Thurs.’s Devo -The Great Victory

Read: Exodus 13:17-15:18; Matthew 21:23-46; Psalm 26:1-12; Proverbs 6:16-19 God led the people by the way of the wilderness instead of through the Philistine’s land because he didn’t want them to face war right away. They went out of Egypt in orderly ranks. Moses took the bones of Joseph with him and they camped in Etham. God told Moses what was going to happen. Pharaoh was going to pursue them but God would gain honor over Pharaoh and his army. *** Pharaoh came with his army and chariots and found them by the sea. They were camping between two areas where their gods/demons occupied. On was Pi Hahiroth which means “the mouth of where wrath is kindled” and the other was Baal Zephon which was the Lord of winter or the north. *** When the people saw the army of Egypt coming they were very afraid and cried out to the Lord and complained to Moses. Moses told them not to be afraid because the Lord was going to save them without them doing a thing. God told Moses to lift up his rod and stretch his hand over the sea and divide it. The land would become dry and God would indeed harden the hearts of the Egyptians and they would follow them. Then God would gain his honor over the army of Egypt. *** The angel of the Lord moved behind them and became a wall to separate the Egyptians and the Israelite. It was dark on the Egyptian side and light on the Israelite side. Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea and God sent an east wind all that night. It parted the sea and dried the land between. The children of Israel went through the sea with a wall of water on either side. *** The Egyptians pursued but God troubled their chariots and took off their wheels so they had great difficulty making them work. Once they were in the full depth of the sea the Lord told Moses to stretch forth his hand and the waters came back on the Egyptians overthrowing them in the midst of the sea. *** The people of Israel saw all of this and feared the Lord. Moses taught the people this song of praise to the Lord and they all sang it and celebrated God’s great victory for them. In his song he predicted that all the people he would meet on the way to Canaan and the people of Canaan would greatly fear them. *** In Matthew, the chief priests and elders questioned Jesus authority to do what he did. So he questioned them about John the Baptist’s authority. They couldn’t answer him so he told them he wouldn’t answer them either. Then Jesus went on to give two parables about them. They were the son who said he would go to his father’s vineyard and work but didn’t. They didn’t fulfill what God had sent them to do which was prepare the people’s heart for the Messiah. In the second parable they were the ones who would kill the landowner’s son so they could keep their positions. *** Since they rejected the chief cornerstone of God’s kingdom which is Christ, that stone would crush them to powder. But the one who falls on Christ and willing offers his life to Jesus, will be given the kingdom of God. *** Lord, may we fall on you and be saved. Thank you that you fight our battles for us and we need only to have faith and obey. May we hear your voice and draw near to your heart.