As God had expected, Pharaoh did pursue the children of Israel. It was as if he had awoken from a stupor. His words were, “What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?” It appeared that they had momentarily lost sight of what was going on when he told Moses and the Israelites to get out and go. The whole labor force that built their gigantic monument were all gone. When they realized that, they lost no time in pursuing them and caught up with them near where they were camping.
Pharaoh’s hardened heart only goes to prove that at no point did he has a true change of heart. Every time he had some relief, he would return to his waywardness. This is typical of a person who would resist the Lord. Such people would even ask for prayer just to ensure some relief but deep down inside they are stubborn. This is the condition that can happen to anyone who has a sheered conscience. With every resistance to what the Lord wants us to do, our heart and conscience would be hardened into not yielding to His will. It will do us well to respond to the Holy Spirit appropriately when we are convicted of any sin in our life. Not to submit to the Spirit’s work in our life will result in a hardened conscience. This is a warning to us never to grieve or quench the Holy Spirit as He works in our life.
When the Israelites looked behind them, they saw the horde of Pharaoh’s best-equipped battalion fast approaching. The dust the horses of his chariots kicked up as they raced towards the Israelites must have created a cloud much like a sandstorm. It wouldn’t be easy to bear with such a menacing sight. This is a picture of the devil that will not give up pursuing us. The Apostle Peter tells us in his letter that the devil is like a roaring lion, always prowling around seeking whom he may devour. Be warned that the devil is always within striking distance, waiting for us to let our guard down. In moments like this, who we focus on is important. The person the Israelites should have turned their eyes toward should be God, but disappointingly they didn’t. Trapped between Pharaoh’s advancing army and the Red Sea, they set their eyes on the pursuing army and became petrified. It is true that whenever we look at the storm of life and not to the Lord of life, we will feel threatened.
In their petrified situation, they had entirely forgotten the mighty deliverance they had experienced from the hand of God. They turned on Moses and Aaron and gripped, and complained. This is what people often do. They turn on their spiritual leaders and complain as if they were the ones who had brought on their misfortune. Their slave mentality was acting up. Isn’t this what usually happens when things don’t turn out the way people envisage it to turn out. The Lord often uses such a moment to teach us trust. If only they had turned to Him, they would have responded very differently. Like Moses, we must learn to stay calm in the face of threat. He boldly declared to the people saying, “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent.”
Remember that God is always on our side. When the enemy rises up against us, it is time for us to turn to God and watch His mighty delivering hand. God will never allow the enemy to swallow us up. For if the enemy can gain an upper hand when God is with us, His glory will be at stake too. He is faithful and will always give us a way of escape. When the tide of opposition rises against us, stay still and watch the salvation of God!
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