??Passover night! What a night to remember!! For many Hebrew children about your age, it was the most exciting night of their lives! After all, whoever was in a big parade in the middle of the night？About 2 million Hebrews：old, young, children, babies all were forming a parade to leave the land of Egypt that Passover night, and in the wee hours of the morning they were marching to the orders of their leader Moses. Free at last! A wonderful new land lay ahead of them, which God had promised would be their new home.
??For the children it was probably a grand adventure! They would be sitting around campfires at night, sleeping in tents, what fun! But wait! How would they know where to go？There were no maps, no highway signs, in fact, no highway! Not to worry! Exodus 13：21 says, And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light. A pillar is like a big column of cloud. What a comfort it must have been to the Hebrew people to look at that cloud ahead of them, reminding them of God’s presence with them! When the cloud stopped, Moses would stop the people, and there they would camp for hours, for days or even for weeks, until the cloud moved again.
??God showed His love and care for them in so many ways. Exodus 13：17-18 says, God did not lead them through the land of the Philistines, although that was nearer, for God said, The people are not ready for war with the Philistines, they would be afraid and turn back. But God led the people about through the way of the wilderness of the Red Sea. How wise and perfect and loving our God is! Did you know that’s just the way He loves and cares for you, boys and girls？As your Creator, He knows when you are afraid, or lonely, or confused. Jeremiah 31：3 says, I have loved thee with an everlasting love. God loves you, just as He did His Hebrew people back then!
??God not only loves us, but He already knows everything that is going to happen to us. In His great wisdom, He could see exactly what was about to happen to the Hebrew people! Danger ahead! But God is always ahead of the danger! He warned Moses that Pharaoh would change his mind and come after them in the wilderness to try to take the Hebrew people back as slaves.
??Can you believe it？After all those terrible things God had brought upon Egypt, including the death of Pharaoh’s own son, yet still Pharaoh hardened his heart even more! Do you know what caused his heart to be so hardened？It was sin, the same thing that causes our hearts to be more and more hard. The more you lie, the easier it is to lie. The more you steal, the harder your conscience becomes about stealing. Don’t be like Pharaoh who hardened his heart by continuing to sin. He said to himself, “Why have we done this, why did we let Israel go from serving us？” He wanted his 2 million slaves back working for him, so he got his chariot ready, rounded up his army, and off they went in a cloud of dust to overtake the Hebrews.
??Perhaps it was that cloud of dust the Hebrews first noticed, as they were camped by the Red Sea. Then to their horror, they realized what it was! They cried out in fear and panic! With loud cries, they began to complain to Moses, “You brought us out here to die in the wilderness!”
??Boys and girls, the Hebrew people were forgetting something very important! What？God was in control! The pillar of cloud was right there to remind them! If you know the Lord Jesus as your Saviour, even though you can’t see a pillar of cloud guiding you, remember God is in control of your life! Sometimes things happen that sure make your life seem out of control, like storms or floods. Sometimes people we love become sick and die. Parents lose their jobs, families sometimes lose their homes. Where is God when bad things happen？Very calmly He sits in control.
??The Hebrew people had forgotten that, but Moses hadn’t. He said with confidence, “Don’t be afraid! Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will show you today：for the Egyptians that you see today you will see again no more forever. The Lord will fight for you!”
??God told Moses to tell the people to go on toward the Red Sea. As they did, the pillar of cloud did a strange thing. It suddenly went from before the people and stood behind them, between them and the Egyptian army. Exodus 14：19 says that the angel of God also removed and went behind them. The pillar of cloud became darkness to the Egyptian army, and yet on the Hebrew side it gave light to the people! What miracles of God to protect His people! The darkness kept the Egyptian army from being able to come near the Hebrew people all night.
??Then God commanded Moses to stretch out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, so that there was a path of dry ground between two mighty walls of water. The Hebrew people began their walk through the Red Sea on an instant highway!
