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By Susan Srock

Did you ever hear something that just took a place in your heart and wouldn’t let it go? Maybe a line in a song, or book, or sermon that just hung around for future pondering.

A long time ago, and I’m talking 30 years, maybe, I heard just such a line in a sermon presented to our church by an evangelist. I don’t remember his name, can’t describe him, don’t remember all of those revival messages…but this one line has stuck with me all of these years.

“Don’t revive the dead Egyptians.”

Let’s look at some verses in Exodus.

Exodus 14:10-14

And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the Lord.
And they said unto Moses, because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? Wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?

Now let’s get some perspective here. The children of Israel just left Egypt. In the last few weeks they have seen great things. They had water when the Egyptians had blood. Their homes were pest free when across the street the houses were infested with flies, frogs, lice, and grasshoppers. They had light when the rest of the country was cloaked in darkness. When they left Egypt behind them went out with rejoicing. They went out with riches. They went out with hope.

But…the Egyptians followed them. Do you think the angry horde behind them took God by surprise? Do you think God didn’t have a plan? Do you think if God wanted to destroy these people, He would have bothered to perform the miracles listed above? I don’t, but I think they did.

Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.
So the cried out to Moses and had a prayer meeting on the shores of the red sea.
And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will show to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more forever. The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

And we know the rest of the story. God made a path through the sea and used the same path as a trap for the Egyptians. The water covered the enemy and by dawn’s light, the shore was littered with drowned Egyptians. The Israelites prayed for deliverance, received deliverance, and walked away from their problems and their enemies. Not a single drowned Egyptian received CPR or Mouth to mouth.

What problems are you praying about this week? When God answers that prayer will you be able to walk away, or will you linger on the beach?

“Don’t revive the dead Egyptians.”

Sharon Srock
The Women of Valley View. Ordinary women using their faith to do extraordinary things.