In chapter thirteen, God leads the people of Israel as they head out from Egypt by a pillar of cloud in the day and a pillar of fire at night. Not only do these pillars provide direction, it would seem they also provide protection. The cloud protecting against the heat of the sun, and the fire protecting against the cool of the night. Not only this, but the Lord placed the pillar of cloud between the Israelites and the Egyptians when they were cornered at the Red Sea.
In chapter fourteen, God sends an east wind and drives back the waters of the Red Sea creating a tunnel of sorts complete with dry ground for ease of movement. Thus, God has provided a way of escape from the Egyptians, but this is not all. He then hardens Pharaoh’s heart so that they give chase to the Israelites through the Red Sea. However, God allows the sea to return to itself, and the Egyptians are destroyed. In so doing, God proved himself above the Egyptians and for the Israelites!
In chapter fifteen, God turns bitter water sweet in order to quench their thirst. In chapter sixteen, God provided for their hunger by sending bread from heaven six days a week for forty years!
Time and time again, God proves himself faithful, sufficient, powerful, and Father to the Israelites! And time and time again, they wonder if he will come through for them! Sounds strange doesn’t it? How in the world could they ever doubt after the Red Sea! It also sounds familiar though, doesn’t it? How in the world could we ever doubt when we know time and time again God has been good and faithful and loving to us!
I thought that this note from Exodus 14:12 in the ESV notes was very good:
ReplyDelete"When the people of Israel say, 'It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness,' they are viewing their circumstances without reference to the fact that the Lord himself brought them to this place. As revealed throughout Israel's history, the Lord is merciful in never leaving his people simply to themselves or to their circumstances. As both Daniel and his three friends will later assert (Dan. 3:16-18, 6:10), whatever the Lord calls his people to face as a result of fearing him is in fact better than simply remaining alive."