??While those almost 2 million people are walking through the Red Sea, let’s think about something. Our God not only rules over people, but He rules over all of nature! Even the sea is under His control. The natural laws of gravity and current are under His control! If you have believed on the Lord Jesus, you are His child, remember He is in control of your life! You may panic when something dangerous, or painful is happening, but you can trust and remember God is in control. The Israelites were surely seeing God in control, as they saw the mighty walls of sea water on each side of them, held back by the awesome, invisible power of God.
??Finally, the last little Hebrew was on the other side of the Red Sea! But oh, no! Look! The Egyptians have chased the Hebrews, and come right in after them and there they are in the middle of the sea, driving their chariots as fast and furiously as they can!
??But wait, let’s remind ourselves, Who is in control？??In the early morning, the LORD looked down and began to make more trouble for the Egyptians! He took off their chariot wheels, so that the horses were dragging those heavy chariots with no wheels! Too late! Too late the Egyptians acknowledged the LORD in all this. They said, “Let us run back! for the LORD is fighting for the Hebrews against us!”
??Too late! Those are two very sad words. The Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea that the waters may come again.” So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its raging strength. Even though the Egyptian army raced against the water, it was too late. The entire Egyptian army - men, chariots, and horses- were destroyed in the sea!! Too late they learned the true and living God is in control!
??Exodus chapter 14 ends with this：And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians; and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses. Later Moses and his sister Miriam led the people to sing joyous praises to the LORD for His care of them. They realized God had been in control even when they could not understand! He was working all things for their good!
??逾越节的夜晚！ 一个多么值得纪念的晚上！ 对于许多年龄象你们这么大的以色列孩子来说，这是他们一生中最兴奋的一夜。那么，在这半夜中行进的浩浩荡荡的队伍中都有谁呢？有 二百万以色列人：老年人，青年人的，小孩子，和婴儿，他们组成了一个浩浩荡荡的行进大军， 在逾越节的夜晚，他们启程离开了埃及。一大早，他们按照首领摩西的吩咐，开始前进。 终于自由了！ 一块美好的土地正在他们前面， 那就是神应许给他们的新家。
