When the Going Get Tough, Ex 13-15

May the mumbling commence!

When the going gets tough, the tough complain?  It seems strange but true, when I read Exodus 13-15.  Maybe the Israelites were expecting more along the lines of sitting in the lap of luxury.  They may have been enjoying the beautiful view as they camped along the Red Sea – until they heard distant thunder.  Did they look to the pillar of cloud that was guiding them?  Did they look to the sky?  Well, the sound was not coming from either of those places.

No, there was another cloud forming from the direction of Egypt.  This cloud was producing the thunder.  Soon Israel began to see the approaching army of Pharaoh.  The people of Israel berated their travel agent, Moses.  “We told you we should have stayed to serve the Egyptians.  Have you now brought us into the desert to be killed?”  The going got tough, and Israel started complaining.

Moses implored them to stand still and watch.  The Lord would deliver them.  Had they already forgotten the plagues of Egypt?  Had they already forgotten the command to remember?  What an amnesia induced by fear at the sign of adversity!  God asked for another set of actions.  The Lord asked Moses to stretch out the staff over the Red Sea to part it, and the Lord asked the people of Israel to walk through the walls of water to the other side of the sea.  Words plus action equals faith.  Practice, practice, practice!

After Moses stretched his staff over the sea, it became readily apparent that this parting of the sea would take awhile.  And Pharaoh’s army was drawing ever closer.  It wouldn’t take much longer for the battle to be joined.  And Israel was just supposed to watch and see God fight for them?  At this rate, they probably thought they would not last until morning.

Then the pillar of cloud and fire moved.  It moved between the Egyptians and Israelites, separating them.  God created more time for the sea to part.  And Israel walked through the Red Sea on dry land.  Just as the Lord told Moses, Pharaoh led his army onto the same path.  This was happening during the last watch of the night.  Dawn was soon approaching.

Again, God called Moses to act.  “Raise your staff over the waters again.”  And the waters began to return to their former place.  The chariots wheels became stuck, along with the horses that propelled them.  Pharaoh, in his wisdom, called a retreat at this point.  He said, “The Lord is fighting for them.”  Duh!  Did it take him this long to figure that out?  It was too little too late.  The sea claimed Pharaoh and his entire army as the sun rose.  Dawn had arrived – the dawn that Israel may have thought they would never see.  And all they did was witness the victory of the Lord.

And much celebration and worship of the Lord happened on the far side of the Red Sea.   A new hymn was birthed at the leadership of Miriam, Moses’ older sister.  Strike up the tambourine!  Surely, Israel would not forget.

Not so fast!  These people that the Lord had bought (See Exodus 15:16.) seemed to have a hard time remembering the mighty deliverances of the Lord on their behalf.  As they walked through the desert, they had trouble finding water (imagine that, in a desert).  Then, they found bitter water.  The going got tough…  And Israel got complaining.  Their travel agent, Moses, had not thought about their need to drink.  “What are we going to drink?” they asked him.

The Lord called Moses to act.  The Lord guided him to a piece of wood that he asked Moses to throw into the water.  Moses did, and the water became sweet to the taste.  And the Lord spoke to Israel.  He basically said, “Listen to me.  Do what is right in my eyes.  Pay attention to my command.  Then, you will not suffer the plagues of Egypt.  I am the Lord who heals you.”

At times, all of us need to be healed.  The Israelites were slipping into the pattern of Pharaoh.  They were testing God and bargaining with God.  This pattern in the life of Israel needed healed, and the Lord could heal.  I give thanks this day for second (and third and fourth and fifth…) chances to remember and be faithful.  Words plus actions equals faith.  Practice, practice, practice.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out