GOD’S SCHOOL [2]

A little boy was leading his sister up a mountain path and the way was not too easy. " Why, this isn't a path at all," the little girl complained. " It's all rocky and bumpy." And her brother replied, " Sure the bumps are what you climb on." That's a remarkable piece of philosophy. What do you do with the bumps on the path of life? My.... if you read Biblical biography or Christian biography you'll find it difficult to find a successful person whose life was free from problems and difficulties. Looking at these people from a distance, you might think they had it made and that life was easy for them. But when you get closer, you discover that their climb to the top of the mountain was not an easy one. The road was rocky and bumpy, but the bumps are what they climbed on to get to the top.

You see God knows how to balance our lives so that we have sunshine and rain, calm and storm, laughter and tears. In God's school there are level places that delight us, and there are difficult places that challenge us. Even on the paths of God's choosing there are rocks and bumps and we have to learn to accept them and benefit from them. The bumps are what you climb on. Now in God's school the curriculum often includes the Discipline of Distress. ( Job 36:22,10 ) In other words God uses this method to educate us spiritually. For it was none other than God Himself that brought Israel into this present predicament. Can you see where they are? Before them breaks the thunder of the angry sea: on either side of them rise unscaleable mountains: in hot pursuit come Pharaoh and his hosts.

They are completely hemmed in: they are at their wits end: escape seems impossible. But in the place of distress God miraculously and mercifully delivered them from the hand of the enemy. The psalmist says: " Come and see the works of God: He is terrible in His doing toward the children of men. He turned the sea into dry land: they went through the flood on foot: there did we rejoice in Him." ( Ps 66:5-6 ) Now this.... we want to respond to the invitation of the psalmist and examine the historical account given to us here in ( Exod 14 ) In so doing we shall better understand God's Discipline of Distress, and we shall be led to the place where we shall be able to say, " There," in the place of distress,

" did we rejoice in Him." Now as we seek to understand

God's discipline of Distress here I want you to notice:

Look at ( 14:1-2 ) The names of these places are interesting. " Pi-hahiroth," for instance means " The Place of Liberty," and such it proved to be for it was here that Israel were finally delivered from those who had long held them in cruel bondage. " Migdol," signifies " a tower," or " fortress," and the Lord was such to His defenceless people.

" Baal-zephon," means " Lord of the North," and in Scripture the " north," is frequently associated with judgment. ( Jos 8:11 Isa 14:31 Eze 1:4 ) And it was as the Lord of Judgement that Jehovah was seen at the Red Sea. Now the important thing for us to notice here is that Israel was brought into this present predicament by God Himself. " Between Migdol and the sea," ( 14:2 ) was the very place where God wanted His people to be.

My .... we must never expect the path of faith to be an easy or smooth one. Our faith must be tested and tested severely. Why? That we may learn the sufficiency of our God. That we may prove from experience that He is able to supply our every need ( Phil 4:19 ) make a way of escape from every temptation: ( 1 Cor 10:13 ) and do for us exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think ! (1) Now look at their situation:

They found themselves in a critical situation. Three enemies surrounded them at the same time and its difficult to say which of them was the most cruel. Pharaoh ( 14:9 ) the sea: ( 14:2 ) or the inaccessible rocks and wilderness: ( 14:3 ) Before them breaks the thunder of the angry sea: beside them rise unscaleable mountains: behind them come Pharaoh and his hosts.

They are completely hemmed in: they are at their wits end: escape seems impossible. Every outlet was closed they were in a cul-de-sac with no way out. My .... are you in the place of distress this .... ? Do you feel hemmed in on every side ? Do you feel that there is no way through your present circumstances ?

Look at ( 14:10 ) which describes the people's reaction to Pharaoh's pursuit. How forgetful they were. What short memories they had. They seem to have forgotten all the recent displays of God's power exercised on their behalf. My .... here were a people who had seen the gods of Egypt judged: ( 12:12 ) the power of Egypt broken: they had been set free by the outstretched hand of God: ( 13:9 ) And yet when clouds appear on their horizon: when fresh difficulties arise, all these things are forgotten, and their hearts fail for fear. They left God out of their equation. They interpreted God in the presence of difficulty, instead of the difficulty in the presence of God. Do you know the experience ? My .... no matter how many times the Lord has delivered us in the past: no matter how wonderfully His power has been seen acting for us when some new trial comes upon us we forget God's previous interventions. We are overwhelmed by the greatness of our present emergency. Is Israel's mistake not ours ? We leave the Lord out of our calculations and the result ?

Fear grips our hearts ! Ill: Ann Landers of the USA has written an advice column for over 30 years. She reports that she receives over 10,000 letters a week, with more mail concerning one particular difficulty than any other. Do you know what it is ? FEAR ! Phobia is the Greek word for fear. The dictionary lists over 700 different kinds of phobias. Acrophobia is a fear of high places: claustrophobia is a fear of tight, closed places:

agoraphobia is a fear of open places and crowds: ergophobia is a fear of work, many are in that category,and phobophobia is a fear of fear. My .... like Israel are you fearful ? Are you fearful of the adversary around you ? What about the inadequacy within you ? Maybe its the uncertainty before you ? Do you know what fear does ? It freezes and immobilises us ! ( Jn 20:19 )

Is this where you are today ? Have you got your eye on the enemy instead of on the Lord? Do you recall Peter?

