| The Christian Life | July 1942 |
The Red Sea and Beyond
Exodus 15:1-27; Numbers 33:8, 9
IN OUR last lesson we saw Israel on the western shore of the Red Sea, in great desperation, recognizing fully their extremity, for before them lay the Red Sea, to the side of them the mountains, and behind them the pursuing Egyptians. Let it be remembered that it was God who brought them there, for it was at Etham, in the edge of the wilderness, that He turned them southward to Pi-hahiroth, as if to increase the barriers before them.—Exodus 14:2
Surely the little fords to the north of the Red Sea would not have presented so impenetrable a barrier as they met at Pi-hahiroth. But had God permitted them to follow the easterly course from Etham, they might never have realized that the fullness of their deliverance from Egypt was not the result of their labors, but wholly of God. How often does God have to lead us into experiences wherein it becomes necessary for us, as with the Israelites at the Red Sea, to “stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord.” All such experiences are permitted of God for the express purpose of strengthening our faith. The poet has well expressed this thought in these beautiful lines:
“Have you come to the Red Sea place in your life,
Where, in spite of all you can do,
There is no way out, there is no way back,
There is no other way but through?
Then wait on the Lord, with a trust serene,
Till the night of your fear is gone;
He will send the winds, He will heap the floods,
When He says to your soul, ‘Go on!’“And His hand shall lead you through, clear through,
Ere the watery walls roll down;
No wave can touch you, no foe can smite,
No mightiest sea can drown.
The tossing billows may rear their crests,
Their foam at your feet may break.
But over their bed you shall walk dry-shod
In the path that your Lord shall make.”
So it was with Israel. God separated, as it were, the waters of the sea, seemingly by natural means, for the account indicates that a strong easterly wind blew all that night exposing for the time a sand bar over which Israel crossed to the farther shore. (Exod. 14:21) Israel, beholding the path through the sea, probably also recognized that the waters, momentarily separated, would again return. But remembering how God had dealt with them while in Egypt, and how He had delivered them from the hand of Pharaoh, they were now rightly exercised—they could, and would demonstrate their faith (appreciation of past favors) by believing that this self-same God would bring them to the farther shore, permitting the waters to return.
While Christian believers today have no difficulty in accepting the account of the Israelites crossing the Red Sea, it is interesting, nevertheless, to analyze the Scriptural account concerning this incident a little more carefully than is usually done, and to realize the simple way in which God brought about this marvelous victory for His people. In Exodus 14:21,22 we read, “And the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and [thus] the waters were divided. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground, and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.”
From this it is apparent that the water was so shallow during the hours of low tide that a strong wind was enough to keep the sand bars exposed, while the Israelites walked over them. Because the text says that the waters were “a wall” unto them on their right hand and on their left, many have been led to the hasty assumption that two high perpendicular walls of water stood erect in a miraculous manner. We do not question the Lord’s ability to have performed such a miracle if it had been needed; but it seems that such an assumption ‘is not necessary to an understanding of this account.
The Hebrew word here translated “wall” is chowmah, and means a “wall of protection,” not necessarily a perpendicular structure of some sort. The same word is used in I Samuel 25:15,16, where we read, “The men were very good unto us [in that] … they were a wall unto us both by night and day.” In like manner the waters on either side of the exposed sand bars served as a protection to the Israelites; for had it not been for this water the army and chariots of Pharaoh would have outflanked and surrounded them; thus cutting off their escape.
Being unable to surround the Israelites because of the water on their right and on their left, the only thing left for Pharaoh’s charioteers to do was to drive straight through on the sand bars. “And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. And … the Lord troubled the host of the Egyptians and took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily … and the sea returned to his strength [high tide] when the morning appeared … and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them.”—Exodus 14:23-28
This account is a clear picture of chariots, horsemen and soldiers caught in quicksand from which they were unable to extricate themselves. The wheels sank down—“they drave them heavily.” In the morning the tide returned and the hosts of Pharaoh, immovably stuck in the sand bars, finally sank out of sight. Thus the account is seen to be a plain historic narrative of what took place, and what would be certain to take place under such circumstances.
LOOKING BACK UPON VICTORY
The Israelites now being safely across the Red Sea, they were permitted to look back, to stand still and see the salvation of God. Having thus exercised faith, and being rewarded with the victory thereof, they did not look back longingly to Egypt; but in the joy of deliverance, they looked back only to see the utter destruction of those who essayed to walk unworthily in the path of faith. The Egyptians were destroyed. This victory of faith gave to Israel the assurance that never again would they be troubled by these Egyptians, and so in the full glory of it all, they sang a song of deliverance. With what abandon must they have sung it, with what exceeding joy! What ah incentive for them to journey on, led and guided by the hand of God to the Canaan of promise!
