WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.320 Good morning everyone. I'm going to open this bottle of water because I think my throat is 00:00:05.320 --> 00:00:09.900 going to be dry. We were at camp last week and there was an awful lot of shouting and singing 00:00:09.900 --> 00:00:14.419 and other things but if you know Rachel and I then you'll know that we're quite competitive. 00:00:16.460 --> 00:00:22.940 Therefore my throat, my voice might not last. Anyway, let me ask you this morning, how is your 00:00:22.940 --> 00:00:29.440 posture? How is your posture? I smiled because there was at least one person who straightened 00:00:29.440 --> 00:00:36.640 himself up and I'm sure that you've thought about that in your head as I was saying that. Now, 00:00:37.200 --> 00:00:46.439 we change our posture depending on who comes into our field of vision. We either sit up or we relax 00:00:46.439 --> 00:00:52.480 or we tense or we might even stand up. You know, when a judge comes into the room, we might stand 00:00:52.479 --> 00:00:59.979 up. Not that I've had the pleasure of doing that that often but, you know, we might stand up, you 00:00:59.979 --> 00:01:06.719 know, in a day gone by, you know, gentlemen would have taken off their hat at certain occasions and 00:01:06.719 --> 00:01:14.000 you see we change our posture and our position depending on who is in our presence. Now, we do 00:01:14.000 --> 00:01:22.460 that out of a sense of interest in the individual or out of respect for that person. I think if you 00:01:22.460 --> 00:01:25.920 were here last week and I listened to it on the replay, if you were here last week you'll have heard 00:01:25.920 --> 00:01:32.260 Ciaran saying that at that line up where the soldiers were lined up for the Queen's, 00:01:32.260 --> 00:01:43.060 in front of the Queen, you'll have heard of the stance and the posture that the soldiers took. Psalm 114 00:01:43.060 --> 00:01:51.580 is a psalm that talks about the reaction to the presence of God. And I'm smiling this morning because 00:01:51.580 --> 00:01:57.360 JT wouldn't have known this and neither would Charles but actually you read the same passage 00:01:57.359 --> 00:02:05.260 and it was just about the relationship between God and the earth. You know, the diction or the word 00:02:05.260 --> 00:02:12.460 choice in the psalm is such that the writer gives human characteristics to how the earth behaves in 00:02:12.460 --> 00:02:18.819 his presence. In our psalm this morning we're going to think about three things. If you're taking notes 00:02:18.819 --> 00:02:23.840 then you can write these down. We're going to think about deliverance, deliverance out of Egypt. We're 00:02:23.840 --> 00:02:28.879 going to think about presence, so presence of the Lord and we're going to think about reverence, 00:02:29.000 --> 00:02:35.080 reverence of his possession. Now the possession that I'm going to speak of here is not his people 00:02:35.080 --> 00:02:39.800 as we would often think but I'm going to think about the earth. Psalm 24 says this, the earth is 00:02:39.800 --> 00:02:45.620 the Lord's and the fullness of the world and those that dwell within for he has founded it upon the 00:02:45.620 --> 00:02:53.620 seas and established it upon the river, upon the rivers. But we will draw a parallel of how nature reacts 00:02:53.620 --> 00:03:01.259 between verses 3 and 8 in our passage and we will apply it. Now for anybody who is maybe new, 00:03:02.319 --> 00:03:10.360 the Psalms in general are a collection of 150 different prayers and songs and poems and they're 00:03:10.360 --> 00:03:16.379 largely split into two categories. Those are praise and I think if you've been through Sunday school 00:03:16.379 --> 00:03:22.800 then you'll certainly remember these or certainly other points in your life as a Christian then you'll 00:03:22.800 --> 00:03:27.740 remember these because they are easy to remember. But they're largely broken to that of praise and 00:03:27.740 --> 00:03:35.320 that of lament. And if you want a fascinating study then just look through each of the 150 chapters in the 00:03:35.320 --> 00:03:42.120 Psalms and you could separate out whether or not the writer is writing a song or a prayer or a poem 00:03:42.120 --> 00:03:50.500 of praise or of lament. Now I'm not a scholar and neither am I well versed in poetry but as you begin to read 00:03:50.500 --> 00:03:55.840 through you'll start to see that, you know, it won't be hard actually as you start to read through, 00:03:55.939 --> 00:04:02.819 you'll see that there is a poetic nature, there is a rhythm. And as I say, you know, at Sunday school 00:04:02.819 --> 00:04:09.939 and that you can see how the Israelites didn't find this particularly difficult to remember and to 00:04:09.939 --> 00:04:17.500 recite. And I'm sure you could probably smile as if you're like me when you were a young kid and you 00:04:17.500 --> 00:04:21.040 were growing up then you had to come up at a sworry. I don't know if you ever went to a Sunday school 00:04:21.040 --> 00:04:26.899 sworry or a presentation and you had to remember some kind of Christian poem or a chapter in the 00:04:26.899 --> 00:04:32.120 Bible. The Psalms were always the easiest. I think I had Psalm 1 a number of times but they were always 00:04:32.120 --> 00:04:37.920 easier to remember. One thing that you'll pick up on when you read through the Psalms is the 00:04:37.920 --> 00:04:43.360 repetition. Now this is not a lazy way of writing, it is just a style, a particular style that 00:04:43.360 --> 00:04:51.120 emphasises the thoughts of the author. By repetition they're repeating something that is important. 