Pastor Tim’s Devotional

Scripture Reading – Exodus 14 and 15:1-20

Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord:

“I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; horse and rider he has thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my might, and he has become my salvation;

this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him…

Then the prophet Miriam, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand; and all the women went out after her with tambourines and with dancing. And Miriam sang to them:

“Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; horse and rider he has thrown into the sea.” Exodus 15:1-3, 20-21

After ten grueling plagues Pharaoh finally relented and set the Israelites free. God commanded Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and to set up camp at the Red Sea. Pharaoh came to regret letting his slaves go free, and in a rage, he assembled his chariot army and went after them.

When the Israelites saw the army of Pharaoh approaching and realized that they were trapped by the sea, they cried out to the Lord. Moses said to the people, “Don’t be afraid. Stand your ground, and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never ever see again. The Lord will fight for you. You just keep still (Exodus 14:13-14 CEB).”

Deliverance from an enemy is one of the chief metaphors for salvation in the scriptures, and the Israelites would “never ever” see their enemies again!

Today, this story reminds us that God cares about the nobodies. That God will ultimately defeat the arrogant, the prideful, and the cruel. It means that God sees our suffering, and that God will deliver us. It means that we don’t have to remain enslaved to the things that bind us. That God can set us free. Jesus told his disciples that he had come like Moses to deliver God’s people. Jesus had come to deliver the human race from enslavement to sin and death. Jesus has delivered us from our enemies, and when the Son has set you free, you are free indeed.

When the children of Israel witnessed the salvation of their God, they could not contain their joy. I invite you to take a moment to read the song of Moses out loud (Exodus 15:1-20). Imagine what it would have been like to sing this song on the shore of the Red Sea just after God divided the waters and forever swallowed up your enemies.

How have you experienced the salvation of your God? In what ways has God set you free? Is there anything to which you remain enslaved? What keeps you in bondage? Spend some time in prayer giving thanks and praise to God. Offer up the things that still bind you. “Stand your ground, and watch the Lord rescue you today…The Lord will fight for you. You just keep still.”

God Bless You

Pastor Tim