May God be pleased to bless us
together this morning as we consider his word. Let us turn to the
book of Exodus, chapter 14, and we'll read verse 14. The book
of the Exodus, chapter 14, and reading verse 14. The Lord shall
fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. These were very instructive and
very encouraging words for Israel in their great time of need. And I'm sure that God's people
down through the ages have also rejoiced to hear and to have
such a word applied to their heart as they find themselves
perhaps in a similar situation, not the same obviously detail,
but nonetheless with the need for the Lord to appear for them. It was amazing how Israel had
been graciously and gloriously delivered out of Egypt. He'd come out with a high hand.
The Lord had very clearly appeared for them. And perhaps they thought,
well, everything now would be plain sailing and they wouldn't
have any more difficulties. The Lord had appeared for them
in such a wonderful way. But it was only a very short
time when we find that they were hedged in. Hedged in the wilderness,
the sea before them, the mountains around them. and Pharaoh and
all his host coming behind them. Well, what do they do? What do they do? What should
we do when we find ourselves, as it were, shut in and seemingly
unable to escape from the situation which exists? And don't forget
that Israel here had received the promise from God which had
been handed down from Abraham that they would come and inherit
Canaan, and therefore to now be faced with a situation like
this, how was such a promise going to be performed? Well,
what did they do? And what should we do? Well, we read in the 10th verse,
and the children of Israel cried out unto the Lord. We may think that's a very obvious
statement of very obvious consideration about we do need God to remind
us in our times of need to pray unto God. Because the devil would
always try and persuade us to carry on and to try and sort
out a solution ourselves. To try and work out something
whereby we may be able to ease ourselves out of the situation. The truth is that we must always
remember, always remember, to come and to pray. And Israel
here, they cried out unto the Lord. Clearly it was a prayer
of desperation, a prayer of urgency, a prayer of concern. It wasn't
just a mere form of words. They needed God to appear. And
therefore, they cried out unto the Lord." Well, what a blessing
if God gives us grace to cry out unto Him. And as I've said
sometimes, you know, cry is that which a young babe often gives
vent, not able to formulate words, but to cry unto God, cry out
so they might receive attention. We are to cry unto God. we might
indeed receive his gracious attention and so Israel cried out unto
the Lord and well they complained to Moses and because the situation
seemed very difficult for them there seemed no way of escape
really and therefore they complained to Moses we're not condoning
that at all but nonetheless that's what they did and then Moses
by the grace of God was able to speak to them. And he told
them, fear ye not, stand still, not sit, stand still and see
the salvation of the Lord, which he will show to you today. For
the Egyptians whom you have seen today, ye shall see them again
no more forever. The Lord shall fight for you
and you shall hold your peace." Well, that was a wonderful word,
wasn't it, to Israel, who no doubt were greatly fearing. And
we fear. I'm sure we fear in our lives. Situations develop and we fear
what the result may be, what the outcome may be. Well, it's a blessing, surely,
if we can come and commit our way unto the Lord, to cry out
unto Him that He will appear. Now, I believe there are these
two situations. Firstly, there is a natural one,
and secondly, there is a spiritual one. Sometimes they join together,
as grace and providence unite. But nonetheless, the Lord would
have us to cry unto him for natural things and also for our spiritual
things. And we have naturally the journey
of life, which is illustrated by the way that Israel were directed
in their life. Remember, they were in Egypt
for all those years. and they were delivered from Egypt and
they were favoured to have God with them as they travelled through
the wilderness. With that pillar of fire by night
and pillar of cloud by day, the Lord gave them clear direction. Although they deserved to be
left alone and to find their own way, God graciously directed
them in a very sure and certain way. And we should realise that
today. in our lives, to look from the
direction of God. The direction of God, there was
that direction, it was very clear to see, wasn't it? There was
a cloud by day, there was a pillar of fire by night. It was clear
to be seen. They were there to look to it
and when it moved, they were to move. But when it didn't move,
they were not to move, they were to stay where they were. But
when that moved, they moved. And God was gracious to them
and therefore led them for 40 years in the wilderness. Well, what a blessing if in a
natural way God leads you and me for all our life in the wilderness. This world is a wilderness. Let's
understand that. It is described in Deuteronomy
with regards to Jacob, that it was a waste, howling wilderness. It wasn't a comfortable place
to live in. And perhaps we try and make it
a comfortable place to live in, but in fact we will never really
find it a truly comfortable place. The Lord may bless us with many
natural comforts which we should be thankful for, but we will
not be allowed, if we are God's children, to settle down in a
comfortable environment, because what will happen will be we will
forget God. We won't pray to God, we won't
cry to God. If everything goes smoothly in
our natural life, our spiritual life will become very poor. And therefore God graciously,
as he's done through the ages, he's been with his people to
direct them and to keep them in the right way and to bring
them safely home to glory at last. But we should not believe
that our life in this world will be an easy one. We're not promised
it and in actual fact for the children of God we will find
it is not so. I suppose we should be worried. If we were living in this life
with a very calm situation, you know we should perhaps fear the
calm situation. Naturally, when people are on
the sea and sailing, not with motors but sailing, if there's
a calm sea, and sometimes there's a dead calm, they don't make
any progress, they just stay still. But you see, when the
wind blows, then there's some progress. And my friends, that
is so, I believe, in our natural life and our spiritual life,
if we are the children of God. We will desire that the wind
may blow, and it may be a help to us, to direct us on our journey. And so here we're, Israel, then,
in that natural way, But also we have this great picture to
us of the spiritual direction that God leads his people in.
