabbing a snake by the tail can be dangerous because its head can swing around and bite you (which is why most people who pick up snakes grab them near the head). Moses did this from a distance, notice that? It doesnt say to walked up to it and grabbed it. It says he stretched out his hand, implying some distance, and picked it up. And as soon as he did this, the snake became a staff again. Then in v5 we read this sign was given so Israel would believe God had appeared to Moses. God is teaching Moses a lesson in this staff to snake and back again sign. If God can do all these wonders with a stick, imagine what He could do with Moses! The apologist Francis Schaeffer once commented on this very thing in his book No Little People saying, Many years ago when I was just a young pastor out of seminary, the study of Moses rod which I called God so used a stick of wood was a crucial factor in giving me the courage to press onconsider the mighty ways in which God used a dead stick of wood. Though we are limited and weak in talent, physical energy and psychological strength, we are not less than a stick of wood. But as the rod of Moses becomes the rod of God (Exodus 4:20), so that which is me must become the me of God. Then I can become useful in God's hands. The Scripture emphasizes that much can come from little if the little is truly consecrated to God.[4] A bit further on in the same book he makes his point clearer saying, Those who think of themselves as little people in little places, if committed to Christ and living under his lordship in the whole of life, may by God's grace change the flow of a generation. And as we get on a bit in our lives, knowing how weak we are, if we look back and see we have been somewhat used of God then we should be a rod surprised by joy.[5] This is what God is teaching Moses in his staff. That He can take the smallest and weakest of things in the sight of the world, and change the world with them. And it just so happens, God was about to do just that. The second sign comes in v6-8, the leprous hand. This second sign is like the first in that it was something harmless changing into something harmful and then changing back again.[6] But its not a snake this time, its leprosy. That word, leprosy, is an umbrella term, referring to a variety of skin conditions, most of which were severely dangerous and contagious. Which is why later in Leviticus we find many laws and precautions given so that those infected do not come into contact with others. This shows us how dangerous leprosy could be, and this is the second sign God chooses to give to Moses. Again its described simply enough. In v6 God tells Moses to put his hand into his cloak and pull it out. He does so and as he pulls his hand back out it is leprous, white as snow. In v7 God tells Moses to repeat this, and when he took his hand out this time it was back to normal. Then comes the interesting detail in v8. God says He is giving Moses this second sign, just in case they do not believe the first one. So this is a backup wonder. And for good reason. If they didnt get it with the staff and snake, this sign surely wouldve stunned them. When Moses put his hand in his cloak and pulled it out all leprous-like people wouldve immediately recoiled from him, just like he did from the snake because no one would want to catch the disease. But when he put it back in and pulled it out as normal as can be. It wouldve been seen as nothing short of miraculous. They wouldve been stunned at this second sign because in this culture there was a strong association between diseases and divine judgment.[7] Such that if you had leprosy of any sort it was assumed that the gods were judging you for something you did. That Moses can take his hand in and out of his cloak and go from unclean to clean in a moment wouldve been to the Israelites something only God can do. The third and final sign comes in v9, the bloody Nile. This sign is different from the first two because its uncertain if Moses actually did this one. And it doesnt seem to be about Moses credibility with the people either, about them believing him as the other signs are. Rather, this third sign seems to be of a grander sort, hinting at the fact that God has some serious threats in store for Egypt.[8] Whether this third sign was reserved for the plagues alone, or if Moses did it unknowingly giving Israel a preview of whats to come, v9 is clear. If they people dont believe the first two signs, this greater third sign then comes in. Moses simply is to take water from the Nile, pour it on the ground, and it will become blood. Unlike the first two signs there is no going back in this third sign. Once the water becomes blood, it stays blood. To Egypt this wouldve been terrorizing. Not only was the Nile a source of life to them, giving water to all their livelihood, but the Nile was revered as a god in Egypt. Seeing Moses take some of the water and turning it to blood wouldve been like watching one of their gods bleed. Lesson? God is the strongest god. No one is like Him, and no one messes with His people. As terrifying as this wouldve been to an Egyptian, it wouldve been bolstering for an Israelite. That God would not be overpowered by the gods of Egypt. That He would stand His own. And that He would defeat and lay waste to His enemies to save His people. Yes and amen. These then are the signs and wonders God gives to Moses.[9] In the first sign something supportive becomes something serpentine. In the second sign something healthy becomes something harmful. And in the third sign something pure becomes something putrid. Each of them will resurface in the time to come. And each of them served the purpose of validating Moses credentials, and authenticating his ministry as being from the Lord.[10] Israel must believe Moses as we see Moses here struggling to believe God.[11] And it seems from what we read later on in v30-31 that Moses did all these signs before Israel, and that upon seeing them, they believed and bowed their heads in worship. Conclusion: As signs and wonders are present here, signs and wonders continue down through redemptive history, all the way to Jesus Himself, who performed many signs and wonders. Yet, He would rebuke the people for needing them or even demanding them in order to believe His message. Ultimately though, He would provide one of the greatest signs wonders ever seen in the history of the world. The signs given to Moses were powerful, but they pale in comparison to the power displayed when Christ walked the earth. In Christ, we see God's power not just to change the nature of objects, but to change the nature of man. He takes our dead hearts and makes them alive. He takes our doubting and fearful souls and makes them whole. He gladly and willingly bears the leprosy of our sin on the cross and makes us clean forever. So Church, let the wonders at the burning bush remind you of God's incredible power, and then let your gaze go forward and be fixed on the greatest sign and wonder of all, the cross and empty tomb of Jesus. Here our salvation was accomplished. Here all sins are defeated. Here all hopes are secured. Here all fears are dashed. Here all that is sad is declared to be untrue. In the face of all the evil and dark sin in the world, this gospel shines bright. May the light of Christ lift up your soul afresh today. [1] John D. Currid, Genesis 1:1-25:18 - EP Study Commentary (Holywell, UK: Evangelical Press, 2015) 91. [2] Philip Graham Ryken, Exodus: Saved for Gods Glory Preaching the Word Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2015) 95. [3] John I. Durham, Exodus - WBC (Waco TX: Word Books, 1987) 44. [4] Francis A. Schaeffer, No Little People (Grand Rapids, MI: IVP, 1975) 13-17. [5] Schaeffer, 25. [6] Douglas K. Stuart, Exodus NAC (Brentwood, TN: BH Publishing, 2006) 130. [7] Stuart, 131. [8] Stuart, 131. [9] Victor P. Hamilton, Exodus: An Exegetical Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2023) 71. [10] Ryken, 98. [11] Durham, 46.

Id like to begin with a question this morning: what was God doing before He created the world? This is a question every Christian eventually asks. One way to answer this is to say that before God made the world He was lonely, feeling a lack, and desired to fill an emptiness within Him, leading Him to make the world and all in it. And now that the world is here and we ourselves are here, God isnt lonely anymore but feels fulfilled and whole.[1] If you took a survey of Christians from all over, asking them this question, I think youd hear something like this answer quite often. This morning Id like to propose a different answer to the question. What was God doing before He created the world? I dont think He was lonely, feeling empty, or just twiddling His thumbs, no, I think God was just fine. More than fine in fact. I think before God created the world He was infinitely content and happy in Himself. Why do I say this? Because the God of Scripture is a God who has no needs, is fully independent, and fully self-sufficient. And Church, I think this is very good news for us. Last week we arrived at one of the most foundational moments in the whole Bible, the moment where God appears to Moses at the burning bush. We took a big look last week at all of chapter 3, and when we came to v14 where God tells Moses His name I said wed spend our entire time together this week on that very reality. Well Church, here we are. Open your Bibles to Exodus 3. Again the single verse before us today is Exodus 3:14 which says this, God said to Moses, I AM WHO I AM And he said, Say this to the people of Israel: I AM has sent me to you. All kinds of books covering all kinds of things have been written on this single verse. That alone ought to let us know that this is so significant a verse that it demands at least one entire sermon. To simplify this, Ive decided to focus on two major realities this verse teaches us. First, the God not like us. And second, the God who became like us. The God Not Like Us In the context of Exodus 3 we must firstly say that this verse is Gods gracious response to Moses fearful questioning. There he expressed great doubt and fear. God had commanded him in v10 to go back into Egypt, to Pharaoh himself, to demand that he let Israel go. We saw last week how this terrified Moses in v11. He expresses his fear to God, and God responded to Moses fear by making a great promise v12. He promised Moses that His very presence would be with him as he went before Pharaoh. Yet Moses fear and doubt remained, prompting him to ask God a new question in v13. This time he asked God what he should do if one of the Israelites ever asks about Gods name. And then we see it. In v14 we see Gods gracious response to Moses fear and doubt as God reveals His divine name. While v14 is certainly Gods response to Moses questions, it is far more than a response to Moses. Here God is making an assertion of authority, a confession of eternal and essential reality.[2] When God says His name is I AM WHO I AM, and that Moses should say I AM has sent him, the name actually given here is only four Hebrew letters, YHWH. These four letters are the imperfect tense of the Hebrew verb to be, meaning I am or I will be. This name is sometimes called the tetragrammaton because it only contains four Hebrew consonants. If we supply the vowels needed it becomes something like Yahweh. Now, Jews of old believed this name was so holy and so revered that you should never utter it for fear of taking it in vain. This is reflected in our English translations. When the divine name shows up it's usually translated with the word LORD, in all caps. The KJV does a bit more, adding more vowels to the divine name, ending up with the name Jehovah. In this name we learn much. We learn that God is not like us. Why? Because Hes the I AM. Meaning He is self-existent, He is the Creator and Sustainer of all things. He is utterly separate and unique and independent over and above all things. Moses asked a question and God responded, yes. But Gods response isnt so much an answer as it is an entire theology.[3] Church, almost all of what is revealed to us here in v14 can be boiled down to one attribute of God, His aseity. Have any of you ever heard that word before? The word aseity comes from two Latin words, a meaning from and se meaning self. God is thus from Himself. Aseity is the first attribute of God we encounter in the Bible.[4] Think back to how Genesis begins, In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. In this opening chapter to the Bible we see many beginnings. The beginning of the heavens, the beginning of the earth, the skies, the sea, the land, birds, fish, creatures, and mankind. Many beginnings indeed. But dont miss that in Genesis 1:1 we also are introduced to the God who was there before the beginning, the God who never had a beginning. It makes perfect sense then, that when God reveals His name to Moses at the burning bush in Exodus 3, He reveals it as I AM. That God is the I AM, that He has aseity, leads us to think of the great difference between God and us. We are born into this world as dependent finite beings. Our existence comes from our mother and father. We are because they had us. More so, the whole of our lives, from conception to death, must be upheld and sustained by God, making us dependent not only on our mother and father, but above all on God. In other words, the whole of our life comes from God the author and source and fountain of life. Church, God is not like this. His nature isnt like our nature. Unlike ourselves and unlike everything in this world, His existence doesnt come from someone or something else. No one brought him into being and He isnt dependent on another to be sustained in His existence. We can be measured, God is immeasurable. We are contingent beings, God is not contingent on anything else. Our entire existent is grounded in Him, Gods existence is grounded in Himself alone. We are because of others, we continue because of another. God simply is. He is the I AM. St. Anselm of Canterbury described this long ago saying God has of Himself all that He has, while other things have nothing of themselves. And other things, having nothing of themselves, have their only reality from Him.[5] So while our nature is that of a derived being, having our source in God, Gods nature and essence is pure being. What does this mean? It means that God isnt like us. He and ourselves are different types of beings. While we are needy, weak, dependent creatures, God is an eternally and perfectly independent being. All this comes from the fact that God has aseity, that He is the I AM. This is weighty stuff I know. So perhaps an illustration will help. On occasion Holly and I will hear our kids get into arguments with each other making big statements of ownership. For example we will sometimes hear them say to each other, You messed up my room. Or, Dont move my stuff. Or, You knocked over my Legos. This is pretty normal for kids to talk like this, its actually pretty normal for us too. When our kids get a bit too intense in moments like this we come in, try to assess the situation, de-escalate tempers, dole out the appropriate correction/discipline, and remind them that they dont own anything. Everything they have was given to them by us as a gift. It is good parenting to remind our kids of this truth. And if its good for our kids to be reminded of this, its also good for ourselves to be reminded of this truth too. That all we are, all we have, all of usmeaning all our needs that are met, all our weaknesses that are strengthened, all our lack that is filled comes from the God who has no needs, no weakness, and no lack in Himself. Lets ask a further question then. Why does God give anything to us at all? Or perhaps a bigger question is better. Since God has eternally been fully content and sufficient in Himself, why did God create anything in the first place? Well, it certainly wasnt to fill a lack in Himself, no. He created and sustains and gives and blesses because He is gracious. And as an eternally full being, like a fountain, God cannot help but overflow. This truth has a massive effect on our worship. In Psalm 50 this comes out so clearly. There God has been stirred to anger because of His peoples sin, and they think in all their sin they can worship with no problems. God rebukes them for this saying in Psalm 50:7-15, Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, I will testify against you. I am God, your God. Not for your sacrificesdo I rebuke you; your burnt offerings are continually before me. I will not accept a bull from your house or goats from your folds. For every beast of the forest is Mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is Mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are Mine. Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats? Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High, and call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me. Then in an astounding statement, a few verses later God rebukes us for thinking He was like us. In Psalm 50:21 God says, you thought that Iwas one like yourself. But now Irebuke you andlay the charge before you. Our worship of God, then, is not intended to meet the needs of God, as if He were insecure and our worship of Him gave Him security. No, Hes the I AM. The essence of our worship is fueled by who God is and what God has done. At His holiness, righteousness, greatness, and wisdom. And this great God has done great things, for usso we worship Him as a being utterly above us in every way possible. Church, this grand reality is the very thing Moses is hearing on the mountain in Exodus 3:14. The God Moses encountered in the burning bush was the God of absolute and infinite being, different from himself in every way possible. I hope you can now see a little bit of why Exodus 3:14 is absolutely foundational for how we view God, how we approach God, what we think of God, and the words we use to describe God. Only aseity belongs to Him, only He is the I AM. In this it is crystal clear, God is not like us. The God Who Became Like Us Weve seen how foundational the I AM moment is, and weve seen how different God is from us. But as time would unfold God did something we would never believe unless the Bible told us. This God, the God who has aseity, the great I AM, became like us. Into all our sin, all our darkness, all our fears, concerns, worries, doubts, and weaknesses. Into all that we are not, God descended. How did He do this? In the person of His Son. When Jesus came, He came not just in the name of God as a prophet or a messenger, He came as God Himself. And again and again He attributed the name of God to Himself. Meaning, He took Gods own name, I AM, as His own. In John 6 the disciples were scared in a boat as a great storm raged around them. They looked up and through the wind and waves and miraculously they saw Jesus walking on the sea directly toward them. At this they didnt shout for joy, or feel a great sense of relief. They knew storms. They knew no mere man could do what Jesus was doing at that moment and so John 6:19 says they were afraid. What did Jesus say as He drew near the boat? John 6:20, It is I, do not be afraid. When Jesus says do not be afraid we understand that. God often told that to people in the OT. Angels would even say this first to anyone God sent them to, and for the fearful disciples to hear do not be afraid from Jesus in the midst of the storm had to be an encouraging moment for them. But He said more than just do not be afraid. He said, It is I; do not be afraid. Do know what the phrase It is I in v20 is in the original Greek? Ego eimi. Do you know what that literally translates as? I AM. Therefore, when Jesus comes to the frightened disciples walking on the water He literally says I AM, do not be afraid They wouldve understood the weight of His words. They wouldve understood the reason Jesus was giving them to not be afraid. Why should they not fear? Because Jesus is the great I AM, God Himself. No storm can defeat a God as great as this. Later on in a heated exchange with the Pharisees Jesus makes a similarly staggering claim. In John 8:56 he says to a group of angry Pharisees, Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see My day. He saw it and was glad. They responded in the next verse saying, You are not yet 50 years old, and have you seen Abraham? To which Jesus famously replies in John 8:58, Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM. Using the divine name of God revealed to Moses on the mountain in reference to Himself was a clear claim to deity. It cannot be taken any other way. He did not say I was to teach simply old age and long years, he said I AM to teach of His aseity and divine nature. Jesus would of course do this many more times, using the I AM name to attribute deity to Himself. I AM the bread of life. I AM the light of the world. I AM the door of the sheep. I AM the good shepherd. I AM the resurrection and the life. I AM the way, the truth, the life. I AM the true vine. Then wonder upon wonder, there is a greater glory to behold. Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, the I AM, the God who has aseitywillingly died for sinners. This is staggering. The more we see of His greatness and glory in Exodus 3, the more well come to see how low He truly came to save His own. The same I AM who burned in the bush, who struck Egypt with plague after plague, who thundered on Mt. Sinai, would one day cry in the manger, and ultimately would embrace death on the cross for all who would ever believe. No wonder the grave couldnt hold Him down, Hes the I AM. Hes the eternally perfect infinite fountain full of life and beauty and majesty in Himself. Death fled from His presence as He walked out of the tomb that Sunday morning. Conclusion: Church, throughout history every culture has searched for something that is a se. Theyve searched for some kind of ultimate being, or ultimate standard of truth. People have tried to say its Mother Nature, this god or that god, human knowledge or human experience, reason, logic, or some type of combination of these things. Philosophers for ages have sought after the concept of the Absolute because they know if such a being exists that being would be the origin and source from which all other life flowed forth. But the world has refused to see Jesus Christ as ultimate in any way. Thus, the souls search for the ultimate a se being has been frustratingly empty because though theyve never found it, He is directly before their eyes. The result of this frustration is that many give up the search and choose to embrace the dark idea of chaos or meaninglessness as the ultimate reason or answer for existence. Contrasting this is Exodus 3:14, which is bright with hope. Only this God, of the Bible can give meaning to human experience and reason. So dont think divine aseity or the independence of God is something that is only abstract, or a theory to be known or taught in classrooms. The bottom line is this: if God were not a se, and fully independent, if He depended on anything else for His being, He would cease to be God. This makes us thankful for who He is. There is no one like Him, and there is no god but Him. Praise God that He would willingly and gladly desire not only to create us and to reveal Himself to us, but to redeem us in Christ as well. [1] Matthew Barrett, None Greater (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2019) 55-56. [2] John I. Durham, Exodus - WBC (Waco TX: Word Books, 1987) 38. [3] Goldingay, quoted in Victor P. Hamilton, Exodus: An Exegetical Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2023) 66. [4] Kevin DeYoung, Daily Doctrine (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2024) 49. [5] Anselm, On the Fall of the Devil 1, quoted in Barrett, None Greater, 57.

