What can our generation in 2024 possibly learn from the ancient parting of the Red Sea? After all, it was thousands of years ago. Well, as it turns out, people are still people, and we actually can learn a whole bunch from the Old Testament.
In Exodus 14, as the Israelites were leaving Egypt, Pharaoh’s entire army (verse 9) pursued them all the way to the Red Sea. As the army drew near (verse 10), the Israelites took their eyes off Moses and focused them on the enemy and the threat. What was their instant, default reaction? Fear. Lashing out. Rewriting history. Blaming the one in charge.
Exodus 14:11-12: “Then they said to Moses, ‘Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you dealt with us in this way, bringing us out of Egypt? Is this not the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, “Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians”? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.’”
But wait: The whole reason God sent Moses to them in the first place was because the Israelites complained about their oppressive slavery and cried out to God for rescue (Exodus 3:23-25). But the moment things became scary, they blamed their rescuer and were ready to go back to the misery from which they had just been saved. Sound familiar? Don’t we do the same thing?
We cry out to God for deliverance from our trials, but as soon as that path to freedom gets scary, our default is to shift our focus from God to the problem, fear the threat as a Goliath, rewrite our history as trouble-free, and blame the One who loves us and is working for our good.
Is this accidental? Of course not. This has been Satan’s M.O. from the beginning of time. (Gen. 3:4-5: His strategy was to get Eve to doubt God’s good motives toward her.) Satan’s goal is to get us to doubt God’s faithfulness, blame Him for the troubles Satan is causing, and run away from God’s freedom back into Satan’s clutches of sin-slavery.
So how do we keep from repeatedly falling into this trap? Keep our focus on our Deliverer (who is bigger than the bully), trust Him, and follow His lead.
· 1 John 4:4: “Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.”
· James 4:7-8: “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”
Moses encouraged the people by redirecting their focus to God’s power, challenging them to trust Yahweh in the face of fear.
· Exodus 14:13-14: “But Moses said to the people, ‘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.’”
Notice that the Israelites were still afraid when they chose to trust God, obey, and move forward in verse 15 and 22. Courage is not the absence of fear; it is the choice to move forward in the presence of fear.
What was the result of the Israelites’ obedience? Freedom from bondage. Protection from the enemy. Provision for the future.
What did it take for God to act on their behalf? He responded when His people cried out to Him.
· Exodus 3:23-25: “And the sons of Israel sighed because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry for help because of their bondage rose up to God. So God heard their groaning; and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God saw the sons of Israel, and God took notice of them.”
What did it take for His people to cry out to Him?
· They had become oppressed by evil authoritarian leaders
· They were having to endure slave labor (Exodus 1:11-14)
· They were being forced to enrich their evil leaders with their labors, while themselves undergoing human rights violations
· The authoritarian regime forced them to kill their own children (forced infanticide) (Exodus 1:16)
All this happened before the Bible says they cried out to God for help. How much will we put up with before we begin regularly crying out to God for the healing of our nation?
· 2 Chron. 7:14: “If My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
But notice the condition to the above promise: If My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways…Have you fully repented and surrendered your will to Jesus? Is He just your Savior, or have you allowed Him to be Lord over every part of your life?
What’s the take-away from this story? God is able to utterly destroy our most powerful enemies with a simple wave of His hand if He so chooses. Exodus 15:7: “And in the greatness of Your excellence You overthrow those who rise up against You…”; He’s able to turn this nation around, but we must cry out to Him in repentance and surrender.
We must fix our eyes on Jesus. We must trust Him. We must obey Him, no matter how scary things get; and we must have courage. Choose to move forward, even in the presence of fear.
Proverbs 3:5–8: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your body and refreshment to your bones.”
In His Grip,
Shawna
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