God Will Always Get The Glory In The End

[0:00] Let me pray. Lord, we are here gathered in your name. We have prayed and with your word, your promises in mind.

[0:18] We have sung your promises and your word. And we have read from your word and heard your word. And please, by your spirit, would you instruct us that you may be glorified and that we might be drawn to look to you in all things.

[0:40] Amen. Well, it's good to be back in Exodus, this time Exodus 13 to 14. And the theme of this passage today is that God will always get the glory in the end.

[0:59] God will always get the glory in the end. Now, I wonder if anyone in here likes heavy metal. You may be thinking, how strange.

[1:15] If you think that's strange, I want you to do me a favor and just look down to your hands just now. Look at your fingers. And perhaps you'll find some heavy metal wrapped around a finger or two.

[1:31] Pieces of gold, silver, whatever. Gold is heavier than silver. There's a documentary that I used to watch, which is called Gold Rush. And it follows the gold mining efforts of a few different families in northwest Canada in a place called the Yukon.

[1:49] It's right next to Alaska. And it's interesting because you see all this mega machinery and equipment, all these massive machines and trucks. And at the end of each week, the yield of gold that is found fits in a little jar.

[2:05] And it's how much can you get in this jar? Of all the tense moments of mining, it boils down to this moment when they separate out all the gold dust. And then they pour it out into this jar that is sitting on a set of scales.

[2:20] This is the moment that they've all been waiting for. How much does it weigh? Because that will tell you how much it's worth. Now, generally speaking, when it comes to metal, the heavier it is, the greater the worth.

[2:34] There's this enigmatic word in our passage, glory. What does it mean, glory? Perhaps it makes you think about luminosity, something bright and splendor.

[2:49] Or perhaps it makes you think about something famous, the glory of someone as their fame. The interesting thing in our passage is the Hebrew word here for glory is kavod.

[3:02] And it means, does anyone know what it means? It means weight. It means the weight. God will get weight over Pharaoh, is the idea here.

[3:16] Now, it's not that we should be thinking now more about weight than glory. Because in the ancient times, that's how they spoke about glory, was someone's weight. The weight of their possessions, or their might, or their strength, or whatever.

[3:30] You know, the weight. You probably, many of you have read the book, The Weight of Glory, by C.S. Lewis, or heard of other things. Anyway, the idea is that God has more weight than Pharaoh.

[3:44] And the idea in our passage is that it will be known to all that Yahweh has far more weight than Pharaoh and all of his army.

[3:56] And so, in our passage, we'll look at three things in particular. Number one, God will always lead the best way. Number two, God will always know the best move.

[4:10] And number three, God will always get the glory in the end. And so, let's look at that in each. Firstly, God will always lead the best way. If you notice in our passage, the first verse, it doesn't tell us what God did do, but it tells us what God did not do.

[4:30] When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. It tells us something that God did not do.

[4:42] It's interesting, isn't it? Sometimes we think of God not doing something as being negative. But this gives us a good picture of how God not doing something can be ultimately for our good.

[4:53] Think about how you live your lives and trust in God. And you wonder why God does not do a thing. And this instructs us that perhaps God doesn't do it because He's not doing it for your own good.

[5:10] And this is true in verse 18. It says that the Israelites went out equipped for battle, which sounds unusual given the verse before says that they would change their minds if they saw war.

[5:21] But the Hebrew gives us an indication of what is meant. Equipped for battle. It just means that they go out in an orderly fashion, in ranks of five.

[5:32] They weren't in some sort of kind of massive disorderly swarm of escaped slaves. But they were moving along in an ordered fashion, likely with the men on the outside in ranks of five, or in five ranks, surrounding the larger group of women, children, and animals.

[5:51] And perhaps they did it in an orderly way so that they were prepared to defend themselves. All the men in these ranks prepared to defend the women and children and animals. But God knew something about them, as He does about all humans.

[6:06] He knew that the sight of war would turn them right back around. Interesting. God did not do that because He knew something about them. You see, He knows.

[6:17] He knows about us. When you think about what God does do and what God does not do, He does it in respect of what He knows about us. We get an indication later from the locations that the way God avoided leading them was likely because there was Egyptian forts near the borders.

[6:41] He's not going to take them past these Egyptian forts because if these people at these forts saw a swarm like these group of Israelites, then war would happen. War would break out.

[6:52] In verse 19, we see the fulfillment of Genesis 50, verse 25. which carries with it these bones of Joseph. And this carries a visual reminder of God's promise.

[7:07] Don't we need those things often? We need visual reminders daily of God's promises. The Israelites would struggle to believe all the way to the promised land, yet the fact that they were carrying Joseph's bones would be a reminder at least of what they should believe that they will get there.

