The Lord Will Fight for You
As the Egyptians quickly approached the Israelites, they had nowhere to run. The mountains on both sides were bare, with no trees or caves to hide among. The sea hemmed them in on the other side. It was an impossible situation. Scripture says that at this point, “The children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord” (Exodus 14:10, NKJV).
Try placing yourself in their situation. Your family is gathered around you: children, grandparents, and other relatives. Suddenly, you hear the rumbling of chariot wheels, the rattling of sabers, and the fierce war cry of a murderous, bloodthirsty army. Wouldn’t you be afraid?
God is patient with us when the awful flush of human fear overcomes us in a sudden crisis. Our Lord is not a hard taskmaster. He knew this would be a frightening experience for Israel. In fact, he would have been pleased with a prayer such as, “Lord, we are afraid! Yet we know you have always been faithful in delivering us. When we were in Egypt, you delivered us from the death angel and all the plagues. We know you have the power to deliver us out of this crisis as well. Father, we commit our lives into your hands!”
Was this Israel’s cry? No! Scripture says, “Then they said to Moses, ‘Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt?... For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness” (Exodus 14:11-12).
The Israelites were being sarcastic, almost to the point of blasphemy. This certainly was not the cry of faith. Yet God answered Israel: “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord… The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace” (Exodus 14:13-14). The Lord would fight for and save the Israelites, but first, they had to deal with their fear.
Are you facing your own crisis right now? Are you asking, “Lord, what am I supposed to do in such a fearful situation? Let God’s promise to Israel be your strength today, and let him drive out all your fear!
