Christian Living

Humble in Faith

by Thomas Kirkpatrick
10/22/20
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“He leads the humble in justice, And He teaches the humble His way.” (Psalm 25:9)

There is much to be learned from the parting of the Red Sea thousands of years ago. Most everyone has heard the story of Moses leading the Israelite nation out of Egyptian bondage and becoming caught between the Egyptian army and the Red Sea. Was it a mythical Bible Story to prove an Almighty God’s power, or is it a factual story that happened? A Swedish scientist named Dr. Lennart Moller leads a team of researchers to determine if this event was fiction or truth. They set out to follow the Israelites and Moses’ footsteps in their escape from the Egyptian army. When at the Red Sea, they studied the sea bed and found, documented, and photographed what they saw. They found pieces of the golden chariots of Pharaoh’s army and many relics belonging to them; they also found fossilized bones of humans and horses. Dr. Lennart Moller published a book on his findings, and in 2000 an English edition was available in the United States. The book was titled “The Exodus Case.”

I like Bible stories, and as troublesome, they are to believe as accurate most have been proven to be factual. Bible stories are a marvelous history of thousands of years ago, and sadly can only be learned in Church or Bible studies. When we took God out of our society and homes, we suffered a significant loss of their human heritage. My son has little interest in history and makes many mistakes that history would show to be error. The Bible is more than history; it is a book written to feed humanity’s eternal spirit. To leave this physical realm to the spiritual realm is to leave the human spirit lost in the pit of eternity.

An important snapshot of Moses is that Egyptians were in fear of the population size of the Israelite nation living in Goshen’s land. Their numbers from their four hundred year stay in Egypt had grown to six hundred thousand men. If one added a wife and two kids, we could confidently say their Goshen population was well over two million four hundred thousand. That would be a very conservative number. The Egyptian fear was that if a foreign nation invaded them, and if the Israelites join with the adversaries, then the Egyptians could not contain them. For this reason, the Egyptians enslaved them and eventually slaughtered the male born children.

Moses was spared by his mother, putting him in a basket in the Nile River and sending him downstream. The daughter of Pharaoh saw the basket and had it brought to her. Inside was the baby Moses, and she kept him for her own. As a result, Moses grew up in the Egyptian way receiving the best of education on that day. When Moses had become forty, he was walking about and saw some Hebrew workers being treated poorly by their Egyptian taskmasters. Moses confronted the taskmaster and, in anger, killed him. Knowing he would be punished, Moses buried the body in the sand. In another confrontation, the offender asked if Moses was going to kill him also. Knowing the word was out what he had done, Moses fled Egypt and went to the land of Midian.

In Midian, Moses worked for the Priest of Midian named Jethro. Moses was in charge of large flocks of sheep. Forty years past and one day, Moses saw a bush in flames but not being consumed. Curiously Moses approached the burning bush and was greeted by an angel of the Lord. The Lord called Moses to return to Egypt and free the Israelite people from the slavery of the Egyptian Pharaoh. Moses made excuses as to why he could not go to the Lord. Moses was afraid that Pharaoh would seize him for the murder he had committed many years earlier.

Moses’ excuses were an assault on the truth that God is all-powerful and can make all things happen through His use of Moses as His instrument. “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26) Moses continued to the plea that another should be used to free the Israelite nation. “Please, Lord, now send the message by whomever You will.” (Exodus 4:13) In the end, Moses surrendered to God’s will and returned to Egypt at the age of eighty years.

Moses returned to Egypt with his brother Arron who was his spokesperson. They delivered the message to Pharaoh to let the Hebrew people go that they may worship their God. Pharaoh refused, and after suffering the Ten Plagues released them. The Israelites left with their belongings, livestock and began their travel to the land given by the Lord to Abraham, their father. Only Moses and Arron have been beyond Egypt’s land, but in faith that Moses was the God-chosen leader they followed. Days passed as they traveled back and forth across the land following the lead of the Lord. “The LORD was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night.” (Exodus 13:21)

As they faithfully followed the Pillar of the Lord, the rearguard noticed that the army of Pharaoh had come out in pursuit of them. “So he made his chariot ready and took his people with him; and he took six hundred select chariots, and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them.” (Exodus 14:6-7) If the Israelite people had a rearguard, they must also have had a forward guard searching how they were traveling. They knew of the armies behind them, and indeed they must have known of the dead-end they were going. Nothing in the Scripture mentions the people questioning this, but Moses knew of the barrier they were headed towards most certainly. With the Egyptian army chasing behind and an impassable sea before them, Moses was surely in great prayer with God. In faith, Moses and the Israelite people continued following God’s pillar.

The Israelites made camp by the Red Sea. Now that they were not walking, they had time to think, and the stressful situation began to take its toll. They began to complain to Moses that it would have been better for them if they were still in Egypt. They had homes, at least they had food, and did not have an army coming to destroy them. Moses, a man of prayer who listens to the Lord when He speaks, displays great faith in the word of God that the people had no reason to fear. Faith is not seeing the situation we have found ourselves in but seeing the unseen solution that God has already given. Moses, in complete trust in His God, confidently said to the people. “But Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the LORD which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever.” (Exodus 14:13) When Moses lifted his rod, the Red Sea waters parted, and the whole nation of Israel crossed over on dry land. God showed how mighty He is to a defenseless people through the faith of their leader Moses. “When Israel saw the great power which the LORD had used against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD, and they believed in the LORD and in His servant Moses.” (Exodus 14:31)

That is history, and it is a proven history. Knowing the account, we are amazed by it even to this day, thousands of years later. But it wasn’t history then, yet in faith, the nation moved forward. The thought is that as we live our life each day, living the history that God has already ordained for us. We know the end, and it is glorious for the follower of Jesus. What difference does this day make to the last full day we are living in eternity? The difference is the faith we live in the history God has ordained until we reach that final everlasting day in His house. For us, we must remain humble before an Almighty God and submit to His will and plan for our lives, knowing it will work towards our good. “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:6-7)

The trouble with me and a lot of people is that we think we are self-sufficient. I often find myself saying I got this. I don’t. I learned long ago the plans I make to accomplish the work I do are only complete when the Lord directs my path. I am, but a man, and He is God. What am I in comparison to God, in comparison to Jesus, and in comparison to the Holy Spirit? A weak man wallowing in the mud of this world. Many get by, but the dead-end is coming. One day all will find themselves between a raging lost world and the Red Sea with no escape. If we have faith in the Word of God and live in that faith obediently, He will part the Red Sea. His people will cross over on dry land. “Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.” (James 4:10)

My father told me on one enlightened day, “A little faith in a big God and nothing will be impossible for you.” “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.” (Jude 1:24-25)

Thomas N Kirkpatrick

First Baptist Church of Durant, September 25, 2019