Following Darkness into Danger. Exodus 14:24-31.
The children of Israel had been safe because a, low lying, dark cloud kept the Egyptians from seeing them. The thick darkness was blinding to the Egyptians; yet, on the other side, emitted bright light for the Israelites. This forced the Egyptians to slow down and they could not catch, nor see, the Israelites.
A horrendous wind blew towards the Red Sea and the water parted into two columns. The wind dried the ocean floor; it was an amazing sight to see.
Israel was instructed to walk across the ocean floor to the land on the other side and as they did the cloud, which blinded the Egyptians, lifted and they could see the Children of Israel escaping.
Infuriated the Pharaoh drove the Chariots harder. Faster and faster and soon the Egyptian army was also crossing the Red Sea. In anger the Pharaoh ignored the situation and his bitter heart was leading him to his doom.
This is an important aspect of mankind’s attitude towards sin. A person may harbor bitterness or anger towards Christianity and God; however, often then do not realize that their anger becomes a darkening cloud inside their life. As they drive forward their hearts get harder and they become blinded to the danger they are running towards.
Now it came to pass, in the morning watch, that the LORD looked down upon the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud, and He troubled the army of the Egyptians. And He took off their chariot wheels, so that they drove them with difficulty; and the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the LORD fights for them against the Egyptians.” Exodus 14:24-25 (NKJV)
The Chariots were going so fast that the axels were grinding away and the wheels had begun to wobble. It was a short coming in the technology; however, fear of the walls of water was upon the Egyptians and getting to the other side became the priority.
Fierce faces turned to desperate gasps. Men held on as Chariots started to come apart and retreat was on most all minds.
Fear had engulfed the heart of the army and in arrogance the Pharaoh continued to drive on, ready to kill anything that got in his way.
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the waters may come back upon the Egyptians, on their chariots, and on their horsemen.” And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and when the morning appeared, the sea returned to its full depth, while the Egyptians were fleeing into it. So the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. Then the waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all the army of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. Not so much as one of them remained. Exodus 14:26-28 (NKJV)
Who is so great that they can face God in arrogance and win? So many people arrogantly turn their backs on the message of God and still God waits for them to repent; yet, the fabric of the universe is decaying in front of them. Like walls of water, it will eventually crash down around them and engulf them; crushing the chance they had to repent.
There are attitudes about Christianity that vary in their aggressiveness. There are those who choose to sin, though they know that those who commit such sins have chose to be separated from a holy God.
I have known those living in adultery, drunkards, drug users, and liars that seem to think, because they once in a while pray, they will be saved from eternal separation. However, the Bible says that those who do such things will not enter heaven. These are blinded from the truth.
Others have let the actions of a Christian they knew, become an excuse why they themselves have not done what is right before God. They keep their distance from God’s influence and blame the person who did them wrong. However, in God’s eyes this excuse is not sufficient to save; the person they knew might have done them wrong, but God has not done them wrong.
Blaming others for committing wrong is not an excuse. Feeling uncomfortable in church is not an excuse. Finding that others are phony in their relationship with God is not an excuse. Each of us is called by God to have our own sin forgiven and seek our own relationship with God.
But the children of Israel had walked on dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. So the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Thus Israel saw the great work which the LORD had done in Egypt; so the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD and His servant Moses. Exodus 14:29-31 (NKJV)
Not every heart in the congregation of Israel was perfect. They were not a group of holy people; however, they had made a choice to follow God.
That is a major aspect of Christianity that so many people get wrong. When becoming a Christian, you are not joining yourself to a group of people; you are joining yourself to following God.
In a church, Christian people are at various steps in perusing a relationship with God. People will let you down; they will disappoint you and at times hurt you. Each person has come to give their life to God and all have different needs.
Thus in a church you will find people that have trust issues, anger issues, and various sinful tendencies. They all are there to have their lives changed by God and change takes time.
The Pharaoh and the Egyptian army should have recognized that Israel’s God was mighty force and took steps to join themselves to Him. However, they held on to their jealousies, their preconceptions about other gods, and their loyalty to the Pharaoh.
They let their attitudes build and they found themselves chasing Israel in to a dangerous place which would cost them their lives.
Looking down their chariots was failing and looking up, the walls of water were beginning to erode. They followed their perceptions and notions into the thick of danger, where they realized their pursuit, their prejudices, and their anger, was all for not.
The Egyptians had walked away from God’s grace. They did not listen to the warnings, and now it was too late; this was the day they would die.
There is no time on this earth for walking away from the Lord and blaming situations or other people. Today is the day of salvation for tomorrow you might find your life being crushed to death by a situation. Like a candle, one gust of wind, it goes out; such is life.
