A Dead-End Victory

This blog post is Part 20 of a series entitled "From Fear To Freedom" by Pastor Jeffrey Dean Smith of Donelson First in Nashville, TN. 

Message Date: July 21, 2024

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Answer this question: How many days are in a year? (This is not a trick question.). Now answer this question: What is one emotion every single human faces and experiences at some point in their lives that can be very paralyzing? I dare say this emotion is one that many experience not only a few times in a life; not merely every few months; or even every few weeks... No, this emotion for so very many people, and for some of you here today, is an emotion many experience, in some way and on some level, every single day. To what emotion do I refer?

Fear. 

This is why this series, From Fear to Freedom, which we have been in this entire year and which today we begin Chapter 2, Part 20, is such an important one for every single one of us. Now... wouldn’t it be great if God offered you and me something... a promise; an encouragement; a thought; a sentiment; or a challenge to empower you and me to face our fears and win every single one of the 365 days a year? Well, guess what… He did exactly this! You see... there is a statement that appears in the Bible 365 times! 365 y’all! The same number of verses as the number of days in a calendar year! A verse for every single day of the year. This obviously is no coincidence with God. Nothing in the Bible ever is. The statement: “Do not fear!” Or “Have no fear!” Or “Do not be afraid!” Today, we are going to see these words as we examine one of the most supernatural moments in all of the Scriptures!

Exodus 13-14

Wow! What a story. And, just like that... the Egyptian dynasty is no more. Let’s consider for a moment what has just happened to the nation of Egypt... After rising to fame as the greatest worldly empire at this time in history, their waters become blood, their entire country is infested and consumed with frogs, gnats, flies, and locusts. These animals ravage everything; leave nothing behind; destroy every field, every crop, every tree, and every blade of grass. Their livestock die. Their people are covered in blistering, oozing, painful boils. Much of their land and cities and homes are destroyed by hail falling from the sky. And they are forced to stay inside as a darkness, a darkness so “...dark that it can be felt,” spreads over their entire land.

If all of this were not devastating enough, the final blow upon the nation of Egypt occurred at midnight on the darkest night on the history of this nation when the firstborn in every home died. For some households, multiple males died on this night. There was not a home in Egypt that did not suffer loss on this tragic night. Imagine such wailing that could be heard for miles. From the north tip of the nation at the Mediterranean Sea to the south across the Libyan desert. The smell of death was everywhere. And now, the 2 million slaves that have served Egypt for over 430 years are gone. Egypt has lost her commerce, produce, comforts, position on the world’s stage, reputation, elitism, working class, animals, transportation, and wealth. And now... “...600 of Egypt’s best chariots,” horses to pull them, and riders to drive them, along with “... all the other chariots of Egypt” and their horses and riders are now washing up dead along the shores of the Reed Sea.

Now some might say, “How unfair. This country never had a shot against God. God ordained for this all to happen and they never got a fair shot in any of this.” But... this is where we have to be careful, Church. You see... the problem with humanities cry over situations and circumstances and life being “unfair” is this... There is always, always two sides to “fair. If we truly want to talk “fair,” then we can't forget that at the exact moment Adam and Eve first disobeyed God, God could have ended humanity then. The fair thing would have been for God to end it all! If we truly want to talk “fair,” then we can't forget that at the exact moment the nation of Egypt commanded that every Hebrew boy born must be thrown into the Nile, the Pharaoh should have been killed then. That would have been fair. If we are each being so honest, I feel confident each one of us have been guilty at some moment in life dealing with some difficult situation of life have uttered the same two words, “How unfair.” I am so very glad that God is not a “fair” God. If He was, by this definition, you and I would right now be burning in the lake of fire paying the price for our sins, which the Bible reveals is exactly what we deserve.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23

Because of this reality, what is the fair punishment for such sins?

