Pastor David B. Curtis

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Media #1009 MP3 Audio File Video File

Are You Living by Fear or Faith?

(Hebrews 11:27-29)

Delivered 04/26/20

We are living in a very uncertain very troubling time right now. People are living in fear of the corona virus, wearing masks and gloves, or not leaving their homes at all. There is fear that the economy will totally crash if we don’t get back to work soon. But most people are afraid to go out even if the businesses open back up. Some are afraid of how they will survive being out of work. These are very uncertain times, and many are living in fear.

As I said last week, I believe that this corona virus is a bioterrorism attack. I think this corona virus originated in a laboratory in Wuhan, China and was purposely released to the public. General Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is looking into this. I think this is a plan of the Deep State to take down President Trump by ruining the economy. And the Lame Stream Media is pushing fear in any way they can. They want us afraid so that we will listen to their draconian laws.

The average American today thinks that it is dangerous to go out and that if we can save even one life by doing so, it is worth it. First of all, let’s stop listening to the LSM. They are pushing fear. If your number one goal is to save lives, then you need to push to ban cars. If no one drives, many lives will be saved.

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistical data, nearly a million and a half people are killed in road crashes each year. On average, this means that approximately 3,700 people die each day in road crashes around the world.

An article in Global Research entitled “Stanford Study Proves Covid-19 Was Overhyped. ‘Death Rate Is Likely Under 0.2%’” shows how over hyped this whole this is. The article states that MIT Tech Review had to admit that the actual death rate is likely under 0.2%, which means it is about as “dangerous” as the common flu. [Stanford Study Proves Covid-19 Was Overhyped.]

Studies will continue to emerge proving what many have already known—

Covid-19, the pathogen, is nowhere near the threat it was reported to be and nowhere near justifying “Covid-19 the hysteria.”

A CNN article (“Study finds no benefit, higher death rate in patients taking hydroxychloroquine for Covid-19”) states that “Coronavirus patients taking hydroxychloroquine, a treatment touted by President Trump, were no less likely to need mechanical ventilation and had higher deaths rates compared to those who did not take the drug, according to a study of hundreds of patients at US Veterans Health Administration medical centers.”

All the major news media were talking about this study and warning of the dangers of hydroxychloroquine. They want us in fear; they want us to think there is no cure for this virus. But what we need to understand is that this was a bogus study.

Renowned French virologist, Dr. Didier Raoult wrote, “The Department of Veterans Affairs' study on the drug hydroxychloroquine was ‘closer to scientific fraud than reasonable analysis.’”

Raoult stated that “some 30 percent of patients in the supposed ‘control group’ were given the antibiotic azithromycin, which is being used to treat the coronavirus, while ‘nearly dying patients with lymphopenia were treated with hydroxychloroquine.’”

Raoult released his own study on hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin just a few weeks ago. It demonstrated 91% effectiveness in more than 1,000 patients with zero side effects.

Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Robert Wilkie, also threw cold water on the media's hysterical reports on Wednesday by noting the VA study was "an observational study" and "not a clinical study."

"It was done on a small number of veterans, sadly those of whom were in the last stages of life," Wilkie said.

"We know the drug has been working on middle-age and younger veterans," he said, "and the governor of New York was just in the Oval Office yesterday asking for more of the drug to be delivered to the city of New York."

Believers, the media is trying to scare us and keep us scared. If they discover a cure for this corona virus, then the lockdown ends and their plan fails. Please be a Berean and do some research that doesn’t involve the LSM.

Believers, you can live in paralyzing or you can live in faith, trusting God in everything that happens.  

For our study this morning I want us to look at the faith of Moses. Because of his faith Moses had the power to rise above the temptations of the riches and pleasures of the world. Moses made a conscious choice to suffer affliction with the people of God rather than enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; that was an act of faith. He actually believed that if he did what God wanted him to do, he would come out better in the end. He believed that his eternal rewards would far outweigh anything the world had to offer.

