Year 4, Day 63: Exodus 14

Theological Commentary: Click Here 

Discipleship Focus: Father, King

• Father: This is the pinnacle of the Covenant Triangle.  God is the Father.  He is the creator.  He is love.  Our relationship with the Father is rooted in His love for us.  We get our identity through Him.
• King: This is the pinnacle of the Kingdom Triangle.  When we look towards God’s position in the universe, we acknowledge that He is an omnipotent king.  Authority comes from Him.  Power comes through His authority.  He is looking for representatives for His kingdom.

In Exodus 14 we get two wonderful snapshots of God.  As we’ve been doing for a few days now, let’s look at how God deals with the Hebrew people and how God deals with Pharaoh.  The contrast cannot be any starker.

We clearly see the hand of the Father at work.  God has led the Hebrew people out of Egypt.  He has blessed them.  They haven’t earned anything, but the Father has completely given to them an escape from bondage.  Even when the Egyptians come after them and the people grumble, God blesses them with yet another miraculous escape.  The Father loves, even when the love isn’t quickly returned.

In fact, we can even see the Father trying to give Pharaoh one last chance.  God appears as a pillar of smoke and a pillar of fire.  Pharaoh can see this demonstration of power.  God parts the Red Sea.  Pharaoh can see this demonstration of power.  Pharaoh has every chance to recognize and honor the power of God.  This is an act of compassion on the Father’s behalf.  God could have smote Pharaoh right then and there, but the Father wanted to give Pharaoh one last chance to see and recognize His greatness.

Pharaoh doesn’t listen.  He doesn’t see.  He continues to surge ahead and consider himself and his gods invincible.  Instead of running into the arms of the Father, Pharaoh runs into the force of the King.  Rather than deal with a forgiving God, Pharaoh chooses to deal with the almighty power of the King of the universe.  Pharaoh challenges God and plunges headlong after God’s people.  The noose closes and Pharaoh and all those who followed him are lost in the Red Sea.  The authority and power of the King of the universe is complete.

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