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Exodus 14:13-14 (KJV)  And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more forever.  [14]  The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

What are we to do when trials and tribulations come our way?
What do we do when chariots come?
Soldiers heavily armored that we cannot defeat?
Sometimes chariots sneak up on us, coming in the night.
At other times we hear their roar in the distance long before they arrive.

When Chariots Come, Do A Life Inventory

The least productive thing you can do when chariots come is to play the blame game. You know what the blame game is. You see it every day in the political world. Something bad is happening, but it’s never MY FAULT. It’s always someone else’s fault. When chariots came for Israel how did they respond? The Bible tells us:

Exodus 14:10-12 (KJV)  And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD.  [11]  And they said unto Moses Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?  [12]  Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.

When chariots came initially the Israelites did right. They cried out unto the LORD. They cried out to the Eternal Father, the One Who was able to help them. But rather than keep their eyes on the Lord they looked for someone to blame.

They looked at Moses.
They get SARCASTIC.
“Is it because there are NO GRAVES IN EGYPT that YOU – a lone man –
carried US – 6 million people – into the wilderness?”

This is sarcasm. Egypt is a land known for its graves. The PYRAMIDS are graves for kings. In fact, the only place I know there are PYRAMIDS is in Egypt. I’ve been to the Great Pyramid. I’ve got pictures of these giant tombstones. When I was in the military we watched light shows shown on pyramids. These are gigantic tombstones.“Moses, wasn’t there ENOUGH tombstones in Egypt that YOU had to DRAG US here?”Nothing good ever comes of the blame game.

The blame game is the oldest game in the world. It started in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve. Adam had been told NOT to eat the forbidden fruit. Implicit in this statement is the understanding that ADAM WAS TO KEEP HIS WIFE FROM DOING THE SAME THING. If a man loves a woman, and a woman loves a man, they want what is best for their partner. They will stand idly by while their partner does the wrong thing. This is what Adam did. We are told in Genesis …

Genesis 3:6 (KJV)  And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and DID EAT, AND GAVE ALSO UNTO HER HUSBAND WITH HER; and he did eat.

Adam was with Eve when she ate the forbidden fruit. Rather that point her back to God he went along with her sin. Oh, how often we go along to get along. How often do we allow peer pressure rather than the love we have for God to draw us to the right path?

After the fall came the sound of chariots. Oh, it wasn’t really chariots, but it was the sound of God walking through the forest. “Adam, where are you? Eve, where are you? I love you. Come out, let’s talk as we have always done. Adam and Eve, why are you hiding in those bushes?”

What Adam should have done was taken a life inventory, looking at what he had done. Instead, Adam tells the Lord:

Genesis 3:12 (KJV) …. The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.

Lord, the woman YOU gave to me messed up (and YOU messed up, too). You gave me a defective woman. She ate and forced that fruit on me. Eve knocked me down and sat on my chest until I ate what YOU said not to eat. Playing the blame game shifts responsibility. So God asked Eve what she did. She followed her husband in a bad decision.

Genesis 3:13 (KJV)  And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

It was the serpent’s fault. He tricked me. He tricked me. The blame game did not stop Adam and Eve’s punishment, but it did stop them from being honest with themselves. When chariots come have they come because I have not listened to and obeyed my God? This is what happened to Adam and Eve. In fact, this is what happens to us many times. The Bible says:

Romans 6:23 (KJV) For the WAGES of SIN is DEATH …

Sin is anything that stands away from God.
Sin is anything that does not come through Jesus Christ.
Sin glorifies me and ignores the Lord.
Sin is an EMPLOYER who PAYS a SALARY called DEATH.

II was watching an old television show on Hulu (an Internet stream) the other day called “Hillstreet Blues”. I always liked to watch Hillstreet when it came on back in the 80’s and found it to be fairly clean compared to today’s standards. In an episode, I watched the other night a detective called “Henry” saved a woman from muggers. Taking her home this rather attractive woman – a widow – invited Henry to spend the night with her. Henry replied “No, I can’t. I’m happily married.”She said, “That doesn’t matter to me.”Henry ran from her apartment, and I applauded him. Later on, Henry was discussing what happened with the Captain of Hillstreet and said: “As I talked to the woman I began to think What’s the harm?”. The captain told him “You can bring a lot of complications to your life if you do.”Henry said, “I guess you’re right”. The show ended with Henry knocking on that woman’s apartment door, and she opened it and let him in. “What’s the harm?”Oh, Beloved, there is always harm in sin.

