Day 15 - OUR SUPERNATURAL DELIVERER

Read: Exodus 1-2; 13:17-22; 14
Focal passage:

But Moses told the people, "Don't be afraid. Just stand where you are and watch the Lord rescue you. The Egyptians that you see today will never be seen again. The Lord himself will fight for you. You won't have to lift a finger in your defense!" Exodus 14:13-14

One Deliverer - two stories of deliverance. One from the water - one through the water - both by the mighty hand of God - OUR SUPERNATURAL DELIVERER.

In the opening chapters of Exodus you read of how the descendants of Jacob had multiplied in Egypt and become "exceedingly numerous" (Ex. 1:6). Have you ever wondered exactly how many people "exceedingly numerous" really was? I don't suppose we could ever know an exact count, but according to Numbers 1:45-46 there were more than 600,000 fighting men at the time of the exodus. Add to that an equal number of women, plus an average of four children per family and you end up with 3,600,000 people. Yep! I'd call that "exceedingly numerous," wouldn't you?

The king of Egypt saw the Israelites and their slave labor as an economic asset. But when he looked upon the size of their population, he saw them as a military liability and it struck fear in his heart. He devised a plan to control the potential strength of this nation within his nation by destroying all male babies born to an Israelite. When Moses was born, his parents hid him for as long as they could acting out of faith in God. When they could hide him no longer, they placed him in a basket among the reeds of the Nile River and under the watchful eye of the God they served (and his older sister, Miriam). Pharaoh's own daughter came down to the river to bathe and saw the basket among the reeds. I've always loved Exodus 2:6 - "She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she had compassion for him." God brought together two things He had created - a baby's cry and a woman's heart - and helpless baby Moses was delivered from the water by his Supernatural Deliverer who loved him and had a wonderful plan for his life!

The second story in this day's reading finds Moses leading this "exceedingly numerous" crowd of Israelites out of their slavery in Egypt toward the promise of freedom. Try to picture a minimum of 3,600,000 people marching out of Egypt toward the banks of the Red Sea. If they marched 50 abreast, the column of humanity would stretch for 40 miles into the desert. If they walked a modest pace of 2 1/2 miles per hour, the people would require more than 16 hours to pass by the same point. WOW! The logistics of moving this many people through an enormous body of water with the Egyptian army in hot pursuit was no simple matter.

The Lord assured His people of His presence by guiding them with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (Exodus 13:21). In Exodus 14:19-20, however, the pillar moved. It no longer went before them but moved behind them to protect them from the pursuing army. In fact, the same cloud that provided light to the Israelites, cast the Egyptians into abject darkness. Anybody shouting "hallelujah"? Isn't God awesome!

I'm sure you know the story of how God parted the Red Sea and led his people through the waters. I love verses 23-25 of Exodus 14: The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh's horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea. 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. He made the wheels of their chariots come off 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." Don'cha just love it! It finally dawned on them that what was happening was supernatural! Israel was delivered by their Supernatural Deliverer who loved them and had a wonderful plan for their future.

Shannon Ethridge wrote (p.63):

There may be times you feel stuck between a desert of desperation and an ocean of fear, with seemingly no way around, or out of, your situation. But guess what? God has a plan to deliver you through your troubles. . . . If you can't sense His presence in front of you, maybe, as with the Israelites, He has moved to the rear. If you'll listen carefully, you'll hear Him saying, "I've got your back, my beloved bride!"

Perhaps what you are facing is not a Red Sea, where your blood is in danger of being spilled by an enemy. Maybe your situation if more like a blue sea of depression and sadness that seems to be draining the life out of you . . . a green sea of envy over what others have and you simply cannot afford . . . or a black sea of sickness looming large over your body or the body of a loved one.

Regardless of the circumstances you face, God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. Part of that plan is for Him to be your SUPERNATURAL DELIVERER. Trust him. Sometimes He may deliver you from your troubles and sometimes He may deliver you through them. But deliverance is sure!

HOLDING HIS HAND:
(1) Do I believe that God is still in the delivery business?

Yes, I do. He has delivered me MANY times over the course of my relationship with Him. Sometimes He has delivered me from the enticements of the world. Sometimes He has delivered me from the desires of my flesh. Sometimes He has delivered me from the attacks of the enemy. Sometimes He has delivered me from my situation and sometimes He has delivered me through my situation . . . but he has NEVER failed me. He has given me the presence of His Spirit as a gift of His grace, just like He gave the Israelites the pillar of cloud/fire. Like the pillar of cloud/fire, His Spirit guides me, gives me light and protects me. He IS my Supernatural Deliverer.

(2) What does today's passage teach me about God's ability to protect me and deliver me from my seen and unseen enemies?

My problems/circumstances seem petty and minuscule compared to what the Israelites faced at the Red Sea. Because God was able to protect and provide for His children (the Israelites) in such a mighty way then, I know He is fully able to protect and provide for me as His child today.

Do I trust Him to work in my own life in such supernatural ways?

I wish I could say an unequivocal "yes." The truth is, I don't truly EXPECT a miracle as often as I should. I do believe God works in supernatural ways today.

(3) What friend or family member do I know who may feel caught between a desert of desperation and an ocean of fear? How can I encourage him or her with the knowledge that God is willing and able to deliver us through our troubles?

I can be faithful to share my testimony of what God has done for me. I can LISTEN when they need to talk. I can point them to the promises in God's Word. I can PRAY for them. I can remind them that God loves them and has a wonderful plan for their life. I can love them with the love of Jesus.

From Completely Loved (p.64):

Dearest Lord God,
How small our problems seem in comparison to those of the Israelites as they made their exodus out of Egypt, yet You still care! Forgive us for losing sight of how powerful You are to save Your people, whether from the enormous threat of annihilation or from the little annoyances of life. Help us put our trust in You to deliver us through our troubles, and show us how to help others put their trust in You as well. In Jesus' name. Amen.

[Numerical facts about the Exodus quoted from "Astounding Facts About the Exodus"; Walk Thru the Bible Ministries; January 1988]