“And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward.'” Exodus 14:15
There have been several instances in the Scriptures when the people of Israel were faced with either a natural boundary which would have kept them from pursuing the path the Lord had put before them, or with enemies which sought their destruction, enemies which appeared to be of far greater number and strength. Though every circumstance was unique, and often the word of the Lord was different and specific to that circumstance, there were times when the command came from God to go forward by faith. It was when there was the willingness to do so, and the people obeyed, that God’s intervention and power were revealed. Such was the case when Israel, apparently hemmed in by the Red Sea, with Pharaoh and his army bearing down upon them, that God would tell Moses to tell the people: “…go forward.” However, it must be understood that when the command came, the Red Sea had not yet parted to provide the people with a path, a way of escape from the Egyptians. The purpose of the command of God was not just to save the people, but to teach them an invaluable lesson. If Israel would be saved at this time it would have to be by the miraculous intervention of God. God had promised deliverance, not only to the people when they were in Egypt, but also by the mouth of Moses, who had previously declared to them: “Do not be afraid. Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today.” (14:13) That which the people would need to grasp is that their vision must not be on the circumstance, however pressing and dangerous it might be, but upon the Sovereign Lord according to His word. Faith had to be directional, in Christ and Christ alone, coupled by a willingness to obey God according to His word. This they would do. Then they saw the miracle, and God’s intervention by causing the wind to blow all night, making a path through the sea.
After Israel’s wandering in the wilderness for forty years because of their disobedience later on, God would work in them so that they would learn again the vital lesson of walking by faith, and going forward in the will of God, trusting in the power of God. There would come another day, when Israel was approaching the Jordan River, there to cross over into the promised land. The river at that season was overflowing, and certainly the flow of the water was strong. However, there would come a moment when God would command the priests who carried the Ark of the Covenant to walk into the water, to precede the people. Having been brought again to the place in their hearts of being willing to go forward, not seeing as yet the intervention of God, the priests obeyed. It was then that God cut off the waters from above them, from those below, and made for them dry ground to stand upon while the people passed over. Obedience to God was the proof of Israel’s faith. Again, faith was the key to overcoming.
There is another aspect of faith that must be mentioned at this point, for not all circumstances are the same, and the command of God to go forward may vary with those circumstances. For example, on several occasions, David, leading his men of war, inquired of the Lord to know whether they should go up to a certain battle. There were times when the Lord declared very clearly, “…Go up.” But there were also times when He instructed them to wait for a certain sign from Him, indicating that the time had come. David was learning not only to obey the word of the Lord, but to inquire of Him, in communion with Him, concerning the situation, to know God’s timing and God’s way.
The call to follow Christ is a call to faith-filled fellowship with Him.
Dear Father, Strengthen us to follow. In Jesus’ name, Amen.