Amen. Please remain standing and open the pages of the scripture in your hand to Exodus chapter 14. Exodus chapter 14, beginning from verse 1 to 14. I will read it in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior. Then the Lord said to Moses, Tell the people of Israel to turn back and encamp in front of Pi-Ha-Hiroz, between Magdal and the sea, in front of Baal-Zephan. You shall encamp facing it by the sea. For Pharaoh will say of the people of Israel, they are wandering in the land. The wilderness has shut them in. And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will pursue them. And I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord." And they did so. When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, the mind of Pharaoh and his servants was changed toward the people. And they said, what is this we have done? that we have let Israel go from serving us. So he made ready his chariot and took his army with him and took 600 chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them. And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he pursued the people of Israel while the people of Israel were going out defiantly The Egyptians pursued them, all Pharaoh's horses and chariots, and his horsemen, and his army, and overlooked them encamped at the sea by Pai-hereros in front of Bel-Zephan. 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 say 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 them again. The Lord will fight for you. and you have only to be silent. Amen. This is the word of our God. Let's pray together. Our Father and our God, once again, as we come to the reading, the preaching, and the exposition of your word, Lord, we ask you to illumine our hearts and our minds to see glorious things in Your Word, to see more of Your glory, to appreciate Your glory over our own salvation and the salvation of Your people. Lord, we ask You tonight through the preaching of Your Word to feed us on Christ. your Son, who is the bread of life. In his name we pray, amen. You may be seated. As believers, how do you understand, how do you view the relationship between the glory of God and your salvation? How many of you always see God's glory reigning, ruling over your own salvation, the redemption of His people in both the Old Testament and the New Testament? How many of you, as you worship God like now, celebrate and magnify God's glory over salvation? Tonight, we are once again back to the Book of Exodus, where we have been hearing and learning about the history of the people of Israel in Egypt. And we have arrived at the time that the Israelites just left Egypt as free slaves In our text tonight, Egypt was behind them. They are no more in Egypt. They're outside of Egypt, marching toward the promised land, leaving Egypt behind them. Can you feel the feeling of every Israelite at this moment in their life, in their history? free at last. After 430 years in Egypt, finally the people of Israel are free. But question for you tonight. The Lord delivered the Israelites from the hand of Pharaoh with his mighty hand. You remember all the awful plagues which came upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh. The 10 plagues, especially the last one, the killing of all the first born in Egypt. And after that, Pharaoh pushing the people of Israel, telling them to leave quickly, because it was too much for him to bear. But after all that manifestation of God's glory over their salvation, do we see them celebrating God's glory in their salvation? Do we see them manifest in faith, manifest in love toward God, honoring God, worshiping God, giving glory to the glory of God in salvation? Sadly, that was not the case with the people of Israel. And the problem, my brothers and sisters in Christ, was the Israelites had no zeal for God's glory. Yes, they prayed for deliverance. Yes, they appreciated God's work of deliverance for the time being. But they were not really connected with God's glory in their salvation, over their salvation. They had no zeal for the glory of God in salvation. And the lesson to all of us tonight from our text is this. When God's people lose zeal for God's glory, God's glory in salvation, they lose trust in God. When we lose zeal for the glory of God, then we doubt God. We put disbelief on display. I want us to consider this truth under three points tonight. First, I want us to consider Moses trusting in God's glory in salvation. You will see that from verse one to four. Secondly, God's glory over Pharaoh, even his destruction. Verse 5 to 9. And then the Israelites losing sight of God's glory. Verse 10 to 14. So first Moses trusting in God's glory in salvation. Verse 1 and 2. Then the Lord said to Moses, tell the people of Israel to turn back and encamp in front of Pi-Ha-Hi-Ros. between Magdal and the sea in front of Bel Zephan. Now last Sunday, you remember what I told you. There was a short way, a short road for the people of Israel toward the promised land. They can get to Gaza very easily and then enter the promised land. But the Lord purposely told them to go through the other way, a longer way. And here we see God telling Moses to tell the people of Israel to turn back. They were