Verse
of the day: Exodus 12:51 And it came
to pass, on that very same day, that the Lord brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt
according to their armies.
When
we think about the condition of God’s people at the time that God led them out
of Egypt, and all the suffering they had endured, I cannot imagine that they
would be much of an army, tactically speaking. Yet, in this chapter, God refers
to His people as “the hosts of the LORD” (v. 41), which is the word for “army
organized for war”. Here in this verse that actual word “armies” is used. I am
sure that there were many that were in no condition to fight, or go up against
any opposing armies at this time in their exodus. This was evident from Exodus
13:17, when God did not lead His people through the land of the Philistines, as
they were not ready to “see war”. Nonetheless, they were God’s army. What made
them God’s people an army of war, even now in their brokenness? It was not
their ability to do anything special. It was not their might. It was not their
knowledge of warfare. Ultimately, they were an army of war because they were
being led by the Lord of hosts. Their God, our God, is the Lord of all heaven
and earth. Today, the church of Jesus Christ is God’s army. The Apostle Paul,
in writing to Timothy, in 2 Timothy 2:3-4, said, “You therefore must endure hardship as a
good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself
with the affairs of this life,
that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.” The Israelites
were about to embark on a journey that would have been impossible to endure in
their own strength, and had it not been for God’s protection and provision,
they would have perished shortly after leaving Egypt. So it is with God’s army
today. Our real battle is against the army of devils that fight us every day.
They use the world, other people, and even other Christians who unwittingly
become tools in the devils hands. However, as soldiers in God’s army, we are
called to look unto that Lord of hosts for guidance, provision, and protection.
It is no secret that when we serve in an army, we will encounter difficult
times as we meet the opposition of the enemy’s forces. The Israelites were
pursued by Pharaoh and his army shortly after leaving Egypt, but it was the
Lord who protected them and guided them as a pillar of cloud by day, and a
pillar of fire by night (Exodus 13:21). Today, God leads His army Himself, as
the Holy Spirit who indwells us, and His Word which is a lamp unto our feet and
a light unto our path (Psalm 119:105). When the Israelites found themselves trapped
at the edge of the Red Sea, it was the Lord who rescued them and gave them
victory (Exodus 14). When they had to fight against the Amalekites, it was God
who gave them the victory (Exodus 17). Each of these armies had the strength,
humanly speaking, to defeat and annihilate the Israelites, but it was by God’s
power that sustained them. Throughout their time in the wilderness there was
much murmuring and complaining against God and Moses, and eventually their
unbelief caused them to miss out on the blessing of entering their place of
rest in the Promise Land. Sadly, this is exactly what we still see today in God’s
army, the church. We still complain and murmur about what we do not have, and
what we are sometimes called to endure, rather than be grateful for what we
have already been blessed with. Need I remind us that we do not deserve even
the smallest of blessings; and if God gave us all what we really deserve, we would
all perish for eternity? Our own unbelief is what keeps us in a state of
unrest, and the enemy continually defeats us, because as an army we spend more
time fighting with each other, than we do banding together to face the common
enemy, the devils (1 Peter 5:8-9). Like we read previously in 2 Timothy 2, a
good soldier does not entangle himself/herself in the affairs of the world, but
seeks to please Him who enlisted us into God’s army, the Lord Jesus Christ. Praise
God that He not only enlisted us into His army, but He also provided us with
the armor we need to stay in the battle (Ephesians 6). Now, if only we could
get along, and be unified enough to actually make a difference in this dark
world. Let us band together and, like David (1 Samuel 17:45), have this mindset
when trying to make a difference in this world, and come face to face with the
devils’ army, for the glory of God, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a
javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you
have defied.” For what is impossible for us, even as the church, is possible
with the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Head of the church and from whom we draw
our power to accomplish what we have been called to do while here on earth.
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