"Go Forward!"

Moving Forward; The Lord’s Power To Deliver (Exodus 14)

v.1-12 – A Divine setup

• Israel placed “between a rock and a hard place.”

• Soon after being released from slavery, Egyptians pursue them (i.e. the devil does the same).

• A seemingly impossible situation; the sea in front of them, the enemy behind them.

• Fear of death overcame the Israelites.

v.13-14 – The instructions of Moses

“But Moses said to the people, ‘Do not fear! Stand by [3320- “to continue, to take one’s stand”] and see the salvation [3444] of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. ‘The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent [2790- “to be silent, to keep quiet”].’”

NASU

OT:3444 yeshuw`ah (yesh-oo'-aw)

(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)

feminine passive participle of OT:3467; something saved, i.e. (abstractly) deliverance; hence, aid, victory, prosperity:

KJV - deliverance, health, help (-ing), salvation, save, saving (health), welfare.

(Brown Driver Briggs Hebrew Lexicon)

salvation, deliverance

   a)   welfare, prosperity

   b)   deliverance

   c)   salvation (by God)

   d)   victory

v.15-18 – The Lord’s instructions to Moses for going forward; it would be by faith.

• To the people: “Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the sons of Israel to go forward.” But how?!

• To Moses: “As for you, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, and the sons of Israel shall go through the midst of the sea on dry land.” [The how.]

• What He will do: “As for Me, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them; and I will be honored through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. Then the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord, when I am honored through Pharaoh, through his chariots and his horsemen.” [The result of obedience to “the how.”]

v.19-20 – The visible presence of God protecting them.

v.21-22 – God provides the way for their deliverance from their enemy.

v.23-31 – Israel watched as God destroyed their enemy.

• “Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. When Israel saw the great power which the Lord had used against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord, and they believed [539- “to trust, to believe, to be faithful”] in the Lord and in His servant Moses.”

• Numbers 14:11 – Unfortunately, along the way they stopped believing, of being faithful to Him. They had become “unbelieving believers.” As such, they would not be allowed entrance into the Promised Land. They are the example in Paul’s warning for Christians today where he made clear in 1 Corinthians 10:1-14 to not do the wicked things they did on their way to our promised eternal inheritance in Christ. In their (i.e. God’s people) wrongdoing, they were denied entrance even though they had originally been set free from Egyptian enslavement, the “house of bondage.” Paul gives us a direct warning, saying;

“These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!”

(1 Corinthians 10:11-12/NIV)

Moving Forward; Confession of Sin, And Forsaking It (i.e. Renouncing)

(From the Bible study Renouncing Sin.)

Proverbs 28:13 – This verse speaks of two actions for making progress/going forward in Christ. The first is “confesses,” which is repentance (1 John 1:8-9). The second is “renounces,” which is defined as “to leave, forsake, abandon, let go, to let loose.” In this way (see Isaiah 55:8-9), we will find mercy and compassion from the Lord. This is a promise from Him. To renounce any sin then is not just something we say, like a “Christian incantation,” but a two-part process of the Lord that when put into practice, with the help of the Holy Spirit, loosens us from sin’s grasp so that we can then go forward in the Lord.

13 He who conceals his sins does not prosper [6743- “to push forward, to advance, make progress”], but whoever confesses [see 1 John 1:8-9] and renounces [5800- “to leave, forsake, abandon, let go, to let loose”] them finds mercy [7355- “to love deeply, to have mercy, to be shown compassion, to have tender affection”].

NIV

Proverbs 28:13

13 He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes [5800] them will find compassion [7355].

NASU

(From the Bible study Delaying At The Opening Of The Womb.)

Hosea’s name means “deliverer, salvation.” His marriage to a prostitute is a picture of God and the Jews, His chosen people, who had prostituted themselves out to other gods (i.e. spiritual adultery). He would be used by God to prophecy against the wickedness of the tribe of Ephraim, and give a promise of future blessing after they returned to the Lord with a repentant heart. The church in America is guilty of the same wickedness.

Hosea 13:12 – “The iniquity [5771- “perversity, i.e. moral evil; depravity, guilt”] of Ephraim [669- “double fruitfulness”] is bound up [6887- “to cramp, to tie up, be bound, be narrow, be in distress, be in pangs of birth”]; His sin [2403- “sin, sin-guilt, sinful, condition of sin”] is stored up [6845- “to hide (by covering over); fig. to deny”].”

