A Year with God

Selection Taken From:
A Year with God by R.P. Nettelhorst

Make this the year you let God's Word "dwell in you richly"---and marvel at the results! Each entry in this 365-day devotional features Scripture verses in which God speaks, accompanied by insights and applications to enhance your understanding. Learn what God says about hope and fear; perseverance and quitting; companionship and isolation; and more! 384 pages, softcover from Nelson, Copyright 2010.

What Have We Done?

The LORD said to Moses:
Tell the Israelites to turn back and camp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, in front of Baal-zephon; you shall camp opposite it, by the sea. Pharaoh will say of the Israelites, "They are wandering aimlessly in the land; the wilderness has dosed in on them." I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will pursue them, so that I will gain glory for myself over Pharaoh and all his army; and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Loa). And they did so.
When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, the minds of Pharaoh and his officials were changed toward the people, and they said, "What have we done, letting Israel leave our service?" So he had his chariot made ready, and took his army with him; he took six hundred picked chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them. The Loin hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt and he pursued the Israelites, who were going out boldly. The Egyptians pursued them, all Pharaoh's horses and chariots, his chariot drivers and his army; they overtook them camped by the sea, by Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal- zephon. - Exodus 14:1-9 NRSV

With the death of the firstborn, Pharaoh finally gave in to Moses and Moses' God. He granted the slaves—together with all their children and wives and all their livestock—permission to take three days off work to go somewhere to sacrifice to their God. Egypt was a mess; people were dead. For the benefit of the nation, he had to let the slaves' God have his way.

But after the three days had passed, the slaves didn't return. Pharaoh had to act. He'd been suspicious all along that Moses had in mind something more than just a worship service of singing, praying, and animal sacrifice. Pharaoh had lied repeatedly to Moses, but he now saw that Moses had been lying to him just as much. Pharaoh couldn't let Moses steal his property. He had to get it all back. He sent his army to track down and return the runaway slaves. Plagues or not, Pharaoh wasn't ready to lose his property for good.

Once again, however, Pharaoh underestimated God. He had lost his farms and his wealth, and he was about to lose his power. His army would be wiped out. Human power is no match for God's power.