Now, 1 Corinthians 10, which our brother read. Verse
1 tells us who this is written to. It says, Moreover, brethren,
I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers
were under the cloud and so forth. He writes to the brethren, or
those who profess faith in Christ. Back in the first chapter, it
says to the church, to them that are sanctified in Christ, called
to be saints with all in every place. that call upon the name
of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours. So this is written
to and directed to professing believers. Paul did not know
who they were, but gave them the benefit of the doubt. God
does. Down in verse 14, he says, Wherefore,
my dearly beloved brethren, fellow believers, or seemingly
fellow believers. And I wish that I could preach
this in the manner that Paul must have written it. With great heaviness, he says,
I have great heaviness over in Romans 9. He said, my heart's desire and
prayer to God for Israel. and my brethren, is that they
might be saved. Some of these people, like the
Jews, missed Christ. And we would be greatly ignorant
if we thought that that won't happen to some of us. And so this is to this church, okay? No one else. No one else. I told someone one time that
we would all do well to read this first part of 1 Corinthians
10 once a month. Once a month. He says in verse
11, verse 11, these things that happen to them, he's just going
to rehearse or bring to remembrance the Israelites, what all they
went through, what all they saw and what all they heard. And
then many of them missed Christ. So he says, these things, verse
11, happened unto them for examples. They are written for our admonition
upon which upon whom the ends of the world are come." This
is the end of the world. It really is. The scripture is
very clear about that. The Spirit speaketh expressly,
very clearly in the latter days and so on. These are the last
of the last days. It is very, very clear to us
anyway. to those that understand, and
these things are written for our admonition. Now, admonition
means a warning. And if you have children, how
often do you warn them? If you did not love them, you
wouldn't warn them, right? You're constantly warning them
to the point that they think You warn them too much, don't
you? But God's Scripture, we've heard
this before, that God's Scriptures are full of warnings. Verse 12 says, Let him, therefore,
these things are written, let him that thinketh he standeth.
I think I stand, don't you? I think I'm a believer. I think
I am. I think I'm a believer, don't
you? Take heed. To what? this admonition, lest he fall,
as many of them did. And we need these warnings, we
need these reminders, don't we? Like children, quickly forget,
don't they? Children quickly forget. And
we come in here Sunday after Wednesday, Sunday after Wednesday,
to hear basically the same things, don't we? To be reminded. I hope until the day I die, The
Lord will keep reminding me, don't you? Because if I forget, it's hopeless, isn't it? Many
of them, verse 5, look at this, with many of them, our Lord, I quoted it earlier,
many that go the broad road, many. And it says in verse 5,
they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now here's something we need
to understand. right away. That the wilderness they went
through, they were passing through, they were passing through. Where
were they headed? They were headed to a place that
God had promised them who could not lie. Land that floweth with
milk and honey. They were passing through it.
That wasn't going to be, that wilderness was not going to be
their permanent dwelling place. They stayed in several places
for a length of time, but that's not their home. They looked for
a city. It was builder and maker is God
that had foundation. But the wilderness, we need to
understand that the wilderness they passed through wasn't all
a desert. When you think of the wilderness,
you think they're passing through the desert. They didn't walk
through the desert the whole time. But part of the wilderness
was cities and towns full of vanity fair. John Bunyan wrote
about vanity fair, didn't he? Places they wanted to stop and
settle. People they wanted to stay with.
Women they wanted to marry. Men they wanted to marry. The
wilderness wasn't always a desert. Wilderness means a place you're
passing through, it does mean barren. Well, a city can be just
as barren as a desert, can it? Barren of the truth, the gospel,
barren of God's people, huh? So that's the first thing we
need to learn. And you know, this is all a reminder, a reminder. This story happened way back
in the beginning. And this is a reminder, an admonition,
a reminder. Someone once said, he who does
not study history will repeat it. In other words, we need to learn. We need to learn. Take Heaton.
A constant reminder. He says in verse 1, Be not ignorant,
brethren, be not ignorant, how that all our fathers were under
the cloud and all passed through the sea. Be not ignorant, What
is the root word of ignorant? Ignore. Ignore. That means pay no attention.
And we're like that. We're human, aren't we? We hear
something. We keep hearing it until finally
it's just a noise and we ignore it. Like a train passing by the
house. First it gets your attention.
After a while, you keep hearing it, and then you ignore it. Don't
do that. Become dull of hearing. That's
what that means. The world reads this same Bible that we read. Well, they've made quite a few
versions of it, haven't they, that don't resemble it. But many
still read this same basic Bible that we read, but choose to ignore
it. Don't be ignorant. Don't ignore
it. These reproofs are meant to reproof. These rebukes are meant to rebuke. We don't like rebukes, do we?
