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
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