Yesterday we looked at some amazing things that happened in the Old Testament, things we could have never imagined would happen, the "Who would have Thought" kind of miracles. Today we are going to look at the "Rest of the Story".
The Red Sea parted and the Israelites crossed on dry ground. Amazing miracle! God does amazing things. But wait, what is the Rest of the Story?
Please read the entirety of Exodus chapter 14
I will highlight certain statements only... vs 1 and 4...Then the Lord gave these instructions to Moses......So, the Israelites did as they were told.
So, we know, Pharaoh got his army and chariots ready and chased after the Israelites.
In verse 10 we read, "As Pharaoh approached, the people of Israel looked up and panicked when they saw the Egyptians overtaking them. They cried out to the Lord, and they said to Moses, "Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness? Weren't there enough graves for us in Egypt? Why have you done this to us? Why did you make us leave Egypt? Didn't we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt? We said, 'Leave us alone! Let us be slaves to the Egyptians. It is better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!' "
In verse 13 Moses told the people, "Don't be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm."
Now read verses 15 "Then the Lord said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving! Pick up your staff and raise your hand over the sea. Divide the water so the Israelites can walk through in the middle of the sea on dry ground....
Then the angel of the Lord who had been leading the people of Israel, moved to the rear of the camp. The pillar of cloud also moved from the front and stood behind them. The cloud settled between the Egyptians in the Israelite camps. As darkness fell, the cloud turn to fire, lighting up the night. But the Egyptians and Israelites did not approach each other all night.
Then Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the Lord opened up a pass through the water with a strong east wind. The wind blew all that night, turning the sea bed into a dry land. So the people of Israel walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on each side!
Then the Egyptians - all of the Pharaoh's horses, chariots and charioteers - chased them into the middle of the sea. But just before dawn the Lord looked down on the Egyptian army from the pillar of fire and cloud, and he threw their forces into total confusion. He twisted their chariot wheels, making their chariots difficult to drive. "Let's get out of here - away from these Israelites!" The Egyptians shouted. "The Lord is fighting for them against Egypt."
When all the Israelites reached the other side, the Lord said to Moses, "Raise your hand over the sea again." Then the waters will rush back and cover the Egyptians and their chariots and charioteers. So as the sun begin to rise, Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the waters rushed back into its usual place. The Egyptians tried to escape, but the Lord swept them into the sea. Then the water is returned and covered all the chariots and charioteers - the entire army of Pharaoh. Of all the Egyptians who had chased Israelites into the sea, not a single one survived.
These things really catch my attention in Exodus chapter 14...
First - The Lord gave Moses instructions regarding where to camp and let Moses know to expect Pharoah to chase after them.
Second - the Israelites did as they were told. Good job, guys!!!
Third - As Pharoah and his army were approaching, the Israelites LOOKED UP and PANICKED when they SAW the Egyptians overtaking them! The they had a full-fledged fear attack and whined and complained. No confidence in God. How much does that resemble the Body of Christ today?
Interestingly, we read in verse 19, that they had an angel of God with them, who had been leading them and a pillar of cloud. Surely, they had been seeing them all along. The Fear of the Egyptian 's influenced them more than the angel of God and a pillar of cloud. Does that sound familiar today? A virus impacts people of God more than His Word does
Fourth - In verse 13 Moses told the people, "Don't be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm."
Moses had confidence in the Lord, but as of yet, Moses had no details of how God was going to work this out. However, he still trusted God and confidently spoke to the multitudes of panicking, fearful Israelites. The Lord himself will fight for you. Just STAY calm!
Fifth- verse 15. The Lord tells Moses what to do. He says, " Pick up your staff and raise your hand over the sea. Divide the water so the Israelites can walk through the middle of the sea on dry ground."
Can you imagine Moses thinking...."Say What????? Lord, I thought YOU were going to do this miracle stuff! You want ME to part the Red Sea? Who am I??? HOW can I???? This is CRAZY!!! No Way!!!! That just can't be God..."
Look, all that God told Moses to do was to "Pick up your staff and raise your hand over the sea."
As we know....Moses did what God had instructed him to do and the sea parted. The Israelites walked across on dry ground.
Then God tells Moses to "Raise your hand over the sea again". Moses obeyed God's instructions and the waters covered the Egyptians and all of them died.
So, this is the 'Rest of the Story" .... God did not do it all for the Israelites. The miracles that God performed required trust and active obedience on the part of a man and of the people.
Look at the story of Joshua and Jericho as they got some crazy instructions about marching around the wall, silenced and march and then shout. You read the story and find out the details for yourself. Strange instructions, but they obeyed and the walls fell in. What if Moses and the people and Joshua and his army wouldn't have obeyed the Lord's instructions....would the Red Sea have parted, or at the right time gone back to normal. Would the Israelites have been safe and the Egyptians destroyed? Would the walls of Jericho have come down, had they not obeyed God's instructions?
What about Gideon? Here God is sending the majority of Gideon's army home and leaves him with only 300 men to fight 1000's of the enemies. God gave Gideon specific instructions. What if Gideon and his army would have said, "Thank you, Lord, for doing this for us, but refused to get into position and do their part...that which God had instructed them to do?
The "Rest of the Story" is that often, seemingly, the majority of the time, our miracles require a step of belief and action (that is faith) on our part for the miracle to happen.
In the New Testament, look at just a few examples....
"Rise, pick up your bed and walk!" What if the guy would have said, "Don't you know I can't walk? That's my problem! If he would have not acted on what Jesus saId, would he have walked?
What about the woman with the issue of blood? Would she have received her healing had she not pursued after Jesus boldly saying, "If only I touch the hem of His garment, I know I will be healed "
What if Jairus would have succumbed to fear after his people told him, "Your daughter is dead, don't bother the Teacher any longer." Jesus said, "Do not fear". Jairus had a choice to make right there, To fear or not to fear. In other words, To trust or not to trust...
What about the blind man when Jesus spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes. He told him, “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam”. Would he be seeing if he would have said, "That makes no sense! Do you know how dirty that water is? I am not doing that! You are crazy!!!
Ask the people in Jesus' own home town how that attitude works. Jesus could do no mighty work there, because they would not believe!
Read Mark 16:15-20
And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages.They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.”
So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. 20And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.
Notice the instructions in verse 15. Then notice the very last sentence: The Lord working with (work together, cooperate, assist) them confirming his Word (what they said, the Message) with signs following.
Are we giving God anything to assist, cooperate and work together with us on, so He can confirm His Word with signs following. Miracles of the kind: "Who would have Thought?
So, let's follow through with the "Rest of the Story" and do our part. Whatever God's instructions are, trust God and act. You will find that the Bible is full of many instructions that require our trust and actions to receive what God will do. How can we expect God to do His part if we are not do our part!!!
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