For the wages of sin is death. Romans 6:23

If we truly want to talk “fair,” then we can't forget that at the exact moment you and I first sinned, life should have been over for us each. Done. Complete. Dead. Again, there is always, always two sides to “fair.”And if we want to talk “fair,” we have to remember:

God is God. He is the only true God. He created everything. Everyone. Every life only has breath because He says so. 

God sets the stage. God sets the rules. God calls the shots. God defines fair. Today we begin “Day 1” of an entirely new life for God’s people! Today is “Day 1” for the entire nation of Israel. Two million plus people who are no longer living under the brutal 430 year captivity of the Pharaoh and the nation of Egypt, begin the journey of a lifetime from fear to freedom. In the 2 chapters we have just read, there is so very much that happens. And almost all of it we will continue to reference as we journey From Fear to Freedom with Moses and the nation of Israel moving forward. But there is so very much here. I want to unpack as much as I can for you this morning. 

When we are talking about what is “fair,” really only God gets to make this call. So at the beginning of this new chapter in the life of the nation of Israel, God, rightly so, establishes His expectations for the nation of Israel from moment one. Let’s look at 5 of them today:

1. God demands the first.

Notice the very, very, first thing God demands from the nation of Israel once He sets them free:

Exodus 13:1-2

We then read where God speaks of the importance of eating bread made without yeast. But He then gets right back to this expectation upon the nation of Israel to give Him their very first of blessings. 

Exodus 13:11-13

God obviously takes very seriously this command for His people to give back to Him a first portion of what He has given to us. Church, if you do not think tithing from the first of your wealth is important to God, you are completely fooling yourself! This is the first proclamation we see in Scripture of God’s expectation for His people to give back to Him the first of our blessings. Again, these are the very first words we read that the Lord says to His people once bringing them out of Egyptian captivity! It is a reminder to us that all we have is His. Therefore, we give Him the first of what He has so richly given to us. King Solomon, the wisest of the wise, said it like this:

Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine. Proverbs 3:9-10

As it relates to the nation of Israel and the connection to our lives today… don't miss the importance to the demand that God makes to the nation of Israel and why this is so very important for our lives today. In demanding that God’s people give the first of their blessings back to Him, God is reminding us that it was He who first ransomed our lives from death by giving His first born Son to unfairly take our place. Talk about unfair! Jesus went to the cross for you and for me. God gave first, and we now see He is demanding that in return, we are to give our first back to Him - whether it be our finances, our impulses, our commitments, and of course, that we give Him the very first of our lives.

2. God desires the “soft.”

As I often remind you, there is nothing coincidental found in the Word of God... nothing. And in verse 4, we read an extremely subtle, yet vitally important, word. See if you catch it:

Exodus 13:4

Why does God want us to know in which month it is that the nation of Israel is to begin anew? Well, as we have discussed on numerous occasions previously, I remind you again that names are extremely important in the Bible to God. So when we read them, it is often beneficial to us in our times of study, to explore their meaning. As we take the time to do so, we often learn so very much more in these deep dives! We know that the month of Aviv is the first month in the Hebrew calendar. But look at what else we learn about this unique name:

Month of Aviv /Hebrew/ = first month of the Hebrew calendar; a head of grain already ripe yet still soft

How interesting to learn that the first month, after 430 years of captivity as slaves in Egypt, the Hebrews begin their new life in a month meaning “ripe yet still soft.” The significance of such cannot be overstated. The nation of Israel is finally free, “ripe,” yet too, these people are “soft” as the head of a grain. What is the significance of the soft head of grain? Often a grain whose head is too stiff or too dry is of little to no use. It's limited. Predictable. A grain whose head is still soft is still a very malleable grain. Such a grain is not hard; stiff; unmold-able; unusable. Instead a soft grain is one that can be easily ground and used as needed in a variety of ways. Do you see this connection y’all that God is making – the comparison of His people remaining soft, vulnerable, malleable, and usable to and for His will as His people. Jeremiah explains it like this in Jeremiah 18:6:

Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does? declares the Lord. Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel. Jeremiah 18:6

We too recognize the contrast offered here to the nation of Israel and that of the Pharaoh of Egypt. Over and again we have read over the past few months of a man whose heart was what? Hardened. Hebrews reminds us:

Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion. Hebrews 3:15

Let me ask you to consider this morning:

Is there a place in your life in which you have allowed your heart to harden to the will of God?

