Standing on the shore

When I started this blog, I thought long and hard about what I should entitle this website. As I was reading God's word, I realized our whole lives are a continual test of us standing on the shores of the Red Sea. We are surrounded on all sides by tests, trials and the enemy. There seems to be no escape. Then, God calls us to go forward. But where are we to go? Again, we are told to go forward. Will we obey?

Last week was the Feast of Unleavened Bread. It culminated with the seventh day (April 26) being remembered as the day God lead Israel through the Red Sea. Israel fled Egypt on the 15th of Nisan, the first day of Unleavened Bread, and traveled for six days, fleeing the Egyptians. On the seventh day, they were standing on the shores of the Red Sea. Everything seemed hopeless. The Egyptian army was behind them, mountains were on their left and right, and the Red Sea lie before them. What should they do?

The Israelites cry out to Moses. "They said, 'Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you dealt with us in this way, bringing us out of Egypt? Is this not the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, "Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians"? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptian than to die in the wilderness'" (Exodus 13:11-12).

Moses relays this message to God. "Then the LORD said to Moses, 'Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the sons of Israel to go forward'" (Exodus 13:15). Moses tells the Israelites to "go forward".

According to Jewish tradition, one man heeds God's commandment. Nachshon, from the tribe of Judah, plunges into the Red Sea. The waters reach his waist, and they do not split. He continues forward. The waters reach his chest, and they do not split. He continues forward. When the waters reach his nostrils, nearly drowning Nachshon, then God parts the waters. The nation of Israel then begins their travels through the Red Sea on dry ground.

Although there were between two to six million people standing on the shores of the Red Sea, and everyone was given the commandment to "go forward", it was only one man who obeyed. Nachshon trusted God for a miracle. When Nachshon does everything he can, when the waters are about to drown him, only then does God intervene. One man's faith in God saves millions and millions of lives. This is such a beautiful picture for us.

How many times have we been standing on the shore of the Red Sea, screaming at God for miracle? "Oh LORD, help me! My enemies are all around me. There's no place for me to go!" God tells us to follow Him, to go on His path, the path which is right before us. Yet, we are often like the Israelites. We would rather surrender and go back into the cruel bondage and slavery of the Egyptians rather than trusting God and be delivered from oppression. We may put one foot into the Red Sea, but when the waters do not part, we quickly pull back. Some of us might even walk into the waters, but when they reach our waist or chest, we believe God is not going to help us. We flee back to shore. However, as Nachshon shows us, it is only when we do everything in our power to follow God--when the water is ready to swallow us up--only then does He intervene; only then does He part the sea, allowing us to walk safely on dry ground.

May we all continue to strengthen our faith, believe God and follow Nachson's example. May we all escape Egypt and rejoice in God's deliverance.