The Bible is a book full of God’s warnings. It is also full of God’s righteous judgments on those who disobey Him. Since this is all true, what can we learn? Early in the redemption of Israel, this new nation experienced great difficulty leaving Egypt and all that they had been accustomed to in Egypt. This would eventually plague them for 40 years!
It was difficult for them to forget all they had learned and experienced in Egypt, just as it is difficult for many today to leave the false teachings that have permeated the ‘church’. Let us go back to Egypt and the calling out of the nation of Israel.
Exodus 14:5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his servants had a change of heart toward the people, and they said, "What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?"
14:6 So he made his chariot ready and took his people with him; 14:7 and he took six hundred select chariots, and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them.
14:8 The LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he chased after the sons of Israel as the sons of Israel were going out boldly.
What happened to the Pharaoh’s memory of all the plagues? What about his first born son? His nation had been utterly destroyed by all of God’s plagues, yet now he is going to make them all return? Who does he think he is?
14:9 Then the Egyptians chased after them with all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, and they overtook them camping by the sea, beside Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.
14:10 As Pharaoh drew near, the sons of Israel looked, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they became very frightened; so the sons of Israel cried out to the LORD.
The entire Egyptian army is appearing over the horizon. But, just as the Pharaoh seemed to have forgotten all that had happened to his country and his family just a few weeks before, so had the sons of Israel!
14:11 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?
14:12 "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."
Here we read that the sons of Israel had spoken against Moses and had argued that they would be better enslaved to the Pharaoh then following Moses or his God.
14:13 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.
14:14 "The LORD will fight for you while you keep silent."
Moses was God’s chosen leader and rightfully commanded them to be silent and once again watch God fight for them.
14:15 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the sons of Israel to go forward.
14:16 "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.
God gave Moses a command, which he obeyed. Moses had a part even as God was going to reveal His plan right before their eyes.
14:17 "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 all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen.
14:18 "Then the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD, when I am honored through Pharaoh, through his chariots and his horsemen."
God told Moses what He was going to do, just as He told Moses what he had to do.
What lessons are there for us today?
First, we need to evaluate out hearts to see what part of our Egypt we still hold onto.
Second, let us not look at the size of our enemies, but behold the awesome power of our God.
Third, we have a part to do, but the battle is the LORD’s!
Continued next Saturday.