COME AS A CHILD LESSON 130 – THE MEANING OF A SPECIAL NEW SONG

WHAT IT MEANS TO CROSS THE RED SEA

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

God had told Abraham his people would be oppressed in Egypt 400 years. (Genesis 15:13-15) And he said unto Abram, “Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; and also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.  And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.”

It all happened just as God had said it would.  It was exactly 400 years to the day when they began to cross the Red Sea and walk through walls of water to the other shore.  A new song is recorded in Exodus Chapter 15 that speaks of their deliverance from Egypt.  This is not the Song of Moses; but it is often called the Song of The Sea.  Moses must have been quite a song writer; much like David perhaps, because we know of at least three songs that he is given credit for writing.  This song is a triumphant description of the power of God as the defender of Israel.  Verses 1-21 sing about the things of the sea.  It speaks in this first half about what God has done.  The second half of the song is prophetic in nature and it speaks of the things that God will do in the future.

It is always the same; every ending is a new beginning!  The redemption from slavery ended their bondage.  The free life that now belonged to them began a whole new adventure for the people of God.  What better start to a whole new way of life than a victory song sung in joy and celebrated in dance?

These moments are the moments I love about how our Heavenly Father lives!  He celebrates all of the markers and places in life that are significant.  I think we all could do with much more celebration of the good things that have happened and much less grumbling of the things that we think have gone wrong.  Why dwell on what we consider impossible when we serve a mighty God who can do the impossible? 

The people’s hope turned to sheer joy as they paused on the other side and realized the miracle they had just lived through.  Both the men and the women were given parts of this song and they all sang in harmony.  Miriam was 90 years old, but she was singing and dancing with the timbrel – leading the music for all the other women.  Moses and Aaron were not “spring chickens” either!  They were leading the men in making a joyful noise unto God who had led them to cross over the sea.  They had all “passed over” the sea!   Again, death had been defeated and new life had been given!

I wonder how many of them thought of the miracle as it was happening?  I wonder how many picked up a seashell from the bed of the ocean and put it in their pocket to remind them of this day?  Long after the day of joy and celebration they all would be telling the story of this day to the next generation!  What an amazing time it was!  They would forever speak of God’s miracles to their children and grandchildren.  They would always remember and proclaim the prototype they were shown of the final redemption of men’s souls!   Now all of the many, many years have passed and we still hear the story fresh, as if it happened yesterday.  That within itself is a major miracle of God.  

In the days ahead; when the tribulations come; those who overcome the world will also experience a similar deliverance (Revelation 15: 1-4.)  I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign:  seven angels with the seven last plagues – last, because with them God’s wrath is completed.  And I saw what looked like a sea of glass glowing with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and its image and over the number of its name.  They held harps given them by God and sang the song of God’s servant Moses and the Lamb:  “Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty.  Just and true are your ways, King of the nations, Who will not fear you, Lord, and bring glory to your name?  For you alone are holy.  All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.” 

My friends, we too have a sea to cross!  Let us cross it singing the praises of God.

Our future and hope is based upon these actions of God from the past.  We can be assured of the things God WILL DO based upon the things that we already know HE HAS DONE.  

So get ready!  We will cross the sea!

God’s faithfulness never changes.  

He is the same, yesterday, today and forever.

  

 

COME AS A CHILD LESSON 129 - THERE WILL BE MIRACLES WHEN YOU BELIEVE

CROSSING THE RED SEA WITH COURAGE AND HOPE

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

They were on their way to Canaan Land!  

Pharaoh had set the people free and they were leaving Egypt.  It must have been both exhilarating and frightening at the same time.   Everyone in Egypt knew that the Israelites were slaves of Pharaoh, and the Israelites might encounter troubles because of this fact as they left the country.  People who did not know that Pharaoh had begged them to leave, might want to capture them and take them back in order to gain Pharaoh's favor.  There was great danger for everyone just in leaving.   There was no tv or radio or social media to spread the news back then; no one living in Egypt would have understood that Pharaoh had released them.  They probably had nothing official stating that they had been released.    News traveled slowly either by messenger or by word of mouth; yet the people marched bravely off into the sunset.

The Israelites leaving the land of Egypt would be a lot like illegal immigration is to us today.  They would be traveling to the land of those who bordered Egypt.  They would be entering other countries without official permission.  Many other places did not want thousands of Israeli slaves arriving suddenly upon their doorsteps.  They would be seeking food and water and shelter; most of which the other countries were not willing to give up to them.  These other lands were busy taking care of their own.  They did not need these millions of trespassers and their strange religious ideas.  

