LESSONS FROM THE SEA


The World, the Word & You! Broadcast
Commentary by Dennis L. Finnan

WHAT IS THE MOST DRAMATIC & GREATEST MIRACLE IN OUR ANCIENT PAST THAT HUMAN HISTORY HAS LONG REJECTED AND FORGOTTEN? 

I’m Dennis Finnan, host and speaker on the World, the Word & You! Broadcast and in a moment we’ll talk about some "Lessons from the Sea…"

… Greetings to our listening friends, especially to all our new listeners this day, on our newest radio broadcast on KWHR Angel 4 Satellite beaming its signal to more than 28 million people in the South Pacific. This is the WORLD, THE WORD & YOU! Radio Broadcast, with Dennis Finnan your host and speaker, originating from the state of Minnesota, in the USA, welcoming you to a half hour broadcast of biblical commentary on our times coupled with some beautiful music for your listening enjoyment. We trust you'll stay with us for this half hour and enjoy the exciting and informative programming.

Our program comes to you, by the kind care and support of our friends and listeners ¾ for by their love and prayers this year 2000 we are celebrating our 20th anniversary of being on the air waves of our world, and the wires of the worldwide web of the Internet. If you are listening by radio today, we encourage you to also try and visit us at our Internet website. Just point your computer browsers to "wwy.org" and avail yourself of listening and downloading every single broadcast for the last five year!

Well now, enough about our program and ways to interact with us. Today I want you to interact with me through the living and abiding Word of God. As such, we'll look into one of the Bible's most astounding passages, perhaps the most dramatic in the whole Bible! But first, let's pause and enjoy this light moment of music, then I'll return with today's messages entitled: LESSONS FROM THE SEA. Stay tuned…

…I love the Bible, God's Word! I know many of our listeners would say "amen." However, there is a vast majority of world citizen's who could not and would not agree. Perhaps the vast majority in this camp would do so, not out of hatred for the Judeo-Christian Bible, but simply out of ignorance of not having read it. Well, I enjoy reading the Bible and I NEVER cease to enjoy hearing again the most dramatic moments of biblical history. So today I want to share a great moment with you. For this dramatic moment of ancient history has been one quite forgotten these days, and if remembered at all, many have relegated it to mythical happenings of the past. But friends, we'll do no such thing, for the Bible is God's truth! Truth you can trust, words that can be relied upon, and its message from cover to cover ¾ believed… But before we get to today's message entitled: "LESSONS FROM THE SEA," taken from Exodus chapters 14-15, we'll pause one more time and listen to this…

… Just the other day a couple of my grandchildren came over for an afternoon stay. It appeared one of their other sibling had fallen and cut open her head. My daughter had to rush her youngest to the hospital for stitches to close the wound. Her older brother and sister stayed with me for the afternoon. Well we passed the time by reading stories and then they asked to see a new video film we obtained called, "THE PRINCE OF EGYPT." This is a cartoon rendering of Moses' deliverance of Israel from Egypt. Well we watched it and I of course watched it with great skepticism as most things the film capital in Hollywood, California tries to do with Biblical themes, often distorts God's truth, but I must say although some things were exaggerated and added, overall it was a pretty accurate rendition of the Biblical story. Well, after we finished, we sat down and discussed the marvelous miracle called the "crossing of the Red Sea…" Amazingly, my little grandchildren ages five and six this year, were thrilled to believe in a miracle God who could do such wonders! However since that viewing, the miracle of the Red Sea has been on my mind and I bring it to you today. So let's look at it afresh and see what we can glean for every listener tuning in today.

We begin by introducing a man named Moses. Indeed, in biblical history no man stands out more than this one. Moses was an Israelite born of the Jewish captivity in Egypt, but by a stoke of God's intervention, he escaped the 400 years of slavery of His people and entered upon birth into the household of Egypt's king. Having grown up in Pharaoh's household as an adopted son, Moses came to see the power of Egypt and its ways, and sadly grew to loath and hate them. As Moses saw his people as slaves of Egypt, brutally beaten and used mercilessly, he cried out in his heart for their deliverance. Of course the Bible tells us Moses prematurely attempted to deliver God's people, and it cost him 40 years on the backside of the desert. But, the time came, as God had originally intended, that a man be used of God to deliver God's children the Israelites from the enslaving hand of the Pharaoh of Egypt.

