Road out of Egypt

Our Christian road, brethren, can be hazardous and difficult. It's hard to leave the world. You know, many are cold, but few are chosen. Why? Because it's hard to leave the world, when though many are cold, very few respond to the calling. And it requires a miraculous intervention from God for us to leave the world. Required to the Israelites miraculous intervention of the firstborn of the Egyptians to die and the firstborn of the Israelites being protected, and also further miraculous intervention by crossing the Red Sea.

We know that after that they still rebelled, and they still did a number of things wrong, and God was not well pleased with them. You and I can extract a few lessons, in fact, many lessons, from the Israelites' departure out of Egypt towards the Promised Land. Today I want to focus in a small section of that departure, because a whole period of the plagues and moving out of Egypt and crossing the Red Sea, and then 40 years in the wilderness, you and I can draw many analogies.

So today I'm just going to focus on a few around the time period of them leaving Egypt, and more specifically from when the firstborn of the Egyptians died till they crossed the Red Sea. That week, we believe it was a week, in which they left the original area where the Ramesses all the way till they crossed the Red Sea. And they crossed the Red Sea, we believe, and we'll go through a few scriptures highlighting that.

We believe that they crossed the Red Sea would have been, for instance, last night this morning, and now today they would have been crossed the other side of the Red Sea. So it's very symbolic that during this period of 11 bread is the period in which they were leaving out of Egypt till they finally left completely on the last day of 11 bread crossing the Red Sea.

So there are many lessons we can draw. I'm just going to focus on four simple lessons today. And the reason is that you and I need to be aware because we could have or we could fall under the same trappings.

And this brethren applies to everybody, whether you're in the church for 50 years or whether you're a young teenager in the church. And I'm talking to you young people in the church because we love you. This is your church. It's not just your dad's church. We want you to be part of all the things we do, Yah, and we want to show you that you are loved. And I, my wife and I, will endeavor to do that. We love you young people and you are the future of God's church.

You are chosen by God to lead in the world tomorrow. And we have to do whatever we can to help you to be prepared to lead in the world tomorrow. So please young people, if there's any questions, please approach us. My wife and I, we are to help you. But going back to my notes, because that just came out, I don't know why, but I'm sure God inspired it. But the first scripture I'd like you to turn to is in 1 Corinthians chapter 10 and 1 Corinthians chapter 10, starting in verse 1 through 6.

And yeah, we read how when they left Egypt, it says they were all baptized into Moses. It is an interesting expression into Moses. It's very important that. And then they all ate of the same spiritual food and all drank of the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ. Obviously, they followed Christ. Christ was leading, and he was with them. So he was with them. So probably a better explanation is that Christ was with them all along.

And then in verse 5, but with most of them, God was not well pleased. Is God going to be well pleased, well pleased with you and I? I know today we use the expression, I'm proud of you. I usually try and avoid using that because proud's got a negative connotation, maybe, of pride and arrogance. So I try to use, I'm well pleased, because that's what the Bible uses.

And so, is God well pleased with you, with me, with you as a teenager in the church? Is he well pleased with you? Are we doing what is well pleasing to God?

And then it says, but with most of them, God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. Yeah, all the adults died in the wilderness in the period of 40 years, except those that were teenagers that went into the promised land. Brethren, young people, I sometimes wonder whether we had 40 years in the wilderness in these last 40 years. And whether we're coming to the end of those 40 years, since 1972, or whatever it is, or even more, we're coming at the end, or 1980, or whatever it is, we're coming at the end of a period of trial and testing, because brethren, now, the days are very short.

Let no man or woman tell you that the Lord delays is coming.

Time is short, brethren. Very short. We cannot set dates, but we really better sharpen our spiritual attitudes, making sure that we're close to God, and that we are doing everything that is well pleasing to Him. So, brethren, I ask you to think about that, to think about how we're doing. Are we pleasing God in everything? Now, we know the story as we read in verse 6. These things became an example for us. These things are written as an example for us.

These are things written for our admonition as we read in verse 12 and 13. It says, Don't think that I'm doing okay, Jack, because we are at the time of the end.

