ConfidenceSample

God’s Side 

Do you remember the story of when God delivered the people of Israel from Egypt? The Egyptians had been captors of Israel. They attempted to destroy the Israelites after Moses led them out of Egypt. 

God delivered the Israelites from Egypt—but Pharaoh and the Egyptian army decided to pursue them. Armed and riding on chariots, the Egyptians chased the people of Israel who were encamped by the Red Sea. At that moment, God told Moses to raise his rod. God parted the Red Sea, making a road for the Israelites to cross over.  The Scripture says that after the Israelites crossed the Red Sea, the water cascaded and submerged Pharaoh’s army--drowning the chariots, charioteers, and horses. Not one of them was left alive. After that, Moses and the Israelites sang and exalted the Lord. 

Isaiah’s prophecy in chapter 30 reminded the people to not rely on Egypt. God had been more powerful than the horses of Egypt in the past; Isaiah promised that even now, God remained more powerful than Egypt’s chariots and horses.  

In Deuteronomy, God commanded the kings of Israel not to build a horse and chariot army because doing so meant doing business with Egypt (Deuteronomy 17:16–17). The Egyptians were the go-to for horses and chariots. Needing a stronger army, King Solomon broke God’s rules (1 Kings 4:26–28). His heart had strayed from God. How many of us can relate to Solomon? The further we get from God, the more dependent we become on the flesh. We may not need horses and chariots, but we place our trust in stuff that will never fulfill us. 

On the other hand, King Hezekiah listened to Isaiah’s prophecy and did not build an alliance with Egypt. Although his army was not the strongest, he chose to trust in the Lord instead of chariots and horses. He knew that an army on God’s side was stronger than any strong, but merely human, army. God honored King Hezekiah and began to work on his behalf. In fact, the Scriptures say that one night, the angel of the Lord visited the Assyrian army. Upon waking, its leaders found 185,000 of their soldiers dead. We are unsure of what happened, but our God is victorious in war. 

God desires for us to trust Him completely. Who are you trusting in? Where is your confidence? How are today’s chariots and horses tempting your trust in God?