Sin destroys marriages.
Sin destroys families.
Sin brings disease and disgrace into your life.
Sin enslaves you.

When chariots come because of sin in our lives we do not need to blame others, but to LOOK UP and turn to the Father of Lights. We need to take our sin to Him Whom it offends, and let Him cover it with His love.

I heard a story once of a little boy and his sister playing in the farmyard. The little boy had a slingshot. Though he had been told to not shoot at the chickens like most little boys he forgot the rule, and in a flash loaded his slingshot and let fly. The rock hit the head of one of grandma’s best laying hens. The chicken ran around in circles, and the little boy, frightened, chased after it. Then it fell over dead. The child took the bird out into a field and buried it there, hoping to hide his sin. But his SISTER saw him. “Ooooh – I’m telling Grandma!” The little boy begged her. “Please don’t tell grandma. I’ll do whatever you tell me to do.” With those words, he became a slave to his sister. For the next seven days, he did every chore – both his and his sister’s. Finally, he had enough. He went to grandma.“Grandma, last week I killed one of your chickens. I am so sorry. She said “Honey, I knew you killed that chicken. I was washing dishes and saw you from the kitchen window. When you grabbed that chicken its blood got on your clothes, and I had to scrub it out. I knew all about it. If you had brought that chicken to me we could have eaten fried chicken that night – but you buried it and got nothing but suffering and death.“

When chariots come ask yourself “Am I where I need to be in my relationship with the Lord?”If you are not, then is the time to draw close to God in Christ. The Lord died for your sins on Calvary. Confess your sins to Him, and believe that He is able to save. God loves to save.

1 John 1:5-9 (KJV) … God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.  [6]  If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:  [7]  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.  [8]  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  [9]  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

If You Are In God’s Will Then Know That HE Is In Control

When you hear chariots coming do a life assessment.
And if you are walking with the Lord trust that He is in control.

Before Israel ever saw the chariots coming the Lord told Moses what He was going to do. God knew exactly where He was going to lead Israel. Israel was not at the impassable Red Sea because God made a mistake. We read in the previous chapter:

Exodus 13:17 (KJV)  And it came to pass when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them NOT through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest PERADVENTURE THE PEOPLE REPENT WHEN THEY SEE WAR, AND THEY RETURN TO EGYPT:

God knew that His people were tender in faith, so God DID NOT lead them the shortest path from Egypt. The shortest path from Egypt was in land occupied by the Philistines, a terrible godless and warlike people. If Israel passed through Philistia there would have been attacks from the city-states of Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ekron, and Gath. Israel had been newly freed from slavery. They had no standing army. So God led them in the way that was best for them at that time.

When the Apostle Paul spoke of the Exodus and how God led Israel he said:

1 Corinthians 10:13 (KJV)  There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but WILL WITH THE TEMPTATION ALSO MAKE A WAY TO ESCAPE, THAT YE MAY BE ABLE TO BEAR IT.

If you are doing your best to love the Lord and obey Him when you hear the sounds of chariots – when chariots come –
know that what is happening is God’s best for you.

God knew EXACTLY where He was leading His people. He knew His people’s heart. He knew what they – and WE – are capable of. God controlled where Israel was at. He told Moses:

Exodus 14:2 (KJV)  Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp before Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baalzephon: BEFORE IT SHALL YE ENCAMP BY THE SEA.

Israel is EXACTLY where God wanted them to be by the sea.
When they heard chariots they were where God sent them.

When I am doing what God wants me to do,
God will protect me when chariots come.
If I am not where I need to be with God then REPENT and turn to Him!
He can defeat the chariots! He can defeat anything.

God told Moses:

Exodus 14:4 (KJV)  And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, that he shall follow after them; and I WILL BE HONORED upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the EGYPTIANS MAY KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD. And they did so.

God put Israel where they were so that the UNBELIEVERS could see the power of God. When God sends us to the hospital bed have you ever considered that this is so an unbelieving NURSE or an unbelieving DOCTOR can see the power of God in you? When God brings trials to us the unbelieving world looks at us to see if our God is real, or if He is but a figment of the imagination. I have seen Christians in hospitals, nursing homes, and funeral parlors who were absolutely indistinguishable from an unbeliever. God is not glorified in that, and neither are you.

