Exodus 14:19-20 And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them… I. THE SURENESS OF GOD'S INTERPOSITION WHEN HE IS NEEDED, IN THE WAY HIS WISDOM CHOOSES (ver. 19). When we are called to difficult duty, God will keep His promise to be with us, and always His help will be found stationed at the exposed point. II. THE REVELATION OF A TWOFOLD CHARACTER IN GOD'S DEALINGS WITH MEN (ver. 20; see Luke 2:34; 2 Corinthians 2:16; Revelation 11:5; Matthew 21:42-44; John 9:39). III. THE PRACTICAL BEARING OF A COURAGEOUS FAITH (ver. 21). We may never be put before an actual ocean tossing with billows under difficult stress of demand like this; but we shall often be placed where mere obedience is commanded, and where God's covenant is all that ensures success. "Doing duty belongs to us; achieving deliverance belongs to God." Then it is that an unbroken faith "laughs at impossibility," and says, "It shall be done!" IV. THE PERFECT SAFETY OF A BELIEVER'S EXPOSURE, UPON A PROMISE OF THE LIVING GOD (ver. 22). One of Aristotle's sayings may well be quoted here. He says: "Every how rests upon a that." That is, if God has declared that a difficult duty is to be done, He may be trusted to show how it is to be done. He will never ask us into straits of obedience without providing for our preservation. And when once a path of service is lying out before us, it does not matter at all how dangerous it appears; we shall go through it without harm. So our safety is in the exposure when God is our companion. His love will hold the sea-walls steady, and the seawalls will keep back Pharaoh. Some solicitous friends once warned Whitefield to spare himself in such extraordinary efforts; he only answered with words that long ago went into history "I am immortal till my work is done!" V. THE FORGETFULNESS AND INCORRIGIBLENESS OF A DARING UNBELIEF (ver. 23). VI. THE MERCY OF GOD, EXHIBITED IN THE FACT THAT THE WAY OF THE TRANSGRESSOR IS HARD (ver. 24). Up to the last moment there was a chance for that pursuing army to retreat by the way they came. So it was a manifest benevolence to them on the part of God to hinder them as much as possible. calls attention to the familiar fact that God always warns before He waits, and waits before He strikes, and strikes before He crushes, so as to give space for repentance. He threatens plagues so that we may avoid plagues; and indeed, remarks the golden-tongued orator, it is doubtful whether the prospect of hell has not availed as much as the promise of heaven in hindering the blasphemies of open sin. We may safely assert now that many a man has had occasion to thank God that his chariot-wheels drave heavily, so that he recognized the hindering hand of his Maker (ver. 25). VII. Our last lesson is concerning THE SURE JUDGMENTS OF ALMIGHTY WRATH WHEN ONCE THE CUP OF INIQUITY IS FULL (ver. 26). (C. S. Robinson, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: 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: |
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