I hope you are like me and find interesting insights while reading the Bible. In today’s article, I will share my thoughts as we examine how the Hebrews crossed the Red Sea ahead of the Egyptian army.
Time for Action
There is always a time for prayer, but sometimes the right thing to do is act. Moses prayed, but God told him to move forward.
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry out to me? Tell the Israelites to go forward (Exodus 15:15)
A small group of men was having a Bible study. One man asked the group to pray about his finances. Because of an illness, he wasn’t able to pay the electric bill.
As the group prayed for this man’s needs, one of the members realized that the exact amount his friend needed was what he had saved for a new fishing rod and reel. He stopped the group in mid-prayer and said, “God has answered the prayer. I can help.”
That story has reminded me that if I pray for someone’s needs, I also need to be willing to be part of God’s answer.
The statement, “I’ll pray about it,” can be a sincere desire to ask God’s wisdom. Unfortunately, it can also be a way to dodge our responsibility.
Knowing God
I love Henry Blackaby’s statement about knowing God. He said, “When God gives you an insight in your morning devotional time, it is not like a ‘warm fuzzy’ you can tuck in your pocket to feel good.”
God expects us to act on what He shows us. Even if the assignment is daunting, as we act on what God shows us, we are most apt to experience God.
From a negative perspective, this was the experience of the Egyptians. They refused God’s direction and experienced His judgment, while the Israelites experienced His deliverance.
“Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gained glory for myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his chariot drivers” (Exodus 15:18).
Jesus in the Old Testament
God is not an impersonal force or some inner being that is part of all of creation. He is personal and lives outside of all of the created order.
That doesn’t mean that God is absent from human life. He traveled with the Hebrews as they traveled through the Red Sea on dry land.
The angel of God who was going before the Israelite army moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from in front of them and took its place behind them.
It came between the army of Egypt and the army of Israel. And so the cloud was there with the darkness, and it lit up the night; one did not come near the other all night (Exodus 15:19-20).
It is widely accepted that the “angel of God” and the “pillar of cloud” were the pre-incarnate presence of Jesus.
I have not knowingly met an angel. However, I have the privilege of meeting with Jesus every day. Jesus doesn’t appear before me in His incarnate form. He is present through the gracious work of the Holy Spirit.
Like the Hebrews who escaped unharmed from Egypt, we can travel with the Lord every day. God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, are our constant companions.
Fear and Faith in the Lord
The Israelites crossed the Red Sea and witnessed the death of the Egyptian army. That even produced both fear and faith.
Israel saw the great work that the Lord did against the Egyptians. So the people feared the Lord and believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses (Exodus 15:31)
One of my favorite radio preachers frequently said, “You don’t tiptoe glibly into the presence of God.”
Standing on the shore of the Red Sea, the freed Hebrew nation would have said “Amen” to the preacher’s remarks.
At the Last Supper, after Jesus had washed his feet, we find John enjoying close friendship with Jesus.
One of his disciples—the one whom Jesus loved—was reclining close to his heart (John 13:23).
When John saw the risen Christ, his response was dramatically different. He experienced the fear of the Lord with its full force.
When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead (Revelation 1:17)
Both of John’s responses are appropriate. Friendship and fear are not exclusive. What should be excluded is the idea that we can say we love Jesus, but not obey Him.
Jesus answered him, “Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.
Whoever does not love me does not keep my words, and the word that you hear is not mine but is from the Father who sent me (John 14:23-24).
Just as God’s presence was with the Hebrews in their exit from Egypt, Jesus says people who love and obey Him will be graced with the presence of God in their lives.
Not only did the Israelites fear God, but they also believed in Him.
Jesus introduced His ministry by saying: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news” (Mark 1:15).
When we believe the good news of God’s redemptive activity, we will change our minds about what is essential in life.
Jesus’ proclamation of God’s kingdom that is present on earth leads to disciples changing their minds about what is most important in life.
True fear of the Lord and faith will lead us to align our lives with God’s activity in the world.
YouTube Video
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
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