I think everyone knows something about the great "Exodus," that took place when almost two million Jews were liberated from their captivity by God's miraculous hand. In fact, we talked awhile ago on the broadcast, about one of the Ten Miracles of deliverance God used to encourage Egypt's king to let God's people go. But the moment came, after the Ten Plagues God sent to Egypt, whereby the Pharaoh gave orders to free the slaves for their journey into the wilderness.

Now let's read the texts pertaining to it and then comment on it for some truly wonderful, "Lessons from the Sea.." We begin with,

Exo 13:17-18 (NIV) "When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter… 18 So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea…"

Amazingly, the easy way to the Promised Land was not in God's immediate plan for His children. Rather, the "way of the wilderness" was mapped out for the Israelites by God Himself. You know how insightful that is. It seems that for every believer who is freed from the bondage and slavery of the world of sin we are born in, the moment we come to faith and begin our walk with God, the "way of the wilderness" is often the first path to take. But, this way also led them to their encampment by the great Red Sea. We don't know exactly where they encamped, but it was somewhere west of the Red Sea. Now if any of us were the navigators for Israel's escape from Egypt, we might not have chosen this route nor its ending path. For you see the location brought them to the shores of the Red Sea and made escape impossible for them. Again we read,

Exo 14:1-2 (NLT) "Then the LORD gave these instructions to Moses: 2 "Tell the people to march toward Pi-hahiroth between Migdol and the sea. Camp there along the shore…"

It was an amazing and wonderful thing! Just think, being delivered from over 400 years of slavery, now free to pursue a new life! But, the Israelites were not thinking about that. Although they were specifically delivered by the hand of God (Ex. 13:14), trouble and testing came quickly to these newly freed slaves of Egypt. We read again,

Exo 14:5-9 (NIV) "When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them and said, "What have we done? We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!" 6 So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him. 7 He took six hundred of the best chariots, along with all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them... 9 The Egyptians—all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots, horsemen and troops—pursued the Israelites and overtook them as they camped by the sea..."

What a beautiful picture for every believer to take note of. Here we see the Israelites deliverance from Egypt as a picture of God's deliverance of every human being who enters the faith of Christianity. The moment we put our trust alone in Jesus Christ as our God and Savior, we are "delivered" from the bondage of sin and its slavery. The Israelites were saved from the last and most deadly plague God sent to Egypt, the Plague of Death upon every firstborn child in the land. But they were only saved as they painted the shed blood of a lamb upon the door posts of their homes. When the death angel passed by that horrible night, those whose homes had believers who obeyed God's command, were "passed over," and delivered unto life!

How wonderful is that picture of the blood sacrifice of Christ, who when we believe He died for our sins, by shedding His blood on that cross at Calvary two millennia ago, God promises to forever pass by our sin penalty which is the "second death" (Rev. 20:14).

Well the Israelites who believed that night, were delivered, and God brought them out by way of the wilderness to the place of impossibility, the shore of the fierce and flowing Red Sea.

Now I realize there are a host of skeptics who say they cannot believe the story in the Bible of the miracle crossing of the Red Sea by God's people that glorious day. However, the Bible states in no uncertain terms,

Exo 14:21-22 (NIV) "Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, 22 and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left."

Can you imagine the scene, before God did this miracle of miracles, as the Israelites came to a dead end at the sea shore, they knew they could not cross. Yet in the distance, the ground began to shake as the thunder of 600 chariots, and armed men were pursuing them to kill them all! Fear struck the Israelites who quaked in fear. The Bible reports,

Exo 14:10-12 (NIV) "As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the LORD. 11 They said to Moses, "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!""

