Exodus Devotional | The Red Sea, Day 4: Remember What God Has Done
The Book of Exodus
The Greatness of God to His People in Need
Exodus The Red Sea, Day 4
“Then Moses said to the people, “Remember this day in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of slavery, for by a strong hand the Lord brought you out from this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten. Today, in the month of Abib, you are going out. And when the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, you shall keep this service in this month. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the Lord. Unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days; no leavened bread shall be seen with you, and no leaven shall be seen with you in all your territory. You shall tell your son on that day, ‘It is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ And it shall be to you as a sign on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the law of the Lord may be in your mouth. For with a strong hand the Lord has brought you out of Egypt. You shall therefore keep this statute at its appointed time from year to year.” - (Exodus 13:3-10)
Over and over again, when God does important things, he tells his people to make a pile of rocks, give it a special name, and memorialize what he did. God’s people are given rituals and ceremonies and feasts, all with the purpose of commemorating what God had done.
That’s what we see in God’s command for his people to commemorate the Passover. We, as Christians, celebrate Good Friday and Easter as holidays (holy days) meant for the same purpose--the fuller picture of the greater Passover. The blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God, is spread upon the wood of the cross. The cross becomes the doorposts which we, if we will pass through in faith, rescues us from God’s wrath. Our sins are covered and Jesus becomes the firstborn Son who was slain on our behalf. We, like the Hebrews, are meant to name those days and practice some disciplines that remind us and teach our next generation what God has done.
Today’s meditation: You want to move forward with God? Remember.
When our next dark day arrives, we are supposed to remember what God did then so we can trust him in what he's doing now. Without too harshly judging the Israelites at the Red Sea--possibly only a few days later--what would it have looked like for them to remember the Passover? They accuse Moses and God of tricking and torturing them with a false hope: “Have you led us out of Egypt only to be slaughtered in the desert? It would be better to die as slaves in Egypt than out here.” [Exodus 14:10-14] When you see God’s patience in the face of their faithless accusation, only a few days removed from the proof of his loving protection, you ought to be astounded [Exodus 14:15-18].
Consecration of the firstborn, the Passover feast, communion, baptism…these are all given to us to remember what God has done in the past so we can, with faith, trust him now. Do you want to face what’s coming after COVID-19? Remember God’s passing over your sin, so whether you face death or destitution, you’ll stay with him in faith, rescued according to his plan.
I want us all to take special note of what God is doing now, in the midst of quarantine, sickness, death, and financial distress. As the Lord answers prayers, protects people, heals them, and provides for us, remember! These current times are only just that--current. There were dark days in the past, these are dark days now, and there will be dark days to come. What will keep you in your faith? The grace of God, remembering that he’s already conquered Satan, sin, and death for you.
You ought to reach out today to someone else, as I urged you to do the last few days. Listen to others and make it safe for them to reveal their worry and anxiety and pain. Pray for them and with them. Call upon God to remind you of his past faithfulness and his power to fulfill current and future promises.