Pillars of Presence Exodus 13

for many of you are familiar with the poem Footprints. It has caused millions of Christians to be comforted and encouraged through trial. The story of the poem of someone having a dream and seeing their footprints on a beach and they see God walking alongside them and they can see their whole life flash before them represented as journey with the footprints. And then they see sometimes there's only one set of footprints and the person turned to God and they say, well, where were you when I needed you? And God says, I was carrying you. It's a nice reminder of God's care and comfort as he carries us through trials. The symbolism is very powerful because we want God to be with us. We we need to know God is with us. We need to know he is with us, caring for us. This morning, we're going to be looking at a very strong symbol that God provides his own people to let them know that he is with them. We're going to be looking at the pillar of cloud by day and the fire by night so that Israel would know that the God who delivered them is with them, leading them, caring for them, being faithful to his promises. We're returning to Exodus. We're going to be at the end of chapter 13. We'll be looking at verses 13 through 22. So you can go ahead and turn there. If you do not have a Bible, there are Bibles at the end of the pews. I would invite you to take that with you if you would like after the service. He is redeemed Israel. Israel was enslaved in Egypt and God stretched forth his mighty right hand, sending plagues down upon Egypt, demonstrating that he alone is God, that Yahweh alone is worthy of worship, that he is sovereign, that he is superior, that he's powerful and able to save. Then the final plague delivers Israel. Now they've been freed. Now these Men and women who were slaves, they're being called out to be God's nation in God's way. Our message this morning is looking at this passage that is really a parenthetical. Now I'll explain why I say that in a moment. Let me first look at Exodus 13 and we're going to see three things here in this text. First, God leads his people with wisdom. Second, God leads his people faithfully. And finally, God leads by being with them. His presence is how he leads them, through his presence. The passage functions are parenthetical because really we're in between two battle scenes. We just finished the great and mighty deliverance from Egypt. And here, as the stage is being set, Moses, our storyteller, our narrator, he comes in and explains what's happening. He shows us first in verses 17 through 18 where God led them and why then versus 19 through 20. He reminds us of the promise God made that he would take Israel out of Egypt. And it's a symbol of Joseph's bones coming up out of Egypt that God has been faithful to his promise. And then finally, we are told because we need to be reminded of the story that all the while Everywhere Israel is going, God's presence is visibly present. God's glory is there with them by the pillar of cloud, by the day and the fire by night. Hear God's word. When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. For God said, lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt. But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness towards the Red Sea, and the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle. Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, God will surely visit you. And you shall carry up my bones with you from here. And they moved on from Succoth and a camp at Atham on the edge of the wilderness. And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light that they might travel by day and by night. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from the people. The first thing we see here is that God leads his people for their well-being. God leads his people for their well-being. Let me read verses 17 and 18 again. When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. For God said, lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt. But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle. So Egypt and the promised land, there's a direct route that they could have taken. And Moses is letting us know we didn't go that way. We did not go by the way of the Philistines. We did not go by the way of the sea. And he tells us why. God knew that they would change their minds. God knew what Israel, the people, were able to bear. God knew that the threat of war and the continual war on the way of the Philistines would be a discouragement to them to the point that they would want to return to Egypt. As we look throughout the Old Testament, Egypt is always this temptation for Israel. Even though they were enslaved there, they're constantly tempted to go back to Egypt because they somehow in their mind think that's comforting. Egypt is a powerful nation, so whenever they're threatened, they think, well, what if we go back and we'll be under the umbrella of Egypt? There's nothing really wrong with Egypt, necessarily. The problem is that they're not trusting God. God is supposed to be their refuge. They are looking to a nation. God looks and he says they will lose heart and they will want to return to Egypt. And he's right. After the boot camp in the wilderness, Moses and spies to to look at the land and the spies come back and they say, oh, they're mighty, they're giants, we're grasshoppers compared to them. And Israel becomes afraid they want to go back to Egypt, they're afraid they don't trust God. So instead of the war up north, God directs them to another battle. We see how fickle their faith is even then. Because God hardens Pharaoh's heart. He sends Pharaoh after Israel in the desert. And the people of Israel look around and they complain and they grumble to Moses again. They say, and you can look in chapter 14, verse 11, were there not enough graves in Egypt? Now, God is protecting them from grumbling and complaining by going north. This is how bad they complain and