00:04:52.080 --> 00:04:56.520 You know, the other thing about the Psalms and it is a great comfort to all of us is this, 00:04:57.360 --> 00:05:07.080 as we read through them we are struck by how mighty and how powerful God is. It's also a book that, 00:05:07.079 --> 00:05:13.319 and I'm thinking of Psalms 19 verse 1, it says, the heavens declare the glory of the Lord of God. 00:05:14.219 --> 00:05:19.339 Psalm 23 would be the opposite to that, we were in difficult days and it said, even though I walk 00:05:19.339 --> 00:05:26.899 through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil. That doesn't mean to say it's easy, 00:05:27.039 --> 00:05:32.759 it just means that the writer would not be afraid of evil. It gives expression. So the Psalms in general 00:05:32.759 --> 00:05:39.379 give expression to the heart and the thoughts of the writer and as we draw alongside, we can, and we 00:05:39.379 --> 00:05:44.519 meditate upon them, you know, we can draw alongside the author in our thoughts and in our meditation, 00:05:44.680 --> 00:05:50.259 either in our struggles or in our exaltation of the Lord. So we come to the section that we're dealing 00:05:50.259 --> 00:05:55.019 with today and we started it last week. Our little series is called From the Lips of Jesus 00:05:55.019 --> 00:06:02.159 and it goes from Psalm 113 to Psalm 118. It's called the Hallel Psalms and that word Hallel just 00:06:02.159 --> 00:06:07.680 means praise. It's kind of where, I'm not a wordsmith, Rachel really enjoys this kind of thing, 00:06:07.740 --> 00:06:15.779 but it's kind of where we get hallelujah and that is just the praise of God. But Psalm 113 to 118 00:06:15.779 --> 00:06:23.019 is a section in the Psalms that deal with the deliverance both nationally as the nation of Israel 00:06:23.019 --> 00:06:30.539 and individually. Now, and I will forget this, but I'm sure that Ciarán will have said this last week. 00:06:31.060 --> 00:06:39.799 These are a set of Psalms that were sung at the Passover. Psalm 113 and 114 were sung before the meal 00:06:39.799 --> 00:06:47.139 and then the other four afterwards. They might have been sung at other times, but they seem very fitting 00:06:47.139 --> 00:06:53.620 to sing at the Passover because they deal with the deliverance out of Egypt. 00:06:55.039 --> 00:07:00.419 You know, it's quite possible that given that the Lord at the Last Supper was celebrating the Passover, 00:07:00.579 --> 00:07:07.819 that he would have sung these Psalms. You know, in Matthew and in Mark 14, 00:07:07.819 --> 00:07:15.339 it says that once they had eaten, they went out and they sang a hymn and it's most likely 00:07:15.339 --> 00:07:26.199 these Psalms that we are talking of. But at that Last Supper, the Lord Jesus infused the Passover meal, 00:07:26.339 --> 00:07:34.740 the Passover celebration with a new meaning. He promised to be part of, he promised not a physical 00:07:34.740 --> 00:07:41.139 deliverance from, you know, physical danger or human oppression, but he promised a spiritual 00:07:41.139 --> 00:07:48.699 salvation from enslavement and the grave penalty of sin. 00:07:50.319 --> 00:07:55.060 Now, I suspect that this chapter that we are reading off here, that we've read here, 00:07:55.100 --> 00:07:59.540 is not one that you're necessarily familiar with. Unless you have done a study in the Psalms or you 00:07:59.540 --> 00:08:04.900 regularly read your Bible, it's probably not one of the Psalms that you may be familiar with. It 00:08:04.900 --> 00:08:10.960 certainly wasn't one that I repeated when I was at Sunday school. But it's a beautiful poem. It's a 00:08:10.960 --> 00:08:16.620 song of praise, as we've thought, and it's just a little refresher of the deliverance of God's people 00:08:16.620 --> 00:08:24.840 out of Egypt, through the wilderness and into the promised land. As you see, and I've already said 00:08:24.839 --> 00:08:32.259 this, but as you see in each of the verses, you see a number of things that are repeated. And it just 00:08:32.259 --> 00:08:38.059 reinstates or restates the idea that the Psalmist wants to get across in just a slightly different 00:08:38.059 --> 00:08:46.259 way. It gives a bit more weight, a bit more colour to each of the repetitions. However, I think that each 00:08:46.259 --> 00:08:54.360 of the lines do talk about a different event. And I think if we were just to skim over the surface of 00:08:54.360 --> 00:09:00.519 that, we might lose some of the meaning. So for a few short moments this morning, let's just 00:09:00.519 --> 00:09:06.000 scratch that surface a little bit and dig a little bit deeper and see what's going on in the book, 00:09:06.080 --> 00:09:09.860 in this chapter. So what's the big idea? Well, on the face of it, and I've already mentioned this, 00:09:10.139 --> 00:09:14.779 it seems fairly straightforward. I don't think there's anything from a word point of view that 00:09:14.779 --> 00:09:18.879 we can't understand. And I think it'd be very easy if you know anything about your Bible. And I 00:09:18.879 --> 00:09:22.560 appreciate that there'll be those who know a lot more about their Bible, and there'll be others 00:09:22.559 --> 00:09:30.179 who maybe don't know an awful lot. But even if you just scratch the surface, and you'll start to 00:09:30.179 --> 00:09:38.379 see references to events in the history of the nation. And maybe if you've watched The Prince of 00:09:38.379 --> 00:09:43.439 Egypt, or you've watched Joseph, or any of these kind of musicals or films, then you'll start to 00:09:43.439 --> 00:09:47.739 maybe see one or two bits and pieces of that. So you don't necessarily have to know a huge amount 00:09:47.740 --> 00:09:55.200 about your Bible, but you will start to see that this references back to events in their history. 00:09:55.360 --> 00:10:00.620 You see, the people of Israel had been enslaved for hundreds of years in Egypt. The time had come 00:10:00.620 --> 00:10:08.460 for their deliverance, and God had sent Moses to lead the people out of Israel after a number of 00:10:08.460 --> 00:10:17.920 plagues. And he defeated Pharaoh and Egypt at the crossing of the Red Sea. God then dwells with his 00:10:17.920 --> 00:10:24.820 people, symbolized in the tabernacle that Moses built. And then we see in the poem that it describes 00:10:24.820 --> 00:10:30.540 how nature trembled at the presence of God and obeyed him. You know, and we see that with the 00:10:30.539 --> 00:10:37.599 reference to the pattern of the Red Sea and God meeting Moses at Sinai. Then we've got the reference 00:10:37.599 --> 00:10:45.659 of Jordan, that Jericho that Joshua crossed as he led the nation into their inheritance. 