Fear Introduced to Salvation

Fear Introduced to Salvation

Exodus 14: ¹⁰ And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord. ¹¹ Then they said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? ¹² Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.”

 

¹³ And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. ¹⁴ The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”

 

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When the millions of people saw the hundreds of chariots coming in the distance, they panicked. First they cried out to the LORD. Then they turned to Moses and blamed him for bringing them out of Egypt. Moses calmly told the people to “Stand still.”

 

My Observations:

• The children of Israel had a slave mindset that kept them from dreaming, solving problems for themselves or fighting.
• The children of Israel wanted complacent, controlled pain versus facing the unknown with GOD.
• Moses did not rebuke the children of Israel for being afraid.

 

Before the plagues, Moses and Aaron showed the children of Israel what GOD was going to do to the Egyptians. They all believed and praised GOD. But when Pharaoh took away their straw and kept the quota of bricks, they complained about Moses and GOD’s desire to free them. Their expectations of what GOD was going to do were not being met.

 

After the plagues, they were driven out of Egypt. They left excited. But when Pharaoh pursued them, they immediately were filled with fear. Six hundred thousand men were afraid of six hundred men. Moses did not yell. He calmly told them to “Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord,.” He also said GOD would fight the battle and the problem would not happen again. GOD would take care of their fear.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD remind Moses about the reaction of the children of Israel to Pharaoh’s pursuit?
• Have you ever blamed GOD for how he is delivering you?
• Can you stand still and see the salvation of the LORD that will happen today so you can hold your peace?

 

Prayer

Dear LORD, thank YOU for helping us slow down, sit down and lay down. GOD the battle is YOURS. Please fight the battle that tries to rob us of our peace. Please go before us as we place our fragile trust before YOUR throne. amen