A wise man will receive one, and he'll learn from it. We don't
like chasing and doing. Oh, it's not pleasant. Not at
all. But whom the Father loveth, he chastens. We don't like this. Don't ignore. Conviction. We said this one time. If God's
Word convicts us, good. Good. If we feel guilt from hearing
God's Word, good. That's so good. Maybe we're listening. Don't
ignore. Don't ignore. He said in verse
1 and 2, they were all under the cloud, all passed through
the sea, all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea. Now go back with me to this story,
Exodus, the book of Exodus. Go back there, chapter 12. When
I read this, I wanted to deal with the first 14 verses, but
I began to go back and read And these are the stories, people,
of the cloud passing through the Red Sea, the cloud that went
before them, behind them, the smitten rock, the manna. And I thought, boy, I just can't
just deal briefly with those. And I hope we're glad that we
don't. But we're going to look at a couple of things together,
two or three messages. I hope you'll be glad we did.
But back in Exodus chapter 12, this is the story of the children
of Israel. Israel is Jacob, sons of Jacob. Who were they? Who were the children
of Israel? They were God's elect, God's
chosen people. They called themselves God's
elect. They believed a sovereign electing God, didn't they? They
believed we're God's chosen elect people, not the world, us. Who were the children of Israel?
They were called. They heard God's word through
a prophet. I mean a true prophet, not a
false one. They heard the truth through
Moses. The greatest of all, didn't they?
Oh, what a blessed people. They heard of the true and living
God. Not an idol. that the rest of
the world, you know, didn't hear of this God. They did. A living and true God. Yes, they
did. They saw clearly the hand of
God, the judgments of God upon that land they were living in,
Egypt. They saw it clearly. Does it always amaze you how
the Egyptians could not see those plagues being from God? They
couldn't see it, could they? Flies? Locusts? Darkness? Thick darkness? Hail? Fire? Huh? They couldn't see it. What does Romans 1 say? It says,
The wrath of God is revealed from heaven. Clearly saying,
the wrath of God revealed from heaven against all ungodliness
and all unrighteousness. God's hand of judgment has been
upon this world and the inhabitants thereof from the beginning. Clearly
seen. Even a modern talk show host
recently made this comment. He said, floods and hurricanes
and earthquakes and tornadoes and famines and diseases and
all of this on the increase such as never before, he said, should
we take God's name out of the Pledge of Allegiance and out
of these things? Maybe we should not. Maybe we
should call on God. Maybe, no maybe about it. Clearly
revealed. The judgments of God. These things
are the judgments of God. The wrath of God. Well, they
saw this. Look down in chapter 12. Chapter 12, verses 29 and 30. God promised this, that at midnight
He would pass through the death angel. The Lord smote all the
firstborn in the land of Egypt. From the firstborn of Pharaoh,
the king in the land was not immune to this. that sat on the
throne under the firstborn of the captive slave in the dungeon,
a prisoner, and all the cattle, even their cattle died. Read
on. Pharaoh rose up in the night,
he and his servants, and all the Egyptians. There was a great
cry in Egypt. Why? There was not one house
where there was not one dead. Not one house. And even today,
there's not one house in all this world There's not one dead. Death. That's the great eye-opener. It should be, shouldn't it? Death. Something that the whole world
seeks to ignore. Their secret thought is that
they shall continue forever, Scripture said. The whole world
wants to ignore it. Something we'd rather not talk
about. You'll notice we travel by the funeral home daily and
witness people going to a visitation or funeral. And it's obvious
they're not talking about death out there in the parking lot.
They're not talking about what happened here. Where is this
person? What happens after we die and so forth? What's the
truth? How is a man going to approach
a holy... They're not talking about that. But death is something that cannot
be ignored, is it? Something that we cannot avoid. And we all, everyone in here,
there's not a house in here that hasn't been affected by death,
is there? And buddy, when it happens, we all get real serious. And we all, like Israel, everyone
in here, Israel in this same chapter, the Lord said, I will
by no means clear the guilty. The Lord said death is coming
upon all. But God, I'm merciful. I'm gracious. I've chosen you. I'm revealing to you how that
I will pass by. My wrath will not come upon you
and on your children. Here's how. The blood of the
Lamb. I'm revealing to you very clearly
that it's the blood that maketh atonement. You're guilty. You're
no better than these Egyptians. I should be angry with you, but
I'm not. And here's how you know. I've
got a substitute. My own Son whom I will send into
this earth, the innocent for you, the guilty. He's going to
take your place. I'm going to pour my wrath out
upon Him. I'm going to put your sin upon
Him and give you His righteousness, the substitute. That's my Lamb,
the Lamb of God that will take away the sins of the world. Not
only just Jews, but of every tribe, kindred, nation, and tongue.
