For longer than America has been a country the Israelites labored as slaves under Pharaoh’s regime. But as written in Exodus 2 and referenced in last week’s blog post, God heard their cries and at the appointed time was ready to act. After such a long history of feeling forgotten coupled with Moses’ failed attempts at negotiating freedom they didn’t hold much hope. Finally though Pharaoh relented and let them go. Can’t you just imagine their excitement as they headed out toward the long-awaited Promised Land?
Only shortly thereafter their balloon burst.
Pharoah had changed his mind. But by the time the Israelites saw his army closing in on them, the surrounding mountains and sea left no viable escape. Only able to see the immediacy of their impossible circumstances, fear took over and God’s promise of rescue quickly forgotten.
Even if we’ve never experienced life-threatening danger, we do know about crippling and controlling fear.
Whether it’s something huge like a dire medical diagnosis, divorce, financial distress, job loss or a move. Or, something less significant but still consuming, like our children’s grades/behavior, them driving in the dark on the highway, leaving for college, or enduring sorority recruitment. Or, for my husband and me, a church building and growth. Whatever it is, our circumstances and emotions have a way of taking us captive, making it hard to remember what God’s Word says is true.
In knowing my heart-bent and how alike the Israelites I am, they must have been rolling their eyes, cursing Moses at his words in light of the encroaching Egyptian army.
“Are you kidding right now, Moses? We are about to die and you are telling us not to fear? Are you blind? How can we possibly stand firm? You are crazy if you think the Lord is going to deliver us now!”
But none of this was outside of God’s ordained plan. To show the Israelites only He can save them, He had to bring them to this point of desperation.
“Israel, you just sit there and watch and I’m going to do it for you. And I’m going to do it in such a way that only I can.”
And with that God went to work!
Imagine the Israelites’ eyes when the sea parted! Apprehensive still about what was happening, but then moments later as they stepped onto the dry ground of the sea, they saw the waters swallowing up their enemy. Talk about shock and awe! All the Israelites could do was marvel at God’s power and might.
Here they had wanted nothing to do with God and yet God did everything necessary against impossible circumstances to bring them out of slavery and death and deliver them to freedom. Just what God does for us too. In his timing, and in his way.
You see, this Red Sea story is not just an Old Testament miracle or story. It’s God pattern for redemption — our redemption. For in the deliverance of Israel through Moses we have a pointer to the true Redeemer who would later come to set free his children from slavery and death.
Without Him we are hopelessly, eternally enslaved. Only He can remake a sinful heart set on self see its need for a Savior. And because He came to do just that, why should we expect anything less than for Him to carry us until completion?
“He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” Romans 8:32
To this end the Red Sea also serves as a pivotal reminder of who God is and why he is trustworthy. He made the Red Sea crossing an event the Israelites and their future generations would look back at to remember what God had done for them. And He gives us these markers too.
After we have experienced trials and look back on them, we can often see how God’s hand was on us all along. May these serve to help us remember his faithfulness in our times of fear. When we are struggling for control and consumed by circumstances may we see that nothing is more surer than His Word – ultimately given to us in the person of Christ. It is our hope and guarantee that The Lord fights for us!
***For expanded lessons like this one from Exodus 14, preorder The Gospel-Centered Life in Exodus. It officially releases in ONE WEEK – July 23rd.***
