Three responses to a dreadful dilemma

1. Three Responses to a Dreadful Dilemma
Exod 14
1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encampbefore
Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over againstBaalzephon: before it
shall ye encamp by the sea.
3 For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the
land, the wilderness hath shut them in.
4 And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, that he shall follow after them; and I
will be honouredupon Pharaohonly told they would be delivered not that first they must do the
impossible- walk through the red sea (vs17)
, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may
know that I am the LORD. And they did so. Exod. 5:2, Job 21:15
5 And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled: and the heart of
Pharaoh andof his servants was turned againstthe people, and they said,
Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from servingus?
6 And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him:
7 And he took six hundredchosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt,
and captains over every one of them.
8 And the LORD hardenedthe heart of Pharaoh kingof Egypt, and he
pursuedafter the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out
with an high hand.
9 But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of
Pharaoh, andhis 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.

2. 11 And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast
thou taken us awayto die in the wilderness? wherefore hastthou dealt
thus with us, to carryus 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 shoulddie in the wilderness.
13 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.
15 And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criestthou 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.
22 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.

3. 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.
Three responses to a dreadful dilemma
I. Accusation
Exod 14:11-12 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 carryus 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 shoulddie in the wilderness.
(Accusation)
A. Ill-intent
The trap set by the serpent was to impugn the motive of Gods
restriction.
Gen 3:5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes
shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowinggood and evil.
2Chr 32:15 Now therefore let not Hezekiah deceive you, nor persuade you
on this manner, neither yet believe him: for no god of any nation or
kingdom was able to deliver his people out of mine hand, and out of the
hand of my fathers: how much less shall your God deliver you out of
mine hand?
Num 6:22-26 22 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
23 Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless
the children of Israel, saying unto them,
24 The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:
25 The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:

4. 26 The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
Deut 4:31 (For the LORD thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake
thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he
sware unto them.
Jer 29:10-11 10 For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be
accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word
toward you, in causingyou to return to this place.
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD,
thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
(Accusation)
B. Safety ignored
Ps 106:7 Our fathers understoodnot thy wonders in Egypt; they
rememberednot the multitude of thy mercies; but provoked him at the
sea, even at the Red sea.
Ps 81:12-14 12 So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they
walked in their own counsels.
13 Oh that my people had hearkenedunto me, and Israel had walkedin
my ways!
14 I shouldsoon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against
their adversaries.
Ps 78:53 And he led them on safely, so that they fearednot: but the sea
overwhelmed their enemies.
(Accusation)
C. Imagination of defeat
1Kgs 19:1-4 1 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah haddone, and withal
how he had slain all the prophets with the sword.

5. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do
to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them
by to morrow aboutthis time.
3 And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to
Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servantthere.
4 But he himself went a day's journeyinto the wilderness, and came and
sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he
might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am
not better than my fathers.
1Kgs 19:14 And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of
hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown
down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only,
am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.
Gen 50:20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it
unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.
Ps 119:71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn
thy statutes.
Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them
that love God, to them who are the calledaccordingto his purpose.
Accusation
II. Acquiescence
Exod 14:13-14 13 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.
(Acquiescence)

6. A. Hypocritical Hyperbole
Rom 2:21-23 21 Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou
not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?
22 Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit
adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?
23 Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law
dishonourestthou God?
2Tim 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from
such turn away.
Isa 29:13 Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near
me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have
removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the
precept of men:
Isa 48:1 Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, which are calledby the name of
Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, which swear by the
name of the LORD, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in
truth, nor in righteousness.
Isa 10:5-6 5 O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their
hand is mine indignation.
6 I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people
of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey,
and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.
(Acquiescence)
B. Conversation withoutconsecration
John 12:4-6 4 Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son,
which should betray him,
5 Why was not this ointment sold for three hundredpence, and given to
the poor?
6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor;but because he was a
thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.

7. Mark 14:4 And there were some that had indignation within themselves,
and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made?
Exod 14:19-20 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 behindthem:
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.
Accusation
Acquiescence
III. Action (of obedience, not impatience)
Exod 14:15-16 15 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 handover the sea, and
divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the
midst of the sea.
Rom 2:7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory
and honour and immortality, eternal life:
2Thess 3:13 But ye, brethren, be not wearyin well doing.
Col 1:21-24 21 And you, that were sometime alienatedand enemies in
your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and
unblameable andunreproveablein his sight:
23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved
away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was
preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made
a minister;

8. 24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is
behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is
the church:
Job 17:8-10 8 Upright men shall be astonied at this, and the innocent
shall stir up himself against the hypocrite.
9 The righteous also shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands
shall be stronger and stronger.
10 But as for you all, do ye return, and come now: for I cannot find one
wise man among you.
John 8:31-32 31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believedon him, If
ye continuein my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Conclusion:
The responses to a dreadful dilemma-
Accusation
Acquiescence
Action
You will have one of these three responses to life’s dilemmas or you
will join Pharaoh.
Mark 4:3-9 3 Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:
4 And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the
fowls of the air came and devoured it up. (Pharaoh)
5 And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and
immediatelyit sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:
6 But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no
root, it witheredaway. (Accusation)
7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked
it, and it yielded no fruit. (Acquiescence)

9. 8 And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and
increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an
hundred. (Action)
9 And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Ezek 29
2 Son of man, set thy face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy
againsthim, and againstall Egypt:
3 Speak, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee,
Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lieth in the midst of his
rivers, which hath said, My river is mine own, and I have made it for myself.
4 But I1
will put hooks in thy jaws, and I2
will cause the fish of thy rivers to
stick unto thy scales, and I3
will bring thee up out of the midst of thy rivers,
and all the fish of thy rivers shall stick unto thy scales.
5 And I4
will leave thee thrown into the wilderness, thee and all the fish of
thy rivers: thou shalt fall upon the open fields; thou shalt not be brought
together, nor gathered: I5
have given thee for meat to the beasts of the
field and to the fowls of the heaven.