“And the Lord said unto Moses, ‘Wherefore criest thou unto Me? Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward.'” Exodus 14:15
When the Lord gave to Moses the command to tell the children of Israel to “go forward,” there was not yet a path through the sea. Indeed, Pharaoh was approaching with his army. From a human standpoint, the situation seemed hopeless, “but God.” God had heard the cry of Moses for the people, and every person who was in their hearts, and by their mouths, crying out to God that He might save them. No one knew just how God was going to work, and what He would do. The only thing that was certain was that He had led them to the edge of the Red Sea, and this in the will of God, not to destroy them, or let their enemies destroy them, but to save them. This salvation of God at this time would be monumental, most extraordianry, for by it, “…the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord.” (Ex. 14;18) Even Moses, great man of faith that he was could not have imagined the massive, and monumental work of God, by which He would in intervene to save His people. What did He require of Moses, and the people, so that this would occur? It was obedient faith, the setting of oneself to obey God according to His word, regardless of circumstances, and certainly regardless of the littleness of man’s thoughts. The Lord, in speaking in and through the prophet Isaiah, gave to him the following words: “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (55:8,9) Since the thoughts, ideas, concepts of God are so vastly superior than those of men, also true and faithful, what foolishness it is to “lean unto one’s own understanding,” and not defer to the One upon whose shoulder is the government, the Kingdom? Israel, as well as Moses, came face to face with a choice, that of whether to obey God according to His word, or to sink down in unbelief, thus limiting the power and glory of God. The call of God is for every believer to not only believe, but to demonstrate and prove the validity of faith by obedience to God, even though the sea has not yet opened.
Just before the priests, who carried the Ark of the Covenant, came to the Jordan River, when Israel needed to cross the Jordan to enter Canaan, she again was faced with the obstacle of water…a barrier. At the time of year that they approached the Jordan River, it overflowed its banks all the time of the harvest. (Joshua 3:15) God had instructed the priests by the mouth of Joshua to take up the Ark of the Covenant, pass over before the people, and enter the river, there to stand still. Joshua’s declaration to the people at that time was a most remarkable one: “Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you, and that He will without fail drive out the Canaanites…” (3:10) Joshua went on to say, “Behold the Ark of the Covenant” of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan.” (v.11) The result of the priest’s obedience, even though the river was running, and was full, was that it was “cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand in an heap.” (v.13) Believing God, the priests would stand on dry ground in the river bed, and all the people would pass over the Jordan on dry ground. (v.7) God had spoken, and the people obeyed, refusing to “lean unto their own understanding.” The great and glorious result was that God would be known far and wide as the God of all the earth, and that the children of Israel were His people whom He would bless, and give the victory in conquering Caanan.
Dear Father, Lead us onward now. In Jesus’ name, Amen.