Message 28
Scripture Reading: Exo. 14:1-31
God’s complete salvation for His chosen people includes the Passover, the exodus from Egypt, and the crossing of the Red Sea. The Passover signifies redemption; the exodus signifies the going out from the world; and the crossing of the Red Sea signifies baptism. A full salvation with all these aspects is exactly what we need and what we enjoy today.
It was necessary for God to have such a person as Pharaoh for the accomplishing of these three aspects of salvation. Without him there would not have been the necessary environment, circumstances, and situations. If we see this matter, we shall praise the Lord for His sovereignty. Pharaoh’s opposition created an environment that made the Passover possible. We cannot say that Pharaoh was the source of the Passover. However, we can say that without him there would not have been the necessary environment for the institution of the Passover.
The Passover included provision for redemption, which the children of Israel needed because of their sins. The Passover, however, includes much more than redemption. Christians recognize the need for redemption, but they may not see the need for the Passover. During the night of the Passover, not only were the children of Israel saved, but the Egyptians and the evil power of darkness were judged. In a normal experience of salvation, we are redeemed, and the power of darkness within us and around us is judged. However, many Christians are not saved in a normal way. They experience redemption, but they do not experience God’s judgment of the power of darkness.
We have seen that time after time Pharaoh struggled against the Lord, resisting His demand to let the children of Israel go. But the more Pharaoh struggled, the more he helped to bring about the environment that was needed for the accomplishment of God’s salvation.
Although Pharaoh continually resisted God’s demands, Moses continued to negotiate with him. None of us would have exercised the patience required of Moses. We would probably have given up after the first few conflicts. This is often what we do as we deal with people today. For example, perhaps we are burdened for the salvation of a particular person. We may expect that anyone who has been chosen by God will turn to the Lord after we have contacted him a few times. But if he continues to resist the Lord, we may give up, thinking that it is a waste of time to pursue the matter further. Moses, on the contrary, was patient and persevering in his dealings with Pharaoh.
As a result of Moses’ contact with Pharaoh and of Pharaoh’s struggle against the Lord, the situation in Egypt became very tense. Eventually, the Passover became a necessity. When Pharaoh and the Egyptians had proved that they were wholly against the Lord, the time had come for the Lord to exercise His judgment upon the rebellious Egyptians and to deliver His people. As the children of Israel were enjoying the Passover, the Egyptians were suffering under the judgment of God. The Egyptians, however, had no right to blame God for this. They had brought the judgment of God upon themselves. They were responsible for producing the environment that required the institution of the Passover, with its redemption and its judgment.
In a similar way, it was with the help of Pharaoh that God’s people made their exodus from Egypt. Otherwise, the children of Israel probably would never have left the land of Egypt. If Pharaoh and the Egyptians had been kind to them, they would have had no desire to leave Egypt. But Pharaoh’s oppression of the children of Israel created the environment for their exodus from Egypt and then made it necessary for them to go. Eventually, Pharaoh drove God’s people out of Egypt. Hence, Pharaoh was used by God to accomplish the exodus of His people.
According to God’s ordination and His economy, in His salvation there is the need for baptism, which is signified by the crossing of the Red Sea. In order to accomplish this aspect of salvation, God did not lead His people directly into the land of Canaan, through the territory of the Philistines. Rather, as we pointed out in the foregoing message, He led them to take a roundabout way. He caused them to go southward and turn toward the Red Sea, seemingly toward a dead end. The Lord, however, knew what He was planning to do. His intention was to use the Red Sea to baptize His people and to bury Pharaoh and his army. If the children of Israel had gone directly into the land of Canaan through the territory of the Philistines, they would not have crossed the Red Sea, and the Egyptian army would not have been buried. Therefore, in the crossing of the Red Sea, God used Pharaoh once again, this time to create a situation to bring about the baptism of His people. By means of the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire, God led them to take a detour. As they marched behind the pillar that guided them, they were led to camp by the sea (14:2).
