BULLSEYE!
ACCURATE
BIBLE KNOWLEDGE!
QUESTION:
“BUT AREN’T WE COMMANDED TO STAND STILL?”
ANSWER:
“YES
– BUT NOT FOR LAZINESS”
EXPLANATION:
The
following is probably one of my favourite scriptures:
Speak unto
the children of Israel, that they TURN and ENCAMP
before PIHAHIROTH, BETWEEN MIGDOL AND THE SEA, OVER
AGAINST
BAALZEPHON: before it shall ye encamp by the sea. Exodus 14:2
Moses
had
ended up right at the very tip, the very bottom of the misnamed Mt
Sinai
Peninsula.
Today
the
beach resort town of Sharm el-Shiekh would be the location of where
Moses
crossed the Red Sea. It is perched on the Red Sea and hedged in by
mountains.
The
Sinai
Peninsula has been misnamed as Mt Sinai is across the waters of the Red
Sea and
is located in Arabia, Jordan.
Moses
had
got to the Red Sea.
Moses
had a
few million people depending on him.
Moses
had
been brought to the end of himself as it were.
Moses
had
been reduced to nothing.
Moses
could
not retreat as the Egyptian armies were hot on his heels.
Moses
after
turning the corner at the bottom of Mt Sinai, had to TURN back
as the
mountains before him were impassable.
Moses
had to
ENCAMP, that is, set up camp, by the sea and be still.
They
were
camped on the sea-shore at and before PIHAHIROTH whose meaning
is “the
mouth of the sea”.
This
was the
place from which God would take them across the sea.
Look
at a
map, this place is shaped like an open mouth (Matt 13:35; 2Cor 6:11;
Eph 6:19).
Open mouths result, and indeed, produce deliverance if allowed (Acts
18:12-14).
Israel
were
on a very large stretch of beach, camped BETWEEN MIGDOL AND THE
SEA.
They
were
trapped with Migdol behind them. Migdol was an Egyptian watch
tower and military
outpost from which messages could be sent back to the pursuing army.
BAALZEPHON
was a
sacred mountain of the ancient pagan
Canaanite religion and was
located
directly across the Red Sea.
Moses was
confronted with the sight of Mount Baal
Zephon before him. He was OVER AGAINST BAALZEPHON.
WELL HOW
ABOUT THAT? TALK ABOUT HEMMED IN!
1. Moses
chased by the whole and full force of the
Egyptian armies.
2. Hedged in
by mountains
3. Physically
shadowed by an Egyptian military outpost
4. Confronted
with the presence of Baal across the sea
But the
LORD says “Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of
the LORD...” (Ex 14:13)
DEAR
BELIEVER, IT IS GOD’S DELIGHT TO DELIVER
It is
God’s command to the believer when reduced to intolerable straits
and brought into extraordinary difficulties, that we stand still.
You cannot
retreat.
You cannot
go forward.
You cannot
go backward.
You are
shut up on the right hand.
You are
shut up on the left hand.
THE ANGEL
OF LIGHT WOULD HAVE US DO ONE OF 4 THINGS:
1. DESPAIR
SAYS “LIE AND DIE”
Does God
want this? No. He would have us with cheerful courage even in
our worst times.
Moses
didn’t say “That’s it Israel. We’re done. Let’s drink some Kool
Aid, lie down and die.”
2. COWARDICE
SAYS “GO BACK TO THE WORLD”
Does God
want this? No. He does not want us to say it’s too difficult
and stop living as a Christian.
Moses
didn’t fall on his knees and beg forgiveness from Pharoah and
promise to be good little pagan Egyptians.
3. ACTION
SAYS “DO SOMETHING”
Does God
want this? No. Action says to stir yourself, standing still and
waiting is nothing but idleness.
Moses did
not say “All right men, arm yourselves, we will turn and fight
the Egyptians.”
4. FALSE
FAITH SAYS “MARCH INTO THE SEA AND EXPECT A MIRACLE”
Does God
want this? No. This is the false mantra of the church today
“How big is your faith! Step out and conquer!”
Moses did
not say “Start speaking in tongues! Get filled with the Holy
Ghost! Let’s name it and claim it!”
BUT HOW
WILL I KNOW WHAT TO DO?
Dear
Reader, having spent a large proportion of my life at University, I
was well aware that I didn’t pass exams when I got into the
examination
room.
No. My
passing was done months and months before in preparation in the
accumulation of knowledge from books, lectures, Professors and so on.
How
foolish is the man who decides to run a marathon without training
for years before hand?
And so
Dear Reader, the Christian life is the same.
How will
you hear the still small voice (1King 19:12) if you
haven’t prepared yourself to hear it.
WHAT HAVE
YOU BEEN FEEDING/ABSORBING/LISTENING TO?
Only you
know the thoughts and intents of your heart?
Today, the
vast majority of Christians listen to popular ‘Christian’
music, the world, travel, TV evangelists, TV, church activities, read
corrupt
Bibles, follow Pied Pipers … the list is endless with three lusts at
the centre
… eyes, flesh and pride of life (1Jn 2:16 Gal 5:16).
You know a
sort of “Live life! Love Life! Be life! God will give you the
life you want to love and live! Live to love and love to live!
“I’ve got
a life to live as well” said one fellow recently … family
here, movies there, entertainment events elsewhere and so on.
Unless you
have renewed your mind (Rom 12:2) and cleaned your life up, despair,
cowardice, action and false faith will be your
only
recourse in times of trouble.
Moses had
spent 40 years in the ways of the Egyptian world.
Moses had
spent 40 years in the desert with sheep listening to God.
Moses had
no doubt or hesitation in hearing God’s voice.
He knew
the difference between the voice of God Almighty and the voices
of the flesh.
**** ****
Harley
Hitchcock
www.
AustralianBibleMinistries
.com
“CONTACT US”
Australian
Bible
Ministries, PO
Box 5058 Mt. Gravatt East 4122 Qld, Australia
www.AustralianBibleMinistries.com