My daughter was a page for three weeks this summer for the Louisiana House of Representatives. The first few days she got out of the car to go to her first official job as a 16 year old, she was quite nervous and anxious. I rolled down my window as she walked away and said, “Do your Beyonce’ walk!” Erin has this strut she calls the “Beyonce’ Walk” she pulls out when she needs to be all that and a box of chocolate. That girl makes me smile. So when I read, Exodus 14:8 where it says the Israelites left Egypt triumphantly. I wondered what that might have looked like, and I wonder how far that triumphant walk lasted.
We see in Exodus 13:17-18 God leads the children of Israel out of Egypt, and He leads them on a route the Israelites would not have chosen. It’s not the most obvious route. It’s not the easiest route. It’s not the shortest route. It’s not the route with easy access to food and water, but it is a route with fewer enemies and less opportunities for battle. This is God’s way of going before them smoothing out of the rough places and turning the darkness into light (Isaiah 42:16), but I wonder if they were still walking triumphantly.
Notice I said “fewer enemies.” We still have adversaries even when we follow the Lord. The difference is when we are following the Lord, they are His enemies not ours, and He will handle them accordingly.
In Exodus 14, we read how God led the children of Israel to turn back and camp in front of the Pi-hahiroth between Migdol and the sea. They camped in front of Baal-zephon facing it by the sea. This means the children of Israel would be trapped when the Egyptians pursued, and they did pursue. As a matter of fact that triumphant walk disappeared just as soon as they saw the Egyptians pursuing them. The Israelites wanted to go back to Egypt right then instead of dying in the wilderness.
Remember, if God leads you to a place then there is a purpose. If God leads you to face your enemy, there is a purpose. If God leads you out of bondage and into the wilderness, there’s a purpose. Look for Him. Seek Him.
In Exodus 14:13-14 Moses speaks to the Israelites. “Don’t be afraid. Stand firm and see the Lord’s salvation. He will provide for you today; for the Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you must be quiet.” Many Christians like to quote the last part of this verse because it brings assurance and comfort, but this is NOT the battle plan for every enemy and every situation. Think Jericho – NOT quiet.
But let’s look at the instructions for this battle.
1. Don’t be afraid – So easy to say, but so hard to do at times. It requires faith and trust in an Almighty God we cannot visibly see but whose handiwork is visible. Sometimes we need to remind ourselves our God is bigger than any Goliath or enemy in our path. Our God is victorious and nothing will thwart His plan.
2. Stand firm – Don’t run from the enemy. Don’t run back to where you were comfortable. There’s no growth there.
3. See the Lord’s salvation – Keep your eyes open looking for God’s hand. This means you are expecting for God to show up, and this is why you are to look for the Lord’s salvation.
4. He will provide for you today – You’ve heard the saying, “If God brings you to it, He’ll bring you through it.” Our God provides.
5. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again – This is a bit cryptic if you think about it. They didn’t have the Scripture to know exactly what Moses meant. This could mean God was going to take them home, God was going to enable the Israelites to rise up and defeat them. Who at this point would have thought the Spirit would blow such a strong wind as to part the sea for the Israelites to walk through on dry land? That had never been done before.
So often Christians get an idea of HOW God should handle a situation and begin to “help” God to that end, and they miss the miracle God has in store for them. This is why it is important to listen to God and follow where He leads not where we think He’s leading.
6. The Lord will fight for you; you must be quiet. In this instance God didn’t need any help from the Israelites. He didn’t need their great ideas, their plans, or their strategies. He just needed them to be quiet. Gotta confess there are times during parenting when my kids try to help by giving their solutions when all I want is for them to be quiet. The kids don’t have the whole picture and have even less experience in life. Same goes for us. When God leads you to be quiet then ZIP YOUR LIPS!
What happens when you zip your lips? It frees you to hear others. Stop thinking about your way and listen. It gives you the opportunity to hear from God. It gives you an opportunity to use your other senses to experience God’s deliverance.
Oh the things we miss because we are so busy doing things our way. Oh the miracles we miss because we are helping God to deal with our adversary. Following God means doing things His way not ours. Are you ready to totally surrender your enemy, your adversary, your plans and ideas, your solutions to God? It’s the first step in facing your enemy.