According to 14:3, the Lord knew that Pharaoh would say of the children of Israel, “They are wandering aimlessly in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in” (Heb.). In the eyes of the Egyptians, the Israelites were very foolish for taking such an indirect route. Thus, the situation of the children of Israel in the wilderness tempted Pharaoh to pursue them. Therefore, the encampment of the children of Israel by the sea and the pursuit by Pharaoh and his chariots produced an ideal environment for the baptism of God’s people and the burial of Pharaoh and his army.
According to the concept of the worldly people, many of us were wandering aimlessly during the period of time between our conversion and our baptism. Before we were saved, we had a definite goal, an aim in life. But after we were saved, we apparently had no goal and had begun to wander aimlessly. We, of course, had a spiritual goal. But in the eyes of the worldly people we had no aim in life and were no longer clear about our future. This kind of aimless wandering often stirs up persecution. Others may accuse us of no longer knowing what we are doing or where we are going. Some may even think that we have lost our sanity. Many of us have undergone this kind of persecution.
However, such persecution helps us to have a proper and thorough baptism. If we are not persecuted for apparently wandering aimlessly, our baptism may be a mere procedure with little significance. But if we are persecuted for having lost our goal, our baptism will be very meaningful. Hence, we must thank the Lord for this kind of persecution. I can testify that the best baptisms I have witnessed were of those who had been persecuted by relatives and friends. In these cases, the new converts had a great deal to bury when they were immersed. However, when there is no persecution, baptism may not be as meaningful, for when the new converts are buried, nothing else is buried with them.
When the children of Israel were baptized in the Red Sea, they brought the Egyptian army into the water with them. In principle, the same thing should take place whenever a new convert is baptized. The army of the world should be brought into the baptistry and buried in the waters of baptism.
We have seen that Pharaoh was a help to the children of Israel in three aspects of God’s salvation. He helped them to have the Passover, to make their exodus from Egypt, and to have a thorough baptism. According to typology, this picture is comprehensive. If we consider the type and apply it to our situation today, we shall be able to help new believers to be baptized in a proper way.
A number of years ago I was very active in preaching the gospel, and many were saved through my gospel preaching. I always expected the newly saved ones to be baptized shortly after their conversion to Christ. I thought they would take a straight path from conversion to baptism. But according to the type in the book of Exodus, this expectation is wrong. God did not lead His people directly into the promised land. As we have pointed out, He led them to take a roundabout way. In the same principle, God may not lead the ones saved through our gospel preaching to take a straight path to baptism. On the contrary, He may lead them to take a detour. In the eyes of the world, it is ridiculous to follow such a way, for seemingly it leads to a dead end. Nevertheless, this is God’s leading, and it results in a proper baptism with a termination of the army of the world.
If we study the type in Exodus, we shall no longer expect new converts to take a straight path from conversion to baptism. We shall realize that the way God leads them may have many problems. However, this is God’s way to bring the converts into a situation where they are forced to have a proper and thorough baptism.
Let us now look into some of the details of Pharaoh’s last struggle, a struggle that was used by God in a definite way for the full salvation of His people.
Pharaoh’s last struggle was a type of the struggle of Satan and his world over the believers who are to be baptized. When Satan and the world struggle over a new convert, we should not be disappointed. Rather, we should realize that this struggle will prepare the environment for the converts to have a thorough baptism.
We have pointed out that Pharaoh was tempted by Israel’s wandering in the wilderness (14:1-3). Thinking that Israel was wandering aimlessly, Pharaoh was tempted to pursue them.
Pharaoh was tempted to pursue the children of Israel, and God hardened his heart. Because his heart had been hardened by God, Pharaoh made the decision to pursue the people of God. Exodus 14:4 says, “I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, that he shall follow after them; and I will glorify myself through Pharaoh, and through all his army; that the Egyptians may know that I am Jehovah” (Heb.).
