Too Afraid of Death

Then the people complained and turned against Moses. “What are we going to drink?” they demanded. [Exodus 15.24]

Where's the commitment?

The Israelites were just barely removed from the Red Sea experience (an event of un-explainable proportion) and now they are complaining again. One would think they would have had the greatest of respect for Moses, but they didn't. As soon as things got a little dicey again, they went right back to complaining.

It sure was a good thing that Moses was committed! I mean, one day being a hero and then only a couple days later being seen as  the worst problem - that has to be difficult to deal with (personally).

The lessons abound for us in Israel's story. Lessons abound in Moses' story as well.

If only we could stay focused on the parallels between our own circumstances and Israel's story! If only we could remember Moses' words to the Israelites on the shore of the Red Sea:

The LORD himself will fight for you. Just stay calm. [Exodus 14.14]

Just stay calm? That would be a tall order on the dead-end situation Israel found themselves in by the Red Sea! In fact, to 'just stay calm' was regularly a tall order for Israel.

But, why not just stay calm? I think this has enormous application for us today. Why not just stay calm?

God told Israel (through Moses) that He would care for them and deliver them. But Israel really did not believe it. If they did, they would have remained calm. I mean, what's the worst that could happen? They could die? Oh yes, death was imminent! So, suddenly, bondage in Egypt didn't seem so bad after all.

The only problem was that God had made promises that Egypt did not fulfill. Whether Israel was content in Egypt or not did not matter! Egypt was not Canaan - the Promised Land.

Now let's talk about contemporary application of this story. What has God promised us? Have we become content with less than what God has promised?

So, what HAS God promised us? Where do we start? He has promised us eternal life. I am reminded of Martha and Mary at the tomb of Lazarus... They knew there was a Promise of rising again, but they simply could not conceive that it meant "today." But it did. What was the difference in Mary's and Martha's circumstance and Jesus' circumstance? Faith (kind of sounds like "just stay calm").

Why don't we have that kind of resolve - that commitment - that faith? Because we have it all figured out - He stinks now - he's been dead four days! The Red Sea is there and we are going to die! The water is bitter and we are going to die! Blah blah blah ...blah blah.

Jesus was very clear about God's promises. Jesus confirmed God's promises. Jesus encouraged faith. Jesus never seemed to get 'worked up' over the circumstances He faced... He stayed calm. That's what faith does. Faith is unmoved by circumstances, facts, impossible situations!

Why don't we believe? Why don't we just stay calm?

The answers are too obvious. We are just too afraid we are going to die.

Father, I am challenged today to live by faith. It is not a passive faith You call us too (like Martha and Mary), but an active faith - one that embraces every impossibility with anticipation of the supernatural ...like Jesus.