• Hosea is accused by God of denying his sin, of hiding it before Him, which is impossible. There is no acknowledgment of it, no repentance, even when confronted.

Hosea 1:2 – “When the Lord began to speak through Hosea, the Lord said to him, ‘Go, take to yourself an adulterous wife and children of unfaithfulness, because the land is guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the Lord.’”

NIV

• Instead of forsaking their sin, God’s people, the Jews, forsook the Lord. Look at the recent exposure of so many current leaders in the church today. The majority of God’s people today are also “guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the Lord.” We have forsaken Him for idols that have polluted us.

“Despite the initial prosperity and strength of Ephraim, the Bible also highlights moments of waywardness and disobedience among its descendants. The Prophets frequently addressed the shortcomings of Ephraim, warning them against idolatry and moral decay. These warnings reflect a recurring biblical theme – the tension between divine blessings and human accountability. Ephraim's story is a cautionary tale, illustrating the consequences of straying from God's commands despite being chosen for a significant role in His redemptive plan...

Despite the initial blessings and promises associated with Ephraim, the Bible also highlights the challenges and shortcomings of the tribe. Ephraim faced moral and spiritual struggles, including idolatry and disobedience. This aspect of Ephraim's story serves as a reminder of the importance of faithfulness and obedience in maintaining the covenant relationship with God…”

Moving Forward; Increasing In The Lord

Luke 2:52 – “And Jesus kept increasing [4298] in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”

• “kept increasing” – [4298] prokopto (prok-op'-to) It’s defined as “to beat forward, to lengthen out by hammering (as a smith forges metals); to go forward, advance, proceed.”

• Jesus, the pattern Son, has shown, by his life in a human body, the way for you and I to go forward in Him; it is through submission to the refiner’s fire (Malachi 3:1-4).

• The key to Jesus’ authority was His submission to the will of the Father. It’s ours as well.

• 1 Corinthians 1:18 – “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” Joining Christ on His cross is the only way of victory.

• Romans 6:5-7 – “For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.” Jesus revealed to us the way, which was His way to be set free from sin. The pattern is suffering, death, and then resurrection power. This process is known as sanctification.  

For more on this, see the article Increasing In The Lord Through The Fire.

(The following insights in regards to that which keeps a Christian from moving forward in Christ are from the Bible study Delaying At The Opening Of The Womb.)

Troublesome Pricks And Thorns In the Church

In God’s law for possessing Canaan, the Promised Land of inheritance for the children of Israel, He warned them, saying;

“But if you do not drive out [3423- “to occupy (by driving out previous tenants, and possessing in their place), to seize, to disinherit”] all the inhabitants [3427- “to dwell, to remain, to sit, to abide”] of the land from before you, then it shall come about that those whom you let remain [3498- “to remain or be left, to leave, to preserve alive”] of them will become as pricks in your eyes and as thorns in your sides, and they will trouble [6887- same word interpreted above in Hosea 13:12 as “bound up”] you in the land in which you live. And as I plan to do to them, so I will do to you.'"

(Numbers 33:55-56/NASU)

This is a picture, in type, of every Christian’s walk in Christ, revealing to us what we should be doing after turning to Him. We too are being warned to “drive out all the inhabitants” that are not pleasing to God, but dwell within us. This occurs through the cleansing process of sanctification, with the help of the Holy Spirit, in order to make room in the womb, so to speak, for the image of Christ to be fully developed in. It’s the fleshly, ungodly “inhabitants” that were there before we turned to Christ, and are allowed to remain afterwards, that cause us great “trouble” in our walks, continuously fighting against the work of the Holy Spirit within us. They bind us when not driven out, keeping us from moving forward in the Lord (see the Bible study Go Forward).

Prick And Thorn Theology

Within this command, I see not only a warning for the individual Christian, but also for the corporate body of Christ. Obviously, if you have a prick in your eye, you are in trouble in regards to your ability to see. There is some severely troublesome “prick and thorn theology” that has been allowed to remain in the church (i.e. “once saved, always saved,” “hyper-grace,” etc.), thereby allowing some to remain in their sin by removing the necessity of pursuing holiness in order to see God (Hebrews 12:14, Matthew 5:8), causing many to remain “bound up” in their sinful natures. Per Revelation 2:18-23 (more on this passage below), if not separated from through repentance, not only will your spiritual vision be lost, but you will be cast with these religious influencers into a time of great trouble known as the tribulation. God has been helping His body by exposing those in leadership within the church who are upsetting the faith of many by their doctrines of demons. (See the warning in Hebrews 6:4-8.)

