Tag: foe

42.j. “Let My People Go” – 10.g. Parting of the Red Sea

 

Exodus 14:21  Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the LORD drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.  And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. The Egyptians pursued and went in after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. And in the morning watch the LORD in the pillar of fire and of cloud looked down on the Egyptian forces and threw the Egyptian forces into a panic,  clogging their chariot wheels so that they drove heavily. And the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from before Israel, for the LORD fights for them against the Egyptians.”  Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.”  So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its normal course when the morning appeared. And as the Egyptians fled into it, the LORD threw the Egyptians into the midst of the sea.  The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen; of all the host of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea, not one of them remained. But the people of Israel walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. Thus the LORD saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Israel saw the great power that the LORD used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the LORD, and they believed in the LORD and in his servant Moses.

 Joshua 4:23   For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over,

 Nehemiah 9:11   And you divided the sea before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on dry land, and you cast their pursuers into the depths, as a stone into mighty waters.

 Psalms 66:6   He turned the sea into dry land; they passed through the river on foot. There did we rejoice in him,

 Psalms 78:13    He divided the sea and let them pass through it, and made the waters stand like a heap.

 Psalms 106:7-10    Our fathers, when they were in Egypt, did not consider your wondrous works; they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love, but rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea.  Yet he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make known his mighty power  He rebuked the Red Sea, and it became dry, and he led them through the deep as through a desert.  So he saved them from the hand of the foe and redeemed them from the power of the enemy.

Psalms 114:3-5  The sea looked and fled; Jordan turned back. The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs.  What ails you, O sea, that you flee? O Jordan, that you turn back?

 Deuteronomy 3:22   You shall not fear them, for it is the LORD your God who fights for you.’

The dividing the Red sea was the terror of the Canaanites, Jos 2:9; the praise and triumph of the Israelites, Ps 114:3; 106:9; 136:13. It was a type of baptism, 1Co 10:1,2. Israel’s passage through it was typical of the conversion of souls, Isa 11:15; and the Egyptians being drowned in it was typical of the final ruin of all unrepenting sinners. God showed his almighty power, by opening a passage through the waters, some miles over. God can bring his people through the greatest difficulties, and force a way where he does not find it. It was an instance of his wonderful favour to his Israel. They went through the sea, they walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea. This was done, in order to encourage God’s people in all ages to trust him in the greatest straits. What cannot he do who did this? What will not he do for those that fear and love him, who did this for these murmuring, unbelieving Israelites? Then followed the just and righteous wrath of God upon his and his people’s enemies. The ruin of sinners is brought on by their own rage and presumption. They might have let Israel alone, and would not; now they would flee from the face of Israel, and cannot. Men will not be convinced, till it is too late, that those who meddle with God’s people, meddle to their own hurt. Moses was ordered to stretch out his hand over the sea; the waters returned, and overwhelmed all the host of the Egyptians. Pharaoh and his servants, who had hardened one another in sin, now fell together, not one escaped. The Israelites saw the Egyptians dead upon the sands. The sight very much affected them. While men see God’s works, and feel the benefit, they fear him and trust in him. How well were it for us, if we were always in as good a frame as sometimes! Behold the end to which a Christian may look forward. His enemies rage, and are mighty; but while he holds fast by God, he shall pass the waves in safety guarded by that very power of his Saviour, which shall come down on every spiritual foe. The enemies of his soul whom he hath seen to-day, he shall see no more for ever. (Henry)

 We understand that those in darkness will not believe in the parting of the Red Sea, or any other miracle, and we don’t really expect them to understand or believe in this.  What is more troubling is those who profess to believe and then try to prove there was a natural wind that could have happened and that God used this natural phenomenon to part a place in the Red Sea. They try to find a means to “naturally” explain a miracle of God. Doing so is to deny the awesome power of God over all of His creation. They actually dilute this with man’s ideas of how God could have done this and still obey their understanding of nature and science. God’s miracles do not need any other explanation than they were of God. Why do we have to know the mechanics of God’s all-powerful hand? The most intelligent person in all of mankind does not have the capacity to comprehend or understand the Power of God over His creation. 

There is a peace that passes all understanding for those who put their complete trust in the All-Powerful Hands of God!

But they understood none of these things

Exodus 4:1 Then Moses answered, “But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you.’” The Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?”

Acts 7:25  He supposed that his brothers would understand that God was giving them salvation by his hand, but they did not understand.

Psalms 106:7  Our fathers, when they were in Egypt, did not consider your wondrous works; they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love, but rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea.

Luke 9:45  But they did not understand this saying, and it was concealed from them, so that they might not perceive it.

Luke 18:34  But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.

Psalms 78:42  They did not remember his power or the day when he redeemed them from the foe,

Mar 4:11 And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables,  so that “‘they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.’”  And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?  The sower sows the word.  And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them.  And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy.  And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.  And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word,  but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.  But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”

“They will not believe or listen to my voice”.  This is what Moses said to God when God told him to go speak to the elders. Note in Acts where Paul explained what happened to Moses – the people did not understand.