Some may think that God would never do such a thing as harden Pharaoh’s heart. This is altogether contrary to their concept. But when we are in eternity, we may be surprised to learn that God has done a great many things that are not in keeping with our concept. In particular this is true of the way God uses Satan. Although we hate Satan, God continues to use him. This is proved by the fact that the doors of heaven are still open to Satan. We see from such portions of the Word as Revelation 12 and the book of Job that Satan has access to God’s presence in heaven. If we were God, we would use our power to immediately cast Satan into the lake of fire. At the very least, we would force him to stay out of heaven. God’s way, however, is higher than ours. According to His way, He uses Satan for the accomplishment of His own purpose. In the same principle, God used Pharaoh for His glory, hardening his heart and the hearts of the Egyptians (14:8, 17).
Regarding Pharaoh, 9:16 says, “But for this cause have I made thee stand in order to show thee my power; and in order to declare my name throughout all the earth” (Heb.). Paul refers to this verse in Romans 9:17. God used Pharaoh not only at the time of the plagues, but also during the exodus of His people from Egypt.
As 14:5 says, “The heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people.” According to 14:1 and 2, God commanded the children of Israel to “turn and encamp before Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baalzephon.” They were to encamp there by the sea, at a place that was virtually a dead end. In the eyes of Pharaoh, the children of Israel were trapped in the wilderness, and they had no way of escape. According to Pharaoh’s concept, this was an excellent opportunity to get the children of Israel back under his control. Hence, he pursued them.
Exodus 14:6-9 reveals that Pharaoh and his army pursued the children of Israel to the shore of the Red Sea. When the children of Israel looked backward, they saw the army of Pharaoh, and when they looked forward, they saw the Red Sea. Immediately, they cried out to the Lord and said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? Wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness” (vv. 11-12). In their complaint, the faithless children of Israel were very eloquent. They expressed their feeling with excellent utterance. We should not laugh at them, though. If we had been there, we probably would have acted in the same way.
Moses did not argue with the people or fight against them. Instead, he told them, “Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of Jehovah, which he will show to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more for ever. Jehovah shall fight for you, while ye keep silent” (vv. 13-14, Heb.). As soon as Moses spoke these words, the Lord came in and told him not to cry unto Him, but to tell the children of Israel to go forward. Then the Lord said to Moses, “But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea” (v. 16). At that juncture, Pharaoh and his army must have been very close to the camp of the children of Israel. If we had been there, we would have been terrified, just as the children of Israel were. The Egyptians had six hundred chariots; all Moses had was a staff in his hand.
Verse 19 says, “And the Angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them.” The Angel of God in this verse is the very Angel of Jehovah who called Moses in chapter three (vv. 2, 4, Heb.). God called Moses in the person of the Angel of Jehovah. The Angel of Jehovah was simply Jehovah God Himself. In the words of 3:6, the Angel of Jehovah identified Himself, saying, “I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” This indicates that He was the Triune God, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit. The Angel of Jehovah, who is the very Triune God, is Christ as God’s sent One. The fact that God’s sent One went before the camp of Israel indicates that Christ was the One who was leading the people. However, according to 14:19, the Angel of God moved from the front of the people to the rear. This verse goes on to say, “And the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them.” When the Angel of God moved, the pillar moved also. This shows that He and the pillar were one.
Verse 20 continues, “And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.” The pillar was a wall separating these two camps. On the Egyptian side of the wall there was darkness, but on the side facing God’s people there was light. This pillar of light protected God’s people from the Egyptians.
We can apply this to our experience in the Lord today. When we began to follow the Lord, the Lord’s guidance became a pillar of light to us. From the time we first believed in the Lord Jesus, we have had the light within us. This light is the guiding light. But when opposition rises up against us, the guiding light spontaneously becomes the protecting light. The light that was once in front of us moves behind us to protect us from opposition and attack. However, to the opposers the protecting light becomes darkness.
