The People Who Couldn't Go Backwards

The People Who Couldn't Go Backwards

Moses and the Hebrew people were free at last. They followed the cloud by day. And they followed the pillar of fire by night. When the cloud stopped - they stopped. And they weren't afraid. They knew that God was with them. They followed that cloud across the desert. They followed it right to the edge of the Red Sea. And then they stopped. In front of them was the Red Sea. On both sides of them were big mountains. There was no place to go but BACKWARDS. But still they weren't afraid. They weren't afraid until -

At first it was just a rumble, like distant thunder. And then it got louder. And then -

"It isn't thunder," shouted their guards.

"It's the rumble of chariot wheels!" And the people scrambled out of their tents to listen. The rumble grew louder. "It's the Egyptians!" they cried. "The wicked Pharaoh has changed his mind again!" And they climbed up on rocks at the foot of the mountains to see better. "It IS Pharaoh!" they shouted. "And all his soldiers! They're coming after us!" And the people gathered around Moses.

"What shall we DO?" they asked him. "There is no place to RUN!"

"Don't be afraid," said Moses, and he looked toward the rumbling and saw the soldiers coming, like specks in the distance. "God will take care of us," he said, and he looked at the mountains on both sides. "He will show us what to do," he said, and he looked at the Red Sea. And then he asked God what to do.

"Lift up your rod," God told Moses, "and stretch it out toward the Red Sea." The people watched, while Moses did it. And as they watched, they saw that the big pillar of cloud was - MOVING. They watched it as it moved around, around, around - BEHIND them. They waited. It didn't move again. There it stayed - between them and the Egyptians. "The Egyptians can't get through to us," they said, "but there still isn't any place to RUN."

"Don't be afraid," said Moses. And he did what God had told him to do. He stretched his rod over the sea, and -

Wishhhhhhhh - the wind began to blow. It blew and BLEW and the waters began to pile up and UP until they divided into two great WALLS of water with a path right through the middle of the sea!

There WAS a place to run, after all! And run they did. They scrambled and scurried and drove their sheep and cattle ahead and pulled their carts and wagons - right through the middle of the sea, until they were safe on the other side.

And then they looked back.

The cloud had lifted, and the Egyptians were coming - down to the edge of the water, and through the path, and through the sea - right after them!

Moses acted quickly. As soon as all the Hebrew people were safely across, he stretched out his rod again -


	And with a mighty ROAR the waters came tumbling,


	swirling, foaming, back again to cover the path -


	and the Egyptians disappeared into the sea!

It was all over. The Hebrew people were safe again. Safe from the Egyptians. And the wicked Pharaoh. They gathered there on the shore and thanked God.

Even with the sea in front and the mountains on both sides and the Egyptians in back - God had watched over them every minute.

THINK!

Can you think of any time in your life when things looked absolutely HOPELESS and then, the VERY LAST MINUTE, something happened to make it turn out all right? Do you suppose God had anything to do with it? Did you remember to thank God?

A VERSE TO LEARN

"With God all things are possible" (Matthew 19: 26).