He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. Hebrews 11:26 ESV

For our study this morning we want to look at how faith can triumph over the terrors of the world. Faith not only elevates the heart above the materialistic pull of the world, but it also delivers it from the fear of man. Faith and fear are opposites, and yet, they are often both found dwelling within us; but where one is dominant, the other is dormant. The constant attitude of the Christian should be,

“Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.” Isaiah 12:2 ESV

But what ought to be, and what is, are often two very different things. We looked last week at David’s lapse of faith:

And David rose and fled that day from Saul and went to Achish the king of Gath. 1 Samuel 21:10 ESV

Here we see David, the giant killer, afraid and running for his life. Then in Psalm 56, which was written after the incident at Gath, David says this:

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. Psalms 56:3 ESV

We all seem to have that potential to vacillate back and forth between faith and fear. One day we are trusting in the Lord, and the next we are running in fear.

In Hebrews 11 we see Moses standing in faith against incredible opposition, and because of his faith, he has no fear of the king of Egypt. As we study the faith of Moses, we must remember its context in the book of Hebrews. The author is writing to believers who were becoming discouraged and were ready to give up. He is exhorting them to have endurance in their Christian lives:

Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. Hebrews 10:35-36 ESV

In the midst of trials and persecution, a person's faith may waver or even fail. Hence, we need the exhortation to have endurance. This book is a call to perseverance in faith, whatever the odds. Hebrews 10:38 says that "The just shall live by faith.” Therefore, whenever we fear, we are not living by faith; we are not trusting God.

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” Hebrews 13:5-6 ESV

Having the promise of His presence, we should never be afraid.

Let's look at how Moses' faith overcame fear:

By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible. Hebrews 11:27 ESV

This verse poses a problem because Moses left Egypt on two occasions. The scholars are divided as to which of them is in view here. Was Moses' flight from Egypt after he killed an Egyptian an act of faith? Many scholars seem to think so. Let's look at Exodus 2.

One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people. He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. When he went out the next day, behold, two Hebrews were struggling together. And he said to the man in the wrong, “Why do you strike your companion?” He answered, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid, and thought, “Surely the thing is known.” When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and stayed in the land of Midian. And he sat down by a well. Exodus 2:11-15 ESV

If Moses left Egypt in fear, as verse 14 says, how would this be an act of faith? Why would the author of Hebrews select this incident as an example of Moses' trust in God? Some scholars see this forty-year period in Midian as a time of great faith in which Moses overcame the temptation to frustration and discouragement as he waited on God. But I think what we see in Exodus 4 might contradict this. Let's look at these verses:

And the LORD said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles that I have put in your power. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go. Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the LORD, Israel is my firstborn son, and I say to you, “Let my son go that he may serve me.” If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son.’” At a lodging place on the way the LORD met him and sought to put him to death. Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son's foreskin and touched Moses' feet with it and said, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!” So he let him alone. It was then that she said, “A bridegroom of blood,” because of the circumcision. Exodus 4:21-26 ESV

This is a curious story; Yahweh almost kills Moses, possibly by an acute illness. We don't know exactly how, but we do know why. Yahweh "let him alone" (verse 26) because He was angry over the fact that Moses' son had not been circumcised. Moses’ failure in allowing one of his sons to be uncircumcised was a sign of disobedience and apostasy and a transgression in the eyes of God.

This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. Genesis 17:10-11 ESV

Therefore, I don't think that Hebrews 11:27 refers to Moses' flight to Midian. By contrast, after Moses had waited forty years in Midian, God called him and spoke to him from the burning bush:

Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. Exodus 3:1-2 ESV
And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” Exodus 3:9-10 ESV

Now, this was an assignment that demanded faith. Moses repeatedly objected until Yahweh reassured him that the elders of Israel would listen to him (v.18); that He would make the Egyptians favorably disposed to the Israelites (v.21); that Moses would perform miracles (Exodus 4:1-9); and that Moses' brother, Aaron, would accompany him (vv. 14-16). After receiving these divine instructions, Moses' faith was strengthened, and he was unafraid of Pharaoh. I believe that the entire verse, Hebrews 11:27, refers to all the confrontations Moses had with Pharaoh in his effort to gain freedom for God's people. That “. . . he forsook Egypt. . . . .” is then the culmination of a series of events. One of these events is the institution of the Passover, to which the author of Hebrews pays particular attention in the 28th verse. And the phrase "not being afraid of the anger of the king . . . .” covers the period of the ten plagues and Pharaoh's pursuit of the Israelites to the waters of the Red Sea.

