But Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the LORD which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. “The LORD will fight for you while you keep silent.” Exodus 14:13-14

So let’s talk about complaining. Let’s not because it would probably sound like I was complaining about complaining. Instead, let’s take a lesson from the Book of Exodus. The story in the text above is about when the Israelites were let go by Pharaoh and camped by the Red Sea.

The condensed version of the story is Pharaoh lets the Israelites go and then realizes he let all his slaves go and wants them back. So he raises his mighty army with chariots to go after them and get them back. The Israelites see them coming and complain to Moses that he led them out in the wilderness to die. This is when Moses says the key verse above, and then the LORD tells Moses to stretch out his hand over the sea, and it divides, and they walk on dry land to the other side! Pharaoh sends his armies after them, and the Lord tells Moses to stretch out his hand over the sea again, and it falls on the armies of Pharaoh and drowns them. As I said, that was the super condensed version. I would encourage you to read the whole version of Exodus 14 this week.

So here’s the point. While God was delivering them, they were complaining. While He was preparing and setting the stage for this miraculous event, they were doubting, fearing, and preparing themselves to die!

How much are we like the Israelites? When was the last time you decided to watch God do something amazing instead of complaining about what you think you see Him doing? Maybe this week, it’s time to Stand and See the deliverance of the LORD.

I love how Moses tells them straight up that the LORD would fight for them while they keep silent. It’s like how many times do we have to be told in Scripture to stop using our mouth to proclaim our fear and doubt and instead watch, wait, see what God is going to do!

This all reminds me of another great verse in the Bible. Psalm 46:10-11. “Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.” The LORD of Heaven’s Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress.”

Trying to be silent while watching with you,
Pastor Mike