[7:24] The kind of thing that you would want to just ignore if you were struggling to trust God. Imagine having Joseph bones for 40 years.

[7:36] Imagine getting to the encampment at Etham and realizing, Oh, guys, we've forgotten Grandpa Joseph's bones. We'll need to turn around. I struggled to get to the end of the street without realizing if I locked the door, if I've forgotten something.

[7:51] They remember Joseph's bones, and this was significant because it was a visual reminder of the promise of God that they would indeed get there. What are the daily reminders that help us remember the promises of God?

[8:04] Another daily reminder to them was something that was less easy to ignore because right in front of them they had a massive pillar of cloud by day and a massive pillar of fire by night.

[8:18] And it was every day for 40 years, every day and night for 40 years. And the movement of the pillar and the decades-long duration of this phenomena all but rules out any natural explanation that people try to put forward for this thing.

[8:35] How could it be a natural thing if it went before them for 40 years day and night? The explanation is this, that God was truly present with His people, leading them visually and powerfully.

[8:49] You see, God will always lead the best way. One of the things that encouraged me in this passage was that even if you feel like you are in the wilderness, three things we can learn from this.

[9:03] One, God led you there. No matter where you feel like you are, God led you there. Number two, God led you away from something worse.

[9:15] And number three, God is with you. So wherever you feel like you are, whatever your struggle is, know this, God led you there. And if you ever wonder, why did you lead me here?

[9:28] Know this, that God led you away from something worse. He's always leading us away from something worse that would lead to our destruction, discouragement, despair, and our turning back.

[9:39] And number three, if you're there, then God is there with you. It says this in Psalm 48. Psalm 48, Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the city of our God.

[9:54] Walk about Zion, go around her, number her towers, consider well her ramparts. Go through her citadels, that you may tell the next generation that this is God.

[10:07] He is our God forever and ever, and He will guide us forever. He will guide us forever. One of the funny things that maybe now in this room that the children are gone, maybe the youngest person here, you know, might be, I don't know what age you guys are, it might be Jennifer.

[10:28] Jennifer, I want you to know that Jennifer has a folder in the house called If I Die. It's got all the, it's so helpful and loving.

[10:40] It's got all the information that I need if something should go wrong. But she told me, way before she did this folder, she told me this. Here's the song that you should play at my funeral. All the way, my Savior leads me.

[10:53] Do you know the song? What a great song. All the way, my Savior leads me. And you can say that even going into death, into the grave. All the way, my Savior leads me.

[11:04] You see, the truth is, we are just simply unaware of all the dangers that God leads us away from in life. We really are. We should consider that God is leading us away from something and not just to something.

[11:16] The many things that could have gone worse, that could have turned us away, that could have destroyed us. This is where the great British phrase comes from.

[11:27] Could be worse. How's it going? Not too bad, all things considered. Could be worse. When you're in a situation, and even if you're able to acknowledge that God led you there, what is also apparent from this passage is that God did not lead you irrespective of what you might think and how you might feel.

[11:51] Sometimes it's a struggle. Sometimes we feel overwhelmed, don't we? But the truth is, God takes all of these into account. He isn't a God who would ask you to simply toughen up and deal with it.

[12:05] He knows our frame. He knows our frame. God, and deciding to lead these people, considered how they would think and feel. If I lead them this way, it's nearer, it's quicker, and I'm God, I can do whatever I like.

[12:23] But these people, they will fear, and they will turn around if they see war. God leads us with our thoughts and feelings in mind.

[12:35] He knows our frame. He knows what is in our minds. And He leads us just like He knew that the sight of war might change the minds of the Israelites.

[12:47] God knows what you will think about any single decision that He makes. He knows what you will think about any direction that He leads. And not only does He know it, but He factors it in for your good and still for His glory.

[13:02] It's not one or the other. Sometimes we think that God will get His glory, and sometimes He will do that irrespective of how that feels for us. He can do both.

[13:13] It's not one or the other. It's not like He seeks His glory at our expense. He can do both. And if God leads you, then He will go before you, and He will always be with you.

[13:26] Isn't that the case with the pillar of cloud and fire? God went before them, and it did not depart from them. Did not depart from them.

[13:37] Comes to mind that little phrase. He shall never leave you nor forsake you. That leads us to our second point. God will always know the best move.

[13:49] Not only does God know your mind, but He knows the mind of your enemy. He knows not only what Pharaoh will think, but He knows what Pharaoh will say. Psalm 139 says, You discern my thoughts from afar.

[14:05] Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. Think about that when God asks you to do something. Do you ever think to yourself, with the commands that God gives, do you ever think, But what will so-and-so think?

[14:23] What will people say if I do this thing? Especially if it's a foolish and crazy-looking thing. You think, But what will they say? What will they think? What will they think about God?