I'm a merciful and gracious, loving God. My love, though,
is in Christ, my Son. My love is in your substitute. And whatever house I find under
the blood, I will pass over you. I am not angry with you. Have
your children there. It's not cruel, it's mercy. Be
there. I should be angry, but I'm merciful,
and it's the blood. Keep coming back. This do in
remembrance of me. Oh my, a lamb. Haven't we all heard that? How could it ever be a drudgery
to come here about God's mercy? Well, we do. We all do. It says
they were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea.
Chapter 13 here in Exodus is the story of this cloud. Wonderful,
wonderful story. Look at the last two verses of
chapter 13. The Lord went before them by
day in a pillar of a cloud. Verse 22, He took not away the
pillar of the cloud by day. As long as the sun was shining,
there was a cloud. And it says He led them, verse
21, to lead them the way. What do you suppose that cloud
was? They were all under it. Are you
with me? They were all under it. You're
hearing it right now. The cloud is over this building.
This cloud is Jesus Christ Himself. The hope of salvation. The gospel
that leads us the way, the truth, the life. It says the Lord was
in the cloud. He Himself was in the cloud.
This cloud was God's presence. God with them. This cloud, you
could have named this cloud, Emmanuel. Couldn't you? God with us, leading them, guiding
them. We're all under it. Huh? The cloud is His presence, the
Spirit of the Lord, the Spirit of Christ, leading, guiding,
protecting. Look at chapter 14. Oh, this
is wonderful. This cloud. It says He took it
not away as long as it was daylight. Brother Ron, as long as Christ
is living, His gospel is going to be preached. There's hope. There's a blessed cloud of mercy
and grace and hope and protection and providence and leadership
and guidance and clouds. It won't rain unless you have
a cloud. You can't have rain without clouds. A cloud is always
the promise of showers of blessing. As long as this gospel of Christ
is being preached, there's promise of a blessing. Don't you want
to be under the cloud? We've been under it a good while.
All of us. Cloud. Oh, fear not ye saints,
fresh courage take. The clouds you often dread are
filled with mercy and shall break with blessings on your head."
Oh, it's a dark cloud. No, no, it's not. No, not if
it's of the Lord. You'll see, there's light in
that cloud. Look at chapter 14, verse 19.
It says, the angel of God that went before the camp of Israel.
That's the Holy Spirit. He removed and went behind them.
This pillar of cloud went before them and behind them. This pillar,
this cloud, in other words, by the stand, it was surrounding
them, hedged about, over them, around them, before them, behind
them. They were under the protection
of the leadership, the guidance of this cloud. We believe God
is God, don't we? Why would anybody have any other
God? Why would anybody believe in
a God that doesn't want things to happen, yet they do? God who
can't do anything about it, yet they do? A God who's a bystander
in the affairs of men? God who loves you so much, and
yet He can't do anything because you won't let Him? He's standing
there, oh, I wish that hadn't happened. Why would you have
a God like that? Who wants a God like that? That's
not God at all. Hear, O Israel, Thy God reigneth. Reigneth. The God in whose hands
your breath is. The God who's numbered all the
hairs of your head. The God who said, I've spoken
it, I'll bring it to pass. I've purposed it, I'll do it.
Known unto God are all His works. Purpose before the world began.
Now that's God. There's comfort. There's hope.
Set behind and before. Job. Satan has desired you, Job. He
can't touch you, Job. Even Satan knew it. He said you've
hedged him about. That's right. All his people
are hedged about because he's God. Aren't you glad? I kill. I make
a lot. I wound. I heal. I raise up. I cast out. I'm God. Beside me,
there is none else. I'm thy God. Yes, this God is
my God. Aren't you glad? sat behind him
before. Aren't you glad? The cloud of his presence,
the Lord himself. Well, look at verse 20. It says,
It came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. It was a cloud and darkness to
Egypt that gave light by night to thee. It was darkness to Egypt, but
light to God's people. Isn't that wonderful? It says
it separated them. This cloud came between them.