00:10:47.019 --> 00:10:54.539 But the message of the psalm is all about deliverance. And yet I think, and you can have a 00:10:54.539 --> 00:10:57.759 wee look at your Bibles if you've still got them open, I think if you were to look at the top of your 00:10:57.759 --> 00:11:03.399 section here, it says this, tremble at the presence of the Lord. I don't know what it says in your Pew 00:11:03.399 --> 00:11:09.460 Bible, but I suspect it says something similar. So even though it is a passage about deliverance, 00:11:09.659 --> 00:11:15.519 it's also a passage about the presence of the Lord. And that's why you can see why I have these 00:11:15.519 --> 00:11:23.419 three points. Deliverance out of Egypt, the presence of the Lord, and the reverence of his 00:11:23.419 --> 00:11:27.240 possession. So let's get a little bit deeper and think about these first two things, 00:11:27.699 --> 00:11:31.539 deliverance and presence. Deliverance, as you read, again, if you've got your Bibles open, 00:11:31.599 --> 00:11:36.959 you'll see this in the first line, verse one, deliverance. Now I want to give you a when and a 00:11:36.959 --> 00:11:41.839 then. And I don't know if we've got any teachers that are still in or at Cresce, but at school, 00:11:42.000 --> 00:11:46.459 you'll get a little sentence structure or you'll get some kind of teaching that goes, 00:11:46.460 --> 00:11:55.019 given when, or given, yeah, given when, then this will happen. So when you do that, 00:11:55.420 --> 00:11:59.460 then this will happen. And it's the same if you're a bit more academic and you're in, 00:12:00.800 --> 00:12:05.900 you're doing some kind of science or maths and you're working at some kind of structure that will 00:12:05.900 --> 00:12:10.519 say, when this happens, then this happens. And I'm sure that some of you will smile when you get to 00:12:10.519 --> 00:12:18.059 that. Well, in our first verse here, we've got a when and a then. Verse one, when Israel went out 00:12:18.059 --> 00:12:23.879 of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language. It's not in there, but let's 00:12:23.879 --> 00:12:30.919 put it in there. Then Judah became his sanctuary and Israel his dominion. When they came out of Egypt, 00:12:31.539 --> 00:12:38.000 then God dwelt with them. You know, it's an amazing story, this, the story of deliverance. And it's no 00:12:38.000 --> 00:12:46.379 wonder that they celebrated the Passover every year. It was like a national birthday. I was going 00:12:46.379 --> 00:12:53.039 to say an independence day, but it wasn't maybe the independence, even though God had liberated them 00:12:53.039 --> 00:13:01.740 from Pharaoh and he had separated them from Egypt. He had separated them unto himself. So it wasn't maybe 00:13:01.740 --> 00:13:09.399 the independence that they were looking for. But they were freed from the bondage of their Egyptian 00:13:09.399 --> 00:13:16.379 masters. And if you were to read in Exodus chapter 12, you'll see there that they were commanded to 00:13:16.379 --> 00:13:21.840 observe this feast forever. In fact, they were to tell their children this, and it's good to bring 00:13:21.840 --> 00:13:25.860 your children to church. So if you're here this morning and your child's making noise and they're not 00:13:25.860 --> 00:13:32.419 outside, then it is good to, that our children hear what we believe and why we believe it. 00:13:33.120 --> 00:13:38.180 And it says this, they have to tell their children this, it is a sacrifice of the Lord's Passover. 00:13:38.899 --> 00:13:44.919 For he passed over the houses of the people of Israel, sorry, people of Israel in Egypt when he 00:13:44.919 --> 00:13:52.580 struck the Egyptians, but spared our houses. And Caleb was definitely agreeing with that. 00:13:52.580 --> 00:13:57.759 Now the Passover, for anyone who isn't familiar with this, is a celebration meal. It was eaten 00:13:57.759 --> 00:14:04.620 annually to mark the night when the 10th plague was sent into Egypt. It was a plague that killed 00:14:04.620 --> 00:14:14.120 the firstborn right from Pharaoh's palace to the livestock in the field to the slave's house as well. 00:14:14.200 --> 00:14:21.660 No one was immune unless they obeyed God. You know, and I think that is a key thing for us to think 00:14:21.659 --> 00:14:27.339 about this morning. They obeyed God by taking the blood of that perfect lamb and they applied it to 00:14:27.339 --> 00:14:33.659 their door frames. And the Jewish firstborn was safe as he sheltered under that blood and as the 00:14:33.659 --> 00:14:39.419 angel of death passed through the land. Now this is a wonderful picture. In fact, we thought about 00:14:39.419 --> 00:14:43.639 this morning in the breaking of bread. This is a wonderful picture of the Lord Jesus who is described 00:14:43.639 --> 00:14:49.819 for us in John's gospel as the lamb of God. You know, he was perfect and yet he was killed. 00:14:49.820 --> 00:14:58.960 And his blood was shed in order that we who were living under the enslavement or the servitude of sin 00:14:58.960 --> 00:15:07.640 could be liberated from the penalty of that sin. And if we obey God in trusting him for salvation, 00:15:08.220 --> 00:15:14.060 then Jesus' shed blood can be applied to our lives so that when God who, and this is a verse from 00:15:14.059 --> 00:15:21.359 scripture, spared not his son, when he looks at us, he will spare us from judgment, the judgment that we 00:15:21.359 --> 00:15:27.179 deserved. So, just maybe a little point to note. If you haven't ever been to the breaking of bread, 00:15:27.439 --> 00:15:31.359 then can I encourage you to come to the breaking of bread? I mean, some people might refer to it as 00:15:31.359 --> 00:15:36.079 communion, but it is a short time in the week. It's 45 minutes upstairs, 10 o'clock, where we 00:15:36.080 --> 00:15:43.520 remember not only our deliverer, we do remember him, and we remember our deliverance. The Lord Jesus 00:15:43.520 --> 00:15:49.259 says, this do in remembrance of me. You know, it's not mandated in the way that the Passover was mandated, 00:15:49.840 --> 00:15:53.680 even though the early Christians would do it on the first day of the week, they would do it on a 00:15:53.680 --> 00:15:59.600 weekly basis. It was their habit. And it's not, it has no sacramental value like we, the Catholic 00:15:59.600 --> 00:16:06.460 church would teach. It is simply just a time for us to remember the Lord Jesus and what he has done 00:16:06.460 --> 00:16:17.820 for us, and we praise God for his son. Now, in our Bibles, and it's not necessarily in the chapter 00:16:17.820 --> 00:16:26.000 this morning, but in our Bibles, this Egypt speaks to us of the world. And for those of us who are saved, 00:16:26.000 --> 00:16:31.600 for those of us who have been delivered from the world, and I don't mean physically, like the nation 00:16:31.600 --> 00:16:35.960 were brought out of Egypt, it just means spiritually, to give a little bit of weight to that. You know, 00:16:36.000 --> 00:16:41.399 Ephesians chapter 2 says this, and you who were dead in trespasses and sins in which you once walked, 