Most of these surrounding pagan civilizations bordering Egypt worshipped the same false gods as Egypt, as well as other false gods of their own culture's making.  They would not be welcoming any Israelites worshipping The God of Abraham into their homes as they crossed the borders of Egypt.  The children of God were strangers and pilgrims sojourning in foreign lands.    

With all of this in mind; the Israelites prepared for war the minute they left.  They stayed on constant alert; ready for attack at any time.  They had faith in their God and they were following the cloud and the fire to get where they were going.  They kept trudging on, one step at a time, in whatever direction God led them.    

It might have seemed very odd to the Children of Israel when God suddenly led them to retrace some of their steps.  They had camped at Ramses and Sukkoth and up until that point, they seemed to be headed in a logical direction toward Canaan; but then God told Moses to take them back-tracking and have them encamp near Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea directly opposite Baal Zaphon.  

The word Migdol is an interesting name.  In Hebrew the verb form of this word means "to grow up, to become greater, or wealthy."  By bringing the people into the wilderness God was "growing up" Israel.  God was forming them into a mighty nation.  

The noun of the word Migdol in Hebrew means; "a tower"  One builds a tower to see into the distance.  God was giving them (just as he did with Jacob) a "glimpse" into the future.  He was allowing Israel to "see" what they would one day become.  Far into that future one of their greatest Kings (King David) made the statement; "The LORD is a strong tower.  (Psalm 18:10).  

All of the names of the places in which God brought them to when they changed directions were significant.   

  

God even gave Moses a reason for this sudden change in direction:  it was so Pharaoh would think the Israelites were wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert.  God again said He would harden Pharaoh’s heart and Pharaoh would pursue them; but God would gain glory through Pharaoh and all of his army and the Egyptians would know that He was God. 

Moses must have swallowed hard after hearing that new development in the plan.  I’m sure it wasn’t easy telling the people that God was enticing Pharaoh to pursue them again!  They had already been brave enough to come out and live in the dangerous desert without a known destination; now they were going to have to face Pharaoh’s army?  

This is part of the story that I have always loved, because you find out right here that the Israelites had finally sold out to God one hundred percent.  They had faith in the cloud and the fire that led them.  They had seen God prove himself over and over again with each of the plagues and they knew that God had supernaturally protected them each time.  Not a word of protest was made!  They listened to God and understood that God was speaking through Moses!  How awesome is that?  No one balked; they simply prepared to do battle and stayed put right in the place where God had led them.  It was a great moment for the nation of Israel!  They had come together in faith under God and they felt invincible.  That is always a great moment for any nation.  It is a very rare and precious time to be living through.  Whenever people and God come together one hundred percent under the leadership of The One True God of Heaven and Earth; you can bet the farm that there will be miracles. You can also bet that humans tend to only keep this attitude for a moment.  Then they quickly fall back to the state of their humanity.  (I hate to have to bring up that last part of the statement!)

So the Israelites went directly to the spot where God was strategically placing them.  They were near Pi  Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea directly opposite Baal Zaphon.  There are some amazing details about this location.  I have learned to pay attention whenever God picks out new routes and names certain places!  The names of the places will usually tell amazing stories; and these names of the places where the Israelites camped certainly did explain themselves!   You might enjoy doing a little homework yourself on these three regional names.  I will be explaining only a portion of the details; they are many.  

From Pi Hahiroth between Migdol and the sea, the people of God could see the mountain called Baal Zaphon.  This wasn’t just any mountain, there were stories and legends about the false god who ruled over this mountain and the mountain itself was said to have powers that protected this god.  The Canaanite storm god was called Baal, which meant “the lord.”  Baal was said to rule over the area known as Mount Zaphon.   

There are lots of interesting and unusual facts associated with Mount Zaphon and Baal.  The first fact has to do with the compass and the word "north."  Even though the direction you would  normally take to climb this mountain was NOT north; because of the mountain’s importance to the people and the religious significance it held for them; it became metonymously known as “North” when translated into Hebrew.  This is very odd but true, and it has caused lots of translation problems and errors in judgment for people studying the Exodus.  It is important to understand in studying Baal Zaphon that there is a type of "false" north associated with the mountain.  You have to realize that sometimes in the scripture references, the term or word "north" isn't really north on the compass.  They are simply referring to a region by the name of "north."    Sometimes in the ancient ways when a region was very powerful and important, it gained the name of "North" even if it was east, west or south in reality.  Often such tricks of deception of reality are used in pagan practices.  It is meant to cause confusion and chaos and to pervert and counterfeit what is actually real.  This is one of the devil's oldest tricks; and he uses it a lot!  This is also why when end time scriptures refer to "the King of the North" some translate this phrase to mean a false god, or a false religion, instead of a place or a region of the north.  Many scholars have come to think that "The King of the North:  is actually referring only to a state of paganism.