And don't think that you have a specific, bigger trial than somebody else. Because we all go through very difficult trials. Your trial is different than mine, or different than the person sitting next to you, but we all do have trials. You know the story of the Exodus? That Pharaoh did not want to let the people go. And you know, and I'm not going to go through every verse.

I'm just going to recite to you, and you can take notes. In Exodus 7, verse 14, it says, Pharaoh's heart was hard and refused to let the people go.

You know that there were a number of miracles. No, ten miracles. To shake them out, to actually leave them.

And throughout these trials, many a times, you know the story, Satan would say, oh, okay, you can go now. You can go. And as soon as the trial was over, no, you can't go. You've got to stay. You know, brethren, it is a miracle for you and I to respond to God's calling.

Turn with me to Philippians 2, verse 13. Philippians 2, verse 13.

For it is God who works in you both to will and to do.

We've read scriptures like in John 6, 44, no man can come to me unless the Father draws him. He is saying the same thing in a different way.

God is working with you and I, but throughout it all, you and I have free moral agency. What does that mean? That you can turn your back on it. We can turn our backs on it.

You know the story of the Israelites leaving Egypt?

How many times they said, well, we told you, Moses, we don't want to leave. We want to stay behind there, give us back the food that we had there. Now we have this crummy food, you know, this manna, all, every day. Manna, manna, we want meat.

We live in a situation as carnal human beings. Sure, hopefully, we're not completely carnal, but we are still flesh and blood, and we still have those pools of the flesh of human nature.

And because of those pools, it's hard for us to leave our old ways of doing things. It's hard. It's hard for you, it's hard for me, it's hard for us. We all easily tend to get back into the same old rut, and we gotta walk out of it.

I mean, there was a situation when actually a real miracle happened. Do you know what that real miracle was? These were lights that what God told them to do. Well, that's a miracle, right? I mean, crossing the Red Sea is a miracle. But look at this. In Exodus 12 verse 28, in Exodus 12 verse 28, it said, you do this and you do that, and then in Exodus 12 verse 28, let me get to it and read it. It says, Then the children of Israel went away, and did so just as the Lord had commanded Moses, and Aaron, so they did. Wow!

But that was just an instance on that day of the following morning of the death of the firstborn of the Egyptians.

And as we heard in the sermon this morning, you know, that was kind of, well, it was motivated by fear.

But then they didn't stay that way, and God was not well pleased with them. And so they left Egypt with a high hand that night. They were out with a high hand. And we read in Exodus 12 verse 37, 12 verse 37, that they then traveled or journeyed from Ramesses to Sukhov. And that was their first stop. That was that first night that they start traveling, which we know was the night of the 15th, the night to be much observed, and they stopped the next morning. And then the next morning they had a sermon. You can see that. You can read that message that came the next morning, which says in chapter 13, and the Lord spoke to Moses. And so they had a message from Moses on that first day.

So the first point that I have here is that it required really actions to shake them out of staying in Egypt. Because there were a lot of pools, a lot of drives to make them stay there.

The analogy to you and I today is that there are many things in this society that just grabs us, catches us, attracts us, and we don't want to leave.

Young people, you can go to school, you go and talk to your peers, and there'll be a lot of things that they will try and say, don't do this, or why do you keep the days of 11 bread, or why you keep the spabbard, or whatever it is. And it takes backbone to really do what we need to do. And so it is hard to leave and to fight this world. We have to leave the world, we have to leave society, and that's what they did on that first night of the days of 11 bread.

And Eurydia in this sermon in Exodus 13, he says, I'm going to start reading in verse 3, and Moses said to the people, remember this day in which you went out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, for by the strength of hand the Lord brought you out of this place, no leaven bread shall be eaten.

Indeed, as we heard in the sermonette today, this afternoon, we are not to eat unleavened bread. In other words, we are to leave sun, and that is one of the meanings of leaven. As we heard in the sermonette very clearly that leaven is a symbol. It's not that leaven is sin, quote unquote, but in this period it is attributed to it a certain symbolism.