00:16:41.879 --> 00:16:46.580 following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that 00:16:46.580 --> 00:16:52.580 is now at work in the sons of disobedience. In fact, if, and this is something else you could do, 00:16:52.580 --> 00:16:57.840 don't do it just now when I'm speaking, but do this when you go home, read through Ephesians chapter 2, 00:16:58.340 --> 00:17:05.340 verses 1 to 10, and see the parallel between what we're thinking about here, the deliverance of God's 00:17:05.340 --> 00:17:09.819 people out of Egypt, and through the wilderness, and into the promised land, and read the first 10 00:17:09.819 --> 00:17:16.720 verses, and see what you can see as a parallel to what we are talking about. But Egypt is a picture 00:17:16.720 --> 00:17:28.259 of the world, and God saves his people out of Egypt. He takes them into the wilderness, and he 00:17:28.259 --> 00:17:35.860 takes them to the promised land. You know, despite the nation of Israel, the Israelites living in Egypt 00:17:35.860 --> 00:17:41.519 for more than 400 years, it still says this, and this is the second line in verse 1, and don't worry, 00:17:41.519 --> 00:17:47.200 I won't, we won't go down the whole eight verses at this speed. We will speed up a little bit, but the 00:17:47.200 --> 00:17:54.660 second line in verse 1 says this, a people of a strange language. You know, despite living there 00:17:54.660 --> 00:18:01.379 for 400 years, they retained their identity. They hadn't assimilated, and they hadn't become like the 00:18:01.379 --> 00:18:07.460 Egyptians, and I think that should be a challenge for us all. You know, whether we are, whether we are, 00:18:07.460 --> 00:18:12.340 as the hymn would say, pressing on the upward way, then we need to be encouraged to press on, 00:18:12.400 --> 00:18:17.440 even though we're living in the world, we're not off the world. Or maybe you're a believer who, 00:18:18.279 --> 00:18:24.259 you might have lost the joy of your salvation, and you've slid back into living as a world, 00:18:24.400 --> 00:18:30.759 and speaking their language. Don't forget your identity. You know, our identity is now in Christ, 00:18:30.759 --> 00:18:36.640 Christ, and we've been brought out of the world, and we've been set apart from God. And that should 00:18:36.640 --> 00:18:41.720 challenge us as well this morning. And if you're not a believer, then that is what is on offer this 00:18:41.720 --> 00:18:49.400 morning, a deliverance from sin, from the penalty of sin, a deliverance of having to walk, as we've 00:18:49.400 --> 00:18:54.640 thought about in Ephesians chapter 2, as the course of this world, there is a deliverance. 00:18:54.640 --> 00:19:00.900 But in our chapter, it's not just about deliverance. It's about the fact that God's presence comes to be 00:19:00.900 --> 00:19:10.000 with us, and we are filled with the Holy Spirit on the day of our salvation. So, our key point this 00:19:10.000 --> 00:19:17.420 morning, I do want you to take this home, is this. When they came out of Egypt, then God dwelt with them. 00:19:17.420 --> 00:19:25.180 You know, God's presence is with those who he delivered out of Egypt. You know, he dwelt in the 00:19:25.180 --> 00:19:32.180 tabernacle that Moses built, and then later in the temple, as we'll come on to see. And, you know, 00:19:32.220 --> 00:19:36.120 it's just when I was thinking about this, you know, God dwells with those that he has delivered. 00:19:36.660 --> 00:19:43.680 Not just anyone, not just any group out there, not just any religion. God dwells with those that he has 00:19:43.680 --> 00:19:53.400 delivered. Revelation 21 and 3, it says this, the dwelling place, behold, the dwelling place of God 00:19:53.400 --> 00:20:00.580 is with man. And we should remember that. You know, we're reminded in Paul's letters that our bodies 00:20:00.580 --> 00:20:07.700 are the temple of the living God. So, when we are taken out of the world, when we're taken out of 00:20:07.700 --> 00:20:11.640 Egypt, as it were, then God comes to dwell with us. And that should be an encouragement for us 00:20:11.640 --> 00:20:18.900 this morning. Now, we move into verse 2, and the names that you'll see here, there's two names you 00:20:18.900 --> 00:20:24.860 see here, Judah and Israel. And they're both talking of the same, just with a slightly different aspect 00:20:24.860 --> 00:20:32.160 or not, as you might see later on in the life of the nation, where they are split into two. 00:20:32.580 --> 00:20:41.340 And you have Israel and Judah. Even though the sanctuary was in Judah, and that's where Solomon 00:20:41.339 --> 00:20:46.299 eventually built the temple, these, the two in here are one and the same. In fact, actually, 00:20:46.359 --> 00:20:52.679 when you come to the thing, the first verse, the last sentence in that first verse, and it talks 00:20:52.679 --> 00:20:56.779 about the house of Jacob, as we've just read, you know, remember that Jacob's name was changed to 00:20:56.779 --> 00:21:02.000 Israel. It was changed to Israel the night before they crossed the Jordan and went into the promised 00:21:02.000 --> 00:21:08.720 land. These three, the house of Jacob, Judah and Israel, are all talking of the same. 00:21:08.720 --> 00:21:15.960 And, you know, as we read this, then just think about the nation as a whole. You know, if you want 00:21:15.960 --> 00:21:22.120 to dig a little deeper, and when you start to study, this is where you get excited about, where you see 00:21:22.120 --> 00:21:26.680 these things, you'll discover that there is just a slight difference as to why they have been called 00:21:26.680 --> 00:21:34.420 Israel and Judah and the house of Jacob. And if you dig in, then you'll find that there's treasure 00:21:34.420 --> 00:21:40.480 just in these slight differences in the verse. 00:21:41.620 --> 00:21:46.700 Now, before we move on, I was also going to mention that the word dominion is in there also. 00:21:46.860 --> 00:21:51.960 Israel has dominion. That was referencing a throne that was set up. That throne was also set up in Judah. 00:21:52.880 --> 00:21:56.800 You know, God would exercise his dominion over the nation. 00:21:56.799 --> 00:22:03.819 Now, fast forward to today, and you come to Colossians 3 in the New Testament, and it says this, 00:22:04.379 --> 00:22:09.599 that let the peace of God rule in your hearts. 00:22:10.399 --> 00:22:14.399 The question I've got for you today is, does God have dominion in your life? 00:22:14.819 --> 00:22:19.519 You know, it took Israel out of Egypt, and it says this, Israel has dominion. 