Exodus 14:10-12

Here we pick up with the approach of Pharaoh's army.

Think about this:
The people of Israel had been led by a pillar of cloud and fire...God made manifest in their midst, and what is their response when the first challenge comes their way?

They turn on their deliverer! They fail the test.

As we have seen, God had worked many miracles among them, they had seen His power used against the might of Egypt, and He had spared them from the Angel of Death, but still the people are overwhelmed by their apparent fate.

Before we become too involved in chastising them, however, let us remember that we are often just as pig-headed and rebellious as they!

How often has the Lord delivered us from trials?

And how often do we become despondent when new trials appear? Do we not also forget that God will see us through our resent trials just as easily as He did the others? Do we not also lack faith?

Why did Israel react as they did? Why do we?

Do you not suppose it was because rather than keeping focused upon the Lord, the Israelites gaze at the approaching danger and were overcome by their fear.

Read Matthew 14: 22-31

Isn’t this the same thing happening here? Peter, so long as he kept focused on the Lord, walked on the water, but when he began to look around, he lost confidence and began to sink.

Let us remember then to always remain focused on the Lord.

Exodus 14:10 goes on to say that the people were very afraid, and that they cried out to the Lord.

Realize this:
It is good for the Lord’s people to turn to Him in times of distress, if they do so in humbleness and with trust in His strength.

But when it is in bitterness and accusation, then sin has entered the picture. As we see in the next verses, this was the attitude of Israel.

We too should turn in repentance and humility before the Lord when we realize we have brought false accusations before the Lord. And we need to examine our attitude towards God, making sure we always approach Him with reverence and respect.

vs. 11)

Recall that God had told His people they would worship Him before Mount Horeb, how then could the people think for a moment that He would allow them to be destroyed when they had still not done so?

Or, why would God save them from destruction in Egypt and then lead them directly to their deaths in the wilderness?

What is the weakness revealed here?

Frankly, where there is no faith and trust, the promises of God seem empty!

Brothers and sisters...we are not promised an ideal, restful life. We will be tested...and if we are truly His, then we will remain in Him until the end!

Vs. 12)

This verse shows us something more of the character of Israel and also of ourselves.

What do the people say?

They prefer to serve Egypt rather than the Lord because they figure that at least then they had some semblance of life. Foolishly, they forget their true situation in Egypt, where they were slaves and their lives were at the whim of their masters...

Here, then, we see that Israel is trapped before the Red Sea, and apparently at the mercy of Egypt. Destruction or enslavement is at hand.

Who would rationally believe escape possible?

What Israel forgot, however, and what we too often forget as well, is that God fights His people’s battles! And who can stand against the Lord?

Nobody! We will see this in our next study!

God bless!