This morning I read again how the Israelites followed Moses to escape from Egypt and how they arrived at the Red Sea with the mighty force of Pharaoh and his chariots thundering down on them. Ahead was the impassible Red Sea and behind, certain death from the Egyptians.
I think its fair to call it a crisis. In any previous reading of this story I have focused on the might of God to part the Red Sea and give them safe passage, but this morning another part of the story caught my attention ,
“Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the
deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14 vs 13-14
You need only be still.
Today we can perhaps sympathise more with how hard it must have been for the Israelites facing this crisis to simply be still. Could they trust their leaders, shouldn't they take action and fight back, how could they just stand there so vunerable and do nothing. In the light of yesterday's announcement of a further three weeks of lockdown we may have similar feelings. It doesn't feel heroic to do nothing, yet it is , it doesn't feel comfortable to trust , yet we must.
This passage has much to teach us, to reassure us that God will fight for us, that he is there as he was so many centuries before, to recognise that there was a bravery in those who stood still and trusted in God, and to be reminded that God kept his promise in a way they could not imagine and that is spoken of still so many years later. So perhaps with all our fears and heaviness from this latest announcement, we can hear again the echo of these words down the years and wait expectantly ….
Do not be afraid,.... the Lord will fight for you, you need only be still.
I think its fair to call it a crisis. In any previous reading of this story I have focused on the might of God to part the Red Sea and give them safe passage, but this morning another part of the story caught my attention ,
“Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the
deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14 vs 13-14
You need only be still.
Today we can perhaps sympathise more with how hard it must have been for the Israelites facing this crisis to simply be still. Could they trust their leaders, shouldn't they take action and fight back, how could they just stand there so vunerable and do nothing. In the light of yesterday's announcement of a further three weeks of lockdown we may have similar feelings. It doesn't feel heroic to do nothing, yet it is , it doesn't feel comfortable to trust , yet we must.
This passage has much to teach us, to reassure us that God will fight for us, that he is there as he was so many centuries before, to recognise that there was a bravery in those who stood still and trusted in God, and to be reminded that God kept his promise in a way they could not imagine and that is spoken of still so many years later. So perhaps with all our fears and heaviness from this latest announcement, we can hear again the echo of these words down the years and wait expectantly ….
Do not be afraid,.... the Lord will fight for you, you need only be still.
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