God Can Turn Things Around

Then the LORD said to Moses,  “Tell the people to go back to Pi Hahiroth. Tell them to spend the night between Migdol and the Red Sea, near Baal Zephon.  Pharaoh will think that the Israelites are lost in the desert and that the people will have no place to go.  I will make Pharaoh brave, and he will chase you. But I will defeat Pharaoh and his army. This will bring honor to me. Then the people of Egypt will know that I am the LORD.” So the Israelites did what he told them. (Exodus 14:1-4 ERV)

 

Changing Israel’s Course (Exodus 14:1-4) 

On the journey God was faithful to provide the Israelites with a visible manifestation of His presence, protection, and guidance. The pillar, we are told, was constantly with them and never left (or failed) them. God continually gives His people evidences of His presence with them. 

 

With the pillar to guide the Israelites, one may wonder why it was necessary for God to speak to Moses concerning the leading of the people in verses 1-4 of chapter 14. There is a very good reason, I believe. Moses was to bring about a “change of course” for the Israelites, one that would greatly perplex the people without an explanation. The Israelites were instructed to “turn back” and to camp near Pi Hahioroth, between Migdol and the sea.

 

Had the pillar of cloud moved in this direction without any word from God, the people may have been inclined to disregard it. They might have thought that the pillar needed repair. There are several reasons why God’s instructions were required to assure the Israelites that the new course which the pillar would set were correct, even though perplexing. 

First, the Israelites were going to “turn back,” that is, to reverse their direction. Why in the world would they possibly retrace their steps backwards? Instead of fleeing from Pharaoh, it might look as though they were making it easy for him to catch up with them.

Second, the course which they were about to take would be one that would place them in a very dangerous position.

Through Moses, God ordered a change of direction which to many Israelites must have seemed strange and indeed risky, for their course was to turn in a southwesterly direction which in a short time would place great bodies of water between themselves and the Sinai peninsula to the east.

It didn’t take a military genius to figure out that what the Israelites were doing was to put themselves in a very vulnerable position, trapped, between natural barriers. Were Pharaoh to pursue them, they would be in a bunch of trouble. God explained through Moses that this change of course was indeed intended to encourage Pharaoh’s pursuit. Pharaoh, God knew, would think that the Israelites were miserably lost or misguided, and that recovering them as a work force would be like “taking candy from a baby.”   Pharaoh’s attack would result in his defeat, to the glory of God (v. 4).

 

Changing Pharaoh's Mind (Exodus 14:5-9)

From what we are told in these verses, Pharaoh was ready for any sign of hope that he might recover the slave labor which he had released. Shortly after the Israelites had departed, Pharaoh and his officials had second thoughts about the wisdom of releasing this valuable economic resource—slave labor (v. 5). Pharaoh mustered his entire division of chariots and went after them in hot pursuit, six hundred chariots in all (v. 6). Pharaoh’s decision was not only hard-hearted, it was hard headed. Six hundred chariots (with 2, or at the most 3 men per chariot) would hardly seem to be a match for 600,000 men. 

 

First, we are not told anywhere that the Egyptians knew that they were entering into the sea. We are told that they entered the sea (v. 23), but it is not specifically reported that they knew this was the case.

 

Second, the time of the passing through the sea (for both the Israelites and the Egyptians) was late at night (cf. 14:20, 24,27).

Third, the pillar which gave light to the Israelites, produced or promoted darkness for the Egyptians (v. 20). True, the Israelites could see the sea in the light provided by the pillar, but could the Egyptians?

Fourth, it would seem highly unlikely that the Egyptians would enter into the sea, knowing that God had parted it for His people.

Fifth, the Egyptians appear to be guided only by the Israelites. The Egyptians were in hot pursuit. Where the Israelites went, the Egyptians followed. (It wouldn’t be difficult to follow the tracks of 2 million people, now would it?) The Egyptians were concentrating on the object of their pursuit (the Israelites), not the scenery around them. You tend not to see what you are not looking for.

Sixth, since the seabed had become dry ground, there would be no particular evidence that the Egyptians were in the midst of the sea. If, perchance, my speculations here are correct, can you imagine the horror of the Egyptians when they first realized where they were? They really did get in “over their heads” this time.

In the morning watch, which is known to be from 2 a.m. till dawn, God looked down from the pillar of fire and brought confusion to the Egyptian troops (v. 24). This was brought about by causing the wheels of their chariots either to fall off, to swerve, or to sink into the sands, which may now be wet. The poetic description of Psalm 77 seems to inform us that the occasion for the confusion was a thunderstorm:

“I Samuel 11:11 also mentions this, the last of the three watches, from 2 a.m. to dawn, about 6 a.m. This, the darkest hour before the dawn, was traditionally the time for attack, when men’s spirits are at their lowest.”

~Bits and Pieces of  the Red Sea Study By Bob Deffinbaugh

Just as God turned around the situation with the Isrealites,  He can turn your situation around for good.

Ask God to turn things around for you in remarkable ways. Never underestimate God's ability to turn around your own feelings of gloom, discouragement or despair by His omnipotent power.

Ask God to help you to be more optimistic while believing He will somehow turn things around with His sovereign power for what is best.

Ask God to help you out of your ruts of unbelief.

Ask the Lord to teach you how to rejoice even in sorrowful conditions. God promises to turn all things around for good - in all conditions.

Ask the Lord to help you to stay in such close communion with Jesus that you can remember His overcoming example.

Ask the Lord to help you find those strategic turning points where your church and members can experience God’s power to turn their lives toward a brighter path.

Ask the Lord to help you start to expect how He will turn things around for the best instead of fretting about the worst.

Thank God for all the ways He has turned around bad things into good even in your own experiences. God is in the business of turning people from the worst to first like the apostle Paul.

~Bits and Pieces of How God Turns Things Around For Our Good by Paul Fritz
 
LORD, I sing to you for you are highly exalted. You are my strength and my song; you have become my salvation. You are my God, and I will praise you, my father’s God, and I exalt you. LORD, you are a warrior; the LORD, Jehovah, is your name. You have overthrown my enemies, deep waters have covered them; they sank to the depths like a stone. Your right hand, O LORD, is majestic in power and shatters the enemy. In the greatness of your majesty you have thrown down those who oppose me. Thank you for the victory in Jesus’ Mighty Name. Amen.  ~Prayers that Avail Much