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Bonus things included in the narration! https://bit.ly/2R5JVJY
19 The angel of God that had been leading the camp of Israel now shifted and got behind them. And the Pillar of Cloud that had been in front also shifted to the rear. 20 The Cloud was now between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel. The Cloud enshrouded one camp in darkness and flooded the other with light. The two camps didn't come near each other all night. 21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea and God, with a terrific east wind all night long, made the sea go back. He made the sea dry ground. The seawaters split. 22 The Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground with the waters a wall to the right and to the left. 23 The Egyptians came after them in full pursuit, every horse and chariot and driver of Pharaoh racing into the middle of the sea. 24 It was now the morning watch. God looked down from the Pillar of Fire and Cloud on the Egyptian army and threw them into a panic. 25 He clogged the wheels of their chariots; they were stuck in the mud. The Egyptians said, "Run from Israel! God is fighting on their side and against Egypt!" 26 God said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea and the waters will come back over the Egyptians, over their chariots, over their horsemen." 27 Moses stretched his hand out over the sea: As the day broke and the Egyptians were running, the sea returned to its place as before. God dumped the Egyptians in the middle of the sea. 28 The waters returned, drowning the chariots and riders of Pharaoh's army that had chased after Israel into the sea. Not one of them survived. 29 But the Israelites walked right through the middle of the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall to the right and to the left. 30 God delivered Israel that day from the oppression of the Egyptians. And Israel looked at the Egyptian dead, washed up on the shore of the sea, 31 and realized the tremendous power that God brought against the Egyptians. The people were in reverent awe before God and trusted in God and his servant Moses. (Exodus 14:19-31 The Message Bible)
A joyous mid-week day to you, dear Friend. I pray the full blessings of God be with you and yours on this awesome day.
I have sat in classes where the professor has shared a theory or two, making me wonder if these were his, or where they truly someone else's? One said that the Red Sea, split in two by God's mighty hand, was nothing more, at the time, than a small stream, and the name of it wasn't the Red Sea, it was the Reed Sea, meaning it was shallow and hard plenty of reeds to hold on to as the people of God made their way across. I respect the right of those who don't believe, to not believe; and I reserve the right to believe sometimes we make a mockery of faith when we try so hard to make "sense" of what is clearly God-works, miracles, that are not meant to be explained, but enjoyed. But, here is the story. As God promised, He delivered His people from the oppression of Pharaoh and thus began a forty year journey of formation. Ask any bride who has been married at least 40 years, and she'll be quick to tell you, she finally got hubby where he needed to be. It took that long, to form that man into the husband she always wanted. And you ask any man who's been married that long, and he will quickly reply, "Yes, dear!" All joshing aside, examine what we have in the few verses shared here. The camp did not simply wander out into the wilderness alone. The very first verse, verse 19 says, "The angel of God led the way, and it was at that point of the story, that the angel goes to the rear of the group. And the Pillar of Cloud also shifted to the rear." Those were visible symbols of the presence of God Himself present with them! The shift occurs as the mass of people realize that the free walking range of endless desert was now quickly coming to an end into the ocean. And with every step they took, the armies of Pharaoh were quickly gaining on the fleeing slaves. You have to stop and realize that the armies had all lost someone in their family to the last plague. Every father in the army lost a firstborn son. That meant they were in mourning and enraged at the people whose God caused these deaths. Most wanted to be home with the preparations necessary to bury their dead. Instead, here they were trying to stop this free labor from escaping. What slowed them down was that there was now a cloud blocking their view of the escaped slaves. The same Cloud that darkened the camp of the Egyptians was making the camp of the Hebrews bright as midday noon. And as the scripture says, "The two camps didn't come near each other all night." It'd at that realization that had I been in camp I'd be hollering "Hallelujah!"
As the Hebrews neared the sea, Moses stretched his hand over the sea and God, with a terrific east wind all night long, made the sea go back, then the water receded and the seawaters split. And right through that once terrifying sea, walked the people of God away from the danger of being caught and being sent back as slaves once again. Once they were mostly across, God allowed the Egyptians to come in, only to find their chariot wheels getting stuck in the mud, and most of them are confused but not enough so they said, "Run from Israel! God is fighting on their side and against us!" It was then that God said to Moses, "Stretch your hand over the sea once more and the waters will come back over they Egyptians, over their chariots, over their horsemen." And so it was. Egypt defeated; Israel with a big W in their column. Everyone in the armies of Pharaoh now dead. "Not one survived." It was then the Israelites realized the great power that God brought against their enemy. "The people were in reverent awe before God and trust in God and His servant Moses." It sounds just like the end of some Sundays we have had in church. The music hit just right, the prayers lifted up included our need, and then the pastor preached the sermon that truly spoke to us about where we were and where we needed to be. Amen, let's go home and enjoy a fine meal, take a nap, watch whatever game may be on; for God is truly in His Heaven and He has smiled upon us. Then the game does not go as we wanted; the Cowboys lose again! Or, the crowd was so large at the eating place, we decided to pick up curbside and eat it at home. Or an email comes that says the boss wants us in earlier than ever with a to-do list that is longer than the receipt from CVS! We have soon forgotten about all that God has done in our favor; and this is a spoiler alert to the remaining years that Israel faces in the wilderness. Above all things, that special worship time should be enough to help us float past Sunday afternoon, and Monday morning, and into a time of reflection and gratitude for all that God has done. What we receive on Sunday usually is more than enough to help us with the rest of the days coming directly towards us.
PRAYER: Loving God, we thank You on this midweek day, for what You have done for us in past days. May the sweet memories of worship victories speak to the small defeats that we seem to receive when we don't really want them. May Your Spirit lift us gently up and guide us through the rest of this week; preparing us to once again worship and praise You in ways that bring honor and glory to You. This we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord. Show someone today that you're still blessed by what God has done in your life, and that is enough to carry your onward and upward.
Receive my blessing of peace and love,
Pastor Eradio Valverde