Because God brings his people out of Egypt, that is, out of
the darkness of nature, where we've been struggling and where
we've been perhaps hindered. And then the Lord brings his
people out of spiritual darkness into spiritual life. He brings
them out, as it were, out of Egypt. Well, it's a great blessing
if you and I in our life can realise the Lord has brought
us out of Egypt. As it was in Israel's day, a
miracle. So it is in our spiritual life. It's a miracle when God brings
us out of Egypt. And then when the light shines,
we may think perhaps, well, everything is now going to be very pleasant
And we may be rejoicing in the liberty which the Lord has brought
us into, and that's not wrong, that's right. But then you see
the Lord may bring us into times of difficulty, times of trial,
times when the enemy of our souls, our great adversary, the devil,
rises up against us. And we find the journey exceedingly
difficult. And we feel the enemy against
us. What shall we do? Well, then,
to realise these words are so appropriate, then, the Lord shall
fight for you and ye shall hold your peace. The Lord shall fight
for you. Now, in this situation, we should
remember that although they were told to stand still at that time
and to see God's direction towards them, they were then told Wherefore
Christ answer me, speak unto the children of Israel that they
go forward." Israel were to prepare themselves to go forward. Now the situation was exceedingly
difficult. The Red Sea was before them.
How were they to go forward? And yet here they were directed
by the Lord that they should go forward. Well we know of course
what happened, that Moses was directed by God to lift up his
rod and stretch out his hand over the sea and to divide it,
and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the
midst of the sea. Well that is of course very true
and very clear, but sometimes there is a temptation to not
listen to the word of the Lord and to perhaps walk in a contrary
way. Now, the Lord spoke to Isaiah
and he directed God's people in his day. Isaiah was directed
to speak to Israel. In the 30th chapter, we read
that he was told to speak to the rebellious children, saith
the Lord, that take counsel, but not of me, and that cover
with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin
to sin. They walked to go down into Egypt
and have not asked at my mouth to strengthen themselves in the
strength of Pharaoh and to trust in the shadow of Egypt." Now,
therefore, Israel then were going forward, but they weren't going
forward in the right way. They were going forward looking
to Egypt, that Egypt might be a provision for them. And therefore, Isaiah comes and
he speaks like this, in the seventh verse, for the Egyptians shall
help in vain and to no purpose. Therefore, have I cried concern
in this, their strength is to sit still. Now sometimes we may
draw a conclusion and we lay hold of a statement like that,
our strength is to sit still. Well, it is if we're going in
a wrong way. It's not if we're going in a
right way. There is a very clear distinction,
is there not, in that. Here was Israel going in a wrong
way. And therefore the Lord spoke
and said to them that they should sit still. They shouldn't go
down to Egypt. They shouldn't follow a false
way. And yet, in the case before us here, with Israel, they were
told that they should go forward. Now, they weren't to go forward
in their own strength. able to go forward in the strength
of Almighty God. God was to appear for them in
a wonderful way. You can also think of that occasion
in the days of Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat, of course, was faced
with a great difficulty, a great problem. The enemy was all around
him. He prayed to God that the Lord
would direct him, and we're told that all Judah stood before the
Lord and their little ones, their wives and their children. And
then we read, upon Jehaziel, the son of Zechariah, the son
of Benaiah, the son of Jeel, the son of Mataniah, a Levite
of the sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of the Lord in the midst
of the congregation. He said, All ye Judah, and ye
inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou King Jehoshaphat, thus saith
the Lord unto you, be not afraid, nor be dismayed by reason of
this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's. Tomorrow go ye down against them."
