This pastoral passage was first written for LRBC on September 7 2014. The unnamed sermon-writer was Charles Spurgeon.

I came across an old sermon some time ago that compared the situation of the Jews at the Red Sea (Exodus 14:10-14) to the experience of Christians after their conversion. Their situation can be used in a parabolic fashion for our own lives. The preacher called on his hearers to consider the difficulties the Jews faced in their journey to their land of Promise, and also their blessings.

The Israelites had three difficulties. First, there was the Red Sea in front of them. They faced this difficulty only because they had fled their slavery in Egypt. Christians, as people who have fled the world and no longer submit to its demands, face trials that come about because they refuse the world’s values. Their second difficulty was Pharaoh and his army behind them. Likewise, we are pursued by our old sins, the devil and the world, all seeking to reclaim our servitude. But the third was the most dangerous. Their lack of faith made the first two difficulties seem greater than the God who had called them. Unconfident faith can make us believe that the challenges of the Christian life are greater than the God for whose sake we face those challenges.

 But like them also we have blessings to fortify us when we face troubles because of our faith. God has brought us into hardship, and he is able to bring us through it as well. He has promised this and will keep his promises. Christ prays for us to the Father just as Moses prayed for the people. When we consider the difficulties of life following Christ, these things can remind us of the question “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). The answer that a confident faith will give is this: No one.