Crossing the Red Sea

The Exodus Series, Part 3 of 4

Crossing the Red Sea

September 15, 1996

Exodus 14:19-31; Matthew 18:21-35

The night of the Passover had come and gone. The slaves were streaming out of Egypt on their way to the birth of a new nation, to becoming the people of God. They were free, at least for the time being. They had been set free in what can only be called a miraculous way. Now they were being directed by a miracle, following a visible pillar of cloud by day that became a glowing fire by night.

You would think that with freedom, and with the sense of doing God's will, life would immediately be much better. In fact, life almost immediately became much more challenging. Living by faith is not for the faint of heart.

There is a certain bogus security in being a prisoner and a slave. Life within the walls of a prison is probably somewhat predictable. But now even that wispy security was gone. God's special people couldn't simply live by their wits any longer. They were learning to follow God's word, and live by faith. So— shortly after the miracle of Passover the people who were being called out by God found themselves facing a life-threatening crisis. They were being introduced to grace.

Pharaoh was in a rage. After the first awful shock and panic of the loss of his first-born son his pain and sorrow turned to bitter hatred. He assembled his armies and began pursuit. He intended to round up his former slaves and punish them. They would now have a slavery worse than they had had before.

Pharaoh had all the weapons of war, the slaves had none. The refugee-like columns of Israel were marching themselves right up against the barrier of the waters of a sea. The position of the Israelites was without any visible way out. Behind was slavery. Ahead was impossible. What good could the Passover be if they were going to simply be killed or recaptured?

But then a way appeared. It was the way of grace. The obstacle they faced, once it was behind them, became a barrier between them and the country that had enslaved them. The Red Sea actually was only the first of many, many challenges the people of God faced. And every time they could fail and die in unbelief, or, they could look for the way of grace.

It is a real "stretch" to connect the Red Sea crossing of Exodus to today's gospel lesson from Matthew 18 on forgiveness. But we, too, [like the Israelites] are learning to live by faith, learning to trust the God of grace. We are called into the life of faith by the love of God. We believe the story of the Cross and begin to follow Christ. Then we find that this life of faith is a pathway of challenges. This world does not surrender its prisoners easily. We can surrender and go back— or we can do the impossible and go straight ahead. There are challenges that can only be met by walking straight ahead in God's way of grace .

One of the BIG obstacles we face as Christians AFTER we have started out by faith along the path of salvation is how to handle the matter of forgiveness. Forgiveness is of the essence of grace. It is God's way of dealing with us, and with our sins. That is what we usually think of as the heart of "being saved:" OUR sins are forgiven.

But then we discover that God is expecting us to treat OTHERS the way He has treated us. We discover that God wants us to forgive ourselves, and forgive our parents, and forgive our enemies, and simply move away from condemnation and guilt forever. Jesus knew it would be an ongoing struggle, for he taught us to pray "Forgive us whatever we do wrong...as we forgive all those who do any wrong to us!" [and then Jesus commented on that part of the prayer: "If you do not forgive, neither will your heavenly Father forgive you.."]

The way of grace is revealed particularly in this matter of forgiveness. Several factors in the nature of grace present themselves:

GRACE IS OF GOD: THE SLAVES—are powerless until God sends them Moses; WE are powerless to save ourselves. Then God speaks through His Word, by His Spirit— we believe and are saved. Then we begin to discover:
GRACE IS RELATIONAL. Grace begins with trust toward God. But grace continues in the community of hope. We begin to learn to trust and love each other as well. The Exodus narrative is not as explicit just at this point; it is later. But in the Epistle lesson today (Romans 14:7) Paul says flat out: "No one lives to himself, no on dies to himself."
We live to the Lord and for one another.
Just how important is this lesson of relational grace?
Bitterness, hidden resentments, unresolved conflicts can keep Christians from knowing God's perfect freedom and grace just as certainly as the Red Sea could keep the Hebrew children from getting away from raging Pharaoh. Not to forgive acts as a block to receiving grace. A clenched fist can not receive God's free gift. But there is more about the nature of grace:
GRACE IS 'NOT FAIR.' That is great when it comes to your sins and mine: we don't want what we deserve. But when we begin to think about forgiving people who have done US wrong it often is another story. Grace is "not fair"—it "goes beyond."
Peter's question "How many times should I forgive??" seems to indicate that Peter was thinking about the high cost of being generous in forgiving. Seven times may be generous for Peter, and for us as well, but God isn't into keeping score. Peter's question also gives insight into God's kind of forgiveness: God's grace is extravagant. God challenges His people to live beyond bitterness and revenge and hatred as well.
How does God help us deal with the challenges of spirit that come after we have begun this way of faith? Especially, how does God help us forgive, and ask forgiveness, and relate in honesty to Him, and to ourselves, and to one another? Believe me, it takes as great a miracle as parting the Red Sea! But that miracle is available.
Reprieve to story: God did not abandon the people of faith— he (1) went behind them and kept them safe until they could get moving; He (2) went before them to show them the way through the waters. The "obstacle" that seemed to be absolutely impassable now became a barrier to the old way of life.
That is the way obedience works: seeking and finding and giving forgiveness from the heart releases grace.
One last thing about the nature of grace:
GRACE IS PRESENT HERE AND NOW
These scripture words are far more than just an interesting history story. Some of you are like the people who were learning to know God and walk by faith. You are face to face with the Red Sea of the need for forgiveness. You ask: Can God really forgive me? or, perhaps, "How can I believe and receive the freedom I want to know in my life while I find it hard to let go of the bitterness and forgive someone who has made life hard for me?"

Prayer - Then #84 - into #85 Grace Greater than our Sin/ Amazing Grace