Passing Through the Waters

If someone were to ask you, “Who parted the Red Sea?” odds have it you would say Moses. You would be wrong. Without being too analytical about it, the correct answer is “God”. God parted the Red Sea, and Moses was merely the agent.

That’s a good thing to remember when good things happen at your hand. Moses didn’t always follow that rule, and at least one time it got him crosswise with God. (“Must we fetch water from this rock for you?” See Numbers 20:10-12). Big mistake. Moses had no business taking credit for what God was about to do.

Some years after this, the children of Israel were once again at the edge of a body of water. This time Joshua was at their head, and what stood between them and the Promised Land was the Jordan River (Joshua 3). This time God left no doubt who was their deliverer:

1. Unlike Moses, Joshua did not go before the people. The Ark of the Covenant did. That was a reminder that is was God who was leading the people, not a man.

2. One man from each of the tribes of Israel was to carry the Ark across the Jordan. Normally only the Levites were allowed to bear the Ark. This tells us that in their journey the people were partners with God. God expected them to be actively involved in his workings, unlike the previous generation whose slave background led them to expect God to do it all. Joshua’s generation was a generation forged in freedom through trials in the desert. God expected them to be players on the field rather than spectators in the bleachers.

3. Unlike the Red Sea, the waters only parted when the twelve strong men stepped off the edge and into the river. The Israelites of Moses’ day had to see the waters part before they trusted God. Joshua’s generation stepped out on faith and entered the water before the miracle occurred. Only after the people took the step of faith did God part the waters.

God had it right when he chose Joshua’s generation to fulfill his promise. The parents of this greatest generation had too much of the slave mentality to appreciate both the blessings and responsibilities of freedom. More than once they longed to go back to the slavery of Egypt where they at least had the security of whatever food the Egyptians decided to give them. Instead of being thankful for the freedom God was offering them, they complained about the discomfort and challenges that come from being responsible. They preferred the certainty of slavery over the challenges of being free.

It took some measure of faith to leave Egypt, but in order to reach the Promised Land one must also pass through waters and wilderness.