[14:33] Don't worry. God knows what they will think. God knows what they will say. And you might feel guilty and think, Well, I should do it anyway, regardless of what people think.

[14:45] But God knows this. God knows what people out there will think. And God knows what people out there will say. And it doesn't matter to Him if they get the wrong idea about Him just now.

[14:56] Because in the end, all will become clear, and He will get the glory in the end. God knows that people will think that you are crazy for following His commands in this day and age.

[15:08] He knows that. Is that not what people say? Why are you doing that? The simplest of things. The simplest of things. Like, what is a man or what is a woman?

[15:23] What is marriage? Should people remain pure before marriage? What a crazy thing in our culture. Yet you see people, single mums with children from all different kinds of fathers who have all but abandoned them.

[15:40] And you think, Does it sound crazy now? All sorts of things. Following Jesus despite persecution. You are crazy. God knows it.

[15:52] It's not often going to bring great awe and understanding in the moment. But in the end, it will bring glory to God. When people see that those things that didn't make any sense were setting up something far greater.

[16:07] I don't know if you like the game of chess. I enjoy playing chess. In school, I never made it to the football team. But I was on the chess team. Bit of a geek, perhaps.

[16:19] Or just not sporty. But in the game of chess, you need to think many moves in advance. And not only think about your own moves, but you need to think about your opponent's moves as well.

[16:30] It's quite amazing. See if you watch a grandmaster playing and making some moves that just make absolutely no sense whatsoever. If you're not of the skill and mind of a grandmaster, you will think to yourself, That doesn't make any sense.

[16:44] Why did you do that? One of the greatest examples of this is a thing called the queen sacrifice. The queen is the most powerful piece on the chessboard. But oftentimes, a good player will sacrifice their queen in order to lure the opponent into a weaker position that isn't immediately apparent, but then in five moves time, they've lost.

[17:07] It's amazing. Honestly, you should watch this. But God, God is moving pieces in this way. But notice this. It's not that God is sacrificing the Israelites in order to destroy the Egyptians.

[17:24] It's not a sacrifice. In fact, the only sacrifice God will make in the end is the sacrifice of His own son. But this is what it looks like. It looks like a grandmaster making a move that doesn't make any sense to anyone.

[17:39] It doesn't even make sense to the Israelites. To them, it looks like God is luring them into a trap. What have you done, God? You've backed us up against a wall. The truth is, He's not leading His people into a trap.

[17:54] He's leading their enemy into a trap. Isn't that amazing? For a moment, He will allow His people to think that that's what's happening, because He's doing it in a way that to humanize, it will seem like that.

[18:10] So, to Pharaoh's humanize, it will seem like He's led the Israelites into a trap. Like they're stuck. They're blocked in. Oh, how does He underestimate God time and time again?

[18:23] How does the world underestimate what God can do? Let us never underestimate what God can do. God is never, ever, ever leading His people into a trap.

[18:35] Now, think about this. I'm going to mention something that might seem like it, but death. Death. Think about death. Contrary to appearances, death is not something that you slip into out of control and out of His grip.

[18:49] If any of you know Bill, he's got this little phrase, if He ever sends you a message, in His mighty grip. You're never going to slip out of God's grip.

[19:03] Even death is something that you can approach with confidence and without fear. In Hebrews 2, it says, He's freed us from the fear of death.

[19:32] Even with death, God is not leading you into a trap. There will be many things to learn in the wilderness portion of Exodus that correlate to where we are, but there's a similarity in us being freed from slavery but yet to cross the Red Sea.

[19:47] That's where we're at just now. When we approach them, when we approach this, we have been freed from our slavery, from sin, but we have yet to go through the waters.

[19:59] When we approach them, the waters, when we approach death, we feel trapped. We feel like there's no way out. But even with death, God is not leading you into a trap.

[20:12] Like the Red Sea, He will lead you out the other side. What He is doing is leading the sin and death that follows and pursues you into a trap.

[20:24] It will be sin and death that remains in the sea when you come out the other side. God is making moves like a grandmaster playing a child. He knows what everyone is thinking and feeling.

[20:35] He knows every single move that the enemy will make. So trust in God. He knows exactly what He's doing, even when it doesn't make sense on the surface.

[20:46] Trust God. Like the Israelites, we are tempted in these moments, in the fears and anxieties of the unknown, to go back to the devil we know. It's a saying, isn't it?

[20:57] Better the devil you know. That's exactly what the Israelites say. Tempted to go back to Egypt. Better to serve them than to die out here, is what they say. Now, let's give them the benefit of the doubt.

[21:12] Yes, it probably is better to go back and serve the Egyptians than die out there. But here's the question. In all of this ordeal, who said anything about them dying?