They weren't to sit still. The battle was the Lord's, but
they weren't to sit still. Tomorrow go ye down against them.
Behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz, and ye shall find them
at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeol. Ye shall
not need to fight in this battle. Set yourselves, stand ye still,
and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Fear not, nor be dismayed. Tomorrow
go out against them, for the Lord will be with you." So we
see in both these cases that Israel were told to stand still,
they were told to go forward, They would stand still and see
the result. But on the other hand, if we're going in a wrong
way, we are not to stand still, we are to sit still, and we are
to stop in that position. Well, here were Israel then,
encouraged, the Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your
peace. Now, what was to occur? The Lord
was to deliver them. The law was to bring about a
great deliverance. And that deliverance was to bring
honour and glory to God. Israel weren't able to say, well,
I did this. It was my hand that brought about
this victory. No. They didn't have to do anything,
did they? The same as in Jehoshaphat's
day. They didn't have to do anything. God will claim all the honour
and all the glory. And as it were, Israel were bystanders. They could just stand amazed
and see how God had appeared for them. And especially as we
think in both of these conditions, they hadn't made good statements,
And yet, you see, God was gracious to them. He'd heard their cry,
He'd heard Jehoshaphat's cry, and He'd spoken to them, and
He said, the Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your
peace. Well, what an encouraging word
that is for us today. Because there are battles that
you and I have in our life. Perhaps sometimes our life may
seem almost a continual battle. as soon as one troubles or another
doth assaize. But nonetheless, to believe that
God is with us, and to therefore be encouraged by such words as
this, to fear not, to fear not. It's a great blessing to be favoured
with that strength of faith. God gives faith so that we may
indeed fear not, fear not perhaps the evil day. And the prophet
Isaiah again, he tells us that they may see and know and consider
and understand together that the hand of the Lord has done
it and the Holy One of Israel hath created it. I believe the
Lord brings us into situations where we have to acknowledge
it is the Lord. It's the Lord that has appeared
and so Isaiah says that they may see and know and consider
and understand together that the hand of the Lord has done
this. Now if God gives us grace to
observe what God has done That it's God's hand that has done
it. Does this not bring forth then honour to his great and
holy name. Praise my heart, the Lord has
indeed appeared for us. So we can see that coming not
in this providential way, but what a favour it is in a spiritual
way when God hears our cry. Hears our cry. Because we may
be near to despair sometimes, that the devil is gaining the
victory. We don't seem to see any daylight,
it seems darkness. And we fear, perhaps, that he
will have a victory and we should be cast off and cast out. Well, in a spiritual sense, Have
this encouraging word, the Lord shall fight for you and you shall
hold your peace." And therefore, as he gives us grace, as it were,
to go forward. To go forward. We don't go forward
in our own strength. Israel didn't. The Lord was with
them. And the Lord brings us to that
state of weakness. He strengthens us in the way. He gives us faith to believe. Gives us faith to look to Him. Gives us faith to believe that
He will lead us in that right way. And what is that right way? Sure, that right way is to direct
us to the Lord Jesus Christ. To the only one who can deliver
us The only one who can save our soul. It may seem we're hedged
in. No way forward. No way forward. Well, what does the word tell
us? I will go, how? In the strength of the Lord.
I will make mention of thy righteousness,
even of thine only. That's the way that you and I
can go forward. That's the way that we should
observe the Lord fighting for us. Because what occurs, the
way which seemed impossible, opens up, opens up. There was Israel, standing, waiting
for that time to go forward. the Red Sea opened up before
them. A way of deliverance they could
never have really anticipated. Who'd ever heard previously of
such a miracle occurring? And it wasn't just a little stream,
try and envisage. It was a wide portion of the
Red Sea, wide enough for all Israel, all their Millions or
so, there were obviously quite a few million, going across the
Red Sea. And when they were going across
and getting to the other side then, the Egyptians were following
them with all their chariots and that. When Israel got safely
ashore the other side then, Moses held out his rod and the waters
came back and drowned all the Egyptians. It was an amazing
miracle. Sometimes we are tempted to think
that there can be no solution. Our way is unique and therefore
there is no possibility of any deliverance. Well, be encouraged. The Lord shall fight for you
and you shall hold your peace. It won't be your words, it won't
be your actions, will bring forward deliverance. It will be the Lord. And you see, when the Lord does
it, when the Lord fights for us, there can be nobody that
can hinder the work of Almighty God. You see, God controls everyone. He controls every situation.