00:22:19.779 --> 00:22:21.419 Does he have dominion in our lives? 00:22:21.420 --> 00:22:26.039 Now, not a dominion of fear, as we might think of that kind of picture. 00:22:26.180 --> 00:22:31.720 We have a king in a kingdom with dominion over his subjects, but a dominion of peace, 00:22:32.580 --> 00:22:36.519 a peace that he offers us by the blood of his son. 00:22:38.019 --> 00:22:42.519 Now, that brings me to this section of the poem, 00:22:42.880 --> 00:22:49.440 where the author gives nature these incredible lifelike characteristics, verses 3 to 8. 00:22:49.440 --> 00:22:52.259 And here we're going to think about reverence. 00:22:53.240 --> 00:23:01.039 So, in the beginning there, we've got the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt. 00:23:01.220 --> 00:23:03.740 We've then got the presence of the Lord with them. 00:23:04.420 --> 00:23:06.860 And now we're going to think about the reverence. 00:23:07.180 --> 00:23:11.019 And this is a response to the presence of the Lord. 00:23:12.100 --> 00:23:15.799 You know, the author, he demonstrates that when God's presence was near, 00:23:15.799 --> 00:23:20.299 nature itself was not only reverent, but it was obedient. 00:23:20.980 --> 00:23:28.399 And we think of that when we think of the seas and the river part in the way that they did. 00:23:30.960 --> 00:23:33.019 You know, I think the author is doing this, 00:23:33.440 --> 00:23:37.559 because unfortunately, they're the people who should have been reverent and obedient. 00:23:38.419 --> 00:23:41.399 And if you've read through Exodus, you'll remember that they pretty much complained 00:23:41.400 --> 00:23:44.960 the whole way through the journey, the 40 years that they were in the wilderness. 00:23:45.120 --> 00:23:47.160 They pretty much complained that whole time. 00:23:47.420 --> 00:23:49.460 And often they were very disobedient. 00:23:49.540 --> 00:23:54.519 You know, I think potentially the author is talking about nature 00:23:54.519 --> 00:23:56.180 and the way that nature responds, 00:23:56.259 --> 00:23:58.940 because he's wanting to leave out the failure of the people. 00:24:00.240 --> 00:24:02.640 And as they are sitting, having their Passover meal, 00:24:02.700 --> 00:24:04.220 and as they are reciting this, 00:24:04.560 --> 00:24:07.080 they probably don't really want to be thinking about their failure. 00:24:07.079 --> 00:24:15.859 And here we have nature instead being reverent and obedient. 00:24:17.299 --> 00:24:19.599 It was a response that the people should have had. 00:24:20.240 --> 00:24:23.000 Now we've got two bodies of water that are mentioned here. 00:24:23.079 --> 00:24:26.779 The sea looked and fled, and Jordan turned back. 00:24:27.559 --> 00:24:30.240 We've then got two landscapes, two elevated landscapes. 00:24:30.419 --> 00:24:35.399 The mountains skipped like rams, and the hills like lambs. 00:24:35.400 --> 00:24:41.660 You know, both the Red Sea and the Jordan had remarkable events 00:24:41.660 --> 00:24:46.660 that happened at them, where the nation crossed unhindered, 00:24:47.240 --> 00:24:51.980 on dry land, as we would be reminded in Nehemiah 9 and Hebrews 11. 00:24:53.000 --> 00:24:54.780 The first was the Red Sea. 00:24:55.640 --> 00:25:00.460 It opened up when Moses took his rod, took his staff and his hand, 00:25:00.460 --> 00:25:04.200 and he cast them out, lifted them up, and he stretched them out over the water, 00:25:04.720 --> 00:25:06.620 and the waters parted. 00:25:07.720 --> 00:25:08.740 Now was Moses doing that? 00:25:11.460 --> 00:25:12.480 No, it was God. 00:25:12.960 --> 00:25:15.120 It was God who parted the sea. 00:25:15.220 --> 00:25:18.440 The sea obeyed because of God's presence, 00:25:19.180 --> 00:25:20.680 and the people passed through. 00:25:20.680 --> 00:25:27.460 And through the desert, God leads his people by a cloud and fire, 00:25:28.220 --> 00:25:29.380 and he provided them. 00:25:29.480 --> 00:25:32.740 He provided them bread and meat, and he provides for them water. 00:25:34.039 --> 00:25:37.340 The references in verse 8, 00:25:37.960 --> 00:25:41.560 the water from the rock, are easy to find as you read through Exodus. 00:25:41.559 --> 00:25:45.240 And I didn't have time to do this, 00:25:45.359 --> 00:25:51.279 but there's also something in my head that reminds us of the sweetness out of hardness, 00:25:51.740 --> 00:25:55.559 and it is the provision of honey in the desert as well. 00:25:56.319 --> 00:25:58.619 You know, again, we can see a parallel in this, 00:25:59.099 --> 00:26:03.139 as we think of in that verse 8, 00:26:03.140 --> 00:26:06.920 who turns the rocks into a pool of water 00:26:06.920 --> 00:26:11.700 and the flint into a spring of water. 00:26:12.380 --> 00:26:16.140 You know, the parallel for us as we live today 00:26:16.140 --> 00:26:17.500 is this of the Lord. 00:26:17.580 --> 00:26:20.600 You know, the Lord was struck on that cross. 00:26:22.060 --> 00:26:27.700 And you remember at the well at Samaria 00:26:27.700 --> 00:26:28.880 where that woman comes out, 00:26:29.240 --> 00:26:29.700 and he says, 00:26:29.780 --> 00:26:30.640 you would have asked of me, 00:26:30.700 --> 00:26:32.620 and I would have given you living water. 00:26:33.139 --> 00:26:33.859 You know, the Lord Jesus, 00:26:34.099 --> 00:26:37.039 as he was nailed to that cross, 00:26:37.119 --> 00:26:39.459 as he was struck like the rock was struck, 00:26:39.919 --> 00:26:41.759 out of him came living water. 00:26:42.659 --> 00:26:45.739 And that is where we have our salvation. 00:26:46.299 --> 00:26:46.939 Excuse me. 00:26:56.439 --> 00:26:57.619 Just lost my place. 00:26:57.739 --> 00:26:58.579 Excuse me a wee second. 00:26:58.579 --> 00:27:04.519 So they come through the wilderness, 00:27:06.199 --> 00:27:08.220 and it's not in here, 00:27:08.379 --> 00:27:10.000 but they come to Canaan, 00:27:10.399 --> 00:27:13.480 and they pass through the Jordan. 00:27:13.599 --> 00:27:13.960 Verse 3, 00:27:14.019 --> 00:27:16.099 and I know I'm skipping a little bit back and forward here, 00:27:16.240 --> 00:27:17.659 but forgive me for that. 00:27:17.779 --> 00:27:19.059 So the sea looked and fled, 00:27:19.099 --> 00:27:22.699 and we've thought about that when it comes to the Red Sea, 00:27:22.700 --> 00:27:26.819 and then Jordan turned back in similar fashion. 