Egyptians – Metaphorically Speaking

Exodus 14 (The Message) 

10-12 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.’”

 13  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.

 14  God will fight the battle for you.
      And you? You keep your mouths shut!”

 Note:  Any mention in this blog of Egyptians refers to the particular enemies of Israel at the time of their escape from Egypt.  It has nothing to do with the modern day nation or peoples.

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  The Israelites were excited.  God had set them free.  They had escaped their “prison.”   The Bible says that they walked out without looking back.   That was confidence.  Confidence that God had set them free and would protect them.

Oooops!!  They did look back.  (^10-12As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up and saw them— Egyptians! Coming at them!) 

They lost sight of God and saw —— Egyptians.    What they saw terrified them.  ( They were totally afraid. They cried out in terror to God. )        

I can call it whatever I want – but when I allow something in my life to loom larger than God, He gets blocked out of the picture and I lose my perspective.

What’s your “Egyptians?” 

Mine’s loneliness and fear of the future.  It isn’t the way I had planned it. 

How am I  possibly going to survive financially? 

How am I going to live day to day without the companionship and relationship I had become accustomed to and loved? 

My nights are when my demons come out. 

This separation is permanent.  She’s not gone on vacation. She didn’t go to a retreat for a few days. 

This is permanent and irrevocable!

I feel the fear grip my heart.  I can’t breathe.  I feel the claustrophobia closing in. 

I yell at God.  “Why did you do this?  Things were just fine the way they were!  What were you thinking?” 

“What now, God?” 

“How can I survive?” 

“Why don’t you just take me right now?” 

“I don’t want to be here any more!”

This morning I read from the Bible in Exodus 14 -

 ¹³ 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.

 ¹⁴ God will fight the battle for you.
      And you? You keep your mouths shut!”

The very first thing that stood out for me was “Keep your mouth shut.”     Hmmmmmm, OK, sorry.  Maybe I was a little out of line.  But I just can’t see how anyone can go on under these circumstances.

Then I read it again.

“Don’t be afraid.   Stand firm and watch God do his work of salvation for you today.”

“God will fight the battle for you.”

I am standing in the way,  aren’t I.  I am looking in the wrong direction.  All I see is ‘Egyptians’.   If I had kept my eyes where they belonged, my attention would have been on a mighty God for whom the ‘Egyyptians’ are no match at all.  I would have seen that He was standing between me and the Egyptians and that He had me in His shadow where I was protected.

I haven’t seen the outcome of the battle yet, but He has promised that He will take care of it.  It’s  a day by day thing and I have to meet Him every single day and give the battles to Him.   It’s a lot easier.

Are you seeing ‘Egyptians’?  Look  the other way!

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