All Night Long

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sn’t it funny how a photograph can catapult you back in time and take you to a specific place or memory?  It is a moment frozen in time, captured on paper, eternally the same.  I have a special photo that does just that.  In this photo, five of my former students stand, smiling, side by side, with the Parisian Latin Quarter serving as background.  Although all of them have graduated from college, and have gone on to lead lives of their own, in the picture they are still teenagers, full of excitement and anticipation of all that life has to offer. 

Each time I look at this picture, I notice things I never noticed before.  For instance, there is another person, whom I don’t know and never will, walking down the street.  There are several shops advertising their wares and I know there are people in those shops.  The more I look at the photograph, the more I think and wonder about all the things going on that day, in those shops, and in the lives of the people captured on film.

Have you ever thought of the Bible as providing snapshots from the lives of the people who walked and talked with God, who saw His miracles and heard His voice?  They are moments frozen in time, providing us the opportunity to look deep within them, learning and seeing things we hadn’t seen before.  One such snapshot with several lessons is found in Exodus 14, when the Children of Israel camped before the Red Sea, positioned to witness the greatest miracle God would perform to that point in their history.  Let’s enter that photograph and see what God has for us to learn.

You have to think about this in order to see it.  The Isarelites are camped in front of the sea.  Behind them, coming at full gallop is Pharaoh and his entire army.  There is panic in the camp.  People are fraught with despair and anxiety as they see, hear, and feel the approaching chariots.  There is no place to go, no place to run, and no place to hide.  They are trapped, exposed, and extremely vulnerable.  Suddenly, the pillar of cloud disappears, only to reappear behind them.  No longer does God seem to be leading them, He has taken up station behind them.  Does this mean He is leading them back to the Egyptians?  What is going on?

At that moment, the pillar becomes a barrier, giving light to the Israelites and darkness to the Egyptians.  For the moment, Pharaoh’s attack is halted but they still have nowhere to go.  Suddenly, from nowhere, a strong wind begins to blow, a wind stronger than anything ever experienced.  It blows over them and around them, almost knocking them to the ground.  It is so strong that the sea responds by dividing in half from one side to the other, the way of escape is made known but it lies through the sea.  As they begin their crossing, they find that the ground below their feet is dry and all night long, as the wind continues to blow, they walk across on dry ground.

Can you see this picture in your mind?  Can you understand the great lesson God gives us here?  The lesson is that God is present and in control of every situation.  He knew Pharaoh’s position.  He knew the Israelites were caught between his army and the sea.  And God also knew how to provide a way of escape and rid Israel of her enemy, all at the same time.  While the Children of Israel stood there panicking, God was working, preparing the way of escape and the means of the enemy’s destruction.

Verse 21 simply says, “Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land.”  Please notice the words, “all that night.”  It was dark, the wind was blowing, the fire of God was behind them, and it seemed the darkness would never end.  There was the darkness of night, the darkness of the sea, and the darkness of moving into the unknown, but God was there.  His presence was all around them during this trying time.  He was in the fire giving light, He was in the sea holding the water back, and He was in the wind, making the ground dry, maintaining this miracle until the last person was safely across.

Is it night where you are today?  Does it seem you are caught between impossible situations?  You can’t go backward, for that means losing ground, and the way ahead is hopelessly blocked.  You panic, become anxious, and grow more and more fearful.  Take courage!   God is there!  He knows all about your situation and He is in control.  The way out, the way to safety and to God’s promises lies before you, never behind you!  He is working in the middle of all this chaos to bring you through on dry ground?  Look around you and you will see Him working, holding your enemy back while the sea opens in front.  Do not be afraid to walk through it, the waters will hold and the ground will be dry.  No matter how long it takes, a few minutes, a few hours, a few days, or longer, God will never leave you.  Just as He was with the Israelites, He will be with you.  That’s right, all night long!!!!  Forward march!!