And then it continues in verse 6. And this is what some people sometimes overlook and question, because in verse 6 says, seven days you shall eat unleavened bread.

Brethren, it's both. Do we get it? It's both. It says, no leavened bread shall be eaten, and you shall eat unleavened bread. It's both. I know sometimes some people question that, and I know there was an old doctrinal paper that has been withdrawn because it is incorrect, because if you go on a website under unleavened bread, there is a new doctrinal paper about eating unleavened bread.

On this members' site under study papers, there is one which is very clearly that it says we are to eat unleavened bread.

And there is an important analogy to it. And the analogy is based in John 6, verse 35, because Christ said, I am the bread of life.

And the symbolism is that we are to have to eat the unleavened bread, the bread of life, which is Christ every day of our lives. We are to have Christ in us. And that is the symbolism.

Another example is, for instance, in what people call the Lord's Prayer. I prefer calling it the Stumble Prayer. And it says, give us the daily bread. Now, you and I can relate to it, the daily bread, as the physical capability of having income and having food on our table. But if you read that, it explains a little later, if I remember correctly, it is in Luke. It explains a little later about the meaning of bread. And it says, because the bread is God's Holy Spirit. And so, you and I are to ask God every day, and I know sometimes we forget, but we should try and remember to ask God every day to give us His Holy Spirit, an extra portion of His Spirit. Oh yes, God's Holy Spirit is in us. Yes, when we are baptized and we receive God's Holy Spirit, we were begotten through the power of God's Holy Spirit as His children. But in addition to that, God's Holy Spirit is also with us, and we can ask for extra portion every day. And therefore, that bread of life has that meaning. We need to have that every day, brethren. If you and I don't have God's Holy Spirit, and if we are not being guided by God, we can slip up badly one day. And you know, brethren, some mistakes in our life, and this is important to our young people, young people, please remember, sometimes you make one mistake, and that one mistake is gonna damage your life, your physical life, for the rest of your physical life. One simple mistake.

So we have to be careful and always be on guard, because we have an enemy, which is Satan and society, that are trying to encourage you to go the wrong way.

So please, and that is the second lesson from these days of 11 bread, that we have to have every day God's Spirit with us. And we need to ask for God's help every day.

Now, as you read the section here of the day leaving from in chapter 13, then we can see that then from Sukkoth, they travel to Ethan at the edge of the wilderness. And that was seems to have been a little travel, basically on that Thursday to a Friday, and then they had the Sabbath, and they had another sermon. And we can see that round about in verse 22 of chapter 13. And then we get after the Sabbath, which we read then in chapter 14, they are told to turn. It says in verse 2, turn and camp before Pihah, hereof. So they were traveling along the road of the wilderness, which was a well-traveled road, and that wasn't too bad.

And things were going okay. Now they had to go into an area which was not a well-traveled road, was a tough road all the way to Pihah, hereof.

And that's what they did. But now, what it means is they left the easy road, and they went on a narrow, tough road. They went on a difficult road. And you know what Christ tells us in the sermon on the Mount? Matthew 7, verse 13 and 14. Matthew 7, verses 13 and 14. Enter by the narrow gate, for wide is gate, and broad is the way that leads to destruction. And there are many who go in by it, because narrow is the gate, and difficult is the way which leads to life. And there, a few will find it.

Basically, what we find is they now went onto a tough road, a difficult road. And that's why we have different lessons. For instance, you read in Ephesians chapter 6, verse 10, that says, Be prepared, put on, take on the whole armor. Why? Because we have an enemy. You see, the Egyptians were spying them. They were still technically in Egyptian territory, even though they left Ramesses. They were still walking out of that Egyptian territory. They only left Egyptian territory when they crossed the Red Sea. They were not completely out, out of Egypt yet. And so, the Egyptian spies went and told Pharaoh, Aha! They don't know where they're going. They're going into a dead end. Yes, they were going over from the mountain on one side, a mountain on the other side, and the sea in front. And Pharaoh says, This is the opportunity. Let's go and attack them and pursue them.

Isn't our spiritual life the same thing?

When there's an opportunity, Satan will go at you.