I remember years ago a young man was diagnosed with incurable liver cancer. While in the hospital he gave his life to Christ. He left the hospital long enough to be baptized, then went back to the hospital. I went to visit him. When I stepped into the room he was beaming like the Son. We didn’t talk of his cancer, but of his salvation and the glories that he was going to see very soon. The Scripture says:

James 1:2-3 (KJV)  My brethren, COUNT IT ALL JOY when ye fall into divers temptations;{many trials}  [3]  Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

This young man exemplified this. The chariots were coming, but he was trusting God. He wasn’t worried. Then one day God sent a chariot for him, a chariot of fire like He sent for Elijah– and my friend went to be with our Jesus. His was one of the few bodies I saw laying in a casket with a smile on his face!

God Is In Control So DO NOT FEAR

Exodus 14:13 (KJV)  And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not,

When Moses says“Fear ye NOT”this is not a SUGGESTION but a COMMAND. God commands His people in the Scripture to NOT FEAR. He says in:

Isaiah 43:1-2 (KJV)  But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.  [2]  WHEN THOU PASSEST THROUGH THE WATERS, I WILL BE WITH THEE; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

God CREATED us. He CREATED us in our mother’s womb. God FORMED us. The Scripture says:

Ephesians 2:8-10 (KJV)  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  [9]  Not of works, lest any man should boast.  [10]  For WE ARE HIS WORKMANSHIP, CREATED IN CHRIST JESUS UNTO GOOD WORKS, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Israel is where they are because God MADE Israel. God FORMED Israel. And God LED Israel to where the chariots are. God is controlling the approach of the chariots. We read:

Exodus 14:19-20 (KJV)  And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:  [20]  And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.

I love this passage! Here come the chariots! They are going to kill Israel! But then the Lord takes the pillar of cloud that was leading Israel and moves it between Israel and Egypt.

The Pillar that led Israel became the Barrier that blocked Egypt!

When that pillar of cloud moves it brings darkness on the Egyptians, but light on Israel. God redeemed us. God redeemed Israel. He is not going to let His children be defeated by the chariots. God has a plan for His people, and defeat is not in the plan. Let me say that again:

God has a plan for His people, and defeat is not in that plan!

If we have taken a life assessment and we are in a right relationship by faith with our Lord we should not fear when chariots come. Fear paralyzes us. Fear makes us focus on the wrong things. Focus on Him and His glorious purpose. Has He not said:

Deuteronomy 31:8 (KJV)  And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: FEAR NOT, NEITHER BE DISMAYED.

God has a purpose for the chariots and a purpose for you. The Scripture declares:

Romans 8:28 (KJV)  And we know that all things work together for good TO THEM THAT LOVE GOD, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Focus On Your God, Not On Your Enemy

Exodus 14:13 (KJV)  And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, STAND STILL

Moses said YARE’ (do not fear) YATSAB (be still). “Stand still” doesn’t mean to do nothing. It is a military term that many of you probably won’t understand, but I understand. “Stand still” means ATTENTION! I’ve been out of the military for 24 years now but if someone comes in a room and says ATTENTION I snap to. ATTENTION means to SHUT UP. To get focused. To stand up straight and await further orders. This is not an uncommon phrase in the Scripture. When Moses was to receive the Law he told Israel:

Numbers 9:8 (KJV) ….STAND STILL, and I will hear what the LORD will command concerning you.

Stop moving about like 6-year-old children in a church pew. ATTENTION. Pay attention. Focus on God. When Samuel was preaching to Israel he said:

1 Samuel 12:6-7 (KJV)  And Samuel said unto the people, It is the LORD that advanced Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.  [7]  Now, therefore, STAND STILL, that I may reason with you before the LORD of all the righteous acts of the LORD, which he did to you and to your fathers.

Stop. Pay attention to what I’m saying. Get off your smartphones and listen. If you want to be blessed, listen to what the Lord says and DO IT. Then Moses says:

Exodus 14:13-14 (KJV)… and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more forever.  [14]  The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

When you are focused on God God will fight for you. When you are obedient to your God, God will bless you. Are you focused upon God, or are you screaming at the sea of trouble facing you? If you will honor your Lord (if He is YOUR Lord) He will bless you. The Egyptians will die shortly under the weight of the sea, but God’s Children shall cross over as if on dry land.

God is able.
God is able to save you.
God gave Himself for you on Calvary.
God rose again, defeating death.
God is able.
Christ is able.
Will you turn to Him and believe?