A single day can change your life forever. Davids life would never be the same after the day he fought Goliath. Pauls life would never be the same after the day he met Jesus on the Damascus Road. And the day that would change all our days, the day the stone rolled away revealing an empty tomb. Exodus 3 is like this. It begins on a day like any other day. Nothing special. Moses isnt in a palace anymore, he isnt living as a son of Pharaoh. Hes been in the desert for forty yearstending sheep. Day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year, just desert, sheep, silence. But then on an ordinary day, in an ordinary place, he sees something extraordinary. A bush burning yet not being consumed. He draws near, and in a moment, everything changes. This day would not only change the course of Moses life, it would change the course of history. Church, today we come to the great burning bush moment. It begins in 3:1 and goes all the way until 4:17. It is so monumental a passage, that well take the next month to work through it. Today, Ill begin by leading you through the first three scenes of this great moment, all of which are found in chapter 3. Scene 1 (v1-6) Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, themountain of God.Andthe angel of theLordappeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed.And Moses said, I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.When theLordsaw that he turned aside to see,God called to himout of the bush, Moses, Moses! And he said, Here I am.Then he said, Do not come near;take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.And he said,I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face, forhe was afraid to look at God. As we see Moses keeping the flocks of Jethro in v1 we need to remember a few things. First, we need to remember Stephens sermon in Acts 7. There before hes stoned Stephen gives an overview of this moment in Moses life and he says in Acts 7:29-30, Moses fled and became an exile in the land of Midian,where he became the father of two sons. Now when forty years had passed,an angel appeared to himin the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in a flame of fire in a bush. So as Exodus 2 ends and Exodus 3 begins, we need to keep in mind that 40 years have passed, making Moses an 80 year old man. Second, back in chapter 2 we met Moses father-in-law the priest of Midian. Hes called Reuel in chapter 2, and here in v1 hes called Jethro. As we saw last week, many think Reuel was his priestly title and that Jethro was his given name. He has surely grown older, because now we see Moses is the one keeping the flocks. Right here from start then dont miss what God is doing. To man, Moses is a picture of a failure. He had to flee Egypt after a failed attempt to rescue Israel, and now hes reduced to the simplest kind of labor, shepherding. But to God, all is going according to plan. Here is one who has been humbled, reduced to shepherding, yes, but one who will one day shepherd all of Israel.[1] God is indeed preparing Moses for whats to come. The rest of v1 serves the purpose of letting us know how Moses came to be so far away from where he normally leads his flock.[2] He went way out into the west side of the wilderness likely because it was unusually dry and all the grass had dried out. Thus, he comes to Mt. Horeb. Horeb, you should know, is either another name for Mt. Sinai or its the region Mt. Sinai is located in. And its called the mountain of God in v1 because thats what it will become to Israel in the future. For now, its just a mountain. But is it? Look at v2-3. Here we see a thing of wonder. The angel of the Lord appeared to Moses in a burning bush. Moses wouldve known how to keep warm on cold nights and wouldve known that once a regular bush was lit on fire it would soon burn up. Yet this bush was burning while not burning up.[3] So what does he do? He goes nearer to get a closer look. As he draws near in v2-3, the moment comes, and angel of the Lord appears in the fire. Fire is often associated with the presence of God and the purity of His holiness, as well see in the rest of Exodus, and sure enough, Moses is about to have an encounter with God. But, who is the angel of the Lord mentioned here? Weve seen this language before back when God appears to Hagar, and well see it again when God appears to Joshua. There is much debate here as you can imagine. Some believe the angel of the Lord is a literal angel functioning as a messenger of God. I dont think this is the case because while the text identifies this angel as being from the Lord, it also identifies this angel with the Lord. And in v4 it says God called out from the bush, meaning this angel didnt just speak for God, He spoke as God.[4] So I believe we have two options. Either the angel of the Lord is God Himself come down to meet with Moses, making this a theophany (God revealing Himself to man), or the angel of the Lord is the pre-incarnate Christ (making this a Christophany, Christ revealing Himself to man). While I tend to believe that this is the pre-incarnate Christ, good arguments can be made on both sides of this. All in all, do not miss the forest for the trees here. From no initiative of his own, Moses meets God on this mountain. As Moses nears the burning bush God calls out in v4, Moses, Moses! Moses responds Here I am. God then says two things. First He says, Do not come near;take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.And secondly God says, I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. That Moses was to keep a distance and not come near, emphasizes the gap between the holy God and sinful man.[5] This is the first time in the Bible that the word holy is explicitly used in reference to God.[6] That explains much about this scene. Moses must remove his sandals, not because sandals are unholy, but because of reverence. Just as one would normally remove their shoes in this culture when coming into the presence of or the home of a superior, so too Moses removes his shoes because he now knows Mt. Sinai is where God has chosen to dwell. Thus, Gods holy presence makes ordinary ground, holy ground.[7] What did Moses do next? See v6, Moses hid his face, forhe was afraid to look at God. His curiosity turns to fear as He realizes who has appeared to him. In this moment Moses learns from God what Israel would one day learn from him, that God is holy, that no one comes into Gods presence irreverently, because God is a consuming fire.[8] Now only the bush is burning with the holy fire of God, soon the whole mountain will burn as Israel draws near to receive the Law.[9] Lastly, v6 shows us that what we learned (as readers) in 2:23-25, Moses learns for Himself as God declares that He is the God of his father, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This is of utmost importance. It highlights that God is now continuing the story He began in Genesis. This is the covenant faithfulness of God. It reminds us that He keeps the promises He makes. Much time has passed yes, His timing isnt our timing, yes, but He remains faithful to His Word, yes. Thus, our hope in Him can always remain firm. Scene 2 (v7-12) Then theLordsaid,I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of theirtaskmasters. I know their sufferings,andI have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians andto bring them up out of that land to agood and broad land, a landflowing with milk and honey, to the place ofthe Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.And now, behold,the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen theoppression with which the Egyptians oppress them.Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.But Moses said to God,Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?He said,But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt,you shall serve God on this mountain. Now we hear God tell Moses of His own intimate knowledge of the woes of His people. God has seen, God has heard, God knows all the suffering of all Israel. And He will act. See it in v8. God will come downto bring His people up. We see so much gospel in these words dont we? God comes down, to what? Bring us up! As Israel couldnt do it on their own, we cant do it on our own. As God delighted in saving them in the Exodus, so too He delights in saving us in Christ. Our God is a God who saves! What will God bring Israel out and up to? A land that God describes in three ways.[10] First, the land will be good and broad. That is, it will be bigger and larger than their cramped lodging in Egypt. Second, the land will be flowing with milk and honey. That is likely a figurative description of Canaans fertile and full nature as opposed to a literal description of milk and honey. Milk and honey are often used as pictures of purity and abundance throughout the OT, and I think the same is meant here. And third, the land will also be full of people. See the list of the various peoples? The list occurs frequently in Moses writing, it appears in different variations, but this list is nearly identical to the list God gave Abraham in Genesis 15 when He first made these promises. This hints at what is coming for Israel. Yes, theyll be saved out from Egypt, but theyll have to fight their way into Canaan. Will that be hard? Yes. But v9 assures them, the God with them now in their troubles will also be with them then in the midst of their fight. In v10 there is a bit of a shift. Moses now learns he will not be an onlooker to God saving Israel, he will be the means by which God saves them. This seems, I think, to strike fear into Moses because he responds in v11 with doubt. Some do say Moses is showing a true humility here, but I disagree.[11] Throughout the burning bush moment Moses repeatedly calls the mission into question and speaks of his inability to carry it out.[12] The question then becomes, why does Moses doubt? The answer likely lies in his past. Specifically, his past experience in failing to come to rescue Israel. I think this stayed with him and dogged him, and as soon as he heard God was going to call him back there, a familiar fear sprang up afresh in him.[13] Yet, see how God responds to his fear and doubt in v12. God doesnt tell Moses to stop his negative thinking.[14] God simply says, I will be with you intending to replace his fear with trust. More so, God then gives him a sign to prove all of this, saying the sign of His presence with him will bewhen Israel returns to this mountain to serve God. It is certainly unique that this sign will not occur until the Exodus is over, but perhaps thats where the point. Moses must step out in faith, go to Egypt, and do what God has commanded of him, and lead the people out. Then and only then will Moses get the assurance of the sign, once the people have returned to serve God at the mountain. That word serve, by the way, is the Hebrew word for worship. Thats what God is saying here. The sign is that after the rescue of God, the people of God, will gather before this mountain to worship God. Scene 3 (v13-22) Then Moses said to God, If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, The God of your fathers has sent me to you, and they ask me, What is his name? what shall I say to them?God said to Moses, I am who I am.And he said, Say this to the people of Israel:I amhas sent me to you.God also said to Moses, Say this to the people of Israel: TheLord,theGod of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This ismy name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.Go andgather the elders of Israel together and say to them, TheLord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying,I have observed you and what has been done to you in Egypt,and I promise thatI will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, a landflowing with milk and honey.Andthey will listen to your voice, and you and the elders of Israelshall go to the king of Egypt and say to him, TheLord, the God of the Hebrews, hasmet with us; and now, please let us go a three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to theLordour God.But I know that the king of Egyptwill not let you go unless compelledby a mighty hand.SoI will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt withall the wonders that I will do in it;after that he will let you go.AndI will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and when you go, you shall not go empty,but each woman shall ask of her neighbor, and any woman who lives in her house, forsilver and gold jewelry, and for clothing. You shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. Soyou shall plunder the Egyptians. In v13 we see Moses second fearful doubting. Gods promise that He will be with Moses and will indeed return to this mountain to worship doesnt seem to be enough for Moses, so he now asks another question. He asks God about His name. This question is interesting. Does Moses not know Gods name? God has used it before, but maybe after all the years of steeping in Egyptian culture and being oppressed by them slaves Moses has forgotten it? That is a real possibility, and maybe even Israel no longer knows it as well? Well, one thing is certain. Throughout the Exodus, no Israelite ever asks Moses about the Gods name, as if that were the sign or password to gain Israels trust. Moses then is like us, he seems to excel at raising problems that will never come into reality.[15] Gods answer to Moses in v14-15 is so famous and foundational for our understanding of God nature and character that well spend our entire time together next Sunday morning looking at the divine name in v14. For now, just know Gods answer is that His name is I am who I am and that is what Moses is to tell Israel, that the I AM, Yahweh, is saving them. As our passage comes to a close in v16-22 we see God instruct Moses on what to say to the Israelites. In v16-17 he is to go and tell them that God sees, observes, and knows all their suffering, and that He will bring them up and out of their slavery to a full and fertile land. In v18-20 God instructs Moses to tell all of this to the elders of Israel. Here we see that not only has Israel organized itself by putting leaders in place, but God now calls these elders to go with Moses to Pharaoh and demand to be let go. This is a command that clearly wasnt obeyed, as none of the elders go with Moses.[16] Yet theyre all to tell Pharaoh let them take a three day journey to worship. Whats this? Its merely a simple request, a request that Pharaoh will not grant at all. His denial of such a simple request exposes what v20 makes clear, that Israel will only escape Egypt by Gods strength and wonders.[17] Lastly in v21-22 we see God make another promise. When Israel is freed, God will give them such favor that Egypt will be plundered like God said would happen back in Genesis 15. As great as this is, there is a hard truth to see in it. Some of the gold they take out of Egypt will be used to build the tabernacle, but some of it will be used to make the golden calf. Conclusion: As we close, remember we believe the entire Bible has one unified story that culminates in the Person and Work of Jesus. The goal in preaching then isn't to find a clever way to mention Jesus, but to see how every story, including this one, finds its ultimate meaning in Him. So where is the gospel here? It shines brightest in the contrast between Moses's doubt and Gods answer. When God called, Moses's response is our own, Who am I? Its the cry of a man who knows his failures, his weaknesses, and his sin. And it is our cry, too. We look at our lives, the ordinary routines, the past mistakes, the feeling of being stuck in the desert, and we know we are not enough. We are not holy enough, not strong enough, not good enough. Into that honest cry of inadequacy, God speaks. He doesn't tell Moses to look deeper within himself. He reveals His own name, I AM. And He promises His own presence. This is a promise that points far beyond the wilderness of Midian, directly to the Lord Jesus Christ. Into our sin, our darkness, and our doubt, the great I AM did not stay distant. He came near. He became one of us in the person of His Son. The same I AM who met Moses in the fire is the I AM who stood in the temple and declared His divinity. He is the I AM who draws near to us now in the gospel. But He did more than just draw near. He took our sin and shame and fear, all of our Who am I? questions on Himself and carried it to the cross where He would enter the ultimate wilderness, ultimately dying in our place, so that in exchange, we can be forgiven, washed clean, reconciled to God, and be given His very presence. Thus, Jesus says to all who look to Him in faith, I am with you always, to the end of the age. Because of His finished work, His holy presence is now our guarantee. That changes everything. It makes all our days holy days. It makes the very ground we walk on, in our homes, in our workplaces, in our struggles, holy ground. Not because of who we are, but because the great I AM who is with us. [1] John D. Currid, Genesis 1:1-25:18 - EP Study Commentary (Holywell, UK: Evangelical Press, 2015) 71. [2] Douglas K. Stuart, Exodus NAC (Brentwood, TN: BH Publishing, 2006) 108. [3] Stuart, 109. [4] Philip Graham Ryken, Exodus: Saved for Gods Glory Preaching the Word Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2015) 71. [5] Ryken, 72. [6] Ryken, 72. [7] Stuart, 115. [8] Stuart, 114. [9] Victor P. Hamilton, Exodus: An Exegetical Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2023) 47. [10] Currid, 77-78. [11] Stuart, 118. He cites Davids similar language in 2 Sam. 7, yet I still disagree, seeing David as humble but Moses as fearful and doubting. [12] Currid, 80. [13] Hamilton, 58. [14] Hamilton, 59. [15] Hamilton, 63. [16] Currid, 85-86. [17] Currid, 86.