So, because of this misapplied name of the mountain, Baal Zaphon was also called by many cultures; “Lord of The North.”  

This same false god called Baal Zaphon was later worshipped by the Greeks who named him "Zeus" and/or "Jupiter Casius"  All of these mythical gods that most of us know from Greek mythology are associated with Baal Zaphon.   They started out being the pagan gods of the Egyptians and the Canaanites.  

This same false god called Baal Zaphon was also named Amun by the Egyptians.   

The many different names for the same pagan god are confusing as you read through the scriptures. So often people studying different cultures in different frames of time do not understand this and they assume they are reading about the worship of a different false god. Once you know this fact it becomes apparent that many pagan people groups worshipped this same false god which they imagined ruled over Mount Zaphon.  He was said to stand huge and tall over two mountain peaks, with one foot on one of the mountain ranges and one foot on the other mountain range next to it.  It was from there that he was said to rule over the sea.  These two mountain peaks he supposedly stood on were what the Children of Israel were gazing directly at from across the sea at the camp where God had led them.  They were stuck there looking directly up at The Mountain of Baal.  Baal worship was heavy in the land where the Israelites were camped; as well as across the sea from them on the mountain that he supposedly reigned from.  This fact was probably not a bit encouraging to The Children of God who were crouched down in full armour, waiting and wondering what would happen next!

So to summarize the moment; here are the Israelites being led by Moses, who is led by God, out of Egypt and through the desert; and they decide to take the road toward the Red Sea.  The pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire went before them; leading them all the way.  They are armed and ready for battle.  They have full faith that God will look after them and take care of them; no matter what.  (I consider this to be the FIRST major miracle, though it did not last very long!)  Suddenly God stops the Israelites and tells them to turn back!  God wants them to camp near Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and The Red Sea, a very pagan place that would put them directly opposite Baal Zephon! 

Have you ever had God turn you around in midstream from doing what you thought He wanted you to do?  Has He ever led you straight into a pagan land in order to do a holy thing?  It can be very confusing and those are times that always call for great faith.

As we have mentioned many times before; in bringing the people out of Egypt, God was doing more that freeing the Israelites.  He was showing the Egyptians that their false gods were powerless against Him.  He was revealing that He and He alone was The God of the Universe.  Each plague had progressively revealed God’s power and might over a false god.  Now we know that the worship of Baal was carried on throughout the whole area of the Fertile Crescent.  The Mountain of Baal Zaphon was sacred and honored by the people of Egypt and the people with borders to Egypt.  They believed a false god reigned with power and might over that land.  Baal (Zeus/Jupiter Casius/Amun) was known to reign there, and to have powers over the sea.  

Do you see how God was once more setting up to show who He really is?

When Pharaoh was told that the people had fled, he and his officials (once again – surprise, surprise….) changed their minds!  They said to each other; “What have we done?  We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!”  So arrogant Pharaoh and his officials who thought themselves too good to do their own work got their chariots and armies together; six hundred of the best chariots, with many more lesser chariots, and all of the top officials of the army.  All of these officials; horsemen and troops pursued the Israelites and overtook them as they camped by the sea near Pi Hahiroth opposite Baal Zephon.  I’m sure a few prayers were offered up to Baal as they traveled.  They were probably VERY overconfident thinking that their false god would destroy the Israelites because they were right in his territory!    

The Israelites looked up to see Pharaoh and all of his army marching after them!  Suddenly they became terrified and they cried out to the LORD.  They turned to Moses and asked him a horrible question; “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die?  What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt?  Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians?  It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”  Funny how when things are going right; God is always blessing them and they are faithful; but let something go desperately wrong (in their eyes); and Moses was to blame!

I guess the miracle of the moment had passed.  They all had the same typical human instincts again; just like before leaving Egypt.  Even though they had the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire and even though they had seen the plagues up close and personal with their own eyes; their faith was wavering in the very moment they needed it most!  

It is so easy to have faith when you are not facing adversity.  It is much harder to have faith in the heat of a battle.  Moses though; did not panic.  He kept his faith in tact.

Moses turned to the people and said “Do not be afraid!  Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today.  The Egyptians you see today you will never see again.  The LORD will fight for you; you need only be still.”

There is was again……BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD!  When would they ever learn?  When will WE ever learn?