00:27:27.519 --> 00:27:30.160 Now, when it comes to the mountains and the hills, 00:27:30.420 --> 00:27:31.920 most, or there's a lot, 00:27:32.160 --> 00:27:34.880 there's a school of thought that would think that these are the same. 00:27:35.080 --> 00:27:36.799 These are the mountains and the hills in Judah. 00:27:37.220 --> 00:27:39.799 I think that they're probably slightly different. 00:27:39.799 --> 00:27:44.200 I think that the mountains refer to the mountains where, 00:27:45.379 --> 00:27:46.879 the mountains that trembled. 00:27:47.000 --> 00:27:48.480 It says that they skipped like rams, 00:27:48.940 --> 00:27:50.879 that imagery where the Lord, 00:27:51.099 --> 00:27:52.139 on a number of occasions, 00:27:52.279 --> 00:27:52.759 met Moses. 00:27:52.899 --> 00:27:53.960 One, when he gave him the law, 00:27:54.440 --> 00:27:56.159 and they, you know, 00:27:56.220 --> 00:27:57.940 remember that the smoke circled the mountain, 00:27:58.119 --> 00:27:58.899 and it thundered. 00:27:59.240 --> 00:28:00.059 And then another time, 00:28:00.139 --> 00:28:02.720 when Moses asked God to reveal his glory, 00:28:03.159 --> 00:28:05.059 then we have the mountains. 00:28:05.059 --> 00:28:06.159 The hills, I do think, 00:28:06.599 --> 00:28:08.639 are the reference to the Judean hills. 00:28:09.659 --> 00:28:11.980 And Psalm 121, 00:28:12.980 --> 00:28:14.659 you might remember this was Sunday school, 00:28:14.700 --> 00:28:15.519 if you've been in church, 00:28:15.639 --> 00:28:17.819 but I lift up my eyes to the hills. 00:28:17.919 --> 00:28:18.980 Where does my help come from? 00:28:19.359 --> 00:28:20.700 And that my help comes from the Lord. 00:28:20.779 --> 00:28:25.099 That is a reference to these hills in Judea. 00:28:26.399 --> 00:28:31.319 But these occurrences are nothing other than the intervention of God. 00:28:31.319 --> 00:28:36.639 Now, he makes a way through where it is not humanly possible, 00:28:37.200 --> 00:28:41.240 and he removes obstacles to achieving his purpose. 00:28:43.039 --> 00:28:43.899 Interestingly, again, 00:28:44.419 --> 00:28:47.319 you'll see how there's so many tangents in this chapter 00:28:47.319 --> 00:28:49.579 when you think, when they are told, 00:28:49.679 --> 00:28:52.779 that even if you had faith like the grain of a mustard seed, 00:28:52.839 --> 00:28:53.679 you would move mountains. 00:28:54.099 --> 00:28:56.700 There are so many references in this small chapter. 00:28:56.980 --> 00:28:57.700 When I first read it, 00:28:57.879 --> 00:28:58.639 when I was preparing, 00:28:58.779 --> 00:28:59.399 I read it and I think, 00:28:59.400 --> 00:29:01.759 oh, what am I going to speak about in this chapter? 00:29:01.940 --> 00:29:04.019 Because it seems fairly obvious when you read through it, 00:29:04.180 --> 00:29:05.340 and it seems fairly short. 00:29:05.780 --> 00:29:08.540 And I know I've been speaking for a little bit of time already, 00:29:08.700 --> 00:29:10.640 but there is an enormous amount in here. 00:29:10.680 --> 00:29:12.740 So if I've mentioned something that you think, 00:29:13.240 --> 00:29:14.200 actually, I want to go and read that, 00:29:14.280 --> 00:29:15.000 then go and read it, 00:29:15.080 --> 00:29:16.380 because it will do your soul, 00:29:16.700 --> 00:29:18.160 the world of good. 00:29:19.360 --> 00:29:21.820 But God achieves his purposes, 00:29:22.500 --> 00:29:24.000 and there is nothing that can, 00:29:24.500 --> 00:29:25.800 nothing is in his way, 00:29:25.799 --> 00:29:29.919 there is nothing that will stop him as he leads his people. 00:29:30.940 --> 00:29:32.039 You know, in our Christian life, 00:29:32.619 --> 00:29:36.039 the Red Sea is a picture of our baptism. 00:29:37.059 --> 00:29:40.039 You know, where we have severed ties with the world, 00:29:40.039 --> 00:29:46.019 and we have been freed from the slavery of its ruler. 00:29:46.859 --> 00:29:49.359 That is why I believe, 00:29:49.460 --> 00:29:50.420 and I think the Bible teaches, 00:29:50.619 --> 00:29:52.180 that we should be baptized. 00:29:53.819 --> 00:29:56.500 Because it is a landmark, 00:29:57.319 --> 00:29:59.399 just as the stones that are placed in the Jordan, 00:29:59.539 --> 00:30:00.299 but for the Red Sea, 00:30:00.379 --> 00:30:03.319 it is a landmark that we can point back to 00:30:03.319 --> 00:30:05.980 where we have been transformed 00:30:05.980 --> 00:30:10.119 from the gripping worldly power 00:30:10.119 --> 00:30:13.119 of the evil one, 00:30:13.240 --> 00:30:14.819 and we have been liberated, 00:30:15.619 --> 00:30:17.539 and we have been led by the Spirit 00:30:17.539 --> 00:30:19.079 in our Christian journey. 00:30:20.000 --> 00:30:21.099 You know, we are dead to the world, 00:30:21.159 --> 00:30:21.879 as the Bible would say. 00:30:22.099 --> 00:30:23.539 We have died with Christ, 00:30:23.639 --> 00:30:24.779 and we are alive to God. 00:30:24.779 --> 00:30:28.119 And the Red Sea is a picture of baptism. 00:30:29.039 --> 00:30:30.700 If you haven't picked it up at the minute, 00:30:30.700 --> 00:30:37.220 the parallel of the deliverance out of Egypt 00:30:37.220 --> 00:30:38.019 and through the wilderness 00:30:38.019 --> 00:30:39.360 and to the promised land 00:30:39.360 --> 00:30:42.039 is a parallel to our Christian journey. 00:30:42.240 --> 00:30:43.799 And we'll come to that when we come to Jordan. 00:30:43.940 --> 00:30:45.299 You know, that is another river 00:30:45.299 --> 00:30:46.940 that is synonymous with baptism. 00:30:47.160 --> 00:30:48.220 We see many people, 00:30:48.319 --> 00:30:49.039 even the Lord Jesus, 00:30:49.440 --> 00:30:50.960 baptized in the Jordan, 00:30:51.779 --> 00:30:53.519 and many other references. 00:30:54.360 --> 00:30:56.160 And it's about, you know, 00:30:56.220 --> 00:30:57.940 dying and leaving the old behind 00:30:57.940 --> 00:30:59.420 and moving on to a new life. 00:30:59.420 --> 00:31:00.980 Now, many scholars would often, 00:31:01.300 --> 00:31:04.779 would also say that the Jordan speaks to us 00:31:04.779 --> 00:31:06.240 of leaving this life 00:31:06.240 --> 00:31:08.660 and then going on to the next, 00:31:08.820 --> 00:31:10.460 to the promised land. 00:31:10.600 --> 00:31:12.100 It often refers to the freedom 00:31:12.100 --> 00:31:13.660 that comes from, 00:31:14.060 --> 00:31:15.700 or comes after a long period 00:31:15.700 --> 00:31:19.519 of adversity and of waiting. 00:31:20.160 --> 00:31:21.240 So whether it refers to baptism, 00:31:21.580 --> 00:31:23.539 or whether it refers to leaving this life 00:31:23.539 --> 00:31:25.940 and going to be with our Savior forever, 00:31:25.940 --> 00:31:28.320 then I think it is a parallel 00:31:28.320 --> 00:31:30.880 through the Christian journey. 