Context: Moses according to Acts 7 is now about 40 Acts 7:23 When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel. -Last week we left off with the birth of Moses and his adoption into the house of Pharaoh The people of Israel have been oppressed the Pharaoh has begun a mass genocide of the male children and yet in the midst of these tragedies the Lord spares this child through the ingenuity of his mother and the kindness of Pharaohs daughter. Moses in retelling his birth leads us with many questions but few immediate answers as he pulls us deeper into the work that God did in his life to use him to lead the people out of Egypt. And so from his birth we quickly jump forward 40ish years, and now find our prince of Egypt striving to be a would be savior to his people: I. The Life of a Would-Be -Savior (11-22) A. Moses Avenges his own (11-12) Exodus 2:1112 One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people. He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. When we time jump we now find Moses no identifying with his place in the royal palace but with his own people. -We dont have a exact reason for the change in him, We dont know what spurs him on that here he is 40 years of watching the Hebrews be oppressed, but now he cares. -What we know is this is all part of Gods timing and for whatever reason Moses now will no longer identify with the house of Pharaoh but will now align with the nation of his birth. -But the first thing we see with this adult Moses is that he has a sense that Justice is being distorted int he the Land of Egypt. -He sees their burden and seems to be amazed that these things are transpiring. -He sees an Egyptian Beating (Same word that we will see later for what Moses does, but this context seems to be a normal occurrence not killing him ) a Hebrew -The phrase that he looked this way and that has 2 debated meanings (Either he was looking to make sure no one saw him or he was looking to see if anyone would stand up for the injustice being perpetrated against the Hebrew being beaten) -Both carry with them the fact that Moses is concerned with what is transpiring against his own people -Maybe a bit of a There but by the grace of God go I moments But either way Moses does take justice into his own hands and kills the Egyptian hiding his body and seeming to be proud of himself. The book of Acts will highlight that Moses in this moment did see himself as a type of savior to his people. Maybe he could free them from their bondage, maybe he was the right man at the right time to rise up and ends Pharaoh oppression of his people -He has a sense that he has accomplished something, unfortunately we will see he has done nothing of true consequence but seal his own fate and future and in this moment it is not as a leader of his people, for what he attempted to do of his own strength will be of no use for he is quickly dismissed by his Own As we continue: B. Moses Rejected by His own (13-15a) Exodus 2:1315 When he went out the next day, behold, two Hebrews were struggling together. And he said to the man in the wrong, Why do you strike your companion? He answered, Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian? Then Moses was afraid, and thought, Surely the thing is known. When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and stayed in the land of Midian. And he sat down by a well. -The very next day he goes out again to his own, but now no longer seeing them oppressed by Egypt but rather oppressing each other. -Its an amazing fact of life that the oppressed and abused historically become oppressors and abuser, In their weakness they seek to beatdown those weaker than themselves. - Our text doesnt sugar coat the people of Israel here. They too are not innocent of violence (No one comes out clean and worthy of Gods mercy on their own) -MOSES the seeker of Justice now turns to the one in the wrong and question his actions and is quickly rebuffed and rejected. -These are the first words of Moses in the text and they give us a picture of his heart. He is seeking the good of his people and justice, unfortunately the people are not as concerned as he is Ill. The Students Revolution in France (Les Miserable) -The man asks a very pointed question that will take 40 years in the wildness of Midian to materialize but it was relevant in the moment: what gave Moses the right to judge them -In that moment the only position he had was as a son of Egypt they did not recognize him as their own -His killing of the Egyptian didnt change his place in their eyes -If anything this could be used rather as a way to boost this mans place by turning Moses over to Pharaoh -Our would be saviors time has run out and he is not going to save the people, rather he is the one in needing of salvation and so with Pharaohs anger kindled against him he flees -He has no home in Egypt and no home with the Hebrews and so to the land o Midian he will go. -and there we will begin a new life at a well. (Sound familiar) -We say many wells in Genesis and many new family formed there. -Both Rachael and Rebecca are found at wells. C. Moses Saves Reuels Daughters (15b-21) Exodus 2:1521 When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and stayed in the land of Midian. And he sat down by a well. Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came and drew water and filled the troughs to water their fathers flock. The shepherds came and drove them away, but Moses stood up and saved them, and watered their flock. When they came home to their father Reuel, he said, How is it that you have come home so soon today? They said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds and even drew water for us and watered the flock. He said to his daughters, Then where is he? Why have you left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread. And Moses was content to dwell with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah. Moses quick transitions in the storm help to feel the intensity and quickness of how the Lord moved him out of Egypt and into the wilderness. -Midian is general associated with the region from the red sea to the northern Sinai peninsula, but that is often debated. They are generally considered a nomadic people from the son of Abrahams second wife (Genesis 25:12 Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah. She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. ) Moses Highlights here his third attempt at seeking justice (this time involving 7 daughters of the priest of Midian) -Here he is successful and not only does he save them but he then gives water to their sheep. -Moses really putting the moves on here (No indication that that is happening) -The daughters when returning home tell their father everything -His name here is probably more often associated with his position (Rue El means Friend of El) -He will later be called Jethro throughout the book of Exodus -The refer to him as an Egyptian which probably highlights that his appearance was in keeping with his royal place _ He calls Moses to join them (A proper right of hospitality) D. Moses Accepted in Midian Exodus 2:2122 And Moses was content to dwell with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah. She gave birth to a son, and he called his name Gershom, for he said, I have been a sojourner in a foreign land. -While Moses was cast off from Egypt and Israel in Midian he finds a new home -He is given a wife -He has a son -His name has been interpreted in two ways -Moses is a sojourner in Midian Moses was a sojourner in Egypt -Based on the context it seems best to see him highlighting the fact that he has now found his home having been cast out of his old life -This also parallels the fact God will continually refer to his people as sojourners in Egypt awaiting their new home -just as we are sojourners -For Moses though at the end of our text His life is good He is settled in a new land with a new family, but life back in Egypt has not gotten any better II. The Covenant Faithfulness of the True God (23-25) Exodus 2:2325 During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israeland God knew. -While Moses is living it up in Midian the Pharoah has died but the trials have not gone away -New King same problems -But into the seen we now have a glimpse into heaven -The time has come The final 3 verse of chapter 2 are the catalyst for all that is top come and a bridge to all that has been For through it all there is the question where is God -He blessed the midwives (but death continued) -He spared Moses (Oppression didnt end) -Where is God Its a serious question but also one the harkens back to genesis 15 Genesis 15:1316 Then the Lord said to Abram, Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete. -God will now act -4 Words describe this moment with God A. God Hears -The people actively Cry out for help -They seek salvation from their oppression -They acknowledge their inability to save themselves (Even Moses failed at this) -He was not deaf to their sorrow (This theme of crying and hearing will carry on throughout the OT) -His timing was active even in their suffering App: God Hears our suffering cries (Even if it doesnt feel like it) B. God Remembers -From their cries the text says he remembers -It is not that he forgot -Uses human language to convey a deeper meaning -IN remembering it highlights God is now going to bring about the covenant promise form Gen 15. It is a call back -It is also a reminder that the work he is going to do in Israel is not a new work, but a continuation of what he began in Abraham (We see this even in the parallels of Moses as a new Patriarch figure) App: God will never forget his promises to his children. Our salvation is secure even if it looks bleak C. God Saw -He saw his people -He saw them let that sink in, There is an intimacy in the text. -He sees his own (His people) D. God Knew He knew -The ESV gets this translation right, but leaving it objectless. -The final phrase her captures the sense of God at work. -He knew, we has about to act, he was at work, the time has come Two Cathedrals (2.22) Mrs. Landingham: Look at you, you're a boy king. You're a foot smarter than the smartest kid in the class. You're blessed with inspiration. You must know this by now, you must have sensed it. Look, if you think we're wrong, if you think Mr. Hopkins should honestly get paid more than Mrs. Chadwick, then I respect that. But if you think we're right, and won't speak up because you can't be bothered, well, god, Jed, I don't even want to know you. Jed: Mrs. Mueller gets half as much to teach band as Mr. Ryan does to coach crew? Mrs. Landingham: You're going to do it. Jed: Well, I didn't say that. Mrs. Landingham: Yes, you did. Jed: When? Mrs. Landingham: Just then. You stuck your hands in your pockets. You looked away and smiled. That means you made up your mind. Gods Mind is made up, His sovereign plan from the beginning told to Abraham is now about to begin, but he will need to call a man to lead his people out of bondage, and what better choice is there, then their failed would be savior living it up as a shepherd in Midian. God will succeed in enacting justice where Moses failed So what do we do with all this: We learn that our plans are not the same as Gods plan We learn that suffering is not the same as being left alone by God We see Christ suffer for us to bring us salvation We learn that we have a God who will not forsake us And it is not because we are so Great it is because he is so merciful If we are in Christ his promise are for us If you are a believer then He is a God who Hears, remembers, sees and knows Even if you dont you can trust he does He works all things according to his timing In the full ness of time Christ came bringing salvation (many generations removed from

