Shade of the Moriah Tree

“They said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” – Exodus 14:11-12

“And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, and the people of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” – Exodus 16:2-3

“But the people thirsted there for water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” – Exodus 17:3

“And the people of Israel also wept again and said, “Oh that we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. But now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at.” – Numbers 11:4-6

THE ENTIRETY OF Israel had encountered breathtaking wonders of God’s judgement upon Egypt. No man or other kingdom could have delivered a weak nation out of the hands of this once most powerful civilization. It took God Himself to release His own afflicted people. When all human hope was exhausted God moved.

Israel had been released by the strong arm of the Lord; Pharaoh had to relinquish a numerous people God was calling unto Himself. When Egypt came to their senses they were enraged and hotly pursued this now free nation; the entirety of Egypt’s strength and might was mustered to reclaim a people it reluctantly let go. What might have become of Israel? Reinstated back into slavery worse than before, or a fatal end?

“When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly…” (Exodus 14:10). What a sight to behold. Hearts dropped and spirits sank under great dread. Absolutely powerless, nowhere to turn as the sea hedged them in; it was either drown or yield to their captors. It would have seemed to all human senses to remain captive under Egypt’s cruel hand than make the attempt to escape. Dreams short lived, now they face unspeakable wrath.  

Israel had resided in Egypt for 430 years. Their early years were prosperous until the second king of Egypt reversed that, from one of prosperity to oppression. Once those long centuries ended God brought unthinkable and unbelievable circumstances to pass. It was God’s perfect time to move His people on; everything was perfectly ripe for God to fulfil His promises. It was God Himself Who ordained Israel’s success – via Joseph – and their long captivity afterwards to greater prosperity; no longer was Israel to be a sub-nation but a nation like no other chosen and called by God.

Oftentimes we do not see perceive God’s ways; we have the tendency to view everything negatively when circumstances go the opposite way to what we initially anticipate. One of the most startling aspects of our Christian walk is when God moves us on it is not always an easy or comfortable path as we naturally presume. The romance of new beginnings can quickly be overshadowed by the reality of moving forward that entails facing new difficulties we didn’t calculate, and it is here where our perspectives either produce a lack of faith or reveals our mindset was wrong to begin with, but God knew that all along and being infinitely patient He grows us into walking aright with Him along new paths; God is in the midst of turning vision into reality. Before the reality in actuality of that vision comes the valley – the valley of being hammered into shape making us fit to live up to the vision. Those hammerings are far from comfortable. Moses being a prince of Egypt had to learn the next 40 years in the desert of what it was to become a nothing, and certainly in those years meekness was instilled into him. God’s call came to him when no confidence in his upbringing, abilities, ingenuity or prestigiousness had prominence; the wilderness years/decades had burned them out making him fit for use in the hands of God. God is the Great I AM and no human flesh in all their royalty can stand on such holy ground. Moses became little – as we all are – and God was seen to be omnipotent God. Those 40 years made Moses say, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11) – who am I in the light of I AM. Reality was seen in its right reversal. Such lessons would not have been learned in 40 days, and God knew exactly how long was needed as with every one of us.

The mission was initially overwhelming for Moses to where He believed he was not the one to deliver his own people; God indeed was the only One, and Moses knew full well that it was through God’s power alone that would set His people free. Above all being Moses’ people they were God’s. 

As well as it being a colossal call on Moses – new beginnings, it was also overwhelming new beginnings for all of Israel. The too-good-to-be-true scenario of being powerfully set free from the greatest earthly power were blessings inexpressible. A nation called out to freedom and establish their own nationality. Little did they know what testing’s would arise on their journey; they too had to encounter how powerless they really were without God, and it was through their long years in the desert that they came to understand themselves – iron-bent wills, unbelieving, uncircumcised in heart. God had to break them. The patience of God – with us all! 

Israel was being elevated to higher ground but not exactly in the way they anticipated. The first test occurred when they reached the Red Sea and could proceed no further. Israel eagerly looked to Moses for the next move. That was soon dashed when they suddenly noticed the Egyptians marching after them; not even Moses had answers straight away except an unshakeable confidence to wait upon God. Moses saw God; the Israelites saw the Egyptians in all their military prowess and great wrath as never before. The songs of deliverance soon turned to laments of death, “Moses has brought us out here to die… what have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt?” The desperation was so intense they had wished to remain under Pharaoh’s tyrannical rule, not break free only to incur greater suffering.

So much for the long awaited dream of being released from captivity; the dream came about but dread pervaded and overtook before the Egyptians actually reached them. Israel ‘threw in the towel’ and gave it all up, ignorant of the fact that God with a mighty hand had just released them. Moses did not relent but confidently stated, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will work for you today” (Exodus 14:13). Israel was frantic but Moses remained faithful.

It is hard to believe that after when God opened up the sea – literally made a dry path through the sea… what an awesome and eerie sight to witness – led Israel safely through to other side and behold Egypt’s fatal destruction, to know Israel would complain when faced with subsequent challenges. These challenges were serious; a lack of food and water – the imperative survival necessities or lowering the severities to where food was bland, dreary and dull. Israel reminisced over what they had in Egypt compared to the scarcity they encountered where abundance did not flourish. Let’s get real, a desert is far from sustaining life. Israel was longing for what they once had during their long years of slavery. We’ve heard it often said that, “It always looks greener on the other side of the fence”, but the Israelites were looking back over the fence to where they had just come from!Surely by now Israel should have learned the lesson after God wiped out their enemy before their very eyes; they were most certainly free; no enemy to dread. If God can overcome and destroy the most powerful nation in ways that are way beyond human capability, can He not also wondrously provide what else they needed? Logically, providing food and water would have required less effort on God’s part. How we all should have learned long ago, musing over the years God has been faithful to us, and yet we so easily sink back into despair and unbelief when difficulties beset us.

