"...The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to keep still..."

As I was reading the Exodus story this week and thinking about that Charlton Heston moment when the Red Sea is parted in Cecille B Demille's famous film-- I couldn’t help but think of the  some of the  dramatic images we’ve seen on television  this week out of Florida where the Hurricane Irma was so powerful that there were places on the coast where she sucked the ocean out of bays and rivers and the land became dry  before the  whole storm surge came in .  As I read I wondered-is this how the Red Sea parted? The author speaks about the Lord sending  a strong east wind  that blew all night. It wasn’t an instantaneous parting but something that took all night.

But rather than focus on that part of the story—I want to focus our attention to the moments right before the seas part— they didn’t even make the lectionary, but are critical to the story --when the Israelites are trapped by the sea on one side and the Egyptian and their armies and chariots on the other. The can see the cloud of dust rising in the distance as the horses and chariots barrel toward them—they begin to become unhinged as they know that death is on its way. And in that moment---fear is rising up in them—they are in this impossible situation and  they want to give up.

 

Let’s pick up the story

“As Pharaoh drew near, the Israelites looked back, and there were the Egyptians advancing on them. In great fear the Israelites cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, ‘Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us, bringing us out of Egypt?...  let us serve the Egyptians.”

But Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid, stand firm, and see the deliverance that the Lord will accomplish for you today… The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to keep still.’

The Lord will fight for you and you have only to keep still.

 In Cecille B. Demille’s film this is quite the dramatic moment Moses with staff in hand standing on a large stone over the Israelite people announces that “the Lord of Host will do battle for us.”

But there is this moment before the Lord does battle, before the east wind comes and drives the seas back  before they know deliverance—where they have this great fear and uncertainty—there is a bit of frustration because they can’t see any possible way out.

 

And Moses response is trust God- stand firm—he will do battle for you. All you have to do is be still.

Now we might not be perched on the edge of the red Sea with Egyptians breathing down our necks like the Israelites were—but I know for certain that we are perched on the edge of our own seas-- situations that we need God to break into—where we need seas to part—we have relationships that are broken that are failing, that are less than—we all have impossible situations that seem insurmountable—difficulties at work, at school, we may feel like the Israelite- wanting to just throw our hands up—wanting to just give up.  We are perched on the edge of our difficulties and we need God to make a way because in  one direction there is an army and in the other a roiling sea that we can't move through unless God intervenes. 

Where is our uncertainty?  Where are we up against it-backs against the wall?  Think about those places for a moment.

 

Now—I want to ask you “have you invited God into those uncertain places?  Have you said Jesus come in here—I want to give this to you?   Take a moment right now—and invite Jesus into this uncertainty and if you can’t think of anything—invite Jesus in for that friend dealing with whatever it is.  Invite Jesus in for all those people who are in Florida and Texas and the Caribbean— Invite Jesus in.

But most importantly remember what Moses said as he stretched out his arms on the sea—the Lord will fight for you, all you have to do is be still—God will fight for you—all you have to do is be still. 

There is something very powerful about drinking from the deep waters of stillness,  there is something very powerful about slowing down, breathing, praying.   

Paul in Philippians  speak about the peace of God which passes all understanding—a peace that will guard our hearts and minds.  I think that peace of God  is one of the fruits of stillness.

 

So today Friends,  invite God in an then be still that is all we have to do—allow God to do our battle and be still.  Be still and know that God is God and that God is holding us in the palms of His hands.

AMEN