grumble by going south. Can you imagine what they would have said? Would they have accused God of? Would they have grumbled and murmured against God if they had gone north? God is protecting them because they are a weak people. Now, again, they've just seen God completely and utterly destroy the nation of Egypt. They were able to see that in many of the plagues, they were completely protected and Egypt was devastated. They've seen the mighty right hand of God, and yet still they doubt. Still, they have a problem trusting God. They are going to have to be sent into the wilderness so that they learn to trust God because they so quickly forget that God is protecting them. He's leading them with wisdom. He's leading them according to what they can handle. He's leading them to protect them and to care for them. And he's going to put them in a 40 year boot camp in the wilderness. And this has two reasons. One, to teach them who they are. The Exodus 19, the Mount Sinai event, there's such a great declaration. You are my holy nation, my royal priesthood. He's going to teach them who they are so they learn to trust him. Or really to say it another way, he's getting the grumble out. The people are so prone to complaining and grumbling and failing to trust God. And God is going to send them into the desert so they can continue to see his mighty hand. They continue to see the power of God. They continue to see his faithfulness. Well, friends, if we're really going to appreciate what God is doing here in his leadership, if we're going to appreciate how God is leading Israel in the desert out of Egypt and into the promised land, we're going to have to recognize that we're very much like Israel. We're prone to grumble. We're prone to complain. If you don't believe me, let's go to first Corinthians 10, this is a passage that you should be reading throughout the next few weeks. Paul is referring to the next few chapters in first Corinthians 10, and it's extremely instructive for how we can see God working throughout all of history for us. Let's go to first Corinthians 10, I'll begin in verse one and I'll read through to verse 13. First Corinthians 10. For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea. And all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea and all ate the same spiritual food and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them. And the rock was Christ. Nevertheless, with most of them, God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now, this is where we make that key transition. These things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. Do not be idolaters as some of them were, as it is written, the people sat down to eat and drink, drank and rose up to play. We must not indulge in sexual immorality. As some of them did, and twenty three thousand fell on a single day. We must not put Christ to the test as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, nor grumble as some of them did and were destroyed by the destroyer. Now, these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction. On whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore, let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed. lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability. But with the temptation, he will also provide the way of escape that you may be able to bear it. The first thing we want to see here is that these things we're studying right now, Paul immediately says Referring to them directly, these things happen for us, the church, for whom the end times has come, for them who are now the benefits of all the promises. These things took place for our instruction. They're examples. Really, they're warnings. Do not be like Israel. Now, why would Paul need to warn them? It's because we're, as a church, we're prone to grumble. We're prone to complain. We're prone to ask, well, where is God and why is He not working the way I expected Him to? We are like Israel. We also need to see that we need His protection from temptation. Look at verse 13 again. No temptation has overtaken you that has not come unto man. God is faithful and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability. Though the temptation, he will also provide the way of escape that you may be able to endure it. We see in Exodus, he didn't send them to the way of the Philistines because that was way too tempting for them. He protected them from that. Now, they're going to go through trials of the desert, but God led them and protected them from temptation that would have been overbearing, overwhelming for them. God leads us and his leadership be encouraging. First, God guides us for our good. God does not lead us into temptation, God leads us into trials and helps us through those trials. God is protecting us for our good. He protects us from temptation. We should be praying constantly, as the Lord taught us, lead us not into temptation, protect us from those temptations that would crush us. Finally, God never leads us into a temptation that will ultimately overcome us, overthrow us and destroy us. We can actually see this very clearly in 2 Corinthians 4. Don't turn there, let me read it to you. 2 Corinthians 4, beginning in verse 7. Though we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us, we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed. Perplexed, but not driven to despair. Persecuted, but not forsaken. Struck down, but not destroyed. always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our mortal flesh. We're going to go through trials. We're going to go through temptations. God's going to lead us in and through them. But as Paul says here, we will be perplexed, but we won't be driven to despair. We'll be afflicted, but not crushed. The reason we will be afflicted, but not crushed, is that the Christian always has hope. We go through trials, we go through difficult times, we go through times when we really should express the affliction, the perplexed, the persecution. The