As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the LORD. – Exodus 14:10

Today’s Scripture Reading (July 19, 2015): Exodus 14                                                       

On June 4, 1745, Prussian King Frederick the Great cornered an allied force consisting of Saxons and Austrians in the mountainous region of South Silesia. The war was essentially a boundary dispute over control of the area that was being waged between the Prussians and the Austrians. The Prussian Empire was the fifth smallest empire in Europe, but Frederick knew how to make the most of his resources. The allies’ entrance into the mountains of South Silesia was a misstep. Frederick allowed the armies to enter the mountains hoping to trap them there. Earlier as Frederick had planned for this precise moment, he had told his men that “if you want to catch a mouse, leave the trap open.” The trap was open and the forces of the enemy had walked squarely in. From the moment the armies entered the trap the matter was settled. Prussia would win the battle and likely the war. Now it was only a matter of time.

Israel had walked squarely into their own trap. And then it looked like they were hesitating, unsure of which way to go. Israel’s strategy had seemed flawless up to this point, but now it appeared as if the fledgling nation had overstepped its abilities. The Pharaoh saw this – and he likely believed that Israel simply did not have the intelligence to survive on their own. They were born to be slaves and they would never be anything else.

So Pharaoh gathers his army and closes off the entrance of the trap. Now it was only a matter of time. Israel had no place to go, no avenue of escape. The mouse had entered into the trap and now it was helpless against the superior forces of the Egyptian Army. What was left was nothing more than a mop up exercise and the transportation of the slaves back to Egypt where they belonged.

But in this moment of defeat, Israel looked up and saw the approaching army. They realized their grave error. The escape from Egypt had almost worked, but now it looked like they were heading back to Egypt one more time. The leadership of Israel, namely Moses, had led them into a cul-de-sac from which there was now no escape

And then Israel cried out to God. It is amazing how often we do that when we are in trouble – even if we really don’t believe in God. But when we are faced with life altering circumstances, our response is often a desperate act of faith. God on the other hand was about to show Israel once and for all that he was bigger than Pharaoh – and that there was no situation from which he couldn’t deliver them. God’s answer in this moment should have been the final lesson in the art of depending on God for Israel. It was the moment to which prophets and priests of the future would often point back. Because Israel cried out to God they were about to experience a defining moment for their nation. But unfortunately not even that would be enough for Israel to learn their lesson of faith. They would continue to stumble and never quite trust – in spite of the fact that they served the God of the cul-de-sac – and of the Red Sea.  

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Exodus 15