Psalm 106: 6-12
We have sinned, even as our ancestors did;
we have done wrong and acted wickedly.
7 When our ancestors were in Egypt,
they gave no thought to your miracles;
they did not remember your many kindnesses,
and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea.[b]
8 Yet he saved them for his name’s sake,
to make his mighty power known.
9 He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up;
he led them through the depths as through a desert.
10 He saved them from the hand of the foe;
from the hand of the enemy he redeemed them.
11 The waters covered their adversaries;
not one of them survived.
12 Then they believed his promises
and sang his praise.
One of the most comforting verses I've found in the Bible is Ps. 103:14. "For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust." God knew what He was creating when He made us. He knows what our strengths and weaknesses are, what we are capable of and what our insufficiencies are. Nothing we do surprises Him. In His great plan, He made provision for our failures and sin before the foundation of the world. That means that in His infinite knowledge, He knew we would fall before He created us. Perhaps He allowed this to be so that He could unveil the greatest love story ever written to let us know just how much He truly loves what He created. He loves us immensely!
In the passage above God's people, Israel, sinned. At the Red Sea they were pressed into a very hard place. The stress of the moment caused them to doubt, fear and accuse both God and Moses. What they knew of their history with God and all the miracles God had performed to get them out of Egypt seemed to pale in comparison to the threat they now faced from the enemy and Israel regretted that they had even started on this journey with God. Egypt had not been good for them spiritually. They had embraced its ways and gods but at least Egypt had given them a roof over their heads, food on the table and an existence that though difficult, had become normal to them even though they knew it was not God's best. In the midst of the moment they forgot that this kind of blending idolatry was what had caused them to be enslaved in the first place.
Before we judge the Israelites, let's remember that we are "but dust", as they were. When life hits us with a Red Sea experience, we may just react the same way that they did. When all you see is what is attacking you and there appears to be no good way out of the onslaught, our natural reaction might be to surrender to it and try to make the best of it. It may seem that a return trip to where God brought us from is an easier, more pleasant experience because we, like them can be overwhelmed and forget where God brought us from and all that He has done in our lives in the past. Indeed, the temptation that we are being tempted with might just look better and easier than to stand in the face of the enemy and believe God when an escape would appear a challenge, even for God!
Perhaps this has happened to you. Perhaps you have suffered the consequences of this happening to someone else. Perhaps you are currently living in Egypt and enjoying it for the moment forgetting all that God has been to you and done for you. "Sin IS pleasurable for a season, but in the end it brings forth death." It is very deceptive in that it appeals to the comforts craved by your flesh and it looks and feels so good. Perhaps you have already fallen prey to the enemy's deception and you feel that God might as well go ahead and allow you to be slain because even in this pleasurable season you know that you are guilty and condemned.
There is hope! Read on in this passage. Verse 8 says "yet He saved them for His name's sake." I really like that! God stepped in, in spite of everything they were doing that would turn His hand of protection away from them, and He saved them to glorify His own name to the Egyptians. (I'm sure that the Israelites were impressed too because on the other side of the Red Sea, they had a dance party!) Yes, God, for no other reason than to show everyone how powerful and glorious He is, stepped in and saved His people. It had nothing to do what they deserved or didn't deserve. It had to do solely with who He is and His perfect plan of redemption that would come through His people Israel. He is a Redeemer!
Now remember that being "but dust" does not mean you are a dirt bag! It means that you are what God created in His infinite wisdom and love. It means that He is on your side. It means that He cares for you even when you don't particularly care for Him. It means that He would split an ocean just to make a way for you.
If you are trapped by sin or the consequences of someone else's sin, turn your eyes towards God. He is there to help and make a way for you to reach the other side! Then you too, will have a victory song to sing!
We have sinned, even as our ancestors did;
we have done wrong and acted wickedly.
7 When our ancestors were in Egypt,
they gave no thought to your miracles;
they did not remember your many kindnesses,
and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea.[b]
8 Yet he saved them for his name’s sake,
to make his mighty power known.
9 He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up;
he led them through the depths as through a desert.
10 He saved them from the hand of the foe;
from the hand of the enemy he redeemed them.
11 The waters covered their adversaries;
not one of them survived.
12 Then they believed his promises
and sang his praise.
One of the most comforting verses I've found in the Bible is Ps. 103:14. "For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust." God knew what He was creating when He made us. He knows what our strengths and weaknesses are, what we are capable of and what our insufficiencies are. Nothing we do surprises Him. In His great plan, He made provision for our failures and sin before the foundation of the world. That means that in His infinite knowledge, He knew we would fall before He created us. Perhaps He allowed this to be so that He could unveil the greatest love story ever written to let us know just how much He truly loves what He created. He loves us immensely!
In the passage above God's people, Israel, sinned. At the Red Sea they were pressed into a very hard place. The stress of the moment caused them to doubt, fear and accuse both God and Moses. What they knew of their history with God and all the miracles God had performed to get them out of Egypt seemed to pale in comparison to the threat they now faced from the enemy and Israel regretted that they had even started on this journey with God. Egypt had not been good for them spiritually. They had embraced its ways and gods but at least Egypt had given them a roof over their heads, food on the table and an existence that though difficult, had become normal to them even though they knew it was not God's best. In the midst of the moment they forgot that this kind of blending idolatry was what had caused them to be enslaved in the first place.
Before we judge the Israelites, let's remember that we are "but dust", as they were. When life hits us with a Red Sea experience, we may just react the same way that they did. When all you see is what is attacking you and there appears to be no good way out of the onslaught, our natural reaction might be to surrender to it and try to make the best of it. It may seem that a return trip to where God brought us from is an easier, more pleasant experience because we, like them can be overwhelmed and forget where God brought us from and all that He has done in our lives in the past. Indeed, the temptation that we are being tempted with might just look better and easier than to stand in the face of the enemy and believe God when an escape would appear a challenge, even for God!
Perhaps this has happened to you. Perhaps you have suffered the consequences of this happening to someone else. Perhaps you are currently living in Egypt and enjoying it for the moment forgetting all that God has been to you and done for you. "Sin IS pleasurable for a season, but in the end it brings forth death." It is very deceptive in that it appeals to the comforts craved by your flesh and it looks and feels so good. Perhaps you have already fallen prey to the enemy's deception and you feel that God might as well go ahead and allow you to be slain because even in this pleasurable season you know that you are guilty and condemned.
There is hope! Read on in this passage. Verse 8 says "yet He saved them for His name's sake." I really like that! God stepped in, in spite of everything they were doing that would turn His hand of protection away from them, and He saved them to glorify His own name to the Egyptians. (I'm sure that the Israelites were impressed too because on the other side of the Red Sea, they had a dance party!) Yes, God, for no other reason than to show everyone how powerful and glorious He is, stepped in and saved His people. It had nothing to do what they deserved or didn't deserve. It had to do solely with who He is and His perfect plan of redemption that would come through His people Israel. He is a Redeemer!
Now remember that being "but dust" does not mean you are a dirt bag! It means that you are what God created in His infinite wisdom and love. It means that He is on your side. It means that He cares for you even when you don't particularly care for Him. It means that He would split an ocean just to make a way for you.
If you are trapped by sin or the consequences of someone else's sin, turn your eyes towards God. He is there to help and make a way for you to reach the other side! Then you too, will have a victory song to sing!
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