Exodus 14:19- "All this time the angel had gone ahead of Israel's army, but now he moved behind them."
For some reason, this verse jumped out at me this time. I began to think, why now did the angel move to the back? So I thought the reasons the angel would be in FRONT might be to direct, encourage, support, lead, and show the way. And the reason the angel might be BEHIND would be to protect, to show the end of the Israelites and the beginning of the Egymptian army, to PUSH them, to encourage them from behind, and to keep the enemy away.
So I began to think that there are times in life, when I am unsure of God's call, that I need a very clear "guide" to show me the way (angel in front).
And then there are times that I KNOW the way God is calling me, and I just need someone behind to PUSH (angel behind).
Lord, thank you for the many times you have made the way clear. And thank you for the angels in my life who encourage me and push me from behind, on toward the goal, all the while keeping the enemy at bay.
Verse 14 - "The Lord will fight for you, you need only to be still."
There are times in my life where I try relentlessly to force the will of God to improve situations or my circumstances. I think there are far more times where I try to do it, instead of 'being still' and trusting my Lord.
Also - this chapter shows the weak faith of the Israelites. They had just witnessed all the plagues, and had the presence of God hovering over them in a very visible cloud - yet they still were fearful and worried that God was not going to save them. Despite God's fingerprints all over my life, I still have many moments where I, too, have a weak faith.
Why is that? I believe my faith is weak when I start trying to do things my way, or slightly outside the will of God. Instead, I need to be still, and let the Lord fight for me.
I have always loved the symbolism in Exodus as the people of Israel, saved from death by the blood of a perfect lamb and freed from captivity, pass through the waters, symbolic of baptism and their profession of faith. Each step, to that point, requiring a wrestling into submission of their sin, so that they may move forward in obedience to God's call. And it is then that the journey begins... How much easier it would have been if Canaan was just on the other side of the Red Sea. But that wasn't and isn't God's plan, to sweep us up out of the waters of our baptism and into heaven. No, that seems to be when He sets us in motion towards the mission for which He has purposed us. The journey. Reminding us that we never walk alone. V15...tell my people to go forward...v17 and I will gain glory.
verse 31, "And when the Israelites saw the great power the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant."
First the Israelites cried out to God to set them free. Then when they were set free they cried out that they wanted to go back. Now they fear God and put their trust in him and Moses. I wonder how God processes all of this?
It is easy for me to read about a people who go back and forth in the pleas to God and never really land on complete trust and faith in God. I wonder how often this describes me. I wonder how many times I have called out to God for help and he delivered, but I just didn't like the way that it was being fulfilled and dumped on God. I wonder what it really looks like to be a fully devoted follower of Jesus that lives today for the love of God.
13 Moses answered the people, "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 mention of deliverance from the Egyptians made me think of "deliver us from evil" in the Lord's prayer.
Deliver us from evil could simply mean, "God, help me because I can't do this on my own. I am weak and vulnerable." The Israelites needed to have faith that they would be delivered from the Egyptians.
13 Moses answered the people, "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. 14 The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still."
Do not be afraid. Stand firm. Be Still.
So much of my life is GO, GO, GO, - that sometimes my feet get ahead of me. This is when anxiety sets in, when I feel overwhelmed, when I try to take over and make God's plan fit me instead of fitting me to do God's plan.
This reminds me of the poem Broken Dreams by Robert J. Burdette.
Broken Dreams
As children bring their broken toys With tears for us to mend, I brought my broken dreams to God Because He was my friend. But then instead of leaving Him In peace to work alone, I hung around and tried to help With ways that were my own.
At last I snatched them back and cried, "How could you be so slow" "My child," He said, "What could I do? You never did let go."
I so often get into the busy-ness of life and the routine of it all that I often give something to God and quickly take it back again. I need to trust Him, and stand firm.
Be still.
Who am I to think I have it under control? I have seen God work such wonders and yet there are times when I work so hard to show Him I can do it on my own when all He wants is for me to learn to let Him do it.
'Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians'? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!"
It's hard to believe that the Israelites didn't have faith even though God had proved himself faithful and worthy of praise many times before.
This verse reminded me that I need to constantly look back and reflect on all that God has done for me. He paid the ultimate price...for me.
My prayer is that when faced with a crisis or a decision to take a risk I will rely on my faith and know that God will always be there to guide me through the storm.
Charter Oak Church is a family of Jesus followers who want to reach out to those who are searching and equip believers to become fully devoted followers of Jesus.