At least this once, did they praise God. They seemed for the moment to have forgotten self. Note the exultation of their song: “I will sing unto the Lord, for He hath triumphed gloriously: … The Lord is my strength and song, and He is become my salvation: He is my God, and I will prepare Him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt Him.” (Exod. 15:1,2) However, as we shall shortly see, the Israelites soon forgot this glorious God, and thought too much of themselves, resulting rather in murmurings than this hymn of praise. Hence there was a grieved God and a lost Canaan.—Heb. 3:10,17-19; I Cor. 10:5
There are times when, in the providences of God, we, too, like Israel of old, are brought into tight places; when, humanly speaking, there is no possible way of escape for us. And while we may wish to be doing a great deal about it, there is absolutely nothing that we can do. Deliverance from these situations, if it comes at all, must come through God.. We must look to Him as our strong tower, as the God of our salvation. It is a “Pi-hahiroth, between Midgol and the sea.”
But if in obedience to His will we stand still, awaiting His orders to move forward, we shall soon observe, as it were, a seeming suspension of nature’s laws (as the waters of the Red Sea parted for Israel at the proper time). Faith opening up thus a way before us, it is for us to walk in that way of faith to our journey’s end. Therefore it is essential that we let go of ourselves and permit God to work in us and for us. Placing ourselves thus completely in His hands, the victory of faith is soon ours; and we, too, can sing the song of our deliverance.
Often, however, we fail to think of God and His mighty works on our behalf, but rather we think of self and our own interests—they, all too often, come first. Sometimes we may feel sorry for ourselves, and long for past pleasures, though these were and still are but shallow and empty foibles of a past which we have renounced for the greater joys of the Spirit. Thus we, like Israel, murmur and repine. It is well for us to note that God, despite this tendency on the part of Israel to forget Him, continued in long-suffering kindness to exercise Himself in their behalf. And can it be supposed that He doesn’t have the same concern for us, His spirit-begotten children? But, as the time came, when at Kadesh-Barnea He ceased to strive for them, we, too, must be on guard lest, by continued unbelief and unfaithfulness, we be denied the rest that now remaineth for the people of God. Let us then carefully consider the Apostle Paul’s words in Hebrews 3:12, “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.” See also Hebrews 4 8-11.
FORGETTING SELF—REMEMBERING GOD
There are but two ways open to us as Christians; one is forgetting self and remembering God; the other is forgetting God and remembering self. The former is the way of faith and will be rewarded by God; the latter is the course of unbelief and disobedience, and merits His sore displeasure. The song which the Israelites sang on the eastern shore of the Red Sea was a hymn of praise, but it was theirs to sing only because they had forgotten self and remembered God. Let us keep in mind that if we are, in time, to sing the song of final deliverance, we must, “every day, and in every way,” remember God and forget self.
The account tells us that Moses next led the Israelites from the Red Sea into the wilderness of Shur, and into this wilderness they went “three days’ journey.” (Exod. 15:22) When Moses pleaded before Pharaoh for the release of Israel, he explained that they wanted to go “three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice unto the Lord our God.” (Exod. 3:8) It is this wilderness of Shur (also called the wilderness of Etham—Numbers 33:8), that probably is referred to in the entreaties of Moses to Pharaoh. At least this is the first time that reference is made to the three days’ journey, and when we consider that it was only after they had reached the farther shore of the Red Sea that they were really out of the hands of the Egyptians, we can be reasonably sure that this is the wilderness referred to.
But did they sacrifice unto the Lord, as Moses explained to Pharaoh was their purpose to do? Let us see. Evidently their water supply had given out, and they were thirsty. Concerning it we read, “And they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water, and when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: … and the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?”—Exodus 15:22-24
What a picture of the human heart we have in this account! How soon it can forget God and His mighty works. Instead of dwelling on the mountain-tops of faith in the glorious light of God’s countenance, it allows itself to be cast down by the world, the flesh, or the devil into the dark and dismal, valley of the shadow of death. Instead of offering to God the sacrifices of thanksgiving, it murmurs and repines, for where God should be enthroned in the heart; self is enthroned, instead. How well, indeed, the Psalmist has put it when he declares, “Oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare His works with rejoicing.”—Psalms 107:21,22
WE FORGET—GOD DOES NOT
Israel forgot God, and remembered self. Thus did the sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving give way to the murmurings of the flesh. But God in His graciousness still strove with them. Was it not He, who, in His providences, had led them to Marah! But why? Could He not have saved them the bitterness of the waters, and the hardness of the way? Ah yes, but these all, to the heart centered upon God, would be but stepping-stones bringing them closer to Him.
God had not forgotten His people, but they had forgotten Him; so now, this second time, with the journey only commenced, they murmured. True, they were very thirsty and there was no water. Suddenly they espy a stream and they anticipate refreshment. Instead of praising God for His guidance to the stream, they seem to be thinking merely of self—the satisfaction of their desires. Such thoughts, surely, were not conducive to progress in this pilgrim way.