" Lord if it be Thou, bid me come unto thee on the water." ( Matt 14:28 ) My .... it was " when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid." Is the eye of your faith on the circumstances instead of on the Lord ? You see the only cure for fear is for the eye to remain steadfastly fixed on the Lord. (1) Here were the people of God in a great dilemma.... outwardly they were in great danger, inwardly they were in great distress but Moses stands forth and says: " Fear ye not, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord." ( 14:13 ) Now that is:

Moses was a man who remained calm in the midst of this dilemma: a man who remained confident in the midst of this danger. In calm dignity and with majestic faith he stands forth and says:

Moses wants to quieten their hearts and set them in perfect peace before God. " Fear ye not." For this first trial of Israel's faith was all in the purpose and plan of God. ( 14:2 ) " Fear not," is one of the great words recurring all through the Scriptures.

• " Fear not, neither be thou dismayed," was His message to Joshua

( Jos 8:1 )

• " Fear not," was His command to Gideon.( Judges 16:23 )

• " Fear not," was David's counsel to Solomon. ( 1 Chron 28:20 )

Abraham was concerned about the POSTERITY OF THE NATION:

When God came to him and said, " Fear not Abram I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward." ( Gen 15:1 )

" Fear not," for " The Lord will perfect that which concerneth you." ( Ps 138:8 )

Solomon was concerned about the IMMENSITY OF THE TASK: The work involved in building the temple was great but David said" Fear not .... for the Lord God, even my God, will be with thee: He will not fail thee nor forsake thee." ( 1 Chron 28:20 )

Are you anxious about the erection of God's spiritual temple ? Do you feel overawed by the greatness of the task ? " Fear not." Christ will build His church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.

The psalmist was concerned about the DIFFICULTY OF THE WAY: and then he said, " Yea, though I walkthrough the valley .... of deepest darkness I will fear no evil for Thou art with me." My .... are you in the valley this .... ? The valley of darkness: of doubt: of distress !

" Fear not," God is with you ! (a)

" Be still and know that I am God." ( Ps 46:10 ) My .... is it not so difficult to stand still in the midst of

distress ? These hearts of ours are so restless under trial and trouble seeking their own solutions, that we find difficult to " stand still." In the presence of distress we must be doing something. We rush hither and thither, we want a hand in the situation. But what can we do ?

My .... what could Israel do at the Red Sea ? Could they dry it up ? Could they level the mountains ? Could they annihilate the enemy ? Impossible ! They were surrounded by a wall of difficulties, but this was the very time for God to act.

In the presence of distress do you wait on God? Do you know what it is " be still and know that He is God?" The people said, " Go back," ( 14:11 ) Moses said,

" Stand still," but then God said,

(c) " GO FORWARD," That was a Word of CHALLENGE:

Look at ( 14:15 Heb 11:29 ) We may react to the discipline of distress in one of three ways. We may PANIC: thats what Israel did. They forgot what God had done for them in the past and give way to fear and unbelief. ( 14:10 ) We may PRAY: thats what Moses did. But God came to Moses and said, " Moses the time for praying is past, and the time for acting is come." My .... it is wrong to act without praying, but it is wrong to be praying when we ought to be acting. We may PANIC: that's what Israel did. We may PRAY: that's what Moses did. Or we may PROCEED: that's what God wanted them to do. " Speak unto the .... go forward." ( 14:15 ) Is this God's Word to your heart this .... ? " Go Forward " in spite of your Reasonings: Why was Israel reluctant to follow the angel of the Lord and the pillar of cloud ? Surely they reasoned this way.

How can we go forward? Its impossible to cross the Red Sea? My .... its because of our reasoning so logical and so acceptable in the natural .... That faith is often stymied. God brings us into the place of distress in order that we may exercise faith, but we thwart His purpose by our clever reasoning. " Go Forward " in spite of your Fears: " Go Forward " in spite of your Weakness: Ill: When Columbus was crossing the Atlantic, day after day, no land appeared. His sailors threatened to mutiny and tried often to persuade him to turn back. Columbus refused to listen to their entreaties and each day entered in the ships log the words,

Moses had said, " Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord." ( Ps 106:9-12 ) That salvation and deliverance comprised three things:

It was divided MIRACULOUSLY: Look at ( 14:21 ) Our God is the God of miracles and He used a miracle to open up a way of deliverance for His people. It was divided INSTRUMENTALLY: ( 14:16 ) tells me that God used a Wooden Rod: ( 14:21 ) tells me that God used a Weak Hand: My .... the impossible became possible and the sea was divided ! Like Israel does a Red Sea of trial and trouble confront you ? What about the impossible thing that now faces you ? My .... is the God who divided the Red Sea able to deal with your problem ? Yes ! Listen to the heartening Word of God:

" There hath no trial taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful who will not suffer .... bear it."

( 1 Cor 10:13 ) " Got any rivers you think are impossible .... no others can do." (a)

Look at ( 14:26-28 ) They perished suddenly: miserably: totally. " There remained not so much as one of them."

( 14:28 ) They sank like lead ( 15:10 ) and in the morning a ghastly mass of floating corpses was borne in upon the waves and Israel had its last look upon the Egyptians lying " dead upon the sea shore." ( 14:30 )

Ill: It is told of Antigonus that as he was about to engage in a naval battle with Ptolemy's armada, one of his men called his attention to the fact that they were greatly outnumbered. " Its true," replied the courageous Antigonus, " Its true if you count their numbers but for how many do you value me ?" My .... you may seem to be hopelessly in the minority but remember that God and one are innumerable multitude. (a) (b)

" Thus the Lord saved ( delivered ) Israel." ( 14:30 )

Out from the place of distress .... the place of being" pressed together," God brought His people triumphantly. He who called them was faithful and delivered them out of all their troubles.