Execute Your Exodus
Bible Study
Chasing Chariots
Eleven Biblical Lessons For Christian Growth
Object:
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!" So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him.
-- Exodus 14:5-6
All of us have aspects of our lives that we need to separate from and leave behind. Some of us have bad habits, while some of us have emotional, spiritual, and physical states that we need to separate from and leave behind. Some of us have relationships that we need to separate from and leave behind. Some of us have mentalities and thought patterns that we need to separate from and leave behind. Some of us have roles that we need to separate from and leave behind. Some of us have environments that we need to separate from and leave behind. Some of us have recurring circumstances and situations that we need to separate from and leave behind. There is no better place to search for revelation into leaving behind detrimental aspects of our lives than the account of the Israelites' exodus from Egypt.
The Israelites were the lowest class of people in Egypt. They were used and abused by the Egyptian authorities. They were prevented from moving upward in Egyptian society. They lived in slums. Their male children were ordered to be killed. God said, "Enough is enough; it is time for my people to leave Egypt and never return again."
Egypt Used To Be Pleasant
Egypt was not always an unpleasant place for the Israelites to dwell. Remember Joseph? He was second in charge of Egypt. He saved the Egyptians and surrounding region from starvation. Then he brought his family and his people into the land of Egypt and they lived there and prospered. After some time had passed, Egypt evolved into a hostile environment and it was time for the Israelites to go.
The reason why some of us have difficulty even desiring to leave detrimental places in our lives is because we remain focused on how pleasant the situation used to be. Some of us are being blocked from seeing the negative repercussion of some habits, relationships, mentalities, roles, environments, circumstances, and situations because we have held on to memories of when those aspects of our lives were good. Egypt used to be a great place to reside, but it was time for the Israelites to go.
Israelites Go To The Sea
As the Israelites exited Egypt, God told them to go to a particular location near the sea. This location was directly opposite Baal Zephon. Baal Zephon was a city dedicated to the god, Baal, who symbolized a culture and a way of life opposed to Yahweh. Then God told Moses, "Once the Israelites are located in this position Pharaoh and the Egyptians will think they are lost." The Israelites could have left Egypt another way, but because they were following the voice of God they ended up by the sea, which seemed like a strange exit route to everyone observing the situation.
When we try to separate and leave behind an aspect of our lives that is detrimental, we should do so in a way that displays the distinctiveness of our faith. When we do that it will seem strange to others. It may seem strange why we still pray for someone when ending a relationship with him or her. It may seem strange why we would be concerned about an environment that we just left. It may seem strange why we'd want to assist others who possessed the same detrimental tendencies that we once possessed, but the way we separate and leave behind an aspect of our lives should show the distinctiveness of our faith.
Pharaoh's Power Displayed
Pharaoh realized that the Israelites left and regretted letting them go. He prepared his chariots and 600 additional chariots to chase after them. The Israelites thought everything was going well and suddenly they saw the Egyptians steadily approaching. The Israelites knew that it was only a matter of time before the Egyptians, who were in chariots, would catch up with them, who were on foot, and they became scared. At that moment, they had to decide whether they were going to believe in the power of Pharaoh's chariots or the Lord.
Psalm 20:7 tells us, "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God." When you execute your exodus, you must believe that God's power trumps any other force present on earth.
God Stands In Between
Once the Egyptians began to catch up with the Israelites, God's presence moved from in front of the Israelites to behind them, which created a buffer between the Egyptians and the Israelites.
In my neighborhood, there is a big dog that often breaks loose from his chain and roams around. One day when I came home and got out of my car, I saw this dog on the other side of the street. Further up that same side of the street was a young boy who had just left school. As the boy proceeded up the street he noticed the dog and the dog noticed him. At that point, the boy made a tragic mistake -- he began to run. As soon as the boy started running, the dog started running after him.
Even though there was a significant distance between the boy and the dog, the four-legged animal quickly made up the difference. Just before the dog was about to catch the boy, the boy jumped over a fence. The boy hit the ground hard and was obviously disturbed because he could still see the dog through the fence and hear it growling. After a few moments passed, the boy realized that even though the dog was barking extremely loud and looked very intimidating, the dog could not touch him while he was behind the fence. The boy started dancing and swinging his book bag in the air because he now had a newfound confidence behind the fence.
When you place yourself on the right side of God's fence, something that wants to get to you is going to have to go through God. The reason why David was confident when he fought Goliath, the reason Jacob could endure the deceitfulness of Laban, the reason Gideon's smaller army could boldly attack a larger army, and the reason Samson did not fear the Philistines was because they believed that there was a fence of protection in between them and those who were against them.