As we dive into Exodus 2 we are witnessing one of the greatest contests of strength in history. In one corner stood Pharaoh, and Pharaoh had a plan, kill every Hebrew baby boy. In the other corner was the Lord, who also had a plan, save one baby boy and through him save a nation. Pharaoh had power, soldiers, and an army on his side. God had a crying baby in a waterproof basket. Guess who won? Our passage today, Exodus 2:110, is the story of Moses birth, how God took the weakest thing imaginable and used it to topple the strongest empire in the world. But Exodus 2:110 is not just the story of Moses, its the story of a God who delivers His people through unlikely means, and who can turn the place of death into the place of life. If He could do it then, He can do it for us now. Lets see these things for ourselves in the Scripture. See first The Birth of Moses (v1-4) Now a man from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a Levite woman. The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months. When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the riverbank. And his sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him. Right away as the passage begins were introduced to Moses parents. Were not told their names yet, well find out later they are Amram and Jochebed, but what we are told is that they are Levites. This is not an insignificant detail, because it tells us that Moses, who is called by God to lead the people in all things spiritual, is himself from the tribe chosen by God to lead the spirituality of the nation.[1] That Moses will be a Levite by birth tells us as readers how he is qualified for the task of spiritual leadership. The next thing were told about Moses parents is that they married and had a son. If we forget how chapter 1 ended, we might be filled with warm fuzzies celebrating with them at the birth of a child. But if we remember the end of Exodus 1, about Pharaohs plan of death for all Hebrew baby boys, were not filled with warm fuzzies but filled with dread for this newly married couple because we fear what might happen to their child. But in their action we see great courage. During the desperate times of Exodus 1, these two dared to marry and conceive, knowing they might give birth to a boy. But on they went, the moment came, and sure enough, the baby was a boy. And what a boy he was! See that detail in v2? The Mother looks down at her newborn baby and sees that he was a fine child, so she hid him for three months. That word fine doesnt mean the baby was beautiful instead of ugly, nor does it mean the baby was good instead of evil, no. Rather the word fine in v2 means the baby was healthy.[2] Many infants died just after birth, and so it seems the mother was worried about that, but when she looks at him she is happy to see him looking as well as a baby could. So what does she do? She hides him! Why? Because he was born under a death sentence and any moment some Egyptian might hear his cries, come get him, and cast him into the Nile.[3] The book of Hebrews confirms this in Hebrews 11:23 as it says, By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the kings edict. Why only hide him for three months? Because they must have thought they could hide him easily until about that time, when he would grow old enough, to be active enough, and loud enough to be noticed by others. So v3 says when she could hide him no longer, she did what no one guess! She hid him in the one place no Egyptian would ever think to look, the Nile river, the exact place where Hebrew baby boys were supposed to be cast into.[4] Thus in quite the clever way she can be said to have obeyed Pharaohs dreadful decree.[5] Two things are worth your attention here. First, do not miss what Moses is put in. It says in v3 that she took a basket made of bulrushes, covered it with bitumen (tar) and pitch to make it waterproof, and then put Moses in that basket and then put him in the river. The word for basket in the original Hebrew is the word tebah. This word is only used in one other portion of Scripture, in Genesis 6-9 where we find the description of Noah and the ark.[6] That small Hebrew word tebah is the word that's used again and again there for ark. Lesson? Moses mother places him in an little baby size ark! We're meant to see the connection here between Moses and Noah. They both were raised up by God to deliver Gods people, both were led by God into and out of danger to a new location, where Gods people would be established, as a new stage of God's redemptive plan began.[7] Second, consider the mothers motives here. The passage does not tell us what the mother is thinking in this action of hiding Moses in the river. We could just say that God put this plan into her heart for reasons only known to Him.[8] That would be true, but I think we can say more. I think to her she was doing the best she could to protect Moses in this little ark. And the river was a great place to hide him. The thickness of the reeds on the riverbank, the noise of the water and the animals around it would all be contributing factors to hiding the noise of the baby. By doing this she could continue to care for him, keep watch over him from a distance, visit him, and even nurse him when no one was nearby.[9] And we learn more in v4. Up to this point we might think Moses is an only child, but now we find out he has an older sister. Shes unnamed here but well learn later on that her name is Miriam. For now, just see his sisters actions in v4. She stood at a distance to know what would come of her brother. Apparently this was something of her custom to do, staying off at a distance, watching to be aware of anything that happened to him. At this point were left wondering, what will happen to him? Will he be alright? Will he be eaten by crocodiles? Will he be found by someone else? Will he survive? To find out we must turn to see the rest of our passage and our second heading. Weve seen the birth of Moses, now see The Preservation of Moses (v5-10) Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her young women walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her servant woman, and she took it.When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby was crying. She took pity on him and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children.Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. So the girl went and called the child's mother.And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages. So the woman took the child and nursed him.When the child grew older, she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he becameher son. She named him Moses, Because, she said, Idrew him out of the water. So weve seen the birth and the plan to hide Moses in a spot on the river where he was unlikely to be discovered. But then in v5-6 another important woman comes into the view, a daughter of Pharaoh. She comes down the river to bathe and lo and behold, she sees the basket and finds Moses. She gets the basket, hears the baby crying, opens it, sees its a Hebrew baby boy, andwhat? We as readers think that the death of Moses is near at hand. Right? Thats supposed to happen when an Egyptian finds a Hebrew baby boy. But surprise of all surprises, in direct violation of her fathers command Pharaohs daughter has compassion on the baby. Moses sister must have been close enough to see this play out, and notice Pharaohs daughters compassion toward the baby. Maybe she even heard her express worry in words like Oh no, hes crying, or Hes probably hungry, or I cant leave him like this.[10] Whatever she heard and saw, at this point Moses sister comes nearer and in v7 says, Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?Of course, she knows who would be a perfect fit for this job. And Pharaohs daughter responds with one word, Go. So off she went to fetch her mother. Can you imagine what that conversation wouldve been like? She bursts into the home, sees their mother and says, An Egyptian woman, one of Pharaohs daughters has found Moses! You have to think their mother was terrified at what that meant, but as she heard the whole story she surely wouldve been calmed and convinced that now she must go out and come face to face with what used to be her worst fears.[11] We see the conversation between Moses mother and Pharaohs daughter in v9. Here another surprise comes. Whether there was more to this conversation or not, what we see in v9 is that Pharaohs daughter telling Moses mother that she will pay her to nurse the child. Which means two massive things. Not only does she no longer need to hide Moses, but also she could now openly care for him without worry. As wonderful as this news wouldve been, there was a sharp edge to it. One day in the future Pharaohs daughter would take Moses away from them, for Moses to grow up in Pharaohs own house. Even so, if she never sees him again, she is hoping a childhood growing up in the palace would not lead to working in the Hebrew slave camps. How crazy is this? One of Pharaohs own children delivers a Hebrew child who would later save Gods people from slavery to Pharaoh.[12] Only God could write such a story of redemption. That moment comes in v10, see it? The time came, Moses grew older, Moses mother brought him to Pharaohs daughter and he became her son. And she names him Moses, saying Idrew him out of the water. The name seems prophetic doesnt it?[13] Just as Moses was drawn out and saved from the waters of the Nile, so too will Moses one day draw out and save the Israelites from the Egypt itself. But it has more than just this meaning. The name Moses also means son of. It was a common ending to many names of Egyptian Pharaohs like Thutmose meaning son of Thut, Atmose meaning son of At, and Rahmose meaning son of Rah. That Moses is merely the ending means his name is just son of. So the text itself leaves us wondering, whose son will he be? He was born a Hebrew, will he be a son of Israel? Hes going off to be raised in Pharaohs palace, will he be a son of Egypt? We know the answer of course, Exodus shows us and the book of Hebrews tells us briefly in Hebrews 11:24ff, By faith Moses, when he was grown up,refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter,choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoythe fleeting pleasures of sin.He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking tothe reward. Church, we now get to see this play out before our very eyes as we keep on going in Exodus. Conclusion: I end with this thought: sometimes Gods greatest works begin in the most impossible places. The birth of Moses doesnt happen in a time of peace and comfort, it happens under a death sentence. Pharaohs decree has just gone out: every Hebrew boy is to be thrown into the Nile. The river that gives Egypt life has become a place of death. Into that darkness, a nameless couple has a child theyre not supposed to keep. We might expect the story to be about their courage or their ingenuity, but its really about something else: the quiet, hidden hand of God. A basket floating in the Nile becomes an ark of salvation. The daughter of Pharaoh, the one who should be the enemy, becomes the rescuer. And the little baby who should have been drowned will one day stand before the king and lead a nation out of slavery. The parallel to the birth of Jesus is clear. Moses is a savior, but he is not the Savior.[14] What Pharaoh was to Moses, Herod is Jesus. What his mother and sister are to Moses, Mary and Joseph are to Jesus. In both instances God sovereignly watches over and preserves the life of the little one who will emerge as the one chosen by God to save Gods people from their sins, either the sins of others (as in Moses case) or from their own sins (as in Jesus case).[15] So, what do we do with this? First, we must remember that God still works like this today.The same God who brought life out of the Nile and hope out of a manger is the same God at work in your life right now. Maybe you feel like youve been pushed into the reeds. Abandoned, vulnerable, exposed. But what looks like the end to you may just be the beginning to God. The hidden hand of God is not gone from you. Second, we must remember thatGod delights to use weak things.A crying baby, a worried mother, a watchful sister, even the compassion of a pagan princess, these were the instruments God used to defeat Pharaoh. In the same way, He takes our weaknesses, our small faith, our trembling obedience, and He weaves them into His mighty plan. Dont despise the day of small things. Dont even despise the smallness of what you can do. God delights to use weak things for more than you could ever imagine. Third, we look to Jesus. Moses was drawn out of the water so that one day he could draw out Gods people from slavery. But Jesus was drawn out of death itself so that He could draw us out of the slavery of sin. What Moses began, Jesus finished. And where Moses points us to hope, Jesusisour hope. So Christian, take heart If your life feels like chaos, He can bring order. If you feel dark, He can bring light. If you see nothing but death, He can bring resurrection. The same God who wrote Moses story is still writing yours. God still turns rivers of death into rivers of life. He still takes what is weak and makes it strong. He still delivers His people through unlikely means. And just as Moses was drawn out of the water, and Jesus was raised up from the grave, so too will God draw you out and bring you safely home on that final day. Thats the hope of Exodus 2, and thats the hope of the gospel. [1] Douglas K. Stuart, Exodus NAC (Brentwood, TN: BH Publishing, 2006) 86. [2] John D. Currid, Genesis 1:1-25:18 - EP Study Commentary (Holywell, UK: Evangelical Press, 2015) 51-52. [3] Philip Graham Ryken, Exodus: Saved for Gods Glory Preaching the Word Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2015) 41. [4] John I. Durham, Exodus - WBC (Waco TX: Word Books, 1987) 16. [5] Durham, 16. [6] Victor P. Hamilton, Exodus: An Exegetical Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2023) 20. [7] Stuart, 88. [8] Currid, 53. [9] Stuart, 89. [10] Stuart, 92. [11] Stuart, 92. [12] Currid, 54. [13] Hamilton, 23. [14] Ryken, 49-50. [15] Hamilton, 26.

I take a daily nap. I wake up quite early and so around 2pm-ish I tend to run out of steam. So I lay down on the floor in my office, set an alarm, and take 10-12 minute quick nap. It does much to refresh me to finish the day strong. The other day I did this, and I must have been in a deep nap, because I woke up and I didnt know where I was, who I was, or what I was doing. Anyone ever done that? It was an eery feeling for sure, at least for 5 seconds or so when I came to and realized what was going on. Now imagine this, imagine waking up one day to find that your government now sees you as a threatjust because of your ethnicity, your family size, and your background. Imagine this was no surreal dream but your new reality. What would you do with that? Such is the state of Israel in the end of Exodus 1. Meat: Last week we began our trek through the book of Exodus, looking at the basics of the book and the beginning of the book. Today we carry on, looking at the rest of chapter 1:8-22. There is much in this passage that will disturb us. But much that will give us hope and peace and rest in the Lord. See first Pharaohs Fearful Distress (v8-10) Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too might for us. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land. Right away in v8 were told a new Pharaoh has taken over. This means a huge political shift has taken place in Egypt.[1] But though this new king is quite likely the most powerful person on the planet at this time, notice how Moses doesnt tell us his name? In fact, all throughout this passage we dont learn his name. Why is this? I think its because as powerful and threatening as this Pharaoh will be to Israelin the grand scheme of things, hes small news. Yes hell do immensely wicked things to Gods people, but compared to God, this king is nothing. We need to remember that. By not giving us his name, Moses is subtly reminding us of that. Now, the first thing we learn about this new Pharaoh is that he, in v8, did not know Joseph. Does this mean the new king wasnt aware of Joseph? Or does it mean he once knew of him but has since forgotten about Joseph? No, I think this refers to something else. I think the phrase did not know Joseph refers to the new kings refusal to acknowledge and honor the life and legacy of Joseph in Egypt.[2] The closing chapters of Genesis show us how crucial Joseph was to Egypts survival during the great famine. How Joseph was made the right hand of Pharaoh and ruled over all of Egypt. That is not a small deal, Joseph was a foreigner to Egypt and yet he is the one ruling over all Egypt such that only Pharaoh himself was over Joseph? By the time of Josephs death you can be sure that his life and legacy was honored and celebrated by Egypt. But what happened in v8? A new king had taken over. A new king comes with not only new policies and procedures, a new king comes with a new agenda. And I think this Pharaohs agenda is clearout with the old and in with new. What does this mean for Israel? It means theyre no longer a favored and loved people living in peace. Theyre now foreigners in a country ruled by one who hates foreigners.[3] Only a Pharaoh bent on tearing down and destroying Josephs legacy would commit the wicked acts in the rest of this chapter. Bottom line: Israel is in trouble. And thats exactly what we see in v9-10 as the new Pharaoh makes a speech which contains a new kind of anti-Israel rhetoric. He says theyre too many and too mighty, so they now pose a threat to Egypt. And with words that sound all too similar to the builders of the tower of Babel, Pharaohs conclusion is Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest Israel keep growing and join our enemies if war breaks against us. Plain and simple, these are fear tactics.[4] The new king wants to get rid of numerous Israelites, so he changes the rhetoric about them from a peaceful group of foreigners dwelling in Goshen to a hostile nation of foreigners eager to destroy Egypt. This isnt all that surprising, is it? Most nations today tend to be afraid of losing power to outsiders, thats what the new king is doing in Egypt. Hes sounding the alarm in v9-10, carefully crafted to win the hearts of the nation, and begin his campaign of oppression against Israel.[5] Before we move on, notice the last phrase in v10. Pharaoh wants to deal shrewdly with Israel lest they keep growing, join with their enemies and fight against them, all in order to escape from the land? That seems like a strange motive for Israel doesnt it? Arent they content in Egypt? Theyve been there for years and years, growing slowly but surely under the blessing of God, and now all of the sudden they want to escape? On one hand this doesnt need to make sense. The new Pharaoh is inventing motives in Israel, saying theyll do all kind of things they wont do here in v9-10. But on the other hand, theres an issue with the English translation here I want to make you aware of. Most translations say something like escape from the land, or go up from the land or something like that. The actual Hebrew phrasing here literally reads, take possession of, overcome, or overwhelm. In the other OT places where this same phrasing is used its translated like that, but for some reason here it isnt. Now, if you re-read v10 with that literal meaning, I think we understand Pharaohs fear. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and overwhelm us, or take possession of the land. That is what the new king fears, that is why he sees Israel as a threat, and this is what inspires him to launch an all-out assault on the Israelites. Aiming not just to control their population but to exterminate them from the land.[6] So weve seen Pharaohs fearful distress, turn now to v11-22 to see Pharaohs Cruel Plans (v11-22) In this back half of our passage we see the cruelty of Pharaoh unfold. But be sure to recognize that it isnt one grand plan he executes or puts in motion, no. Its more like after one cruel plan fails, he engineers a crueler plan, followed by more failure, followed by more cruelty. He does this four times, ending with a plan of utter cruelty. This is sadly similar to the slow progression of the Nazis plans for the Jews from 1937-1945. They didnt begin with the Holocaust, but progressively grew in their wickedness until the end.[7] So too is the case here. Plan #1 in v11, Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses. This is Pharaohs first attempt to stop Israel from growing so numerous. Because they had grown so much and become such a threat this new king decides to put them to work, afflicting them with heavy burdens. Specifically building the store cities of Pithom and Raamses. How would this reduce the population of Israel? For these cities to be built the men would have to leave their families for long extended periods of times, which would in itself cut down on the conceiving of children. Also, if the men are away building cities for Pharaoh who is going to care for the fields and crops and herds of Israel? Perhaps Pharaoh is thinking by removing the men hed also be creating something of a food problem also, resulting in the increase of poor health due to the lack of nutrition. Which in turn would create more problems. If the Israelites are getting weaker, they cannot function properly in an Egyptian labor camp, which was a setting where the weak and sick were tossed aside and left for dead. All of this, I think is in Pharaohs mind as he brings out the men to build these cities. But what resulted from this first plan? See v12, But the more they oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel. Ironic isnt it? The more Pharaoh oppresses, despite the poor and vexing conditions Israel was enduring, the more they multiply. Pharaoh shows his blindness in this. There is simply no explanation for why Israel would thrive in such conditions. We the readers, on the other hand, know exactly why. God is caring for His people. What did Pharaoh do in response? He makes plan 2 in v13-14, So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field. In all their work they ruthlessly made them work as slaves. How hard these verses are to read. Its as if a chorus of labor reverberates from these two verses, repeatedly emphasizing the increasing brutality of these trials.[8] Bitter slavery, hard service, mortar and brick, all kinds of work, ruthless slaves. These tactics wouldve made those already weak and sick, even more weak and sick, perhaps even causing them to die from the severity. Surely as the following years unfolded there would be a visible diminishing of Israel in Egypt, right? Well, were not told of this exactly but it must be implied because something must prompt Pharaoh go from slavery to slaughter.[9] So clearly this second plan was failing to stop Israel from growing, so we see Pharaoh engineer a far crueler plan next. See plan #3 in v15-16, Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, Would you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women and see them on the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him, but if it is a daughter, she shall live. Hard and bitter labor hasnt produced Pharaohs desired results, so now he goes to murder. But not by his own hand, he asks the midwives to do it. Questions abound around these midwives.[10] One question concerns their own ethnicity. Were they Hebrew or Egyptian? v15 says Hebrew midwives, but this could also be translated midwives of the Hebrews. Their names seem more Hebrew than Egyptian, but if they were Hebrew how could they kill their own people? If they were Egyptian, would they dare disobey their king? Whether they were Hebrew or Egyptian, it wouldve put the midwives in positions of dreadful difficulty. Another question concerns their number. How could two midwives handle such a vast program of murder for such a vast people? The best explanation is that these two midwives functioned in roles like head nurses, in that they oversaw all the other midwives. Still, two seems like a small number to carry this message to all the others. Still another question concerns the plan to kill only the boys and not the girls. Here we wonder, if the boys are going to be killed what happens to Pharaohs workforce from the next generation? Wouldnt that undermine his plans? It would indeed. But it seems Pharaohs desire to exterminate is greater than his desire to build cities. All in all, if the boys are dead the Israelites cannot reproduce. And like so many other Pharaohs in history, it wouldve been likely that this Pharaoh simply wouldve taken all the women for himself.[11] What resulted from this third plan? See v17-21, But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live. So the king of Egypt called the midwives and said to them, Why have you done this, and let the male children live? The midwives said to Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them. So God dealt well with the midwives. And the people multiplied and grew very strong. And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families. Yikes. As soon as we read that the midwives fear God we know trouble is coming for them. Because of this, they will not render to Pharaoh what belongs to God. Rather than taking life, they protect it. However long it takes for Pharaoh to realize this third plan isnt working, He does, and calls them before him to explain themselves. And theywhat do they do? Do they lie in v19 about the Hebrew women being able to give birth more vigorously than Egyptian women? Some say so. Others do not. There is a lot of debate throughout Church history here (small groups would be a great place to trace through that). All in all, they faced an impossible choice here. I think the text itself is clear on how to view this. In v20-21 God blesses them for their actions, for fearing Him rather than Pharaoh. Thus we learn it is always wise and good to obey God, even if that means disobeying earthly rulers. Thats what the midwives did. They werent just eager to defy an earthly king, or even trying to be loyal to the Hebrews, they did what they did because they feared God.[12] So the story of these midwives is not the story of liars but the story of heroic resistance.[13] Theyre even named when the Pharaoh isnt.[14] Again irony is present here. These midwives save families through disobeying Pharaoh, so God rewards them with families of their own.[15] What does Pharaoh do next? He moves onto an even higher level of dark cruelty. See plan #4 in v22, Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live. Here this slaughter of the innocents isnt told to just two midwives, but to all his officials. Into the Nile all the boys must go, and here chapter 1 ends. Yet, how interesting is it that while Pharaoh tries to destroy Israel through water, later at the Red Sea Israel will be saved through water while Pharaoh and his army are destroyed. Conclusion: This chapter is hard to see isnt it? The cruelty of Pharaoh is hard to stomach. Yet, as hard as it is, Id like to draw out one grand lesson from it for us today. Church, there is a gospel pattern to see here. Can you see it? As Moses the deliverer was born into this dark background, so too Jesus our Deliverer was born into a similarly dark background. The lives of both Moses and Jesus are threatened by a ruling king, at first secretly and then openly. Both children are rescued in the nick of time, while other children are slaughtered in a vain attempt to remove the perceived threat.[16] Lesson? Into our darkness, the light of redemption comes. This chapter ends with a river running red with the blood of innocent children. It ends with fear, cruelty, and silence from heaven, or so it seems. But what does chapter 2 begin with? A babys cry. Church, this is often how God works. In the darkest moments, He plants the seed of deliverance. When evil shouts loudest, God whispers through faithful midwives, mothers, and ordinary acts of obedience rooted in fear of the Lord. Hes not absent. Hes preparing the way. You may be in your own Exodus 1 seasonfacing injustice, pressure, or suffering that seems unending. But take heart.The God who sees your oppression is the same God who raises up a deliverer. Just as Moses was born against this dark background of Pharaohs making, so too Jesus came against the dark background of Herods making. And just as Moses would one day lead Israel out into freedom, so too,Jesus has come to free usfrom our sin, our shame, our suffering, and from every Pharaoh this world can throw at us. Perhaps what the Church needs every now and then is a new Pharaoh who doesnt know our Joseph to remind us where our hope truly is. So dont lose hope in the dark. The darker the night, the brighter His redemption will shine. Hold fast. Fear the Lord. And look to our great Deliverer, the Lord Jesus. [1]Douglas K. Stuart, Exodus NAC (Brentwood, TN: BH Publishing, 2006) 62. [2] Victor P. Hamilton, Exodus: An Exegetical Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2023) 7. [3] Stuart, 63. [4] Hamilton, 8. [5] Stuart, 64. [6] Stuart, 65-66. [7] Stuart, 66. [8] John I. Durham, Exodus - WBC (Waco TX: Word Books, 1987) 8. [9] Philip Graham Ryken, Exodus: Saved for Gods Glory Preaching the Word Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2015) 34. [10] Ryken, 34-35. [11] Hamilton, 13. [12] Brevard S. Childs, The Book of Exodus (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004) 17. [13] Stuart, 73. [14] Stuart, 74. [15] John D. Currid, Genesis 1:1-25:18 - EP Study Commentary (Holywell, UK: Evangelical Press, 2015) 47. [16] Childs, 21.