What keeps people from understanding, listening, remembering, perceiving, or grasping things of God?

Could it be a hardened heart? Weak heart? Lukewarm heart? Proud heart? Worldly heart? Greedy heart? Self-seeking heart?  Fearful heart?  Faithless heart? Yes these can all happen but why?

Being complacent and living in prosperity, not thinking about needing God.  It is a sad place to be, to think you do not need God everyday for every moment. It gets worse from here.  When we see little need for God there is no time spent in His word, no time in prayer, no time seeking to serve Him, no time to worship Him, no time to honor Him.

How do we think we will see any of His mighty works, or loving kindness, or grace, or mercy, or forgiveness, or power, or strength, or peace, or courage, or healing….. if neglecting God is the norm for our daily life.

The same neglect will void any understanding of His word and knowing how to humbly serve, honor, follow and obey.

The same neglect leaves us defenseless from the darts of satan in our lives.

“And though they said all is well, destruction came upon them unaware”

If his word is not breath, food and water for your soul there is little hope for honoring Him.  If humbly serving, following and obeying Him is not your first goal in life there is little hope for honoring Him.  If honoring Him is not the first thought in the morning and last thought at night, how will it ever happen. If His word is not feeding your heart, mind, and soul how will their be fruit.

My strength comes from the Lord.

My hope is in the Lord

My life is in the Lord’s hands

My peace, joy, and love comes from the Lord

My soul rejoices in His promises

My ears seek to hear His leading

My eyes desire to see His mighty hand

My heart loves the Lord

Stop regarding man

Psalms 108:12  Oh grant us help against the foe, for vain is the salvation of man!  With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes.

Psalms 20:1-9   May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob protect you!  May he send you help from the sanctuary and give you support from Zion!  May he remember all your offerings and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices! Selah  May he grant you your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans!  May we shout for joy over your salvation, and in the name of our God set up our banners! May the LORD fulfill all your petitions!  Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed; he will answer him from his holy heaven with the saving might of his right hand.  Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.  They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand upright.

 Psalms 146:3-5    Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.  When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish.  Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God,

 Isaiah 2:22     Stop regarding man in whose nostrils is breath, for of what account is he?

 Jeremiah 17:5-8    Thus says the LORD: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the LORD.  He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land.  “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD.  He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

Note the words of encouragement and the words of warning;

“Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God,” ““Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD,” “we trust in the name of the LORD our God.,” “With God we shall do valiantly.”

“Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.  When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish” “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the LORD.” ” Stop regarding man in whose nostrils is breath, for of what account is he” “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, They collapse and fall”

God has placed free will in man to choose to humbly serve, honor, trust, rely on, cling to, follow and obey  Him.  This free will choice allows us to reject, dishonor, neglect, turn away from, and not listen to, God.  Blessings of peace, joy, comfort, hope, and love come to those whose heart desire is in God.

They soon forgot

“then he forsook God who made him and scoffed at the Rock of his salvation.”

“They forgot God, their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt,”

“Then they believed his words; they sang his praise. But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel.”

“They did not remember his power or the day when he redeemed them from the foe,”

“they have eaten and are full and grown fat, they will turn to other gods and serve them, and despise me and break my covenant.

Psalms 78:35  They remembered that God was their rock, the Most High God their redeemer.  But they flattered him with their mouths; they lied to him with their tongues. Their heart was not steadfast toward him; they were not faithful to his covenant.

Deuteronomy 32:4    “The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.

Deuteronomy 32:30  How could one have chased a thousand, and two have put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, and the LORD had given them up?  For their rock is not as our Rock; our enemies are by themselves.

Isaiah 29:13   And the Lord said: “Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men,

Ezekiel 33:31   And they come to you as people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear what you say but they will not do it; for with lustful talk in their mouths they act; their heart is set on their gain.

Reading these scriptures should challenge our heart and mind to faithfully serve God with our whole heart mind and soul.  Just as those from years gone by have done, we too need to be certain our mouth is not saying one thing and our heart is serving another – more than likely (Me, Myself, and I).  His word tells us that people easily forget God and what it means to cling to, rely on, and trust in Him.  It is hard to tell who these people are because many times all we hear is what comes from their mouth.  “they honor me with their mouth but their heart is far from Me”.  I wonder if it is our lack of spending time in knowing and understanding His word.  I wonder if we judge our walk by how others walk and in doing so we end up at a place where our faith is nothing more than words spoken.  This is a place where there is no heart deep desire to humbly serve, honor, follow and obey God but rather just words stating it.  God sees our heart and knows our thoughts and intents.  Many will enter eternity and when standing before God will hear depart from Me for I never knew you.  Be mindful of what it means to be redeemed and to follow and obey Him with all your heart, mind and soul.