[21:23] That's the thing they don't get. Who said anything about the Israelites dying? Did they not remember who is with them? Did they not trust the promises of God?

[21:35] Not a man, woman, child, or even beast will be left behind. None shall be lost. There will be times in life when you can have faith without testing. And then there will be times when you need to put your faith on the line.

[21:48] And this is one of those times for them. Rather than complain to Moses, they need to put their faith on the line. Instead of saying to Moses, Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians.

[22:00] They've got to remember why they've been rescued. To serve God. The one true God. Yahweh. And this is the same for us. If Pharaoh pursued those rescued slaves, Won't the ruler of darkness pursue those who have been rescued out of darkness?

[22:20] Is this not true? The commentator Ryken says this. No sooner do we make our commitment to follow Christ than we face doubt and discouragement. Satan is riding furiously after us.

[22:35] Tempting us to give up and turn back. Now if that sounds scary to you, What should you do? James, the brother of the Lord Jesus, says this.

[22:49] Submit yourselves then to God. Resist the devil. And he will flee. Or in the words of Moses, Fear not, stand firm, And see the salvation of the Lord.

[23:03] He's going to do this for you today. The Egyptians whom you see today, You will never see them again. The Lord will fight for you. And you have only to be silent.

[23:16] Be still. Fear not, God is with you. He brought you out, Not to die or perish, But to serve him and live in the land that he promised. Stand firm, Ephesians 6.13.

[23:30] And when the waves come crashing in, Don't fret or panic, But stand on the solid rock of your salvation, Jesus Christ. He has already come and won the fight. Will he not complete what he has started in you?

[23:43] And listen to this. This is one of the greatest things, I think. When Moses says, These Egyptians that you see today, You will never see them again.

[23:58] Think of that in relation to you Going through the waters. What are the things that you will never see again? To never again see the sight of all that we fear.

[24:09] Doesn't that sound good? To never again see the sight of all that which enslaves us. Don't you look forward to that? Going through the sea, I'm sure is scary.

[24:22] But think of it like this. That you will never again see fear, Anxiety, Slavery, Sickness, Evil, Or sin. Never again.

[24:36] Doesn't that sound so good? Every day these are the things that plague us. And yet this is the moment when your back's up against the wall. When your faith is on the line, And you need to trust in God.

[24:51] Fear not. Stand firm. And see the salvation of the Lord. The thing that pursues you, That hounds you, That enslaves you, The thing that you fear, You shall never see again.

[25:04] How good does that sound? Sounds like there's so much good Waiting for you on the other side. Does it not? Peter says, The things that are waiting for you, An inheritance that is imperishable, Unfading, Undefiled, Cannot be touched.

[25:21] Waiting for you in heaven. Kept for you. And you are being guarded by faith. There's so much good on the other side of the sea.

[25:34] What a joy that he can take us there. And he will. He promises to take us there. It reminds me of the song, You'll probably know it. Do, Lord. Do, Lord.

[25:45] Oh, do, Lord. Oh, do remember me. Way beyond the blue. And even if now you struggle in your faith, You struggle with doubts and fears, Discouragements and trials, When all that we see tells us that we are on our own, And that we are trapped, When it seems like we, When it seems like standing with God is the losing move, When it seems like standing with Jesus is a queen sacrifice, Remember that God will always get the glory in the end.

[26:16] Better to stand with Jesus now, And look like a fool to the world, Than to stand with the world now, And see how foolish that is when Jesus comes in his glory.

[26:28] For what is the weight and glory of God? Is most fully seen in Jesus Christ. John said, We have seen his glory.

[26:41] Imagine that. Don't you want to see the glory of God? John the Apostle reflects on all that has happened and said, We have seen his glory. Glory as of the only Son from the Father, Full of grace and truth.

[26:55] Jesus said in John 17, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began. For Jesus is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, Sustaining all things by his powerful word.

[27:12] Jesus is the glory and weight of God. He reveals the weight of God. And in the end, Every eye shall see, And every knee shall bow, And every tongue shall acknowledge That Jesus Christ is Lord, To the glory of God the Father.

[27:27] Jesus is coming back. The sacrifice he made will be shown to be a winning sacrifice. Doesn't look like it yet, Because the moves are still moving.

[27:41] But that sacrifice he made, Will be shown to be a winning sacrifice. In the end. So don't be afraid, And don't be ashamed, To stand with Jesus.

[27:54] For whoever ashamed of me, And my words, The Son of Man will be ashamed of him, When he comes in his glory, And the glory of the Father, And of the holy angels. Jesus will always lead you the best way.

[28:07] Jesus will always make the best move in your life. And Jesus will always get the glory in the end. Amen. Let us sing.