12 March, 2019, PSC Cafe Connecting Group
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+14
Key words / phrases:- GREAT FEAR grips God's people
Opening Remarks
Here, I can say, the Pharaoh's army represented crushing / gruesome death and great fear. But our God is a fear crushing God and also the only One who overcomes death. That is what we see here. Lift up all your daily fears to our great and mighty fear crushing & death overcoming God! Remember the word of Jesus - " ... In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Sometimes God Himself will bring trouble, like here, as a test on His people and also so that the world may be encouraged to know that He is a good God who is also the ultimate all-powerful, all-sovereign savior and Lord of all.
Potential Discussion Questions:-
This is how God got his people entrapped by Pharaoh's mighty killer army:- Exodus 14:2-3:- “Tell the people of Israel to turn back and encamp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, in front of Baal-zephon; you shall encamp facing it, by the sea. For Pharaoh will say of the people of Israel, ‘They are wandering in the land; the wilderness has shut them in."
And the reason, God gives is in Exodus 14:4:- "the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord ".
Also this incident is meant to be an encouragement for generations to come (as it is today). That was another purpose of this incident. That is, this incident is to become part of Bible, for people in future to read, be encouraged, and know aspects of God's character and His relationship with humans!
Here it seems Pharaoh's army came with all it's might (Exodus 14:9). Quite a scary situation! Today, I can say, following correspond to the scary Pharoah's army:-
2 Corinthians 5:20:- "we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. "
Remember, we Christians - His Church are His body on earth! When the Church is united, people will know about God (John 17:20-23).
Exodus 14:13-14:- "And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again.The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” "
In Matthew 14:27, Jesus also said "Do not be afraid".
https://devos20xx.blogspot.com/2018/07/do-miracles-happen.html
Romans 1:19-20:- "For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. "
Psalm 19:1-4:- "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world."
Matthew 11:25-26:- “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do. All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
Matthew 13:11-15:- "He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: “‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’ ... "
Matthew 13:44-46:- “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. …”
Matthew 7:7-8:- "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. "
Keep in mind that they do not have the Bible yet, nor the Holy Spirit in them as we have. They did have some close encounters with God (i.e., they witnessed the ten plagues and freedom from Egypt) - But I still wonder how much do they know about the character of God. One reason for incidents like this, is so that people can have Bible which is to contain these incidents so that people may know who God is.