Exodus 14:19- "All this time the angel had gone ahead of Israel's army, but now he moved behind them."
ReplyDeleteFor some reason, this verse jumped out at me this time. I began to think, why now did the angel move to the back? So I thought the reasons the angel would be in FRONT might be to direct, encourage, support, lead, and show the way. And the reason the angel might be BEHIND would be to protect, to show the end of the Israelites and the beginning of the Egymptian army, to PUSH them, to encourage them from behind, and to keep the enemy away.
So I began to think that there are times in life, when I am unsure of God's call, that I need a very clear "guide" to show me the way (angel in front).
And then there are times that I KNOW the way God is calling me, and I just need someone behind to PUSH (angel behind).
Lord, thank you for the many times you have made the way clear. And thank you for the angels in my life who encourage me and push me from behind, on toward the goal, all the while keeping the enemy at bay.
Verse 14 - "The Lord will fight for you, you need only to be still."
ReplyDeleteThere are times in my life where I try relentlessly to force the will of God to improve situations or my circumstances. I think there are far more times where I try to do it, instead of 'being still' and trusting my Lord.
Also - this chapter shows the weak faith of the Israelites. They had just witnessed all the plagues, and had the presence of God hovering over them in a very visible cloud - yet they still were fearful and worried that God was not going to save them. Despite God's fingerprints all over my life, I still have many moments where I, too, have a weak faith.
Why is that? I believe my faith is weak when I start trying to do things my way, or slightly outside the will of God. Instead, I need to be still, and let the Lord fight for me.
I have always loved the symbolism in Exodus as the people of Israel, saved from death by the blood of a perfect lamb and freed from captivity, pass through the waters, symbolic of baptism and their profession of faith. Each step, to that point, requiring a wrestling into submission of their sin, so that they may move forward in obedience to God's call.
ReplyDeleteAnd it is then that the journey begins...
How much easier it would have been if Canaan was just on the other side of the Red Sea. But that wasn't and isn't God's plan, to sweep us up out of the waters of our baptism and into heaven. No, that seems to be when He sets us in motion towards the mission for which He has purposed us. The journey. Reminding us that we never walk alone.
V15...tell my people to go forward...v17 and I will gain glory.
verse 31, "And when the Israelites saw the great power the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant."
ReplyDeleteFirst the Israelites cried out to God to set them free. Then when they were set free they cried out that they wanted to go back. Now they fear God and put their trust in him and Moses. I wonder how God processes all of this?
It is easy for me to read about a people who go back and forth in the pleas to God and never really land on complete trust and faith in God. I wonder how often this describes me. I wonder how many times I have called out to God for help and he delivered, but I just didn't like the way that it was being fulfilled and dumped on God. I wonder what it really looks like to be a fully devoted follower of Jesus that lives today for the love of God.
13 Moses answered the people, "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...
ReplyDeleteThe mention of deliverance from the Egyptians made me think of "deliver us from evil" in the Lord's prayer.
Deliver us from evil could simply mean, "God, help me because I can't do this on my own. I am weak and vulnerable." The Israelites needed to have faith that they would be delivered from the Egyptians.
13 Moses answered the people, "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. 14 The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still."
ReplyDeleteDo not be afraid.
Stand firm.
Be Still.
So much of my life is GO, GO, GO, - that sometimes my feet get ahead of me. This is when anxiety sets in, when I feel overwhelmed, when I try to take over and make God's plan fit me instead of fitting me to do God's plan.
This reminds me of the poem Broken Dreams by Robert J. Burdette.
Broken Dreams
As children bring their broken toys
With tears for us to mend,
I brought my broken dreams to God
Because He was my friend.
But then instead of leaving Him
In peace to work alone,
I hung around and tried to help
With ways that were my own.
At last I snatched them back and cried,
"How could you be so slow"
"My child," He said, "What could I do?
You never did let go."
I so often get into the busy-ness of life and the routine of it all that I often give something to God and quickly take it back again. I need to trust Him, and stand firm.
Be still.
Who am I to think I have it under control? I have seen God work such wonders and yet there are times when I work so hard to show Him I can do it on my own when all He wants is for me to learn to let Him do it.
Be still.
'Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians'? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!"
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to believe that the Israelites didn't have faith even though God had proved himself faithful and worthy of praise many times before.
This verse reminded me that I need to constantly look back and reflect on all that God has done for me. He paid the ultimate price...for me.
My prayer is that when faced with a crisis or a decision to take a risk I will rely on my faith and know that God will always be there to guide me through the storm.