Think On These Things
Martha WainrightGladstone, Missouri
“The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace” Exodus 14:14.
The children of Israel must have been on cloud nine as we say, when the Lord finally loosed them to go into Canaan. They had witnessed a mighty battle between the Lord and Pharaoh, but the Lord proved victor. He always was, but He allowed Pharaoh to display his power that the power of God might show supremacy.
On and out went the children of Israel, but soon they came up against humanly immoveable barriers. The mountains, the Red Sea and the Egyptians, as Pharaoh had made one last attempt to stop them after contemplating his loss. When God led them out of Egypt He did not take them the short route which would seem the natural thing to do. God leads supernaturally, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD” Isa. 55:8. “God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent (change their minds), when they see war, and they return to Egypt” Ex. 13:17. “But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red Sea” Ex. 13:18.
Exodus, chapter 13, goes on to record that the Lord went before them day and night. Ex. 14 tells us that the Lord instructed them to encamp before Pi-hahiroth, evidently in a wilderness area by the sea. The Lord knew Pharaoh would gloat over the fact that they were entangled and shut in by the wilderness and the sea. And we read that Pharaoh and his multitudinous army pursued them. We can imagine that they were tasting victory with every hoof beat. “and when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them: and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD” Ex. 14:10.
The Lord instructs them, through Moses, to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord; that He would fight for them, and lead them forward when He gave the command. The Lord never left them, going before and behind them. His presence was darkness to the Egyptians, but light to the Israelites. We go on to read that the Lord miraculously parted the waters and the children of Israel walked through on dry ground to the other side. The Egyptians were totally destroyed, but not before they acknowledged that the Lord was fighting for the Israelites. After crossing into Canaan they were given redemption instructions. They were never to forget that their deliverance was from the by, the Lord.
Think on these things: many of us have taken our place, by faith, in the Heavenlies, symbolized by identifying with Jesus Christ in His death and resurrection. We now have a heavenly calling. Our vision is focused to attain all, that is our’s in Christ Jesus. Nonetheless, in practical experience we oft times have these wilderness experiences. And if, by faith, our heart is right in the sight of God, we can believe that our all-wise, loving, Heavenly Father has led us to this wilderness. We sometimes wonder why we can’t get out of a trial or a circumstance, but “the Lord knows the way we take,” Perhaps what seems to best or shortest way to us might in reality be the most discouraging. The quickest and easiest, is not always the best.
The Red Sea and wilderness experience is the way that brings us to our knees crying out to God. Then His grace and power is made known to us and to others. There is no indication that the Israelites knew the Egyptians finally realized that God was fighting for them. And we do not, buy any means, always know when others realize that God is on our side. (Thank God, lest we become puffed up.) I have heard of Christians saying, “send the trials, send the wilderness experiences and testings.” Lay it on me Lord, as the contemporary phrase implies. All we can say, is God be merciful when we say this, and I suppose most of us have said this in one way or another. But we need to realize and learn, that in God’s will, as we are yielding to Him and being led by the Holy Spirit, we will have these wilderness trials for our good and the glory of God. There is a time for everything. It is during these times that we learn to know the Lord as the Captain of our salvation. Our refuge, deliverer, fortress, etc. He is our all in all.
We get into trouble during our wilderness experiences when we try to fight our own battles. When we do this we usurp the Lord’s authority over us. “The lord will fight for you.” It is during these times that we lost our peace of mind and this opens the door to confusion and doubt. But as the old hymn goes, “Jesus know our every weakness.” He doesn’t leave us when we are weak and vulnerable. He doesn’t stomp us in the ground and berate us Instead, He knows His strength in our behalf. He picks us up, reveals His grace and restores our peace with a peace that passes understanding. The mighty wind of the Holy Spirit parts the waters and Sword (Word) of God destroys the enemy.
We may be hemmed in on all sides by such things as pain, discouragement, disappointment, doubts, battles of unbelief and distress. By these the enemy seeks to overthrow us and gain control. As we continue to trust the Lord we will see His working in us and we will come out victorious. Even if we feel the waters of the trial and think we are going to be defeated, Isa. 43:2 assures us, “When thou passes through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee.” Think on these things.
