Victory Comes in the Morning

(From Pastor Jason’s message on April 10, 2022)

 

For the Israelites, Egypt had been a place of deliverance! It was where Joseph’s family came to survive the famine. The Bible tells us that Pharaoh rejoiced at their arrival and gave them the best of the land in Goshen. Life was GOOD! But, over time, things began to change, as we see in the Book of Exodus, chapter 1 (NLT):

 

8 Eventually, a new king came to power in Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph or what he had done. 9 He said to his people, “Look, the people of Israel now outnumber us and are stronger than we are. 10 We must make a plan to keep them from growing even more. If we don’t, and if war breaks out, they will join our enemies and fight against us. Then they will escape from the country.” 11 So the Egyptians made the Israelites their slaves. They appointed brutal slave drivers over them, hoping to wear them down with crushing labor. They forced them to build the cities of Pithom and Rameses as supply centers for the king. 12 But the more the Egyptians oppressed them, the more the Israelites multiplied and spread, and the more alarmed the Egyptians became. 13 So the Egyptians worked the people of Israel without mercy. 14 They made their lives bitter, forcing them to mix mortar and make bricks and do all the work in the fields. They were ruthless in all their demands. 

 

The Israelites literally went from celebrities to slaves. They had been living their “best life” in Egypt but they stayed comfortable far too long. Their God-given provision eventually became a godless prison as their contentment led to their captivity. That’s why we can’t assume that today’s divine PROVISION is God’s divine plan for tomorrow because today’s MIRACLES can easily become tomorrow’s mirage if we try to hold on to something that’s no longer there. Jesus showed us this when He prayed for DAILY bread. He knew tomorrow’s bread might look different or come from a different place.

 

So, at this point in history, the Egyptian economy was dependent upon the children of Israel. They just couldn’t afford for Israel to get a mind of its own, so things got bad. Fast. Their labor got much harder. Out of fear, Pharaoh called for the murder of all newborn Jewish boys at birth so the Israelites wouldn’t grow stronger. However, the midwives refused to follow through. So, Pharaoh demanded that all the Jewish baby boys be thrown into the Nile river and drowned.

 

Then comes Moses, who was hidden in the river in a basket and eventually raised in the home of the very person who wanted him dead. He spends 40 years in Egypt, then another 40 years in the desert after running for his life because he killed an Egyptian slave master. After encountering God at the burning bush and having a life-altering experience, Moses returns to be used by God to deliver the children of Israel. We see ten plagues come upon Egypt, including the death of their firstborn sons.

 

So, making a very long and interesting story very short, Pharaoh finally decides to let them go.

God was with His people! He was providing for them! They marched out of Egypt in a victory celebration! We pick up the story in Exodus 13:21-22 (NLT):

 

The LORD went ahead of them. He guided them during the day with a pillar of cloud, and he provided light at night with a pillar of fire. This allowed them to travel by day or by night. And the LORD did not remove the pillar of cloud or pillar of fire from its place in front of the people.

 

Life was finally good! But they didn’t know the Red Sea was coming. So, right in the middle of the celebration, God gives this instruction to Moses in Exodus 14:2-4 (NLT):

 

2 “Order the Israelites to turn back and camp … between Migdol and the sea. Camp there along the shore…. 3 Then Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are confused. They are trapped in the wilderness!’ 4 And once again I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will chase after you. I have planned this in order to display my glory through Pharaoh and his whole army. After this, the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD!” So, the Israelites camped there as they were told. 

 

Don’t miss what God is doing here, because sometimes what God allows into our life is simply so He can use us to show His glory to others. You may feel like you’re going backward, but God is just working out His plan! So, the Egyptians begin to pursue Israel for the purpose of bringing them back into slavery. Exodus 14:5-8 (NLT) says:

 

5 When word reached the king of Egypt that the Israelites had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds. “What have we done, letting all those Israelite slaves get away?” they asked. 6 So Pharaoh harnessed his chariot and called up his troops. 7 He took with him 600 of Egypt’s best chariots, along with the rest of the chariots of Egypt, each with its commander. 8 The LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, so he chased after the people of Israel, who had left with fists raised in defiance.

 

Church, raising our fists in defiance solves nothing. But when we raise our hands in worship, it solves everything! Defiance is rarely the answer, but humility is always the answer! That’s because it’s not OUR strength, it’s HIS strength. It’s not OUR power. It’s HIS power! He fights our battles for us. We just need to stand still and see the salvation of our God.

 

So, Pharaoh calls out His entire army. Not just the “normal” chariots but also the good ones. The ones that were reserved for the most important battles. Pharaoh was coming after the Jews with everything he had. Let’s keep reading in Exodus 14:9-12 (NLT):

 

The Egyptians chased after them with all the forces in Pharaoh’s army—all his horses and chariots, his charioteers, and his troops. The Egyptians caught up with the people of Israel as they were camped beside the shore… 10 As Pharaoh approached, the people of Israel looked up and panicked when they saw the Egyptians overtaking them. They cried out to the LORD, 11 and they said to Moses, “Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness? Weren’t there enough graves for us in Egypt? What have you done to us? Why did you make us leave Egypt? 12 Didn’t we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt? We said, ‘Leave us alone! Let us be slaves to the Egyptians. It’s better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!’”

