Exodus (Quality: Average)

[0:00] I am hoping to be helped to speak to you this evening on a word you will find in the book of Exodus. The chapter is 14, the verse is 15.

[0:18] And the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore, cryest thou unto me, speak unto the children of Israel that they go forward.

[0:36] The book of Exodus, chapter 14, verse 15. There was, in time past, a certain prophet described as the Lord's messenger in the Lord's message.

[1:02] That word came suddenly to me while you were singing and caused me to realize how essential it is today that any servant of God hoping to be the Lord's messenger must first receive the Lord's message.

[1:26] Well, I hope now that I begin to see a little ray of light in the word I have read to you this evening as being a very definite message.

[1:43] A message, I would venture to hope, from God, seeing that it is contained in His Word, which is a living Word, just as powerful, just as much a living Word and fully operative as it was when first spoken.

[2:06] And so there is set before us this evening the giver of a certain message. We also have mentioned the servant who received this message to deliver.

[2:20] We are also told to whom He wants to deliver it and then we are told very briefly what the message was or is.

[2:33] I want to look at it in the present tense, what the message is. Now the giver of this Word is the great God of Israel, a mighty Savior, if ever there was one, and a great deliverer.

[2:54] He had recently delivered those whom He had chosen to be His own people nationally from a long state of terrible bondage, having demonstrated in the process the wonder of His power in which from time to time even those unbelieving Egyptians were forced to acknowledge the hand of God.

[3:22] It didn't make them love Him. No, it didn't make them love Him or acknowledge His hand beyond the nominal acknowledgement and then we read that the heart of the one who should have been softened was but hardened.

[3:39] At this stage how appropriate it is to remember the words of one who wrote, Lord, terrors do but harm although while they work alone it's something very different to this that softens the heart of stone.

[3:59] yes, my friends and you and I I earnestly hope this evening our few belong to God's chosen people in very deed.

[4:13] There are those who are Israelites indeed, you know. And it is these I want to find presently as the Lord may help me in this scripture.

[4:25] Israelites indeed. And they may be summed up very briefly as sinners whom the Lord has blessed indeed.

[4:36] They've received this indeed blessing that Jabez asked for. Yes, they've been blessed indeed and so they do become the children of Israel really and truly among the remnant God has chosen for His praise.

[4:56] Now the Lord this great Lord this wonder-working God said unto Moses He's the servant of God mentioned here and what a trying servant He was and what faith was given Him.

[5:16] Here let me make it quite clear that Moses eminent servant of God though he was had exactly as much faith as God gave him and no more but he did have what God had given him and he gave him a great deal in this particular trial.

[5:36] We read that the children of Israel cried out unto the Lord but they complained to Moses. They seemed to be determined to blame Moses for practically all the distressing and trying things that came upon them even to saying as we often did well that's just what we said would happen.

[6:00] But how hard they made his pathway and yet looked at the grace and the faith that was given him instead of retaliating as I greatly fear some of us would have done he says fear ye not stand still and see the salvation of the Lord which he will show to you today.

[6:24] There's faith it hasn't happened you know. This was a sweet intimation a confidence in God a trust in God who had done great things heretofore and still could if he would.

[6:39] He seems to have been assured that he would which he will show you today for the Egyptians whom you have seen today you shall see them again no more forever.

[6:51] The faith that was given him. And yet you see I noticed this when I read this word at home. This was what he said to the people by the help of God which you'll find that he must have done some secret petitioning with God in private for it was the Lord that said to Moses wherefore Christ thou unto me why are you in any way cast down why are you possessed of a doubtful heart why are you still about half fearful whether this deliverance will occur that you just stated I did that say to the dear man shall he was only a natural man you know subject to like passions with the rest of us though perhaps I ought to say I would venture to hope he's not such a great sinner as some of us was not anyway be that as it may the Lord does gently reprove this servant wherefore cryest thou unto me seeing that you have witnessed what my power can do what the power of my almighty hand is and how that in spite of all the power of