I love books. Many of you who know me know that, but what you might not know is that theres one part of every book that I enjoy a lot, and that is the introduction. Whether its called an introduction, a preface, a prologue, or a foreword, it is in this section where we the reader find out whats coming in the pages ahead. Consider the introduction to J.R.R. Tolkiens The Lord of the Rings. The prologue is called Concerning Hobbits and in these pages were introduced to the fanciful little creatures present in the entire tale. We learn about their history, about their culture and customs, about what excites them, what strikes fear into them, what frustrates them, and more. If you skip this prologue youll still read the same story, but itll take you more time to understand the hobbits and get acclimated to all characters in it. But, if you read the prologue youll be primed and ready to enjoy the epic tale that follows. The moral of the story is thisdont skip the introductions!! Now, I begin with this because today were beginning a new sermon series through the book of Exodus, and since were beginning a new book today, introductory matters are in order. If were going to begin Exodus well, we need to understand some things about it, like who wrote it, who first read it, what its purpose is, and why its in our Bibles to begin with at all. So today is all about introductory matters! If you look at the bookmark you were given on your way in this morning youll see what were doing today. Ill begin with basic information about Exodus, and then finish by looking at the first passage of Exodus, 1:1-7 which shows us more about this grand book were beginning today. The Basics of Exodus The Title Many just assume the title of this second book in the Bible is Exodus, and it is, but its not quite that simple. In the original Hebrew the title of this book is just the first few words of the book, Va Elleh Sem וְאֵלֶּהשְׁמוֹת or in English, And these are the names This begs the question, where did the name Exodus come from? Answer: it came from the Greek translation of this book.[1] The Greek word for departure is exodos, so they chose this word as the title to highlight the plot and storyline of the book, Israels departure from Egypt. The Author Simply put, we believe Moses wrote Exodus.[2] There are a few reasons we believe this. First, all throughout Genesis-Deuteronomy we find its Moses in view. Moses being with God, Moses being told to write down what God told him, and Moses instructing the people of God. So we believe that to be the case, that what God told him to write down is what we have here in these first five books. Second, the rest of the OT believes Moses wrote these first five books. Every OT author after Moses points back to Law of God given through Moses as the rule and guide for all of life. And fourteen other OT authors refer to Moses by name and what he wrote down, and how Israel as a nation should turn back to his writing. Third, almost every NT author refers to Moses and what he wrote, with Jesus Himself being the primary example of this. Lastly, a case from history. That Moses wrote Genesis-Deuteronomy was a given until the dawn of the enlightenment when all sorts of things longed believed started to be doubted. All and all, we believe Moses is the author of Exodus. The Structure The book of Exodus is big, containing 40 chapters. Throughout these chapters we see many familiar and important events like the revelation of Gods name at the burning bush, the plagues God sends to Egypt along with the signs and wonders accompanying, the Exodus itself, the pillar of cloud by day and fire by night, the parting of the Red Sea, the manna from heaven, the giving of the Law, the golden calf, Moses shining face, and the creation of the Tabernacle. There is certainly much to see here. But these 40 chapters contains two large sections, that are easy to spot. Exodus 1-18 presents Gods gracious redemption in Israels rescue out of Egypt. And Exodus 19-40 presents Gods gracious covenant with Israel at Sinai. These two large sections really do contain to two main events in this book as a whole: the Exodus and the giving of the Law. The View of God The book of Exodus is foundational for creating a proper view of God. What I mean when I say that is that the book of Exodus shows us foundational realities about who God is and what knowing and obeying God looks like. In all that happens throughout this book, we discover that the real hero of Exodus is God.so to read this book is to encounter God[3] as a God who reveals Himself to His people. There are many moments to choose from where this is clearly displayed. First of all we see this in chapter 3 at the burning bush, that God is the I AM, that He has aseity, that He is fully and gloriously independent, that He doesnt have to reveal Himself to us, but He does, and as He reveals Himself we learn about Him. About His nature and about His character. We see God reveal Himself in the plagues He brings against Egypt. Not merely that He is attacking Pharaoh in these plagues trying to get him to let Israel go. But that in each of the plagues God is contending with and crushing the gods of Egypt, showing all how He is far greater, far truer, and far stronger than all that the Egyptians place their hope in. We see God reveal Himself in His Law that He gives to Israel at Mt. Sinai. His character shines forth from His Law in wondrous ways, such that we see in the Law what God has done to save His people and give them an identity, what God values, what God desires, how God is pleased, and how God graciously orders the chaotic lives of all His people. One last example, we see God reveal Himself in the lofty statement about Himself in chapter 34, The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the childrens children, to the third and the fourth generation. Simply put, in Exodus we learn that God is a God who reveals Himself to His people. This is good news for us. That God would be so kind to continue to shape and refine our view of Him, is a gift of grace. That is why I say the book of Exodus does much to create a proper view of God. The Purpose When we look into the purpose of a book, what were really asking is why was this book written? Asking that question of Exodus gives us two answers. The first purpose of Exodus is to tell the story of Israels salvation and rescue from slavery in Egypt. This is the immediate context. In this immediate context well see many things and learn many lessons. Well see Israel in despair, in agony, and in suffering, crying out to God for rescue. In these moments well learn much about what to do in our own despair, agony, and suffering, and how we ought to cry out to God as well. Well also see Israel sin, grumble, and complain about their circumstances and trials again and again. In these moments well see much of our own sin, grumbling, and complaining. Well see Israels enemies come against them, and in these moments well learn much about how the world often comes against us. Well see Moses lead Israel, sometimes out of joy and other times out of anguish and anger at other times. In Moses well see much of ourselves too, as well as what life is like as a leader of Gods people. All this and more, is given to us in the immediate context. Second, there is another purpose of Exodus. Theres the immediate context of the book, weve already seen that, but we cannot stop with that. We look at Exodus to see the immediate context, yes, but when we look through Exodus at the rest of the Bible and we see the Christological context of the book. What I mean is this. Exodus gives us a preview of the gospel. As sinful and enslaved Israel is saved by God from Pharaoh only to plunder Egypt as they walk out in freedom, we see a great foreshadowing of our greater redemption. Our redemption is from a greater slavery in sin, from a greater Pharaoh in the Devil, and our redemption leads to a greater freedom in the defeat of all evil. We must embrace both of these contexts of Exodus. The immediate context shows us much about this moment in Israels history, while the Christological context shows us much about what this moment means in the whole story of the Bible. To focus only on the immediate context would be neglecting the whole Bible context, and to focus only on the Christological context would be neglecting the OT context. So we must see both. Know this. The Bible is a big book, and it is about a lot of things. But there is a central plotline. The big idea in all of Scripture is not that the cosmos is going to be renewed (though it will) or that God must be obeyed (though He should). The big idea in all Scripture is not that the Bible contains mysteries to be explored or a journey to be experienced. The central plotline in Scripture is about how God glorifies Himself in sinners being saved. Thus, salvation is the central theme of our reading of the Bible, preaching of the Bible, and the mission of the Church.[4] That is where Ill end our introductory matters for Exodus. If youd like more than what Ive given you here, come and ask me, I can give you certainly a lot more to explore the book of Exodus. For now see our second heading today The Beginning of Exodus Now we begin the text. Follow along as I read Exodus 1:1-7. These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. All the descendants of Jacob were seventy persons; Joseph was already in Egypt. Then Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation. But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them. There are two big ideas to see in these verses. The first is that the story continues on. This initial passage here serves as a bridge between Genesis and Exodus, reminding us that the story God began in Genesis is still developing in Exodus. So v1-7 connects the two books, reminding us of what has been, while also bringing us up to speed with the current moment. Specifically, while Genesis ended with an extended look at Joseph and his brothers and how they got to Egyptnow we learn its longer just the sons of Abraham in view, but a strong a numerous people.[5] In other words, what were being told here is that the story no longer is just about a family, but about a nation.[6] The second big idea to see in these verses is the immense growth of the Hebrew people. This really stands out in v7. But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them. All the main words and verbs in v7 bring us back to the early chapters of Genesis. To Genesis 1:28 where God blesses Adam and Eve, and instructs them to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it. Note that in Genesis this was a command, and that here in Exodus we find these same words not as a command but as a description of what was happening. This means the Hebrews were being faithful to God, doing what they were supposed to be doing. But not only so. Yes they were being obedient to Gods original call, but this highlights more than just their obedience, it highlights Gods faithfulness to His promises made to Abraham. Moses desires we see more than a hint of miraculous growth, he wants us to recall a promise![7] In Gen. 1 Adam received the command to be fruitful and multiply. In Gen. 9 Noah received the command as well. But in Gen. 12-17 Abraham receives, not a command but a promisethat God would multiply his descendants as the stars of heaven and as the sand on the seashore. v7 shows us that God has kept this promise. Even though it was centuries later the family of Abraham has become a vast people. What a lesson there is for us in this, Church. God made a promise and kept His promise, yes. But it was years and years and years before His faithfulness was evident and visible. Lesson? God has made us many promises in the gospel. The gospel itself is a promise of a coming redeemer to crush the snake and save us from our sins. He made this promise long ago in the Garden and has kept in Christ the Son. In Christ, God has now made more promises to us. To keep us, grow us, sanctify us, be with us, and one day return for us. Though the cruelness and severity of life can truly make it seem like God is distant, or does not care, or has abandoned us, we must remember v7. God might seem slow to keep His promises, but He always does. Thus, we can always trust Him. Conclusion: So what have we seen today? Weve seen that Exodus is not a self-contained story on its own but is the continuation of the story that began in the beginning of the book of Genesis.[8] And now its a story God is moving into its next chapter. And yet, as weve said, Exodus shows us much about the gospel. So much that Luke picks up the very word exodus itself to describe the work Jesus came to do. In his own description of the transfiguration, Luke says this in 9:30-31, And behold, two men were talking with Him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His departure, which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Did you hear it? When Luke wants to describe the work of Jesus in dying for, rising for, and redeeming sinnersthe word Luke uses is exodus! So in the book of Exodus as we see God rescue Israel, we get a preview of the work of Christ. But there is even more of Christ to see in Exodus. There is one verse that just might change our whole view of the Exodus event. In the small letter of Jude, near the end of the NT, he refers to the Exodus in v5 and speaks of Jesus who saved a people out of Egypt. So in Exodus we not only get a preview of the work of Christ, according to Jude 5 the Exodus itself is the work of Christ! All in all, Church, we live in a culture that often forgets its history. Why should we care about a 3,000-year-old book about a bunch of slaves being rescued? Because the God of Exodus is still writing stories of rescue today, with you and with me. We arent in bondage to Pharaoh, but all of us are oppressed by sins of all kinds. Exodus tells us: God is a God who saves, rescues, and brings chaos into beauty. Exodus invites us to rediscover not only ourselves as sinners, but God as Savior, the One who moves heaven and earth to rescue His people. So as we journey through Exodus, lets expect God to move in power, expect Him to speak, expect Him to work in marvelous ways. Prayer: Lord, bless our time in Exodus, beyond what we can ask or imagine, we pray in Jesus name, amen. [1] Matthew R. Newkirk, Exodus A 12 Week Study (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2015) 7. [2] John D. Currid, Genesis 1:1-25:18 - EP Study Commentary (Holywell, UK: Evangelical Press, 2015) 2831. [3] Philip Graham Ryken, Exodus: Saved for Gods Glory Preaching the Word Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2015) 20. [4] Kevin DeYoung, Daily Doctrine (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2024) 236. [5] Currid, 35. [6] Currid, 38. [7] John I. Durham, Exodus - WBC (Waco TX: Word Books, 1987) 5. [8] Brevard S. Childs, The Book of Exodus (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004) 2.