Children of Israel, it separated them from the Egyptians. It made
the difference. They weren't necessarily different
in themselves, were they? They were all sinners, but who
separated them? Who made the difference? This
cloud. The Lord. The Lord with us. The Lord with
them. It separated them. The world
believed in these idols and all this. They believed in the living
and true God. Why? Because He revealed Himself
to them. And this cloud was between them,
separated them, so it is now who we believe. We worship a
different God than most people do. It's just the way it is. And when we say salvation is
of the Lord, That's exactly what we believe. I mean, we believe
100% from the choosing to the final consummation of it. It's of the
Lord, 100%, and it's by grace. 100% of gift without works. Without works. We believe that,
by grace. Well, the world then and the
world now is in the dark. about God. You know that? They're
in the dark about his character. They're in the dark about his
character. They think God has one attribute, love. They think
that's it. They're in the dark about his
ways. They really don't believe that God has anything to do with
most things that happen in the world today. They don't. They're
ignorant about His way, ignorant certainly about His purpose.
They don't think God has a purpose. We're not in the dark, are we?
Even as others. You know, the issues are cloudy.
The issues are cloudy to this world, aren't they? Not cloudy
to us either, but it's damn. Here's the issue. What think
ye of Christ? Who is that? Here's the issue,
and it's not cloudy. It's crystal clear. It's all
plain to him that understands it. Who is that man that walked
this earth 2,000 years? Who is that? Is he just a man?
If he is, he can't save anybody. Well, is he God? If he is, then
he came for a purpose. If he's God, then he did what
he came to do. What did he do on Calvary's tree?
Well, he died for the sins. Did he do it? Did he actually
pay the price, the penalty? Did he actually redeem, pay for
their sin? Did he? Yes, he did. The issue is not cloudy, is it? What think you of Christ? Who
is He? Why did He come? What did He do? Where is He now? That's the issue, isn't it? If
he's just a man, he couldn't save anybody. If he's God manifest
in the flesh, the God-man came with a purpose, hung on that
cross and said, I finished it, sat down at the right, went back
to, rose from the grave, only man ever, sat down at the right
hand of the majesty on high, God's well pleased, then he did
it, didn't he? Sure salvation for all his people.
Whoever he did that for, it's certain. Their sins are gone.
The issue is not clouded. It's crystal clear. Crystal clear. In Christ. What think ye of Christ? That's the issue. The cloud.
Oh, my. What think ye of Christ? The cloud is Christ, and as it
separated the world from his people, Christ said of his people,
here's what he said, I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou
gavest me out of the world. Thine they are. They are not
of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that
you should take them out of the world, but keep them from it. Christ is the one who separates
His people and takes them, the world out of them, and someday
will take them out of the world. I know. All under the cloud. We're so blessed, aren't we?
Oh, my. This preacher and the preachers
who stand in my place do not stand up here and give little
moral sermonettes. about civil issues and social
issues and so forth, trying to get singles together to marry
one another and so forth, build gymnasiums. There's a pressing
issue that we know this true God and
His true Christ. And every time we stand up, this
is the message, isn't it? Every time. All under the cloud,
verse, back in our text. Well, yeah, go back to the text.
In 1 Corinthians 10, about didn't leave enough time for this. You
see how that we need to take each of these. It says they all
went past, they were baptized under Moses in the cloud and
in the sea. They all passed through the sea.
and all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea." Who
was Moses? Moses was their leader. Moses
was the man God raised up to be their Savior, to lead them
out. Moses was the mediator between
God and them. Moses was the go-between. Moses
is the one whom God held up His hands and spared Israel. Moses
was God's Savior for these people, just a man though. He didn't
really save anybody's soul. But Moses represents Jesus Christ,
the one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. Moses represents that prophet
who came and told us all things, Jesus Christ, of whom Moses wrote. of whom all the prophets gave
witness. Jesus Christ, that prophet, the daismon, the mediator, the
intercessor, the Savior of God's people, His chosen, Moses, to
lead them out. God said, I have come down to
bring them out, to take them up. God was in Christ. He said, I
came down to bring them out, to take them up. That's Christ.
Our Moses. And it says they were baptized,
they all passed through the sea, and baptized unto Moses in the
cloud and in the sea. What is this sea? Well, the sea is a wonderful
thing, isn't it? It's a thing that still today
is unfathomable. Now, how is in trouble with that
word? You try it. Unfathomable, meaning
it's so deep and so mysterious, it's still uncharted. There are
uncharted places. Unseen, unknown, mysterious,
deep, dark, yes, mysterious, full of life, teeming with life,
life more abundant. It's a place that's full of life,
yet it's a dangerous thing, isn't it? It's a deadly thing. Who could that represent? God. They all pass through the sea,
and in Him, God, we all live and move and have our being.
