Exodus 14:8-9
And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with an high hand.
But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, before Baalzephon.
As my husband and I found ourselves once again digging mud out of our ditch this weekend, we kept talking about how impatient we are in wanting to build our new house. Here we want to start building and finish a log cabin, and instead, it is taking us several weeks just to finish the driveway. We have found ourselves at the mercy of the weather. It keeps raining and making a mess of our mud, but we can’t get the loader in there to finish the work so we can get the gravel, until everything dries out.
In my Bible reading in Exodus, the Israelites have finally been set free from Egypt; however, Pharoah and “all the horses and chariots of Pharoah” went after them again while they were in an area trapped in. Once again, they found themselves facing opposition. “And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD” (vs. 10).
As my husband and I think about all of the steps that will still have to be done before we can even start building, it can seem so hard and almost not worth it. It would be so much easier if we just stay where we’re at. This is the attitude that the Israelites took when they too were facing opposition. “Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.” (vs 12). God had performed many miracles in setting them free, yet the Israelites are looking back at their old life thinking they had been better off. In the same way for us, God has performed many miracles in the work of Jesus to set us free from sin…let’s not look back at our enslaved life of sin and flesh and think that we were better off. Let’s keep trusting God to deliver us.
We all know the story of the parting of the Red Sea and that God does come through and rescue them once again. However, one thing that jumped out to me in my reading today is that the Israelites still had to be patient while they were facing opposition and being trapped. I had it pictured in my mind that Moses had lifted up his hands towards the Red Sea and that God instantly parted the waters and made a dry path, but that’s not how it happened. “And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them: And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.” (vs 19-20). Notice that they had to wait all night to be rescued. “And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.” (vs 21).
You may not be digging red mud out of a ditch, but what is your Red Sea? Whatever oppositions we may be facing and whatever struggles we may have, let’s not give up or get impatient. Let’s not get disheartened, but trust in God alone to rescue us in his timing.
-RB
Exodus 14:13-14
And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.
DPOD 