“TURN BACK AND CAMP!”

Exodus 14:1-4                               (NASB)

““Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Tell the sons of Israel to “TURN BACK AND CAMP” before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea; you shall camp in front of Baal-zephon, opposite it, by the sea. For Pharaoh will say of the sons of Israel, 'They are wandering aimlessly in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.' Thus I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will chase after them; and I will be honored through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I AM the LORD." And they did so.”

In my younger years my reputation was that of someone who would get things done!  Many times the things I found myself running full speed ahead with no thought of where I was headed, living by the motto “Do something, even if it’s wrong”!  

GOD doesn’t operate like that most of the time.  There are a lot of times HE instructs us to BE STILL, WAIT ON THE LORD, DON’T HURRY, or some other instructions to get us to allow HIM to be GOD.  

When GOD directed the Israelites to the banks of the Red Sea, HE had them where they HAD to depend on HIM for their deliverance.   HIS orders were “Tell the sons of Israel to “TURN BACK AND CAMP”” right before the mighty waters!  Biblical scholars say that the are mountains on the left and the right, the Red Sea before,  and a small passage from behind.  GOD led the Israelites to a place where they had NO CHOICE but to depend on HIM to deliver them from the Egyptians.  

Hadn’t ALMIGHTY GOD just recently delivered the Israelites from being in captivity to the Egyptians?  And when the Egyptians released the children of Israel, didn’t they even give them great wealth and treasures just to leave.  Now GOD was ordering the Israelites to “TURN BACK AND CAMP”, just waiting for trouble to arise?!?  What was HE thinking?  Why would HE ask them to wait while doing nothing?  

Exodus 14:4 says pretty plainly ““Thus I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will chase after them; and I WILL BE HONORED through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD." And they did so.”  Hebrews 11:6 says “And without faith IT IS IMPOSSIBLE to please HIM..”!  When we realize that ALMIGHTY GOD is in charge of everything, it becomes easier to TRUST HIM, allowing HIM to change a few hearts, and to “TURN BACK AND CAMP”, especially when our enemy is chasing us!!!