The Light of Christ Journey

Obedience reveals God’s glory. To obey God, one must trust Him. Obedience requires humility in that we put God’s will above our own. God has His reasons for His instructions. He has a plan, and our obedience brings blessings. Deuteronomy 28: ² You will experience all these blessings if you obey the Lord your God. ^[1] Even Jesus promised blessings for our obedience. Luke 11: ²⁸ Jesus replied, “But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice.^[2]

God had a plan for the nation of Israel as they left Egypt. He could certainly have stopped Pharaoh’s army before they chased after Israel, but He chose not to. God had a plan to demonstrate His glory to both Egypt and Israel through this attack.

God’s Glory Revealed in the Crossing of the Red Sea

The story of Israel’s escape from Egypt through the miracle of the parting of the Red Sea is told in Exodus 14. There God tells the reason for this plan three times:

Exodus 14: ^4bI have planned this in order to display my glory through Pharaoh and his whole army. After this the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord!”^[3]

Exodus 14:^17b My great glory will be displayed through Pharaoh and his troops, his chariots, and his charioteers. ¹⁸ When my glory is displayed through them, all Egypt will see my glory and know that I am the Lord!” ^[4]

Exodus 14: ³¹ When the people of Israel saw the mighty power that the Lord had unleashed against the Egyptians, they were filled with awe before him. They put their faith in the Lord and in his servant Moses. ^[5]

The Redemption Event of God’s People

Israel’s obedience to God’s instructions allowed His glory to be seen. Not only did God reveal His glory to Egypt, but also to Israel. They were in awe of what God could do, which increased their faith. All who saw or heard of this event realized that the God of Israel was the Lord. The crossing of the Red Sea is seen as a turning point in Israel’s history. God brought them out of cruel slavery to their own land. This event foreshadowed how Jesus’ obedience would bring us out of our slavery to sin.

Philippians 2:^7b When he (Jesus) appeared in human form, ⁸ he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. ^[6] Romans 5: ¹⁸ Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone… So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. ^[7]

Just as the Red Sea was a turning point in the Old Testament, Jesus’ work on the cross is the turning point of the New Testament. As believers, we can have a renewed relationship with God for eternity. To learn more about how obedience reveals God’s glory, listen here:

https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/trusting-god-in-the-transition

---

^[1-7] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation . Tyndale House Publishers.