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| Nancy Bates Photography |
I'm writing this blog in the middle of traffic.
It's tuesday morning. I'm heading into the office. The rain is bucketing down. I'm on the I-5 overpass, just as it crosses through SW downtown. I can see the condo buildings, the old Lucier on the waterfront. The rig in front of me is kicking up so much water my wipers are on full blast.
I'm trapped in bumper to bumper traffic. NPR is playing the same news over again. I have no new CDs in my car (yes I'm old school). I'm stuck in the slavery of this car, of this commute.
I'm holding a cup of coffee in one hand. A pad of paper pressed against the steering wheel. My pencil scribbles out words as my arm holds the tires in line with the up coming bridge.
exodus 14
I'm reading the passage in Exodus where the Israelites have just left Egypt. They've now made it to the Red Sea and are about to get pummeled by Pharaoh and his crew ready to genocide the whole lot of them.
sarcasm + anger
The Israelites turn to Moses in sarcasm and anger.
Anger: "What have you done to bring us out of Egypt?" 14:12
They are really pissed off; and rightly so, they are about to die. So at least they have that going for them. But notice the sarcasm in the beginning of 12, it's brilliant!
Sarcasm: "(What?)…Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us way to die in the wilderness?" 14:12
What's really good is if you do this with an east coast accent: "Hey, yo…Moses! You really gonna just sit there while my son and I loose everything to these dirtbags?"
This kills me. I mean it's so true. They had a better life in Egypt than dying in the wilderness like rotten animals. I can only imagine what it would be like if it was my family that some leader brought into the wilderness to loose everything; I'd be pissed off too!
be silent the Lord will fight for you
God's message is for them to be silent. This is what Moses tells the people. He says, "The Lord will fight for you, you have only to be silent (14:14)."
Hmmm…I don't know about you, but this is never really my response to things. I'm a pretty good fighter. In fact, if I'm honest I react to fighting instantly (usually without consulting God in prayer.).
If my family is in trouble; I fight to get them out of trouble.
If there's a problem at work that needs to be fixed; I fix it.
If there's a gap in the homeless care system in Portland; we find a way to solve the gap.
God tells his people to be silent. The Lord will fight for you; …be silent.
God moved
The next part of the story is where God destroys the Egyptians. God shows up, clears the water in the Red Sea, let's his people cross, and then buries the soldier cronies when they try to cross.
It's an amazing story of being released from captivity. The Israelites are freed from their slavery, permanently. They crossed the sea unharmed. Their enemy is dead. They are saved.
they followed
The result is that the people of Israel followed Moses. His leadership became real. They trusted him and followed him into the wilderness.
wilderness is grace
The point is that this is the God of the universe leading them into the wilderness. All they have to do is be silent, let God move. That's it. Just be silent.
Here's why? The wilderness is God's grace.
This is their introduction to the wilderness journey. And everything happens in the wilderness. So much growth happens in the wilderness. This is where they receive the law. This is where they build the tabernacle. This is where the priesthood is initiated.
In many ways, the very character and identity of the people of God is shaped in the wilderness.
what's your wilderness
So what about you? What's your wilderness?
Are you in a time of change and transition? Are you changing to a new job? Are you out of work and it's been a long time since someone's asked you to interview?
Have you recently changed jobs or locations? Did you move? All your belongings? Sell your house? Rent or buy a new one?
What have you suffered recently? For some of you there will be huge sufferings you are dealing with. Others maybe less, but still real.
In many times like these we are tempted to skip over the wilderness experience as we anticipate the next stage of our journey. May I suggest, it is in the wilderness that your very character and identity is being shaped.
AB.
*written by Abraham Bates - photos by Nancy Bates Photography - Copyright AbrahamBates.com
