The Parting of the Red Sea
Genesis 12:3 I will bless those who bless you, and
whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed
through you. (NIV)
Jehovah Elyon…Lord, Most High, made a promise
to Abraham that he would be a father of many nations. Abraham and his wife,
Sarah, did not have any children. At the time Abraham, whose name was Abram,
and Sarah, whose name was Sarai, were well advanced in years when God made this
covenant. Nevertheless, that did not stop Jehovah Elyon from doing the
impossible. As a sign of the covenant to make Abram into a great nation, He
changed his name to Abraham and his wife’s to Sarah. Genesis 17:3-7 Abram fell
facedown and God said to him, ”As for me, this is my covenant with you: You
will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram; your
name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make
you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. I
will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and
your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the
God of your descendants after you.” (NIV) Jehovah Elyon…Lord, Most
High, showed that He is the One in control of all things and time has no
control over Him. He blessed Abraham and Sarah with a child during their golden
years.
Jehovah
Elyon told Abraham that his descendants would be enslaved for 400 years, but He
would rescue them and they would not leave empty-handed. Genesis 15:13-14 Then the
Lord said to him, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in
a country not their own. And they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred
years. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they
will come out with great possessions. (NIV) God prophesied to Abraham
of the hardships that would befall His people, but He would rescue them from
the hands of their abusers. This was not going to be a task that an ordinary
person could accomplish. This would be something which only the Lord, Most High
God could do. Jehovah Elyon allowed His people to be enslaved so that His
mighty power could be shown. They would not have understood the power of the
Most High if they had not gone through tribulations that only He could deliver
them from.
In
order to teach the Children of Israel who He was, Jehovah Elyon showed them man
signs through His servant. Moses had been born for such a time to be the
leader God had ordained to guide the Children of Israel out of Egypt and to teach
them to honor, praise and worship Jehovah Elyon…the Lord, Most High alone. Pharaoh,
the ruler of Egypt, did not want to release the Children of Israel from
slavery. He had free labor and therefore, had no intention of letting them go.
He dared to go up against Jehovah Elyon. To his detriment, he was to find out
that no one was more powerful than God. Exodus 3:19-20 But I know that the
king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty hand compels him. So I will stretch
out my hand and strike the Egyptians with all the wonders that I will perform
among them. After that, he will let you go. (NIV)
God
sent various plagues to Egypt in order to give Pharaoh a chance to let the
Children of Egypt go. Not only was this a message to the Egyptians and their
ruler, but this was also a sign to the Children of Israel that they served a God
who was more powerful than any heathen god that could be made from wood and
stone. Jehovah Elyon sent plague after plague upon the Egyptians, but Pharaoh
refused to let them go. Therefore, God sent the death angel to the homes of all
who did not have blood on their doorpost and slew the firstborn of every
family and animal. At the slaying of Pharaoh’s son, he finally agreed to let
the Children of Israel go. Exodus
12:31 During the night Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Up!
Leave my people, you and the Israelites! Go, worship the
Lord as you have requested.” (NIV)
The Children of Israel left Egypt that
night and not only took their own possessions, but God had given instructions
for them to ask the Egyptians for silver, gold, and clothing. Jehovah Elyon
allowed the Egyptians to give them favor and they gave the Children of Israel
the items that they had requested. They were finally free after 400 years of
enslavement, but they still had more to see concerning the power of Jehovah
Elyon…Lord, Most High.
Once
Pharaoh got over the shock of losing his firstborn son, he decided to change
his mind about the Children of Israel left. Therefore, he got his army and
chariots ready to go after them. Upon seeing the Egyptian army coming with
their chariots, the Children of Israel became fearful and complained to Moses.
They still did not have faith even after seeing all the signs that Jehovah
Elyon had done. Moses consulted God because they had come to the Red Sea and it
looked as if there was no way to escape Pharaoh’s army. Exodus 14:15-18 Then the
Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move
on. Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water
so that the Israelites can go through the sea on the dry ground. I will harden
the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. And I will gain
glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. The
Egyptians will know I am the Lord when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his
chariots and his horsemen.” (NIV)
Pharaoh
had no clue what was about to befall him. His hardened heart did not allow him
to use common sense in knowing that he could not go up against Jehovah
Elyon…Lord, Most High. Even with his mightiest of men, chariots, and horses were
no match for God. The Lord parted the Red Sea for the Children of Israel to
walk through. The Egyptians seemed to think that they would be afforded the
same privilege. However, when all of them had entered the dry land of the sea,
God allowed the waters to overtake them and drowned the entire army. Never
again did the Israelites have to see Pharaoh and his army again. Jehovah Elyon
showed up and displayed the power that only the Lord, Most High could. There is
none like Him and no one can compare to his mighty power. The Israelites were
going to be faced with many battles throughout the centuries, but the battles
would never be theirs to fight alone…it would be the Lord’s. 2
Chronicles 20:15 He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in
Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: “Do not be afraid or
discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.”
(NIV) Regardless of what you may face in life, if Jehovah Elyon can
part the Red Sea and even make the sun stand still, He can do wonders in your
life for He is the Lord, Most High God.
No comments:
Post a Comment