Protection, by definition, is the state of being protected. It also means preservation from injury or a thing, person, or group that protects. During the Exodus, the people of Israel were in dire need of protection. God came through time and time again to supply things for them. The people would have been overtaken by the Egyptians, but God protected them.

I.       Scriptures-

        A.   God was watching out for the people, even when they did not realize it. He had a plan. God told the people that he would fight for them and rescue them.

                            1.     Exodus 14:13-14- But Moses told the people “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The Lord  himself will fight for you. You will not have to lift a finger in your defense. Just stay calm.” (NLT)

        B.   God had delivered the Israelites and kept them safe. They finally trusted in him (temporarily) and put their faith in him.

                           1.     Exodus 14: 31- When the people of Israel saw the mighty power that the Lord had unleashed against the Egyptians, they were filled with awe before him. They put their faith in the Lord and in his servant Moses. (NLT)

        C.   Fear of the Lord brings protection. Moses feared God and obeyed, thus God protected his people.

                          1.     Proverbs 19:23- Fear of the Lord leads to life, bringing security and protection from harm. (NLT) 

        D.    Oppression. This word also means to push down by an unjust force. The Israelites were definitely oppressed in Egypt. They needed a protector, and God was the only one who could do that.

                         1.     Psalms 9:9- The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed,  a refuge in times of trouble. (NLT)

        E.   Psalms 91 is full of encouragement, and tells of God’s protection. It should be encouraging that he is always protecting you. All we have to do is believe.

                          1.     Psalms 91: 9-11- If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home. He will order his                                                                                angels to protect you wherever you go. (NLT)

II.    Quotes-

        A.    God wants us to be protected, but we will have to go through the testing and trying. He will never let us be pushed too much.

                           1.     “The love of God did not protect His own Son.... He will not necessarily protect us - not from anything it takes to make us like His Son. A lot of hammering and chiseling and  purifying by fire will have to go into the process.” ~Elisabeth Elliot

        B.    The Israelites thought that Moses brought them out of Egypt to die in the desert. They did not see it as an opportunity for God to deliver them. He protected them and destroyed their enemies. 

                           1.     “The will of God will never take you to where the grace of God will not protect you. To gain that which is worth having, it may be necessary to lose everything else.”   ~Bernadette Devlin

        C.    God is the number one source of protection for his people. Constant protection from the highest God is a comfort in all situations.

                                      1.     “You can have the protection of the strongest defense in the world. In an ever-changing world, the constant protection God promises in the 91st Psalm will cover you in all situations.”    ~Gloria Copeland 

Knowing that we are always protected by such a powerful God should be very encouraging to us. In life, we are faced with many situations that are dangerous to us, and we may not even know it. But God is constantly watching us. A combination of faith and fearing God brought protection to the people of Israel. Without that protection, the Israelites would have been defeated by the Egyptians and taken back as slaves. God protected them, even though they did not always trust and believe in him. God only requires that we trust in him.