Exodus 14:13-18 “And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.”
Within the text, we have the children of Israel being brought up out of Egyptian bondage under the mighty hand of God. They have been brought to the brink of the Red Sea with Pharaoh and “six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them” (vs. 7) in hot pursuit. The mountains are to one side, the desert to the other; the enemy is behind them and the Red Sea is before them. They have been given a clear command of God; “go forward.” Their response would either be that of fear or faith!
It is within this text that we are enlightened to the importance of faith in the life of God’s children. In most instances we are only concerned with the effects of faith in the life of self; what’s in it for me? That is a distorted view of the accomplishments of faith! Here we are enlightened to three things that transpire when faith is implemented.
The most obvious result is the deliverance of the people, “Thus the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians” (vs.30). The parting of the Red Sea was not an after-thought with God; this was God’s chosen method of delivering His people! It was not that some of them were delivered, but the entire nation, with all of their flocks, herds, possessions, and wealth was delivered.
The second thing that occurred in response to faith, is the destruction of Pharaoh, “And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them” (vs.28). While it is so undetected to the casual observer, God linked the operation of faith in the deliverance of His children to the destruction of the foe; “for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever” (vs.14). God could have destroyed the enemy at any time, in any manner, and with any means, but He chose to use the instrument of deliverance to be an instrument of death.
Lastly, in response to faith, we see the declaration of Preeminence; “so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the Lord fighteth for them against the Egyptians” (vs.25) “and the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord, and his servant Moses” (vs.31). In conjunction with deliverance and destruction; God linked the declaration of His preeminence and power.
Could it be that our unfaithfulness is hindering the work of God in far more ways than we think? It was in response to faith in the lives of God’s children that the family was helped, the foe was hindered, and that the Father was honored! Is your faith one that honors God?