Let us commence our services today by singing together hymn 950, tune tremellon 250. For objects this which meets my eyes, without Jerusalem's gate, which fills my mind with such surprise as wonder to create. Hymn 950, tune Tremellon 250. Not objects, this which is my life, Without care or something which fills my mind, Which thus the Christ Has bound us to behead.

Let us read together from the Holy Word of God in Psalm 71.

Psalm 71. In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust. Let me never be put to confusion. Deliver me in thy righteousness, and caused me to escape. Incline thine ear unto me and save me. Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort. Thou hast given commandment to save me, for thou art my rock and my fortress.

Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man, For thou art my hope, O Lord God. Thou art my trust from my youth. By thee have I been holden up from the womb. Thou art he that took me out of my mother's bowels. My praise shall be continually of thee. I am as a wonder unto many, but thou art my strong refuge. Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honor all the day.

Cast me not off in the time of old age. Forsake me not when my strength failing. For mine enemies speak against me. And they that lay wait for my soul take counsel together, saying, God hath forsaken him. Persecute and take him. for there is none to deliver him. O God, be not far from me. O my God, make haste for my help. Let them be confounded and consumed that are adversaries to my soul. Let them be covered with reproach and dishonor that seek my hurt.

But I will hope continually and will yet praise thee more and more my mouth shall show forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day, for I know not the number thereof. I will go in the strength of the Lord God, O I mention of thy righteousness even of thine only. O God, thou hast taught me from my youth, and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works,

Now also, when I am old and grey-headed, O God, forsake me not, until I have showed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come. Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high. Who has done great things, O God? Who is like unto thee? Thou which hast showed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth, that thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side.

I will also praise thee with the salt tree, even thy truth, O my God. Unto thee will I sing with the heart, O Thou Holy One of Israel, my lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto Thee, and my soul which Thou hast redeemed, my tongue also shall talk of Thy righteousness all the day long, for they are confounded, for they are brought unto shame that seek my hurt.

May the Lord bless the reading of his own precious word and grant unto us a spirit of real prayer. Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty, which is an art, an art to come, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, we bow before thy glorious majesty. We desire thy presence and thy blessing as we gather together around thy word on this morning of thy holy day. And we pray that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God our Father and the sacred fellowship of the Holy Spirit may rest and abide upon us.

Lord be gracious unto us and teach us thy ways and lead us in thy paths and open thy word to our heart and to our understanding and grant that we may be given thy spirit in its sweet power and heavenly energy in our hearts in our souls that we may hear the word of the Lord unstop the deaf ears, open the blind eyes, open the heart so Lord we humbly pray thee.

We pray most gracious Lord that we may be guided and directed by thee and that thou wouldst direct our hearts into the love of God and the patient waiting for Christ Jesus. Lord we do pray that thou wouldst be gracious unto us. Give us a spirit of real confession. Thou hast said in thy word that if you confess your sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. O gracious God, we do pray that thou wouldst so do.

For, Lord, we're sinners. Each one of us is one of these sore and fallen sons or daughters of Adam. We're born in sin and shaped in iniquity. We're unclean and unrighteous altogether. Oh, but we would confess these things before thee. We leave undone the things that we ought to do. We do the things that we ought not to do. We find a law within our members that when we would do good, then evil is present with me. And so, Lord, there is that constant conflict between the flesh and the spirit, even as thy word declares, the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh, and the one is the contrary to the other. And Lord, we prove that day by day.

Oh, we pray to be led of the spirit of God, for as many as are led by the spirit of God, they are the sons of God. We do pray that we may live and walk as the sons and daughters of the Lord God Almighty, that we may be enabled by thy grace to present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto thee, which is our reasonable service, and that we be not conformed to this world, but may we be transformed by the renewing of our mind, that we might know what that good and perfect and acceptable will of the Lord is, Make us tender in thy holy fear, we do humbly pray thee.

Oh, that we might have a closer walk with thee, Lord Jesus. And those wonderful words of our opening hymn, what objects this that meets my eyes, without Jerusalem's gay. Oh, most gracious Lord, we pray that we may see your lovely man, that we may behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world, that we may touch the hem of his garment, that we may hear his voice, that we may see his countenance, that we may truly worship in his holy hill of Zion.

