Tag: Morning Musings

Morning Musing: Exodus 15:22-24

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“Then Moses led Israel on from the Red Sea, and they went out to the Wilderness of Shur. They journeyed for three days in the wilderness without finding water. They came to Marah, but they could not drink the water at Marah because it was bitter – that is why it was named Marah. The people grumbled to Moses, ‘What are we going to drink?'” (CSB – Read the chapter)

There are some stories that just stick with you. One my dad told a lot when I was growing up, and which I have now told my own boys often enough that when I start it they say, ‘We know. You and Grandpa have both told us before,’ is about one of his teachers in school. Every day the teacher would flip a coin. If it was heads, they had a pop quiz. If it was tails, they didn’t. Sometimes life throws tests our way that we don’t want or expect. How we handle those, though, matters a lot. They both test and reveal our character. Israel didn’t get very far into their journey before they experienced one of these tests. It became a story that would eventually be told a lot. Let’s talk about it.

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Morning Musing: Exodus 15:14-16

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“When the peoples hear, they will shudder; anguish will seize the inhabitants of Philistia. Then the chiefs of Edom will be terrified; trembling will seize the leaders of Moab; all the inhabitants of Canaan will panic; terror and dread will fall on them. They will be as still as a stone because of your powerful arm until your people pass by; Lord, until the people whom you purchased pass by.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

I used to love watching chef Alton Brown’s Food Network series, Good Eats. He made really good-looking food, of course, but his big thing was exploring the science behind it. And the series was really creative in doing that. It was quirky, fun, educational, and highly entertaining. There really has not ever been another cooking show like it. One of Brown’s big things throughout the series was that he hated single-function kitchen tools. Everything needed to be able to serve more than one purpose. Although Brown publicly walked away from at least his Baptist faith a few years ago, I like to think that he would have appreciated the fact that God rarely does anything for a single purpose. This next stanza in Israel’s song of praise celebrates this. Let’s talk about what’s going on here.

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Morning Musing: Exodus 15:11-13

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“Lord, who is like you among the gods? Who is like you, glorious in holiness, revered with praises, performing wonders? You stretched out your right hand, and the earth swallowed them. With your faithful love, you will lead the people you have redeemed; you will guide them to your holy dwelling with your strength.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

I once had to do a report on Thomas Edison. I read several books (this was pre-internet and in grade school, so reading some books in the library was about all I could do) and wrote a nice little biography to go along with it. I did really well on the project. But I didn’t really know Thomas Edison at all. I just knew about him. It’s one thing to read about someone. It’s another thing to have a personal experience with them. In crossing the Red Sea on dry ground, Israel had a personal experience with God. The next stanza of their song of praise reflects some on what they learned from it. Let’s take a look at this and see what we can learn with them.

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Morning Musing: Exodus 15:4-10

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“He threw Pharaoh’s chariots and his army into the sea; the elite of his officers were drowned in the Red Sea. The floods covered them; they sank to the depths like a stone. Lord, your right hand is glorious in power. Lord, your right hand shattered the enemy. You overthrew your adversaries by your great majesty. You unleashed your burning wrath; it consumed them like stubble. The water heaped up at the blast from your nostrils; the currents stood firm like a dam. The watery depths congealed in the heart of the sea. The enemy said: ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil. My desire will be gratified at their expense. I will draw my sword; my hand will destroy them.’ But you blew with your breath, and the sea covered them. They sank like lead in the mighty waters.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

Have you ever had an experience that was more profound or more exciting or even more terrible than you could adequately describe in words? Sometimes simply telling a story is just not enough to do it justice. On these occasions, poetry has the power to do what prose cannot. The second stanza of Israel’s song of praise after making it through the Red Sea is basically a recap of what happened. Have you ever wondered what it would have been like to have actually been there? Let’s take a look at this next part and find out together.

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Morning Musing: Exodus 14:29-31

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“But the Israelites had walked through the sea on dry ground, with the waters like a wall to them on their right and their left. That day the Lord saved Israel from the power of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. When Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and believed in him and in his servant Moses.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

What did it take for you to finally believe in God? If you’re not there yet, what would it take? For Israel, it took a pretty impressive display of power. Today, let’s recap this last part of the story, talk about what God was trying to accomplish here, and why believing in God is something worthwhile.

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