Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Day 21 - Deut 20:1-2 & Ex 14:31

Do not Fear
Deuteronomy 20:1-2 - “When you go out to war against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and an army larger than your own, you shall not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.

God names the things that can cause fear. Enemies can cause fear. Horses and chariots give the enemies advantage and intimidation. Having a larger enemy brings dread. But God's command therefore our response is that we would not be afraid of them. The reason we should not be afraid is because the Lord (the God of the Hebrews, the God over all people, the creator, the judge, the ruler of all) your God (a personal God who loved them and cared for them) is with them. Moses reflects back on his the proof of this which is that he brought them out of Egypt. What should cause us fear? Nothing. The God of all Gods who is your God is with you.

Fear God

Exodus 14:31 -Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses.

This shows that fear comes when we see the great power of God, but knowing how this story ended, that fear can be forgotten and lost. When we fear the Lord properly, it leads to belief. When we believe, we obey.