Blessed Holy Divine Spirit, we do pray that thou wouldst take of the things of Jesus and reveal them unto us. Lord, we Pray that thou would remember us then as a church and as a congregation. Remember our brethren, the deacons, and give needed grace, wisdom, and help in all their responsibilities. We do humbly beseech thee.

Lord, we do pray that thou would remember each one of our brethren and sisters in Christ and help us to pray for one another. Help us to bear one another's burdens, thereby fulfilling the law of Christ. Help us to love each other, for love is of God, and he that loveth is born of God.

Lord, we pray then for that spirit of love and union and communion. We pray that we may be favoured with the sacred spirit of adoption, whereby we may cry, Abba, Father, For God has sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

We thank thee, O Lord, that we do have a heavenly Father who has loved us with an everlasting love, who gave us to his Son before the foundation of the world. Oh, we do pray that thou wouldst fill our hearts with gratitude. God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten Son. that whosoever believeth in him should be saved.

We thank thee for thy gospel, for thy grace. We thank thee for Jesus Christ and the glory of his name and the fullness of his grace and the wonders of redeeming love.

We pray that thou wouldst bless the little ones and the children as they come into the sanctuary. but the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom into their hearts in their young and tender years, and that we pray for our young friends, that they too may be blessed of thee, and that thou wouldst graciously guide them, direct them, undertake for them, bring them into union with Jesus Christ, that they may know thee and serve thee and follow thee, in their day and in their generation.

Hear us, O Lord, we humbly beseech thee for thy great namesake. Remember them in all the paths of providence. Those, O Lord, among us that would seek a partner in life's journey, we pray that thou wouldst be gracious unto them and grant them their requests. We do humbly beseech thee.

Lord, we do pray that the prodigals may return, and the wonderful power of thy grace may be seen in this, and that we may continually wrestle with thee, that thy work may yet appear, and thy power may be known, and thy grace may be made manifest. Hear us, O Lord, and cause them to return.

There is a period known to God when all his sheep redeemed with blood shall leave the hateful ways of sin, turn to the fold, and enter in. We thank thee, Lord, that there is such a day, and we pray that would be such a day among us, that we may welcome the prodigals. We do humbly beseech thee.

Lord, we do pray that thou wouldst graciously hear prayer for this village and grant that the glory, light, and power of gospel truth may shine forth and the strongholds of Satan be pulled down, and the kingdom of the Lord Jesus set up in the hearts of sinners. Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children. O Lord, we do beseech thee.

Bring our sons from far, and our daughters from the ends of the earth, and even as thou hast promised, they shall come from the north and from the south, from the east and from the west. O gracious God, let thy work appear unto thy servants and thy glory unto their children. We do humbly beseech thee.

Remember all in the midst of the journey of life and undertake for each one. Be gracious unto parents and give wisdom and understanding that they may bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. And, O

Lord, we do pray that thou wouldst graciously hear prayer for those of us that are now in the evening time of life's journey. And, Lord, the longest can't be long. When we shall soar through tracks unknown and see thee on thy judgment throne, Lord, undertake for us, and at the appointed time grant an abundant entrance into thy heavenly kingdom, we do humbly beseech thee, in that place of eternal glory and everlasting happiness.

The bride eyes not her garments, but her dear bridegroom's face. I will not gaze on glory, but on my king of grace. Not on the crown he giveth, but on those pierced hands where glory, glory dwelleth in Emmanuel's land.

Lord, we pray. that we may be found looking and hasting unto that great day of the Lord. Remember all thy servants as they labour in word and doctrine upon the walls of Zion today. Set them free, set them at liberty, grant them, and thus saith the Lord, we do humbly beseech thee. And be gracious, Lord, unto thy Zion. Grant mighty signs and wonders to follow the preaching of the word. We do humbly beseech thee. Lord, we do pray that thou wouldst be with those that labour, that go forth from among us in the nations of the earth. We pray for thy servant, Ian Sadler, and that great work that he does in so many different places of the world and the distribution of Holy Scripture and the exposition of it. Guard him with all sufficient grace. supply is every need. Remember the Mombasa mission and thy servants there. Pour forth thy blessed spirit and grant that they may see an abundant harvest for thy great namesake. Remember the Savannah Education Trust and that great work that they're doing in Ghana and that it may be down to the great honour, glory and praise of thy holy name. We do humbly beseech of thee.