“Not being afraid of the anger of the king”is quite a statement when you consider Moses’ commission to enter into the presence of Pharaoh:

Afterward Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.’” Exodus 5:1 ESV

For forty years Moses had lived the life of a shepherd in Midian, and now with no army behind him, he has to make this demand of the haughty monarch who reigned over the greatest empire then on earth. Such a task called for a strong faith. Moses didn't get a warm reception.

But Pharaoh said, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and moreover, I will not let Israel go.” Exodus 5:2 ESV

Not only did the king refuse their request, but he made life more difficult for Israel:

“You shall no longer give the people straw to make bricks, as in the past; let them go and gather straw for themselves. But the number of bricks that they made in the past you shall impose on them, you shall by no means reduce it, for they are idle. Therefore they cry, ‘Let us go and offer sacrifice to our God.’” Exodus 5:7-8 ESV

The heads of Israel came to Moses and said:

“The LORD look on you and judge, because you have made us stink in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.” Exodus 5:21 ESV

They were calling down the judgment of God on Moses and Aaron. When even the people you're trying to help turn against you, it takes a strong faith to keep going.

Well, Moses begins to confront Pharaoh with the judgments of God. This took a lot of faith to be continually going before Pharaoh and causing him grief. Humanly speaking, all Pharaoh had to do was give the order to his officers, and Moses would have been seized, beaten, tortured, and murdered. But Moses was, “not afraid of the anger of the king.” After the ninth plague, Pharaoh called for Moses and proposed a compromise. But when Moses refused, he said to him:

“Get away from me; take care never to see my face again, for on the day you see my face you shall die.” Moses said, “As you say! I will not see your face again.” Exodus 10:28-29 ESV

But Moses was, “not afraid of the anger of the king” and boldly announced the final plague:

So Moses said, “Thus says the LORD: ‘About midnight I will go out in the midst of Egypt, and every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the slave girl who is behind the handmill, and all the firstborn of the cattle. There shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there has never been, nor ever will be again. But not a dog shall growl against any of the people of Israel, either man or beast, that you may know that the LORD makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.’ And all these your servants shall come down to me and bow down to me, saying, ‘Get out, you and all the people who follow you.’ And after that I will go out.” And he went out from Pharaoh in hot anger. Exodus 11:4-8 ESV

How would you like to stand before a king and threaten the death of his son? Think about that! Most of us can't even share our faith because we’re afraid of how people will respond. Let's look at some examples of how fear affects us:

Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God. John 12:42-43 ESV

Why wouldn't they confess Christ? Because they were afraid they would lose favor with the people. The greatest pressure that Christians face, in many cases, is the pressure of fear. The reason that most Christians are like an antic river (frozen over at the mouth) and don't really communicate their faith is because they're afraid. They're afraid of losing their popularity and of not being accepted. Fear and faith are opposites, and whenever you're afraid, you're not trusting God.

But Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.” Then the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.” So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, “The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height. And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.” Numbers 13:30-33 ESV
If the LORD delights in us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection is removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them.” Then all the congregation said to stone them with stones. But the glory of the LORD appeared at the tent of meeting to all the people of Israel. And the LORD said to Moses, “How long will this people despise me? And how long will they not believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them? Numbers 14:8-11 ESV

Because these rulers weren't trusting in God, they feared the people. David was afraid of Absalom, and he ran because he wasn't trusting God. The disciples were afraid in a storm at sea, and Yeshua asked them "Where is your faith?" Peter was afraid, and he denied Yeshua. Believer, fear is a very destructive thing; and when we are afraid, we are not trusting God.

I think that believers are afraid to confront sin in other believers because we are more afraid of men than we are God.