Church if you and I are not careful, there are places deep within us each in which we can allow a hardening little by little to occur. Life is tough. It is extremely tough. And life's difficulties and challenges and heartbreaks and heartaches and disappointment by disappointment can manifest within you a hardening heart that, if not acknowledged, will arrive at a breaking point. Notice for the nation of Israel... the key to avoiding such a place is for you and me to focus on all that God has done in our lives.

Exodus 13:9-10

The process of remembering is such a healthy practice for the believer in maintaining a heart that is soft. What is truly fascinating in contrast to this idea, is too the equally important progression, thirdly:

3. God removes the past.

Exodus 14:10-13

I wonder who here today can vulnerably admit the weight one’s past often represents as a heavy burden to carry? I know I can admit to such. A regrettable moment; a mistake made in an instant of weakness; a reoccurring discretion. The guilt and shame and sorrow and misery that comes from one rethinking, reliving, and replaying those past moments of recklessness; of one’s past actions and self-deceptions and sins... After 30 years of ministry I can so clearly say this as it relates to innumerable people with whom I have counseled, and in full transparency, as it relates to my own struggles:

One of the greatest hindrances to humanity is not one’s ability to believe in God. Rather it is one’s inability to believe God has fully forgiven our past indiscretions and harbors them no more.

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:18-19

God wants to wholly and entirely cleanse the nation of Israel from her past. And He is going to do exactly this. The take-home here for you and for me, though packaged differently, is that God wants to do the same in my life and in yours as it relates to those places that represent hurt and darkness and brokenness in its many forms manifested in many ways from the past. Here too though is something very interesting – as we discussed in Part 19 of this series, God wants me to remember, just not remember how I have suffered. Instead, God wants me to remember how He has provided for me over and again in the midst of my sufferings.

Exodus 13:14-16

I am to not remember my pain. Instead, I am to remember God’s provisions over my pain. This isn’t just some cute saying we are to take home. This is a massively difficult hurdle to overcome as humans. If we each could be so vulnerable to admit, we are all really good at sitting in our own pain, wallowing, complaining, doubting, comparing, blaming, saying such things as, “Why me?” or, again, “This is not fair;” making a mental list of the things in life that haven’t gone my way, wondering why others have things of which I do not, and on and on and on. Too, there are so very many times when we experience a very real pain, and its grip is so thick we feel at times as though we cannot breathe. Whatever the situation, whatever the circumstance causing the pain, reality is... there is no escaping pain in this life. Humanity is broken, the world is fallen, we each are sinful, thus pain is inevitable.

What is important to note in these moments is that every single Hebrew who journeyed out of Egypt did so with burdens and memories very real and painful and personal. But notice what God wants each of them to remember is not their pain, instead, it is that Jehovah God with His mighty hand has brought them out of Egypt, out of their pain, and into a new day. The focus is not on where they have been. It is instead on what God has done. 

4. God takes the lead. 

Here’s a question for you: Who is leading the nation of Israel? Is it Moses, or is it God?

Exodus 13:17-18

The Israelites had lived in Egypt their entire lives. This is all they had ever known. Not a single Hebrew living in Egypt had been born and raised outside of Egypt. All the Hebrews knew was the Egyptian way of life. As a result, God was about to lead this nation into a completely new way of living. Rather than living as a slave people, God wanted the Hebrews to understand and to believe and to fully embrace the reality that they were no longer slaves. Instead, they were the chosen people of God. In order to do exactly this, God needed His people to see His hand do what only He can do. So... He leads them right into a dead-end!

