AP

Exodus 15:9-11  “The enemy boasted, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake them.  I will divide the spoils; I will gorge myself on them.  I will draw my sword and my hand will destroy them.’  But you blew with your breath, and the sea covered them. They sank like lead in the mighty waters.  Who among the gods is like you, O LORD?  Who is like you – majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?”

As I have been reading through these chapters in Exodus this week, three things have impacted me.

Firstly, I have reflected on what it means that our all-powerful Creator God should so utterly destroy the Egyptians who were pursuing the fleeing descendants of Abraham.  I had to grapple with how a God who, by his very nature, IS LOVE (cf Psalm 86:15 – “But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.”), how THIS God could go to such devastatingly cruel lengths to redeem his people!  Then I remembered what this same God put his own dearly loved Son through on the cross to show his love for ME, and to redeem ME.

Secondly, I thought about what God reveals in his Word about the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ when he returns in power and glory.  In the light of this, I thought about how gracious God is in giving us a clear warning of what it will mean NOT to be among his Covenant people when he pours out his wrath on all those who have persisted in refusing to submit to his Sovereign rule and to avail themselves of his gracious provision of salvation, as Pharaoh had done repeatedly and increasingly.  Their fate on the Day of Judgement will totally eclipse simply being drowned in the Red Sea.

Thirdly, I thought about Jesus’ promise to protect and care for his Church against every force or power that comes against it or tries to resist its growth throughout the world: “I WILL build my church, and the gates of Hades WILL NOT overcome it.” (Matthew 16:18).

The ‘Song of Moses’ in Exodus 15, sung after the Crossing of the Red Sea, is a celebration of both God’s power to SAVE and his power to KEEP.  “Guide me, O thou great Jehovah, pilgrim through this barren land; I am weak, but thou art mighty, hold me with thy powerful hand.  Bread of heaven, Bread of heaven, feed me till my want is o’er.  Open now the crystal fountain whence the healing stream doth flow; let the fire and cloudy pillar lead me all my journey through.  Strong Deliverer, strong Deliverer, be thou still my strength and shield.  When I tread the verge of Jordan, bid my anxious fears subside; death of death, and hell’s destruction, land me safe on Canaan’s side.  Songs of praises, songs of praises, I will ever give to thee.” (William Williams).