But Moses said to the people, “Don’t be afraid. Stand firm and see the LORD’s salvation He will provide for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you must be quiet.”
Exodus 14:13-14 HCSB
In our scripture passage today the Israelites have camped by the Red Sea. Pharaoh has released them, but his heart was hardened against them once more and he has now decided to pursue them. In verse 6 we are told that he took 600 of the best chariots along with all the rest of the chariots of Egypt. The chariots had officers in them and they all pursued the Israelites. So these Israelites have witnessed all these plagues. They have left Egypt with Pharaoh’s permission, but now he has changed his mind. As they camp by the Red Sea, his army pursues them. What on earth are they to do?
Have you ever felt like that? When faced with difficult decisions or hard times, my grandmother used to say that it was like being between a rock and a hard place. Have you ever felt like the walls were closing in? Has it ever felt like your only decision was choosing how you are going to die? Will you die at the hands of this vast army or will you drown in the sea? Can you just imagine the fear in the hearts of these Israelites. They have just been released from slavery and now they face being murdered at the hands of Pharaoh and his army or drowned. It seems like an impossible situation, right? But we are told in Luke 18:27 that “What is impossible with men is possible with God.”
So while the Israelites faced a situation that they could see no possible way of escape from, God was already working on their salvation. He had a plan. Just as we are told in Jeremiah 29:11 God has good plans for us. He doesn’t plan for us to be harmed, he plans for us to have a future, he plans for our welfare. He had a plan for the Israelites and He has a plan for you.
Last night our church attended our associational meeting. Sadly, there were people that oppose our church becoming a member of that association. We are still pressing towards that goal, but sometimes it seems as though we are against that army and standing at the Red Sea. We have come to a sad place in time where Christians oppose Christians. We have come to a point where churches oppose other churches. Instead of banding together to win lost souls to Christ we waste our time and energy fighting each other. I wonder if this is how God intended for His churches to be?
When you are a church and you are opposed by one or two churches it leaves you feeling like the Israelites. An army behind you and a raging sea in front of you. But that’s okay as long as God is beside you. As long as God is guiding you, He will guide you through on dry ground. We must remember those instructions. First, don’t be afraid. If God is for us, who can be against us (Romans 8:31).
Then Moses told them to stand firm. Sometimes our biggest problem is that we run around like chicken little thinking that the sky is falling and wondering what we can do. Sometimes the best thing we can do is stand firm and see the salvation that the LORD will provide.
Then Moses told the people that they would never again see the Egyptians that were pursuing them. This meant that after that day, the pursuit would be over. Now if you read on in chapter 14 you will see that this is because they went into the Red Sea after it had been parted. They went in after the Israelites and God brought the walls of water back down and they were all drowned. When people come against God’s children, the outcome for those people are never good. In verse 24 the Egyptians were thrown into confusion, they realized that they should leave the Israelites alone and that God was fighting for them, but by then it was too late. God had already began their destruction.
Then Moses told them that the LORD would fight for them but they must be quiet. It is so tempting to run our mouths when the enemy attacks isn’t it? Or is that just me? I want to tell everyone about the injustice that is being done. I want to plot and plan and gather my forces. But that’s not what God tells us to do. We are to be quiet. If we trust in God to handle this situation, we should be able to keep our mouths shut, stand still and watch what He will do.
Do you feel like you are being attacked on all sides? Do you feel as though huge armies have chased you up to the edge of a roaring sea? Well, know that God is a God of miracles. God can harden hearts and God can soften hearts. In the case of Pharaoh, Pharaoh opposed God’s people so much that God hardened his heart one final time. That one final time did him in and he was drowned in the Red Sea. Game over.
If you are in the midst of a battle, stand firm, God will fight for you (2 Chronicles 20:12). If you are fighting against God’s children, know that no good can come of this for you.
If you are under attack, stand firm, be quiet, and watch and see what God can do.
Have a great day!