Today we are looking at the first universal catastrophe on earth. The children of Israel had gone to Egypt because of a famine.

Transcription

1 Epic An Epic Deliverance Moses & The Exodus Exodus 1-14 Today we are looking at the first universal catastrophe on earth An Epic Deliverance Moses & The Exodus The children of Israel had gone to Egypt because of a famine. When they arrived they were treated kindly because of Joseph who had gone before them and was now second in command of all Egypt But time has a way of changing things Even though the Israelites had moved into Egypt there was still a separation between them The Egyptians grew more and more distant from the Israelites until they decided something needed to be done As a result, the Egyptians made slaves of the Israelites 1. We have an enemy who CAPTURES us, but our God HEARS us! Exodus 1:8 11 (ESV) 8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9 And he said to his people, Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. 10 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. 11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses. The taskmasters were harsh and the work was brutal For several generations the Israelites endured slavery Along the way, the Israelites continued to increase in populations bringing

2 great concern for Pharaoh He decided that something must be done to curb the population growth Therefore he declared that every Hebrew boy born was to be killed You can imagine the outrage and pain Among the Israelites was a couple by the name of Amram and Jochebed who were about to give birth They had a son and attempted to hide him from the murderous Egyptians After three months they could no longer hide him and so Jochebed, his mother, placed him in a basket and then put the basket in the Nile river. As it would happen, Pharaoh s daughter was out by the Nile and discovered the basket She took pity on the baby and decided to raise the baby as her own son Moses was educated and trained by the Egyptians But at the age of 40 in an attempt to rescue an Israelite being beaten by an Egyptian, Moses killed the Egyptian When it was discovered what he had done Moses was forced to flee for his life So he left Egypt and went to the land of Midian Many more years passed and Israel s slavery continued to grow worse Exodus 2:23 25 (ESV) 23 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. 24 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25 God saw the people of Israel and God knew. NOTICE God... HEARD their groaning REMEMBERED His covenant SAW the people KNEW what to do

3 CRY OUT to Him! Have you cried out to the Lord about your misery? How bad is it going to get before you cry out in desperation to the Lord? Until the pain to remain the same becomes greater than the pain to change we will never change Luke 18:1 (ESV) 1 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. Jeremiah 33:3 (ESV) 3 Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. 2. We have an enemy who CONTROLS us, but our God DELIVERS us! Another Epic story about the BURNING BUSH The Lord called Moses to go back and deliver the Israelites from their slavery Moses, along with his brother, Aaron, went to the people and told them that God had heard their cries. They were thrilled! The Lord had heard them and was going to deliver them from slavery! I m sure many were beginning to gather their belongings The Israelites were all abuzz with the exciting news! Meanwhile, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and delivered God s message.

4 What happens next probably shocked Moses Pharaoh not only refused to let the Israelites go, but he put even harsher demands on them! This turn of events discouraged the people greatly Moses plummeted from hero to zero instantly! Moses himself was distraught and cried out to God Exodus 5:22 23 (ESV) 22 Then Moses turned to the LORD and said, O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me? 23 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. God responded by reminding Moses that He had made a covenant with His people and was now going to deliver them Exodus 6:6 9 (ESV) 6 Say therefore to the people of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. 7 I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. 8 I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession. I am the LORD. 9 Moses spoke thus to the people of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery. Following this the Lord began systematically dismantling the gods of Egypt Defeating them one god at a time We have an enemy who CONTROLS us, but our God DELIVERS us! Therefore

5 TRUST in Him! before the last Plague God instructed the people to take a lamb, a spotless lamb and kill it Take some of it s blood and wipe it on the doorposts of their home Some of the gods controlling Americans today The god of food The god of sex The god of drugs & alcohol The god of entertainment The god of success The god of money What are some of the Pharaohs that hold us captive? The Pharaoh of Control The Pharaoh of Confusion The Pharaoh of Infirmity 3. We have an enemy who CHASES us, but our God PROTECTS us! Exodus 14:5 7 (ESV) 5 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

6 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. Know this, your enemy will not go quietly! He will chase after you to take you captive again In this, FEAR will grip you Exodus 14:10 12 (ESV) 10 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. Exodus 14:13 14 (ESV) 13 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. Exodus 14:15 16 (ESV) 15 The LORD said to Moses, Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. 16 Lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground. Exodus 14:19 20 (ESV) 19 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, 20 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.

7 FOLLOW after Him! Exodus 14:22 (ESV) 22 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 hand and on their left. Exodus 14:24 25 (ESV) 24 And in the morning watch the LORD in the pillar of fire and of cloud looked down on the Egyptian forces and threw the Egyptian forces into a panic, 25 clogging their chariot wheels so that they drove heavily. And the Egyptians said, Let us flee from before Israel, for the LORD fights for them against the Egyptians. Exodus 14:28 (ESV) 28 The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen; of all the host of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea, not one of them remained. Psalm 77:19 20 (NLT) 19 Your road led through the sea, your pathway through the mighty waters a pathway no one knew was there! 20 You led your people along that road like a flock of sheep, with Moses and Aaron as their shepherds. 1 Corinthians 10:13 (ESV) 13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. Worship is the built-in human reflex to put your hope in something or someone and then chase after it.

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9 Epic An Epic Deliverance Moses & The Exodus Exodus We have an enemy who us, but our God us! to Him! 2. We have an enemy who us, but our God us! in Him! 3. We have an enemy who us, but our God us! after Him!

10 October 4, 2015 Crossgates AM Worship David Jett PAGE PAGE 1