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Between a Rock and a Hard Place - Responding to Fear: Part 2

In the previous post, we saw where Moses and the Israelites we seemingly trapped.  They had the Red Sea on one side and were being pursued by the Egyptian army with all its horses and chariots on the other.  The people were fearful, and one could argue rightly so given their circumstances.  But they fear revealed a deeper problem, a lack of faith in God, their deliverer.

As the people cried out to Moses saying that it would have been better to live in slavery in Egypt than to die in the wilderness (Ex 14:12), Moses was once again looked upon to lead.  How would he respond in these desperate times?  Moses did what we need more leaders to do today, he pointed them back towards God.  In Exodus 14:13, Moses said, "Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today."  Moses reminded the people of God's pending deliverance.  God had not brought the people this far from slavery in Egypt and now heading towards freedom to let them down now.

Some translations of verse 13 begin with, "Don't be afraid" or is it read "Fear not."  As the people were facing insurmountable odds, Moses reminded them that they had no reason to fear.  The people had become too focused on the circumstances they could see again (Pharaoh's approaching army) that they had forgotten about God who they could not see.  The people were commanded to "stand firm and see."  They were not commanded to swim for it, run for it, or fight for it, but to stand and see the salvation, or deliverance, of the Lord as only He could provide.  God was preparing to do what Israel could not do.

Moses' next command is one that seems to go against conventional wisdom.  In verse 14, he says, "The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent."  Moses told the Israelites to be quiet because they couldn't save themselves or fix the situation they were in.  The people would have to rely on God to save them.  Moses' command of "being quiet then was not a matter of inaction but of faith.  It requires faith to stop complaining when the circumstances around us seem overwhelming."  The same applies to us, "When faced with difficulty we tend to do one of two things: we work and fight with all our might doing everything we can, or we give up and complain about the impossible situation we are in." 

How do you respond to fear?  Do you attempt to take on whatever it is you're facing alone?  Or do you seek God's guidance and follow His plan?  Choosing to face your fear is not trusting in yourself, but in God's promises, grace, and power to save.
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