00:31:31.700 --> 00:31:33.539 Either way, the pictures are 00:31:33.539 --> 00:31:35.940 wonderful pictures for us 00:31:35.940 --> 00:31:38.920 to think about in our Christian life. 00:31:40.799 --> 00:31:43.140 Just turn with me just a second to verse 7. 00:31:43.279 --> 00:31:43.519 It says, 00:31:43.680 --> 00:31:46.940 Tremble the earth at the presence of the Lord. 00:31:47.019 --> 00:31:49.700 You know, the writer wants to draw attention 00:31:49.700 --> 00:31:53.360 to how God can sweep away all opposition. 00:31:53.359 --> 00:31:55.219 You know, this is a response 00:31:55.219 --> 00:31:58.659 to God's glorious manifestation, 00:31:58.979 --> 00:32:00.879 his presence at that time. 00:32:01.419 --> 00:32:04.899 And you see there that the presence of the Lord 00:32:04.899 --> 00:32:08.219 at the presence of the God of Jacob. 00:32:08.419 --> 00:32:09.439 You know, earth obeys God. 00:32:10.919 --> 00:32:12.919 And this is another tangent, 00:32:13.099 --> 00:32:14.379 but it's another proof for us. 00:32:14.919 --> 00:32:16.639 When the Lord Jesus was on the earth 00:32:16.640 --> 00:32:18.840 and he, you know, 00:32:18.880 --> 00:32:20.440 they marveled when he walked on the water 00:32:20.440 --> 00:32:21.759 and he calmed that storm 00:32:21.759 --> 00:32:22.100 and they said, 00:32:22.360 --> 00:32:24.200 even the wind and the waves obey him. 00:32:26.720 --> 00:32:29.380 Nature will only obey its creator. 00:32:29.600 --> 00:32:30.700 It will only obey God. 00:32:30.740 --> 00:32:32.060 And that is why, you know, 00:32:32.100 --> 00:32:34.480 there are so many proof texts in our Bible 00:32:34.480 --> 00:32:36.200 that would demonstrate that the Lord Jesus 00:32:36.200 --> 00:32:38.140 is the Son of God. 00:32:38.240 --> 00:32:39.259 He is God. 00:32:39.380 --> 00:32:42.120 Even the wind and the waves obey him. 00:32:43.380 --> 00:32:45.120 In fact, we were thinking about this this morning 00:32:45.119 --> 00:32:46.259 and again in the breaking of bread. 00:32:46.579 --> 00:32:49.439 Luke 19, that even if we were silent, 00:32:49.799 --> 00:32:51.039 you know, we should sing his praise. 00:32:51.339 --> 00:32:52.559 But even if we were silent, 00:32:52.719 --> 00:32:53.359 the Lord said, 00:32:53.439 --> 00:32:55.419 even if his disciples were silent, 00:32:55.519 --> 00:32:58.539 then the stones would cry out in praise. 00:32:58.639 --> 00:33:00.679 You know, earth responds to its maker 00:33:00.679 --> 00:33:03.299 as it recognizes just who he is. 00:33:04.779 --> 00:33:05.919 What is our response? 00:33:07.119 --> 00:33:08.179 You know, a psalm, 00:33:08.439 --> 00:33:10.599 as with Psalm 113 00:33:10.599 --> 00:33:11.799 that we thought about last week, 00:33:11.799 --> 00:33:14.899 this psalm works more fully 00:33:14.899 --> 00:33:18.240 in the context of the whole halal. 00:33:19.519 --> 00:33:23.159 In singing of this particular section 00:33:23.159 --> 00:33:26.200 and this particular selection of events in history, 00:33:26.539 --> 00:33:27.879 it just stresses to us 00:33:27.879 --> 00:33:30.839 the Lord's supremacy over all. 00:33:32.639 --> 00:33:33.700 Over the people, 00:33:34.259 --> 00:33:36.319 whether that's been the Pharaoh and the Egyptians, 00:33:36.759 --> 00:33:37.819 or over the earth. 00:33:37.819 --> 00:33:40.779 But it just goes to strengthen the confidence 00:33:40.779 --> 00:33:44.859 of the people who he was leading out of Egypt. 00:33:45.700 --> 00:33:46.399 That tiny, 00:33:46.899 --> 00:33:47.799 and we think about it, 00:33:47.859 --> 00:33:48.919 where there's a second exodus, 00:33:49.059 --> 00:33:50.799 as we've been thinking about this recently in Daniel, 00:33:50.879 --> 00:33:53.240 there's a second exodus out of Babylon 00:33:53.240 --> 00:33:54.379 and back home, 00:33:54.419 --> 00:33:56.240 and there was a tiny remnant of Judah. 00:33:56.339 --> 00:33:59.279 And I think as they ate the Passover lamb, 00:33:59.419 --> 00:34:00.439 not only would they have, 00:34:00.559 --> 00:34:01.559 the Passover meal, 00:34:01.879 --> 00:34:04.279 not only would they have thought about 00:34:04.279 --> 00:34:07.279 their exodus out of Egypt, 00:34:07.440 --> 00:34:10.119 but also their exodus out of Babylon. 00:34:10.460 --> 00:34:10.539 You know, 00:34:10.559 --> 00:34:11.460 it gives them the confidence 00:34:11.460 --> 00:34:14.980 that God will bring about his purposes. 00:34:15.500 --> 00:34:16.940 And it should strengthen us too. 00:34:17.719 --> 00:34:19.420 It should give us confidence. 00:34:20.699 --> 00:34:21.619 Now let me ask you this. 00:34:21.739 --> 00:34:24.699 Is God in your life? 00:34:26.300 --> 00:34:28.340 Is he your Lord? 00:34:28.779 --> 00:34:28.920 You know, 00:34:28.960 --> 00:34:31.579 has he taken you out of Egypt spiritually? 00:34:31.579 --> 00:34:34.860 And is he protecting and providing for you 00:34:34.860 --> 00:34:35.759 on the Christian pathway 00:34:35.759 --> 00:34:37.860 as you journey towards 00:34:37.860 --> 00:34:40.659 our eternal destination with him? 00:34:42.019 --> 00:34:42.460 Well, 00:34:42.519 --> 00:34:43.019 if he is, 00:34:43.420 --> 00:34:44.440 what is our posture? 00:34:46.920 --> 00:34:47.159 You know, 00:34:47.179 --> 00:34:48.579 are we reverent in our living? 00:34:49.659 --> 00:34:49.799 You know, 00:34:49.840 --> 00:34:50.599 does our life, 00:34:51.039 --> 00:34:51.880 the way that we live, 00:34:52.059 --> 00:34:53.000 praise God? 00:34:54.059 --> 00:34:54.799 Do we remember, 00:34:55.340 --> 00:34:56.639 do we enjoy remembering 00:34:56.639 --> 00:34:57.819 all that he's done for us 00:34:57.819 --> 00:35:00.000 and all that he is doing for us? 00:35:00.000 --> 00:35:04.840 You know, 00:35:04.860 --> 00:35:05.860 I wonder if his presence 00:35:05.860 --> 00:35:08.000 alters the course of our living. 00:35:09.139 --> 00:35:09.619 You know, 00:35:09.639 --> 00:35:10.659 we have an amazing God, 00:35:10.739 --> 00:35:10.880 right? 00:35:10.940 --> 00:35:12.679 One who is not unaware 00:35:12.679 --> 00:35:13.519 of our struggles. 00:35:15.820 --> 00:35:16.780 But he is a God 00:35:16.780 --> 00:35:17.679 who can deliver us 00:35:17.679 --> 00:35:19.280 from our circumstance. 