Watch at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XevLSyOVV3M

Praying & Not Losing Heart Luke 18:1-8 Introduction: Ill never forget the day when my children were born. I experienced this three times now and each one was different and unique in their own way. When Jack was born Holly and I didnt have a clue what to expect. So there we were, the birth went great, Holly did great, and we were new parents. After the initial birth moments and protocol they took Jack over to a table to examine him to confirm if he was healthy or not, and the first thing they did was gently hit him with this rubber instrument to get him to cry. Apparently, this is important because a newborn babys first cry helps clear the lungs of fluid, signals that the baby is breathing on their own, and ensures that oxygen is properly circulating through the body. Well, Jack was a very calm newborn. When they took him over and started gently hitting him with this rubber thing he didnt cry, he just gave them a general look of displeasure, that said, Excuse me, why are you hitting me? They kept it up and eventually he did cry out, and they were satisfied that he was fine. Why tell you this? Well, Jacks first act of crying out is a lot like prayer. How so? As the first sign of life in a baby when theyre born is the act of crying out, so too the first sign of life in a man or woman when theyre born again is praying.[1]As soon as conversion happens the new child of God naturally cries out to our Father in heaven. Prayer, then, is one of the clearest marks of a true Christian. Weve covered a lot in our summer series on the marks of a healthy church. Weve looked at expository preaching, gospel doctrine, conversion, evangelism, church membership, church discipline, discipleship, and leadership. Today we come to the topic of prayer. Meat: Rather than simply discussing prayer as a topic on its own, Ive chosen to go to a favorite text of mine to show you prayer in action. The text is Luke 18:1-8. Ive broken the text up into three headings for us. See first The Point (v1) And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. To really lean into the glory of v1 we must look before it and dip into chapter 17. There in Luke 17 Jesus was asked when the Kingdom of God would come, and when He would return. Jesus answer is hard but honest and encouraging. In v22 Jesus answered saying, The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. He goes on to say that the days of His return will be like the days of Noah and the days of Lot. Where so many reject the Lord, give way into sin without abandon, and will be suddenly swept away like the generations of the flood and Sodom and Gomorrah. So before Christ returns there will be times of great pain and suffering, and we His people will eagerly desire His return, but well have to wait in faith until that great day and not lose heart.[2] Go back to Luke 18 here before us. In v1 Jesus has much to say to us about this. Directly after speaking about His return, you know what we find? We find the words of 18:1, And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. That 18:1 comes after the content in chapter 17, means, in this present time were in right now, we will suffer, unbelief will rise, and there will be many reasons to stop praying and to lose heart, reasons outside of us and reasons inside of us. Outside of us, the world and its lostness and sin and ill-intent toward the Church will cause many to lose heart and abandon the faith. Inside of us, well also face many temptations to stop praying and lose heart. We might truly desire to pray for all the lostness we see in the world, but we could very easily grow callous to it all, becoming more eager to see Gods judgment come down than Gods grace and mercy to be embraced. Or, we may truly desire to pray, but we struggle to believe that God wants to do anything with the world anymore. Or, we may truly desire to not lose heart, but we sense our heart growing more inclined to the sinfulness of the world and so our desire to pray slowly evaporates. Or, we pray for God to provide and as far as we can see it doesnt seem like He has heard us. Or, we pray for a loved one to come to Christ and they grow in their hostility towards Christ. Or, we pray for our own growth and yet we just cant seem to get out of certain ruts. Putting all of this together, we all could very easily lose heart. Jesus knows this. And so He kindly gives us this parable to enable us to keep heart, and to help us to keep on praying even when we might want to give up. Thats the main idea here today. Dont you love how its just given to us right there in v1? Its clear as day what this is all about. Well, now that we know the point, lets hear the parable. The Unjust Judge (v2-5) He said, In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, Give me justice against my adversary. For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming. Every good story has easy to spot main characters, and here we have just that, a judge and a widow, a man and a woman, one in a position of power and the other in a position of great need.[3] We learn about the judge first, and from all we see he looks less than promising.[4] So much so some even call this parable, the parable of the unjust judge. Clearly then, the character of this judge is in sharp contradiction to his calling. 2 Chronicles 19 is often used as the standard for all judges when it says in v6-7, Consider what you do, for you judge not for man but for the Lord. He is with you in giving judgment. Now then, let the fear of the Lord be upon you. Be careful what you do, for there is no injustice with the Lord our God, or partiality, or taking bribes. The description we have of this judge shows he lacks what is needed to be a judge. He could care less about fearing God and could care less about respecting man. Now Ive never been too law school, Ive never been a judge and very likely wont ever be a judge, but it seems to me this guy isnt a good judgebecause if its justice youre after, clearly the fearing and honoring the God of justice on one hand and respecting men and women enough to see no one suffers from injustice on the other hand would do a great deal of good. Yet ironically enough, this judge is aware of how unfit he is. In v4 he admits to these very things! So this is the judge. We learn about the widow next. From everything we see of her, its easy see how desperate her situation is. So much so some even call this parable, the parable of the persistent widow. She is a bit more complex than the judge. The main thing to see is that she is a widow, which in this culture wouldve made her one of the most helpless and defenseless people in society.[5] Widows were often abused, oppressed, neglected. Think of the some of the more well-known widows in Scripture. Among many others, Naomi and Ruth come to mind first for me. Both were in a dire situation, and if it werent for the kindness of Boaz they wouldve likely met a quick end. This widow here is similar. Now, dont miss one more thing about this widow, because it creates the conflict Jesus will use to teach us about prayer. This widow was wronged. It says she kept coming to this judge for justice and it mentions her adversary/enemy in v3. Whatever it was that happened, she had been the victim of grave injustice. But she was a poor widow, so she couldnt bribe this judge, and no one else came to her defense, so she did the only thing she could do, plead for justice, and plead she did. In v5 we see it happening. She was so persistent in her pleading it prompted a response from the judge. He speaks in v5 saying, Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming. The judge was bothered by her continual pleading with him about her case. But theres more to it than just him being bothered. The phrase here beat me down is an unusual Greek phrase which literally means to strike or blacken ones eye.[6] See what Jesus means for us to understand in this? The widow came to the judge and pleaded so much with him that he began feeling beat up by her, as if they were in a boxing match and she was winning. So even though she came to him pleading her cause, she pleads so effectively that the judge actually gives in, pleads with her to stop, and executes justice on her behalf. Thats the parable. Now see where Jesus takes it. The Just Judge (v6-8) And the Lord said, Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth? Now we come to it, the grand lesson of the parable for all who read it. But perhaps its best to begin with a caution. Please do not interpret this is a manner that makes God out to be like this judge. As if the point of the parable was simply that if we pester and bother God enough, like this widow, God will give into our requests because hes so sick of our persistence in prayer. Dont do that. The parable isnt meant to be a one-to-one correlation, but a lesson of contrast.[7] A how much more kind of argument. Meaning, if the unjust judge grants the request of the widow, how much more will God, the Just Judge over all, always and ever more give justice to His people as they cry out to Him? How much more can God be relied on than this wicked judge who only doled out justice when it served his own desires and comfort? If there is hope in such a case as this one before us, how much better will it go for us when we are coming before the Lord knowing that were His people? You see, God is not like this judge. The judge here is described in a manner that undermines all our confidence in him. Being one who doesnt fear God nor have any respect for man he is exactly what a judge shouldnt be![8] God on the other handis exactly what a judge should be. God is good. God is gracious. God loves His own. God is just. Abraham was right when he confidently spoke the words of Genesis 18:25 saying, Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just? Yes He shall! The early Church father Cyril of Alexandria, speaking on this parable said, How will not he who loves mercy and hates iniquity, and who always gives his helping hand to those that love him, accept those who draw near to him day and night and avenge them as his elect?[9] Church, this contrast between the unjust judge and God is meant to do something to us. Remember v1? And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. Thus, what we learn of God in this parable is meant to encourage us toward a deeper and more fervent and more persistent prayer. Consider how some of the content of this parable does just that. First, God is just. For God to be just not only means He always does what is right. It means what He does is always the standard of what is right. This means no one ever receives injustice from God. If one believes in Christ and is redeemed they receive mercy from God, and if one rejects Christ and is damned they receive justice from God. The one thing no one ever receives from God is injustice. Why? Because God is just. Now apply this to prayer. In the world even though judges and lawyers work hard, sometimes cases end unjustly. Maybe the wrong guy gets punished, maybe the bad guy goes free, maybe no one gets what they deserve. That God is just means we always have One who will hear us, always have One who will defend us, always have One who will work to right wrongs done against us, and always have One who will bring matters to a just end. Even if the whole world turns against us, we always have Gods ear, and we can always trust that He will bring every matter to conclusion in the end. Thus, we can always pray in great hope, because God is just. Second, God is sovereign. How fascinating that Gods sovereignty is included in this parable? In v7 we are referred to as Gods elect, Gods chosen people. This is not really the time or the text to go into a massive explanation of the doctrine of election and predestination. But I will say this. Many people take issue with this doctrine, saying it robs us of our free will, that it makes it robots, and that it drains the desire to evangelize and to even pray. Dont miss it Church. Jesus Himself uses the truth of our election to spur us onto deeper and more fervent and more persistent prayer. How does this work? What does election mean for how we pray? Our election ought to remind us that we are not like this helpless widow. We are the chosen of God, the very ones He set His love on from before the foundation of the world.[10] That were saved isnt some accident, or result of any decision weve made, no. Our salvation is from the Lord, rooted in Gods grace in Christ given to us in eternity past, that carries us into eternity future. This widow was truly helpless, we are not. Prayer brings us before the God who knows us, cares for us, greatly loves us, and the God who has promised to never us let go! Sovereign election drains our desire to pray? Hogwash! Gods elect are described here as a people who cry out to God day and night[11], because, election precisely gives us great confidence in prayer![12] Third, God is our Father. Look at the v7b-8, Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. In these words I hear the reminder that God is our Father. Just as any good earthly father desires to hear their childrens concerns and do whatever is in their power to help them, so too God, as our Father, loves to hear us and wants us to know Hes working speedily for us. You see that little detail there? He will not delay long, but will come through! Yes, His timing is not our timing, true. Yes, God doesnt always answer our prayer exactly as we desire Him to. And yes, He may delay in answering us. But any difference in answer or delay in timing from God doesnt mean denial or dismissal.[13] After all, in the gospel God becomes heavenly Father. Church, though much can cause us to lose heart and give up on prayer, here is what this parable teaches us: dont lose heart, but keep on praying. Why? Because God is just. God is sovereign. And God is our Father in the gospel, who will always hear us and come to our aid. Conclusion: Theres one more matter to attend to here isnt there? See it in the end of v8? Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth? What is this? Its so like Jesus to end a parable with a surprising twist. But on further thought, its not all that surprising.[14] He had discussed His return in chapter 17, and had just told us here to keep persevering in prayer until that day. Now though, we find a question about the state of things at His return. Heres the gist: when the Son of Man comes as He promised in chapter 17, will Jesus find His people praying like He taught us here in chapter 18? Or will His people have lost heart and stopped praying? In one sense this question is easy to answer. Yes, Jesus will find robust and prayerful faith when He returns because He will keep His people till the end. But in another sense, here is the most pointed question for us: when Jesus returns, will He find you still praying? Still trusting? Still crying out? Not because youre so strong, but because He is so faithful. [1] J.C. Ryle, Practical Religion (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 2013) 61. [2] R.C. Sproul, Luke, St. Andrews Expositional Commentary (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust Publishing, 2020), 453. [3] Philip Graham Ryken, Luke 13-24, Reformed Expository Commentary (Phillipsburg, NJ: PR, 2009), 246. [4] John Nolland, Luke 9:21-18:34, WBC (Dallas, Texas: Word Books, 1993), 867. [5] Hughes, Luke: That You May Know the Truth, 619. [6] Nolland, Luke 9:21-18:34, 868. [7] Norval Geldenhuys, The Gospel of Luke, NICNT (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1972), 446. [8] Nolland, Luke 9:21-18:34, 871. [9] Quoted in Ryken, Luke 13-24, 248. [10] Hughes, Luke: That You May Know the Truth, 620. [11] J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on Luke, vol. 2 (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 2015), 18990. [12] Ryken, Luke 13-24, 249. [13] Ryken, 250. [14] Ryken, 253.

