“But Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. “The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent.” ” (Exodus 14:13–14, NASB95)
So the children of Israel made their way out of Egypt and were now to the Red Sea. Pharaoh and his men changed their minds and were going after the Israelites. Although there was a pillar of cloud (the Lord) leading their way, they felt a bit pinned. They had the Egyptian army on one side and the Red Sea on the other. At least that is what the eyes of sight would say. So, they grumbled to Moses. The verse above was Moses’ reply to them. How often the Scriptures record the message, “Do not fear!” These words come from angels, prophets and Jesus Himself. The message is: You do not need to be afraid because God is with you! Moses was telling the children of Israel to shut off their eyes of sight and to turn on their eyes of faith. “Stand by and see…”, was Moses’ message to the people.
He was assuring them that the very God who brought the 10 plagues upon Egypt and brought them out of Egypt would continue to work on their behalf. It may not always seem like it at the moment, but it is always true. Moses said, “The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent.” The message to them, and to us today, is that we need to be assured that even at our weakest moments, God is always omnipotent. He can and will fight on our behalf while we silently/faithfully watch Him work. This is no more evident than in the two mighty Passovers of Scripture. The children of Israel could do nothing but rely upon God’s mighty, redemptive hand to allow them to cross the Red Sea on dry ground and be delivered from the Egyptians. We, too, have been delivered by God’s mighty redemptive hand in our Passover. Jesus went to the cross and paid the price that we could never pay. His redemptive act allows us to cross the sea of death into life (eternal life).
Let’s silently reflect on God’s gracious workings on our behalf.
Peace!
Pastor Tom
www.firmlyrooted.church
