The Red Sea
And they removed from Elim, and encamped by the Red Sea.”
We have now lingered long enough in lovely Elim, enjoyed the delightful shade of its palm-trees, eaten of their fruit, and quenched our thirst at its fountains. We naturally seek to perpetuate pleasing enjoyments, and to leave affliction and temptation to others. But the Holy Spirit has other things to testify to us, besides bearing witness with our spirits that we are the children of God, and that God is love in Christ Jesus. He will not and cannot always comfort, but must also grieve us; not merely heal, but also wound; not merely tranquillize, but also disturb; not merely manifest himself as a refreshing dew but also as a fire, and as a “Spirit of judgment and burning,” to those upon whom he vouchsafes to operate. He does not always make use of the gospel, but also of the law; not merely of the promises, but also of the threatenings; and speaks, not merely of consolation, but also of duty. He exalts, but humbles also; he translates into the third heaven, but likewise brings down to the pit; comforts richly, but also lets us experience great distress; he even kills, but also makes alive. If he intends to teach thee that Christ is the way, he will hedge up every other path; and if he gives thee to experience that he is the life, thou wilt find nothing but death elsewhere. The corn would not yield its harvest unless the winter passed over it, and hence it is sown in autumn, and the noblest of all plants, the vine, is pruned the most. Similar to this are the occurrences of the inward life; through what travail and distress, through what a variety of deaths must the true Christian pass!
Elim is not Canaan; the children of Israel must depart from thence, and proceed further. Let us accompany them. Let us see how the Lord has acted from the commencement of time, that we may be comforted, corrected, and instructed in righteousness.
From Elim they were obliged to travel towards the Red Sea; and because the cloudy pillar stayed its course, they were also obliged to halt, erect their tents, and encamp. On this side of Elim they were more at their ease than on the other side, where they were not permitted to encamp, but go forwards for three successive days, and take their repose during the night, as well as they were able,’ on the hard ground, and in the open air. Thus in the christian course, it is sometimes easier than at others. At one time there seems to be a truce to hostility, but afterwards the conflict only becomes the hotter and more fatiguing, which is then succeeded by a season of refreshing.
The Red Sea is also called the Sea of Reeds, from the quantities of the latter which grow on its shores. The reason why the cloudy pillar led them to that sea, through which they had passed only a few days before, is easily discovered. They were to remember the way by which the Lord had led them. They were to call to mind, in a very lively manner, the great deliverance they had received, contrary to all their expectations. They were maturely to reflect upon the mighty effects of the wrath and love of God, his severity and his kindness — his wrath and severity towards the ungodly, as manifested in an awful manner upon the Egyptians; and his love and kindness towards his people, even towards them that trust in him, and confide themselves to him. Both were intended to lead them to repentance, that they might become more and more conformed to God. The sight of this sea, therefore, excited love in them towards such a gracious God, and fear towards one so holy; confidence in such a powerful God, and resignation towards one so wonderful and faithful. They were to learn to say with Paul, “He hath redeemed us from so great a death, delivers us daily, and we trust will still deliver.” What confidence with respect to the future ought not this consideration to have produced in them! With what very different eyes could they now look upon the same sea, which only a few days before they viewed with so much dread! How very natural it was to make a comparison between the two, and how fresh it was still in their memories! Probably the dead bodies of the Egyptians were still lying on the shore, with all their implements of war, whilst they stood there in safety, none daring, to make them afraid. What an encouragement might they derive from this circumstance for the future; how ashamed they might feel because of their unbelief and mistrust; and how strongly incited in future to hope in the living k
THE RED SEA. S^)
God, and to love, fear, and honour him with their whole hearts I Well might it here be said, “O that thou wouldst hearken unto me; then should thy peace flow like a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea!”
But what a perverse nation we’re the Israelites! They had no eyes to see, no ears to hear; and no heart to understand. “The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib;” and although both are regarded as the most stupid of the animal race, yet they remember where they have been fed, and recognise their keeper. But this people encamped by the Red Sea, just as if they themselves had been reeds, without understanding or reflection — nay, we shall soon find, that they murmured and expressed distrust. Do not let us suppose, however, that we are better than they; but let us, from their example, infer the depravity of our own hearts, and the necessity of what the Red Sea typifies to us — of our being cleansed by the blood and the Spirit of Jesus Christ, and therefore be induced to seek it.
And are we not also encamped on the shores of a sea, from which we may learn the goodness and severity of God, as well as our own corruption and misery? The word of God, the history of his dealings with mankind, the holy sacraments and ordinances of divine appointments — all these form a mighty sea, which we ought to regard with due consideration, and from which we ought to learn wisdom. I do not, mdeed, pretend to be able to pourtray to you the whole extent of this boundless ocean, nor to enter upon a detail of all that it presents to us. Jesus Christ remains the centre, in which the scattered rays unite themselves as in their focus, and in whose face the glory of God reflects itself; the consideration of him, therefore, is that which is the more needful and salutary for us. To become duly acquainted with sin and grace is our lesson; and both is best seen in him, who was made both sin and righteousness, when we see how God himself spared not his own Son — after making him to be sin for us — neither in body nor soul, and laid him in the dust of death without mercy — we then see perfectly what sin must be in the eyes of God, since he takes such vengeance upon it, and requires such a sacrifice. How deeply does this humble us; to what repentance and self-denial does it call us! But where do we find also such a display of grace as in the face of Jesus Christ? It is certainly affecting when Jesus describes to us the’ loving heart of God as receiving the returning prodigal with more than parental kindness, as sweeping the whole house to find the lost piece of silver, and as a faithful shepherd, joyfully carrying home the strayed sheep on his shoulders; or when he invites all that are weary and heavy laden to come to him that they may find rest, and promises gratuitously the water of life, &c. But all these are only like lovely and glittering dew-drops, and are not the Sun of Righteousness itself. AVhat an immense ocean of grace is presented to us in the fact, that “God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son;” and that the Son loved us so much, as to lay down his life for us! O that we were indeed encamped on the shores of this sea,, and that the Holy Spirit would hover on the face of the waters, which are rendered so. palatable and salutary by the wood of the cross; that thus we might comprehend the height, and depth, and length, and breadth of the mercy of God in Christ Jesus; and that the reeds of impenitence and unbelief might not hinder us from seeing what can only be seen in his light! Of a truth, even as Israel’s enemies perished in the sea, so we may here say, “My sins disappear like flax in the burning flame, and plunged into such an abyss, if sought for will never be found.” These are the waters of which Ezekiel writes, that they first came up to his ancles, then to his knees, his loins, and at length were wide enough to swim in; and could no more be passed over. How glorious will be that crystal sea, mingled with fire, mentioned in Revelations xv., on which those stand, who have gotten the victory, and chaunt to the harps of God, the song of Moses and the Lamb!