How sad it was. These slaves who were miraculously delivered from their slavery ¾ now they blamed Moses for their impending doom. Yet, in picture analogy, in the life of every Christian will come trouble and persecution by the world that pursues us relentlessly looking for our demise. In similar ways, God often leads us to "impossible" situations and locations where there is no path forward, no path backward or sideways ¾ we are trapped and the inevitable seems to await us.

Ah, but God is the deciding factor, for every believer has the promise God is on their side and His plans often entail the "impossible," with the accompanying deliverance of God's miraculous. Such was the case for Israel.

Now, regardless of whether you believe this or not, the Bible does says so, and more … the New Testament affirms what is written here in Exodus really and truly happened (1 Cor. 10:2). As such, it really doesn't take faith to believe in this great miracle of parting the Red Sea. For miracles are but the divine power of God by methods and processes, which are unusual and incomprehensible. Everything depends upon what we envision our God to be. Is He the "Omnipotent Creator" of all or not? Paul the apostle tells us,

Col 1:16-18 (NIV) "For by him [Jesus Christ] all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy."

Indeed, Scripture declares that Jesus Christ is the final and forever manifestation of God in human history. The Creator God, the sovereign, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient God who made us and all things ¾ therefore, is it too hard for Him to just part the sea to deliver His people out of the hand of evil and death? Well, for those who have such a God it is not, but for those who do not believe in the God described in the Bible, they cannot.

Now I know all the arguments against the miracle happening of the parting of the Red Sea. Some say in Exodus chapters13-14, Moses identifies the Red Sea by the term yom suph which means "sea of reeds." This some say was a shallow still body of water among the fields of the great papyrus reeds that lay between Goshen and the Sinai Peninsula. As such the crossing was not a matter of miracle at all just a tromp through the low waters of that place!. Well if so, then truly a "greater" miracle occurred that day for the Bible text tells us,

Exo 14:21-28 (NIV) "Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, 22 and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. 23 The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea. 24 During the last watch of the night the LORD looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion. 25 He made the wheels of their chariots come off so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, "Let’s get away from the Israelites! The LORD is fighting for them against Egypt." 26 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen." 27 Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians were fleeing toward it, and the LORD swept them into the sea. 28 The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived."

What a text! God parted a sea of reeds, hardly! Note what the Bible says - there was a "wall of water on their right and on their left."(Ex. 14:23). What was the purpose of this "wall of water?" ¾ to just slosh through a swampy area and get your feet wet? Indeed, the greater miracle then would be that Pharaoh's entire army of more than 600 chariots and fighting men were drowned in a few inches of water ( Ex. 14:28)! How preposterous! You cannot explain away the great miracle that occurred that day. You either take it or leave it.

No my friend, the crossing of the Red Sea was perhaps one of the Bible's most dramatic moments and one of the greatest miracles in all history ever to occur. How said it is the world's schools never give this history a moment of thought. But we do today and ask ¾ What can we glean from this account of God's deliverance?

