[Moses said] "Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation 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." [Then the LORD said] "Tell the sons of Israel to go forward. And as for you (Moses), 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."
Chapters 5-14 of Exodus give us a very descriptive account of the self-rule, stubbornness and stupidity of the sinful heart. When God told Moses, Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for under compulsion (literally, by a strong hand) he shall let [the Children of Israel] go, and under compulsion he shall drive them out of the land (Egypt)," (6:1), He wasn't kidding. As Pharaoh stiffened his resolve, God brought plague after plague on Egypt. As the blows intensified, Pharaoh would soften for awhile, but then, once the plague passed, self-rule, stubbornness and stupidity took over again. Even when he finally let the people go, Pharaoh lost it again and went after them. This time, it looked like evil would win. The people were caught between the Red Sea (Literally, Reed Sea) and Pharaoh's army, and Pharaoh was bearing down on them. In their panic, they turn on Moses, blaming him for their plight. We can feel for them because we know how awful these moments can be, when our backs are up against the wall and we see no way out. Who hasn't panicked under these circumstances, wanting to blame God for their situation. It seems to be the default of the heart. But God wants to change the default. In these moments we need a good memory and we need a good man. If we are God's people, memory should download a history of God's faithful help to us. If we'lll think about it, any of us can recall the help of God down through our lives. Let's not forget it now. And thank God for a good man, a Moses, in times like this. Sometimes, under the circumstances, they irritate us, but we need their voice of faith; men and women who, like Moses, stand up in the face of the impossible and declare defiantly, Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation 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." Then the LORD said to Moses, "Tell the sons of Israel to go forward. And 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," (14:15-16). Under the most difficult situations, God's voice moves us forward, and, as we take hold of His words and hold to His ways, courage comes again. Stay true my friend. He will make a way. Yes, He will make a way through the waters!
Chapters 5-14 of Exodus give us a very descriptive account of the self-rule, stubbornness and stupidity of the sinful heart. When God told Moses, Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for under compulsion (literally, by a strong hand) he shall let [the Children of Israel] go, and under compulsion he shall drive them out of the land (Egypt)," (6:1), He wasn't kidding. As Pharaoh stiffened his resolve, God brought plague after plague on Egypt. As the blows intensified, Pharaoh would soften for awhile, but then, once the plague passed, self-rule, stubbornness and stupidity took over again. Even when he finally let the people go, Pharaoh lost it again and went after them. This time, it looked like evil would win. The people were caught between the Red Sea (Literally, Reed Sea) and Pharaoh's army, and Pharaoh was bearing down on them. In their panic, they turn on Moses, blaming him for their plight. We can feel for them because we know how awful these moments can be, when our backs are up against the wall and we see no way out. Who hasn't panicked under these circumstances, wanting to blame God for their situation. It seems to be the default of the heart. But God wants to change the default. In these moments we need a good memory and we need a good man. If we are God's people, memory should download a history of God's faithful help to us. If we'lll think about it, any of us can recall the help of God down through our lives. Let's not forget it now. And thank God for a good man, a Moses, in times like this. Sometimes, under the circumstances, they irritate us, but we need their voice of faith; men and women who, like Moses, stand up in the face of the impossible and declare defiantly, Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation 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." Then the LORD said to Moses, "Tell the sons of Israel to go forward. And 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," (14:15-16). Under the most difficult situations, God's voice moves us forward, and, as we take hold of His words and hold to His ways, courage comes again. Stay true my friend. He will make a way. Yes, He will make a way through the waters!
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