 

Israel had just seen incredible miracles and experienced divine deliverance. Their faith should have been at an all-time high. But instead, instead of allowing their faith to mature because of what God had already done, they descended into a perceived worst-case scenario. Moses’ response to the people can be found in Exodus 14:13-14 (NLT):

 

13 But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the LORD rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. 14 The LORD himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” 

 

This is the first big takeaway from this story. We don’t need to fight! We just need to have faith! Our response is to stand still and stay calm because God Himself is fighting for us. We don’t need to worry. We don’t need to complain and give in to fear! Whatever we’re going through, God already knows and He’s already at work. We just move forward in confidence that God is in control. That’s what Moses told the children of Israel in Exodus 14:15b-18 (NLT):

 

“Tell the people to get moving! 16 Pick up your staff and raise your hand over the sea. Divide the water so the Israelites can walk through the middle of the sea on dry ground. 17 And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they will charge in after the Israelites. My great glory will be displayed through Pharaoh and his troops, his chariots, and his charioteers. 18 When my glory is displayed through them, all Egypt will see my glory and know that I am the LORD!” 

 

Church, our current circumstances aren’t really about us! They’re about revealing the glory of the Lord through us! What we’re going through isn’t just our story – it’s His story of goodness and faithfulness! Our miracle is really about His majesty, for His praise and His fame! Our problems are His PR opportunity to show the world that there is a God, and He’s alive and powerful! So, instead of complaining about our situation, let’s give Him praise that He chose us worthy to be used to bring Him glory! Just look at how God responded in Exodus 14:19-31a (NLT): 

 

19 Then the angel of God, who had been leading the people of Israel, moved to the rear of the camp. The pillar of cloud also moved from the front and stood behind them. 20 The cloud settled between the Egyptian and Israelite camps. As darkness fell, the cloud turned to fire, lighting up the night. … 21 Then Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the LORD opened up a path through the water with a strong east wind. The wind blew all that night, turning the seabed into dry land. 22 So the people of Israel walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on each side! 23 Then the Egyptians—all of Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and charioteers—chased them into the middle of the sea. 24 But just before dawn the LORD looked down on the Egyptian army from the pillar of fire and cloud, and he threw their forces into total confusion. 25 He twisted their chariot wheels, making their chariots difficult to drive. “Let’s get out of here—away from these Israelites!” the Egyptians shouted. “The LORD is fighting for them against Egypt!” 26 When all the Israelites had reached the other side, the LORD said to Moses, “Raise your hand over the sea again. Then the waters will rush back and cover the Egyptians and their chariots and charioteers.” 27 So as the sun began to rise, Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the water rushed back into its usual place. The Egyptians tried to escape, but the LORD swept them into the sea. 28 Then the waters returned and covered all the chariots and charioteers—the entire army of Pharaoh. Of all the Egyptians who had chased the Israelites into the sea, not a single one survived. 29 But the people of Israel had walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, as the water stood up like a wall on both sides. 30 That is how the LORD rescued Israel from the hand of the Egyptians that day. … 31 When the people of Israel saw the mighty power that the LORD had unleashed against the Egyptians, they were filled with awe before him. They put their faith in the LORD... 

 

Victory is coming in the morning! The night may seem like it’s lasting for a while, but morning is coming. If we place our hope in Jesus, if we trust what God says in His Word, victory is on the way. In fact, the victory has already been won! That’s why the Apostle John wrote in 1 John 4:4 (NLT):

 

But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory … because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.

Our response is to choose to walk in victory! You might say, “Pastor, that sounds great! But, right now, it feels like it’s the middle of the night, the Red Sea is in front of me, the army is behind me, there are mountains on both sides, and the fear is real! I’m praying and NOTHING IS CHANGING! I’m really struggling, and my faith is fading.”

 

That’s why we don’t believe that you just need to have a positive confession and everything will be all right. Human emotion is real, and the struggle is real! Our enemy is real and we can feel overwhelmed at times. Even Jesus cried out in the garden of Gethsemane, “My Father, where are you? Why have you forsaken me? Why are you leaving me here to die?”

 

But in the middle of the struggle, remember the truth of this anonymous quote: “I asked God, ‘Why are you taking me through troubled waters?’ He replied, ‘Because your enemy can’t swim.’”

 

It may feel like there’s no dry ground in sight. It may feel like the enemy is right behind you. It may feel like the middle of the night, but I promise you, by the Word of God, that you’re not abandoned – you’re not alone. Deliverance is on the way. Victory is coming in the morning.

 

“Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.” Psalm 30:5b (NLT)

 

Pastor’ Blessing:

Be blessed in knowing that you don’t need to fight. You just need to have faith.

Be blessed in knowing that your current circumstances are just another opportunity for the glory of the Lord to be revealed through your life.

Be blessed in knowing…in trusting…that your victory will come, and your joy will return in the morning.

Be blessed today as you go in Jesus’ name…

 

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