SPECTACULAR MEANS OF DELIVERANCE

"And the Lord said unto Moses... go forward... And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went before their face, and stood behind them" (Exo 14:15,19).

Is it not an astonishing paradox that after the Lord commanded Moses and His people to go forward, the angel of His presence and the pillar of cloud went behind! Thank God, our God is a God of harmony and there is no contradiction in Him or in His Word.

When we meditate on this wonderful text we marvel at the matchless providence and protection of God for His people. Of all the troubles and problems that the Israelites had to face, this was the most crucial. And of all the means employed by God to deliver His people, this was the most spectacular.

Pharaoh and his hosts were following hard after the children of Israel but God had ordained that they should no more be a terror to His people. Their end was to be a watery grave, while those same waters were a wall of protection to His people on either side. The angel of God and the pillar of cloud that had previously gone before them, now went behind them, not because God had forsaken them (as they may well have feared), but because God loved them, and wanted to prevent the Egyptians from overtaking them. The same pillar of cloud which brought darkness upon the enemy, brought light to God's people throughout the night.

Similarly, dear reader, the very things which appear to be troublesome are indeed a blessing to God's people! All things may not appear good to us, but 'all things work together for good to them that love God.'

"His eyes foresee our greatest good

While we at best are weak
And thus in wisdom He withholds
The boon that we often seek.
And yet His all-sufficient grace
He bids me freely share;
And in a way we little know
The Lord will answer prayer."

- Late Pas T.U.Thomas in "Morning Manna"