If in thought, in faith and by faith, they had ever been mindful of the Canaan of God’s promise, the hardships to the flesh would have seemed but light afflictions, which they might then the more easily have borne. So the waters they found at Marah were bitter, and they murmured, seemingly against Moses. However, it was really against God. God heard, and in His loving kindness and tender mercy, blessed them with refreshment. He showed Moses “a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet.”—Exodus 15:25
Ofttimes God has to bring us to some bitter waters; that is, hard, trying experiences. At such times we should remember God, and if we do, we shall find that even these have been sweetened for us by all the gracious provisions He has made through Jesus. His promises ratified by the blood, making plain at the same time the purpose of these experiences, sweeten, as it were, the bitter waters for us. As we sing, “Simply to the cross I cling,” the stream of life which often flows with bitter waters is sweetened by the contemplation that we are daily and hourly brought closer to our eternal inheritance—God’s Canaan rest.
IMPORTANCE OF APPRECIATION
It is well to note that not a word is said on this occasion concerning Israel offering to the gracious God the sacrifices of thanksgiving. It seems that they simply took all of His grace for granted as a matter of fact. This seems to be a common failing among the people of God. We, too, like Israel of old, often fail to appreciate God’s kindnesses to us as we should. We take them as if it were His duty to bestow them upon us. We are often forgetful of God; at least, we are not as thankful as we ought to be. Nor are we to presume that because God has graciously responded to all our murmurings, that He will continue so to do if we presume too much upon His grace there will come a time when He must cease to strive with us, even as He did with Israel. All our trials, and all our experiences, coming to us as the true spiritual Israel of God, are permitted by Him for the purpose of fitting and preparing us for the inheritance of the saints in light. (Col. 1:12) Therefore, let us ever offer Him the acceptable sacrifice of praise, even in our wilderness wanderings.
The next place to which God led the nation of Israel was Elim, “where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees.” (Exod. 15:27) The account says, “They encamped there by the waters.” Here we find no registration of murmuring. Nor do we find aught of praise, despite the fact that their wants, all of them, were now supplied.
Let us never get the idea that if everything should go well with us, and all of our needs were supplied, we would lead more acceptable lives before Jehovah. Experience teaches us quite to the contrary. Professor Wieman of Chicago tells the story of a roommate of his college days who wished to improve his intellectual life by concentrated, study at night. He procured a large, comfortable, chair, slippers and a lounging jacket. An adjustable bookrack was fastened to the side of the chair to mold; the book at the proper angle for the eyes. A special lamp was installed, together with eyeshade, pencils, papers and a revolving bookcase. Professor Wieman tells how this chap would come home in the evening, take off his coat, put on his jacket; take off his shoes, put on his slippers; sit comfortably in his chair, adjust his eyeshade and then fall asleep!
So it is with us, we must have uncomfortable experiences to rouse us out of our lethargy. God gave Israel the hardness of the way that there would be created in them a greater desire for the land of promise, the land flowing with milk and honey. This undoubtedly is the thought of Moses’ words in Deuteronomy 32:10-12: “He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; He led him about, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye. As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings: so the Lord alone did lead him.”
STIRRING UP THE NEST
Ah yes, those little eaglets in that little nest way up in that distant crag of yonder mountain, far above the point where any human being can reach them, feel so safely sheltered within the comfort of their nest. The comfort is so satisfying, and since the mother eagle brings them their food, why should they ever leave the comfort of that nest? But the mother instinctively knows that those eaglets will never learn to fly that way; so she stirs up the nest, to drive them out. Perhaps the mother eagle finds little sharp twigs or thorns of some kind and sticks them into the sides of the nest to make it uncomfortable for the little eaglets. At any rate, she stirs up the nest. We can imagine how those little eaglets would get up on the edge of the nest, still seeking comfort, when suddenly the mother would flutter her wings, and over the edge of the nest they would go as if falling into a bottomless pit. The eaglets make a little effort to fly, and this is just what the mother wants. She then spreads her wings, probably gets underneath them to bear them safely back to rest. Only so do they learn to fly. Just so did God deal with the children of Israel in their wilderness wanderings, and just so does He deal with us.
It is true, God does grant us many moments of peace and rest, tranquility, even ere we reach our Canaan beyond. Surely we do have, our Elims. But let us not forget the purpose of these is not that we shall, at such times, complacently idle away our time; but rather, we are to refresh ourselves and build up that spiritual reserve which is to enable us the better to withstand the rigors of the desert over which we still must travel.
Let us, at such times, show our God how we really do appreciate His loving kindness and tender mercies by praising Him with the song of our lives—the song of faith and obedience to His will. And when the time comes for us to leave these blessed oases, and to strike out into the howling wilderness, let us not be loath to leave Elim behind, but in its refreshment enter into the hardships of the way, in full assurance of the fact that it is God who leads us on. Let us, dear brethren, forget self and remember God, and then, shall we have the peace of God that surpasseth all human understanding, even in the midst of trials and difficulties, for “great peace have they that love Thy law: and nothing shall offend them.”—Phil: 4:7; Psa. 119:165
|
“He leadeth me, O blessed thought! “Sometimes ’mid scenes of deepest gloom, “Lord, I would clasp Thy hand in mine, “And when my task on earth is done, —Hymns of Dawn
|