"TURN BACK AND ENCAMP!"

Exodus 14:2                                 (ESV)
""Tell the people of Israel to "TURN BACK AND ENCAMP" in front of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, in front of Baal-zephon; you shall encamp facing it, by the sea."



Let's just put ourselves in the unenviable position of being with the children of Israel when they were encamped on the banks of the Red Sea WAITING FOR GOD TO DISPLAY HE IS GOD thousands of years ago.   They were being "LED" by a Pillar of Cloud by day and a Pillar of Fire by night according to Exodus 13:21-22.   Knowing that they were following GOD's direction wasn't that difficult as the heat and torment from the Arabian Peninsula can be brutal, and GOD was providing protection for HIS CHOSEN PEOPLE, as HE still does.  

Exodus 14:9 says rather matter of factly "The Egyptians pursued them, all Pharaoh's horses and chariots and his horsemen and his army, and overtook them encamped at the sea, by Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon".  Can you imagine the despair and hopelessness in the hearts and minds of the children of Israel when they saw the Egyptian Army marching toward them with nothing but the Red Sea ahead of them?  Exodus 14:10-12 says "When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel cried out to the LORD.  THEY SAID TO Moses, "Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt?  Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: 'Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians'? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness."

Is the church in a similar position today?  We have no clear choice for President with the two main candidates who display no semblance of a history of following GOD's direction in their lives?  And yet some church leaders want us to follow either one of these two choices?  What if GOD is trying to prepare us for a Red Sea moment and we are suggesting we have no choice but to settle for the lesser of two evils?  Perhaps we need to examine Scripture a little more closely and WAIT FOR GOD TO DISPLAY HE IS GOD (as in Exodus 14) instead of assuming that we must as followers of the Most HIGH GOD simply select the "lesser of two evils"!

To imply that GOD will "split our Red Sea" is to assume that multitude of verses regarding HIS judgement on earth will never take place.  Isaiah 26:21 is only one of those verses that boldly states "For behold, the LORD is coming out from HIS place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity, and the earth will disclose the blood shed on it, and will no more cover its slain".  Zechariah 1:1-6 calls us to RETURN TO THE LORD.  But we, like the children of Israel, we "did not hear or pay attention to ME, declares the LORD" (Zechariah 1:4)!  Everyone seems to "HEAR" what they want to "HEAR" from their candidate, but nobody wants to "HEAR" what THUS SAITH THE LORD!  One thing GOD has displayed rather plainly to me is that HE CAN GET our attention, and quite emphatically!  When HE instructs us to "TURN BACK AND ENCAMP", HE is not suggesting we try to "figure out" a way across the Red Sea on our own!  HE wants to see our faith in HIS Plan, and our obedience to "TURN BACK AND ENCAMP"!!!