Why through the desert, why not a short cut? Such a great beginning of being released from captivity with imagination running wild at the prospects of prospering as a blessed nation, but then all of a sudden to embark upon a desert?! Why not travel through a luxurious pathway with comfortable resting places to abundantly feast, just like when we go on vacation hundreds/thousands of miles away but we stop off at a hotel half way to ease the journey? But no, Israel weren’t so fortunate in obtaining a five star ticket to journey to their incredible final destination. That would be like us winning a luxurious holiday in another country but you’ve got to walk there no matter what the weather conditions, and worse still – forget about a hotel or travel inn; oh no – you’ve just got a tent to erect and collapse each time you move on. And food? You’d be rationed with military style (MRE) and plain water for drinking – not cold, and you can forget about sparkling, or Coca-Cola or even a beer along the way. That’s pretty rough going, but you’ll have the means to survive for sure.

But why the less comfortable way for Israel? Here’s the hidden blessing: to rely upon God, to know Him, and to know Him caring for every one of their needs – their real needs. God was opening their eyes beyond the physical. If Israel was to overtake and subdue other surrounding nations, the lessons had to be learned in predicaments that were humanly impossible; God was to go before them and subdue nations; they were to go in the strength of Him alone, and there was no better way than a terrain that presented scenarios where they had to look to God EVERY step of the way.

They were heading toward the promised land, but in the meanwhile God was leading them through His way that would prepare their hearts. Initially they were in the making of that vision becoming a reality. Conditions were hard and they were tested to the hilt. Remember what the apostle Paul stated, “For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God“ (2 Corinthians 1:8-9). This – besides testing Israel to make known unto them the real condition of their hearts – was what God was after, a nation that solely relies upon Him and reflects His glory.

With God the journey is as every bit important as reaching the final destination. The will of God is in the now, not confined to some distant glorious end result. The world, ignorant of God, reasons this way. It took the Son of God to live 33 years before He accomplished the climax of being sent into this world; 30 years of preparation before He started His ministry to affect the entire cosmos in only 3 years!

God has His ways with us where He may have us stay where we are for numerous decades, years or just months – that entails where we live or work – but when it is time to move be sure that God will make it known just like He did with Israel along their journey  – “You have stayed long enough at this mountain. Turn and take your journey and go to the hill country…” (Deuteronomy 1:6-7)

When God opens doors or moves us on, that calling comes with unusual power and conviction, and oftentimes there is the romance of positive change that hardly takes into account difficulties that may lie before us; we tend to initially go in the flow of fairy tales – “and they lived happily ever after” where we enter a land and troubles have permanently ceased. Someone may be newly called to the mission field, a graduate from Bible college has entered a new pastorate, someone else has changed employment, or a work promotion has landed you with greater prospects.

When God elevates us to higher ground it is often not the way we anticipate.

New territory or responsibilities involves unfamiliarity either in vocation or environment. Oftentimes our comfort zones are blasted and the temptation is to look back on our previous security and wish for those familiar grounds. In reality such grounds produced stagnancy in our lives. We were no longer growing. Growth comes through stretching; to attain inevitably involves strain, and that can be uncomfortable. It is human nature in its fallenness to pursue and settle for ease. Growing initially reveals what we don’t know. Will we have the courage to press on? Growth entails pruning and we may feel bare at its initial onset. God is lopping – not merely trimming – those branches that will not bear fruit. It may entail a time of obscurity compared to when you were respected in your previous management role, but now you may feel insignificant among unfamiliar faces; no one recognises you in this new territory of your new routines or challenges. There may be times of becoming overwhelmed through being stretched at what feels beyond your limits – to the point you may be wondering if you have made the right decision in moving on. God’s doors opening are not always easy, but if HE ordains such ways you can be confident you shall come forth as gold. You may feel like Gideon who was called a mighty man of valour (warrior) by God even though Gideon felt the very opposite; God sees the end result of what you will become.

Especially in times of being overwhelmed, perturbed with unfamiliar challenges or feeling inadequate in your new role, this is actually the making of you. We learn and grow more through situations that don’t feel pleasant and reveal our weakness; they are the very opportunities to go to God. One of the worst ways in which to react in such predicaments is when we succumb to self pity or long for paths of the past where we felt at ease and heard the praise of others. It is an insult to God and are the symptoms of unbelief.

Most of what we fear actually frees us most – those daunting responsibilities that may cause us to run away from, that overwhelming sense of inadequacy, coupled with our weakness are in time discoveries of our real strengths and freedom. The very aspects we dread become embraced.

It is not so much you yourself developing as a person but that God has His way in conforming you to the image of His Son. It is not so much God prospering you but that the soul Christ has paid for mirrors His very image. We are His treasure, and His vision to what He has called us to be shall not be thwarted for we are His inheritance. Yield to God’s working hand through it all. He knows exactly what He is doing and He requires your implicit trust. Everything is working according to His counsel. The clouds that you now dread are about to break forth with blessings on your head, and when those blessings are realised in actuality remember that with God the best is always yet to be even on the best of our days.

God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea
and rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines
of never-failing skill;
He treasures up His bright designs,
and works His sov’reign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
the clouds ye so much dread
are big with mercy and shall break
in blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
but trust Him for His grace;
behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,
unfolding every hour;
the bud may have a bitter taste,
but sweet will be the flow’r.

Blind unbelief is sure to err,
and scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
and He will make it plain.

Hymn – ‘God Moves In A Mysterious Way’ by William Cowper – 1731- 1800