Confidence in the Midst of Adversity

The Appomattox Court House Presbyterian Church Pulpit
Rev. Cameron S. Smith
The Lord's Day, August 14, 2005
Exodus 14:1-9

When I was in college, I participated in a church activity called, "The Walk of Fear and Faith." This activity was staged at night in the woods. The purpose behind this adventure was to duplicate the experience of "Christian" in John Bunyan's classic book, The Pilgrim's Progress.

Here's how it worked: We were paired off, two by two. One would be the sighted guide for their partner, who would be blindfolded. You would think that a future pastor would be the sighted guide; but no! I was blindfolded that evening. We were then ushered into the woods to endure a sort of spiritual obstacle course. The youth leaders waited eagerly for us as we approached their spiritual fun house. They prepared a number of faith hurdles for us to encounter together. It was the job of the sighted partner to lead the other through safely. The blindfolded partner had to put complete trust in their guide.

We were led by a host through a number of frightening scenes. We got battered in a maze of mattresses hanging from trees; we were taken through the "slough of despondency," which consisted of mud and hay, with some manure thrown in for nice effect. We were jolted by a madman with a chain saw. Let me tell you, when you're blindfolded, you really have to trust the person that you're holding onto! That person is telling you to do things that just don't seem to make sense, but you have to trust and take that next step with confidence.

The final stop on this tour was a perilous ramp. I was told to grab hold of a rope handrail as I ascended this steep ramp. As I started walking slowly up this ramp, the rope started getting lower and lower. I knew I was going up pretty high, and my knees were starting to wobble. My friend told me to be careful, but to keep climbing slowly. Finally, I got to the end of the ramp. Then she told me to jump! Are you kidding? Blindfolded? You're crazy! But, after much coaxing, I took a brave gulp and jumped! The thud came quickly -- I had jumped a mere 2 inches! It had seemed that I had gone a long way up, but, it was merely an illusion. I should have trusted my guide -- she wasn't going to let anything happen to me.

My whole experience with the "Walk of Fear and Faith" taught me a valuable lesson: I absolutely hated being that dependent on somebody else, even though I knew that they knew what was best for me! I learned something about my dependence on God that night. I realized that God is like that guide that I had struggled with all night. He knows what's best for me, even if my senses and instinct tell me otherwise. The best way I could've approached that obstacle course would have been to completely trust the sight of my guide. In that way, when adversity came, I could have assumed a posture of confidence.

This is what I want to talk to you about today: Three insights from Scripture that invite you to confidence in the midst of adversity; confidence even as your circumstances say otherwise. When you really think about it, you and I are on a real life "Walk of Fear and Faith" every single day of our life. We need this message from God's Word today!

Please look with me at our passage this morning, Exodus 14:1-9. This is the story of the Exodus from Egypt: God's miraculous deliverance of Israel out of Egypt through the Red Sea on dry ground.

I. God's ways often conflict with "conventional wisdom," yet you can have confidence in the midst of adversity. Ex. 14: 1-3

As Israel came out of Egypt journeying from Rameses to Succoth, there were nearly two million of them! From Succoth, they went on to Etham on the edge of the desert. They were heading in the right direction. The Lord didn't send them on the most direct route to the Promised Land because He knew that route was guarded with six Egyptian forts along that well traveled road. He also knew that there were many other enemies along that road; and so, God sent them a slightly different direction so they wouldn't get discouraged quickly and run back to Egypt.

But then, God tells the Israelites to "turn back and encamp near Pi Hahiroth." This was a bizarre move! It defied "conventional wisdom." In effect, the Israelites were told to turn around and head right back into the thick of Egyptian territory! This move must have made the Israelites look as if they were completely confused and heading nowhere fast. And yet, in this inexplicable move, God was planning to display His power in Israel's weakness!

Think about how God's ways must seem a bit odd to those who are strangers to grace. I think particularly about a scene in the book Les Misrables. At the beginning of the story, Jean Val-Jean is released from prison and goes first to the village church because he's destitute and needs a place to stay for the night. The priest is gracious, providing him with food to eat and a bed to sleep for the night. Jean Val-Jean responds to this kindness by coveting some valuable silverware that belongs to the church. He ends up stealing the silverware and slipping away.

When Jean Val-Jean is later apprehended and taken back to the church to face his victim, the priest surprisingly responds that he gave the silver to Jean Val-Jean as a gift, and had intended to give him a candelabra as well. The priest took the candelabra off his table and put it in the stunned hands of Jean Val-Jean. This act of kindness, which certainly defies all "conventional wisdom," changed the life of Jean Val-Jean. His life was transformed, never to be the same again.

Obeying God often compels us to do things that that just don't make sense to our culture. He tells us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. If someone wants to sue you and take your shirt, give them your coat as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. This is nonsense to the world! But, just as the priest's actions defied "conventional wisdom," the end result was that God gained the glory, and He was honored through a changed life. Doesn't that give you confidence to live the way God expects you to live despite the fact that it might put you at a temporary disadvantage?

II. Evil people and evil plans often seem overwhelming, yet you can have confidence in the midst of adversity. Ex. 14: 4-8

God is said here to have "hardened" Pharaoh's heart. That is to say, God used Pharaoh's own sinful desires to bring honor and glory to God. The idea behind the Hebrew words that are translated "to harden" carry the idea that Pharaoh just couldn't resist his own twisted urges! Please notice that an evil man and his evil plans are sandwiched between two firm statements in verses 4 and 8 of God's control of this strange turn of events.

