Just go forward!

Exodus 14:14-15 The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” The LORD said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward.

The Lord spoke to Moses, who led the children of Israel out of Egypt to be desperately cornered with the Red sea before them and Pharaoh’s chariots advancing upon them from behind. Overwhelmed with terror they cry out to Moses, “It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!” Having just miraculously escaped from the miserable life of slavery, and only beginning their new life of freedom, the children of Israel were faced with the most dire threat to their existence. This test of their faith, to trust God for their very survival, followed only a few days after the young nation’s astounding deliverance. Could it really be that YHVH had brought them out just to have them recaptured and returned to the slave camps or be slaughtered by Pharaoh’s army and be food for vultures?

We, who have been delivered from a life of slavery from sin, may also quickly be faced with massive and overwhelming trials, and we may cry out desperately to God, “Is this what you delivered me for !!??” How is it that the enemy, having lost his hold on us, will often make furious attempts to reclaim or even destroy us? Yet he is relentless, especially when he has just suffered a crushing defeat.

Now the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward.”

No, you were not delivered to be ensnared, recaptured or slaughtered by the evil one. His final threat will only prove to be his undoing.

Go forward, press on! Your trial, your obstacle, the threat against you, is proof of your deliverance, and may just turn into devastating defeat for the one who is set against you. What Israel faced at the Red Sea, what appeared to be their death sentence, suddenly and irrevocably became God’s instrument to crush their enemies. “Tell the people of Israel to go forward!’ Just do it. The Lord will provide your victory!

Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy Devotions. This devotional was originally published on Worthy Devotions and was reproduced with permission.

How to display the above article within the Worthy Suite WordPress Plugin.

[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]

This unique passage in Revelation has a warning and a blessing.

The first part of this verse was a warning about the suddenness of the Lord’s return as He is coming as a thief to the world not anticipating His return.

The Hebrew language contains numerous words that have the same root yet vast differences in meaning. On deeper examination however, these words can be related in illuminating ways. For example, the three Hebrew letters --"Lamed", "Chet", and "Mem"-- which spell, "lechem", or "bread" in English, are also the root letters for "fight" (lehilachem) and "war" (milchama). For centuries Rabbis have discussed and debated the connection between these three words.

When the twelve spies were sent out by Moses into the land of Canaan, ten came back with a bad report. Joshua and Caleb, however, returned with a good report, saying in essence, “If God is for us — then who can be against us?” The two courageous spies expressed their confidence in a way that was quite cool: “Do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us.” [Numbers 14:9]

In Israel, the celebration of Shavuot took place yesterday. Most Christians would recognize this as the celebration of Pentecost in Acts 2. However, the very first Shavuot took place fifty days after the Israel crossed the Red Sea. It was on this day according to Jewish tradition that the law was given on tablets of stone.

An ancient Hebrew commentator wrote of this verse, "In the words of our teachers of blessed memory and in the Midrash [ancient Hebrew commentaries of the O.T.], it is taught that the 'breaker' is Elijah and 'their King' is the branch of the son of David."

In the Greek olympic games of old, a unique race was run. The winner was not the runner who finished first --- it was the runner who finished with his torch still lit!

“One that sows discord among brothers” is an abomination to God. It’s an amazing passage that is often overlooked when considering offenses which God hates.