Primeval Chaos Revisited
Opening Prayer
Father, open my eyes to receive wonderful strength from Your Word. I praise You for Your saving power!
Read Exodus 14:19-31
[19] Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, [20] coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long. [21] Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, [22] and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. [23] The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea. [24] During the last watch of the night the LORD looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion. [25] He jammed the wheels of their chariots so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, “Let’s get away from the Israelites! The LORD is fighting for them against Egypt.” [26] Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.” [27] Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians were fleeing toward it, and the LORD swept them into the sea. [28] The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen-the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived. [29] But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. [30] That day the LORD saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore. [31] And when the Israelites saw the mighty hand of the LORD displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant. Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
On whom did Moses rely to conquer the Egyptian army?Forget the Hollywood re-creations of the scene. It was the middle of the night, the darkness pierced only by the light from a pillar of cloud behind the Israelites (19). It was blowing a gale (21). The ground (as v. 25 implies) was probably muddy and pockmarked with pools of water. On either side were moving, unstable walls of water (22). It was scary, and not just because of their surroundings. The Israelites were scared of the sea. They saw it as dangerous and unstable, the haunt of sea monsters and the forces of chaos. Childhood phobias lurked at the back of their minds as they hurried through this fearful scene, conscious of the huge Egyptian army pursuing them. Can you, like me, remember scary times like this? Do you also remember the calming, constant presence of a loving God with you at such times? From the beginning of time, God’s Spirit (often, as at Pentecost, identified with wind) has hovered (Gen. 1:2) over watery, chaotic darkness and transformed it into something beautiful and surprising. God is still willing and able to do that today.
Apply
You may not have Pharaoh’s army chasing you today; still, try letting go and giving your problems over to our God who saves.
Closing prayer
Lord God, I commit my day to You. Bring Your Spirit into the midst of it and make me fully productive for You.
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