Reading 20 • October 3
Today's Scripture
Exodus 14:1–18
Then the Lord said to Moses: “Tell the Israelites to turn back and camp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, in front of Baal-zephon; you shall camp opposite it, by the sea. Pharaoh will say of the Israelites, ‘They are wandering aimlessly in the land; the wilderness has closed in on them.’ I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them, so that I will gain glory for myself over Pharaoh and all his army; and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord.” And they did so. When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, the minds of Pharaoh and his officials were changed toward the people, and they said, “What have we done, letting Israel leave our service?” So he had his chariot made ready, and took his army with him; he took six hundred picked chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them. The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt and he pursued the Israelites, who were going out boldly. The Egyptians pursued them, all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots, his chariot drivers and his army; they overtook them camped by the sea, by Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.
As Pharaoh drew near, the Israelites looked back, and there were the Egyptians advancing on them. In great fear the Israelites cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us, bringing us out of Egypt? Is this not the very thing we told you in Egypt, ‘Let us alone and let us serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” But Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid, stand firm, and see the deliverance that the Lord will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you see today you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to keep still.”
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry out to me? Tell the Israelites to go forward. But you lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the Israelites may go into the sea on dry ground. Then I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them; and so I will gain glory for myself over Pharaoh and all his army, his chariots, and his chariot drivers. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gained glory for myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his chariot drivers.” (NRSV)
Reflection
One line that really jumped out to me in this story:
“The Lord will fight for you, and you only have to keep still.”
Fortunately, I have never been caught between a body of water and an enemy army bent on my destruction. I can only imagine the fear they experienced. In fact, many of them wondered if perhaps going back into slavery would be better than the fate they perceived was coming.
I can relate to this, albeit on a different level. Sometimes I feel hemmed in by pressures and fears. I let the disturbance caused by things not being the way I want them to be bother me. This story reminds us that God is the one who delivers. My job is to keep still, trust, and be ready to step forward.
Jesus invites us into new life. If we can be still in the moment and put our trust in God, God will do the heavy lifting. Easier said than done for those of us who have spent a lifetime trying to bend life into the way we want it to be, rather than the way it is. But I am going to keep trying.
Prayer
Lord, when I feel trapped by fear or weighed down by the unknown, remind me that you fight for me. Help me to be still in your presence, and give me the courage to be open to what you are calling me to do. Amen.
Written by Anthony Hipp, Member of Fourth Presbyterian Church
Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church
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