Today, we resume our search for important life-lessons from Exodus, chapters 13 and 14, where Moses and the Israelites were caught between the forces of Pharaoh and the sea. https://www.cosdavis.com/gods-promised-victory/ provides a review of two ways God works with His people to ensure victory in tough circumstances: He provides protection and guidance, and He enables us to overcome fear by trusting Him.
What more can we learn from how Moses and the Israelites responded to their dilemma? What exactly was their dilemma? Imagine what they were facing: the sea in front of them, and Pharaoh and his army behind them. They were literally hemmed in by death by drowning in front of them, and a return to slavery behind them.
Remember what Moses said to them about this challenge? “Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord…” Moses’ faith in God saved the day. He didn’t know what God was going to do, but He knew God had called him to deliver His people and that He was not going to allow Pharaoh or the sea to win this battle.
Here’s the next lesson:
Genuine faith is completed by action.
It’s one thing for Moses to talk, to tell them to “stand by and see the salvation of the Lord.” It’s another thing to move ahead, not knowing what the Lord is going to tell you to do. To do that requires that we put our words and thoughts into action. To me, it’s almost comical to see what God tells Moses to do.
“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘ Why are you crying out to me? Tell the sons of Israel to go forward.'” In other words, tell them to march toward the sea. Can you imagine what happens when Moses tells them to do this? Fear, trepidation. Someone yells at Moses, “Are you crazy? You are going to get all of us killed.”
Despite all the confusion and resistance, Moses trusts God and does as he is told. This is genuine faith, acting upon your trust in God. When we do that, God takes the next step. Look at what He says to Moses.
“As for you, lift your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea, and divide it, and the sons of Israel will go through the midst of the sea on dry land.” Exodus 14:16.
God tells Moses that when he acts in faith, he can trust God to do what He alone can do. Look how God responds to genuine faith.
“As for me, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them; and I will be honored through Pharaoh and his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. Then the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord, when I am honored through Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.” Genesis 14:17-18.
What does this say about the kind of faith God expects of you? Have you experienced situations similar to that of Moses and the Israelites? If so, have you shared what God has done with someone going through a hard time?
You can depend on God to keep His promise. This is the second lesson we can take from this story, and what an important one it is! If you have put your trust in Jesus, all the promises God has made are yours to claim.
This epic story of Moses and the Israelites at the sea continues in Exodus 14:18-31. God goes with them into the parted sea, but there is an interesting detail you don’t want to miss. What He does illustrates the detail of how he cares for His people. Exodus 14:19 tells us He goes before them with the pillar of fire and follows with the pillar of cloud, the reverse of what has happened up to this point. Why? I think it is because the Israelites need light to go through the seabed surrounded by a vast sea wall on either side. God cares about the details of our lives!
You’ve likely heard the rest of the story most of your life, how God saved the Israelites and closed the walls of the sea on the pursuing Egyptians. This is covered in Exodus 14:19-31. Verses 30 and 31 summarize what God did to keep His promise to bring our savior into the world through the nation of Israel.
What we learn about God in this story is consistent with what we saw regarding Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. You can depend on God to keep His word to you. If you have put your faith in Him, you are safe and secure in His promise to protect and guide you in this life, and to share eternity with Him. He who parted the sea for His people will secure you from Satan and hell and give you eternal life with Him. That’s His promise, and you can depend on God to keep His Promise.
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