[8:14] Egypt and the determination of Pharaoh you've come out of Egypt and come out well laden with goods too you are not poverty stricken or in want and yet the first time that a difficulty appears full of complaints my dear friends it is down in our hand we must drop it we just to say at least some of us are well aware of this through the past year I wouldn't like to say it hasn't been so through the past week the Lord has greatly blessed us if we're his children if he's given to us that wonder of adoption into his family he's given us of his highest labor yet the smallest thing that comes along to disturb their pathway where are we and what do we say if we're preserved from saying it through mercy thoughts run riot don't they hard thoughts of

[9:28] God that great God of mercy and I believe we do well to confess this before him and seek his forgiveness plea for his power for we know better than Israel of old indeed I sometimes feel that some of us are worse because we're guilty of sinning against light and knowledge and that which is being revealed to us as being the work and operation of the gracious spirit within us which no Israelite according to the flesh could claim unless he'd received the same blessing they weren't born with it is what I'm trying to make the point I'm trying to make all the Israelites who were saved by grace that was their case and all the rest were as hard as those about us today wherefore cryest thou unto me speak unto the children of Israel now here is the message that was to be declared and in so far as that stands at the moment literally it's still true

[10:44] I believe this will encourage the servants of God I certainly hope so to continue to speak to deliver the message which God has given to leave the issue of this in his gracious hands speak come to the children of Israel a chosen people yes actually literally chosen by God himself the commencement of this choice being the revelation of God's favor to Abraham which passed with his blessing through his son to Jacob and to his sons and the marvelous blessings that are contained in the word of God if you view them as the spirit may help you from their spiritual aspect you will see how very suitable they are to the children of Israel today the spiritual children of Israel

[11:51] I mean while as many as are concerned therein still of those whom we are accustomed to hear called Israelis today they'll all be performed the blessings will rest from them all whom God has chosen to have a part in these blessings which were finally expressed by Jacob and what precious blessings they are also in measure repeated by Moses the servant of God as he blessed the people of Israel before his death you will find contained therein wonderful privileges promised to God's Israel today speak unto the children of Israel a word of direction that which follows you know these words is a divine directive it's a word really off command it's a word to be compliant with it's a word to take to heart and seek for grace to be obedient concerning speak unto the children of Israel that they go forward now my friends we shan't understand all that this implies unless we take a careful look at the situation as it was on that occasion we read that

[13:33] Pharaoh considered so it would be said that the Israelites were entangled in the land the wilderness had shut them in they had reached a stage or a condition it would appear when having reached the sea the Red Sea there were mountains on either side of them and shortly afterwards the enemy behind in any case even had not the enemy been actively behind and pursuing after them that which was behind them was obviously the house of bondage wasn't it so look at the sad case they were in unable at the present to move in a forward direction shut in on either side and any return without pursuit of an enemy would be to bondage and disgrace but

[14:43] God had determined that those who had oppressed them should receive the due reward into their who had ever and I must say that were we faced shall I put it another way if any of us have come in a measure to a similar condition in life we shall know that to go forward looks like an absolute impossibility and you will know some of you I do believe in your measure what it is to be there and though your heart perhaps might be just the same as the people we are speaking of this evening is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt saying let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians for it would be better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness their great God their wondrous deliverer had not determined their death they were as forgetful of God's promises as we are