I can testify from my experience that whenever I have been opposed, the guiding light has moved behind me to become the protecting light. Otherwise, due to the opposition, I may have been tempted to go backward. I may have doubted the truth of what I had seen. But because the guiding light becomes the protecting light, I have no way to return. The light behind me is so bright that it is impossible to go backward. Furthermore, this protecting light becomes darkness to the opposers. On the one hand, I am protected by the light; on the other hand, the opposers are wholly in darkness. This is the principle seen in 14:19 and 20.
If we are faithful to the Lord, His guiding light will become our protecting light whenever we face opposition. This light will also spontaneously become darkness to those who oppose us. Because the opposers are in darkness and we are in the light, we are protected. The fact that this light is Christ as the Angel of Jehovah indicates that the very Christ who is light to us may cause darkness to come upon the opposers. For those who follow the will of God, the guiding light becomes the protecting light. But to those who oppose God’s people, the light becomes darkness. Be assured that whenever you are attacked by such opposers, the opposing ones will be full of darkness. In such a way the Lord protects His people.
The pillar of cloud stood between the children of Israel and the Egyptians as a separating wall. On the side of God’s people, there was light. But on the side of the Egyptians, there was darkness. Whether we are in light or in darkness depends on whether we follow the Lord or attack His people. If we are among the opposers, the pillar will be darkness to us. But if we follow the Lord, the pillar will give us light.
We have pointed out that the light we receive from the Lord firstly guides us. Then when opposition comes, it protects us. If we do not have the guiding light, we cannot have the protecting light. Many of us can testify that after we have received light, we are protected by this light, no matter how intense the opposition may be. When we are attacked, we may be tempted by the enemy to doubt our way or our standing. But during such times of doubt, the light we have received is our confirmation. This is the protecting light.
Often the light grows brighter in times of opposition and persecution. As the light becomes brighter for us, the opposers sink further and further into darkness. Eventually, the opposers may be in such great darkness that they themselves no longer understand what they are talking about. Because they attack these who are following the Lord, they are fully in darkness. As a result, they may suffer death in some form. I have seen this take place many times. Firstly the opposers were in darkness, but eventually they suffered death.
The more the opposers attack God’s people, the more they themselves are in darkness. Not only may they be in ignorance or blindness; they may also become illogical and unreasonable. They may be in such thick darkness that they lose their reason. Suppose a friend or relative opposes you because you follow the Lord. The more this one opposes you, the more he is in darkness. Eventually, he may lose his senses and begin to act unreasonably. His words and behavior may be not only against the light and truth of God; they may also be against reason. Nevertheless, while the attackers are in such thick darkness, you enjoy the shining of the protecting light.
Consider the situation among the religionists when the Lord Jesus was on earth. To the disciples, the Lord was light. But to the religionists, He was a cause of darkness. Because the religionists were in darkness, they spread evil rumors about the Lord and even twisted His words. For example, they twisted His word about destroying the temple and raising it up in three days (Matt. 26:61). On the side of the religionists, there was darkness. But on the side of the Lord and His disciples, there was light. For this reason, the Lord Jesus told the religionists that they were blind (Matt. 23:16).
Furthermore, when Saul of Tarsus was converted, the Lord charged him to turn others from darkness to light (Acts 26:18). The darkness the Lord was talking about here was particularly the darkness of Judaism. At the time of Paul, Judaism was altogether in darkness. The same is true of Catholicism, Protestantism, and the independent religious groups today. The more those in these groups oppose the truth, the more they are in darkness. When the Lord Jesus was on earth, He Himself was the testing stone. Then in the book of Acts the apostles and later the churches became the testing stone. Today we in the Lord’s recovery have become the testing stone.