marching toward the promised land. They were familiar with the road, with the route that they had to take. Now everything is changed now. The word from the Lord was turned back, goes through the other way. And yet you see with them is now the Lord himself. His presence was with them in the pillar of cloud by day and in the pillar of Fire by night. God was just there with them. His presence was with them. And God told them to turn back. They were on the edge of the wilderness. But with the presence of the Lord, they were ready to move forward. Moving forward to the promised land. Only now, you see, at this very moment, God tells Moses to tell the people to turn back. Now, I want you to keep this in mind. To turn back for the people means what the route that they took was the wrong direction. For them to turn back implies that some mistake has been made. That's what they're going to think in their mind. Why is he telling us to turn back? That this mean the route that we took before was a wrong road. God told them to turn back and go toward the longest route facing the Red Sea and they were surrounded by mountains and behind them was Egypt. So if Pharaoh pursues the people, if he comes after them, it would be very, very easy for Pharaoh to recapture them again. That's where they were. That's what happened to them. Now we need to ask why. Why would God do that? In verse three and four, God tells Moses the reason. For Pharaoh will say of the people of Israel, they are wandering in the land, the wilderness has shut them in. And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will pursue them. And I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his hosts. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord. And they did so." So God created an atmosphere, an appearance, in which Pharaoh would think they are trapped. They are shut in. They're surrounded by mountains. They're wandering in the wilderness. So he changed his mind. And he said, I have to go after them. I have to bring them back to Egypt. But you see, God was doing that for his own glory. You see, in verse four, the Lord said, in verse three, the Lord says, four, Pharaoh will say of the people of Israel, the wonder in the land and the wilderness has shut them in. And God said, I will get glory over Pharaoh. That was the purpose. That was the reason why God told them to turn back for His glory. So that His glory would be manifested upon the Egyptians, upon the people of Israel. Glory for salvation. Glory over the deliverance of His people. Isn't that what the prophet Isaiah tells us in Isaiah 49, 3? You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified. In whom I will be glorified. And the psalmist in Psalm 106, verse 7 and 8, Our fathers, when they were in Egypt, did not consider your wondrous works. They did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love, but rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea. Yet He saved them for His namesake, that He might make known His mighty power. You see, the glory of God, the mighty of God, mighty power of God over the salvation of His people. What does the Apostle Paul tell us in Romans 11, 36? For from Him, and through Him, and for Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever and ever. You see, glory belongs to God, not to us. Especially, glory over salvation belongs only to God. No one takes glory for salvation except God. And God was teaching His people. Even by leaving them in the wilderness. Even leaving them to be surrounded by mountains and Pharaoh would pursue them again. He was in control. He's sovereign. But they had to learn something about his glory. They had to develop in their heart, in their life, a zeal for God's glory. And Moses did what the Lord commanded him to do. God said to Moses, tell them to turn back. And Moses told them to turn back. We don't see Moses arguing with God. Do you know why? Because Moses understood what was going on. Moses knew who God was. Moses understood God's sovereign control over all things, including the salvation of his people. including the destruction of Pharaoh and all the Egyptians. Moses understood that. He was the leader. You see, he had the responsibility to represent them in asking any question that he wants to ask God. But he trusted God. Moses believed that God delivers his people for the glory of his name. That's what Moses understood. You see, that's the reason why when we go to Hebrews 11, that chapter of the heroes of faith, one of them is Moses. Do you know that? He's in that chapter as a hero of faith. And this is what the writer of the Hebrews tells us about Moses' faith and trust in God. Hebrews 11, beginning from verse 24. Hebrews 11, beginning from verse 24. Listen to God's word here. By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt. You see the connection even with this morning's sermon. What was most glorified for Moses? Not the fleeting pleasures of Egypt, not his own glory, but the glory of Christ on the cross. Did you hear that? The writer of the Hebrews is telling us, by faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ. Moses was in the Old Testament, but by faith he saw the suffering of the Messiah on the