TO SEE OR NOT TO SEE

Exod 14:16  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp before Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baalzephon: before it shall ye encamp by the sea. For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They [are] entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in. And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, that he shall follow after them; and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I [am] the LORD. And they did so. And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us? And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him: And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them. And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with an high hand. But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses [and] chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, before Baalzephon. And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD. And they said unto Moses, Because [there were] no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? [Is] not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For [it had been] better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness. And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry [ground] through the midst of the sea.

Exod 14:31 - 15:1  And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses. Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.

• This was the greatest show of God's glory throughout the entire Old Testament.

 

 

Numb 21:14  Wherefore it is said in the book of the wars of the LORD, What he did in the Red sea, and in the brooks of Arnon,

Josh 2:10  For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that [were] on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.

Nehe 9:9-10  And didst see the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and heardest their cry by the Red sea; And shewedst signs and wonders upon Pharaoh, and on all his servants, and on all the people of his land:

Psal 106:9  He rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried up: so he led them through the depths, as through the wilderness.

Psal 136:13  To him which divided the Red sea into parts: for his mercy [endureth] for ever:

• This is what Paul uses to compare to our baptism into Jesus Christ.
• The first thing noted about our walks with the Lord in comparison to the  Exodus of Israel was this event:

 

 

1Cor 10:1-2  Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;

• They were united with Moses.
• They were considered as being a part of Moses when they did this.
• A that point they were united to Moses.
• Moses told them to fear not, stand still and see God's glory.
• They obeyed him with Pharaoh hot on their trail.
• They trusted that his words were true and obeyed them.
• Their obedience to his words saved them.
• The greatest miracle of the entire Old Testament was that event.

John 3:5  Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and [of] the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

• That is a miracle from God.
• The greatest miracle in the Old Testament points ahead to the greatest miracle in the New Testament.
• It is what God does at Spirit baptism and water baptism.
• We do not seek speaking in tongues - we seek Spirit baptism.

• Satan is defeated when we are Spirit baptized and water baptized in Jesus' name.
• Why?
• Because we are born again at that experience.
• We are ripped out from Satan's clutches and his armies are absolutely drowned out and rendered powerless.
• But the whole picture started when Moses told them to:

1. Fear not.
2. Stand still
3. See God's salvation.

Hebr 2:14  Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

• Death is a condition, not a something you experience.
• Eph 2 says that we were dead in trespasses and sins.
• We were in a condition.
• A state of being.
• He called it death.
• Satan had the power of death as though Pharaoh had the power over Egypt.
• We were subjects of that kingdom of darkness.
• But right in the middle of the world of dead sinners and Satan's domain, a little lamb died.
• Jesus marched right into death.
• We read THROUGH DEATH Jesus destroyed the devil who had the power of death.
• He walked right into death and in the middle of it all, suddenly, resurrection life entered into Him.
• Put an explosion of LIFE in the midst of the realm of death where the devil dwells with his evil spirits, and it is like an unprecedented destructive blast, totally ripping apart Satan's hold over us.

• Repentance is so important.
• You need to come clean before God and cut off anything that links you to the devil's territory, in order to experience the victory that is going to come when Christ resurrects.
• If we have no intentions of leaving all sin, and the devil has any hold in us and any part that he can claim due to obedience to his temptations to sin, then we are simply not in Christ when we prayed to be saved.
• We did not come clean.

• For Jesus was buried into death, securely placed in the devil's clutches, planted like a bomb precisely where the devil's stronghold itself was, He was suddenly given LIFE!!!
• An explosion of LIFE occurred right in the middle of the realm of death.
• Jesus entered into DEATH and went THROUGH it.
• And THROUGH DEATH HE DESTROYED HIM THAT HAD THE POWER OF DEATH, THE DEVIL.

So many think Satan  is the opposite of God.

• Satan is evil and God is good.
• For something to be the opposite, it must be of equal power, but used in reverse of the other.
• But Satan is only a fallen angel and God is creator.
• They are not equal.

• You walk right into the pits of the devil's territory.
• And you are concealing something, that if the enemy knew what you had, they would never take you into their lair, chained and bound.
• Jesus was led like a lamb, dumb, to the slaughter.
• He said not a word.
• He had something with Him that was going to rip apart Satan's kingdom from the inside out.