And you know what? I was talking to a few people during lunch today, and this is an important point we need to remember.

You know, Christian life is not easy. It's a narrow road. It's a narrow gate. It's hard. It's like climbing the mountain against all the odds.

Now, young people, now I'm talking to you, talk to your mom and dad and ask them if they have come across some people that were in the church many years ago, and now they're no longer in the church, and now those people that are no longer in the church says, Oh well, everything is going fine for us.

So we must be going the correct way because God is blessing us, because everything is fine for us. Red flag. When everything is going fine for you, red flag. Why? Because Satan says, let him or her go that way, and I leave him alone. Or her alone.

You see, because Satan hates God, he hates God's way, he hates everything that is God's, and whenever you are trying to follow God, he hates you.

So, if you are trying to please God, you are going to have challenges.

So, just because you don't have challenges is no indicator that God is blessing you. It might be an indicator that you're going the wrong way.

That's an important point to consider.

And that is a lesson the hour of the day leaving Egypt. They now turned to a more difficult road, to a more difficult way, and they got to a point. They were in a dead end.

The sea was in front of them, a mountain was on the left, a mountain on the right, and Pharaoh was behind them.

To you and I, you've got this trial in front of you. You've got problems on the left, you've got problems on the right, and you've got these pressures from behind. Isn't it so similar? And what do you say? I give up.

Is that what you should say?

What did God tell Moses?

Trust in God and go forwards. Wasn't that what he told them? Trust in God and go forwards. Moses woke into the sea, put the stuff there, and the sea will open up. And then God became a cloud with on one side was a light so they could see and walk across the night, which was last night, right, anniversary. And behind them, the Egyptians couldn't see a thing.

And then as dawn came, all these real lights crossed the Red Sea, and then the light came, and then the Egyptians could see, oh, let's go behind them. And the sea collapsed on top of them, and they died.

You see, this is another lesson. You have to trust God.

You and I have to trust God.

Brethren, times are difficult. Times are very difficult. But you know what? They're gonna get worse.

They're gonna get worse.

And we have to have the faith to walk forwards.

We have to have the faith to walk forwards. God overthrew the Egyptians. Please read that section of Exes 12, 13, and 14. I'm just highlighting to you certain points without going through it all along, step by step. But I want you to read just one extra section here in Exodus, in Exodus chapter 14. So let's go back to Exodus chapter 14, and we're going to start reading from verse 26. Then the Lord said to Moses, Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the waters may come back upon the Egyptians on their chariots and on their horsemen. And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and when the morning appeared, the sea returned to its full depth, while the Egyptians were fleeing into it. So the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. Brethren, we have to walk in faith, and we have to believe that God will intervene. A very similar situation will happen just before the Great Tribulation, where Satan will send a flood. You read that in Revelation 12. He will send a flood after the church, which will be a portion of the church, those that have the spirit of Philadelphia, of brotherly love. And that's why we need to have love for one another as brethren. And those people, Satan will then send a flood after them, and it says, The earth helped the woman, which is the church, and swallowed the flood, which is that army, that military force, that will persecute God's people at that end time, which is soon to come. We have to have faith that Christ will intervene for us, just like he did to the Israelites. And remember, they were carnal. How much more to you and I, which are his begotten children? Now, not everybody you and I well know was protected, because when you read that section in Revelation 12, then it says, Satan was really even more mad. And then he turned to the remnant of the church. Those were those people in the church. I'm not talking about this fellowship or that fellowship or the other fellowship. I'm just talking about people, whatever they are, that had not have or did not have the right spirit of love. And those people then, they considered themselves reached an increase of goods, and they went into the great tribulation. But God did protect and won't protect. I'm saying did because it is, if I'm looking, it's a fact as if it's already happened, because it won't already happen. But God will protect a portion of the church. And as we read in Luke 12, verse 36, if I remember correctly, we need to watch and pray ourselves that you may be counted worthy to escape. And that is, make sure that we have the right spirit of brotherly love, because God is love, and we're exhibiting the right love towards one another. But just like here, it really continues reading. Then the waters, verse 28, returned and covered the chariots, the warsmen, and all the army of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. So not so much as one of them remained. But the children of Israel had walked on dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them on their right and on their left. And so the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of Egypt. And the Lord will save God's people.