Path Took Some Time
Moses stretched out his hand and the wind started to blow. Some of the Israelites looked at the Egyptians charging and wanted to go, but Moses said, "No, not yet." Then the part in the sea went deeper and deeper. "Can we go now?" "No, not yet." Then the part in the sea exposed the bottom of the sea. "Can we go now?" "No, not yet." The part began to expose more and more of the bottom of the sea. "Now?" "No." Finally, the exposed bottom slowly started to become dryer and dryer and the Israelites walked across. God made a path where there was no path, but the path did not come about instantly.
To execute our exodus, we must exert some patience while God is making a way for us. God did not deliver Noah and his family instantly from the flood. They stayed on a boat for some time. Abraham and Sarah did not receive their promised child right away. They had to trust God a little longer. Joseph did not receive the fulfillment of his dreams when he first had them. He had to dwell in a pit and a prison. Joshua did not receive the promised land immediately. He had to walk around Jericho seven times first. Mary did not understand how her son would be the Messiah. She had to watch him grow up. We must allow some time for God to make a way for us.
Chariots Fall Apart
One of the most powerful instruments in the ancient world fell apart when it was used against God's people. No matter how gigantic, strong, or potentially destructive a person, place, or circumstance can be to your life, it has no power when you operate in God's will. Isaiah 54:17 tells us, "No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord."
Notice the Israelites' exodus from Egypt was dependent upon one crucial thing: God's prompting. When they left and how they left started with God. As a people of faith, we must constantly make ourselves attentive to God's voice through prayer, meditation, fasting, and scriptures. Through these spiritual disciplines and others, we will be able to identify our own personal "Egypts" and the best way to exit from them.
Prayer
Almighty God, you provide a safe haven from our enemies, yet your faithfulness is sometimes overshadowed by our fears. We cling to the past because the future appears uncertain. Strengthen us to move with confidence in your path. May your Spirit focus us. Divert our attention from all that can harm us and direct it toward your saving grace. Amen.
Relevant Questions And Sermon Points
How Do We Execute Our Exodus?
1. Do not become sentimental about a detrimental place.
2. Separate in a way that shows Christian distinctiveness.
3. Believe that God's power is greater than any power against you.
4. Understand that deliverance takes time.
Questions For Individual Reflection Or Group Discussion
1. List a few aspects of your life that were once pleasant but are no longer. When did you realize the change? Why do you believe this change occurred?
2. What are some of the difficult parts of separating from something detrimental in your life? Does being Christian complicate how you leave something behind? Why or why not?
3. How is your relationship with God strengthened or hindered during a time when you are attempting to separate and leave behind a negative aspect in your life?
4. What are some essential skills or attributes that you need to pull away from detrimental aspects affecting your life? How do you develop these attributes if they are lacking?
-- Exodus 14:5-6
All of us have aspects of our lives that we need to separate from and leave behind. Some of us have bad habits, while some of us have emotional, spiritual, and physical states that we need to separate from and leave behind. Some of us have relationships that we need to separate from and leave behind. Some of us have mentalities and thought patterns that we need to separate from and leave behind. Some of us have roles that we need to separate from and leave behind. Some of us have environments that we need to separate from and leave behind. Some of us have recurring circumstances and situations that we need to separate from and leave behind. There is no better place to search for revelation into leaving behind detrimental aspects of our lives than the account of the Israelites' exodus from Egypt.
The Israelites were the lowest class of people in Egypt. They were used and abused by the Egyptian authorities. They were prevented from moving upward in Egyptian society. They lived in slums. Their male children were ordered to be killed. God said, "Enough is enough; it is time for my people to leave Egypt and never return again."
Egypt Used To Be Pleasant
Egypt was not always an unpleasant place for the Israelites to dwell. Remember Joseph? He was second in charge of Egypt. He saved the Egyptians and surrounding region from starvation. Then he brought his family and his people into the land of Egypt and they lived there and prospered. After some time had passed, Egypt evolved into a hostile environment and it was time for the Israelites to go.
The reason why some of us have difficulty even desiring to leave detrimental places in our lives is because we remain focused on how pleasant the situation used to be. Some of us are being blocked from seeing the negative repercussion of some habits, relationships, mentalities, roles, environments, circumstances, and situations because we have held on to memories of when those aspects of our lives were good. Egypt used to be a great place to reside, but it was time for the Israelites to go.
Israelites Go To The Sea
As the Israelites exited Egypt, God told them to go to a particular location near the sea. This location was directly opposite Baal Zephon. Baal Zephon was a city dedicated to the god, Baal, who symbolized a culture and a way of life opposed to Yahweh. Then God told Moses, "Once the Israelites are located in this position Pharaoh and the Egyptians will think they are lost." The Israelites could have left Egypt another way, but because they were following the voice of God they ended up by the sea, which seemed like a strange exit route to everyone observing the situation.
When we try to separate and leave behind an aspect of our lives that is detrimental, we should do so in a way that displays the distinctiveness of our faith. When we do that it will seem strange to others. It may seem strange why we still pray for someone when ending a relationship with him or her. It may seem strange why we would be concerned about an environment that we just left. It may seem strange why we'd want to assist others who possessed the same detrimental tendencies that we once possessed, but the way we separate and leave behind an aspect of our lives should show the distinctiveness of our faith.