• Satan can only dwell in darkness.
• And in his safest, darkest region, in very death itself, that is where Jesus was led.
• Right in the depths of hell, Jesus received ETERNAL LIFE.

• He did not physically take a set of keys.
• This speaks of going down into death and setting off an explosion right in the headquarters of hell, and claiming dominion there for the Kingdom of God.
• It was a covert invasion!
• It was an undercover mastermind of a plan!!

• "Israel, enter into the doors surrounded by blood."
• "I will cripple Satan's determination with the blood."
• Then death came, and through death, Satan was defeated.
• But God said, he still has some armies I want to deal with.
• So go to the Red Sea.

Exod 14:2  Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp before Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baalzephon: before it shall ye encamp by the sea.

• Do not head for the hills and hide.
• Turn and go in between two regions of mountains.
• I want to set a stage.
• "But, God, it is right in the open between two mountains."
• God says that is correct.
• For I want you to see something.

Colo 2:11-12  In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with [him] through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

Colo 2:13  And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

Colo 2:15  [And] having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

• He did not allow you to go into a situation wherein you could easily be defeated so that you could easily be defeated.
• He let you walk into a place out in the open for the devil to come down, and waited until Satan had all his armies in place right at your doorstep, and then suddenly told you to WATCH.


Exod 14:10  And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them....

• But God said KEEP LOOKING!!!!
• They said that Moses brought them out to kill them in the wilderness.
• If they were going to die they would have died in Egypt!!!

• But when God did it, the enemy was not settled yet.
• So God said, "Okay, go after my people again.  This time I will cripple you completely."
• And the stage was set between Baalzephon and Migdol, with the sea before them.
• The trap was set.
• Pharaoh walked right into it.


Exod 14:11  And they said unto Moses, Because [there were] no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness?

• I am going to bury Pharaoh's armies!!!

Exod 14:31 -- 15:1  And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses. Then sang Moses and the children of Israel...

They saw God smash the armies of Pharaoh.

• You need to see the destruction of the devil's forces!
• You need to stop fussing and running all around, and stand still.
• Then you need to see something.

All of this foreshadows the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 53 shows the most perfect prophecy of the suffering of Jesus for us.

Isai 53:4-5  Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he [was] wounded for our transgressions, [he was] bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace [was] upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Isai 54:1  Sing, O barren, thou [that] didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou [that] didst not travail with child: for more [are] the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD.

STAND STILL and see the salvation of the Lord.

Reve 12:14  And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

Exod 19:4  Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and [how] I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself.

• It was like they were scurrying everywhere in fear, and God said "STAND STILL, I want to give you eagle's wings."
• When trouble comes, stand still, and let God put eagle's wings on you, and you can just float up and out of it all.

2Cor 4:3-4  But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

2Cor 4:6  For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to [give] the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

If the light is KNOWLEDGE, then seeing here means UNDERSTANDING something.

• It is LIGHT OF THE KNOWLEDGE.
• God's Glory is God's Light.
• The one who commanded, spoke, light to shine out of darkness... meaning it was in it but concealed, shines in our hearts where we were bound.
• And light of knowledge of God shines forth.
• Revelation bursts out.

 2Cor 3:18  But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, [even] as by the Spirit of the Lord.

• It is like an explosion that absolutely cripples the devil's power.
• My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge (Hos. 4:6).

1. DEATH
2. BURIAL
3. RESURRECTION

1. FEAR NOT: DEATH
2. STAND STILL: BURIAL
3. SEE SALVATION: RESURRECTION

1. LIFT UP THY ROD: Death - Jesus lifted up.
2. STRETCH OUT THY HAND OVER THE SEA: Burial.
3. DIVIDE IT: Resurrection.

1. And that pictures us being baptized into Christ's death.
2. And there we are CHANGED.
3. Then He takes us out and says, "Now let me lead you to all truth.  Let me guide you into maturity.  Come to a place in the promised land."


John 10:9-10  I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have [it] more abundantly.
 

4. GO IN: DEATH
5. GO OUT: BURIAL
6. FIND PASTURE: RESURRECTION

• But we also read that we can choose to turn and look.
• And when we turn our hearts to Jesus, a veil is removed.
• What veil?
• The blinding veil the devil put there.
• So we see that the devil blinds those who simply do not put forth the effort to turn to Jesus.