We are in the time of the end, but you and I have to be making sure that we are counted worthy by God to be counted worthy amongst those. And it says, verse 31, then Israel saw the great work which the Lord had done in Egypt and saw the people feared the Lord. The people had great fear and respect for God and believed the Lord and his servant Moses.

And what is fear?

The beginning of wisdom is the fear of God, isn't it?

And what is this wisdom of God?

This wisdom of God is to aid evil, pride, and arrogance. You and I read in Proverbs chapter 8, verse 12 through 13. Let's go to Proverbs chapter 8, Proverbs chapter 8, verse 12 and 13. I, wisdom, dwell of prudence, and find out knowledge and discretion. The fear of the Lord, that is the proper, deep, profound respect of God, is to hate evil, pride, and arrogance, and the evil way, and the perverse mouth. There's a couple of things.

There's a couple of things out there. Arrogance, pride, the evil way, and the perverse mouth.

These are profound things to meditate as we are coming out of Egypt symbolically as we end these seven days of 11 bread. Because we know these are the things we need to put off now.

Now, what do I mean? We need to put these things off now. Well, turn with me to Colossians chapter 3 verse 7 and 8. It says it's talking about you put to death. That means you've they did it's no more these that's in verse five fornication and cleanness passion cetera because these things the wrath of God's coming upon the stars of Eden. Verse 7, in which you were selves once walked when you lived in them. So those things are things that we've put off, let's say before baptism, we've put off those things. Those things are gone, or should be gone. But now, verse 8, but now you yourselves are to put off all these. You see, so those things we should have put off. But now, even though we are baptized, because he's talking to people that are baptized, now we need to pull off these other things, anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another since you put all the man's and you put on the new man which renewed in knowledge according to the image of him who created him. So, brethren, now we need to have godly wisdom. And as we read in Proverbs 8, wisdom is to hate these things. Godly wisdom is to hate these things. You can read a little bit more about that in James chapter 3 and chapter 4 about that as well. So, after this, when you read in Exodus 15 verse 1, they rejoiced. You see, brethren, there are some amazing parallels between Israel leaving Egypt and that process of leaving Egypt during those seven days.

To us, during these seven days of Unleavened Bread, that we can meditate upon to completely leave spiritual Egypt. You see, because they start leaving Egypt on the night to be much observed, but they only completely left Egypt when they crossed the Red Sea. So, it took them those seven days. Beautiful analogies how everything fits together.

And likewise to us, the symbolism here is that we are leaving sin completely, and we need to make sure we do so. And so, the four lessons that are mentioned to you are as a matter of re-emphasis.

It is a miracle from God. Whether you young people or whether you older, you need to recognize that this calling is a miracle. And don't turn your back on it. Respond to it. Because you and I are free moral agents. We must respond. Secondly, we must not have any leaven. That means we must not have any sin. But on the other side, we must be eating leavened bread. That means we need God's Holy Spirit every day. It's both. Thirdly, it's a narrow way. It's difficult. If things are going just all happy, happy, or lucky, red flag. Remember that. Because in this world, in this society, we will have trials. Just like Christ. What did Christ do wrong? Right? Zero. Was his suffering released? No. He had to die. So if Christ did that, and he had to die, he had to suffer, are we better than him than we say, well, we're not going to go through sufferings?

We ought to imitate Christ. So, brethren, it's the narrow road. God will intervene at the end. At the end, you will make the promised land, which is the kingdom of God, which is the resurrection. That is the promised land for you and I. You will make it. Why? Because he's done everything for you and I to make it. The only spanner in the works, let's call it, is you and I turning our backs on him. If we just keep going, God is with you. And God is greater than all your enemies. But just keep going. Don't give up. And have absolute trust that provides you to do your 99.99% effort. God will do the other, but that you can't do. He will not let you down.

So, brethren, let us rejoice in these days of 11 bread, because they have such profound meaning to you and I. May God bless you in the days ahead.