Biblical Leadership Hebrews 13:17 Introduction: We have set aside the summer for a sermon series on the marks that make up a healthy church. We have been going through these marks, not just because SonRise is a part of the 9Marks church network, but because we believe these marks are the ingredients that make a healthy ministry. Weve looked at expository preaching, gospel doctrine, conversion, evangelism, church membership, church discipline, and discipleship. Today we come to biblical leadership. To begin exploring this topic Id like you to take you on a brief tour of the history of western civilization. Its possible to define the history of the western world in three large time periods. First is whats called the premodern world, where it was commonly accepted by all that God had all the answers. So if anyone wanted to know the truth, have meaning, or gain a sense of purpose or identity they would look to God to show them the proper path. Then the renaissance or the enlightenment happened and ushered the premodern world into the modern world. In the modern world no longer was it believed that God had the answers. For the first time in history, it was commonly accepted by all that man had all the answers. So if anyone wanted to know the truth, have meaning, or gain a sense of purpose or identity they would look to themselves. This time period went on for a while and gave rise to some of the worst leaders in world history. Dictator after dictator burst onto the scene saying I have the answers, follow me! Masses and masses of people followed these leaders and died because of them. Slowly but surely people began growing weary of those who abused authority by claiming to have all the answers. This weariness gave rise to the next revolution of thought and culture. The modern world which believed man had all the answers became postmodern world where people didnt want answers. No longer do we look to leaders to give us truth, meaning, or a sense of purposepostmodern man doesnt think truth, meaning, or purpose really matters. Truth is relative and different for each person they say. This postmodern revolution still rages on today and largely at the center of it is a suspicion of authority, so much so in our day the exercise of authority is thought of as the abuse of authority. I begin by discussing this history because when it comes to this mark of a healthy church, when it comes to church leadership, one thing comes squarely into view authority. Our text to examine biblical leadership is Hebrews 13:17, you heard it read earlier, now lets take the time to walk through it slowly, phrase by phrase, seeing what God calls us to in it. Meat: Three headings work through: the duty of the people, the duty of the elders, and the shared delight of both. The Duty of the People In chapter Hebrews 13, v17 comes to us within the larger context of 13:10-21 where God gives instructions for how His people are to do life within His Church. The instruction in view in v17, obedience and submission, is the third one mentioned in this larger passage.[1] The same leaders the author calls us to consider and imitate back in 13:7, he calls us to submit to and obey in v17. See this for yourself in the first phrase of v17, Obey your leaders and submit to them I know the words obey and submit may bring negative ideas such as a strong leader forcing a weak follower to do something they dont want to do, or a leader intentionally making someone feel underneath or lesser than they are. Maybe even the idea of physical or emotional abuse comes to mind when you hear these words. This is not whats in view in this idea of obedience and submission. Rather the call for people to obey and submit to these leaders is a call to have a certain kind of heart attitude toward the leadership of the church. This kind of heart attitude is one of confiding in, trusting in, relying on, placing hope and confidence in, to yield to, willingly being convinced by, believing, assenting to, to listening to, and even following. All of these are possible translations for this first phrase in v17. These images describe what the character and behavior of every person within the local church ought to look like. Rather than seeing the leaders of the church as simply managers of people and programs, were called by God to see the leaders (specifically the elders of the church) as set apart and gifted men of God who are called by God to lead the people of God. So in a very real and weighty sense, to not obey and submit to them is to not obey and submit to God. Of course this duty of obedience and submission is not a call to a blanket obedience and submission.[2] If any of the elders, ever call you to do something the Bible forbids, or call you to not do something the Bible commands, it is your duty to disobey in order to obey God. Sadly, throughout history and even in our day, we dont have to look very far to find examples of this kind of pastoral abuse. Its often joked about but Jim Jones really did strong arm 900 of his followers into drinking poisoned Kool-Aid. Other more recent pastors of well known churches really did bully their congregations into submission for years before they were asked to resign. Whats the lesson here? If a leader ever calls you to something sinful or bullies you into submission, that leader is out of order and rather than leading with consensus and example theyre leading with command and coercion. But, insofar as the elders of a church lead and call you to live in line with the Bible, v17 says it is our duty and ought to be our first instinct to obey and submit to them. Paul asked the church in Thessalonica to do this very thing in 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 saying, We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and admonish you and are over you in the Lord, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. When elders lead like this the church grows in peace, love, unity, and order is created within the church. But, questions might still remain. For example, why are the members of a church called to obey and submit to the elders of that church? Weve gotten hints of the reason, but the next phrase in Hebrews 13:17 clarifies it fully for us. So weve seen the duty of the people, now see The Duty of the Elders Look at the next phrase in v17, Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls as those who will have to give an account. As we saw leadership from the view of the people in the first phrase of v17, we now see leadership from the view of the elder in the second phrase of v17. The connecting word between the duty of the people and the duty of the elders is that little word for. The meaning is that the people should obey and submit to their elders for (or since or because) the elders are keeping watch over their souls. In other words the reason the people are to willingly obey and submit to the elders is because their elders are already willingly keeping watch over their souls. The obedience and submission of the people is a response to the watchful shepherding of the elders. This is the order presented to us in v17. Lets go a little deeper and ask what does keeping watch look like? The word translated as keeping watch is the Greek word agrupneo which literally means to keep awake. So v17 is really saying, Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are staying awake, or keeping awake, over your souls. These elders, therefore, are diligently doing a kind of pastoral care that caused them to stay awake or to lose sleep. Why would an elder lose sleep because of pastoral care you may ask? It could be that they lost sleep because true pastoral care demands being available at any hour of the night. Or it could be that they lost sleep because true pastoral care is sometimes so painful that it doesnt allow sleep to come easily. Both are likely in view, because both are an ever present reality for the elder. The image coming forth of this kind of pastoral care that elders willingly take on themselves is the image of a shepherd tending a flock. Remember the small detail given of the shepherds in the nativity story? They were keeping watch over their flocks by night (Luke 2:8).[3]Picture these shepherds. While the sheep sleep peacefully, they watch, scanning the horizon for predators, ready to defend them, even if it costs him. Thats the image Hebrews 13:17 wants us to carry when thinking of faithful elders. The elder to be ever watchful of the sheep. When multiple demands are pressing, when people are joining, when people are straying, when counsel is needed and accepted, when counsel is needed and given but rejected, when sermons have been prepared and preached, when much prayer has spent, its the elder who loses sleep over the congregation. You ever thought about this? For the elder, deep joy is truly had over those who are walking with the Lord and growing. The apostle John speaks of this in 3 John 4, I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. Yet the opposite is also true. Deep sorrow and grief is felt over those who are diving into sin, ignoring counsel, or slowly drifting away. Paul speaks of this when he says he feels a daily pressure and anxiety for all the churches (2 Cor. 11:28). So, what does church leadership like? It looks like a group of elders willingly watching over and shepherding a congregation, experiencing daily joy mixed with grief over the congregation, which can and often does result in them losing sleep. As if the weightiness of pastoral work and care were not already heavy, the author of Hebrews brings it to a whole other level saying, for they are keeping watch over your souls as those who will have to give an account. Yes elders are shepherds of the congregation and are truly responsible to the congregation for how they shepherd. But there is a great Shepherd they must answer to, the Good Shepherd Himself, Christ. To Christ, then, every under-shepherd will have to give an answer for how he led, cared for, admonished, taught, pursued, counseled, and loved Christs sheep. 1 Peter 5:2-4 speaks of this weightiness also when it calls elders to, shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. God truly gives the elders and increased responsibility but with that comes an increased accountability.[4] Knowing that God is ultimately the one with whom the elder has to deal, is also another reason why sleep can easily flee. Gods people are just that, His people. Elders dont have people, they shepherd Gods people. v17 doesnt end there. Weve seen the duty of the people, the duty of the elders, and now the author adds one more phrase to v17 and in that phrase we see our last point The Shared Delight of Both v17 ends by saying, Let them do this with joy and not with groaning for that would be of no advantage to you. This final phrase calls the people to so live underneath the authority of their elders that the elders find shepherding them a joy and not a source of grief or groaning. Why? So all would benefit. The opposite of this is just as true. As all benefit when the people obey and submit, so too, all are wounded/stunted when the people disobey and refuse to submit. See here not only that personal actions have congregational implications, see here that God calls you to a shared delight with your elders. A delight that is deep and rich and joyful in the care of your soul. For the people to pursue this joy and for the elders to pursue this joy will profit the whole people.[5] Paul thanked the Philippians for this in Phil. 1:3-4, I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy Paul thanked the Thessalonians for this as well, telling them in 1 Thess. 2:19-20, For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at His coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy. And again in 1 Thess. 3:9, For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God I want to be careful here, lest too much is given to the elder. v17 has been abused from pastors all around the globe in strong arming congregations to bend to their own desires. When in reality, v17 is a call for pastors to have joy in serving and loving a people who take joy in having their souls attended to. Both the people and the elders must be willingly gracious with each other, or both their joy will be small. Conclusion: Let me sum all this up briefly. Paul, the apostles, and every elder ever since are not Christ. Christ is Christ. That is clear. But when elders lead like Christ, and the people submit to them like Christ, the joy of Christ abounds in all. True leadership within the Church and true membership within the Church is always a reflection of the gospel. What is the gospel? Its the good news that Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that He might present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish (Eph 5:25-27). The love of Christ toward His Church is a costly love. Its a sacrificial love. Its a love loaded with good news. This gospel love is a model for how the elders are to lead and love the congregation as under-shepherds. This gospel love is also a model for how the people obey, submit to, and follow the elders. And this gospel love creates gospel joy among the congregation when both the elders and the people respond to one another as theyre called to. True leadership within the Church begins by the gospel, is upheld by the gospel, and lasts by the gospel. But, perhaps you think this is all too arranged, or structured and think because of this heavy structure that true love cannot be possible within the Church. People submitting and obeying, elders ruling and leading. Authority is too often abused, why cant we all just gather together and worship God? Why does there have to be any kind of authority or system of leadership in the church? Well, as much as some want to throw out the baby with the bathwater when it comes to authoritywithout the authority of elders the church would feel like a car with no controls, a busy intersection with no traffic lights, a board game with no rules, a home with no parents, and a road with no guard rails. A church without the authority of elders may go on for sometime, but in time it would not only become chaotic, it would become tragic.[6] Sure there are many bullies in the pulpit and these men will have to give an account for that one day, but dont overlook the fact that bullies can also exist in the pew. You may think its your calling to keep the pastor humble or in line, its not. Its your job to live joyfully under the leadership of the elders, and its the elders job to lead faithfully under the Great and Good Shepherd, Christ. Questions are in order: I ask my fellow elders: is this us? Do we lead SonRise in a manner that shows the sacrificial and costly love of Christ? How are laying your life down for the people? This is our call. I ask all the members of SonRise: is this you? Do you live in such a way to make it hard for your elders to lead you with joy? Do you follow and submit or do you bite back and vex? This is your call. Perhaps I can say it like this: Church leadership isnt about controlits about care. Its not about powerits about people. And the only way this kind of leadership can flourish is when its shaped by the cross, fueled by grace, and guided by the Chief Shepherd Himself. So lets pray for your elders, support them, follow them as they follow Christ. And lets strive together for the joy of a healthy, gospel-centered church. [1] John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Hebrews, page 440. [2] R. Kent Hughes, Hebrews An Anchor for the Soul, Preaching the Word Commentary, page 463. [3] Thomas Aquinas quoted Luke 2:8 in his own exposition of Hebrews 13:17, see Kent Hughes, page 463. [4] Ibid., page 464. [5] John Piper, Desiring God, page 306. [6] Mark Dever, Nine Marks of a Healthy Church, page 255.

Watch at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNMmwJ6sg1Q&t=4s

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1. The Gospel Proclaimed 2. The Heart Pierced 3. The Call to Repent 4. The Gift of the Spirit 5. The Marks of New Life

1. Gospel Doctrine Informs Right Living (v1) 2. Right Living Adorns Gospel Doctrine (v2-10)

1. Faith (v. 1-4) 2. The Word of Christ (v. 5-13) 3. Hearing (v. 14-21)

We come now to our fourth and final week unfolding our new vision here at SonRise. If youve missed any of these messages, Id encourage you to go back and listen to them to catch up and hear for yourself why were refining and refocusing our vision. To briefly state it all again, here it is. Our main vision is three words: Christ is All. Meaning, Jesus Christ, His Person and His Work, He Himself, is our vision. What does this vision look like as its displayed here in our life together as a church? It looks like three pursuits or three values that have formed us as a people. First, we desire to see Christ in all the Scripture. Second, we desire to honor Christ in all of Life. And third, we desire to spread Christ to all the World. Today we finish this series by focusing on the third pursuit or value in our vision. Since were a people who believe Christ is All, we desire to be a people who ever spread Christ to all the world. As great as that statement is, what does it really mean? What does it really look like in our day to day lives? And can we, small little us in the grand scheme of things, really make a difference in the world for Christ? To answer and explore all this and more today, Id like to take you to Colossians 1:24-27where well see much. My hope for this sermon is simple. By looking at Pauls ministry and message we see a real life pattern were to follow and embrace as a church. Thats my hope. That what we see in Paul, wed be spurred on to live out ourselves. Lets dive in. Pauls Ministry (v24-25) Just v24 to start. Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christs afflictions for the sake of His body, that is, the church There is a lot in this verse that may seem strange to us. We see Paul rejoicing, which isnt strange, but what hes rejoicing in is strange. Paul rejoices in his suffering. And its not just rejoicing in general for hard times hes going through, hes rejoicing in his sufferings for your sake that is, the for the Colossian Church. To make matters more interesting Paul then makes a statement that seems to be blasphemous and heretical, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christs afflictions for the sake of His body, that is, the Church Umm, what? The afflictions of Christ are lacking? More so, does Paul really think that he is finishing or completing what is lacking in Christs afflictions through his suffering? There are clear interpretations of this we do not want to embrace, so what then are we to think of this? Heres what I think is going on. When Jesus said in John 19:30, It is finished! He meant it. So, there is no lack in Christs afflictions if we have His propitiating work in view. His work of satisfying the wrath of God, thats propitiation, if thats in view there is no lack, none at all. But, if were speaking about the afflictions of Christ lacking in their presenting work, there is something lacking. In regard to presentation the afflictions of Christ are lacking, because Christ is now ascended, sitting in heaven, no longer down here where we can see His wounds. That presentation of suffering is exactly what Paul fills up in his body, for the sake of the Church. Here it clearly, Paul is adding nothing to Christs atonement, this verse means that in Pauls sufferings he is displaying and presenting the sufferings of Christ to the Colossians. By speaking with his mouth Paul tells them of the full atoning work of Christ, and by showing them his beaten and bruised body Paul presents to them the work of Christ in his body. In this way Paul is completing what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ by presenting them to the world that cant physically see Jesus body any longer. You know what this means? It means Pauls own sufferings are the means by which people taste and see the sufferings of Christ. The gospel people hear with their ears from Pauls mouth, they see in His body with their eyes. Hear the gospelsee the gospel. Paul wasnt adding to Christs work, He was embodying it in his suffering. His body bore the bruises so others could see the beauty of Christs wounds. The Puritan John Bunyan knew this well. Christian, the main character in The Pilgrims Progress experienced something similar when he first saw the narrow road that leads to life and the wide road that leads to destruction. Looking up at the narrow road he said, This hill, though high, I covet to ascend, the difficulty will not me offend; for I perceive the way to life lies here, come pluck up heart, lets neither faint nor fear; better, though difficult, the right way to go, than wrong, though easy, where the end is woe. Are you catching the flavor of the kind of suffering God brings about in His people for the presentation of the gospel? Its the same flavor Paul has in v24. I think we re so used to the security of comfort and the pursuits of other things in the world that we need to be awakened to what life is really about as Christians. Paul is saved by God, sent out by God, to share the gospel of Christ, and when he preaches or witnesses to the gospel people hear of Christ, but when they see the suffering he bears in his body they see the gospel of Christ. Suffering for Paul wasnt something distracting or unrelated to his ministry, it was a pivotal part of his ministry. Without it, people would have heard yes, but they wouldnt have seen. How kind of God to display the gospel of grace in both word and life through Paul. Church, this kind of life isnt just for Paul, its for us too. Hear some other passages of Scripture that have this same flavor as v24 1 Peter 4:12-14, Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christs sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. James 1:2-4, Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. Hebrews 11:35-38, Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated-of whom the world was not worthywandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. This life of rejoicing and suffering, sharing Jesus and showing Jesus is what v24 is all about. Paul was glad to suffer for the Church, but why did he suffer for the Colossians church? v25 fills out the rest of the picture of Pauls ministry. There Paul says Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christs afflictions for the sake of His body, that is, the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known Here we see something of Pauls own story, of how he became a gospel minister. He says he became a minister of the gospel, according to the stewardship of God that was given to me for you. The stewardship of God, what is that? Well, the word stewardship brings to mind responsibility and duty, or one entrusting something to someone else. Paul mentions this belonging to God though, the stewardship of God. Meaning its Gods prerogative (not mans) as to who is a minister and who isnt. So in this sense Paul is fully aware that his whole ministry was given to him, entrusted to him, not by himself or by the Colossians, but by God, for the Colossians. But why did God entrust and give this ministry to Paul? He gives one primary reason at the end of v25, to make the Word of God fully known. What a calling, what a ministry hes given by God. To preach, to herald, to proclaim, and to spread abroad all the Word to all the world. To this work Paul devoted his life exceptionally, and for this work Paul suffered exceedingly. This is Pauls ministry. Pauls Message (v26-27) If we were to pick one word that summarizes Pauls message, as its described in v26-27, it would be the word mystery. This mystery is why God made him a minister, and it was this mystery that Paul was to preach and spread all over the world, including here among the Colossians. But, I should be quick to point out that Paul means very different things than we usually mean in the word mystery. When we use the word we intend to communicate something that is unknown, unidentified, or secret like the old TV show Unsolved Mysteries. Also, in some Greek and Roman cities in the first century certain hucksters went around claiming that they knew great mysteries that theyd be very eager to share with others, for a fee. This is not what Paul means when he proclaims a mystery, and Paul shames these hucksters by preaching the mystery of the gospel free of charge. Every time the New Testament uses the word mystery and when Paul uses this word here in our text there is a very different meaning. Look at v26-27, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to His saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ is you, the hope of glory. So the mystery Paul is to preach is something that was hidden but now has been made plain. What is the mystery? Its Christ Himself! But why does Paul use the word mystery to speak of Jesus? Well, he means that his preaching and his message is about Gods unfolding plan throughout history of the redemption where God would slowly but surely unfold the beauty and glory of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. This is exactly what it was like for Old Testament saints they believed and welcomed the promises of God looking forward to the day when God would bring them to pass, and though most of them didnt get to see the ultimate fulfillment of Gods promises in Christ, Hebrews 11 says they saw them and welcomed them from afar. Paul boldly states here in his message that the mystery is over meaning, no longer is the fulfillment of all Gods promises waiting for some future date, no longer is the fulfillment of redemptive history hidden from view. It is now plainly revealed in the Person and Work of Christ, Christ in you, the hope of glory. Meaning, God Himself, in the Person of Christ, will be directly and personally present in the lives of His people (thats Christ in you), and His presence assures them of a future life with Him when He returns (thats the hope of glory). This fulfilled mystery is to be the centerpiece of Pauls message. So to preach Christ, as the fulfillment of all, is what Paul means when he says make the Word of God fully known in v25. This is his ministry and message. Now, you might think were done with our passage but there remains one large piece of the puzzle to see. How do we get the substance of our vision from this? Remember today were zooming in on the last phrase in the vision, Since were a people who believe Christ is All, we desire to be a people who ever spread Christ to all the world. How does that come from this? Answer: this message Paul is to spread abroad to all the world, is a missionary message. How do we know that from v27? We see it in the word Gentiles. Did you know the Greek word Gentiles, means a lot more than just those who are not Jews? Thats the usually meaning, right? That there are two groups of people in the world, Jews and Gentiles. It does mean that, but it means so much more than that. The Greek word Gentiles is the word ethnos, and it could also be translated nations. Lets re-read v26-27 with the that translation in view. the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to His saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the nations are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ is you, the hope of glory. See the shift in meaning here when the nations are in view? Pauls calling and ministry, that he suffers greatly for, that hes given by God, is to preach, to herald, to proclaim, and to spread abroad all the Word to all the nations. His message is a missionary message. That Christ came to save a people who were lost and without hope in this world, strangers from the covenants of promise and alienated from God. Hope is now being broadcast to all the nations in the gospel. This brings us back to our vision. If were to be a healthy and faithful church here at SonRise (do you see it?) what compelled Paul must compel us. Pauls message must be our message! Pauls missionary zeal to get all the Word out to all the world must be part of our zeal too. If our ministry is to be a biblical ministry, we must never stop at that door and only have ourselves in view. We must ever have the nations in view. Yes, it was Pauls calling, but its ours too. Paul went, were to be involved in going too. Paul suffered for this, and were to join in that as well, not retreating or shrinking back in fear from hard things, but enduring and persevering for the sake of the nations hearing the gospel, believing the gospel, and growing in the gospel. Church, when we sayChrist is All it means we dont just gather to know Him. We scatter to make Him known. Paul bore scars so the Colossians would see Jesus. What will we bear so the nations can see Christ in us? Weve heard the mystery, the hope of glory: Christ in us. Now its our turn to go and take this message out. This is why we must be about spreading, about healthy missionary effort. This is why we have a missions wall in the back. This is why we give to missions. This is why we raise up and send our own missionaries out, like Tory, like the Abitzs, and like others in the future. This is why we take short term trips. This is why we visit our missionaries to encourage them and join them in the work. This is one of those passages that reminds us of these great realities. That we must ever be a people eager to count it a joy to suffer for the sake of the gospel getting out, carrying the mysteryno longer hidden, but revealed in Christto the ends of the earth. Christ is in us, the hope of glory. The world needs hope. So lets go, spreading all the Word to all the world. Why? So that Christ who is all, would be all in all.