How Glorious it is to know that we have such a kind and such
a gracious God who does indeed appear for us. You know the Apostle
Peter, he needed God, didn't he, to be with him? He needed
God to appear for him in his life. Well, we might think that
Peter, he deserved to be put on the rubbish heap, denied his
Lord and Master. Did God do that? No, my friends,
God was very gracious to him. And he spoke, and in this way
the Apostle speaks to us. And he says, humble ourselves. You know, to cry to God means
we have to humble ourselves. It means we have to give up all
hope in ourselves. Humble yourselves therefore under
the mighty hand of God. that he may exhort you in due
time. The Lord shall fight for you,
and ye shall hold your peace. It's a time of humbling. God
comes then when we're humbled. Not when we're strong still in
ourselves. Humble yourselves. We have to forget all our inability,
and to forget all the things that we thought we would perhaps
say and speak. Yes, we come to Jesus as we are. Humble yourselves therefore under
the mighty hand of God. To think that the mighty hand
of God is upon us for good. And there is a reason that he
may exalt you in due time. Think of that, to be lifted up
to be exalted again, not for our own gratification, but so
that His name may be honoured and glorified, casting all your
care upon Him." Israel did that, didn't they?
Nowhere else to go. You see, the Lord brings us into
those times when there's no other alternative. No other alternative. And therefore we're told, casting
all your care, not just a bit of it, not trying to carry on
some of ourselves, casting all your care upon Him. And what
a blessing to realise, for He careth for you. He cared for
Israel. He cares for people today. He
cares for us. Isn't that humbling in itself?
I think that God cares for you and me individually, unworthy
little sinners, or unworthy great sinners, little people, for He
cares for you. And He tells us, be sober, be
vigilant. because your adversary the devil,
as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour, whom
resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions
are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world." Words of encouragement, aren't
they? And yet, you see, it directs us to the need to be sober and
to be vigilant. And that's instructing us to
be resting in our God. Sober and vigilant. Because our
adversary the devil, you see, is going about. And my friends,
he roars, doesn't he? As a roaring lion. He roars perhaps
in your ear, saying there's no hope for you. You've sinned against
light and knowledge. A time of grace has passed in
your time, there's no hope for you. Well, here is the great
word, whom resist, steadfast in the faith. Steadfast, not
moving your ground, you're standing. You're standing ready to go forward.
Steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are
accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. In fact,
you may think your way is just, unusual, you're just solitary
by yourself, you may appear like that, in actual fact you're walking
the path of the Church of God. And so we read, But the God of
all grace, who hath called us, God has called us to walk this
way, let me surprise therefore, is the God of all grace, who
hath called us unto His eternal glory." Well, that's a blessed
outcome, isn't it? By Christ Jesus, He is exalted,
He is lifted up, He is the only one that can indeed deliver us
after ye have suffered a while. make you perfect, establish,
strengthen, settle you to him be glory and dominion forever
and ever. Amen. This is the way the Lord
brings his people. So we might say Israel were shut
up in the wilderness. God's people are shut up unto
himself. They don't have anywhere else
to go. They shut up to Him. What a good place it is to be
shut up to God. When you and I shut up to God,
you know it's a time of union, a time of communion. Because
then it is, we do cry unto God. We cry from our heart. It's not
just from our head. It's not just a theory. Because we have a need. Because
we cry mightily unto our God. And he hears, and he delivers
us, like he did Israel, in that wonderful way, for his honour
and for his glory. Well, it's a great blessing,
isn't it, to know that if God be for us, who can be against
us? No one, you see, can be against
us if God is for us. The Apostle Paul well knew the
path, didn't he? And he tells us in the When he
wrote to the Corinthians, the second book, the epistle, the
fourth chapter, eighth verse, for we are troubled on every
side, just like Israel in the wilderness. Weren't they troubled
on every side? But he tells us, yet not distressed. We are perplexed, but not in
despair. You may sometimes feel almost
to be in despair, but the Lord will not let you despair, because
it's His grace, and He's working out His grace and glorious salvation
in your soul. You may be perplexed, but you
won't be in despair, you won't be able to despair. Persecuted
you may be, but not forsaken. The Apostle Paul knew that path,
didn't he? Cast down, you may be cast down, but not destroyed. Now then he comes and tells us,
always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus. That the life also of Jesus might
