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Vernon Grounds tells of an incident that happened while he was in seminary. Since the school had no gymnasium, he and his friends played basket ball in a nearby public school. Nearby, an elderly janitor waited patiently until the seminarians finished playing. Invariably he sat th … More

Victory

Moses words are thrilling at the end of yesterday’s passage when he  said,"Fear  ye not, stand  still, and see the salvation of the Lord” (v. 13). Note his three commands:

  1. Fear not” - for God is on your side.
  2. Stand still” - for you cannot win this battle in your own strength.
  3. See the salvation of the Lord” - for he will fight for you.

Moses knew that the way of victory was through the Lord.

God told Moses to raise his staff over the sea and the water would divide and the floor of the sea would be dry ground (vv. 15-16). That is exactly what happen­ed as God sent a strong wind, the waters parted and the sea floor became dry (v. 21) for the children of Israel to walk across. The passage-way must have been wide in order to allow 2 million people with their flocks and herds to walk through. This was certainly a super-natural act, although God used natural forces.

The same sea that was salvation for Israel became condemnation to Egypt. As  the Egyptians pursued after Israel God simply allowed the Red Sea to close down upon them and Pharaoh’s army drowned.

Application

Just as God delivered His people from Egypt He wants to deliver me from my bondage of sin. I am assured of victory as I allow Him to take control.

Exodus 14:15-31 (English Standard Version)

The LORD said to Moses, "Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. 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.

View this passage in NIV (Bible Gateway) »

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