This exposition of Exodus 15:22-27 by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, November 4, 2018.
Intro:
It’s not what they expected…at all! They wanted to be free. They wanted to be out from under the yoke of bondage. They were tired of the back-breaking labor. They were fed up with oppression. They wanted out of Egypt.
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They were not sure what life would be like post slavery but this wasn’t it. God miraculously brought them out of the land of Egypt but instead of going north along the coastline and directly into the Promise Land, they went south into the wilderness. There they found themselves trapped between a regretful Pharaoh and his army and the Red Sea. “What, there were no graves in Egypt so you brought us out here to die?” Again, the LORD in dramatic fashion delivered them and made it clear to the Egyptians and the watching world that He is the sovereign over all things, the true and living God. They danced there on the beach and sang the praise of their Deliverer. But that was days ago. Now they have been marching through the desert for three days and no water. They are exhausted and wondering just how long they can survive without water when they spot an oasis on the horizon. They reach the water just as their strength is gone only to discover it is undrinkable! You’ve got to be kidding. Our text this morning is found in the 15th chapter of Exodus.
Text: Exodus 15:22-27
Are you ever frustrated, discouraged or disillusioned in your faith? Do you ever find yourself saying, “This is not what I expected?” You turned from your sin and put your trust in the Lord Jesus and yet you’re still struggling to get by. Life is still hard, bills are still due and relationships are still fractured. You thought if you just trusted in Jesus all would be well. We all want to leave Egypt and go directly to the Promise Land. We want to get out of bondage and go straight to glory. We do, on one level. The moment you believe the Spirit of God takes up residence in you and your are bound for glory. In fact you are seated with Christ in heavenly places. You have the assurance of God’s gracious provision for your every need; you are assured that you will ultimately overcome; most importantly your a promised that He will never leave you or forsake you but will be with you always. But at the same time, your salvation has only begun. The moment you believe you start on a pilgrim journey that is your sanctification. That is your growing in holiness and being comforted to the image and likeness of the Lord Jesus. Scripture teaches us that salvation is past, present and future. We are saved (regeneration, confession, believing) we are being saved (sanctification) and we will be saved (glorification). The pilgrim path, your sanctification, takes some twists and turns along the way. Through it all God is working in your for your good and His glory. God is preparing you for eternity. Our text provides us some insight about that journey.
As we work through this brief text we discover that…
Thesis: The pilgrim path leads us on a journey on which we discover the wonder of God’s grace, the necessity of obedience and the abundance of our God’s gracious provision.
Let’s admit up front that as we follow this story we are scratching our heads. What are we to make of the fact that redemption brought Israel out of Egypt straight into the wilderness? How do you make sense of that experience at the Red Sea? What is the point of going days without water only to come upon an abundance of water that’s undrinkable?
We have to ask, “Why?” because Scripture is clear, God was leading them.
There was no misunderstanding, no way they could fail to understand His leading.
He went before them in a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.
The guidance was clear and unmistakable.
Exodus 13-17 is a lesson in the curious guidance of the LORD.
Why this long, round-about way to the Land of Promise?
There is something we ever keep before us - God knows what He is doing and He is always right. He is worthy of our trust. Israel’s experience is a concrete example of the truth of Acts 14:22, “…through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”
We cannot help but ask, “Why?” The problem is we want an answer that fits our understanding and logic. An answer that makes sense to us. But the biblical answer calls on us to focus on God’s purpose and to trust. Never lose sight of the fact that the God who created us and redeemed us never ceases to work out His purpose for the world, the church and each of us individually. He is determined to bring His redeemed home to glory. He is determined to defeat His and our enemies. Along the way He is determined to teach us to trust, endure and obey.
There are 3 things I want to point out about the pilgrim path from our text.
- The pilgrim path reveals our true character and displays the wonder of our God’s grace and mercy. (15:22-25a)
- The pilgrim path becomes our school teaching us the necessity of trust and obedience. (15:25b-26)
- The pilgrim path ultimately leads us to rest in our God’s abundant provision. (15:27)
Conclusion:
Having trusted in Christ we begin a pilgrim journey. The pilgrim path with take many twists and turns along the way. In process we will discover the wonder of God’s grace, the necessity of obedience and the abundance of our God’s gracious provision.
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