Exodus 14:2

Wait, what? Baal Zephon? This is exactly the place from which they had just been. Essentially, God leads His people to retrace their steps. Not only is this odd... it is too leading the Hebrews right into a death trap! Baal Zephon is a perfect geographical “cul-de-sac!” It’s a dead-end journey right into trouble! To the north was the formidable Egyptian fortresses – massive stone structures that made a passage-way mostly impossible for anyone, especially for 2 million people. To the south... the Egyptian desert. To the west... Raamses and Goshen. This would lead the people right back into the hands of Pharoah and their slave home of 430 years.And then, to the east... water. Lots of water. The northernmost section of this gulf was the Reed Sea, or the Sea of Reeds... translated as the Red Sea. God has just led His people into a geographical nightmare with seemingly zero possibility of escape.

But, this move accomplished exactly what God wanted:
1. For His people to be completely helpless without Him.
2. For Pharaoh to react exactly as God knew He would.

Exodus 14:3-4

Let me remind you: What is most amazing about the way in which God is leading His people is the fact that, not only does He lead, He too goes before them as He leads!

Exodus 13:21-22

When God leads, He does not merely stand to the side and point you in the right direction. No! When God leads, He takes you by the hand, He goes before you, and He ensures your success with every step of trust you take. Do you need an answer today as to “what is next” for you? Does your season of life seem as though you too, like the nation of Israel, are at a dead-end of ferocious waters appearing to soon overtake you and leave you gasping for breath beneath the surface?

I'm sure if Moses had taken an opinion poll on this day with the nation of Israel the result would have been very clear that what the nation of Israel wanted was to not travel in the direction that leads to a dead end culminating in a face-to-face standoff with every Egyptian and his chariot. What cannot be overlooked in this moment is the fact that the entire nation of Israel cried out to God. 

Exodus 13:10

This is the first time in the Bible we read that an entire nation of people pray to the Lord! Imagine what that sounded like Church! He answered their prayer. Just not in the timing nor in the way in which they had hoped. What a great lesson for us today. If you find yourself in such a place of asking God for clarity of direction, consider this prayer: Rather than pray, “God, give me what I want.” Instead begin to pray, “God, lead me where you desire.” Remember this Church: 

It is often the dead-end direction that leads to the new-beginning destination with God.

I wonder when you pray for direction if you realize that what you get from God is not merely a green light. No, instead you get the very hand of God leading you in the direction you are to travel... the direction in which He has already gone. This means that with every step, no matter how difficult, how dark, how bleak the situation appears, you do not take a single step alone. So... Moses then responds with the same command we see 365 times in Scripture:

Exodus 14:13

5. God fights the fight.

God knows exactly what He is doing here Church. Always and forever He has every situation fully under His control. What He asks of Moses and His people is not that they lead nor for them to even fight. Instead, He desires that they what?

Exodus 14:14

Y’all, Scripture reveals to us over and again that the correct action of the believer is this: My first move is always not to move. I am reminded of what the Psalmist wrote...

He says, Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. Psalm 46:10

Sadly what often is the case for so many Christians is that, when difficult situations arise, rather than being still watching and waiting and expecting and trusting God to do what only He can do, we strive and toil and sweat and banter trying to figure things out on our own and get to a conclusion that makes sense to us. But look at what Scripture says over and again:

You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.’” 2 Chronicles 20:17

For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory. Deuteronomy 20:4

Do not be afraid of them; the Lord your God himself will fight for you. Deuteronomy 3:22

The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes. Deuteronomy 1:30

Church, know this: When God does your fighting for you, you may not always get the end result you want. But you will always get the end result you need... and more importantly, the end result God wants. What fight do I need God to fight for me today?

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Jeffrey Dean Smith is a husband, father to Bailey & Brynnan, author, and the Senior Pastor at Donelson First in Nashville, TN. If you are in Music City, meet Jeffrey and enjoy iced tea on the front lawn each Sunday at 10:30a.