(Exodus 14:10) “And the people of Israel cried out to the LORD.”
But firstly let me say that we are no different to others as we all have the same make-up and the same enemies. The degradation of our actual involvement in our though process will vary from person to person, depending upon the degree we have fallen. There is no such thing as a secret sin, we lie to ourselves tricking others but God see all! There is absolutely nothing hidden from His eyes. In fact it is the exact opposite, as some things are kept from us; "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” (Deuteronomy 29:29) – Why is it then that we pry into the unknown as if we are entitled to that information, some things belong to the Lord and at least for now it does not belong to us? I suppose that is why mystery and mystic entrapment such as horoscopes and the like have such a pull, it’s as if we are looking for information that others are not privy too leaving us with an advantage, a leg up over others if you like. Yet, with the secrets in our lives, passed and possibly present, we look to conceal them in the recesses of our secreted chambers, so deep at times we even may fool ourselves that God cannot see them. But that is all it is a thought of a fool! We must learn to confess all before Him, even if we are sickened by what we have been involved with, I am very slowly getting a small glimpse of my great Fathers heart, He loves to come to the aid of his children. Yet without them being needy, He remains distant. We need to understand that by faith we must call out to Him and the deeper the trouble the greater the rescue.
This is exactly why He send His Son; “for God so love the world” that he sent His only begotten Son to die a cruel death, paying the price for sin, making a way possible for mankind to fall to their knees and call out to a Holy God and to find forgiveness for their sin. Escaping death and hell!
But that is only the beginning of our relationship with Him; we must now confess our sin before our Great Father. It is not enough to think it; we must confess our daily sin. For if we live a life of concealment we will be playing into the hands of the devil and that will hinder our progress in finding the will of God for our lives. Remember everything that opposes the will and direction of God and His Word will leave us living in an overwhelmed state of being. But there is now no more need for that type of thinking as we now have the mind of Christ; He has defeated the enemy once and for all. This is now sound doctrine, it is true and all that is left for us to do is to apply this understanding to our thought process and to walk in faith believing God and calling out to Him in time of need and remember that the deeper the trial the greater the rescue.
Let us paint a scenario of what actually happened with the children of Israel when they had been freed from slavery in Egypt and where now making their way to the Promised Land. Imagine the scene; the angel of death had passed them by as they had followed Moses instruction to paint their doorposts with blood and yet every firstborn child in Egypt whose parents had not marked their doorframe had their life stripped from them, they died! A great cry went out in the land. The Israelites must have heard the cry but where now fleeing for their lives, they had no time to look for evidence and it was not as if they could hide in the shadows out of sight, there were far too many of them fleeing for their lives. Their footsteps and the pounding of animal hooves must have been heard for miles, I wonder what they felt. Fear mixed with the anticipation of freedom would have had their adrenalin pumping through their veins. Expecting to be stopped before the cities gate and yet no one came; they were free and on their way to the Promise Land, a land that would be theirs, finally a place of freedom and how sweet the though must have been. Jubilation must have flooded their souls. Not long into their journey they confronted a massive obstacle, the Rea Sea. There was no way through, what were they to do? If that wasn’t bad enough, they heard a rumble of the fiercest army of the day bearing down on them as their horses and chariots closed in on them. Imagine the mixed emotions they now felt, “O No” some may have cried, but Moses stretch out His staff and miraculously the sea stood up like two walls as an east wind keep the waters at bay and the children of Israel made their way to the other side on dry land. A fairly tale some may say, O no, but a miracle of God, a God who loves to come to the aid of His people, glorifying His name.
I have heard some sceptics explain away this event as they claim that the Rea Sea had a channel that was only knee deep and this is how the Israelites got across. But I would say to you sir, all this would prove if it was true, which it is not! Is how great is our God to be able to drown an entire army in knee deep water without a single survivor? "Pharaoh's chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea." (Exodus 15:4)
What actually took place is what is recorded in the book of Exodus...
“Lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground. And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they shall go in after them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, his chariots, and his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen." Then the angel of God who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them, coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel. And there was the cloud and the darkness. And it lit up the night without one coming near the other all night. 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. (Exodus 14:16)
God loves to show mercy and exalt His name, but remember we must be on the right side to be covered by His mercy and grace; we must never forget this account as we too will be able to sing their song when we cry out to Him; "I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.”
When life presses hard we must squeeze back tighter, we must embrace our Saviour and cry out to Him who in turn loves to intercede for all who have believed on His finished work and who confess Him as Lord and believe in His resurrection.
“Let us cry out in time of need to the LORD!”
Signing off
Tyrone
No comments:
Post a Comment