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God, and ply their trades, profes–
sions and interests
as
if
God did
not exist?
God himself tells us-in
HIS WORD to mankind: "Because
the carnal mind [human nature] is
enmity [hostile) against God: for it
is not subject to the LA
w
of God,
neither indeed can be" (Rom.
8:7).
These Israelites, even while
being blessed and delivered by God
with MIRACLES, still were rebel–
lious.
Even before they had reached
Sinai a chain of significant inci–
dents occurred. After the MIRACLES
God had performed in FREEING
them from slavery in Egypt, pro–
tecti ng them, blessi ng them,
FIGHTING their military battle for
them, leading them miraculously
by a cloud by day and pillar of fire
by night, these people began to
gripe, grumble, complain and DIS–
OBEY God. Even in the face of such
incredible MIRACLES, they began,
even then, to LOSE FAITH.
T hese people- 600,000 men,
beside women and children- came
to the Red Sea. There were no
ships, no bridges. They could not
swim such a dis–
tance. T hey could
not walk on the
water. They were
STOPPED by this
obstacle beyond
their own power.
They looked ,
within eyesight, Pharaoh 's
army was coming after
them.
Right here,
before
they
reached
Mt.
Sinai- be–
fore
they heard
God's own great
voice thundering
his Ten Com–
mandments-God
demonstrated
the
p·attern he would
follow in preserving
plained, accused- lacked faith in
God.
These lsraelites had
started
out
of Egypt "with an high hand " (Ex.
14:8). "But the Egyptians pursued
after them, all the horses and char–
iots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen,
and his
ARMY, and overtook them
encamping by the sea.... And
when Pharaoh drew nigh, the chil–
dren of Israel lifted up their eyes,
and, behold, tbe Egyptians
marched after them; and they were
sore afraid: and the children of
Israel cried out unto the Lord. And
they said unto Moses, Because
there were no graves in Egypt, hast
thou taken us away to die in the
wilderness? wherefore hast thou
dealt thus with us, to carry us forth
out of Egypt? Is not this the word
that we did tell thee in Egypt, say–
ing, Let us alone, that we may serve
the Egyptians? For it had been bet–
ter for us to serve the Egyptians,
than that we should die in the wil–
derness" (Ex. 14:9-12) .
But God's PURPOSE was not to be
defeated. He PURPOSED to deliver
them out of Egyptian slavery. He
PURPOSED to
show them
and
al!
nations
and all humanity
that HE would fight
their battles for
them. So, in spite
of their faithless
complaining in
this initial EXAM-
PLE of God's faith–
fulness , he was de-
his people from hav-
Would it
seem
termined to fight their
battle and save them.
ing to undergo military
service or fighting in
war or taking human
life!
Here is God's
living
EXAMPLE
NUMBE R
ONE!
Y
et even here, the
people of Israel , in
fright, grumbled, com-
September 1984
preposterous, to
believe that even
now, in 1984, God
Almighty actual/y
would fight our
wars for us-that
our nations, today,
could actual/y have
peace this very
year?
"And Moses said
unto the people,_ Fear
ye not, stand still, and
see the salvation of the
Lord, which HE WILL
SHEW TO YO U to
da
y....
The Lord
shall fight for you,
and ye shall hold your
peace"(verses
13- 14).
The Israelites were not to
fight- but STAND STILL! They were
to
see
God save them from Pha–
raoh's ARMY. God was going to
SHOW THEM that he would fight
their wars for them! T hey were to
remain at PEACE!
How GOD Fights fo r Us!
Then God's angel moved behind
the lsraelites, and the great dark
cloud moved between them and the
Egyptian army. I t held the Egyp–
tian army from attacking Israel all
night, but illuminated the way
befare I srael. Then God parted the
waters of the sea, holding them
back by divine MIRACLE, so that the
waters formed a high wall on both
sides, and the lsraelites marched
across on the dry floor of the sea.
Now notice the dramatic exam–
ple of how God miraculously
fought Israel 's battle for them, as
recorded in the Moffatt transla–
tion:
"Moses stretched his hand out
over the sea; the waters parted.
Then the Eterna! swept the sea
along by a strong east wind, all
night, till the bed of the sea was
dry, and the Israelites marched
through the sea on dry ground,
the waters forming a wall to right
and left. The Egyptians in pursuit
of them went into the sea, all the
Pharaoh's horses and chariots and
cavalry. And in the watch befare
the dawn the Eterna! looked out
from the column of fire and cloud
on the Egyptian army and threw
them into a panic; he clogged
their chariot-wheels till they drove
heavily.
"The Egyptians cried, ' Let us
ftee from the lsraelites!
The Eter–
na! is fighting jor them
against
the Egyptians! ' Then said the
Eterna! to Moses, 'Stretch your
hand out over the sea, to make the
waters flow back upon the char–
iots and cavalry of the Egyptians! '
Moses stretched his hand out over
the sea. Then , as morning broke,
the sea returned to its wonted
flow, and while the Egyptians
were fleeing against it, the Eterna!
overwhelmed the Egyptians in the
middle of the sea; the waters did
flow back over the chariots and
cavalry, over the whole army of
the Pharaoh which had followed
them into the sea, till not a single
11