Pharaoh's Power Displayed
Pharaoh realized that the Israelites left and regretted letting them go. He prepared his chariots and 600 additional chariots to chase after them. The Israelites thought everything was going well and suddenly they saw the Egyptians steadily approaching. The Israelites knew that it was only a matter of time before the Egyptians, who were in chariots, would catch up with them, who were on foot, and they became scared. At that moment, they had to decide whether they were going to believe in the power of Pharaoh's chariots or the Lord.
Psalm 20:7 tells us, "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God." When you execute your exodus, you must believe that God's power trumps any other force present on earth.
God Stands In Between
Once the Egyptians began to catch up with the Israelites, God's presence moved from in front of the Israelites to behind them, which created a buffer between the Egyptians and the Israelites.
In my neighborhood, there is a big dog that often breaks loose from his chain and roams around. One day when I came home and got out of my car, I saw this dog on the other side of the street. Further up that same side of the street was a young boy who had just left school. As the boy proceeded up the street he noticed the dog and the dog noticed him. At that point, the boy made a tragic mistake -- he began to run. As soon as the boy started running, the dog started running after him.
Even though there was a significant distance between the boy and the dog, the four-legged animal quickly made up the difference. Just before the dog was about to catch the boy, the boy jumped over a fence. The boy hit the ground hard and was obviously disturbed because he could still see the dog through the fence and hear it growling. After a few moments passed, the boy realized that even though the dog was barking extremely loud and looked very intimidating, the dog could not touch him while he was behind the fence. The boy started dancing and swinging his book bag in the air because he now had a newfound confidence behind the fence.
When you place yourself on the right side of God's fence, something that wants to get to you is going to have to go through God. The reason why David was confident when he fought Goliath, the reason Jacob could endure the deceitfulness of Laban, the reason Gideon's smaller army could boldly attack a larger army, and the reason Samson did not fear the Philistines was because they believed that there was a fence of protection in between them and those who were against them.
Path Took Some Time
Moses stretched out his hand and the wind started to blow. Some of the Israelites looked at the Egyptians charging and wanted to go, but Moses said, "No, not yet." Then the part in the sea went deeper and deeper. "Can we go now?" "No, not yet." Then the part in the sea exposed the bottom of the sea. "Can we go now?" "No, not yet." The part began to expose more and more of the bottom of the sea. "Now?" "No." Finally, the exposed bottom slowly started to become dryer and dryer and the Israelites walked across. God made a path where there was no path, but the path did not come about instantly.
To execute our exodus, we must exert some patience while God is making a way for us. God did not deliver Noah and his family instantly from the flood. They stayed on a boat for some time. Abraham and Sarah did not receive their promised child right away. They had to trust God a little longer. Joseph did not receive the fulfillment of his dreams when he first had them. He had to dwell in a pit and a prison. Joshua did not receive the promised land immediately. He had to walk around Jericho seven times first. Mary did not understand how her son would be the Messiah. She had to watch him grow up. We must allow some time for God to make a way for us.
Chariots Fall Apart
One of the most powerful instruments in the ancient world fell apart when it was used against God's people. No matter how gigantic, strong, or potentially destructive a person, place, or circumstance can be to your life, it has no power when you operate in God's will. Isaiah 54:17 tells us, "No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord."
Notice the Israelites' exodus from Egypt was dependent upon one crucial thing: God's prompting. When they left and how they left started with God. As a people of faith, we must constantly make ourselves attentive to God's voice through prayer, meditation, fasting, and scriptures. Through these spiritual disciplines and others, we will be able to identify our own personal "Egypts" and the best way to exit from them.
Prayer
Almighty God, you provide a safe haven from our enemies, yet your faithfulness is sometimes overshadowed by our fears. We cling to the past because the future appears uncertain. Strengthen us to move with confidence in your path. May your Spirit focus us. Divert our attention from all that can harm us and direct it toward your saving grace. Amen.
Relevant Questions And Sermon Points
How Do We Execute Our Exodus?
1. Do not become sentimental about a detrimental place.
2. Separate in a way that shows Christian distinctiveness.
3. Believe that God's power is greater than any power against you.
4. Understand that deliverance takes time.
Questions For Individual Reflection Or Group Discussion
1. List a few aspects of your life that were once pleasant but are no longer. When did you realize the change? Why do you believe this change occurred?
2. What are some of the difficult parts of separating from something detrimental in your life? Does being Christian complicate how you leave something behind? Why or why not?
3. How is your relationship with God strengthened or hindered during a time when you are attempting to separate and leave behind a negative aspect in your life?
4. What are some essential skills or attributes that you need to pull away from detrimental aspects affecting your life? How do you develop these attributes if they are lacking?