??对于孩子们来说，这可能是一个令人兴奋的冒险！ 他们可以在夜晚围绕在营火旁，睡在帐篷里，多有意思！ 他们怎么会知道他们要去那里呢？没有地图，路上也没有标志，实际上，根本就没有什么大路！ 不用担心！ 出埃及记13：21节告诉我们：白天，神在云柱中领他们的路，晚上，神在火柱中光照他们。哇！云彩象柱子一样！以色列人看见云彩在他们前面，他们就知道神与他们同在，这是一个多么大的安慰！当云彩停下来，摩西就吩咐以色列百姓停下来，他们就安营住下，有时几小时，有时几天，甚至几星期，直到云彩又开始动起来。
??神实在是以各种方式来显明他的慈爱和看顾。出埃及记第13章17-18节说：法老容百姓去的时候，非利士地的道路虽近，神却不领他们从那里走，因为神说，“恐怕百姓遇见打仗后悔，就回埃及去” 所以神领百姓绕道而行，走红海旷野的路。我们的神是多么有智慧，又慈爱的一位神！ 小朋友们，你们知道吗？神也是同样爱你们。他是创造你的神，他知道你什么时候害怕，什么时候孤单，什么时候慌乱。 耶利米书第31章第3节讲到神说“我以永远的爱爱你。”神爱你，正象他从前爱他的以色列百姓一样。
??神不仅爱我们，他也知道每一件要临到我们身上的事。在神伟大的智慧里，他知道以色列百姓即将面临的事：就是前面的危险。但是神总是走在危险的前面！他警告摩西埃及法老又要改变主意，到旷野去追赶他们，要把他们带回埃及做奴隶。
??真是让人难以相信！神在埃及降下这么多的灾难，连法老的儿子也死了，可是他竟然还硬着心肠！你知道是什么使他的心如此刚硬吗？是他的罪！罪也使我们的心越来越硬。你越说谎，就越容易说谎。你越偷东西，你的良心就会越刚硬。不要象法老一样不断地犯罪使心肠越来越硬。他对自己说：“我们容以色列人去不再服侍我们，这做的是什么事呢？”他想让这二百万奴隶继续服侍他们。于是法老就预备他的车辆，带领军兵同去，他们赶紧追赶以色列人，把地上的尘土卷起来就象天上的云一样。
??当以色列人在红海边安营的时候，他们注意到远处尘土飞扬。就惊恐地意识到那是什么！他们害怕地惊叫起来！他们开始向摩西抱怨说：“你把我们带来死在旷野吗？”
??小朋友们，以色列人在这个时候忘记了一件非常重要的事情！是什么呢？就是一切事都在神的掌握之中！在他们前面带领他们的云柱就是在提醒他们。如果你知道主耶稣是你的救主，虽然你看不见云柱在带领你，但要记住，是神在掌管你生活中的一切！有时，你生活中发生的一些事使你觉得乱了套，比如遇见风暴，洪水。有时我们所爱的人生病甚至死亡。父母失去工作，家庭失去他们的房子。当这些事情发生的时候，神在哪里呢？记住神在镇定地掌管一切！
??以色列人忘记了这些，可是摩西没有。他镇静地说：“不要惧怕只管站住，看神今天向你们所要施行的救恩。因为，你们今天所看见的埃及人，以后必永远不再看见了。神必为你们争战！”
??神让摩西告诉百姓向红海进发。当他们这样做的时候，一件奇怪的事情发生了。云柱从他们前边转到他们后边立住，把埃及人和以色列人隔开。出埃及记第14章19节说：“在以色列营前行走神的使者，转到他们后边去。”云柱使埃及军队那边成为黑暗，却对着以色列人这一边发光！神行了一个多么大的神迹来保护他的百姓！ 黑暗使埃及军队整整一夜不得靠近以色列人这一边。
??然后，神吩咐摩西举手向红海伸杖，神便用大东风，使海水一夜退去，水便分开，海就成了干地。 水在他们的左右作了高墙。以色列人开始踩着这条大道过红海。当这二百万人过红海的时候，让我们来思想一些事情。我们的神不仅掌管世人，他也掌管自然界！甚至连海也听他的。自然界里的重力和水流也在神的掌管底下。如果你已经相信了主耶稣，你就是他的孩子，记住，是神在掌管你生活中的一切！当危险或痛苦的事情发生的时候，你可能会惊慌，但是你可以相信并记住神在掌管一切！当红海的水被神那看不见的大能分开的时候，以色列人当然看见是神在掌管一切！
??最后，以色列人都过了红海。噢，不！埃及人追了上来。法老一切的马匹、车辆和马兵都跟着下到海中。他们把车辆赶得飞快。等等，让我们提醒自己，是谁在掌管一切？??到了早晨的时候，神向埃及的军兵观看，使埃及的军兵混乱了。又使他们的车轮脱落，他们的马拉着没有车轮的车，难以行走。 太晚了！当埃及人意识到神在这一切的事情当中的时候，已经太晚了！埃及人说， “我们从以色列人面前逃跑吧！因神为他们攻击我们了。”太晚了！这实在是很悲哀的几个字。神对摩西说：“你向海伸杖，叫水合上。”摩西就向海伸杖，海水仍旧复原。虽然埃及人避水逃跑，但是太晚了。海水回流，那些跟着以色列人下海的全部车辆和马兵。都被淹没在海里。当埃及人终于认识到神是又真又活的神的时候，已经太晚了！
??出埃及记第14章以下面这句话结束：“以色列人看见神向埃及人所行的大事，就敬畏神，又信服他和他的仆人摩西。”后来，摩西和他的姐姐米利暗带领以色列人向神歌唱，歌颂神对他们的看顾。 他们认识到神实在是在掌管一切！神使万事效力是为了他们的好处。
??如果你还没有成为神的孩子，请记住在今天的故事中，当埃及人真的认识神的时候已经太晚了。为什么不现在就去认识他呢？请去读“怎样成为神的孩子”的网页，那里告诉你怎样可以今天就成为神的孩子。 |