Apparently, our dog Dixie is afraid of the vacuum cleaner. I ran it before church Sunday morning. Because she was scared, she had a conniption, barking loudly and lunging at it as it moved. Since she rarely barks, the sudden outburst was unexpected. I kept saying, “It’s OK. It’s OK,” but she refused to believe me.
The Israelites acted like Dixie when their backs were up against the Red Sea (Exodus 14). They barked at Moses because they were scared, lashing out at the leader God had chosen. Is that how we react when trouble comes?
“Moses answered the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today…’” (Exodus 14:13)
They struggled to believe.
Pharaoh’s army pursued them. There was no way out. Of course it was terrifying, but God had already worked miracles on their behalf in Egypt. Did they think He had brought them that far only to bring them that far?
Studying the old story again, I had forgotten that the Red Sea miracle happened at night.
That’s when it’s the scariest. When darkness is thick and you can’t see what’s going on around you. When noises seem louder, fears seem larger. As a kid, it’s the monster under the bed or in the closet. As an adult, it’s much scarier: past due bills, marriage woes, raising children, stress at work, etc.
At night, when we’re finally still, imaginations run rampant, hearts race. Physical rest is hindered by mental calisthenics. But God is the God of the night. The God in the storm. In the fire. In the battle.
He was there looking down from the pillar of cloud and fire (14:24). He was watching and getting ready to act.
God could have taken the Israelites around the Red Sea. He could have built a miraculous bridge to go over the Red Sea. But the best way was through the Red Sea.
I personally like the easy way. The around or over way is my favorite. But that’s not where the miracle happens. The miracle happens when you have walked through the thing. Faced the giant head-on like David, when you’ve been in the fire and come out not even smelling of smoke like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. It’s when you obeyed God and survived the flood like Noah, gone down in the lion’s den like Daniel, endured like Job.
On this scary night, the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind. The waters were divided, and around 2,000,000 Israelites went through the sea on dry ground. Holy Smokes! And if that wasn’t enough, the LORD caused the water to flow back over the Egyptians who had chased them into the sea. Not one of them survived.
The Life Application Study Bible comments: “There was no apparent way of escape, but the LORD opened up a dry path through the sea. Sometimes we find ourselves caught in a problem and see no way out. Don’t panic; God can open up a way.”
Afraid or not, we can always count on God.
James 1:19 tells us: “Everyone should be quick to listen and slow to speak.” Learning from the Israelites and Dixie, let’s be “quick to trust and slow to bark.”