[16:33] God had promised through Moses to take them to the promised land not that they should die in the wilderness but because of their unbelief which was so powerful within so many of them a great number did on their way through the wilderness they did die you see there is a word which though this may seem hard to our nature is fully cleared and God is cleared in his righteous dealings when you find in the epistles of the Hebrews this brief statement so we see that they could not enter in because of their unbelief there is a lesson here I better mention it because my memory is so poor or else I shall lose the grip of it we are saved the children of Israel spiritually saved by grace through faith if it wasn't for this gift of God faith we shouldn't enter in either because we've got just the same heart of unbelief as they have and too often it's inactive and lively exercise in us isn't it in other words it's fully operative far too often operative for our own comfort and the honouring glory of God but when the faith that he has given is in active and lively exercise it overcomes our natural weaknesses and all our unfaithfulness too and causes us to be very willing at times to follow wherever we should be pleased to lead and there is again a reviving of that sweet hope within us that he was promised that we shall inherit the land he has prepared for his people we shall find that we begin once again to lay aside all our doubts and fears through his mercy and hope still in his faithfulness and I believe it is in this way that the weakest of his people will safely attain to the rest that remaineth for the people of God and no other way all that the Lord finally designed should be obedient to him from a certain age he took them safely to the land he had promised and all that so bitterly rebelled against him all that so grievously complained and were filled with unbelief he allowed them to die as he said they should in the wilderness but I must now return

[19:49] I have wandered far but I did want to bring before you that illustration and the point that was made by it before it slipped from my memory you see unbelief is one of the greatest foes of the children of God it proved to be so in the case of natural Israel and it's still true today in the hearts of his people it costs them many a favour many a sweet close walk with God because unbelief is rife within them but when this is subdued and faith is an exercise there's a drawing near to him again and a desire to be obedient to his mind and will and you'll find that they'll say this as well as sing it and they'll mean it too choose thou the body but still lead on so the word this evening is this and this is the message I don't know who it's intended to if it is a person or whether you are to receive this collectively but surely the Lord wouldn't have given it in vain he doesn't say that will be the result of his word does he he says it shall not return to him void and so the word this evening is speak unto the children of Israel that they go forward well we'd like at this stage to be thankful for a moment if it's my honour and privilege this evening to be speaking to some of the children of Israel

[21:33] God's children they are thinking over my dear friends each of you what a privilege is yours if you're his children if the Saviour came to be your Saviour my Saviour our Redeemer and is now our great High Priest and forerunner in Heaven he went forward and the point I want to make now is he is forward he's ahead in front gone before this is the reason for the exultation this is the reason for the message if we turn aside if we leave this and don't go forward but turn aside we should be finding that the path we are in is leading us into barrenness and distress of soul and a keen sense of loss will be experienced by us

[22:51] I must turn just for a moment to the allegory used by John Bunyan in that wonderful book two of the children of God are represented as having looked aside and said well this other way here appears to be going just the same way as we are in now and it's far more pleasant let's go that way oh my friends what a fatal mistake it proved to be and would any of us this evening be able with a clear conscience to say we never looked either to the left hand or to the right for something a bit more comfortable with a little less trouble in it a little less trying to the flesh a little less demanding you might even have said well so and so

[23:57] I believe they've gone to heaven and they had a much easier path than I got dear friends we're subject to all sorts of various experiences I greatly fear but to return where did those two finish up if you'll excuse my language in doubting castle for a while under the control of giant despair what a sad case to be in what lessons though they learned in there by the painful means that God does use sometimes to instruct his people and how they wished doubtless time after time that they kept to that other path how they would lash themselves and feel to have done something so utterly foolish and now feel so ashamed in the sight of their God to feel that they had left his way for something smoother more comfortable to the flesh my friends the word this evening is still the same speak unto the children of

[25:21] Israel that they go forward is this an unsuitable word for the new year surely not our position at the present time as I see it I know this is a digression I believe it is described by the hymn writer in so far as I am going to quote hither by thy help I am come but we must go further this is no time to sit down and say well now we can take it easy now we needn't bother anymore we can just rest now on the promises and need not disturb ourselves in any way just settle down oh that's Satan isn't it that's his suggestion and if he could lure you into this and get you nicely asleep that would suit him very well but he wouldn't be very well for us no my friends the word goes on and I hope by thy good pleasure and he could have easily said with thy wondrous help safely to arrive at home but that's forward my friends that's still ahead there is a word which says that there is very much land yet to be possessed we haven't got all the inheritance yet we're still on the earth still traveling as pilgrims in this wilderness the celestial city to return to

