Introduction: Grace be to you and peace, from God our Father, and from our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Our text is the song of victory sung by the children of Israel following their miraculous rescue at the Red Sea from Pharaoh and his army, the verses used in our Introit for today. We begin with prayer.
Dear fellow disciples of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ:
- Hopefully you remember the account of Israel’s exodus from slavery in Egypt, accomplished by God through the hand of Moses – a truly remarkable account! They had left Egypt and were heading east when Pharaoh pursued with his army, and pinned them against this large body of water, the Red Sea. They appeared to be doomed, utterly defeated. But of course God turned that around, providing for their escape on dry ground through the midst of the Red Sea, and when Pharaoh’s army pursued, the water came back upon them and drowned them. Our text is their grateful song of victory.
- I don’t know about you, but I’ve almost gotten to the point that when watching teams I am rooting for, I don’t really like “close” games. I want to see my favorite teams romp over the opposition, so that the outcome is never really in question.
- To some degree, I want the same when it comes to the triumph of good in the world – God imposing His will upon fallen creation and claiming the victory. Instead, as with the children of Israel, the outcome often appears dubious, up for grabs, and God often “SNATCHES VICTORY FROM APPARENT DEFEAT.” It is no different for us living in the world today – so that the agony of “faith,” of “believing,” is required, rather than immediately “knowing” and experiencing the victory.
- Well, that is how God has chosen to do things – so that faith is always required, just as it was of Adam and Eve in the Garden. And it was also true of our redemption and salvation in Christ Jesus. For:
I. Christ’s Death On The Cross Was Akin To Israel’s Predicament At The Red Sea – Defeat And Ruin Seemed Certain
Ex. 14:10-14 “When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel cried out to the LORD. They said to Moses, ‘Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: “Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians”? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.’ And Moses said to the people, ‘Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.’”
John 19:30 “When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished.’ and He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.”
Matthew 27:65.66 “Pilate said to them, ‘You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.’ So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.”
Statement: For the disciples, for Mary and John, and for all who had put hope in Jesus, this must have been a very dark and dismal time – a time when their faith seemed dashed and destroyed. Who wouldn’t have concluded that evil had prevailed, that God’s defeat and ruin appeared certain?
Application: In our own lives we have seen much of the same. The church is in decline. The nation is in decline. Evil appears to be prevailing everywhere. Defeat and ruin seem certain, that God and good are already defeated.
We don’t like it – when the struggle seems close, and fiercely “contested.” But we must always remember that God “SNATCHES VICTORY FROM DEFEAT.” We see this with Israel and Pharaoh, and also in Christ, that:
II. God’s Word Always Prevails
A. It Certainly Prevailed For Israel
Ex. 14:23-28 “The Egyptians pursued and went in after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. And in the morning watch the LORD in the pillar of fire and of cloud looked down on the Egyptian forces and threw the Egyptian forces into a panic, clogging their chariot wheels so that they drove heavily. And the Egyptians said, ‘Let us flee from before Israel, for the LORD fights for them against the Egyptians.’ Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.’ So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its normal course when the morning appeared. And as the Egyptians fled into it, the LORD threw the Egyptians into the midst of the sea. The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen; of all the host of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea, not one of them remained.”
B. God’s Word Also Prevailed In Christ’s Death And Resurrection
Matt. 28:2-6 “And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus Who was crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, as He said.”
C. And So Also His Word Will Also Prevail For Us In This Time
Is. 55:10,11 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes out from My mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”
Statement: Athletes sometimes predict victory, and military leaders also from time to time brag victory before the battle. These do not come true just because someone asserts them. But God is a bit different, just a bit bigger and more powerful – He reigns over all things, and controls every aspect of His creation. When He speaks – it happens. And He has spoken blessing and victory to us – “Do not be afraid.”
Application: But even on Easter morning in the early hours, even with Christ’s resurrection, things must have looked tenuous and uncertain. After all, His enemies had killed Him once – suppose they were to do it again. But the disciples soon learned what power was in control – God’s Word. And it still is in power and control – though we need to continue having faith in God! For:
III. We Still Seem Pressed By Defeat – But God Will Snatch The Victory
A. We See Our Ongoing Sin, Aging, And Death Around Us
Rom. 8:10 “But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.”
B. And The World Seems To Be Prevailing Over The Church – But Even This Is In Accord With God’s Word
Matthew 7:13,14 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”
C. But In The End God’s Word Will Prevail, And The Faithful Will Sing God’s Victory
Matt. 25:31,32 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. Before Him will be gathered all the nations, and He will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.”
Rev. 5:11-13 “Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, ‘Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!’ And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, ‘To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!’”
Statement: Our song will be that of God’s people of old: “I will sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously . . . He is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation.” God will prevail, and though the battle seems fierce and long, and the outcome undetermined, the reality is that is a romp, a total victory – it is just a matter of time.
Application: It may seem close, but one of the by-products of God’s patience and His no-coercive way of drawing us back to Himself, is that it often seems that He is “SNATCHING VICTORY FROM DEFEAT.” If we could see better, and have more trust in His Word, we would have no fear as to the outcome. Christ’s resurrection helps us with this!
Conclusion: I don’t suspect that we derive much joy from the closeness of the struggle, or from those who are lost to evil. However, there is joy that the final conclusion is inevitable – God’s complete victory. So let us have faith and join in praising God, our strength, our song, and our salvation! Amen.
Votum: And the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds in the true faith, which is in Christ Jesus, even unto life everlasting, Amen.