The Way Maker
Posted by Dion Todd July 3rd, 2022 3,977 Views 0 Comments
The Way Maker from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo.
The Israelites had lived in Egypt for centuries when the Lord sent Moses to free them from slavery. A hundred years may seem like a long time to us, but to the Lord, it's merely a dramatic pause. The Lord had told Abram what was coming long before it happened, and it began with his great-grandson Joseph.
(Genesis 15:13–14 NASB) God said to Abram, "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years. "But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out with many possessions."
The Lord kept His word to Abram, and when the time had elapsed, He sent a carefully prepared secret weapon named Moses to lead Abraham's descendants out of their slavery in Egypt. He had meticulously prepared Moses for the job. Though Moses was born as a Hebrew slave, due to some divinely arranged circumstances, he was raised by Pharaoh's daughter.
Instead of growing up with a slave mentality, Moses was well educated and would have received military training. When Moses completed his training, the Lord arranged for him to be a humble shepherd in Midian for forty years, caring for a flock of sheep. Moses was eighty years young when the Lord unleashed His secret weapon on Egypt.
Moses went to Egypt and told Pharaoh, "Let my people go," but Pharaoh said, "No." Pharaoh had pyramids to build and didn't want to give up his free labor force without a fight. To Moses, it must have looked like an impossible task. He was a simple shepherd, and Pharaoh was the ruler of the most powerful nation on Earth. It would take a lot of convincing. Step by step, the Lord used Moses to bring Pharaoh an attitude adjustment.
The Nile River that Egypt depended on turned to blood, and the fish died and stank (click image of plagues to enlarge). Then a swarm of frogs invaded their homes. Multitudes of lice crawled over the Egyptians and their livestock. Thick swarms of flies invaded Pharaoh's house. Their livestock became diseased and died. Un-healable boils broke out on the skin of the Egyptians and their animals. Giant balls of hail rained down, accompanied by fire from the sky. Clouds of locusts that darkened the sky invaded the land and devoured every green plant left. Then darkness came over Egypt so thick that it could be felt on the skin. Finally, all the firstborn Egyptians died.
With Egypt in ruins, Pharaoh agreed with Moses that it was a good idea for the Israelites to leave, and ordered them out of his country. The Egyptians were happy to give them everything they needed to get moving. In essence, the Lord gave the Israelites back pay for all their years of slavery.
(Exodus 12:35–36 NKJV) Now the children of Israel had done according to the word of Moses, and they had asked from the Egyptians articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing. And the LORD had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.
Moses ran into obstacles at every turn, but each time the Lord made a way where there seemed to be no way. Pharaoh resisted freeing the Israelites to the bitter end. Yet, as the Lord had promised Abram hundreds of years before, the Lord delivered his descendants.
(Exodus 12:40–41 NKJV) Now the sojourn of the children of Israel who lived in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years. And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years—on that very same day—it came to pass that all the armies of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt.
The Israelites marched out of Egypt in a giant procession carrying all their belongings and livestock. They were following Moses, who was following the Lord. A pillar of cloud led them during the day, and a pillar of fire gave them light at night.
The Lord knew the people were not warriors, for they were beaten down slaves. So He didn't lead them straight into conflict. Though they were like a flock of sheep, He had already prepared a shepherd named Moses to care for them.
(Exodus 13:17–18 NKJV) Then it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, "Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt." So God led the people around by way of the wilderness of the Red Sea. And the children of Israel went up in orderly ranks out of the land of Egypt.
The Israelites were no longer enslaved. Their breakthrough had finally come. But when the pain of the plagues started to subside, Pharaoh learned that his free labor force was wandering around in the wilderness nearby, and he set out to recover them. He took six hundred of his best chariots and cornered the Israelites, who were camping on the shore of the Red Sea.
(Exodus 14:10–12 NKJV) And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the LORD. Then they said to Moses, "Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, 'Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians'? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness."
It looked like another impossible situation. There was a sea of water in front of them and the Egyptian army with chariots and horses behind them. The Israelites were terrified, but Moses reassured them.
(Exodus 14:13–14 NKJV) And Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace."
Moses lifted his staff, and a wind from the Lord divided the Red Sea so the Israelites could cross by walking on dry land with a wall of water on either side of them. Pharaoh and his chariots pursued them, but Someone else was following him. His army made it into the middle of the sea before the wheels fell off his "choice" chariots and became dead weight. When the last Israelites stepped out of the sea, the walls of water came crashing down on Pharaoh and his army. The armor-clad soldiers swam like rocks. Not a single one survived. Moses wrote a song about it.
(Exodus 15:10 NKJV) "You blew with Your wind, The sea covered them; They sank like lead in the mighty waters."
When you are in an impossible situation, and there is nowhere to turn, He is the Way Maker. The Lord can make a way where there is none, for nothing is impossible for God. He is mighty to save and knows the end from the beginning. He can't be caught unprepared, and all of our fears are for nothing. Seek the Lord. There is security in nothing else.
You can pray this with me if you like:
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I came to seek You today! Please fulfill Your will in my life, and help me get in tune with what You are doing on the Earth. Help me see through Your eyes and give me the wisdom to make the right decisions. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!