Christ in All of Life Colossians 3:1-4 Introduction: We come now to our third week unfolding our new vision here at SonRise. If youve missed either of the last two weeks messages, Id encourage you to go back and listen to them to catch up and hear for yourself why were refining and refocusing our vision. To briefly state it all again, here it is. Our main vision is three words: Christ is All. Meaning, Jesus Christ, His Person and His Work, He Himself is our vision. What does this vision look like as its displayed here in our life together as a church? First, we desire to see Christ in all the Scripture. Second, we desire to honor Christ in all of Life. And third, we desire to spread Christ to all the World. These three phrases present three values or pursuits that have formed and fueled us here at SonRise for the past decade and were eager to see them continue to thrive. Today were focusing on the second pursuit in the vision. Since were a people who believe Christ is All, we desire to be a people who ever strive to honor Christ in all of life. To explore this today, Id like to take you to Colossians 3:1-4, where we find 4 headings. Our Heavenly Pursuit (v1) v1 begins by saying, If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Immediately Paul reminds us of what hes already said. Back in 2:12-14 Paul said when we believed in Christ we were buried with Christ in baptism, and were raised with Christ in His resurrection by the powerful working of God. By bringing these truths back into focus again Paul explains what being raised with Christ means for us in the here and now. v1 gets at this. The moment we believed in Christ we died with Christ and were raised with Christ. In our death with Christ God severed the bond between our old sinful nature and us, and in our resurrection with Christ God creates a new bond, a bond with our new nature, a bond with the Kingdom of God, and most important of all a bond with Christ who now rules from His throne at the right hand of God. Do you see there is more at play in these verses than merely the death and resurrection of Jesus? Those two things are immense and infinite in their meaning for us, but Paul in v1 goes beyond the resurrection of Jesus towhat? His ascension. seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. His point is clear. Because Christ has ascended and is right now seated above, in our day to day lives were to seek the things that are above. Or I could say it like this. Because believers have died with Christ and risen with the Christ, and because Christ ascended, our lives are to be marked by a pursuit of things that are above rather than a pursuit of things that are below. In the verses that follow well look at what it means to seek the things that are above, to have a heavenly pursuit but before we do dont miss whats being said here, that we right now truly participate in the Kingdom of God. Jesus first coming marked the inauguration of His Kingdom and Jesus ascension marked the inauguration of His rule and reign at Gods right hand. This means His Kingdom has already come on the earth, and because His Kingdom has already come on the earth we who are in Christ are in His Kingdom already.[1] This is the reality of what many have called the already, but not yet or the already, and more to come. By faith in Jesus weve already been welcomed into the Kingdom, yes, but for now were like children playing in the shallow end knowing there is a far deeper end of the pool close at hand. Christians are therefore people who right now live in the Kingdom as well as people who eagerly long for Kingdom to come in full. And as we wait in our life here below, our focus is to be fixed on Him whos over us and over all things, on Christ. By seeking things that are above we bring great honor to Christ. But how does God tell us to seek the things that are above? Our Heavenly Mindedness (v2) v2 continues, Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. So how do we do this thing called the Christian life while we live in this waiting room of the already but not yet? This is the question this text is seeking to answer. And Pauls answer for us is, set your minds on whats above. What does that mean though? The phrase set your minds is one word in Greek, phroneo. This is one of Pauls favorite words (23 of the 26 uses in the NT is from Paul). This words meaning shows what Paul is after. To set our minds on what is above is to incline or give our minds to, wholly entertain, or yield our souls to things that are above, not to things that are on earth. Do you find this a difficult task? I do. We live in a world where theres a strong pull downward. Im speaking in terms of a sinful or fleshly pull away from heavenly things toward earthly things. Its the pull we all feel, making you and I naturally gravitate towards sin more than we desire to grow in righteousness. Its the pull between whats right and wrong but it often feels more like the choice between what is right and what is easy. Even now sitting in a church, a place that is to be marked by the worship of God, Im sure some of you, though here, arent really here at all. Perhaps youre wondering where you left something at home, or how long is this sermon going to be, or thinking what your week ahead is going to look like. Maybe some of you without even knowing are being pulled right now, ever so slightly to let go a little bit and dabble in some secret sin. We are all of us continually and constantly pulled away from Christ to the things of earth. In this we must remember our new address.[2] Let me explain. Each day after work I go home to our house. Back when we moved from Port Richey to New Port Richey I remember those first few weeks finding it difficult to remember that wed moved. Id leave church and naturally Id begin heading to our old house in Port Richey, but then Id remember, Wait a minute. I dont live there anymore, our address is changed. So Id turn around a go the opposite way to our new home. The Christian life is the same. Becoming a Christian changes your address. Thats what v1 said, were raised with Christ now, and this world is no longer our home, therefore we cannot set our minds on the things of the world here below, but on things above. But what does that mean? Does this verse mean that we rid our lives of all the ties and connections we have to things on this earth? We have various relationships, jobs, cars, homes, dogs, cats, bank accounts, clothes, lawn equipment, golf clubs, baby cribs, neighbors, social causes, HOA meetings, and a million and a half other things that exist here on earth. Is Paul teaching that the Christian life is lived rightly by leaving all those things behind? Some have said so throughout the history of the Church, but we would say no. Whats it mean then? Rather than ridding our lives of all things earthly this verse is teaching how we interact with the things of earth must drastically change. How does it change? By setting our minds on things above we recognize that out of all the things we have and all the things were involved in here below there is one thing that rises above all else the Lord Jesus. All else is to be counted as rubbish compared with knowing Christ. Out of all that we can be concerned with Jesus Himself says one concern rises above all, seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you (Matthew 6:33). So, to set your mind on things above means that while we live here in this world and while we have already been spiritually resurrected in the heavens with Christ, it is our life above that must govern our life here below. Or I could say it like this, as we go throughout life and encounter the things of earth, we must think of the things of earth in a heavenly manner. Church, this is real life stuff. Im not speaking in a figurative manner, this changes our day to day living. For example: if you have a boat this verse isnt teaching you to sell your boat, nouse your boat in such a way that people know Jesus is your treasure, not your boat. If youre married dont leave your spouse, nolive as a godly husband or wife with your spouse in such a manner where people know Jesus is your treasure, not your spouse. Whether its children, jobs, cars, clothes, neighbors, hobbies, or anything else under the sun that we have or possess, were to live with these earthly things in such a way that its clear that Jesus is our treasure, not anything else. Church, to set our minds on Christ is to see Christ as the supreme treasure and satisfaction standing over all of life and all in life. This brings great honor to Christ, but Pauls not done. Next Paul gives us more reasons to live this kind of life in v3. Our Heavenly Death (v3) v3, For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. This third verse teaches us that a real death has occurred. That with Christ we died to the ways of the world, we died to the old man, and to our old nature. Commenting on this theologian F.F. Bruce says, That we have died with Christ is so strange to us that Paul must repeat it again and again.[3] Just as Christs death was a real event, so too our death with Christ was a real event. The moment you turn from sin and turn toward Jesus a real death happens, but just as Jesus death on the cross wasnt an end, but a beginning, our death in Him isnt an end but a beginning because a real resurrection happens in our new birth. Note how v3 begins, For Paul is grounding all he said v1-2 here in v3. All our heavenly pursuit and heavenly mindedness is fueled by and exists because we died with Christ and because our lives are now hidden with Christ in God. This means what God has done for His people in Christ doesnt only fill out the content of the gospel message, its the motivation for all our gospel living.[4] Hid with Christin Goda double divine safety and security for every believer. John Newton once wrote a hymn after reflecting on this passage that goes like this, Rejoice believer in the Lord, who makes His cause His own. The hope thats founded on His Word, can never be overthrown. Though many foes throw down their rod, and feeble be your arm. Your life is hid with Christ in God, beyond the reach of harm. The things of earth may pull us downward and tempt us to fix our minds on them, weve seen that in v1-2. Now see the assurance in v3, nothing can remove us from being hid with Christ in God. In John Bunyans book Grace abounding to the Chief of Sinners he describes his own struggle with his salvation and his despair over his lack of any true righteousness in him. But then he reflected on this passage and realized his righteousness didnt come from him, that its Christs righteousness which saves us, and that this righteousness of Christ is untouchable, and laid up for him in heaven. This brought him rest in his despair because though he lived on earth and was constantly in struggle he knew he was in Christ and already seated in the heavens, and that nothing could take him away from there. Church, be reminded of one of the great hopes which fuels our Christian life. If you could lose your salvation you would, but you cant because spiritually youre already secure in heaven. Living in light of these things brings great honor to Christ. In v4 he now says all of this will one day change.[5] Our Heavenly Appearance (v4) v4, When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Note here how Paul says Christ doesnt merely have life within Himself, and He isnt merely the source of life, but for those in Him, for those who believe in HimChrist is life itself. Meaning, in Him is all our delight. In Him is our all our pleasure. Jesus is not the appetizer, or the main dish, or the dessert, Hes the whole meal! And more, the hope of His return is central to the kind of life presented in this passage. When Christ who is your life appears Yes, right now at this moment all who believe are already present, spiritually, with Christ in the heavens, but on the day when He appears at His return we will fully enter into what weve only tasted here below. This is wonderful. United with Him in His death, united with Him in His resurrection, setting our minds on Him, and seeking Him who has ascended abovesince all of this is true its stunning to see what else is true, united with Him in His appearing. When He appears, well appear with Him! That day when the Son of God appears will be glorious because Hes glorious, and it will be glorious because all of us in Him will appear in glory along with Him! As to when this day will dawn Paul does not tell, but the one thing we can know is its certainty it will come. A few years back, we got our dog Calvin a new squeaky ball. And he loved it! He loved to chase it down when wed throw it, hed carry it around all day, he slept with it, and he became so obsessed with it wed have to take it away from him so that hed eat his food! Once the ball arrived it was everything to him, and none of his other toys mattered. There is a lesson for us in there. For the Christian, all thats above, all thats heavenly, Christ Himself who sits in the heavens, is to consume us here below. Conclusion: Remember, since were a people who believe Christ is All, we desire to be a people who ever strive to honor Christ in all of life. This vision isnt meant to be a vague, distant, ivory-tower discussion. Its meant to be more than a phrase on our new t-shirts! Its intended to have boots on the ground, to be embraced and lived out wherever you find yourself to be. So Church, ask yourselfwhere do you set your mind? What fills and occupies your soul throughout the week? What truly satisfies you? If its not Christ, youre settling for less than life itself. Heres the point of todays sermon. Its that we need to learn how to honor Christ in our lives, but more so learning that ChristHimself isour life, not our stuff. Christ is our life, not our achievements. Not our goodness. Not our reputation.Not our performance. Christ and Christ alone. Soas you go about your days, at home, at work, at school, on the water with your boat, walking the dog, wherever you are, lift your eyes above. Set your heart and mind where Christ is. If Jesus is your very life, you will inevitably honor Jesus in all your life. Remember one day soon, Christ who is our lifewill appear, and when He does, we too will appear with Him in glory. Until that day, Church, lets be found faithful. Lets be a people who ever strive to honor Christ in all of lifebecauseChrist is All. [1] Grant R. Osborne, Colossians Philemon: Verse by Verse (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016) accessed via Logos Bible software, 1/3/20. [2] Osborne, accessed via Logos, see above citations. [3] F.F. Bruce, The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians - NICNT (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1984) 135. [4] Bruce, 134. [5] Douglas J. Moo, The Letters to the Colossians and to Philemon PNTC (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2008) accessed via Logos Bible software, 1/3/20.