Exodus 14:8-9
[8] And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with an high hand.
[9] But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pi-hahiroth, before Baal-zephon.
Pharaoh’s pursuit of Israel is a very good representation of how evil forces in our lives pursue us today.
Luke 22:31
[31] And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
Jesus even was saying to Peter during His life on earth that Satan desired to have them. The word “have” is a very strong word when it comes to the ownership of your life or soul.
Exodus 14:21-22
[21] And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.
[22] And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.
The opening of the Red Sea when compared to today is a good comparison to the hindrances in our life being removed.
Luke 23:34
[34] And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.
The way was completely made when Jesus made the sacrifice for us; it was made for our deliverance. How powerful were the words “Father, forgive them”? It immediately remitted our sins and provided the way we know today!
Exodus 14:19-20
[19] And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:
[20] And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.
Reading about the pillar of cloud and fire reminds me of the divine presence of God that is with us now!
Acts 2:17-21
[17] And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God,I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
[18] And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
[19] And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
[20] The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:
[21] And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
His presence is still with us! So what do we begin to do about our hindrances? How different are we than these we read of here?
Exodus 12:38
[38] And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle.
The mixed multitudes demonstrated then what we would know as the worldly element that is present in a church without the leadership of God in it.
Exodus 16:3
[3] And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.
The flesh pots get right down to where we are with our sensual pleasures of life. Dependency on sin can be a direct hindrance, whether we choose to acknowledge that or not. So what do we have to overcome our hindrances?
Exodus 16:4
[4] Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.
The manna here for them is our representation of Jesus Christ to us today; for He is the bread of life to us as He is in us each and every day.
Exodus 17:6
[6] Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.
The water from the rock was refreshing then, but how much more is the refreshment of knowing that we still have access to the living water through Christ!
1 Corinthians 10:4
[4] And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
When reading that they drank of the Rock, the Rock here to me is what we base our faith and beliefs upon; that Jesus came and died so that we could have life and it more abundantly!