We're fellows in a ship, passing through. All this deep, mysteriousness,
God. Moses is Christ. See that? Moses led them through the sea.
They were all baptized, John, into Moses. You're dead and your
life is hid with God in Christ. How'd they get through this sea,
this great gulf? They can't pass through this
sea, it'd kill them. This sea that would be death
to them, how are they going to pass over? Moses. How are we
going to get to God? Christ. Would you go back quickly to
Exodus 15 in closing? Go back there again? You should
have had to hold your place. But Exodus 15, you'll love this,
Exodus 15, Moses is the one that held back the sea. Moses is the
one who kept the sea from falling in on them. Christ is our great
mediator, our great daysman and the one who stays God's wrath.
Christ is the one who made the way. He is the way. He is the
way. It says in the story, they all
passed through that sea on dry ground. They all had to go through
the sea. We all got to go to God. Live,
move, and have our being in God. Go to God someday. But they all
passed through on dry ground. Solid rock. Solid rock. In Christ, like that cloud, it's
not cloudy to us, it's clear. And like Christ, that we go through,
it may not be in the muck and the mire, but on solid ground. Grounded and settled in a rock,
solid. And down in verse, well, verse
chapter 14, chapter 14 says, They all passed through the Red
Sea, verse 22. Verse 21 and 22, Moses stretched
out his hand. Christ is the hand of God. Verse
22, and the children of Israel went in the midst of the sea
on dry ground, and the waters were to them a wall unto them
on the right hand and the left hand. What should have killed
them didn't. It was their protection. If God
be for us. Who or what can be there? Well, why is God for us? In Christ. The love of God is in Christ.
If you're with Christ, God's a wall to you. God's for you. God's your protector. God loves
you. Smile. If you're in Christ, you're
with Christ, smile. God loves you. You're going through
it. You're passing through it. Look, though, at chapter 15 here. Chapter 15. Well, chapter 14. Chapter 14, verse 25, though,
the Egyptians went after them, and God took off their chariot
wheels. They got mired up. My, my, the wheels start coming
off. In this world, that's what's
happening. The wheels are coming off. are coming up. But verse 27 and 28, they went
through, the people went through, and it says, but the Egyptians
were all killed. Verse 28, there wasn't one of
them left. And old-fashioned as this message sounds, it's still true. The world is reserved under fire
for the day of perdition. You just don't hear anybody saying
that anymore, do you? The fear of the Lord is the beginning
of wisdom. Repent, for the kingdom of heaven
is at hand. That's the message. But, in Christ,
there's salvation. In Christ. Well, tragically,
though, all of them, they were all there. They were all under
the cloud. They all went through the sea.
But it says, with many of them, God is not well pleased. Why? What happened? They were overthrown
in a wilderness. They forgot they were passing
through. Here is the reason this story was written, reminded.
They forgot they were passing through. They took a liking to
where they were and forgot God. Forgot his mercy. Forgot his
providence. Forgot all that. Forgot it all.
Forgot it all. In favor of the wilderness. Bad traitors. And they perished
in the wilderness. Overthrown. Who is he that overcometh
this world? Do you believe the things that
we've looked at this morning? I mean, really, with the heart,
man, believe. Do you believe? I've told you from God's Word
the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Cry it.
Do you believe? This is that which overcometh
the world. Christ said, I come. I'm coming. He came. He left. He said, I'm
coming again. Surely, I come quickly. He's
coming quick. The time is short. They were
passing through, sojourning. Be not overcome. Be not overcome. Be not faithless, but believe.
Behold, your redemption draws nigh. Joshua and Caleb, they
found out. Old Caleb went in, he got a poor
taste of glory to buy. Caleb came back and said, it's
a land flowing with milk and honey just like God said. Oh
my, grapes big as watermelons. Come and go with us. Be not overcome. Okay. Let's stand in closing
to sing a hymn, number 517, is it, John, or 514? 517. John,
come up, please, and lead us. 517. I love this hymn. On Jordan's
stormy banks I stand. Children of Israel with Joshua.
Passed over Jordan, didn't it? That's another story. And on
Jordan's stormy banks I stand and cast a wistful eye. Oh, I
like to be over there. To Canaan's fair and happy land
where my possessions lie. Let's stand and sing that. 517. On Jordan's stormy banks I stand
and cast a wistful eye. Canaan's fair and happy land
where my possessions lie. I am bound for the promised land. I am bound for the promised land. kneeling down for the promised
land." Sing the second as the last. I am bound for the promised land.
I am bound for the promised land. For who will come and go with me?
I am bound for the promised land. I.