We pray for our nation, for our leaders, that they will give wisdom and understanding, guidance and direction in all matters. We do humbly beseech thee. Remember our King and bless the royal household with that rich grace that is in Christ Jesus. Hear us, O Lord, we humbly beseech thee. For thy great name's sake,

We thank Thee for the liberties that we enjoy, that we're able to freely meet around Thy Word. We thank Thee for Thy Word. This is the Word by which the Gospel is preached unto us. We thank Thee for the eternal Word, our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of glory, our great High Priest who is passed into the heavens. We thank Thee for His holy life and the bringing in of everlasting righteousness for Thy people. We thank Thee for that sacred sacrifice of Calvary, for by one offering He hath perfected forever all them that are sanctified. We thank Thee, most gracious Lord, for the glory of His person and the wonder of His grace. He died for our sins, rose again for our justification, and has bodily ascended into heaven. Gracious God, through him we have access unto our heavenly Father, and through him we receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Be with us, Lord, as we turn to thy holy word. Come and open thy word to our heart and to our understanding. Come and breathe thy word into our hearts. We ask for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.

Let us now sing together hymn number 268. The tune is Sabbath Eve 919.

If Jesus kindly say, and with a whispering word, arise my love and come away, I run to meet my Lord. Hymn 268, tune Sabbath Eve 919.

Greatly feeling to need the Lord's gracious help direct your attention to the Psalm 71 and we'll read verse 16 for our text. Psalm 71 verse 16. I will go in the strength of the Lord God. I will make mention of thy righteousness even of thine only. only. I will go in the strength of the Lord God.

Faith is what we call a dynamic principle, it's active, it's always going forward. I will go many places in the Word of God where we see when the Lord's people were made willing in the day of his power, I will go. And there's only one way that we can go in the strength of the Lord God.

You think of the Apostle in the epistle to the Hebrews, He writes so beautifully there of faith being the substance of things hoped for, of things not yet seen. Substance of things hoped for. It's going forward and in that same context there he says let us lay aside every weight. We just sung in the hymn the world now drops its charms. Why? Because Jesus is made precious. Because Jesus becomes the object of our faith, of our desire, of our longing. And hence the Apostle he says there, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that does so easily beset us.

Those of us that know that inward divine and powerful work of the spirit in our hearts will know what it is to be convicted of sin and sin becomes a burden sins of omission, sins of commission but the exhortation is let us lay aside what hinders you What is it that's holding you back and drawing you back instead of going forward? I will go in the strength of the Lord God. You see, let us lay aside every weight. Anything that comes between your soul and God, anything that's holding you back in that spiritual journey, let us lay aside every weight. You know the things that are holding you back. Let us lay aside every weight and the sin that does so easily beset us.

The Lord's people have beset in sins. Something that constantly besets you, hinders you, Let us lay aside. Let all fruitless searches go, which perplex and tease us, but desiring not to know, but a bleeding Jesus. Let us lay aside every weight. Some of those weights, my beloved friends, that are so pleasing to our flesh, so pleasing to our flesh but the exhortation is to lay it aside let us lay aside every way and the sin that does so easily beset us and let us run with patience you see this is this is what we have in our text I will go let us run with patience We have need of patience.

The Apostle says, doesn't he? You have need of patience after you have done the will of God. It's to patiently wait upon the Lord. It's to patiently watch unto prayer. How often we pray and don't watch. You might say, what do you mean? Well, you pray for something, but that's it. You never even think of it again after that. To pray and watch, is that when you pray and have a spirit of prayer that you're watching for the answer to those prayers. That's what it means to watch and pray. Are we watching and praying or do we just pray and then forget all about it and that's the last thing we think of it? What I say unto you, I say unto you all, watch.

Do we watch unto prayer? Do we watch for the fulfilling of the Lord's promises? Do we watch when we labour in prayer for something? Is it with us continually? Are we constantly bringing it to the Lord, secretly in prayer?

