Just Add Water: The Word Becomes Flesh

 “And Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore”

Exodus 14:30

In my last post, I said I heard a sermon founded on the Passover and Exodus stories.

When I re-read chapter 13, I saw something I’d missed.  “When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter.  For God said, ‘If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.’  So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea” (Exodus 13:17-18).

We are not to go back to Egypt.  God wants us to grow in our faith in Him.  Pastor said it is important for to stay in the church and “march” with fellow believers.  If you stay in the thick of the group while marching through the Red Sea, the people in front of you will urge you forward, and the people behind you will prevent you from turning back.  Remember those nature shows like Animal Kingdom?  The stray antelope that wanders away from the group is the one that the lion kills and destroys (1 Peter 5:8).

When we immerse ourselves in the waters of life, the word becomes flesh (John 1:14); hence the title of his sermon, Just Add Water.  He said that all of us must come to a point in our faith where we believe that the promises of God are true for ourselves.  It is possible to believe God would honor these promises to other people, but not be sure if He’ll do it for you.  Pastor says that when we each go through our Red Sea, we will know we can depend on God for ourselves when we see how He brings us out.

One of the ways that we can consistently add water to our faith is to consistently help other people.  One sign of a mature faith is to know that, no matter what happens today, we will continue to praise and worship God tomorrow.  We extend ourselves to help others.  We might be betrayed.  We may be talked about.  We may not even get a thank-you.  A person with an immature faith will go back to Egypt.  A mature person begins to recognize, and get comfortable with, the struggle.  That person is then able to stand firm in the faith (1 Peter 5:9).  I was reminded of a sermon I heard years ago.  The Pastor said that servants put themselves in a position to really see the miracles of Jesus.  At the wedding in Cana, it was the servants who saw Jesus turn water into wine (John 2:7).  The master of the banquet didn’t know anything.

 “And when the Israelites saw the great power the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in Him and in Moses His servant”

Exodus 14:31