feeling of being struck down. But we must always remember that if God is for us, nothing can destroy us. If God is for us, He cares for us. He protects us. If you're in the middle of a trial, that trial is for your good. That trial is meant to purify you. That trial is meant to teach you. God has not sent you into a trial that's more than you could possibly bear. God is with you in the midst of your temptation. God is with you in the midst of your trial. You are never crushed if you're a Christian because you always have hope. Because you believe in the sovereign God who is even able to use evil for good. When we face trials, we will be purified by God. When our faith is tested, it will be refined. If you're in the midst of a trial, be of good courage. Don't hide the affliction, don't hide the pain, but be of good courage. That's the paradox of the Christian life. We will go through great trials, but we must count them as joy because we know that God will use them for our well-being. God will carry us through them to teach us and to help us to love him more. The way you do that is to cling to his promises, cling to the promises that God has given us, that all things work for good for those who love God. Cling to the promises that he is with you. He will never forsake you. He's leading and guiding and caring for you. We must recite and remember God's redemption. Go back and read the story of Joseph. Go back and remember how God carried him through numerous trials. Every time he seemed like he got a break, another trial would come and God would use it for his own glory and for Joseph's well-being. Actually, let's go to our second point and let's consider Joseph. Joseph is an opportunity to remember God's loving leadership. Let's look at verses 19 and 20. Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, God will surely visit you, and you shall carry my bones with you from here. And they moved on from Succoth and encamped in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness." Now we need to go back and remember Joseph. He's the youngest brother. He's the one that had the dreams. And I think he probably was a little arrogant. He used to boast of, you know, you guys are going to bow down to me. Your stars are going to bow down to me, the sun. His brother's kind of got sick of him. Took off his fancy coat, threw him in a pit, tried to figure out what to do with him. Sold him into Egypt as a slave. Now we're on the back side of that. God used their evil. God used the brother's evil against Joseph to take him into Egypt so that that would then provide a dwelling place for Israel to protect them during the famine. And now we're on the other end after Egypt abused them and enslaved them that God stretched out his mighty right hand and is delivering them. But even in Egypt, he was accused wrongly. He was treated poorly. He was forgotten. Yet God continued to be with him. God continued to be faithful and Joseph learned that God is trustworthy. Joseph learned that God is mighty and able to do all that he wills to do. And so in chapter 50 of Genesis, verse 24, Joseph says, I am about to die, but God will surely take care of you. and surely bring you up from this land to the land which he promised on oath to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, God will surely take care of you, and you shall carry my bones up from here. So Joseph died at the age of 110 years, and he was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt. Joseph had learned to trust God. Through many years, through many trials, through much refining, through much temptation, God proved himself to be with Joseph. Here we see a great declaration of faith. Don't bury me here. God said, I'm going to take you to a new land. That's where I want my bones. That's where I want to be buried. Not that that's going to bring him into the promised land, but the symbol Now, this isn't my dwelling place. Egypt is not my home. Even though I ruled this nation, this is not my home. I am one of God's children. I want my final resting place to be in the tomb with Abraham and God's promised people. The author of Hebrews points back to this. By faith, Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel and gave orders concerning his bones. By faith, he was already looking forward. By faith, he knew they were going to go through trials. By faith, Israel's in Egypt, not only being protected now, but being secured within. He knew God would deliver them. He had seen God work and he trusted God to work. The bones being taken out is a symbol of God's faithfulness to his promise. We have to learn that God is in control. We may not see how he is working things out, but we must know that he is in everything. He is sovereign. He's able to even use evil for good. If you have a difficult time looking back to Joseph, just look to Christ. If you have a difficult time trying to understand where is God and what is he doing, how can he be working this out for good? Remember this. The father led his own son to die for our sins. The father led his son to die for us. The father led him as the lamb who would be slain for our forgiveness. That God is able to lead us for our good. If he has not withheld his own son, what would he possibly hold back for us? If he leads us in a way that he forgives us for the death of his own son, how could we question that his leading is not present and that is not good. Finally, we'll look to our last section. God is present to lead his people. God is present to lead his people. Verse 21 and the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light that they might travel by day and by night the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people. Here, the freed slaves. They've seen the power of God. The key issue here that we need to remember is that God is revealing his name from the book of Exodus. This is the people who have been marked by the name of God. They are Israel. They are Yahweh's people. Yahweh is with them. This