The phrase “a thorn in your side” refers to “a person, object, or recurring situation that causes constant, lingering annoyance, frustration, or minor pain.” It describes “a persistent bother that disrupts daily life or holds someone back, similar to a physical thorn stuck in the skin.” Notice that it refers to a constant nuisance or obstacle which can hold you back. In our context, this would refer to our being held back from going forward in the Lord until this particular matter is removed from us. I would say that in all likelihood you cannot pull a thorn out from your side without some pain and discomfort. And so it is in our spiritual lives. It will cause us some discomfort at first, but will eventually heal, setting us free to move forward in the will of God.

Paul used a similar phrase in his second letter to the Corinthian church. He said that he had been “caught up to the third heaven,” and had seen “inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell.” Because of this, to keep him from becoming conceited “because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.” (2 Corinthians 12:7) Three times he pleaded with the Lord to take it away from him, but the Lord said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” In Paul’s case, God, who knows the heart of all His servants, and what is necessary to keep them from falling away from Him with pride, allowed for Paul to experience that which was best for him.

While allowing that which is not of the Lord the room to continue abiding within us, we are unable to move forward in the spiritual womb into the desired birthing position in Christ, which is face down, in a posture of humility. The ungodly practices of the world that we remain joined together with hinder our development in the womb of God’s purpose, keeping us from coming out, fully conformed into the image of Christ.

Because of the pressure of the Lord being applied at the end of this age, we must look to Him, crying out in our “labor pains” like a woman who is about ready to give birth, so as to have all obstacles removed. If we resist the Spirit’s urge within us to work together with Him and push forward in order to bring forth His purpose, we risk, as we read in Numbers 33:55-56 above, Him doing to us what He has planned do to His enemies! (See James 4:4 for confirmation in the New Testament.) May we heed the warning of Paul in regards to what we must do, through the power of the Holy Spirit, so as to be welcomed by the Lord;

“Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE,” says the Lord. “AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN; And I will welcome you. And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me,” says the Lord Almighty. Therefore, having these promises, beloved [see verses 14-16], let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”

(2 Corinthians 6:17-7:1/NASU)

Hosea 2:5-6 – Because of unfaithfulness, the harlot (i.e. in this case, Israel) would be hedged in with thorns, unable to find her way (a typology of Christ; John 14:6). Prick and thorn theology causes God’s children to lose their way, unless they separate from their spiritual harlot “mother.”

5 Their mother has been unfaithful and has conceived them in disgrace. She said, 'I will go after my lovers, who give me my food and my water, my wool and my linen, my oil and my drink.'

6 Therefore I will block her path [7753- “to hedge or to fence up or about”] with thornbushes; I will wall her in [1448- “a wall, a hedge”] so that she cannot find her way [5410- “a path, a pathway”].

NIV

The Word Of God Making No Progress In Us

John 8:37 – Jesus’ words made no progress in them, or had no “place” in them because they did not, or should I say would not remain in His word (John 8:31-32). They would not continue in what He declared. They thought that being Abraham’s descendants alone was enough to make them free. Many denominational church-people think the same today. Because they have made some form of “confession” to the Lord that they automatically gain a free pass into His kingdom, even though they walk in complete rebellion against His lordship over them. His word makes no progress in them because they do not do what He says.

37 “I know that you are Abraham's descendants; yet you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place [“makes no progress”] in you.”

NASU

Nehemiah 4, Ezra 5:8 – In these passages we see the tactics of the devil to halt progress.

• The opposition to the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem by the Israelites. The devil will constantly fight against the rebuilding/renewing of the Lord within us, and among us.

• Israel’s enemies attempted to disrupt the rebuilding process so that they would not make further progress (i.e. move forward). Again, so does the enemy of our soul.

May we be alert as the Israelites who went forward, finishing the work of rebuilding “with one hand doing the work, and the other holding a weapon.” (Nehemiah 4:17) The weapons of are warfare, though, are not of a worldly or fleshly nature;

“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.”

(2 Corinthians 10:3-4/NIV)

“With weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left,” (2 Corinthians 6:7) we will conquer the enemy’s attacks and keep moving forward. The Lord will lead us, if we allow Him to, into His guaranteed victory (2 Corinthians 2:14) that was sealed at the cross. Praise be to the name of the Lord!