EXODUS 14:8-14 – And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the people of Israel while the people of Israel were going out defiantly. 9 The Egyptians pursued them, all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and his horsemen and his army, and overtook them encamped at the sea, by Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon. 10 When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel cried out to the Lord. 11 They said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” 13 And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”
THEME OF THE DAY: SILENCE IS GOLDEN. Ever wonder where the saying “Silence is golden” originated? It contains more than these words. It was prefaced by “Speech is silver, Silence is golden” and is a proverb extolling the value of silence over speech. Its modern form most likely originated in Arabic culture, where it was used as early as the 9th century.
In today’s scripture, there is a call to be silent. It was given by Moses to the complaining people of Israel. Here is the situation. Moses had been used by God to lead His persecuted people from the bondage of Egypt. As they camped at the shore of the Red Sea, over the horizon was the fast-approaching Egyptians. They had a change of heart, a hardening by the Lord, toward the Israelites. They came to either take them back to the captivity of Egypt or kill them. As a result of what looked like pending doom, God’s people complained to Moses which really is complaining to the God who is sovereign.
And what does Moses do? He basically tells them, “Silence is golden. Stop it. Wait on the Lord. Trust the Lord. He will care for you.” The lesson is obvious. It’s actually taking the first seven verses of Psalm 37 and exercising faith upon – Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! (Psalm 37:1-7).
So when it looks bleak in life, circumstances daunting, don’t complain. Stop and remember, “Silence is golden” and put your trust in the Lord who will fight for you.
PRAYER: “Father, help me not to let anxiety and worry cause me to complain of Your ways.”
QUOTE: “God often calls us to silence; to wait upon Him to act in our lives at His timing.”
In the affection of Christ Jesus,
Pastor Jim