Day 4: The Way Of The Warrior - The Warrior's Journey®
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Day 4: The Way Of The Warrior

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THE WAY OF THE WARRIOR

The LORD is a man of war; the LORD is his name.  (Exod. 15:3 ESV)

In our devotions we have seen the Lord fighting.  First against Satan (Gen 3:15) thwarting his purposes.  Then we saw, that the Lord is willing to fight against us, as he did against Jacob, (Gen 32).  His intention is to bless us, not defeat us.  Next, we’ll see the Lord will fight for us.  The Lord is on our side…if we want.

In the book of Exodus, the Lord is fighting against Pharaoh and Egypt, to get Israel out of slavery.  Israel was in bondage for 400 years, and lost all spiritual perspective.  They knew Egyptian theology, a ‘nature’ religion.  Egyptian theology gave the things of nature, god-like status.  Ra, the sun god, or the Nile, the god that gave hydration and life.  It was a  theology, that perceived that life came from nature.

The Lord was going to defeat Pharaoh, who was considered a man/god. Pharaoh was doing horrible things to the Jewish people, killing their children (Exodus 1), and keeping the entire population as slaves: the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. (Exod. 2:23 ESV).  Israel was desperate for help and cried – they were in anguish!

The Lord sends a deliverer – Moses.  Moses assures the Israelites: The LORD will fight for you… (14:14).  The Lord performs ten miracles, or the ten plagues upon Egypt, proving he was able to do the miraculous (he flattens, the ‘nature gods’) and frees Israel.  First the Lord insists that Israel do something that will absolutely horrify the Egyptian people, they will have to kill an innocent lamb and spread its blood on the outside of their doorways!  (12:7) Barbarism, in Egyptians, minds!

Then, the Lord allows all the firstborn Egyptian humans and animals to die!  They were devastated.  Remember, they were not horrified when they killed Israelite babies, but when theirs, died, then came heartache.  The Lord is just, allowing their own justice to become their own consequences.

Well the Egyptians wanted the slaves to leave, and they were happy to go.  And the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle. (13:18). Israel left with all kinds of weaponry, and they even had attitude!  … while the people of Israel were going out defiantly. (14:8).  The Israelites thought they were tough stuff.

The Lord sends them into the wilderness, not into through the land route by the Mediterranean Sea (13:16).  What is God thinking?  He’s taking Israel on the toughest possible route!  The Lord will prove again that he will fight for his people.

The Israelites arrive at an impossible place – the Red Sea.  Then the entire Egyptian army comes swarming after them.  Pharaoh changed his mind, reconsidering, that after-all, he is a god too!  The Israelites’ attitude of defiance, surely is going to transform them into fearsome warriors, and they will turn and face the Egyptian onslaught – right?

The Israelites see their adversaries coming at them and squawk at – Moses! What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? (14:11).  Moses, you’re the problem…not the Egyptians!

Moses bravely tells them to be quiet!  And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. (14:13).

Moses, what is your plan?  Nothing.  Just, don’t be afraid and don’t do anything.

Moses, kind of looks at the Lord, and the Lord’s response is: The LORD said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. (14:15).  In other words: QUIT PRAYIN’ AND GET MOVIN’ – NOW!!  I’ve already given you directions – do it!

You know the rest of the story.  The Lord uses nature (proving nature is obedient to Him).  The Red Sea parts: And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. (14:22); then nature again obeys the Lord: The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen; of all the host of Pharaoh…not one of them remained. (14:28).  Complete annihilation.

So, nature becomes a protector of Israel, and obediently destroys the Egyptians.  Nature is morally neutral, God is not.  The Lord is omnipotent, even over the Egyptian gods, the most powerful nation in the world, at that time.  They abused Israel 400 years.

How are we to think of these historical narratives?  Is this just a nice legend, that is not meaningful for us in the 21st century?  Hardly.

These events prove that the Lord is willingly to intercede on your behalf.  He is willing to fight for you with overwhelming power to serve you.  He is your protector, thus you are free to be fearless.

You are to – get moving now!

The LORD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. The LORD is a man of war; the LORD is his name. (15:2, 3).

He is fighting for you – now! Accomplish the mission he has for you, through his strength, not your willpower.  We are just like the Israelites – timid, without him.  David says with the Lord: the God who equipped me with strength… (Ps. 18:32 ESV); For you equipped me with strength for the battle; you made those who rise against me sink under me. (18:39).

He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. (2 Sam. 22:35 ESV). He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me. (2 Sam. 22:20).

Believe it!

THE WARRIOR’S PRAYER

Dear Heavenly Father,

I feel desperation at times, since I am not fully victorious.  Father, I believe victory is a promise, but too often, I experience defeat by my own hand, rather than triumph through a life of faith.  Please, give me an added measure of faith, so I can honor you with my life, so you can be made much of, by my willingness to live sacrificially for you and others.

Give me this measure of faith, so I can be strong when I am weak, and then weak when I am strong.  Let me give out of sacrifice, rather than from abundance.  Let me experience gratefulness when I am disappointed, and disappointment when I’m not grateful.  Help me to lower myself, so I can be lifted up, and lift myself and bring others with me.  Help me to lose myself, so I help others find themselves, and help me to surrender myself, so others can achieve victory.  Help me to die to self, so others can find life in You.

I despair over my continued sin.  Help me to have success in looking to you, who purifies me.  Let my purity be a goal that others desire, and humble me so I can present them to the glory of you.  I desire to see you admired by all, then have them pursuing you with vigor. Grant me a vision, and a hope so I can implement your will in my life, by the power of your Spirit.

We pray this in Jesus’ name.  Amen.


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