Exodus 14:1-4 A Military Blunder

1Then the LORD said to Moses, 2“Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. You are to encamp by the sea, directly opposite Baal-zephon.

3For Pharaoh will say of the Israelites, ‘They are wandering the land in confusion; the wilderness has boxed them in.’ 4And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart so that he will pursue them. But I will gain honor by means of Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD.”

So this is what the Israelites did.

What, you want me to do what Lord?

God wanted the Israelites to look confused, to be wandering so He could set a trap for the pharaoh and his army. He wanted the Israelites to appear to be boxed in, a military blunder!

I remember a story my great aunt told me before she passed, it was about my 2nd great grandfather. He was a courier for a southern general and that made a military blunder. He had encamped his army in the horseshoe bend of a river, the wilderness has boxed them in.

The following morning they arose and were making breakfast when the army of the north blocked their only escape route. I was told the union army general sent a note to the confederate army general stating, “does your mama’s know you are so far away from home?”. A reply was returned that stated, “wait until we finish breakfast and we’ll see who’s mama’s know what!”. I was told when they finished they packed their horses and led a charge through the union lines and not one man was lost.

The blunder was resolved.

‘They are wandering the land in confusion; the wilderness has boxed them in.’

The appearance of a military blunder was a trap so the Lord would gain honor!

We can honor the Lord by trusting Him when He asks us to do something that seems to be a blunder to others.

Blessings, David 

Exodus 13:19-22 Presence and Protection of God!

19Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made the sons of Israel swear a solemn oath when he said, “God will surely attend to you, and then you must carry my bones with you from this place.”

20They set out from Succoth and camped at Etham on the edge of the wilderness. 21And the LORD went before them in a pillar of cloud to guide their way by day, and in a pillar of fire to give them light by night, so that they could travel by day or night. 22Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place before the people.

Joseph knew Egypt was not his final resting place because of the Promise the Lord had made.

“This was the Shechinah or Divine dwelling place, and was the continual proof of the presence and protection of GOD.” (Clarke)

I will submit to you that the cloud and the pillar of fire (presence of the Lord) is no different than the Holy Spirit-Advocate-Helper in us. Just as the Israelites didn’t rely on the Lord in all their circumstances and sinned, we do the same. 

John 14:16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever—

Just as the Israelites are His firstborn, marked as His, you who accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior have been marked as His and have the Holy Spirit in you.

Today, try to act more like Jesus and sin-less. Let His light shine from you and show others the love of Christ, proof of the presence and protection of God.

Blessings, David 

Exodus 13:17-18 The Guidance of God!

17When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them along the road through the land of the Philistines, though it was shorter. For God said, “If the people face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” 18So God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea.And the Israelites left the land of Egypt arrayed for battle.

“He carefully chose their way out of Egypt; not the nearer, but the safer. He tempts not above what we are able: but so orders the matter, that evils are not ready for us until we for them.” (Trapp)

“The nation delivered and consecrated is seen at once as under the direct government and guidance of God.” (Morgan)

Morgan’s comment reminds me of how our country was founded. 

Kirk Cameron made a movie about it.

http://www.monumentalmovie.com

Unfortunately our leaders are stripping God out of all aspects of our country and replacing it with a different god, themselves! In the 1970’s they claimed we were headed into an ice age, that changed to global warming and now its climate change!

Only God can alter the weather and His creation!

Don’t be fooled by the alarmists who claim the earth only has ten years left before its destroyed by global warming.

Examine their lifestyles before you fall for their nonsense.

Our pastor recently taught a series on Samson in which he stated;

“Sin breeds insanity”.

The alarmists appear to be insane to me.

True global warming will come from God!

2 Peter 3:10But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and its works will be laid bare.

Pray for a revival, pray that as a nation continue to stand by Israel and we return to the guidance of God!

Blessings, David 

Exodus 13:11-16 The mighty hand of the Lord!

11And after the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites and gives it to you, as He swore to you and your fathers, 12you are to present to the LORD the firstborn male of every womb. All the firstborn males of your livestock belong to the LORD. 13You must redeem every firstborn donkey with a lamb, and if you do not redeem it, you are to break its neck. And every firstborn of your sons you must redeem.

14In the future, when your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you are to tell him, ‘With a mighty hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 15And when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the LORD killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both of man and beast. This is why I sacrifice to the LORD the firstborn male of every womb, but I redeem all the firstborn of my sons.’ 16So it shall serve as a sign on your hand and a symbol on your forehead, for with a mighty hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt.”

After the Israelites are in the promised Land they are to present to the Lord the firstborn male of every womb.

A son (Israelite) was to be redeemed with money.

The sacrifice is to remind them and future generations, “With a mighty hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt,”

Notice this phrase is mentioned twice, it signifies importance.

Have you ever experienced deliverance from a situation and the only explanation could have been, “With a mighty hand the LORD” ......

I believe when we meet Him we will be surprised to find out how many times He intervened in our lives.

Cecilia was driving down a winding hilly black top road last winter that had hidden black ice and lost control of the vehicle. She tried correcting the spin out and couldn’t regain control. She yelled out loud, Jesus I can’t do this and let go of the steering wheel. The vehicle spin out was corrected and she ended up back on the correct side of the road.

She believes His mighty hand took control of the steering wheel.

How has the mighty hand of the Lord intervened in your life?

