We are very blessed to have access to God's precious Word! He has inspired all Scripture for us, and yet we often take this for granted. When we do not read the Bible or apply its lessons, we repeat the mistakes of the past.
For example, God's chosen people today (spiritual Israel) can learn from the history of God's chosen nation (physical Israel). Let's consider two lessons that we can learn from the children of Israel.
Christ Leads His People
At the end of their slavery, ancient Israel witnessed God's awesome power through the 10 plagues. Afterwards, as they marched out of Egypt, the Israelites followed God in a pillar of fire (Exodus 13:18, 21). A short while later, with the Egyptian army pursuing them, the Israelites were trapped at the Red Sea and afraid for their lives. They said to Moses, "Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness?" (Exodus 14:11).
An important lesson from the Exodus is to remember that Christ, not man, is leading His people (Ephesians 5:23). It seems amazing that God's chosen nation could complain and fear for their lives, so soon after witnessing miracles and experiencing freedom. The Israelites quickly forgot that it was God leading them to the Red Sea, not Moses. Today, if Christians don't continue to draw near to God and keep their vision on Him, then we will also forget that Christ is the One leading us and that He will not forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6).
Trust God
Another vital point to glean from these same events is to learn to trust God in everything, including our safety and direction. The Israelites saw many great miracles expressing God's love and power, yet their actions showed their lack of faith. As children of God, are we willing to trust that Our Father cannot lie and that He will fulfill His promises (Titus 1:2)?
Prior to Christ's second coming, God will lead His chosen people out of this sinful world (like the Exodus) and guide His children to a place of safety (like the Promised Land). Satan will pursue the followers of God (like the Egyptian army), yet God will protect us from our enemy and provide a way of escape.
God's desire for all of us is to learn from the lessons of the past and to wholeheartedly trust and obey Him! If we are building faith now, then when our "Red Sea trial" comes along, we will trust God to lead us through it (Psalm 9:10).
The Bible reveals how to learn from the past. As spiritual Israel, may we never forget that Jesus Christ is leading us and that He deserves our full trust! UN
