Delivered – Week 4: God Leads

Delivered – Week 4: God Leads

Delivered: God Leads

REVIEW

Continuing in our series through Exodus.

Remember that the Old Testament is full of foreshadowing that points towards the New Testament and the coming of Jesus Christ.

This week we are covering Exodus 13 & 14, talking about how God leads His people.

At this point, God has led his people out of Egypt and they are beginning their Journey to the land that God has promised to them.

Exodus 13:1 (ESV)

The LORD said to Moses, 2 “Consecrate to me all the firstborn. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine.”

“To CONSECRATE something, means to dedicate something or someone.”

#1 – GOD ESTABLISHES HIS LEADERSHIP

Exodus 13:3

3 Then Moses said to the people, “Remember this day in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of slavery, for by a strong hand the LORD brought you out from this place.

Moses reminds the people that it was the Lord who brought them out of Egypt. It was God that rescued them from slavery.

#2 – GOD’S ROUTE IS OFTEN DIFFERENT THAN MY ROUTE

Exodus 3:17 – When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. For God said, “Lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt.”

The obvious route would have been to go east towards the promised land. Straight Shot! Only an 11 Day Journey. But God knew something that the Israelites didn’t know.
- Exodus 3:18 – But God led 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.
There is a big difference between being “Equipped for Battle” and being “Ready for Battle.”
- Exodus 14:1-2 – Then the LORD said to Moses, 2 “Tell the people of Israel to turn back and encamp in front of Pi- hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, in front of Baal-zephon; you shall encamp facing it, by the sea.
This would have been the worst place to set up camp! The Israelites were literally trapped.
- EXODUS 14:4 – And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD.” And they did so.
Does it sound like God has a plan? God is not a Passive Leader!

EXODUS 14:5-9 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, the mind 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?” 6 So he made ready his chariot and took his army with him, 7 and took six hundred chosen chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them. 8 And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the people of Israel while the people of Israel were going out defiantly. 9 The Egyptians pursued them, all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and his horsemen and his army, and overtook them encamped at the sea, by Pi- hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.

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EXODUS 14:10-12 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 Israel cried out to the LORD. 11 They said 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? 12 Is not this what we 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.”

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EXODUS 14:13-14 And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. 14 The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”

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This does not mean that you and I don’t have any responsibility. We still have to make decisions and move forward in life. Moses’ challenge to the people wasn’t that they should just sit there and do nothing, his challenge to them was to trust that God would fight for them.

God proves his leadership time and time again with the Israelites, just like he proves his leadership time and time again with us. God fights for us!

Will you trust God is for you even when you feel trapped?

Will you trust God’s Leadership in your life even if God takes you on a different route?

Will you encourage those around you trust God and will you share your own testimony of how God has faithfully led you?

LIFE GROUP QUESTIONS

Sermon Reflection: From the sermon, what is something you are thinking about or acting on?

Look at Exodus 13:1-10 or 13:11-16. Consecrate means to dedicate or set apart. It was an act of remembering who God is, what he has done and aligning one’s life to Him. How do you ‘intentionally’ set apart your for the Lord? (Fill in the blank with a few: day, plans, family, future, work, finances, children, marriage, singleness, time, energy)
Read Exodus 13:20-14:4, 14:10-18. What is happening in this scene? How would you feel if you were there? (It is such a good story you might want to finish chapter 14!)
What situation in your life do you feel like you are caught between an army and a sea? A) Letting the Lord fight for them took both steps of trust & stillness and faith & obedience. What does letting God lead you where you are today look like for you?
Read Exodus 3:13-14 & Exodus 15:1-3. Describe how Moses and the Israelites understanding of who God is has changed. A) In what ways would you describe your understanding of who God is? B) How does that understanding affect you seeking God’s leadership?

Bonus: Try writing Exodus 15:1-3 in your own words.

Next week: Delivered! God Supplies Passages, Exodus 15:23-17.