[26:58] John Bannon it's ahead but it's in front it isn't on either side and it certainly isn't behind what's behind the city of destruction according to Bannon according to the word of God in relation to Israel it was Egypt and the house of bondage from which don't we earnestly hope each of us this evening the Lord has delivered us have translated us out of the kingdom of Satan into the kingdom of his dear son who said as plainly as could be admittedly to his disciples but don't we hope we are but he said to his disciples when he called them follow me follow me I hope that meditation will be given to us this evening so that we may perceive a little of what this entails what it really means it means going forward into the same path in our measure on a much lesser scale as he walked

[28:14] I believe that if we could have our way we should be admired by those about us we should be respected and thought well of and we should prosper in the world and go to heaven as well but the Lord said marvel not if the world hates you you'll know that he hated me before he hated you and therefore if we are to follow him we must expect to partake in our measure of some of the scorn that came his way and some of the hatred that was vented on him what a mercy that we do have no expectation of having to endure what he endured but still the word is go forward now just for a moment

[29:17] I want to look if I'm helped at our confidential pathway you see there are times when a new year brings new duties a new year can bring new responsibilities a new year can bring a new life all together for some and in viewing this one may be appalled at the prospect which opens up before one filled with fear and you may find yourself saying but I can't go into this I can't take this up I'm not sufficient for this I have the wisdom I have the strength I have the grace I have the faith I have the patience I can't take this up do we have to water the word then no that we cannot do the

[30:25] Lord said unto Moses speak unto the children of Israel that they go forward into this appointed path trusting in who your own wisdom that's where we have been wrong we have been looking inside we have been examining self we have noted it is true our many shortcomings and it may be that we have learned somewhat of this through many past mistakes but we are looking in the wrong direction let me take you to a nice word in the word of God therefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses let us lay aside every weight these things I've just been speaking to you of and the trend on them it's like a weight round you isn't it hanging heavily on your shoulders may even be as fetters to your feet you can't go lumbered up with such weights let us lay aside every weight where will you lay them aside for a start casting all your care upon him cast thy burden upon the

[31:51] Lord even this weight that is such a trouble and detriment to you and he shall sustain thee it's a good word there help you it will to go forward in spite of your feelings but let me complete that word and let us run with patience the race that is set before us looking unto Jesus I believe I've managed this evening now with the Lord's help to show you how the children of Israel will rightly go forward trusting in the Lord you see we are more favored than they were the Lord Jesus Christ has come he has redeemed his people he has brought a great salvation it's finished he said so it's finished and now there is vested in this great savior a fullness referred to

[33:01] I believe in prayer and when we feel weak if we feel faint the supply is in the Lord if we lack wisdom he is wisdom and therefore he has kindly caused it to be recorded in his word if any of you doesn't leave anybody out does it who fills their need if any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God what could be more blessed than this what could be more freely expressed than this no conditions attached whatever let him ask of God who give it to all men liberally so it will be given to you if you ask if you feel to need wisdom don't we wisdom to enable us to go forward in the part of

[34:04] God's appointment and there are other things that's suddenly being shown to me I believe I've got some friends among the people that I'm speaking to more regularly who are earnestly seeking to know what way they should walk and it hasn't been clear to them not yet and I believe there were at this stage the national people of God in the same case you see anyway I take it that all they could see at that time was the sea keep rolling in like it does no breaking it at all and how could one go forward you might say and you may have said so yourself how can I go forward I don't know which way to go there doesn't seem to be any way I seem all hedged up like they were poor poor friend

[35:06] I would say if that's your case but your redeemer is just as mighty because he's the same one the Lord used a simple means as he often has and he will for you I try to say to my dear friends and it might be helpful to you if you are in this case still wanting to know there's a prayer in the psalm specially there for you this is what it is cause me to know the way wherein I should walk a little lower down it says teach me to do thy will that's what it says and you'll need this if you were to go forward you'll need his divine instruction I did mention just now if you remember looking to the right hand looking to the left it would appear from the word of God that some would turn that way too yes but then there's the mercy of

