A Strong Wind

"A Strong Wind"
a condensed version of the sermon delivered by Rev. Kirk Moore on Sunday, September 14, 2008 at Union Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, in Somonauk, Illinois.

PODCAST of "A Strong Wind"

This Morning's Scripture reading is:
Exodus 14:19-31

The timing on the title of this morning’s sermon couldn’t be worse. Over the past week and a half the people of Haiti, Cuba and the United States (Texas and Louisiana) have experienced a strong, destructive wind and a strong destructive storm surge from Hurricane Ike. Our prayers continue with those who have lost so much with this devastating storm. If you are interested in helping with support efforts related to Hurricane Ike, you can If write a check payable to Union Congregational Church marked for "2008 Hurricane Recovery" and we will forward that donation to the Illinois Conference office where it will go to the United Church of Christ Wider Church ministries for Hurricane Disaster response. If you’d like, you can also make an online donation through the United Church of Christ website

Impossible odds

The Bible is filled with stories of God’s deliverance to people who were in dire straits. It is filled with stories of miracles and restoration and second chances for people, whether they seemed to deserve it or not.

And the Bible is filled with, like last week, parts of the story that make us uncomfortable as we live in the reality of God’s all encompassing and unconditional love for all.

This week’s Bible reading from Exodus 14:19-31 recounts the miraculous escape of the Hebrew people when they were trapped between Pharaoh’s army and an uncrossable body of water. God sent a strong wind to dry up the body of water overnight – and then after God’s people had crossed safely, God brought the waters back, casting Pharaoh’s army into the sea.

Like last week, I lament the victory of the Hebrew people at the expense of the Egyptian soldiers. I’ve also read that in an ancient Jewish midrash about this story, a rabbi writes that in this event God was weeping because the Egyptians are God’s children too.

But unlike last week, we get to have some fun with Hebrew words today. We’ll get back to the questions about the ancient Jewish midrash in a bit.

Moses and the Israelites arrived at the sea – and Moses stretched out his hand and God sent the strong wind to dry up the sea and the Israelites walked across on dry land.

What sea did they cross?

(Congregation will likely respond with "Red Sea!")

Let’s dig deeper into what the Bible says. In today’s reading – there’s no mention what sea they crossed. But, just a few verses before today’s reading, in Exodus 13:18, we find this.

(Exodus 13:18 NRSV) So God led the people by the roundabout way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of the land of Egypt prepared for battle.

There it is – the Red Sea. Right? Is that what the Bible says? The English translation we’re reading says that. What does the Hebrew say?

God led the people toward Yam Suph.

Yam Suph

Sea (or lake) of Reeds.

Reed Sea – not Red Sea.

But wait. Yam Suph could also be Yam Soph –

Sea (or Lake) and the end

The End of the Red Sea? Maybe.

Yam Suph is translated as Red Sea in other verses in the Bible – almost all of them referring back to this event. One that doesn’t is a description of King Solomon’s Navy in 1 Kings.

(1 Kings 9:26 NRSV) King Solomon built a fleet of ships at Ezion-geber, which is near Eloth on the shore of the Red Sea, in the land of Edom.

Biblical translation and interpretation is not is not an exact science. Some scholars will agree with me and others disagree. But here’s what I think the Red Sea, Sea of Reeds, Yam Suph, Yam Soph – is.

It’s at one of the northern ends of the Red Sea at the northern end of the Gulf of Akabah – which is in the modern-day city of Eilat – right on the border of Israel and Turkey. It’s likely that there were reeds in the marshy areas at the end of the Gulf and that is where the Israelites crossed.

But there is more to the story

In the epic – the drama that comes with the crossing of the Red Sea with Charleton Heston in the lead is awe-inspiring. But in the Bible – the crossing seems to take second place to something that amazed the Israelites more. In the verses after today’s reading – Exodus chapter 15, the Israelites sing for joy. And this song – called the song of Moses and also the song of Miriam, is thought to be one of the oldest written parts of the Bible.

Here’s what the people celebrated:

(Exodus 15:1b NRSV) "I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; horse and rider he has thrown into the sea."

After several verses of the song – there is a mention of the crossing:

(Exodus 15:8 NRSV) At the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up, the floods stood up in a heap; the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea.

But most all of the song celebrates God’s victory and the defeat of Pharaoh.

So that explains more of what likely happened. And it leaves us right back at that uncomfortable place – the celebration at the death of the Egyptians.

God was weeping because the Egyptians are God’s children too.

I don’t think that praising the death of an enemy is a proper response to liberation and God’s deliverance from an impossible situation.

What kinds of impossible situations do you see in our world today?
What kinds of impossible situations do you see in your life today?
What does . . . what would liberation from those situations be like?
What does . . . what would God’s deliverance from those situations be like?

Are you thinking about terrorism right now?

What does a war on terror hope to accomplish? Is it the death of all of the people in the Al Queda movement?
Or is it the end of needless death, violence and destruction?
Is it victory and a song of praise at the death of the enemy?
Or is it a world reconciled one to the other?

I do believe that God loves all the people and that God desires that all people will turn away from any evil and toward God. And I believe that no matter what situation we are in, God’s deliverance, restoration and redemption are close at hand.

The odds may seem impossible – But I believe that God’s is capable –God is moving and God is bringing the world toward that reconciliation and peace – As God’s Holy Spirit moves in our lives like a strong wind.

Close with prayer.