THE pillar went before the children of Israel and led them until they came to the shores of the Red Sea, and there, in the wilderness they encamped by the sea-side. But soon their hearts were filled with terror for they beheld a great host of Egyptians—armed men, and chariots—marching toward them. Pharaoh had got word of the flight of the people and his heart, and the hearts of his servants were turned against them, and they said, “Why have we let Israel go from serving us?” So Pharaoh made ready his chariot, and took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and put captains over every one of them, and followed in hot pursuit. And there, where they were encamped by the sea, they overtook them.
Do you wonder that this great army of armed men filled the hearts of that unarmed people with fear? They might have been kept in peace, had they but known that there was a greater power connected with the pillar which was their guide, than the power of all the proud warriors that were pressing on toward them. But they did not know, and in sore fear they cried out unto the Lord. And then they began to upbraid Moses, asking him if there were no graves in Egypt, that he had taken them there to die in the wilderness. They said it would have been better to serve the Egyptians than to die thus. This fear and unbelief on their part was very sad. They were looking at the difficulties instead of looking upon the pillar of the cloud where the Lord war—the One who was mighty to help them.
Their difficulties were surely very great, for death stared them in the face. The sea rolled before them, and to go forward would have been death; Pharaoh pressed on from behind, and should he overtake them, that also would be death. Little did those trembling hearts know the mighty deliverance that was awaiting them. In the moment of their direst distress, God spoke to them by His servant Moses— “Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will show you today; for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more forever. The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.”
What assurance was this! The Lord was on their side, and He would fight their battle for them. They had only to stand still and see the salvation that He would work.
We have a most beautiful lesson here. The child of God may be in great straits and there may seem to be no way out, but having cried to the Lord, he need only stand still and see the deliverance that God will bring to pass for him. He may seem to be hemmed in on every side, as the children of Israel were when they stood on the shore of the Red Sea, with death before and death behind, and mountains on either side which they were not able to climb. But there is no difficulty too great, even though it be a mountain, for God to remove; no enemy too strong for Him to overcome.
Let us then count upon God and take courage. He is leading us just as truly as He was leading Israel, and He will not allow our foes to gain the victory. For Israel, He was in the pillar of the cloud. For us, He is on the throne, and we can go to Him there and find grace to help in every time of need. Have we faith for this, or do our hearts sink as did the hearts of the children of Israel in the day of their sore trial?
ML 01/04/1903