And You Must Be Quiet

When it’s hard, I find it hard, to stop.

I’ve been making my way quite slowly through the book of Exodus in the Bible. It’s rich. There’s so much in there for the believer in God to learn about the God one believes in.

A few days ago, I came upon that scene in the story where the people of God are released from slavery by Pharaoh in Egypt, due to the wonders of the ten plagues finally softening his hard heart. And so he’s finally ready to let Israel go. More than that, he really wants them to leave. And right now.

But then.
A re-hardening and change of heart by the Pharaoh.

“What have we done!? We have released Israel from serving us!”
(Exodus 14:5)

And so Pharaoh gets his chariot ready, and he takes his troops with him, the best of the best, to pursue the Israelites. And due to the excellence and speed of his chariots and horses, he catches up with them as they are camped by the sea beside Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.

And so there they are.
God’s people.
After finally being released from 400 years of bondage.
Once again, trapped. Caged in.
Pharaoh and his terrible army in front of them, the sea behind them.

No. Where. To. Go.

Have you ever felt in a spot like that? Trapped? Caged in? And it feels like you don’t have anywhere to go, and nothing that you can do, but every fibre of your being is screaming out to do something. Anything.

I mean, you just want to fix it. And so you frantically ponder and do…just, whatever. You have to get yourself out of this fix. The Israelites feel you.

But Moses said to the people,

“Don’t be afraid.

Stand firm and see Yahweh’s salvation that he will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again.

Yahweh will fight for you, and you must be quiet.”
(Exodus 14:13-14)

In other words, stop.
Stop everything.
Don’t move. You’ve got to quiet down, and settle down.
No more agitation, no more pacing, no more fretting, wringing of the hands, a body and mind and soul pulsating with anxious energy.

”Be still. And know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)

How hard is that!? We want to scream, “Easy for you to say! ‘Don’t be afraid.’ ‘Stand firm.’ ‘Settle down, and be quiet.’ It’s so hard, when it’s hard, to stop.”

I think one of the hardest lessons for humans to learn (I’m still learning it, actually) is to lay our efforts down, all of our doing down, and stand firm, not in our own strength, but in faith that Yahweh is actually on our side, aware of every moment of our lives, and is fighting for us.

And we have to let him do that.

Dear reader, if you are his child, Yahweh will fight for you, and you must be quiet.

Where do you need to stop and be quiet today?