When the Enemy Comes in Like a Flood

Rabbi Ken Alpren
Sermon Notes by Teresa Bennett, Pharm.D.
2/4/2012

Just three short days after experiencing the miracle of deliverance from the Egyptians by passing through the Sea on dry ground, the Israelites began complaining.

Exodus 15:24, ‘The people grumbled against Moshe and asked, "What are we to drink?"’

How quickly we forget what He has done for us! How can we keep from sinning? Treasuring the Word in our hearts, persevering through trials, singing the Word to Him and even dancing like Miryam did in Exodus 15 can help us keep from sinning.

Psalm 119:11, ‘I treasure your word in my heart, so that I won't sin against you.’

Revelation 3:10, ‘Because you did obey my message about persevering, I will keep you from the time of trial coming upon the whole world to put the people living on earth to the test.’

Colossians 3:16, ‘let the Word of the Messiah, in all its richness, live in you, as you teach and counsel each other in all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude to God in your hearts.’

What we celebrate in our victories we often forget in our difficulties! This was clearly demonstrated by the Israelites when they complained to Moses about the lack of water just three days after their deliverance.

Three days before, the Israelites were trapped at the Sea and were overwhelmed in fear as the Egyptians approached. They were certain they would all die. But our end is His beginning if we turn ourselves over to Him!

2 Corinthians 1:9, ‘In our hearts we felt we were under sentence of death. However, this was to get us to rely not on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead!’

When the Israelites were crying out in fear, Moses lifted up the Standard!

Exodus 14:11-13, ‘and said to Moshe, "Was it because there weren't enough graves in Egypt that you brought us out to die in the desert? Why have you done this to us, bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Didn't we tell you in Egypt to let us alone, we'll just go on being slaves for the Egyptians? It would be better for us to be the Egyptians' slaves than to die in the desert!" 13 Moshe answered the people, "Stop being so fearful! Remain steady, and you will see how ADONAI is going to save you. He will do it today - today you have seen the Egyptians, but you will never see them again!’

When the enemy comes in like a flood, lift up Yeshua; He is the Standard!

Isaiah 59:19, (New King James Version), ‘So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun; when the enemy comes in like a flood,
The Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.’

Philippians 1:20, ‘It all accords with my earnest expectation and hope that I will have nothing to be ashamed of; but rather, now, as always, the Messiah will be honored by my body, whether it is alive or dead.’

As we lift up Yeshua, G-d takes care of the enemy!

Learn from Messiah! What did He do every day?

Isaiah 50:4-5, ‘Adonai ELOHIM has given me the ability to speak as a man well taught, so that I, with my words, know how to sustain the weary. Each morning he awakens my ear to hear like those who are taught. 5 Adonai ELOHIM has opened my ear, and I neither rebelled nor turned away.’

He listened before He spoke as should we! Weigh your words because words are weighty!

Matthew 12:36, ‘“Moreover, I tell you this: on the Day of Judgment people will have to give account for every careless word they have spoken.”’

The Israelites spoke out of their own flesh and fear and Moses spoke out of the L-rd’s leading and Life.

Moses said five things to the people and then the L-rd said something to Moses.

Do not fear, ‘yarah’, stand yourselves up, ‘yatsav’, see His salvation/deliverance , ‘ra’ah yeshu’ah’, the L-rd will fight for you, ‘lacham’ and you will be quiet, ‘charaysh’.

Just as the the L-rd saw to the deliverance of the people at the Sea, He did so as recorded in Genesis 22 at the provision of the Ram in place of Isaac! The Hebrew word used in this passage is also ‘yarah’.

The word ‘lacham’ is similar to ‘lechem’ or bread in Hebrew, and in this passage can be translated, ‘He will eat the enemy up’; so don’t fear!

When Moses said, ‘charaysh’, he was telling them not to speak or hear; not to communicate at all!

What did the L-rd say to Moses?

Exodus 14:15, ‘“ADONAI asked Moshe, "Why are you crying to me? Tell the people of Isra'el to go forward!”’

The Hebrew word to go forward is ‘nasa’, which means to pull out (tent pegs) and set forward.

There is a time to stand still and a time to go forward. In this case, the L-rd was directing them to go forward so they would not be stuck or paralyzed as they witnessed the great miracle.

The Israelites did go forward; their crossing may have taken the entire night. Notice how they were protected.

Exodus 14:19-20, ‘Next, the angel of God, who was going ahead of the camp of Isra'el, moved away and went behind them; and the column of cloud moved away from in front of them and stood behind them. 20 It stationed itself between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Isra'el - there was cloud and darkness here, but light by night there; so that the one did not come near the other all night long.’

Isaiah 52:12, ‘You need not leave in haste, you do not have to flee; for ADONAI will go ahead of you, and the God of Isra'el will also be behind you.’

When the enemy comes in like a flood, we know that G-d will protect us! Raise up the Standard, pray and go forward as His Body of Believers, in the calling He has for you and in service to Him and to others.

Further Reading: Psalm 27:1-3, 2 Chronicles 20:2-3, 6, 12-17, 2 Corinthians 1:8-11, 2:14-15, 2 Corinthians 7:5, Proverbs 21:1, Revelation 12:9-10,14,17, Isaiah 49:2, John 5:30, 6:63, 12:48-49, Proverbs 10:19, 17:27, 2 Peter 3:16