Moses must have been praying hard!  You know how it is when you tell your children to do something and they just look up at you without moving and you look back at them and say; “Did you not hear what I said?”  It was one of those moments.  

God looked at Moses and said; “Why are you crying out to me?  Tell the Israelites to move on!  Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.  I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them.  And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all of his army, through his chariots and his horsemen.  The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen!”

Can’t you just see Moses now?  I can imagine him saying; “Oh Yeah…..my staff!!!!!  I forgot about my staff!  Will that REALLY work?  God said it would; so I know it will.  After all; I used it in Egypt and it worked!  Why did I not think of that myself?  I have everything I need; God has provided it……I just need to go use it!”  

Aren’t we all so much like Moses here?  God has equipped us all with absolutely everything that we need to live and thrive.  We have God's ear.  We have salvation.  We have prayer.  We have God's Holy Spirit living within us.  We have eternal life.  We have been given the best ways to live by the Only True God.  For some reason though, we forget to use the power of God to bring about our miracle.  We have it in us; we are well equipped.  We just aren’t using what we have been given from God.  

Are you facing impossible circumstances much like the children of Israel?  Maybe things even look like sure and sudden death; turn around and use the power that God has given you!  

Put the power of God in charge of helping and healing your circumstances!  Do not forget Who you serve.  He will see you through; even when it looks impossible.

So Moses looked around and found his brain, and used the power that God had already provided.  I’m sure he prayed first.  As Moses talked with God, the next miracle began to happen.  The Angel of God who had been traveling in front of the Israelites (here called God’s army) withdrew and went behind them.  The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them.  They stood between the armies of Israel and the armies of Egypt.  Through the night the cloud made darkness on the side of Pharaoh and  light on the side of the Israelites.  This kept them separate from each other.  Pharaoh's army could not see the Children of Israel.  All night long the Israelites were protected and sheltered from harm. 

Then Moses gathered his faith and did exactly what God had told him to do.  He stretched out his hand over the sea and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land.  All of the waters of the sea were divided into two sides with a strip of dry land in between them. 

Those Israelites walked right through the sea on dry ground.  Not a drop of water got on them!  Can you imagine what that was like?  It would have taken great courage to walk through such a place with tons of water walled up on your left and right; not knowing how it got there that way, or how it would stay that way, or for how long it would stay that way; but they gathered their courage, trusted God and stepped right over that little strip of dry land into a place of freedom and joy.  Not only had God provided them a way to walk through two huge walls of water; their God had defeated the false god of the sea! 

Here comes Pharaoh and his army right behind them.  They stood on the other shore the next day after the Israelites had spent all night crossing the sea.  Pharaoh's army gazed into the dry land with huge walls of water on each side.  They must have thought that Baal Zaphon had come to their aid, and this would be their victory!  I am sure if they had realized it was The One True God of the Israelites who was holding back the walls of the sea, they would never have driven their horses and chariots into the sea between those great walls of water.  

Putting their trust in all the wrong sources; those followers of Pharaoh dove right into the bed of the sea and pursued the Israelites; very sure of their victory; blindly putting their faith in their false god; quickly forgetting all that the REAL God had proven with the plagues back in Egypt.  

The Israelites had walked to safety by now and were standing on the other shore; and soon Pharaoh and his army learned exactly who was in control of the sea!  During this last watch of the night, the LORD looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion.  He jammed the wheels of their chariots so that they had difficulty driving.  The Egyptians said “Let’s get away from the Israelites!  The LORD is fighting for them against Egypt!”    

Then God told Moses “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.”  Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back into its natural place.  The Egyptians were fleeing, and the LORD swept them into the sea.  The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen – the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea.  Not one of them survived.  Not one Israelite was lost.  The LORD had saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and the people feared the LORD and put their trust in Him and they trusted Moses as God’s appointed servant. 

So I ask you; children of God today; are you afraid?  

We are living in a time when we MUST trust God to deliver us through much more than a troubled sea.  Are you using what He has given you?  He has equipped you to walk through the wilderness and cross the sea.  Don’t ever doubt the power of The One and Only God of Heaven and Earth.  He will get you through to the other side.  

I am reminded of a song with lyrics written by David Haas; called “You Are Mine:”  Here is the link to it  on You-Tube, if you wish to use it in your worship today.  Sing it out before God to let Him know that your heart is full; and you are convicted to follow Him wherever He leads  . 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14pPevY5sd8

Keep singing; Keep praying;  Keep following the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night (God's Holy Spirit working in your life.)  Keep worshiping and keep walking.  Keep telling others the gospel!  Keep reaching out!  Keep overcoming!

I’ll be seeing you there, over on the other side of the sea!