Let us lay aside every way and the sin that doth so easily beset us, let us run with patience the race that is set before us. Now you say, how? Well, in the context there, the next verse, it clearly gives us the divine instruction as to how you're to run this race, looking unto Jesus. That's how you run this race. You won't run it in any other way.

looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross despising the shame thereof and is now set down at the right hand of the majesty on high the apostle there sets before us the glorious person of our lord Jesus Christ as one that has run the race he's run the race patiently endured. He lived a life that was perfect and spotless and undefiled on the behalf of his people to make them righteous. That perfect obedience of Jesus to the law is the righteousness of Christ.

And here in this psalm, the psalmist, he continually comes It's quite nice that this Psalm is right next to Psalm 72. At the end of Psalm 72, it says, here endeth the prayers of, it says the prayers of David, the son of Jesse are ended. And we know that this Psalm 71, because twice he speaks of his old age. And he says in verse two, deliver me in thy righteousness, in thy righteousness. And then in verse 15, my mouth shall show forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day. Then in a text I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only. And then in verse 19, thy righteousness also, O God, is very high. Who has done great things, O God, who is like unto thee, thy righteousness.

The righteousness of Jesus, the Son of God. I always feel it's so beautiful the way the Holy Spirit is left on record in the Galatians 4, verse 4. That Jesus Christ, the Son of God, made of a woman, made under the law, as a very important statement of divine truth. Made of a woman, made under the law. I remember reading of a man and he said, Christ never lived under the law. I thought, man, you cannot understand the wonderful truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ unless you understand that. That when the Son of God became a man, he was made under the law. is a very important statement of divine truth. And he lived as a man under the law. Why did he do that? Why did the Son of God do that? To make his people righteous. To make his people righteous. He lived a life that was sinless. The Word of God declares Sin is any transgression of the law of God. And we read of Jesus Christ, he did no sin. He didn't break God's holy law in thought, in word or in deed. In sins of omission or sins of commission, he never committed any sin. He lived a life that was perfect and holy and righteous altogether.

I often point you to that word in the the book of Daniel to the bringing in of everlasting righteousness. What does Daniel mean? To the coming of Christ and in the coming of Christ in the Son of God manifest in the flesh is the fulfilling of the law and the bringing in of everlasting righteousness for his people and that is what the child of God Receives you see I will go in the strength of the Lord God. I won't make mention of thy righteousness even of thine own

You see my beloved friends when we're being taught of the spirit The the spirit of God he will Make you realize that you're a sinner that you're a lawbreaker, that you're unholy, that you're unrighteous. He will also make you realise that God is holy and he will not at all acquit the guilty. The truth, he's called the spirit of truth and when he dwells in the heart of a poor sinner he teaches them truth. You weren't deceived, When you sin, He'll witness to your sin. He dwells in the heart of every believer. And every time we sin, He'll witness to our sinfulness.

You see, my beloved friends, when you realize what a sinner you are, when you realize that everything you touch is stained with sin because of your sin, then you'll begin to seek a righteousness that is not your own. The great trouble with the Pharisees was they believed that they were righteous, they were self-righteous. They didn't have any need of salvation. We are Abraham's seed, they said. Moses is our father. and they believed that they were righteous and the Lord Jesus said accept your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the scribes and pharisees you will in no wise enter the kingdom of heaven

you see my beloved friends the scribes and pharisees were self-righteous they didn't have any need of the righteousness of Christ because they believed that they were righteous already Jesus said, I come not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. Sinners can say, and none but they, how precious is the Savior.

I will go in the strength of the Lord God. That strength of the Lord God is Christ. You may say to me, what do you mean? Well in the book of Samuel, in those solemn dealings that Samuel had with Saul, when the Lord rejected him from being king over Israel, he says, the strength of Israel, and that's written with a capital S. Why? Because it's referring to the glorious person of our Lord Jesus Christ, the strength of Israel.

Now Dr Gill says this word that we have before us in our text, it is actually plural, I will go in the strengths of the Lord God. I will go in the strengths of the Lord God. You see, power belongeth unto God. As we read in the Revelation, hallelujah, for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth, omnipotent, universal and complete power, that's what it means. And that is what God has, universal and complete power. Jesus said when he was about to ascend into glory and he said to his disciples, all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

I love what the hymn writer says concerning a poor sinner, a poor, weak, helpless, hopeless sinner. What does he say? He puts it so beautifully. Thou art coming to a king. Large petitions with thee bring for his grace and power as such. None can ever ask too much.

