Old Entry #2

Numero dos...

Sit still and be quiet!
Exodus 14

I love this chapter. Today it seems to have come alive to me. The chapter starts out with the Israelites wandering around getting ready to make a camp at Phi Hahiroth. Pharaoh is on the look out for the Israelites. He had just released them from bondage and Moses was on his way leading them through the wilderness. God orders Moses to tell the Israelites where to camp and tells them that He is going to confuse Pharaoh to illustrate His glory.

"Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are lost; they're confused. The wilderness has closed in on them.' Then I'll make Pharaoh's heart stubborn again and he'll chase after them. And I'll use Pharaoh and his army to put my Glory on display. Then the Egyptians will realize that I am GOD." Exodus 14:3-4 (MSG)

God confuses Pharaoh and makes him think that the Israelites are lost. Pharaoh becomes pretty ticked off about the idea of the Israelites getting away. He then takes 600 of his best men and goes out to search for them. God makes Pharaoh determined to find Moses and the Israelites. Pharaoh and his crew catch up with them and what happens? The Israelites freak out! They start panicking and complaining to Moses.

“As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up and saw them--Egyptians! Coming at them! They were totally afraid. They cried out in terror to GOD. They told Moses, "Weren't the cemeteries large enough in Egypt so that you had to take us out here in the wilderness to die? What have you done to us, taking us out of Egypt? Back in Egypt didn't we tell you this would happen? Didn't we tell you, "Leave us alone here in Egypt--we're better off as slaves in Egypt than as corpses in the wilderness.” Exodus 14:10-12 (MSG)

They whined and told Moses that he only brought them out here to get them killed. “Egypt. Egypt. Egypt. Didn’t we tell you to leave us in Egypt?” Moses tells them to stand still and to be quiet because the Lord is fighting the battle for them.“Moses spoke to the people: "Don't be afraid. Stand firm and watch GOD do his work of salvation for you today. Take a good look at the Egyptians today for you're never going to see them again. GOD will fight the battle for you. And you? You keep your mouths shut!" Exodus 14:13-14 (MSG)

Ouch! Those are fighting words from one of God’s chosen leaders. How many times have we heard God speak those words to us? I know that I’ve have a time or to. “Hey,you! I’ve brought you here for a reason. Sit still and quit complaining. Watch what I’m going to do!”Sometimes God calls us to rest in the midst of chaos and fear-when it doesn’t make sense-just to show us His glory. Our logical minds almost can’t comprehend that. Can you imagine what the Israelites were thinking? “You pulled us out of Egypt. Now Pharaoh is ticked off and coming to kill us and you want us to sit still? You’re crazy.”

The truth is that “sitting still and shutting up” quieted them enough to hear what God was trying to say. Later on in that chapter, God gave Moses instructions to raise his staff up and split the sea, allowing the Israelites to walk across on dry ground (Exodus 14:16).

To the amazement of the Israelites, this is what happened:

“The Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground with the waters a wall to the right and to the left. The Egyptians came after them in full pursuit, every horse and chariot and driver of Pharaoh racing into the middle of the sea. 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. 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!" 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." 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. 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.” Exodus 14:22-28 (MSG)

A problem solved just by listening, resting and obeying. It seems simple enough, but incredibly hard to do when it doesn’t make any sense and when you are the one who is told to sit still and be quiet.

“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, 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 14:30-31 (MSG)

Sitting still is hard. I feel like I sometimes sit still but not with the right heart or attitude. I do it out of spite. "Look, God. Can't you see I'm sitting still? When can I get up and move again? My friends are up and moving. You didn't tell them to sit still, did you? Maybe you did. Maybe I'm the only obedient one..." Sitting still is so important but it's crucial that you do it with the right heart. God would probably not be pleased with my percieved "obedience". "Keeping my mouth shut" also involves getting control over my thoughts. I may not always have a verbal running commentary of my "concerns" but I almost always have a silent running commentary in my head. I need to trust that what God has told me is true and is not going to harm me!