  1. God deliverance from slavery of an entire nation of almost two million people, pictures for us God plan to redeem a world lost in slavery to sin ¾ This story and picture in the Bible is God's great illustration of His plan and purpose to rescue a world of lost sinners. Say friend, have you been rescued, or saved? Have you believed in the shedding of blood of the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world? This sacrificial Lamb, the Bible reveals, is Jesus Christ as Scripture teaches; And, as we believe God in Christ died for us on a cross, and purchased our redemption, God DELIVERS US out of sin and slavery and sets us on a journey to the Promised Land. Indeed, the Exodus, and the crossing of the Red Sea is a beautiful picture of our salvation through Jesus Christ.
  2. ALTHOUGH THE ISRAELITES WERE DELIVERED, THEY WERE STILL SINNERS AND OFTEN WOULD CHALLENGE, TRY AND FAIL IN FOLLOWING GOD ¾ Yes, the Israelites would spend many years, in fact a lifetime in the desert, learning how to manage their sin natures, although they were redeemed. How like us today. We too are on a trek to the Promised Land which for us is Heaven today. While we march through this life, the barrenness of sin, and the bondage of decay is all around us. However, we have the wonderful promises of God that He will see us through. Say friend are you struggling today with some sin, failure, or unbelief? Then turn it over to the miracle God who saved you, for He has promised, Heb 13:5 (NIV) "… God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."" Although we are saved we still sin, but when we do we have a forgiving God who will give us another opportunity and chance.
  3. In Exodus CHAPTERS 13-14, Moses had a three-point message for God's people ¾ (1) "Fear not!" -As the Israelites faced their enemy and impossible situation, they trembled in fear. God spoke through Moses that they were not to fear, because God would deliver them. You know deliverance is not always in ways you and I think. I remember the Hebrew teenagers in the book of Daniel who face the burning fires of Nebuchadnezzer's judgment. Yet, they said, Dan 3:16-18 (NIV) "… "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."" Very often, God's deliverance entail our future hope of Heaven itself, but nonetheless, true believer trust God's good hand will be with us. So we are to"Fear Not," for it is still God's call for us all in tight and impossible situations.
    Now secondly, Moses tells the people of Israel facing the Red Sea, (2) "Stand Still or Firm!." This of course was the opposite of what they wanted to do, But, it was a call of faith, Psa 46:10 (NIV) ""Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."" We are so busy in life, running to and fro, that we are often to busy to see God's plan and purpose for us in the situation we find ourselves. Standing still or firm simply implies we are to stop what we are doing, and get alone with God and trust Him. Give Him a moment of quietness whereby He can speak to your heart through meditation and prayer. Are you one who does this, or are you so busy with life you take no time to be specifically with God? Friend, take time to pray, to worship, to study God's Word, and especially to meditate upon it and God will speak to your heart and often show you they way of deliverance, the way out.
    Now lastly in "Lessons From the Sea," we find Moses' last words just before God intervened in the affairs of His children's peril, was to (3) "See the salvation of the Lord!". He said, Exo 14:13 (NIV) "Do not be afraid. Stand firm [still] and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again." Are you willing to pause in the business of your life and see the hand of God at work? One of the most blessed places to see it is in the work and worship of the saints in Bible believing churches across the world. "See the salvation [deliverance] of the Lord!" Yes, the Miracle of opening the Red Sea, parting it and drying up the seabed, opening up a way to escape was God's great moment of Old Testament miracle and history.
    But you know, an ever greater miracle occurred in New Testament times. It is the miracle of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Because God raised Jesus from the dead, we have hope. 1 Cor 15:20-22 (NIV) "But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive."

Yes, the crossing of the Red Sea was a miracle sight to behold, and one to be told over and over again that some might believe. Have you believed God's Word? If so, then you'll believe in Jesus Christ and confess your sins to receive His bountiful forgiveness and grace for all eternity. The Triumph of Jehovah at the crossing of the Red Sea is a picture of our hope and assurance that the Promised Land of Heaven and eternal life is yours now and forevermore. Trust God's word friend, believe in God's Son Jesus Christ, and be the recipient of a deliverance that begins in this life and lasts for all eternity….

… The crossing of the Red Sea is set forth as the greatest display of God's power in the Old Testament, but the greatest power of all time is that which raised Christ from the dead. May these" lessons from the sea" encourage your faith and all who believe, and also engender faith to believe in all who listen today. This is my prayer for Jesus sake, Amen.

The World, the Word & You! Broadcast is a non-denominational ministry based on the historic fundamental evangelical interpretation of the Scriptures. A copy of our doctrinal statement is available upon request. These weekly radio commentaries are not exhaustive studies of any particular subject due to the time limit of broadcasting. Actual broadcasts can be heard in selected areas around the nation, as funding provides. Dennis Finnan has been the speaker for over 18 years, and serves as General Director.

These transcripts are available free of charge to all who desire them. Also available are actual radio cassette tapes and printed booklets of each message. A free listing of recent messages is available upon request also.

For further information, reprints, or a listing of all topics, please write to our speaker, Dennis L. Finnan(wwy@wwy.org),or visit our webpage at http://www.wwy.org/