September 15, 2002
Sermon preached by Rev. Donald Ng at the First Chinese Baptist Church in San Francisco.
Three weeks ago, the Sojourners visited the Immigration Station on Angel Island. We were able to see the living conditions of the Chinese who were detained on this island as they awaited legal entry into their new country. Visiting the museum and the island was memorable but getting to the island was the bonus attraction. Some arrived on a ferry from Pier 39. Others came by ferry from Tiburon. After we have heard and read about the struggles and hardships of our Chinese forefathers and mothers carved into the wooden walls of the dormitories, we tried to feel what they must have felt. And when they were allowed to come into San Francisco, we imagined how they may have felt boarding their ferries, seeing the Immigration Station behind them, and coming closer and closer to the city on the Bay—Gold Mountain. They completed their final sea crossing.
For most of us, the sea is big, rough, and scary. We may hear about adventurers like Robert Manry who in 1965 crossed the Atlantic Ocean from Falmouth Massachusetts to Falmouth, England in a tiny boat, less than 14 feet long—shorter than a Ford Explorer SUV. Manry crossed the Atlantic in 78 days and lived to tell about it. Tragically, we have also read about others who never made it—only finding an abandoned boat sailing itself. Real-life sea crossing is not like the Black and Gold ferries from Pier 39. It’s much more dangerous and scary.
Crossing the Red Sea
Imagine now, what the Israelites were feeling when they stood at the shore of the Red Sea. They were feeling trapped, with the sea in front of them and the Egyptian army behind them. The Israelites were like Chinese detained on Angel Island—afraid to return to China and uncertain about what’s in store for them in America. And when the Israelites looked to the sea and saw nothing but the waters of chaos, the place where danger lurks, where good things never happen, they were afraid.
They cried out to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness?” I can imagine what the Chinese were saying on Angel Island, “Are there no graves in Toishan that you have taken us to die in America?”
At that moment, at the edge of the Red Sea, the Israelites had nothing. No vessel, no ship, boat, canoe or raft to cross the sea. No Pier 39 ferry!
Then God said, “There’s no way but God’s way.” All they had was the power and presence of the one Lord God. And that, of course, was more than enough. Exodus tells us that “The Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night, and turned the sea into dry land; and the waters were divided. The Israelites went into the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left.”
Then the pursuing armies went after them with horses, chariots and chariot drivers. But the Lord threw them into panic, clogged their chariot wheels, and then, as a final death blow, flooded the entire army of Pharaoh with the waters of the Red Sea. “Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the Egyptians,” concludes Exodus; “and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore.”
We know this famous sea crossing story from Charleston Heston’s The Ten Commandments or the Prince of Egypt. And we give thanks that God worked so powerfully in this event to save the lives of his chosen people. But we know that in our own lives, we can’t always count on a miracle to come along and get us out of a jam. When we find ourselves with a sea in front of us and an army behind us, there’s no promise that the sea will open up for us, that dry ground will appear, and that our enemies and opponents and pains and problems will be swallowed up in defeat behind us. The Chinese on Angel Island could only dream of the bay water dividing and dry ground appearing as a road to San Francisco.
More often than not, we have to get in a boat and start rowing. And when we do, God makes a way when there seems to be no way at all.
Trusting the Lord
For generations, the children of Israel had been taught that they were God’s chosen people, people of God’s promise, participants in God’s future. In their lifetime, they have seen God act on their behalf, causing plagues upon their oppressors and giving them Moses as a spokesperson and leader. By the Lord’s hand they had gotten this far to the edge of the Red Sea.
Where they were encamped, they did not see a way out, but they did see a pillar of cloud—the same cloud that had led them through the wilderness. They believed the pillar of cloud by day and fire by night was the presence of Yahweh, guarding and watching their steps. A cloud cannot stop a spear. Water vapor is no hindrance to a horse and chariot. But it did remind them of God’s purpose for them. It did screen them from the hostile forces of Pharaoh at night.
The cloud that protected the Israelites confounded Pharaoh and his army. For them, it was a hindrance, not a shield or reminder of God’s providence. It caused them confusion and eventually led them to make a bad strategic maneuver that led to their destruction.
The pillar of cloud for us is Jesus. Jesus is present with us day and night. And as we follow Jesus, we are mindful that God has a very special purpose for us in the world. Spears can still hurt us. Hostile chariots can still create havoc and chaos in our lives. But when we follow Jesus and trust him with our lives, we believe that God will guard and watch every one of our steps.
40 Years of Sea Crossings
Today and last night, we are celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Emmanuel Family Group in our church. They have crossed many seas during the past 40 years. As college students, Miss Astrid Peterson gathered them together to teach them that they have a friend in Jesus. They studied and became contributing citizens in their communities. They raised children and went on vacations together. Their faith in God encouraged Karen Yee and Larry Jay to answer the call for full-time Christian ministry. For 40 years, they crossed many seas with a single focus of living for Jesus. In obedience, they participated with God for 40 years.
God commanded Moses to stretch out his hand over the sea, and when Moses obeyed, the waters parted, giving the children of Israel a way to escape. Our Lord desires human participation in his saving history. The Almighty could certainly have parted the sea without Moses’ hand. God could magically have transported all of the children of Israel in an instant to safe ground. But God has not chosen to work salvation through magic.
