Moments With God

Exodus 14

God has said that in this life we will face trials and difficulties. We as His children, however, need not fear. We can trust that the Lord is always with us and that in Him we are overcomers. The Lord says to us in John 16:33b, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

The Israelites, God’s Old Testament people, were facing a very difficult and frightening situation. Pharaoh, ancient king of Egypt, had released them from slavery after 10 horrendous plagues. Pharaoh had changed his mind, however, and was now pursuing God’s people. The Israelites found themselves with the Red Sea before them and the Egyptians behind them. With no visible means of escape the Israelites responded with fear and complaining to Moses. (Exodus 14:11-12) Moses answered the people’s fears by saying, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still." (Exodus 14:13-14) God’s Old Testament people had to be still and calm in their spirits. They had to trust that the Lord would deliver them and that a victory would be won that day by the Lord. Victory would happen only because the Lord was on their side and was fighting the battle for them. So we too as believers today must not respond in fear when a new and frightening trial enters our lives. Instead the Lord directs us to "be still, and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10a) We need to rest our anxieties with the Lord and cast all our worries on the Lord, because He truly cares for us. (I Peter 5:7)

God’s Old Testament people, the Israelites, were not only instructed to "be still" and trust in the Lord; but they were also commanded to "move on" in obedience. (Exodus 14:14b-15) God first caused the pillar of cloud to move from in front of His people to behind them so that it came between the armies of the Israelites and the armies of the Egyptians. In this way there was darkness on the side of the Egyptians and light on the side of the Israelites. This was a beautiful and visible reminder to God’s Old Testament people of His presence with them. So also God lights the way for us, His people today. He is our guide and the light on our path through this life and to eternity.

Next God instructed Moses to raise his staff over the Red Sea "and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry ground." (Exodus 14:21) The Israelites then rested their fears in the Lord and moved out in obedience and trust in the Lord. They "went through the sea on dry ground with a wall of water on their right and on their left. (Exodus 14:22) May it be our passion as well to rest our fears with the Lord and to persevere in obedient trust when we face the difficult and frightening trials of life.

When the Egyptians decided to try to pursue the Israelites into the Red Sea the Lord God caused the waters to come down again upon the Egyptians, and "not one of them survived." (Exodus 14:28b) That day the Lord God was truly fighting for His Old Testament people against the Egyptians. (Exodus 14:25b) "When the Israelites saw the great power the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in Him and in Moses His servant." (Exodus 14:31) This was a reverential trust and awe of the Lord God and involved a commitment to the Lord’s will. The Lord works in our lives today also in many ways. He is the One who fights for us and is our strength, song, and salvation in the trials of life. (Exodus 15:2) May we trust His perfect plan and will, and may we praise Him for His many answers to prayer in our lives!

Exodus 14:1-12

Praise God that we have the confidence that all the events of our lives be they pleasant or difficult work together for the Lord’s glory and for our spiritual and eternal good.

God’s Old Testament people, the Israelites, had been freed from slavery in Egypt. This did not mean, however, that their lives from then on were going to be free from problems. In fact, very soon after leaving Egypt God placed them in a frightening situation which would stretch their faith and their spiritual lives. God told Moses to instruct the Israelites, God’s Old Testament people, to set up camp near the Red Sea. This made it necessary for them to turn back in the general direction from which they had come when they left Egypt. God said, "Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert’---and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am Lord.’" (Exodus 14:3-4) God was deliberately choosing to place the Israelites by the Red Sea so that when Pharaoh and the Egyptians chose to pursue them, they would be hemmed in with no visible means of escape. At first glance it seems puzzling that the Lord would do such a thing. The Lord, however, wanted to teach His people of old that they needed to be completely dependent on Him, and He wanted to teach them to not depend on their own perceived resources. The Lord God wanted to teach His people that they needed to trust in Him alone. This frightening situation which the Lord was allowing in their lives was ultimately for their spiritual growth and well-being. Further through the deliverance the Lord would ultimately bring the Lord Himself would be glorified. (Exodus 14:4b) In the same way the Lord sometimes brings and allows difficult situations in our lives as believers today also. This is to stretch and strengthen our faith and is for our ultimate spiritual good. It also brings glory to the Lord God’s name. It brings glory to His name, if we respond to the trials God allows in our lives in faith and trust. It also brings glory to His name when He helps us and delivers us in His perfect timing.

Because they regretted their decision to free God’s Old Testament people from slavery Pharaoh, ancient king of Egypt, and his officials decided to pursue them. As Pharaoh and his army approached God’s people, they were terrified. They said to Moses, "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die?----It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!" (Exodus 14:11-12) By this display of fear God’s Old Testament people were denying God’s power to help them. Sometimes when we face a fearful or difficult situation, it is easy for us also to panic and to forget that we have a powerful and faithful God. We need not fear, however. We may face serious illness, job loss, financial insecurity, the loss of a loved one, or a host of other situations; but the Lord has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5b) Let us always say with the Psalmist, "I will fear no evil, for You (God) are with me." (Psalm 23:4) God was about to bring about a glorious deliverance for God’s Old Testament people. (Exodus 14:13-31) In the mean time when they did not know for certain what was going to happen, God’s Old Testament people had to trust the Lord to work things out for them for their ultimate spiritual good. In the face of a difficult situation and an uncertain future we too must trust that the Lord is in control. (Psalm 33:11) We also must trust that the Lord will bring about His deliverance in His perfect timing if not in this life then in eternity. The Lord hears our prayers and will work things out, but it will not necessarily be the way we think it should happen. We must let Him lead the way, and follow Him in trust. May this be our passion.