We have pointed out that the children of Israel were led by the Angel of God. He was the One who took the lead to bring them out of Egypt and to guide them through the wilderness into the good land. Before chapter fourteen, He was present among the people, but His name was not mentioned. As we shall see, in 23:20 the Lord said, “Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared.” Furthermore, in the book of Zechariah we once again see the Angel of God (3:5). This Angel, the sent One of God, the very One who led the children of Israel and protected them from the Egyptians, was still taking care of God’s people. When the Angel of God moved from the front of the people to the rear, the pillar moved also, for the Angel and the pillar were one. It is the same in our experience today. In our experience we cannot separate the Lord from the guiding Spirit.
After Pharaoh served the purpose God had for him, he became a sacrifice. I have often issued a warning not to become a sacrifice by opposing the church. Nevertheless, some have not taken heed to this warning and have become sacrifices. The more they opposed the church, the more illogical and unreasonable they became. Their unreasonable behavior was a sign that they were in darkness.
The more we are attacked and opposed as we follow the Lord, the brighter the guiding and protecting light becomes. Nevertheless, the opposers may continue their attack in spite of the darkness that envelopes them. Surely Pharaoh must have seen the pillar that separated the children of Israel from the Egyptians. But still he did not call back his chariots. Instead, having lost his reason, he continued his pursuit of God’s people and became a sacrifice.
When Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, the waters were divided (14:21). Then “the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left” (v. 22). Instead of a dead end, there was now a way through the sea. Therefore, with the Angel behind them, the children of Israel crossed over the sea on dry ground. Then, because they had been hardened by God to pursue His people, “the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen” (v. 23). Pharaoh and his army pursued the children of Israel to the midst of the Red Sea because the Lord had hardened the hearts of the Egyptians. God did this for the purpose of glorifying Himself through Pharaoh and through his army, his chariots, and his horsemen (vv. 17-18, Heb.).
Verse 24 says that the Lord looked to the camp of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud and “confused the army of the Egyptians” (Heb.). According to verse 25, the Lord “took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily.” Some versions say that the Lord bound the wheels so that they could not move. Confused and unable to move their chariots, the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from the face of Israel; for Jehovah fighteth for them against the Egyptians” (v. 25, Heb.). However, it was too late to flee. At the word of the Lord, Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and “the sea returned to his strength” (v. 27). The water returned to its usual current, and the Egyptians perished.
Although the Egyptians tried to flee, the Lord shook them off in the midst of the sea (v. 27, Heb.). Verse 28 goes on to say, “And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the army of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them” (Heb.). Pharaoh and his army were drowned and buried in the sea. This signifies that Satan and the world have been buried in baptism (vv. 26-28; 15:4-5, 10, 19).
After he was buried in the sea, Pharaoh was terminated. Never would he struggle again, for his usefulness in the hand of God was finished. Having been released from the usurping hand of Pharaoh by crossing the Red Sea, the children of Israel entered into another realm. But Pharaoh, because he was no longer useful to God, was terminated and buried.
According to our experience, we can testify that certain things may rise up against us. Although we are not happy with attack and opposition, all the attackers and opposers are useful in the hand of God. God uses them for our good, for the purpose of perfecting us. Once this goal has been achieved and the opposers are of no further use, the opposition will be terminated. Pharaoh not only drove the children of Israel out of Egypt; he also accompanied them to the Red Sea. Then after God’s people crossed the Red Sea and Pharaoh was buried in the sea, they were separated from him forever. If some opposition or attack is allowed to remain, it must be that God still has a need for it. It must be necessary for our good. But one day this opposition will be terminated and buried.
In this message we have seen that Pharaoh was used by God to accomplish a thorough, complete, and perfect salvation of His chosen people. He was used to provide the environment for the Passover, the exodus, and the baptism. There was nothing left for God’s people to do but to praise Him. Pharaoh’s last struggle was over. Now that he had been laid to rest, there was no further struggle concerning him. Praise the Lord that even Pharaoh’s last struggle helped to accomplish the full salvation of God’s chosen people!
