Day 32

Exodus 13:17–15:18; Matthew 21:23-46; Psalm 26:1-12; Proverbs 6:16-19

“WHAT HAVE WE done, letting all those Israelite slaves get away?” Pharaoh and his advisors lamented in Exodus today (Exodus 14:5). With the Hebrew slave labor gone, the Egyptian leaders began to realize the implications of freeing the Israelites on the Egyptian economy. Once again, Pharaoh’s heart hardened toward the children of Israel, and as God’s people camped near the shores of the Red Sea, Pharaoh set out with his army to bring them back.

When the Israelites realized that the Egyptians were marching to engage them in battle, a wave of panic swept their camp.

“Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness?” they shouted at Moses. “Weren’t there enough graves for us in Egypt? What have you done to us? Why did you make us leave Egypt? Didn’t we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt? We said, ‘Leave us alone! Let us be slaves to the Egyptians. It’s better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!’” (Exodus 14:11-12).

This cycle of faith and unbelief was the norm for the children of Israel. We will encounter it over and over, and as we do, we must ponder the ways in which our lives look the same.

God had led His people out of slavery in extremely dramatic fashion and then brought them directly into an impossible situation. The Egyptian army and the barren wilderness were behind them, and the Red Sea was before them. There was nowhere to go. The circumstances looked catastrophic. But God was about to teach them (and us) that things are not always as they seem.

Moses spoke to the anxious and panicking people: “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the LORD rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The LORD himself will fight for you. Just stay calm” (Exodus 14:13-14).

Moses raised his hand over the sea, and God carved a path for them through the water. The children of Israel passed through on dry ground, away from certain death to life on the other side —another beautiful image of redemption, revealing God’s long plan for the restoration of earth’s people.

The Egyptian army attempted to pursue but quickly discovered that their gods could not save them. The walls of water enveloped them, and they were never seen again.

Impossible situations are impossible —without God. But we are not without Him. “For nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37, ESV). When we feel we are trapped, with an army closing in and a sea blocking our way, may we remember the words of Moses: “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the LORD rescue you today. . . . The LORD himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.”

WORSHIP:

I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; he has hurled both horse and rider into the sea. The LORD is my strength and my song; he has given me victory. This is my God, and I will praise him.