God rescues His people, despite their wayward hearts, and He continues to rescue us, too.
God rescues His people, despite their wayward hearts, and He continues to rescue us, too.
Advent Day 9, The Journey.
God delivers His people from heart sickness.
God delivers Moses too from the same ailment.
How?
Through Moses, a deliverer, but not the mighty deliverer promised in Genesis three, that deliverer is still coming, and His name is Jesus.
Now, Moses and God's people leave the land of Egypt.
Their journey toward the promised land.
Along the way, what else?
Trials, tribulation, and below it all, a hum of discontent, the people murmur, the people complain.
And yet, God rescues them again and again.
God saves His people despite their wayward hearts.
Exodus 14:10 says, "When Pharaoh drew near, "the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, "and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, "and they feared greatly, "and the people of Israel cried out to the Lord."
In the Bible, most instances of lifting up one's eyes, perils in new direction, a reorientation to ultimate reality.
A person lifts up their eyes, studies the stars, and recalls their help comes from the Lord, the creator of heaven.
A person lifts up their eyes, ponders the planes and plateaus, and thinks of the Lord, the creator of earth.
But in Exodus 14, the Israelites lift up their eyes, and behold the Egyptians.
The fierce snakes down their spines, they tremble.
The Israelites cry out to the Lord, and they accuse Moses.
They said to Moses, "Is it because there are no graves in Egypt "that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness?
"What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt?
"Is not this what we said to you in Egypt?
"Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians?
"For it would have been better for us "to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness."
Exodus 14:11-12.
Fear often masks itself with other emotions.
What other emotions tend to mask your fears?
What would happen if you admitted you were afraid?
Moses, so often impatient with the people, replies with kindness and firmness.
Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work 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 be silent.
Exodus 14:13-14.
Moses says something outrageous, fear not.
But fear is not so easily managed.
Fear tangles our insights, it messes with our heads.
But Moses doesn't say fear not, full stop.
He says something else.
Moses gives two instructions.
One, stand firm, and two, see the salvation of the Lord.
How might these two instructions diminish the Israelites' fear?
How could these two instructions help you when you feel afraid?
Moses' two instructions invite the people to remember.
They didn't do anything to deliver themselves from Egypt.
Why should this time be any different?
It won't be, Moses tells them.
Stand still, be silent, watch for the Lord's salvation.
His instructions also invite the Israelites to see themselves and their situation anew.
All they see are the Egyptians, careening towards them in their chariots.
All they feel are horse hooves pounding and reverberating through the earth and up their spines.
Look higher, Moses urges.
Be still, and see the Lord's great power.
When you are in a situation that causes fear or anxiety, who or what helps you gain perspective?
Why is that perspective helpful or important?
And they see the Lord's power.
The Lord separates the sea and the land and they walk through the waters on dry land.
In response, they sing a new song to the Lord recounts not only the Lord's actions, but also his attributes.
I will sing to the Lord for he is triumph gloriously.
The horse in his rider, he's thrown into the sea.
The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.
This is my God and I will praise him.
My Father's God and I will exalt him.
You stretched out your right hand and the earth swallowed the Egyptians.
You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed.
You have guided them by your strength to your holy abode.
Terror and dread fall upon them because of the greatness of your arm.
They are still as a stone till your people, oh Lord, pass by till the people pass by whom you have purchased.
That's from Exodus 15.
The Israelites say God stretches out his hand on their behalf.
God leads them in steadfast love and God guards them by his strength to his holy home.
What do these three actions tell you about who God is and what he is like?
God rescues his people despite their wayward hearts.
They feel afraid, they cry out to the Lord and the Lord rescues them.
For a while they remember God's power and might and then they forget.
They have to learn again and again that God is dependable and God made them to depend on him.
We are like the Hebrews.
We forget who God is and how he acts on our behalf too.
Yet God still sends his son, Jesus.
He knows our wayward hearts and draws near.
God with us.
God isn't afraid of our murmuring hearts.
He doesn't ask that we tuck them away.
He wants us to bring him our hearts so that he can remake them.
What murmur do you need to share with God today in this holiday season?
As we grow in our faith, we come to depend on God more and more.
Not perfectly necessarily, but more often.
How?
By remembering Jesus, who as the author of Hebrews says, is sympathetic to us.
We also have the Holy Spirit who reminds us of the truth.
Our Jesus is the one who entered the world to overcome the world.
When have you depended on God and trusted his way is best?
What happened as a result?
Take some time to give thanks to God for how he's growing you into someone who looks more like his son, Jesus.
Let's pray together.
Heavenly Father, you have made us to depend on you.
Forgive us for when we forget, when we raise our eyes and see only obstacle and threats.
Remind us of your power.
Remind us of Jesus, who was born and lived the life wholly devoted to you.
Teach us to wait on you, the one who rescues people despite their way with hearts.
Amen.