Greetings,
The second test is what I call the test of relationship. It is found in the story of Israel being delivered from Egypt as they came to the Red Sea. When they came to the Red Sea, they were being aggressively chased by the Egyptian army and there seemed to be no way of escape. On one side was the army and the other side was the Red Sea. Egypt represents the way of the world. The ways of the world resist a revelation of God’s love. Our natural experiences and perceptions in life will resist us in having a revelation of God’s love and God wants to give us a revelation of His love in overcoming this test.
Exodus 14:1 Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, that they turn and camp before Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, opposite Baal Zephon; you shall camp before it by the sea.
There are some significant names in these verses. Pi Hariroth means mouth of gorgers,Migdol meanstowers, and Baal Zephon means, lord of the north (destroyer). I believe these names can be described as holes, obstacles, and powers.In our path to destiny we are going to face things that appear as holes,places we cannot get out of. We are going to face obstacles,things we cannot get around. We are going to face powers,things we cannot break through but try to break us. Natural sight will emphasize pits that can swallow you, towers that cannot be climbed, and overcoming powers that can’t be overcome. It is only when we have a revelation that God loves us and is with us that we can overcome these things.
The bondages of our past often chase us in life and they assault us with fear. They challenge our revelation of God’s love and tempt us to embrace fear. Our accusation is that God does not love us because of the issues in our lives from the past and that appears to be impossible for us to ever escape from. There is no way forward in our natural perception of things. The world operates according to natural sight. Natural sight is the opposite of faith and faith is opposed by perceptions that inspire fear. Without a revelation of God’s love, we are unable to trust Him and there appears to be no open door for our deliverance. Only perfect love can cat out fear. Only a revelation of God’s love in our lives creates the environment of faith in our hearts were we can see what cannot be seen naturally.
Exodus 14:3 For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, ‘They are bewildered by the land; the wilderness has closed them in.’ 4 Then I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, so that he will pursue them; and I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord.” And they did so.
This test was inspired by God. God caused the enemies of the past, the enemies of natural sight, to chase the Israelites. God will allow the enemies of our past, the enemies of natural sight, to chase us. God has confidence in His love and presence in our lives. He wants, and expects us, to manifest our true identity, testimony, and destiny in Christ. In the story of Israel and Egypt, the confession of the Israelites was a confession of not believing in a personal relationship of God in their lives.
Exodus 14:11 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? 12 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.”
Natural sight will cause us to question God’s voice in our lives. We must stay in the place of intimacy with God in our hearts to be confident in our actions of moving forward in life. As we read this story, we find a statement by Moses and a statement by God. The statement by Moses alone sounds good, but it is not the voice of God. Only God’s statement with Moses’ statement reveals to us the truth of this test.
Exodus 14:13 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. 14 The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” 15 And the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. 16 But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.
God did not tell Moses to tell the people to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. God did not tell Moses to say to the people that God would fight for them. God wanted Moses and the people to know that He was in their lives. He believed in the identify, testimony, and destiny within the heart of Moses. God told Moses to lift up his rod, stretch out his hand over the sea and divide it. God did not divide the Red Sea. God in the life of Moses empowered Moses to part the sea. The action of Moses and the action of the people was possible because God was in their lives. The test of relationship is one of knowing that God believes in each of us. This is a testimony of righteousness, a connection to God in our hearts that gives us an identity in Christ. God wants us to trust His presence in and with us in life. This is a confirmation of peace. There is no gap between us and God. God wants us to depend upon His power to fulfill our purpose in life. This is the reality of true joy. Our purpose is God’s purpose. We can move forward because God is with us. Christ in us is more powerful than the holes we have been stuck in. He is more powerful than the obstacles we have not been able to get around. God in our lives is more powerful than any power that resists us from moving forward in our path of destiny.
Food For Thought,
Ted J. Hanson
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