What did God say to you Moses? Pt 3

13Then Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid! Take your stand [be firm and confident and undismayed] and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today; for those Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see again. 14The Lord will fight for you while you [only need to] keep silent and remain calm.”15The Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the sons of Israel to move forward [toward the sea]. 16As for you, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, so that the sons of Israel may go through the middle of the sea on dry land. 17As for Me, hear this: I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they will go in [the sea] after them; and I will be glorified and honored through Pharaoh and all his army, and his war-chariots and his horsemen. 18And the Egyptians shall know [without any doubt] and acknowledge that I am the Lord, when I am glorified and honored through Pharaoh, through his war-chariots and his charioteers.”

Exodus 14:13-18 AMP

Alot has occurred in scripture since our last post on Moses where he was first speaking with Pharaoh and informing him that God desired for him to release his people (the children of Israel/Hebrews) so that they could go into the wilderness to worship him. God performed several miracles in Egypt between Moses’ first request and ultimately their departure such as: turning the Nile to blood, sending locusts, sending frogs, and taking the firstborn sons of Egypt to name a few. Here God has caused the hand and attitude of Pharaoh to move in that he has released the children of Israel from Egypt, but he has reneged on his word and has chosen to pursue them during their exit from Egypt. This passage is special to me as I read it now even though I’ve read it several times before because this time I read it with a different lens.

The Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the sons of Israel to move forward [toward the sea]. As for you, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, so that the sons of Israel may go through the middle of the sea on dry land.

Exodus 14:15-16 AMP

THOSE VERSES ARE FULL OF POWER!!!!! God is literally saying to Moses, “What are you looking at me for?” From my perspective, I would have said, “what you mean what am I looking at you for? You the reason we’re here, what am I supposed to do right now?” How would you feel if in your moment of adversity/trouble, God asks you, “what are you looking at me for?” While Moses is looking to God for direction, God is telling Moses to tell the people to walk forward……..but a sea is in front of them. Most people would direct their attention on the parting of the Red Sea, but instead I’d like to focus on what God says next. “Lift up your staff and stretch out your hand.” God commanded Moses to use what was in his possession, and what God had already equipped Moses to use when God had completed some of his previous miracles in Egypt.

1. Exodus 7:10
2. Exodus 7:19
3. Exodus 8:5-6
4. Exodus 8:16
5. Exodus 9:22-23
6. Exodus 10:12-13

Each of verses above reference a moment when God instructed Moses or Aaron to lift their staff and stretch their hand. It is interesting that the same thing God instructed them to do previously, using the same tools that he had already given them, he was now expecting Moses to use in this “new” situation. What tools or gifts has God already equipped you with that you are NOT utilizing in your current situation. Every miracle that God performed through Moses, he had already provided him with the means/tools to do it before the situation arose. To be very specific, Moses had the staff/rod BEFORE God called him out of Midian, because it was what he used as a shepherd for cattle. God used something he was familiar AND comfortable with to perform some great miracles. I’m not saying that for everyone who God calls, he will use things that they are comfortable with, and already have in their possession to fulfill their godly assignment with. However, I am saying that like in the case of Moses with the staff, and later David with his slingshot, there are some small, oftentimes overlooked tools that God has placed in our possession that he can use to perform great things.

I would like to use the symbolism of lifting the staff and stretching the hand like faith and works. Just lifting the staff and stretching their hand alone had no power, but when done in combination according to God’s instructions AND with the faith that God CAN and WOULD perform what he said, allowed the space for God to work. Believe what God has said, utilize what God has given you, and stretch your hands towards him (figuratively and literally) so that he can release his promises through AND to you!

So originally I had wanted to include this section, but while finishing this post, and writing the Reflection, I realized that I had omitted this and really wanted it be in this post……even though it will be longer than normal. Something that really stood out to me from the verses at the top was the fact that in v13, Moses is telling the people not to be afraid and to stand firm in the Lord, but by v15 God is asking Moses why he is crying out to him? Let that digest for a moment. Have you ever been in a position where you are attempting to encourage and comfort others while you also need that? Moses is voicing faith and confidence to others while internally experiencing fear and possibly doubt. It is amazing that God seemingly responds to Moses sharply and without a comforting tone, but could it have been because he had already placed within Moses the tools and power to successfully overcome the situation? As I mentioned earlier, God then commands Moses to do something that he had already done at least 6 times before that when performing a miracle. Could this response by God be because he had already instructed Moses on what to do at this point, and was now observing Moses forget those instructions in the face of danger/panic/fear? Sometimes God will be silent in a moment to see how we will respond, it is important to remember and understand that God’s silence is not always indicative of his absence, but oftentimes a result of us being out of position, a result of him testing us, us not recognizing his voice, or worse, forgetting his instructions in the midst of the journey.

Reflection Time

When was the last time you lifted your staff and stretched your hands; or more plainly, when was the last time you combined your faith with your works wholeheartedly to God? Is there anything in your possession, or a command that God has given you that you aren’t utilizing? Why? As you stand facing your Red Sea, and pursued by your Pharaoh (oppressor/enemy), ask God for revelation and direction on what to do next, and act on what he says wholeheartedly.