King Jesus. The King eternal, immortal and invisible. The only true God. He that is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by Him, seen He ever liveth. Seen He ever liveth. This glorious King. He lives in glory. He lives to hear His people's prayers. He does.

It speaks so beautifully concerning him in the Psalm 72. It says the Psalm for Solomon, but there's a greater than Solomon here. It's the glorious person of our Lord Jesus Christ. It speaks here of him coming down to this earth. It says in verse six in Psalm 72, he shall come down like rain upon the mown grass, as showers that water the earth. He has come down. Lord Jesus and he still comes down today by his spirit and by his grace he shall come down like rain upon the mown grass and the mown grass then revives and sprouts and again and when Christ comes down now into his church that there is a watering he comes down and when Christ comes down into his church and the the ground is watered, why we read of it in the Word of God and very beautifully it speaks there in Deuteronomy chapter 32 give ear O ye heavens I will speak and hear O earth the words of my mouth my doctrine shall drop as the rain my speech shall distill as the dew as the small rain upon the tender herb and as showers upon the grasp, because I will publish the name of the Lord, ascribe ye greatness unto our God.

See my doctrine, the doctrine of truth, the doctrine of the holy law of God, that the soul that sinneth it shall die, and the doctrine of Christ, that there is salvation in none other, there is none other name that is given unto heaven, whereby ye must be saved. That doctrine of the holy life of Jesus Christ, of the law fulfilled and honoured and magnified and everlasting righteousness brought in. See my doctrine shall drop as the dew, as the rain upon the tender earth and when the truth of God under the power of the Spirit comes into the heart and the eyes are opened and the ears are opened, the heart is opened, And Christ is made precious.

Which is sung in the hymn, that beautiful hymn we sung together, 268. Arise my love and come away. See, I will go. When the love of Christ is shed abroad in your heart, arise my love and come away. It's a beautiful word, isn't it? Remember when the Lord breathed that word into my heart with such heavenly power and divine unction. Rise up my love, my fair one, and come away, for lo, the winter is over and gone, and the time of the singing of birds has come, and the voice of the turtle, that's the turtle dove, that's Christ, is heard in our land. And then you rise up. It comes with such power. But I never forget the power of those words as the Lord breathed them into my heart and you know friends it had such an effect on me as I couldn't get low enough I said Lord I'm but a poor wretched ruined sinner and now I said my love my farewell and the Lord spoke it again with such heavenly power and I rose up And, oh, Christ was so, so precious. He became the altogether lovely one, the chiefest among 10,000.

Arise, my love, and come away. I run. You see, thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power. I run, it says here. My soul is in my ears. My heart is all on flame. My eyes are sweetly drowned in tears. and melted is my frame. My raptured soul will rise and give a cheerful spring and dart through all the lofty skies to visit Zion's King. Zion's King is the Lord Jesus, the King eternal, immortal and invisible. And this is what is set forth in Psalm 72, the glorious person. He shall come down, and he has, like rain upon the mown grass, as showers that water the earth. In his days, the righteous flourish and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth, as in the glorious days of Christ. And we live in those days when the gospel is still preached, and it will be preached in every nation, kindred, tongue, and tribe, and people. He shall have dominion, who? Christ will. He will have dominion also from sea to sea, from the river unto the ends of the earth. They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before Him, and His enemies shall lick the dust. And it says in verse 11, yea, all kings shall fall down before Him. All nations shall serve Him.

This glorious King, King Jesus, I will go in the strength of the Lord God, in the strength of Christ. Who is this that cometh up out of the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? Who is this? This is the spouse of Christ our God, brought with the treasures of his blood. It is. She's coming up out of the wilderness of this world. And how does she come? Leaning upon her beloved. Leaning upon Jesus Christ. Leaning upon his righteousness. Leaning upon his precious sacrifice. Leaning upon his sacred precious blood that was shed at Calvary. Leaning upon the resurrected Saviour.