cross and the glory of God on the cross in the salvation of God's people. For he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king. For he endured, as seen him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover, and sprinkled the blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them. This is why, this was why you see Moses told the people turn back, listen to God, hear God, obey God, turn back, he knows what he's doing. You might think you know some kind of mistake has been made here, you might think God is abandoning you, but He's sovereign. He knows what He's doing, and He's doing this for His glory. Turn back. Turn back. It is how you and I trust God. Do you sometimes in your Christian life come to, you know, a dead end? And you don't see any answer. You don't see any solution for anything in your life. Do you trust God? Secondly, God's glory over Pharaoh. In verse 5, Moses tells us about what happened. God speaking about Pharaoh. Then the Lord made for them, sorry, when the king of Egypt, verse 5, when the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, The mind of Pharaoh and his servants was changed toward the people. And they said, what is this we have done that we have let Israel go from serving us? What do you see here? What we see here is the nature of unregenerated hearts. The nature of a depraved heart. no repentance, no remorse. Once they saw that appearance of the Israelites being stuck in between the mountains and in the wilderness, and behind them, Pharaoh marching toward them. Then Pharaoh thought, I think the God of Israel has abandoned his people. They are wandering in the wilderness. This is my opportunity. So we see God's sovereign plan for his glory, but we also see the nature of a depraved heart. That's a problem. A depraved heart never repents. unless it is transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit. Then listen to what Pharaoh did. So he made ready his chariot and took his army with him and took 600 chosen chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt and officers over all of them. The Israelites were not even trained for war. But you see, he still wants to capture them and to bring them back to Egypt. He still wants to have these people serving him, worshipping him. And he pursued them. That's the nature of a depraved heart, Jeremiah 17, 9. The heart is deceitful above all things. Who can understand it? It's deceitful, it's beyond cure unless it is regenerated. But you also see God's glory, God's power over the heart of Pharaoh, ruling over him so that he would pursue the people of Israel for the glory of God. In Proverbs 16, 4, the Scripture tells us, That's who our God is. He does all things for his own glory. So, what we see in what Pharaoh is doing pursuing the people of Israel, is the sovereign hand of God, working everything for the glory of His name, His glory over the salvation of His people. Lastly now, the Israelites losing sight of God's glory. Now think about what happened to the people of Israel. They opened their eyes and they looked at what was coming, what was marching toward them. They saw Pharaoh, they saw all the chariots and all his troops marching toward them. Coming behind, toward them, behind them. And then, you see, they were surrounded by mountains and then the Red Sea was facing, they were facing the Red Sea. There was nowhere to go. So the Israelites had two choices, faith or disbelief. Two choices. And listen to what they chose. When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes. And behold, the Egyptians were marching after them. They feared greatly, fear, fear, the enemy of faith. And the people of Israel cried out to the Lord. You know, they were not praying for help. Because what comes next is different. They say 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. Notice how the people responded. to God's glory in salvation. They lost it. There was no zeal for God's glory. And because there was no zeal for God's glory, now they were not trusting God. In light of what they were seeing, what they were facing, they chose disbelief. And they complained to Moses saying, it would have been better for us to serve, to stay in Egypt and serve the Egyptians, than dying in the wilderness. Leave us alone. How many, you know, how often do you hear this word, leave us alone from unbelievers who hates God? you try to witness to them, you try to point them to Jesus, leave me alone. What was wrong with the people? Their zeal of God's glory was gone. They have seen God's glory on the nine plagues in Egypt, them being spared at night They even went to every home in Egypt and asked the people to give them their possessions and they gave them their possessions. They left Egypt having all the possessions of Egypt. And now they are saying, leave us alone. Let us go back to Egypt to serve the Egyptians. Now notice Moses' response, brothers and sisters in Christ. 