The various experience of the Christian is also a sea, on the shores of which he occasionally encamps, to call to mind all the way by which the Lord hath led him. This experience is of a two-fold nature — humiliating and exhilarating. “Who can tell how oft he offendeth?” and how great is the multitude of secret faults! How little self-knowledge is requisite to perceive that we come short of the glory of God; and how great must be the blindness of those who will not admit of this! But if we judge correctly of our own hearts, according to the description given of them in the infallible word of God, we have a sea before us, whose waves cast forth mire and dirt, which surrounds itself with all kinds of excuses and palliations, as with reeds, in order not to be seen in its true, that is, in its hideous colours. This is also a sea, on which we ought to encamp, that we may become thoroughly acquainted with our wretchedness and our misery. The sight, though disagreeable is useful — painful, but salutary. And where is the Christian, who whilst reviewing his previous career, does not call to mind many an anxious season and many a period of great inward distress, through which he has had to pass, in which his soul sunk within him, and he thought nothing less than that it was all over with him? But how pleasing has also been his experience occasionally, which justly remains as memorable to him, as that to which David alludes in the words, “Forget not all his benefits.” What glorious prospects have been sometimes afforded him, and with what divine brightness has the truth shone upon him! In what fulness has he often perceived Jesus Christ, so that he no longer felt apprehensive on account of his extreme wretchedness and his many deficiencies, but could triumphantly exclaim, “Who is he that condemneth? seeing Christ hath died; yea, rather is risen again, and sitteth on the right hand of God, interceding for us.” What holy feelings often pervaded his mind, even like what the Israelites felt at the Red Sea, when beholding the destruction of their enemies, in the idea that now his corrupt nature was entirely put off, although afterwards, to his great astonishment, it manifested itself again, and he was again obliged to prepare for the conflict! What admirable assurance of faith and fervour of love, power, and hope here often animated him, so that he was able to say, “The snare is broken, and we are escaped!” In short, it affords an useful subject of meditation to reflect upon the variety of experience of which we have been the subjects; and the first- shedding abroad of the love of God in the heart remains, in particular, ever memorable to us; and how many have been able to note down the very clay and hour in which this was communicated to them!
It appears, however, that the children of Israel did not regard the Red Sea, thus again presented to their sight, with those salutary feelings, which it ought to have produced in them; and this blindness is still but too frequent. The sea of the divine wonders in the Holy Scriptures expands itself before the eyes of men — wonders, which are in fact almost incredible — that God has sent his Son into the world — not to judge the world, but that the world through him should be saved. But how does the world act on such an occasion? The mass of the impenitent and unconverted remain totally indifferent and unmoved. Some are sceptical, and are prevented by the reeds of doubt from beholding this great sight. Others even marvel at it, and are so captivated by self-complacency, as to imagine no one can see what they cannot. In short, their hearts are hardened, and although the solemn truths of Scripture and the ordinances of divine appointment are placed before their eyes — yet they continue in their infatuation, nor come sufficiently to themselves to say, “I will arise and go to my Father.”
But what sacred, pleasing, and encouraging ideas must the sight of this seahave awakened in Moses, Aaron, Miriam, Joshua, Caleb, and other believers and devout men amongst the people; so that they doubtless preferred it to the pleasing shades of Elim! What an affecting sermon did the sea preach to them! How different did this side appear to them to the other, before which they had stood, with Pharaoh in their rear! And in general, how differently do we judge of many things after passing through them, than we did whilst anticipating them!
But does the sight of this sea — does the contemplation of our spiritual blessings and privileges produce the effect it reasonably ought upon those who really possess spiritual life? and does it yield the fruit which it ought? Where do we perceive strong faith, confident hope, ardent love, steadfast patience, victory over the world, godliness in the whole deportment, heavenly-mindedness, tender brotherly kindness, friendly forbearance? How imperfect is the exhibition of these virtues in general! How much unbelief, impatience, pride, and the like still exists, and how much worldly-mindedness, frivolity and sin! — all which are proofs how much cause we have to pray with David, “Open’ thou mine eyes, that I may see wondrous things out of thy law!” How many mourners are there still in Zion, who require to be comforted!
This is much to be lametited. Therefore grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; for if this dwell in you richly, it will cause you to be neither barren nor unfruitful, and so shall an abundant entrance be ministered unto you into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ.
May he grant us eyes to see, ears to hear, and an understanding heart to observe his statutes, that our peace may be as a river, and our righteousness as the waves of the sea!