The Apostle says, doesn't he, that I might know him in the power of his resurrection, in the fellowship of his suffering. I will go in the strength, as in Christ, in the strength of the Lord God. He will give strength unto his people. I will go in the strength of the Lord God. See, leaning upon the Beloved, leaning upon that glorious person of Jesus Christ, leaning upon His resurrection, leaning upon His ascension into glory. He's made a new and living way into the holy place, you see, to be leaning upon Christ. I am the way, the truth and the life. He's opened the gates of heaven. He's made a new and living way into heaven itself. For through Him we have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

I will go. in the strength of the Lord God, I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only, of thine only. You know, friends, what seemed to rest upon my spirit yesterday as I was looking at these words is when the children of Israel came to the Red Sea, and in the book of Exodus and chapter 14 we have it recorded there and we notice that the Lord spake unto Moses saying speak unto the children of Israel that they turn and encamp before Piahiroth between Migdal and the sea over against Baal Viziphon before it shall ye encamp by the sea. You see It was the Lord that told them to camp there. And at Pyre Hieroth, by the Red Sea, exactly where the Lord told them to encamp, there was mountains on each side, so they were hemmed in. They had the sea in front of them, they had the mountains on each side, and the Lord ordered that. Why? Because he was going to show his mighty power.

And he says in verse 3, For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness has shut them in, and I will harden Pharaoh's heart, that he shall follow after them, and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his hosts, that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord.

And they did so. Pharaoh, with all his hosts, his chariots, his men of war, completely hemmed in the children of Israel.

I remember some time ago now, reading Thomas Goodwin, the Puritan, very learned man and he said after this overthrow of Pharaoh and all his hosts he said we do not read anything of Egypt in history for 300 years he said so great was the overthrow it wasn't just his captains and men of war it was Pharaoh himself He was the one that ordered them, but the point I want to come to is this.

The Lord had told them to go that way and they were completely hemmed in and it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people and they said why have we done this that we have let Israel go from serving us?

And he made ready his chariot as Pharaoh, and took his people with him. He took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them. And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt.

And he pursued after the children of Israel, and the children of Israel went out with an high hand. But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh and his horsemen and his army and overtook them in camping by the sea beside Piahola before Baal Zephon.

You know, it makes me think of the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ. The devil rejoiced to see the crucifixion our Lord Jesus Christ because he didn't understand the significance of that glorious sacrifice that Jesus the Son of God was offering that would deliver his people, that would justify his people. Their sins and their iniquities I remember no more and we read in the Hebrews that devil had the power of death Well, that was to be taken away. When? When Jesus rose from the dead. He suffered, he bled, and he died for the sins of his people. He then voluntarily entered into death. I say, what rejoicings there must have been in the camp of the enemy when he saw Jesus, the Son of God, suffering, bleeding, dying. Just like here at Pharaoh. He was rejoicing. We've got them, we've hemmed them in, the seeds in front of them, mountains beside them, we're going to destroy them. But in actual fact the Lord was leading them to a great victory, a great victory.

You see, and they said unto Moses, this is the children of Israel, when Pharaoh drew nigh the children of Israel lifted up their eyes and behold the Egyptians marched after them And they were sore afraid. And the children of Israel cried out unto the Lord. And they said unto Moses, because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? Wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians? This is the typical voice of unbelief. for it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.

Moses said unto the people, fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will show to you today. For the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you shall see them again no more forever. The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. He it is that goeth before you. He it is that goeth before you.

And the Lord said unto Moses, and this is what really drew me to the chapter, and the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore cryest thou unto me? Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward. they go forward. I've got no doubt the children of Israel they looked at the Red Sea how can we go forward and maybe you're looking at what's before you and say how can we go forward? I will go in the strength of the Lord God I will speak of thy righteousness even of thine only but lift up thou upon the but lift thou up thy rod and stretch out thine hand over the sea that's Moses rod and divide it and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea why that was looked utterly impossible didn't it but Moses in faith he lifted up his rod and the waters parted What looked impossible, a way was now made. What a beautiful picture of our Lord Jesus Christ. I am the way, the truth, and the life. A way has been made where poor, wretched, helpless, hopeless sinners can approach unto eternal God. There is a new and living way in our Lord Jesus Christ unto the Father.