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. What was the difference between Moses and the Egyptians? The Israelites. The Israelites lost all sense of seeing the glory of God, believing in God's glory and salvation. Moses was increasing in seeing the glory of God. knowing the glory of God, honoring the glory of God. That's why you see He told them, fear not. That sounds like our Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord Jesus Christ would tell His disciples every time they were afraid, fear not. Stand firm, fear not. Moses was the type of Christ, fear not, stand firm and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will work for you today. You see them marching? You see the Egyptians, Pharaoh and Egyptians marching toward you? You think they will destroy you? No. The Lord, Jehovah, God will save you. He will work salvation for you today. And then verse 14, very interesting, the Lord will fight for you and you have only to be silent. What is that? Moses was telling them for deliverance, for salvation, for redemption, you don't need to do anything. You don't need to do anything. God will do it for you. Just be silent and see God working salvation. See the glory of God bringing salvation to you, his people. Moses has been growing. He has been increasing in his zeal for God's glory over the salvation of his people. Acts 4.12. Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved. Salvation, Jonah said in Jonah chapter two, salvation belongs to the Lord. And in Psalm 168, The psalmist says, for he saved them for his name's sake, that he might make known his mighty power. So beloved, let me ask you the very question that I asked all of you when I began my preaching tonight. Do you see the connection in your life as a believer? Do you see the connection between the glory of God and your salvation? Do you realize, do you realize, do you know as a Christian God saved us, God saved you for his own glory, ultimately for his own glory? Not because of anything that we have done, anything that we have given him, but for his own glory he saved us. So the first thing we need to see in our salvation is the glory of God. The glory of God in our salvation. Because here the psalmist is saying, for he saved them for his name's sake. For his name's sake. That he might make known his mighty power. God becomes known. His glory becomes known. In our salvation, through our salvation, people see the glory of God in our salvation. in our midst, the glory of God. Our brother Rich read John chapter 1 for us, and in that chapter, the Scripture talks about the glory of God. In Christ Jesus, the Word became flesh and dwelled among us, and then we sowed the glory of God in the incarnation of the Son of God, representing us before His Father, dying for us on the cross. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw the glory of God in Christ Jesus, who became man, truly man, the only mediator between God and man. Do you see how God's glory is so important for us? Even more important than our salvation, because he saved us for his glory. And God takes glory in the salvation of his people. So is that how you understand God's glory, brothers and sisters in Christ? Do you always remind yourself, do you always tell people, God saved me through Christ for his own glory? And then we all confess together, the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. What do we mean when we say to glorify God? You see, when we say to glorify God, we are speaking of that glory through which He saved us, because of what He saved us, His glory. His glory. So how much do you love the glory of God in your salvation? The glory of God over His church. The glory of God over your individual Christian life, individual Christian walk. His glory. His glory. Even our Lord Jesus Christ, when he was doing his earthly ministry, you remember him. The one word that he always repeated in his earthly ministry was, the will of my Father for the glory of God. The will of my Father for the glory of God. Is that how we live our life? Once God saves us, once God gives us the gift of repentance and faith, and we cast all, we cast our own glory, like what we see in Revelation chapter 5, we cast our own glory at the foot of the cross, and we bow down and worship Him. Then what do we say? Well, the elders and the angels, they said, glory to the lamb. And then they said, glory and honor and praise belongs to the lamb. No one else, but to the lamb. He is the king, but he's also the lamb. And as a lamb, He deserves all the glory that belongs to him. So beloved, in our salvation, so glorious salvation, so excellent, so majestic, in that salvation, we see the glory of God reigning, ruling, fulfilling God's purposes. in our life as his people. Amen. Let's pray. Gracious and heavenly Father, both in the morning now, in our evening worship service, you have spoken to us about your glory, the glory of your son Jesus Christ on the cross. the glory of his death, the glory of his resurrection, the glory of his ascension, and the glory of his return. Lord, help us to love the glory of your Son, Jesus Christ. Help us to not only connect the two together, your glory and our salvation, but to magnify your glory even over our own salvation, because you saved us. You brought us to the state of grace where we are now for the glory of your name, so that you would be known to all people. Help us to see your glory, more of your glory. In the name of Christ we pray, Amen.