Pharaoh and his officials, by this time, have had a few days to recover from the series of ten plagues that God brought upon Egypt. Now they realize they have just let their cheap labor force go scot-free! When Pharaoh receives the report that the Israelites are wandering around aimlessly, he rallies the troops, but in his haste to carry out his evil plan to recapture the very ones he had earlier released. He takes with him his own personal, lean, mean fighting machine - something like 600 Sherman tanks! Israel is certainly in the midst of adversity in a big way!

Let me say that the hardening of Pharaoh's heart is what we call in theological circles, "a hard saying." It's hard to comprehend how God can incite Pharaoh's own evil desires and then hold the king of Egypt responsible for the action. Paul, in Romans chapter 9 states that Pharaoh was raised up by God for the very purpose of displaying the glory and majesty of the Lord God, so that the world might know His name. We struggle with this because it offends our ethical sensibilities. Pharaoh got used! But we know that God is not unjust and that He is limitless in His patience and mercy.

But, if you look closely at all of the verses where this hardening is mentioned in reference to Pharaoh, you'll notice an almost 50/50 split in responsibility: The Lord is said to have hardened Pharaoh's heart ten times; while in eight references, Pharaoh hardens his own heart. I interpret this data in this manner: Pharaoh was carrying out the desires of his heart and God used his evil plan for good.

Think back to Joseph's response to his frightened brothers in Genesis 50:20: "You intended to harm me [Translation: You did what you really wanted to do!], but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers and God used this evil plan to put Joseph in a place of power to prepare the ancient world for a deadly famine that was about to come down.

A number of years ago, there was a shooting rampage at a Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas. A sick man burst into a youth group meeting and opened fire, killing a number of kids. He said he did it because he hated Baptists! And yet, in the aftermath of this tragedy, this church's witness to their community was strengthened. Many lives were touched and God was glorified. The gunman meant it for evil; but God used it for good.

Even as God's ways defy "conventional wisdom" and evil plans are perpetually plague us, yet we can have confidence in the midst of adversity. Let's look now at the final verse of the passage.

III. Trouble often seems to be closing in from all sides, yet you can have confidence in the midst of adversity. Ex. 14: 9

Pharaoh's army finally closed in on Israel. They were between a rock and a hard place, quite literally: Wedged between the sea; a mountain (Baal Zephon); the wilderness and Pharaoh's mighty army! Trapped and nowhere to go. What a note to end on. Of course if you read on through Ex. 14:18, you know that God opens up the Red Sea so that Israel can escape in safety while the mighty Egyptian army gets swallowed up by the sea. But isn't that just like God to wait until the last moment? Just when you think it's all over, God comes through and says, "You see, you should have trusted me!"

When Shannon and I lived in Delaware, we had planned to move to Blacksburg, Virginia so she could start Vet School at Virginia Tech. But, I had to get a job first. Virginia Tech required at least a year of residency in the Commonwealth before a student could be admitted. We needed to be settled in Blacksburg by September 1, or else we would be set back two years before my wife could start school. It was April, and I applied for a position with the Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Services. I got an interview in early May, and a second interview in late May. I thought things were going extremely well -- thought I had the job in my back pocket.

But then June went by, no word from the agency. July went by and still they said that they couldn't give me an answer. Then August came, and we were getting very worried. They hadn't said "no," but we felt trapped! Our hope was slowly dying. Then, the third week of August, I finally got a call from the agency. They said the job was mine if I wanted it! But, I was cautioned that I was their second choice. You see, back in May, they made a choice to hire a gentleman who had earned his Ph.D. in Vocational Rehabilitation, and really wanted to extend the offer to him, but the state's bureaucracy slowed the process down and the first choice moved on to bigger and better things, tired of waiting! Normally, I would've been depressed at being the second choice, but you'll please excuse me if I choose to see God's hand in this! I started my new job on September 1!

I'm sure that there are many such stories just like mine here among us today. Doesn't that give us more than enough ammo to march through adversity? Even though God's ways run counter to "conventional wisdom"; though evil people and plans seem to rule the day; and even though we are surrounded by trouble on every side, yet we can have confidence in the face of adversity because we know that our God is sovereign and that He cares!

In closing, I want you to notice that the three insights that I've given you today from this passage clearly point to the Lord Jesus Christ.

We talked about how God's ways run counter to how our culture thinks it ought to go. Please remember that Jesus came into this world in a very unlikely way -- born in poverty. Born in a barn! He didn't grow up in a palace, and yet He was the King of Kings! He came not to be served, but to serve. And yet, see if you can name three kings who were contemporaries of our Lord. Pretty tough to do! God was glorified and continues to be glorified through His Son's unconventional ways.

Think about the second insight, that though there are many evil people and evil plans that abound, yet we can still have confidence to face them. Wasn't Jesus betrayed by those He came to save? Betrayed by the plans of one of His very own disciples? Sentenced to death by a callused Roman governor? And yet, God used this evil plan to bring eternal salvation to many who would otherwise be alienated from God apart from the cross.

Finally, though trouble is on all sides with no seeming place to go, can confidence be found in the midst of even this? For Israel, the mighty sea was opened so that they could escape to safety. For us, Jesus was closed in on all sides by death, but He passed through it so that we too might go through in safety as He leads the way.

Friends, in Jesus Christ, you too can have confidence in the midst of adversity!