GodSprings - 28, December, 2017

Should I Change My Walking Style?

But the people of Israel walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.

Exodus 14:29

2017 is about to become a past event and 2018 is about to begin. When we look back at the year 2017 we can surely say that sometimes things went from good to better whereas at other times it went from bad to worse. 

When the Hebrews had finally fled Egypt  it was pretty much the same story. God's providence had persuaded Pharaoh to let them leave and those who had been enslaved were set free. So things were moving from good to better. But then as they were barely out of town, Pharaoh changed his mind and sent his army after them who were now looking for a new future. 

Moses lead them to the edge of the Red Sea. Once they reach there things start to look worse. Before them is the deep sea and behind them is the raging army of Pharaoh. Where were they to go? What were they to do? 

Yet this is the moment the Bible claims as one of the greatest moments of "by faith" living. Faced with a choice between the army and the deep sea, Moses took God's word for it, and chose the sea. Moses trusted God for the future over the past. 

According to most of the translations Moses stretched out his arms and the Lord parted the sea giving dry ground for the Israelites to walk. But British Rabbi and theologian Louis Jacob in his book Jewish Preaching gives a slightly different interpretation which captured my attention and so sharing it with you as it gives a new perspective.

"In the Hebrew story-telling there is often a placing of bookends that frame a story, and sometimes a story within a story. In the Exodus 14 telling of the story, verses 21-29 frame a summarial story within the story with verses 21 and 29 the bookends. Verse 22 says, "and the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left." The ending of verse 29: "But the people of Israel walked on dry ground through the sea, with a wall of water on their right and on their left." (Louis Jacobs, Jewish Preaching [Portlad, OR: Vallentine Mitchell, 2004], 80ff)

I hope you saw the difference. The first group of Israelites had to get wet. They "went into the sea" before they found the "dry ground". With those first tentative steps of faith got their feet wet. Psalm 69 which many Hebrew traditions call to be "The Psalm of Moses" says, "Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in the deep mire where there is no foothold."

All of us at some time or another have found ourselves in position where waters have risen up to our necks. Can we follow Moses' example? When our feet get wet, when our knees get wet, when our thighs get wet, when our chest gets wet, can we still keep on walking? Are we able to still keep on trusting God? 

There were those who first stepped forth in faith by entering the risky unknown and as they moved forward the wet land became dry ground. But a bulk of Israelites waited for the first group to test the water. Both had different experience of the waters.

How did we walk in the year 2017? Were we walking "through the sea on dry ground" or on "dry ground through sea?"

I admit that there were times at personal level, at work place and also spiritually where I felt waters rising up to the neck. And I admit that I was not able to find God parting the waters for me on a regular basis. Many instances I wanted the walls of divine protection but was not able to see it. But I must confess that I personally and we as a family did encounter on a daily basis miracles of grace and goodness.

As we enter a new year may we be able to step on wet lands with faith that our God is able to provide dry lands for us. 

Happy New Year to all of you.

Jijo Achen