Blessings, David 

Exodus 13:8-10 The law of the Lord will be on your lips!

8And on that day you are to explain to your son, ‘This is because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ 9It shall be a sign for you on your hand and a reminder on your forehead that the law of the LORD is to be on your lips. For with a mighty hand the LORD brought you out of Egypt. 10Therefore you shall keep this ordinance at the appointed time year after year.

“The Jews used this passage (along with Deuteronomy 6:4-9and 11:13-21) to institute the practice the wearing of phylacteries – small boxes holding parchment with scriptures on them.” (Guzik)

But what did Jesus say about phylacteries?

Matthew 23:5 “But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments.”

“...the law of the LORD is to be on your lips.” Some versions say mouth. 

So why aren’t the Jews wearing phylacteries in their mouths?

This explains that language like this is a metaphor.

If you read and study the Bible and understand it, the law of the Lord will be on your lips!

You will live it and speak it. 

Do you live it and speak it?

I read an article yesterday about a pop star that changed his life when he found Christ. He apologized for his actions when he was younger and said he was a changed man. But people can be cruel and a commenter doubted his faith and even quoted the Bible. Another rebuked the commenter with, be careful how you judge. Then the person retorted Ezekiel 33.

Brethren, we cannot pick and choose verses out of the Bible that suit us. We need to live life as born again followers of Jesus.

Judging someone in the infancy of their faith is not our job. 

We are not worthy to sit on His throne!

Chuck Swindoll taught a series for up and coming pastors and explained about an individual who was a boar in Gods vineyard, he had run off two previous pastors and was working on the third.

The Value of Knowing the Scoop.

https://subspla.sh/95mkf6q

Let’s not forget what Jesus said was the greatest commandment.

Matthew 22:37Jesus declared, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

In both these examples if the people involved had, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” They wouldn’t be judging another’s faith or running off pastors. 

They both needed to step down off the throne!

Blessings, David 

Exodus 13:4-6 A feast and a land flowing with milk and honey—“.

4Today, in the month of Abib, you are leaving. 5And when the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites, and Jebusites—the land He swore to your fathers that He would give you, a land flowing with milk and honey—you shall keep this service in this month.

6For seven days you are to eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the LORD. 7Unleavened bread shall be eaten during those seven days. Nothing leavened may be found among you, nor shall leaven be found anywhere within your borders.

“The purity of the feast of Unleavened Bread followed upon the blood-deliverance of Passover. This illustrates the principle that we can only walk in purity before the LORD after the blood-deliverance at the cross.” (Guzik)

Blood deliverance of the Passover and then the feast of Unleavened Bread, a party!

“the land He swore to your fathers that He would give you, a land flowing with milk and honey—“

Taste is one of the senses the Lord gave us to enjoy but some people can’t or are unwilling to control their food intake and allow it to control them to the point of obesity. 

I find this verse interesting, “a land flowing with milk and honey—“

I recall waiting somewhere and there was a young lady talking to a group that was next to me. She said, the United States is the only country in the world that promotes drinking milk and the population was never weaned from infancy.

I thought to myself, what an ignorant statement! 

In politeness I kept my mouth shut.

But why would the Lords book state a land flowing with milk and honey?

The phrase refers to the Promised Land and describes a plentiful food source. 

The phrase is mentioned in the Bible approximately 100 times.

If the Lord didn’t want us to drink milk He would have told us so. So if you can tolerate milk enjoy it along with honey and remember the description of the Promised Land, a land flowing with milk and honey—“.

Blessings, David 

Exodus 13:1-3 Remember this day!

1Then the LORD said to Moses, 2“Consecrate to Me every firstborn male. The firstborn from every womb among the Israelites belongs to Me, both of man and beast.”

3So Moses told the people, “Remember this day, the day you came out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; for the LORD brought you out of it by the strength of His hand. And nothing leavened shall be eaten.

“Consecrate could either mean ‘sacrifice’ or merely ‘consider as belonging to God’. Instances of both meanings could be found in the Pentateuch.” (Cole)

“Israel had been saved through the destruction of Egypt’s first-born, and now they were required to dedicate their own first-born as a constant memorial of their deliverance.” (Thomas)

Anniversaries, we all have them in one form or another, birthdays, weddings, hiring dates, cancer free date, etc. 

Have you ever forgotten an anniversary? I have and it’s not a good thing. Life gets busy, you worry about tomorrow, you worry about today and you make a list, in order of things that need to be accomplished. But you forget one thing on that list, your anniversary!

But Moses told the people, “Remember this day,”. 

But some have forgotten their past as a people, they have forgotten their history and their faith in the Lord.

You might say, how can I say that? Read your Bible because it states that! 

What happened to the Israelites when they drifted away from the Lord?

He brought judgement upon them as a nation.

Let’s look at our nation, a nation founded under God. 

Why are we having mass shootings? Why was there 9-11?

I believe we have forgotten our history just like the Israelites did in the Old Testament.

We have taken God out of our courts, our schools and our homes.

But there is hope!

Remember what the Lord said to Abraham!

Genesis 12:2I will make you into a great nation,

and I will bless you;

I will make your name great,

so that you will be a blessing.

3I will bless those who bless you

and curse those who curse you;

and all the families of the earth

will be blessed through you.”

I will bless those who bless you! I believe as long as our nation blesses Israel the Lord will continue to bless our nation.

Pray for a revival!

Blessings, David