is what has changed them. They know the name of God. They've seen the protection of God, the way God distinguished between Israel and Egypt and the plagues. They've seen the redemption of God. They've seen Pharaoh cast them out himself. Now they're going to see a representation of God. He's going to be with them as a cloud by day and fire by night. Now this cloud and this fire, this is a visible representation of the internal glory of God. That's what this represents. God is present with them to care for them, control them, lead them. But the glory of God is actually present there in the camp of Israel. This is foreshadowing a few things. Looking ahead. God is eventually going to say, you need to build a temple, and on the altar, that's where the clouds will dwell, that's where the fire will come down. God's presence with His people is already making them His own temple. Where the glory of the Lord is, that's the temple. The Garden of Eden, that was a temple because God was there in the middle of the garden. God, the temple, the tabernacle that Israel built, that wasn't the temple because they built it. It's the temple because God's presence is there. Here we see Israel already being set apart as holy. In Exodus 19, he'll declare them the holy nation. They're already being set apart as holy because God's with them. In Exodus 19, they'll be called a kingdom of priests. They're already a priesthood because God's presence is with them. They have been made the temple of God. Not only does the cloud and the fire make them the temple of God, it leads and guides them. It's very important for us to remember that the cloud and the fire are always with them, and we see why that's important in the next chapter. In chapter 14, verse 19, when Pharaoh is coming down, the cloud goes from in front of Israel to behind them to protect the chariots from attacking. It's leading them, but then when need be, it goes behind them to keep the chariots from coming into the camp. In chapter 14, verse 24, after the Red Seas parted, the fire comes down and confuses the chariots so that they're all destroyed. We can look ahead to chapter 19 again. Moses goes up on the mountain. And where he meets with God, there is the great cloud. When Moses comes down to speak, he's speaking from the cloud. God's presence is with his people to lead them. And it should bring about two different responses. That cloud, the fire, the presence of God. First, it should comfort us. It should have comforted Israel. The same God who had been with them and cared for them and led them. This is the same God who is now physically, representatively With them, there's a comfort. God is in our camp. Nothing can stand against us. We also know that it should bring about a certain amount of fear. Because this is the presence of the holy and glorious God. We see that fear, especially in the Sinai event where the fire is on top of the mountain and the people tremble. because the holy God was meeting with his people. God is always with his people. I am is how God has declared himself. I am is the name God has chosen to reveal himself through. I am with you. That's what makes the people of God special. It's not them. It's the fact that God says I am with you. We see this covenant name come out even more later in the book of Isaiah. God says there will be a child born and his name will be Emmanuel, God with us. We're about to celebrate this great God with us. Jesus Christ is like this cloud, is like this fire, because he is God's glory manifested among his people. And like Israel rejects the cloud, Israel rejects the fire over and over again. John tells us that the glory of God, the word became flesh. He made his tent among us and his people received him not. Jesus Christ is the Shekinah glory of God who has come down and taken upon flesh. People saw him. People heard him. People rejected him. They ended up mocking him and putting him to death. It's not until after the resurrection that the Holy Spirit gives the disciples faith to truly acknowledge who Christ is. If you're not a Christian, we were created to worship. We were created to see the glory of God, to worship the God who is glorious, but we've all failed. That is why God calls us sinners. We have not fulfilled our task. We have rejected him. We have sought to glorify ourselves rather than God. This means we are guilty. We've refused God his right role in our life. We refuse him worship. And his wrath is rightly against us. The reason we look to Jesus Christ, the reason we worship Jesus Christ, the reason it's so important that the glory of God came down and took upon himself a human nature, is that that is God forgiving us. That is how God forgives us for not worshiping him. Jesus Christ lived the life we were meant to live. Jesus Christ lived the life that worships the Father perfectly. And then he dies as if a sinner. In the place of sinners. The death that we deserve, the wrath of God that we should have for not worshiping God. Christ receives upon himself so that that death, that wrath is no longer against us, it's been taken away and we can be declared as forgiven. So Christ is the glory of God who is in flesh, but actually our New Testament authors, they continue to use the cloud Imagery to show us who Christ is. I'll let you look these up later, I'll read, I'll give you the reference and I'll read the verse. Luke 935 and a voice came out of the clouds saying, this is my son, my chosen one. Listen to him. The father spoke in the presence of a cloud. Reminding us of the great Exodus cloud of God's presence. The father of the transfiguration spoke from the cloud. This is my son. That's Luke 9.35. We can look ahead to Luke 21.27. And Jesus said, and then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now, when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads because your redemption is drawing near. Christ is going to, as I said, he will be coming on a cloud. That's when your final redemption will come clear. Luke's second book, Acts, chapter one, verse nine. And he said to them, it is not for you to know times or seasons that the father has fixed by his own authority, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and at the ends of the earth. And we had said these things as they were looking on, he was lifted up and a cloud took him out of their sight. Jesus sends into the clouds after this great commission to the church. Again, a reminder of the Chicano glory that was present in Exodus. And finally, Revelation one seven. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom priest to his God and father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold. He is coming with the clouds. And every eye will see, even those who pierce him and all the tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so, amen. The cloud imagery is used to remind us that Christ is coming again. He's coming as a visible representative of God. It's not going to be like the first coming, when people looked upon him and esteemed him not. No, he's going to come in the cloud, the Shekinah glory fully revealed. And those who are not worshipping him, those who are not watchful, those who are not trusting him, they will be judged and destroyed. But for those who are worshipping him, those who have trusted him, this is good news. Even though it should be terrifying because God Almighty is coming to be with his people are the holy one there with sinners. If we have trusted Christ, our sins are forgiven. We are washed and we are free. When Jesus comes again in the cloud, we will have our redemption completed. Sin will be removed. We will be able to worship God face to face. This is why, after the cup, Brian will say, come Lord Jesus. And we will say, come quickly. Because we long for the day when Christ will come and complete his redemption. So we need to be anticipating people. We need to be looking forward for the glory of God to be fully revealed to us. And while we wait, God is still with us. While we wait, God is still with us. He was with Israel as a cloud and by fire in the Exodus and the desert. He was with his people as Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, but they esteemed him not. They rejected him. God is with his people in a unique and intimate way today. The Shekinah glory indwells every believer in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God who is with us, indwelling us. The Holy Spirit is the one who converts our hearts and takes up a residence there. The Son came and lived among us. The Spirit lives in us. That is why we are to walk in the Spirit and to be led by the Spirit. If we live by the Spirit, we will walk by the Spirit. If you walk by the Spirit, you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. One of the key questions is, how do I have the Spirit and dwell in me? How do I walk more by the Spirit? Christians are constantly asking, and I think it's a great question because it's a difficult subject. How do I experience more of the Spirit? How do I learn to walk more by the Spirit, the God who is dwelling in us? How can I experience That spirit who draws. The answer is somewhat tricky. Because the spirit does not come. To reveal himself. When the spirit comes in and dwells in the heart of the believer, he's not coming to shine a spotlight on himself when the spirit comes, the way to experience the spirit is to look to Christ. If you want to hear the Spirit speak, listen to the words of Christ. The Spirit is not here to tell you anything new. The Spirit dwells us to remind us of what Christ has said. The Spirit dwells us to make a resounding sound so that we listen, we read the words of Christ. If we're focusing, saying, I want to see more of the Spirit, I want to hear more of the Spirit, I want to experience more of the Spirit. I think the way you do that is by looking to Christ more. Because the Spirit doesn't come to glorify himself. The Spirit is a spotlight. And when we look to Christ, that's how you experience the Spirit. The Spirit is wanting us to see Christ more. He doesn't draw attention to himself. That's why he's somewhat of the mysterious person of the Trinity. Because he doesn't draw attention to himself. He's there drawing our attention to Christ, who is our life. Who has died for us. If you want to hear him, he's shouting. Jesus is the way. Jesus is the truth. Jesus is the life. The Shekinah Glorian dwells us and he's seeking to glorify Christ. He's seeking to help our hearts. Be lifted up to look at Christ in His glory at the right hand of the Father. If we want to experience the presence of God, if we want to experience the glory of God, if we want to know more of this Spirit who indwells us, we look to Christ, the risen Savior. Let's go to the Lord in prayer. We praise you, the God who leads every moment of every day and has done so that the history of the world. We thank you for your word that directs us to how you have been sovereign, how you have always controlled evil to glorify yourself. While you are not the author of evil, you are sovereign over it. And while we experience evil, while we experience hardship, while we experience trials, Almighty God, reveal yourself in the midst of that. Help us to see what you were doing in us. Through these trials. And Lord, we pray. Lead us not into temptation. Deliver us from the evil one. Help us, Lord, to know how to escape temptation. Help us, Lord, to know how to trust your spirit. Help us, Lord, to see Christ and his forgiveness. Help us to have assurance in his death and his resurrection. Help us to wait, anticipating the glorious return. Help us be watchful in this world, Lord. We thank you that you have not left us alone. We thank you, Son. We thank you, Jesus, that you've kept us and you sanctify us by your truth. We thank you, Father, that you have sealed us with your Holy Spirit. Spirit, lead us. Convict us. Convert your children. And keep us. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.