be made manifest in our body. The Lord leads us in that path
where we appreciate and realise the blessing of the Lord shall
fight for you. And ye shall hold your peace
in a way to deliver our souls in this way. For we which live
are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life
also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. So then death worketh in us,
but life in you." You see, it's the life. which God is giving,
has given, and is working out. And so he says, for we having
the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed
and therefore have I spoken, we also believe and therefore
speak. Speak of God's deliverance, speak
of his work, speak of his mighty acts, knowing that he which raised
up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus and shall
present us with you. Why? Because God is fighting
for us. God is on our side. How amazing,
isn't it, to think that Almighty God is on our side. And because
God is on our side, we shall not fail. We shall receive the
victory. through our Lord Jesus Christ. He has fought the battle, the
battle's won, and therefore we are more than conquerors through
him, knowing that he which raised
up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus and shall
present us with you." Well, he goes on just to say, for which
cause we faint not, but though our outward man perish. Yes,
our outward man, our flesh may become very weak, yet the inward
man is renewed day by day. That's God with us, God with
you, God with us, the hope of glory. And then he comes and
speaks, and often think, these are lovely words. It's a very
good analogy for our light affliction. The Apostle recognises the afflictions
of this life are light. Why does he say that? Because
he compares it with eternity, which is, but for a moment, worketh
for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. We have the two pictures, one
thing is light, the other thing is heavy, it's a weight. One
is temporal, the other is eternal. And to think then, the Lord shall
fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. Victory is assured. God does not fail his people.
God did not fail his people. He has not failed his people.
He will not fail his people. And so the Apostle says, why
we look not at the things which are seen. Remember, dear old
Peter jumped out of a boat, walked upon the water, looked all around,
saw the waves, began to sink. He looked at the things which
are seen. Well, we are not to look at those things. We have
to look above and we have to look up. For the Lord Jesus Christ
to behold the Lamb of God, to take away the sin of the world.
But the things which are not seen, but the things which are
not seen. For the things which are seen
are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. We walk by faith, not by sight.
Israel were walking that path that the Lord was directing them
in. God leads his people today. in that right way. He led them
forth by the right way. They might go to a city of habitation. And that way was to view by faith
the crucified Saviour. That was the way. And the Lord
brings us in these times of need, whether we seem hedged in, we
seem shut in, there seems no way. Why? To direct us to the
Lord Jesus Christ. And then we see, well, He's the
way. He's the way, I am the way, the
truth and the life. What does that do? Surely it
brings peace into our soul, our troubled soul, our wearisome
soul. As we look up, look to the Lord
Jesus Christ, the Lord shall fight for you. Yes, when He brings
us into this time of desperate need, When we cry unto him, then
he tells us, yes, I brought you thus far, and now I will go before
you. Now I will fight for you, and
you shall hold your peace, and there will be that clear, wonderful
deliverance. And not only deliverance, perhaps
from a present situation, a present spiritual scene, we may be very
sad and very depressed, and perhaps feel to have been overcome, to
think the Lord delivers us out of that, but also he would deliver
us from this present evil world and bring us at last home to
him, himself, to glory. Israel traveled, didn't they,
40 years in the wilderness, but they were brought safely across
Jordan into the promised land. God had fulfilled his promises. May we be given that faith that
they hold these promises. The Lord shall fight for you
and ye shall hold your peace. The word was true at that time. The word has always been true,
always will be true. And may you and I therefore go
in God's strength, realizing that he is on our side. How amazing it is, isn't it? The Lord is on our side. And
what it is, it's to glorify his name. And so He leads us into
all truth as it is in Jesus. When He's fighting for us, my
friends, He directs us to the Saviour, to see a suffering Saviour,
to see a bleeding Saviour, to see the Saviour suffering all
for us, giving His life that we might receive life. Well,
may we be blessed with this encouraging word, like Israel were commanded
to do, that they should go forward. We venture forward, believing
in the Lord Jesus Christ, that he who hath begun a good work
in us will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. May God give us faith, living
faith in himself, so that his name may receive all the honour
and all the glory. Amen.