“The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
Exodus 14:14
After the great exodus through which God set the people free from Egypt with a strong hand and powerful arm, the nation of Israel had to face adversity again. They knew Pharaoh because they had lived under his oppressive regime and they realized this man would not change his mind easily, but would rise up with hatred to destroy all of them. Despite agreeing to set them free, he questioned his decision, “How could we have allowed Israel to go free? Why did we do this?” This ruler was a type of Satan, who wants to humiliate and control the will of God’s children. Since the children of Israel were slaves of the Egyptians, Pharaoh couldn’t accept the idea of letting them go, but thought of killing them. This is the way Satan reacts when someone who has served him for years as a slave to sin, has a personal encounter with Jesus and he loses them. After their deliverance, the enemy counterattacks, however, the Lord is in charge of fighting and defending His children.
The attack led the Israelites to beg and cry out to God for a miracle. When Moses was interceding for this situation, the Lord told him that they should not take any action because He would fight for them. Being still in the midst of cruel persecution is not easy. The only people who are able to do this are those who have acquired the secret of faith. Something similar happened to the Apostles when they were sailing on a boat and a furious storm came up on the lake; nearly sinking the boat and drowning them all while Jesus was sleeping: “…The disciples wentpand woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm” (Matthew 8:25-26). For some people it is very difficult to be still in the midst of the storm! But when we leave our burdens in the hands of God we can see that He gives us the victory.
The victory that the Lord gave to His people was one of the greatest ones the nation of Israel has ever experienced. Miriam, Moses’ sister, took the tambourine and praised the Lord, saying: “The LORD is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. The LORD is a warrior; the LORD is his name. Pharaoh’s chariots and his army he has hurled into the sea. The best of Pharaoh’s officers are drowned in the Red Sea. The deep waters have covered them; they sank to the depths like a ston.” (Exodus 15:2-5). This prophetic song was the expression of how the people of Israel felt about God’s protection. They had already lost all hope in becoming a nation because of the oppression of Egypt. The supernatural way that God entered the scene and changed everything represented a new strength for all the people. They felt supported by God and could see things they had never imagined.
Miriam’s prophetic song points out four important aspects to be remembered:
1. He has become my salvation. For the Jews, salvation was their freedom from Pharaoh and the Egyptians’ oppression. For believers, salvation is deliverance from the yoke of Satan and from the slavery of sin. Referring to Jesus, Peter said: “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
2. He is my God, and I will praise him. Victory over oppression moved the heart of the people of Israel and they decided to express their gratitude towards God, recognizing Him as their Lord, the One whom they would praise.
3. God is my father, and I will exalt him. The Jews recognize that the God of father Abraham didn’t forget them but sent a powerful deliverer in Moses. He was the person that God used to set them free from oppression.
4. The LORD is a warrior. They knew Pharaoh’s army was one of the best-trained armies in the whole world, but they recognized that the best warrior and strategist was the Lord, because in an instant He exterminated the most powerful army.
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
“I had served as a policeman from when I was very young, completing twenty years of service. That made me a very tough person, but when I retired, doctors diagnosed me with a disease called “mal de chagas.” This illness is produced by a poisonous insect whose sting infects the entire bloodstream. The diagnosis the doctors gave me said it was an incurable disease and that I had less than a year of life, because there wasn’t any antidote for the disease. One night while I was driving alone in the desert, I had a strange experience with the forces of darkness. That experience had such an impact that I lost more than 33 pounds in just one night. Afterwards, I entered into an intense struggle that moved me to seek God. I would visit all kinds of churches until one day, through an advert in the newspaped I heard about a Pastor who might be able to help. I attended the service and I wasn’t just saved, but I was also healed. That happened more than thirty years ago. It was so beautiful to celebrate my eightieth birthday with my whole family, last June.” (Ezequiel Mora).
TODAY’S DECLARATION
“All my trust is in God. I know that He takes care of me and leads me in His purpose.”
Today’s post is an excerpt from Pastor Cesar Castellanos’ book, Declarations of Power for 365 Days of the Year: Volume Three.
TODAY’S BIBLE READING
Our Bible Reading Plan gives 25 daily readings per month. There is no scheduled reading for today. You can use this time to catch up on any readings you may have missed, or read through previous passages again.