You see, and we read here, And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians and they shall follow them. And I will get me honour upon Pharaoh and upon all his hosts and upon his chariots and upon his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh and upon his chariots and upon his horsemen.

And the aims of the Lord, this is speaking of that fiery cloudy pillar that went before the children of Israel in the wilderness the angel of the Lord which went before the camp of Israel removed and went behind them and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face and stood behind them and it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel and it was a cloud and darkness to them but it gave light by night to these so that one came not near the other all the night and Moses stretched out his hand over the sea and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night and made the sea dry land and the waters were divided and the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand and on their left and the Egyptians pursued and went in after them and to the in the midst of the sea even all pharaoh's horses and his chariots and his horsemen and it came to pass that in the morning watch the lord looked upon the host of the egyptians and the pillar of fire and the cloud and troubled the host of the egyptians and took off their chariot wheels you see the battle is not yours it is the lord's and they drove them heavily so that the Egyptians said, let us flee from the face of Israel for the Lord fighteth for them.

These men had witnessed the wonderful ten plagues that the Lord brought upon the children of Egypt to deliver them from the Egyptian bondage. They witnessed all the first born killed in the land of Egypt of man and beast. And still they pursued after them. And now, right in the midst of the sea, let us flee from the face of Israel, for the Lord fighteth against the Egyptians.

The Egyptians would have been the most powerful nation then. And the Lord said unto Moses, stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians and upon their chariots and upon their horsemen. and Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared and the Egyptians fled against it and the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea and they were covered.

You see, what was the salvation of Israel was the utter destruction of the Egyptians. The Egyptians, my beloved friends, are a type of the world The Lord said unto Moses, didn't he, to teach the children of Israel, thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the house of Egypt.

You see, just let us remember this. Moses said unto the people, fear ye not, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will show to you today. For the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you shall see them again no more. The Lord shall fight for you. Wherefore, cryest thou unto me, speak unto the children of Israel that they go forward. I will go in the strength of the Lord God. I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only. The strength of the Lord God, even the glorious person of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Now what led me to our first hymn, what objects that which meets my eye without Jerusalem's gate, is my mind was turned very much to Hebrews chapter 13 and the Apostle there he opens up something of the Old Testament dispensation and he says verse 8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever be not carried about with diverse that is diverse and strange doctrines For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace, not with meats which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.

We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle. For the bodies of those beasts whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin are burned without the camp. Wherefore Jesus also he might sanctify the people with his own blood suffered without the game. We know that when he was led out to be crucified it was without the walls of the city of Jerusalem.

And what I see here my beloved friends is the organized religion of that day was the the temple, the synagogue, and the Jewish nation. And what the Apostle here, by the Spirit's leading, is saying, wherefore Jesus also that he might sanctify the people with their own blood, suffered without the gain. And he's exhorting these Hebrews, let us go forth therefore unto him. See, I will go in the strength of the Lord God. Let us go therefore unto him. without the camp, bearing his reproach."

In other words, he's saying to them, you'll never find what you want there, among this organized religion of the Jewish people. Jesus suffered without the gate, let us therefore go forth unto him without the camp. Bearing his reproach, for here we have no continuing city, but we seek one to come. By him, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name.

You see, let us go forth, therefore, unto him, unto Jesus, without the camp. It's similar to what we were speaking of earlier that the apostle speaks of here in the previous chapter. Let us lay aside every weight and the sin that does so easily beset us and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus. Let us go forth therefore unto Him. Is to follow the Lord Jesus Christ. Is to follow the Lord Jesus Christ. And that is what the Lord's people are exhorted to do.

You think of those what the Lord Jesus had to say in the 10th chapter of John's Gospel.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calleth his own sheep by name. and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them. And the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him, for they know not the voice of strangers.

You see, my beloved friends, is to follow Christ. Is to follow Christ. is to walk in the footsteps of the flock. I will go in the strength of the Lord God. I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only. May the Lord grant his blessing.

Let us now sing together hymn 144. The tune is Angelus 282.

Jesus, my all to heaven is gone.

He whom I fix my hopes upon.

His track I see and I'll pursue the narrow way till him I view.

Hymn 144. Tune Angelus 282.

Now may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, the sacred fellowship of the Holy Spirit, rest and abide with us each. Amen.