Yesterday in children’s Bible class, we reviewed the first fifteen chapters of Exodus. (!) As I watched the children reenact crossing the Red Sea, it occurred to me that I was asking them to believe the impossible. I was telling them that an ancient document claimed that there is a God in Heaven who is involved in human history in miraculous ways that escape our capacity to explain. But isn’t that the filter God uses to display who are his own? If it were easy to believe, everyone would. Only some of us will step beyond our own intellect, our own feelings, our own history, and fall down in worship before the Mighty One. Only some of us will throw ourselves humbly at his feet begging for his supernatural help. Others will retreat into the material realm of what’s possible and what isn’t, or the existential realm of making a god that has their own values, their methods, their opinions, and their own feelings. (That one is way too small for my problems.). Others will simply ignore the possibility of a Being beyond themselves hoping to find all they need within themselves. (I happen to know I don’t have enough to meet all my own needs.)
Before the miracle of crossing the sea on dry ground, God’s people experienced the first three miraculous plagues in Egypt. God could have spared them from all ten nasty plagues. But perhaps they needed to see his power so they would revere him as their God. After all, they had been surrounded by pagan practices for 430 years. Or perhaps they needed to experience those three plagues so they could appreciate being spared the rest of the plagues. Sometimes we take too much for granted!
After the Red Sea crossing, why did God allow the water to be bitter when they arrived hot and thirsty from three waterless days in the desert? God had every intention of providing water for them, so why did he make them wait? He was testing them to see if they’d trust him. They didn’t. He was showing them that they had every reason to believe he’d take care of them, but their faith was weak. God would have to keep training them to have faith through bad circumstances. He was teaching them so that they would trust him to give them the land promised to them. But they arrived at the border of the land still lacking in faith and refused to trust that God would keep his word to give them the land. Instead, they relied on physical evidence to the contrary. They looked at the seemingly impossible situation with fortified cities and giants, evaluating it by human standards. Too difficult. Not going to try. They still hadn’t learned to see their situation from the viewpoint of faith. Yes, it’s humanly impossible, but with God, it’s possible.
“If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.” Joshua and Caleb
“But the whole assembly talked about stoning them. Then the glory of the Lord appeared at the tent of meeting to all the Israelites. The Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the signs I have performed among them?” Numbers 14:8-11
It would have been humanly impossible to convince the Egyptian government to allow the entire slave workforce to leave the country. It was humanly impossible to escape Pharoah’s army. It was humanly impossible to get enough water and food for millions of people and animals in the barren desert. It was humanly impossible to organize and govern millions of slaves who had never exercised self-discipline or made their own decisions. It was humanly impossible to navigate a course through the trackless wilderness. It was humanly impossible to shield millions of people and animals from the harsh desert sun or provide illumination for nighttime travel. It was impossible.
“All this may seem impossible to you now. . . But is it impossible for me? says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.” Zechariah 8:6
And this is exactly where God loves to operate- in the realm of the impossible. Otherwise, we would be convinced that we accomplished it ourselves because we worked hard enough, planned well enough, were smart enough, convincing enough, resourceful enough, brave enough, determined enough, or lucky enough to do the impossible. But he wants us to see his hand coming to our aid, his plan unfolding, his power displayed, his caring heart providing for us. Although his people admitted that neither they nor Moses could give them what they needed, they didn’t take the step of faith to believe God was going to provide. Like us, they panicked, they got dramatic- ‘we’re all going to die!’, they threatened their leadership, and they gave up. This scene repeated itself. But God wasn’t being mean. He was teaching them his faithful, powerful care for them. He showed them over and over that he would provide for them. But they kept doubting his intentions. They kept panicking, complaining, and threatening to go back to slavery. They saw plenty of huge problems, but they refused to see their even bigger God. It reminds me of a children’s song we taught our kids. “My God is so big, so strong, and so mighty. There’s nothing my God cannot do.” But if we’re honest, this is a lifetime lesson we’re learning. Every difficulty tempts us to panic, to lose heart, to blame others. But every difficulty is an opportunity to put our trust in God and watch him do the impossible.
Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.” Mark 10:27
So is the God of the Bible an egotistical bully throwing his weight around, demanding obedience, and keeping track of who fails? No. If we read the Bible with eyes of faith, we see a powerful, but kind Father who keeps patiently coaxing people to put their trust in him when they’re facing difficulties. He’s eager to show them that he will provide for them and that he wants them to come near. He’s willing to prove himself. He’s willing to forgive. To give second chances. He’s even willing to give us the faith we don’t yet have.
“Come now, let’s settle this,”
says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
I will make them as white as snow.” Isaiah 1:18
“Return to the Lord your God,
for he is merciful and compassionate,
slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
He is eager to relent and not punish.
so we can get to know him better.” Joel 2:13
“God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.” Ephesians 2:8
So the next time you hear someone ripping the Bible apart as grossly inaccurate and unscientific, or simply dismissing it as an outdated, irrelevant book. Or interesting literature full of myths. Or you hear someone making up a Jesus other than the one in the Bible. Remember, if we rely on our own capacities, we won’t find God. He shows himself beautiful to those with humble hearts and bended knees who acknowledge their needs and his sole ability to meet them.
“And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.” Hebrews 11:6
Clinging to and treasuring -My God IS so big, so strong, so mighty, there is nothing MY GOD cannot do.
It is settled.
Yes! It is settled and that settles me.