Every believer at one point or another has a Red Sea moment, a situation from which there is no escape, and only an undeniable act of God can lead you safely out.
Throughout Scripture, we witness Gods amazing acts and numerous miracles. But with all the miracles of the Bible, the exodus from Egypt is the one that most defines God’s redemptive plan. In times of celebration and in times of deep trial, God is repeatedly referred to as “the God who led you out of Egypt” as a remembrance of who he is, what he has done, and what he remains capable of doing.
Between an Army and the Sea
In Exodus chapter 14, the Israelites are fleeing from Egypt when they found themselves on the verge of being brought back into slavery or even killed. The sea in front of them and an army behind them, they felt hopeless and impossibly trapped.
We likewise find ourselves in places where there is no solution, no answer, and no way out.
In the case of the Israelites, their freedom and their very lives were all but lost. An entire nation of people were given a taste of freedom only to now find themselves at a dead end, the enemy closing in, and no escape. There was nothing to save them – apart from an act of God.
Between the Red Sea and the army that brings death is not a good place to be.
It is a scary place to be.
When I find myself in a Red Sea moment, I don’t typically anticipate the sea drying up and everything turning out ok. I don’t expect to walk out on dry land where there was a sea. I can’t imagine a scenario where the powerful army of Pharaoh is going to be swallowed up in defeat. What I do see are bills that are due, I see danger, I see pain, I see discouragement, I see defeat, and it is all I can do to decide if I am going to swing away at the enemy knowing I am not going to make a dent, or just toss aside all God has taught me over a lifetime and surrender.
But the most overlooked aspect of the Red Sea moment is this: it was God who put them there.
It Was On Purpose
God intentionally put them there, and God who knew exactly how this was going to play out. There was never a doubt.
Never. A. Single. Doubt.
Could it be that we find ourselves standing between the sea and an approaching army because God puts us there on purpose?
1 Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp near Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. They are to encamp by the sea, directly opposite Baal Zephon. 3 Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert.’ 4 And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” So the Israelites did this.
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