Defeating the Enemy By Faith - Moses & the Red Sea

Vol 2 - No 12, September 3, 2005

Defeating the enemy, by faith - Part 1:

In our studies to date it has become apparent that what was done through the Old Testament Saints described in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews pre-figures what God accomplished for us by His son Jesus Christ, that is, the pattern in the eleventh chapter points to the reality of God's finished work in the life of the believer today. The point to be developed in this lesson is the significance of the change in subject in the middle of the 29th verse of that chapter, and what follows. The first half of the verse states: "By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land" - Hebrews 11:2929 By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned.

29 By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned.

29 By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned.

29 By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned.

a. The last half of the verse reads: "and which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned." - Hebrews 11:29b. Up through the middle of verse 29, the chapter has demonstrated God's merciful provision for sinful man through the promised seed who: made the only sacrifice possible that can bring man into a right relation with God; made it possible to walk in fellowship with God; saved believers in Him from judgment for their sins; and provided hope for absolute freedom from the slavery and death of sin. The promised seed is the Lord Jesus Christ who accomplished all this in His life, death and resurrection.

But even though Jesus Christ finished His work in those who believe, the closing verses of Hebrews 11 teach that their life experience does not stop at the point of salvation and redemption from sin. In the verses immediately following Israel's escape from the slavery and death of sin in Egypt is the lesson that all who look for His appearing still face a battle with the enemy and the attendant suffering. - Hebrews 11:30 - 3430 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.

31 By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.

32 And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets:

33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions.

34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.

. However, the assurance of victory is emphasized in the phrase that precedes the chronicle of struggle and suffering: "and which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned." - Hebrews 11:29b. With this we are assured by forgone conclusion that the battle is won even as we endure.

Let's look to the account in the book of Exodus to see how "By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry and: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned," Hebrews 11:29, was actually played out. When Pharaoh and his army came up behind the Children of Israel while they were encamped next the Red Sea the Israelites cried out to Moses that they never should have left Egypt and it would have been better to stay there in slavery than to die in the desert Exodus 14:9 - 129 But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, before Baalzephon.

10 And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD.

11 And they said unto 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?

12 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.

. But Moses had faith in God's word "And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace." - Exodus 14:13 & 1413 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.

14 The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

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The Word of God was spoken to Moses who responded by faith. "And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: 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. And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them: 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. And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry and, and the waters were divided." - Exodus 14:15 - 2115 And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:

16 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.

17 And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.

18 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.

19 And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:

20 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.

21 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.

. We observe that the Lord protected Israel from the enemy in the cloud, which was light to Israel enabling their safe escape through the Red Sea but at the same time was darkness to the enemy so they could not get at Israel.

"And 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. And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians, And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians. And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen. And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them." - Exodus 14:22 - 2822 And 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.

23 And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.

24 And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians,

25 And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians.

26 And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.

27 And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.

28 And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them.

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The Word of God accomplished the deliverance of His people and the defeat of the enemy by the faith of Moses, who in obedience stretched out his hand and rod over the waters. The Apostle Paul uses this incident to teach that the Israelites were actually identified with Moses in this event: "Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;" I Corinthians 10:1 & 2. Moses was the type and Jesus Christ is the anti type. Thus, just as the Children of Israel followed Moses and were saved because of his faith, so we who are in Christ are saved because of the finished work He accomplished by faith. "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." - Galations 3:26 - 28.

And, as the Children of Israel had all their needs supplied by following Moses, so it is with we who are in Christ: "What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 8:31 - 3931 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.

34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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In the next studies we will examine some of the victories in battle given to Israel by faith in God's Word, all of which in type points to the believer's experience today.