May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ. Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Yeshua the Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. 2 Thessalonians 3:5-6 ESV
If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother. 2 Thessalonians 3:14-15 ESV
But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. 1 Corinthians 5:11 ESV

Believers, if we're honest, we'll admit that fear keeps us from obeying God in many areas.

No matter what the king did or said, Moses didn't fear him. Moses gives us a great lesson on faith. Strong faith doesn't fold under the world's pressure. Why? Well, Moses didn't fold because “he endured as seeing him who is invisible.” In other words, he knew he had an invisible means of support. He knew that no matter what happened, whatever he faced, he would be held up and strengthened.

Let's look at that phrase, "he endured as seeing him who is invisible." The word "endured" is from the Greek word kartereo. It means "to be strong, steadfast." Moses' strength came from seeing Him who is invisible. That's an oxymoron because how can you see the invisible? Moses practiced the presence of God. His focus was on the King of Kings and not on the king of Egypt. The Tanakh has a good deal to say about Moses' close relationship with God.

Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the camp, his assistant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent. Exodus 33:11 ESV

Frequently, the word "face" is used in a theological sense with regard to the person or presence of God. Sometimes "face" is translated as "presence" (Gen. 4:16; Ex. 33:14; 2 Thess. 1:9). That Moses didn't physically see God is clear from the following:

But,” he said, “You cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” Exodus 33:20 ESV

Although Yeshua showed Himself to Moses in some peculiar form of manifestation, He never appeared in His own essential glory but only in such a mode as human weakness could bear.

And he said, “Hear my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the LORD make myself known to him in a vision; I speak with him in a dream. Not so with my servant Moses. He is faithful in all my house. With him I speak mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in riddles, and he beholds the form of the LORD. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?” Numbers 12:6-8 ESV
And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, Deuteronomy 34:10 ESV

This close walk with God sustained Moses through all of the difficult days. Likewise, if we are going to live a life of faith and not be overcome with fear, we also must walk in fellowship with God. Only as we walk in holiness can we walk in fellowship with God. Sin blocks our fellowship and hinders our understanding of God.

Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” Yeshua answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. John 14:21-23 ESV

When we walk in obedience to Him, He manifests Himself to us, and we can see him who is invisible.

Moses left Egypt in fear, but he returned in faith as Israel's deliverer. As we follow the story of Moses' life, we see that he grows in his faith. The Scriptures teach that there are degrees of faith. The more we walk with God, the stronger our faith grows. In Matthew 10:26-31 our Lord told His disciples not to fear the world.

“So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Matthew 10:26 ESV
And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Matthew 10:28 ESV

Believers, we are not to fear man, but we are to fear God. And I think that if we really feared God, we wouldn't fear Man. As long as God is on our side, what can man do to us?

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. Matthew 10:29 ESV

A copper coin is equal to a penny. These birds were cheap. God knows when a bird falls to the ground, and some Greek texts even indicate that the word "fall" may mean "hop." He not only knows when a bird falls, but He knows when it hops. Nothing happens in the most insignificant element of life, even with cheap birds, that God doesn't know about, care about, and have absolute control over.

But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Matthew 10:30 ESV

Do you know that there is an average of 140,000 hairs per head? This verse does not say that God counts them—He numbers them. He actually identifies every hair on your head. What's the point? The point is this: If God is concerned about little birds, and He's concerned about the hairs of your head, then don't be afraid.

Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. Matthew 10:31 ESV

We don't ever need to fear! We can never get into a situation where God can't sustain us.

The best way to overcome fear is to cultivate the sense of God's presence. Fear is the result of distrust, of taking your eyes off of God, and of being occupied with  difficulties and troubles.

By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them. Hebrews 11:28 ESV

The institution of the Passover was an act of faith. It was similar to that of Noah's preparation of the ark. Without any fear of the fury of Pharaoh, Moses went ahead with the preparations for abandoning Egypt entirely. The Passover was the first step.