00:35:19.280 --> 00:35:26.080 my thoughts today 00:35:26.080 --> 00:35:26.760 for us 00:35:26.760 --> 00:35:28.180 in the room 00:35:28.180 --> 00:35:28.800 in Brunsfield 00:35:28.800 --> 00:35:29.440 is this, 00:35:30.080 --> 00:35:31.500 put our trust 00:35:31.500 --> 00:35:32.420 in God. 00:35:33.300 --> 00:35:33.519 You know, 00:35:33.560 --> 00:35:34.240 have the confidence 00:35:34.240 --> 00:35:35.100 in his ability 00:35:35.100 --> 00:35:35.700 to deliver 00:35:35.700 --> 00:35:37.140 us. 00:35:38.140 --> 00:35:39.500 And not only just deliver us, 00:35:39.560 --> 00:35:40.680 but to dwell with us 00:35:40.680 --> 00:35:41.840 as we journey 00:35:41.840 --> 00:35:43.060 through life. 00:35:45.080 --> 00:35:45.460 You know, 00:35:45.500 --> 00:35:46.580 there's a great chapter 00:35:46.580 --> 00:35:47.280 in Romans, 00:35:47.280 --> 00:35:48.000 Romans, 00:35:48.160 --> 00:35:49.040 it's Romans chapter 8, 00:35:49.200 --> 00:35:50.760 it is the great chapter 00:35:50.760 --> 00:35:51.440 of salvation. 00:35:52.740 --> 00:35:53.700 And Paul asks us, 00:35:53.740 --> 00:35:54.300 he says this, 00:35:54.440 --> 00:35:55.560 if God be for us, 00:35:56.660 --> 00:35:57.780 who can be against us? 00:35:59.440 --> 00:35:59.880 You know, 00:36:00.080 --> 00:36:01.780 it's quite possible 00:36:01.780 --> 00:36:02.680 that that is just 00:36:02.680 --> 00:36:03.300 an allusion 00:36:03.300 --> 00:36:04.140 back to these 00:36:04.140 --> 00:36:04.960 Hallel Psalms. 00:36:05.480 --> 00:36:06.180 We read in, 00:36:06.380 --> 00:36:07.280 and we'll read it in a few, 00:36:07.440 --> 00:36:08.200 I don't know who's speaking, 00:36:08.360 --> 00:36:09.700 but in a few weeks, 00:36:09.760 --> 00:36:10.320 we'll read in 00:36:10.320 --> 00:36:11.280 chapter 118 00:36:11.280 --> 00:36:13.740 and near, 00:36:15.180 --> 00:36:16.400 let me just read this, 00:36:16.460 --> 00:36:17.180 Psalm 118, 00:36:17.320 --> 00:36:17.900 it says this, 00:36:18.019 --> 00:36:18.600 verse 6, 00:36:19.320 --> 00:36:20.760 the Lord is on my side, 00:36:21.120 --> 00:36:22.080 I will not fear, 00:36:22.740 --> 00:36:23.500 what can man 00:36:23.500 --> 00:36:24.080 do 00:36:24.080 --> 00:36:25.300 to me? 00:36:27.460 --> 00:36:28.360 As the nation 00:36:28.360 --> 00:36:30.500 remembered 00:36:30.500 --> 00:36:31.420 the Passover, 00:36:32.040 --> 00:36:32.680 and as they 00:36:32.680 --> 00:36:33.740 sang 00:36:33.740 --> 00:36:34.440 these 00:36:34.440 --> 00:36:36.240 poems, 00:36:36.460 --> 00:36:37.100 these songs, 00:36:37.660 --> 00:36:38.680 they were encouraged, 00:36:39.200 --> 00:36:40.019 they were strengthened, 00:36:40.019 --> 00:36:41.380 and 00:36:41.380 --> 00:36:42.739 they sang their praise 00:36:42.739 --> 00:36:43.159 to God 00:36:43.159 --> 00:36:44.099 for all that he had done. 00:36:45.679 --> 00:36:46.480 As we've thought about 00:36:46.480 --> 00:36:47.019 this this morning, 00:36:47.619 --> 00:36:48.559 let us be encouraged, 00:36:48.759 --> 00:36:49.659 let us be strengthened. 00:36:52.619 --> 00:36:54.019 We're on the victory side, 00:36:55.079 --> 00:36:55.619 just like 00:36:55.619 --> 00:36:56.519 those people 00:36:56.519 --> 00:36:56.900 who would 00:36:56.900 --> 00:36:58.280 year after year 00:36:58.280 --> 00:36:58.840 after year 00:36:58.840 --> 00:37:00.219 remember the Passover. 00:37:00.559 --> 00:37:00.679 You know, 00:37:00.699 --> 00:37:01.360 when we remember 00:37:01.360 --> 00:37:02.179 our Lord 00:37:02.179 --> 00:37:03.000 and the breaking of bread, 00:37:03.460 --> 00:37:04.539 we stand on 00:37:04.539 --> 00:37:05.300 victory ground. 00:37:07.380 --> 00:37:08.239 Egypt's been defeated 00:37:08.239 --> 00:37:09.440 and the ruler 00:37:09.440 --> 00:37:09.820 they're in, 00:37:09.820 --> 00:37:10.360 the world. 00:37:11.440 --> 00:37:12.440 We are being led 00:37:12.440 --> 00:37:13.100 through this journey 00:37:13.100 --> 00:37:14.720 by the Lord 00:37:14.720 --> 00:37:15.680 and one day 00:37:15.680 --> 00:37:16.420 we will go to be 00:37:16.420 --> 00:37:16.840 with him 00:37:16.840 --> 00:37:18.120 in the place 00:37:18.120 --> 00:37:18.740 that he has 00:37:18.740 --> 00:37:19.720 promised us. 00:37:21.640 --> 00:37:22.500 Shall we pray? 00:37:25.980 --> 00:37:26.800 Heavenly Father, 00:37:27.160 --> 00:37:28.140 we thank you 00:37:28.140 --> 00:37:28.620 this morning 00:37:28.620 --> 00:37:29.620 for these 00:37:29.620 --> 00:37:30.559 short thoughts 00:37:30.559 --> 00:37:32.019 in your word. 00:37:32.019 --> 00:37:34.199 Father, 00:37:34.199 --> 00:37:34.699 we thank you 00:37:34.699 --> 00:37:35.599 that you are a God 00:37:35.599 --> 00:37:37.599 who delivers. 00:37:39.519 --> 00:37:39.980 Father, 00:37:40.059 --> 00:37:40.840 we thank you 00:37:40.840 --> 00:37:41.219 that you 00:37:41.219 --> 00:37:41.820 were a God 00:37:41.820 --> 00:37:42.340 who delivered 00:37:42.340 --> 00:37:44.280 Israel out of Egypt 00:37:44.280 --> 00:37:45.900 and you are a God 00:37:45.900 --> 00:37:46.519 who delivers 00:37:46.519 --> 00:37:47.179 your people 00:37:47.179 --> 00:37:48.659 out of this world. 00:37:50.699 --> 00:37:51.320 Our Father, 00:37:51.400 --> 00:37:52.019 we are thankful 00:37:52.019 --> 00:37:52.800 this morning 00:37:52.800 --> 00:37:54.800 that the Lord Jesus 00:37:54.800 --> 00:37:57.539 is the one 00:37:57.539 --> 00:37:58.440 who delivers us, 00:37:59.180 --> 00:38:00.519 who gave his life 00:38:00.519 --> 00:38:02.820 that we might live. 00:38:07.400 --> 00:38:08.180 Our Father, 00:38:08.420 --> 00:38:09.640 help us 00:38:09.640 --> 00:38:11.640 just to 00:38:11.640 --> 00:38:13.960 alter our lives, 00:38:14.340 --> 00:38:15.640 the way that we 00:38:15.640 --> 00:38:16.240 worship you, 00:38:16.519 --> 00:38:17.100 our praise, 00:38:17.600 --> 00:38:19.920 as we think of all 00:38:19.920 --> 00:38:20.460 that you have done 00:38:20.460 --> 00:38:20.900 for us 00:38:20.900 --> 00:38:21.920 and all that you are doing. 00:38:21.920 --> 00:38:24.820 And our Father, 00:38:24.980 --> 00:38:25.740 let us be touched 00:38:25.740 --> 00:38:26.599 by your presence. 00:38:29.139 --> 00:38:29.559 Father, 00:38:29.599 --> 00:38:30.079 we thank you 00:38:30.079 --> 00:38:30.760 that you said 00:38:30.760 --> 00:38:31.860 that you will never 00:38:31.860 --> 00:38:32.460 leave us 00:38:32.460 --> 00:38:33.599 nor forsake us. 00:38:35.860 --> 00:38:36.780 And as we come 00:38:36.780 --> 00:38:37.820 before you 00:38:37.820 --> 00:38:38.360 this morning, 00:38:38.920 --> 00:38:39.820 we say thank you 00:38:39.820 --> 00:38:42.240 and we worship you 00:38:42.240 --> 00:38:42.680 in the name 00:38:42.680 --> 00:38:44.119 of our Lord Jesus. 00:38:45.119 --> 00:38:45.380 Amen.