July 28, 2026
Tuesday, July 28
In the end, Pharaoh and the Egyptians were glad to see the Israelites go free. The fierce judgment of Israel’s God on Egypt’s atrocities had devastated their nation economically, physically and emotionally. They had been so relieved to see them go, the Egyptian people had showered the Israelites with gifts, so that the former slaves left with riches in their purses. And an untold number of Egyptians and other foreigners (Exodus 12:38 calls them a “mixed multitude”) chose to leave with them, having concluded that Yahweh alone was God.
But at the start of Exodus 14, Pharaoh starts to recalibrate his thinking again. He realizes that these slaves were the last resource he had left, his best hope of rebuilding the nation. So he sends his charioteers. In the ancient world, chariots were top of the line military technology. There was no defense for an army on foot against chariots, much less for a huge group of slaves, including old folks, women and children. The trip from Ramses to the Red Sea took at least three weeks, and we can imagine the Israelites must have felt awfully good during those days. But then they saw those chariots coming…
10 When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel cried out to the Lord. 11 They said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” 13 And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”
The Israelites’ lack of faith seems appalling to us. They have just seen God bring the most powerful nation in the world to its knees through a series of unprecedented interventions. For the past three weeks, they have been marching with a visible sign of God’s presence constantly in front of them: a huge cloud during day and a pillar of fire at night. But at the first sign of trouble they lose heart. Not only do they forget God’s goodness and power, they engage in revisionist history: “We told you not to bring us out of Egypt, Moses. We were perfectly happy there.” But here’s what’s even more amazing: God doesn’t say, “Alright, you ungrateful wretches. You’re on your own from now on.” Instead, Moses tells them, “Just step back and watch God go to work. All you have to do is get out of the way.”
Get out God’s way and watch Him work. It’s not just how we get saved. It’s how we’re meant to live.
“Almighty God, I praise you for your power and goodness. Forgive me for those times I engage in revisionist history, forgetting all you’ve done for me. Teach me to get my ego and desires out of your way so that I can be transformed by you. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Senior Pastor
First Baptist Conroe
More from Pastor Jeff at his website: jeffbergerwriting.com