[36:20] God in this thine ears shall hear a word behind thee saying this is the way walk ye in it but you'll find that this part of it's often omitted it isn't quoted it isn't finished it's when ye turn to the right hand and when ye turn to the left when you're going wrong this merciful God will help you to go forward by saying to you this is the way now my friends that my earnest desire that some of my exercise friends if there's some here I hope they'll hear that word too this is the way walk ye in it then you'll know what to do if I know anything about it there'll still be a reserve question still be a reserve question in your mind if you're like some of us keep trying to build up hindrances instead of praying that they might be removed keep trying to build them up and you'll find yourself perhaps saying this

[37:40] I perceive the way Lord now that thou hast revealed it I believe this is the way they will have me to go but when when and they might even start quoting scripture I've heard them quote scripture your time is always ready but my time has not yet come but that's taking it completely out of its context quite out of what the Lord meant I believe that as one has said it isn't for you it doesn't relate to you and yet of course at the same time you will want the Lord to say go go then you will know what to do and it's in my text isn't it I haven't left it I'm pleased to see that they go forward I do believe that that's just what some of my dear friends are waiting to hear go forward and I know one who was so very nervous and so so aware of that which it would involve that at the very last minute I was almost inclined to turn back even when I literally started to go forward which of course there is a literal beginning in these things as a first step in the way isn't there

[39:21] I began to take it and was tempted to go back wait a little longer wait till you feel a little more ready for it a little more suited to it you've got no particular gifts in anything that you might be involved in if you do this I wonder who that was it was injecting those things into one's poor mind I have an idea it was the enemy oh what a mercy there's one more powerful than the enemy I'm intended to say this but the Lord knows why it has to do with going forward even on earth you go forward when this is the Lord's will he'll assure you you must go forward you'll hear the word that they go forward well the Lord dropped this word in with power as only he can if you tarry to your better you will never come at all but I said Lord

[40:28] I'll go just as I am and that's how it's been ever since and that's how I came this evening just as I am poor simple uneducated I hope a servant of God but without many of those finer gifts and yet I believe the Lord helps me to speak in a way that his message does reach the people he intended it to and who could deserve or desire more favor than this one never will deserve it but one does desire it speak unto the children of Israel that they go forward well I know one or two who have ventured and I believe they felt just the same as I did nervous fearful and when

[41:35] I realized after speaking to the deacon on that occasion we had no pastor on my return home Satan said you know what's coming to you don't you we'll have to speak in prayer oh my friends I wish I had gone so weak and helpless and I and so fearful I wished I'd never said a word before I go home do you wonder that when the Lord really did strengthen me this was the way brought safely by his hand thus far why does thou now be placed to fear how could thou want if he provide or lose thy way with such a guide and that's how I've gone on from that day to this and that's how I expect to go on but I do hope I should still keep going forward upheld by him that's the word I want to finish with how will they go forward these people who form the remnant that God has chosen to his place oh the word helps me out wonderfully leaning on their beloved that's how that precious saviour he says fear thou not for I am with thee be not dismayed for I am thy

[43:16] God I will strengthen thee yea I will help thee yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness so I believe you will presently be brought to this lead me Lord by thy power keep my feet in the right path suffer me not to stray hold up my goings in thy paths that my footsteps slip not deal gently with thy four week servant fulfill thy word in which thou hast caused it to be recorded he giveth power to the faint and to them that have no might he increases strength so that they still do just the same in their measure and as far as helped as the apostle of old did he said forgetting the things that are behind and reaching forth to the things that are before

[44:25] I pressed toward the mark for the prize and what a prize it is my friends life eternal heaven for poor sinners who deserve hell but Christ bore all they lot due to them and so they proceed by his grace and through his mercy to that inheritance which is of the saints in light and they are made for takers of it the word that I read was this and with it I close giving thanks unto the Father which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light of the Mother house of the

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