Stand Firm and See God
Pharaoh, with a heart hardened by God, called all his army and every chariot in Egypt together and took off after Israel. They caught up with God’s people, camped out and backed up against the Red Sea, just as God had led them!
The people of Israel heard horses and chariots and men’s footsteps behind them and you get the picture of 2 million people turning away from the Pillar of Cloud to watch the enemy coming from behind. They knew their weapons of warfare were no match for the army headed their way. That is why Moses tells us “they feared greatly.” They cried out to the Lord, but you get the idea that it was just a reflex, “Help us, God!” with no faith behind it. Because then they turned on Moses. I think this illustrates four stages we can go through when we take our eyes off the Lord and put them on men, even godly men like Moses. First, they attacked Moses with irony, even sarcasm: “Did you bring us out here to die because there weren’t places in Egypt we could be buried?” Hey, they were building graves as slaves. Pyramids were graves. There were graves everywhere; Egypt was “Graves ‘r US.” Want a grave? You are probably standing next to one.
Second, they accused Moses: “What have you done to us, bringing us out of Egypt?” This is angry. Bitter. But wait: WHO brought them out? It wasn’t Moses. God brought them out to see His glory. He didn’t bring them out for their comfort or for an easy life or just to be ‘free.’ To see God’s glory and to live for it would require everything from them. Third they justified themselves: “Didn’t we tell you to leave us alone and let us just live and die as slaves?” Finally, they collapsed into self-pity: “We would have been better off serving as slaves than dying in the wilderness.” They are not even a week out of Egypt and have already flipped the script in their minds on the horrors of slavery.
Attack. Accuse. Justify. Wallow in pity. It’s an ugly pattern.
Moses showed great restraint here, didn’t he? And great faith. He was standing clearly on the promise God had given him in verse 4, that Pharaoh would pursue and that God would be victorious. I don’t think Moses had any idea how God would do what He promised. But when our only hope is God, it is easier to go to Him and to trust in Him. That is why Moses could say these powerful, hope-filled, soul-energizing words to Israel as God says them to His people today at Antioch. First Moses says, “Fear not.” How often does God tell His people, “Do not be afraid”? It was the first thing the angels said to the shepherds on that glorious night. The Puritans used to say, “Fear God and you have nothing else to fear.” Second, Moses says, “Stand firm and see the salvation of the Lord.” Fear tells us to run and hide. Impatience tells us to do something, even if it’s wrong. Presumption tells us to jump into the sea and start swimming. God says just stand there and keep your eyes open. Watch for Me. Expect Me. There’s no need to run or fight or defend or anything else. Just watch. See the salvation of the Lord that He will work for you today. And the Egyptians you see today you will never see again. Third, Moses says, “The Lord will fight for you, and you only have to be silent.” God will do it all. You will contribute nothing to it because nothing is needed but God.
Do you see what God is teaching His people there beside the sea with the enemy approaching? He has taught them about redemption, but here He is teaching them about salvation. They were going to see what God looks like when He reaches down and saves His people from destruction. They were expecting nothing but death. God was showing them that in the darkest hour, He is and always will be triumphant. There is no greater demonstration of this collision of God and the forces of darkness in the Bible. Except one.
None of us were backed up against the Red Sea, so we can only imagine it as we read this account. But every single one of us was backed up against the pit of hell when Jesus took our sins upon Himself on the cross and conquered sin and death and hell and the grave on our behalf. Can we see that and hold on to that and put away our fears every time they start to whisper to us?
“The Lord will fight for you! You only have to be silent.”