Exodus 13:17-22

Praise the Lord that we as believers can depend on the Lord God’s directing hand and guiding light in our lives. Praise the Lord that He is in control of all the events of our lives.

When the Lord God led His Old Testament people out of slavery in Egypt, it must have been an exciting time for them. After ten plagues or judgments on Egypt Pharaoh, ancient king of Egypt, had decided to let God’s people leave Egypt and slavery. God’s Old Testament people had been slaves in Egypt for many years, and now they were free from slavery. In addition to it being an exciting time for them it also must have been a bit frightening. God’s people were leaving behind all that they had known and experienced for many years. They did not know what their new lives as free people would entail, and they were not sure what obstacles lay ahead of them. They would truly have to learn to trust in the Lord in this newly uncharted territory in their lives. The Lord understood His Old Testament people’s fears and spiritual frailty. Hence when the Lord God led His Old Testament people out of slavery in Egypt; He "did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter," (Exodus 13:17) The Lord God did not lead His people on the shorter route, because He knew that if they had to face war at this point in their history they would in fear return to Egypt and slavery. Instead the Lord lead them on a longer road toward the Red Sea.

In the same way the Lord leads and spiritually protects His children today also. The Lord always knows what is best for us, and His timing is perfect. Further the Lord God never gives us more burdens than we can handle by His grace. He never allows a challenge or trial in our lives for which He has not first spiritually prepared us.

Concerning God’s Old Testament people Exodus 13:21-22 says, "By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people." The pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire were visual reminders to God’s people of old that He would always be with them.

So the Lord God goes ahead of His children today also. The Lord God always has and always will lead His people of all ages "on their way" through life. There is never a time be it night or day that the Lord is not with us. God says to us, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." (Hebrews 135b) God’s children need not fear, for they know the Lord is with them each step of the way on life’s path. In the darkness of night God’s Old Testament people were led by a pillar of fire. The light from this pillar of fire kept them from stumbling in the dark. So also the Lord gives His children today His special light in the darkness of times of trial and difficulty in their lives. The Psalmist in Psalm 18:28b says, "My God turns my darkness into light." Therefore as His children "let us walk in the light of the Lord." (Isaiah 2:5b) In times of trial and trouble walking "in the light of the Lord" can sometimes be very difficult especially when we do not know what God would have us to do next in what we as weak humans view as an impossible and hopeless situation. At such times the book of James in the New Testament advises us to pray for wisdom. James 1:5 says, "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." We also at such times need to study God’s Word. Psalm 119:105 says, "Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." Finally we need to rest in the Lord and trust that He will give us just enough light for the step we are on today. We need to trust that the Lord will continue to direct our way through this life step by step. Praise God for the Lord’s light and direction!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exodus 12-13:16

How often do we meditate on the wonder of God’s gift of salvation to us? How often do we remember and contemplate all the other blessings the Lord has given to us in our lives? Finally how often do we talk to our children and grandchildren about all that the Lord has done for us?

In our Scripture passage God’s Old Testament people, the Israelites, had just been freed from slavery in Egypt. After ten terrible plagues Pharaoh, ancient king of Egypt, had finally consented to let God’s Old Testament people leave Egypt. God’s Old Testament people had lived in Egypt for 430 years, and at last they were leaving Egypt and slavery. (Exodus 12:40-41) They were free from Pharaoh and free from slavery, and they were on the way to the promised land.

This is a beautiful picture of God’s children of all ages being freed from the slavery of sin. The night before God’s Old Testament people left Egypt they, at God’s command, killed a lamb and sprinkled the blood on their houses. When the Lord God went through the land of Egypt and saw the blood on their houses, He passed over their houses. The plague which killed all the first born sons of the Egyptian families did not come on God’s Old Testament people. This was because of the blood of the lamb on their houses. We also are saved from God’s wrath and just punishment for our sins by the blood of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. Because of Jesus Christ’s blood shed on the cross, we are free from the slavery of sin! Because of Jesus Christ’s blood on the cross, God in His grace "passes over" our sin just as He passed over the houses of His ancient Old Testament people. The Lord God washed away our sin and made us stand pure in His sight. May we never forget and cease to be thankful for the awesome gift that we have been given in our salvation!

The Israelites, God’s Old Testament people, were instructed to commemorate and remember forever their wonderful exodus from Egypt and slavery. God said to them, "This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord-a lasting ordinance." (Exodus 12:14) They were to yearly commemorate this awesome day in their history when God Himself brought them out of slavery "with a mighty hand." (Exodus 13:3) They were to tell their ancestors for generations to come what the Lord had done for them that day. Annually as they celebrated this event they were to tell their children, "I do this because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt. (Exodus 13:8b)

May we also often contemplate and be eternally thankful for our Lord God’s salvation provided for us. May we also remember and be thankful for all the other daily blessings He has given to us. May we further be passionate about passing on the faith to our children and grandchildren. May we be unafraid to tell them about the Lord’s salvation and what He has done in our lives. The Lord has "passed over" our sins through the blood of the Lamb, our Lord Jesus Christ, and He has showered us with overflowing blessings. Hence let us be diligent to "pass on" the faith to our children and grandchildren by our words and the example of our lives!