There are many people in the world that God could have recruited to do his work; others with even more talent and skills than us. But God chose the Emmanuel Family Group to participate in his work of salvation. With God’s continuing pillar of cloud of light, no wonder you have been able to cross so many seas!
Not Us, But God
When I was little, I loved the scene when Moses caused the Red Sea to divide and the walls of water held up on the left side and on the right side. I always thought about how cool that would be to stretch out my hand and do that. There’s a lesson here for us to learn about today. Although God invites us to share in his work, sometimes, we thing it’s all about us. It’s through our efforts and creativity, we think.
We like to believe that it was the hand of Moses that delivered Israel. The truth of the matter is that the Almighty God delivered his people through the hand of Moses. Moses couldn’t have done this himself. When we try to cope with life’s circumstances, success does not depend solely on our own efforts. Deliverance does not depend on the wind that just happens to blow up, or on our understanding of how wind currents work. Rescue is not contingent on the depth of the waters. It depends on the Lord who made both wind and water.
Parting the waters is not accomplish by the hand of Moses, but God allows Moses to participate in his saving activity. The same is true for us in whatever tight corner we might find ourselves. Our help comes from the Lord, not from armies or clever leaders. It all depends on God, and we know that God is faithful. The Emmanuel Family Group throughout these many years have depended on God with their lives and participated in proclaiming their faith in Jesus.
And after we have been delivered from the dangers and circumstances of life, will we deliver God’s salvation story to others? Or do we just want to enjoy the safety and security we have found in the Lord? Will the delivered deliver?
There’s a story of a milkmaid and a holy man. The holy man lived in a remote place and relied on the milkmaid to bring him milk and food every day. She had the habit of arriving later than he wanted. One day when he scolded her for this, she explained that she had to walk along the bank of a river for a good distance before coming to a bridge to take her to the other side, where she could continue on her errand to bring him supplies. He said, “Well, why don’t you walk across the water? It would save time and perhaps you wouldn’t be tardy every day.”
From then on the milkmaid was never late. One day the holy man’s curiosity got the best of him, and he asked how she managed to arrive so early. “Why, sir,” she replied, “I did as you told me. I walk across the waters of the river.” The holy man said, “This I must see. Let me go with you, child, as you return to the village. I believe I can surely walk on water, if someone like you can.”
They reached the river, and without hesitation, the milkmaid stepped onto the water and walked to the other side. She turned to watch the holy man. Slowly, carefully, he gathered his robes up about his knees and stepped onto the river. He took a few hesitant steps and began to sink. The milkmaid ran back across the waters and helped him to shore. “What went wrong?” asked the holy man. “Well, sir, you said you believed you could walk across the water, but you gathered up your robes so as not to get the hem wet.”
The holy man acted like many people who claim to be Christian. We would love to witness the hand of God at work in our lives, but refuse to place our reliance on him. “Keeping dry” does not depend on our feeble efforts, but on listening to and obeying the Lord who has the power to save.
For all these 40 years, the members of the Emmanuel Family Group have wet hems. They trusted God and continue to trust him by giving their lives for God’s service. You see, God delivers us from the chaos and dangers of life and now we have been asked to rely on him and to obey God who has the power to save.
Sea Crossings Today
The promise of God to us is clear. Isaiah said, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you.” (43:2) The Lord gives us assurance that he will be with us in all of our perilous passages, working to protect us and guide us and preserve us. The love of God for us is undeniable, and Scripture promises us that many waters cannot quench this love, neither floods can drown this love from us (Songs of Solomon 8:7). And in Romans, “There is nothing in all creation, nothing on land or sea or air, that can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (8:39)
So we, like the ancient Israelites, can count on God’s power and God’s presence and God’s steadfast love when we face our own sea crossings. The Lord promises to bring us through the water—through the water of chaos, and danger, and even great beasts—and to see us safely to the other side. God promises to be with us when we face:
*The sea crossing of a fresh school year, with unfamiliar teachers, classmates, and subjects.
*The sea crossing of the first anniversary of 9/11 with sadness and fears that
we may be at war very soon.
*The sea crossing of losing a job, with unexpected challenges and uncertainties.
*The sea crossing of a lost relationship, with feelings of regret and self-doubt.
*The sea crossing of a serious illness, with sadness and fear and exhaustion and pain.
*The sea crossing of a death in the family, with shock and anger and confusion and grief.
*The sea crossing of celebrating 40 years and wondering what another 40 years would look like.
Through all these sea crossings, the Lord promises to be with us, giving us proper wind for our sails and nourishment for our spirits. All God asks of us is that we stay close to him as he is to us, and that we trust him to be always at work for good in our lives.
The sea is large and our path is not often dry. But with God as in a pillar of cloud at day and fire at night, no scary water is in front of us, or hostile armies behind us will ever be able to defeat us. God will deliver us again.
Let us pray.
Gracious Lord God, thank you for watching out for us and protecting us throughout our lives—whether it’s 40 years or 40 minutes. We pray that we may trust you with our lives and know that you are God. Lead us to not be afraid to cross the seas of life as we faithfully journey toward your promises of everlasting life. In the One who made heaven come on earth, we pray in Christ’s name. Amen.