Nothing but faith could avail here. Everything was opposed to human understanding and human reasoning. None of the nine plagues had worked so far, so nothing but a strong faith in God could have enabled Moses to go to the people and give them the details of the Passover. If the blood of the lamb proved to be ineffective in protecting the first-born from death, what would happen to Moses? By faith Moses explained to the children of Israel the details of the Passover.

By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned. Hebrews 11:29 ESV

Whose faith is mentioned here? I do not believe that it is the faith of “the people” but rather the faith of Moses that is in view. In Hebrews 3:16 it says that "They came out of Egypt by Moses" and in 1 Corinthians 10:2 it says that "They were identified with Moses and by reason of his faith secured their deliverance." Just as Noah's faith saved his family, so Moses' faith saved Israel.

And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the people of Israel while the people of Israel were going out defiantly. The Egyptians pursued them, all Pharaoh's horses and chariots and his horsemen and his army, and overtook them encamped at the sea, by Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon. Exodus 14:8-9 ESV

Moses faced a difficult situation. On the one side was the impassable mountain range of Baal-zephon, on the other side were the vast sand dunes which a traveler could not survive, behind Israel was the pursuing Egyptian army, and in front was the Red Sea.

From a human perspective, they were trapped and would surely be destroyed. Pharaoh and his army had just lost their sons, and they were mad. Look at Israel's response in Exodus 14.

When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel cried out to the LORD. They said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” Exodus 14:10-12 ESV

After all of the miracles they had seen, they still didn't trust God. Does this remind you of anyone? Like maybe yourself? Remember that God brings us into these circumstances to teach us to trust in Him. Who made the Red Sea? Who made the mountains? Who made the Egyptians? Who is it that works all things together for good to those who love Him? GOD! And God alone! And when we get into situations like this, we should get excited to see how God is going to resolve it.

Look at Moses' response in:

And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” Exodus 14:13-14 ESV

Here was the crucial moment, the supreme test. Did Moses' heart fail him? Was he now terrified by the wrath of the king? No, far from it. He calmly and confidently said unto the people, "Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD.” O, how the courage of Moses shames our petty fears! What a man of faith! I'm sure that he felt responsible for all of those Israelites, and yet he never flinched. He trusted his God. He said to them, "Fear ye not." Isaiah put it this way:

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock. Isaiah 26:3-4 ESV

Moses told the children of Israel to "stand still.” When you can do nothing, wait on the Lord. This was a military order and was equal to telling them to stand by until they received further orders. Then he said, "And see the salvation of the Lord." I'm sure they were anxious to see God's deliverance.

The LORD said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. Lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground. And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they shall go in after them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, his chariots, and his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.” Then the angel of God who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them, coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel. And there was the cloud and the darkness. And it lit up the night without one coming near the other all night. Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the LORD drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. Exodus 14:15-22 ESV

Picture it! Did it take faith for them to walk into that sea? Not really. If the walls of water collapsed, it was still better than being cut in half with a sword.

The Egyptians pursued and went in after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. And in the morning watch the LORD in the pillar of fire and of cloud looked down on the Egyptian forces and threw the Egyptian forces into a panic, clogging their chariot wheels so that they drove heavily. And the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from before Israel, for the LORD fights for them against the Egyptians.” Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.” So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its normal course when the morning appeared. And as the Egyptians fled into it, the LORD threw the Egyptians into the midst of the sea. The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen; of all the host of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea, not one of them remained. But the people of Israel walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. Thus the LORD saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Israel saw the great power that the LORD used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the LORD, and they believed in the LORD and in his servant Moses. Exodus 14:23-31 ESV

It was about time that they believed, but as we see from their murmuring against God in the very next chapter, their trust didn't last long.

Moses had grown in his faith. He went through quite a lot with those Israelites, yet he kept his eyes on God. Trials are like a Red Sea experience. We can either pass through them victoriously by faith, or they can destroy us.

Remember, the key to victory in the Christian life is occupation with Christ. Moses endured through seeing Him who is invisible, and so can we. With Moses as our example, let's keep our eyes on Christ through the trials of life.

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Isaiah 26:3 ESV

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