Relying on Horses?

-



Scripture

Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help And rely on horses, And trust in chariots because they are many And in horsemen because they are very strong, But they do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek the LORD!
(Isaiah 31:1 NASB)

 

Observation


The military strength of the day was found in horses and chariots. How was any country expected to succeed in battle if they did not have horses and chariots? Of course it was also necessary to have men who could handle the horses and the chariots and so a leader wanted numerous horsemen as well. The problem was that the Israelites had gone to other nations to get these instruments of war. God had promised that he would take care of them and yet, they did not have enough faith to believe and trust in him. Instead they made alliances with other lands so that they would be strong in human eyes. Not only did they make alliances with other countries, they specifically went to Egypt to get horses and chariots. Egypt -- the land from which they had escaped!!! They were returning to those who had enslaved them and asking them for help instead of looking to God.

 

Application


This is a sad indictment on the Israelites, but also on us today. Are we relying on horses -- even in a metaphorical sense? In other words, are we constantly looking for earthly solutions to the problems which we may be facing. God has said, "Come to me!" Sadly, we respond like Naaman who thought that was too simple to do what God had told him -- to go and dip in the Jordan River. He wanted to be told something bigger, more grand, but this just seemed far too simple. His servant had to encourage him -- "why don't you just try it!" He did -- and he was completely healed. But this is the way that God works. He works in a way in which he will get all of the glory for what is accomplished. Yes, God could use a small dirty river to heal a man. Yes, God can help a nation go to war without the horses and chariots from Egypt. Yes, God can help us in life without all the trappings which we think we may need.

This journey with God is one in which we experience his help and his presence on a daily level, each and every single step of the way. There are times when we will be tempted to run to Egypt for help. We will think that we need to figure out earthly/human ways in which to solve our problems. God has better plans!!! We don't need a horse -- we need him. It's time for us to stop looking back to Egypt. It's time for us to stop looking to the things of this world for solutions and to seek the face of God. Whenever we go after the things of this world, we take our eyes off of him. if we are to be a reflection of him to our world -- how can we reflect him if we are not facing him? This is the trick of the enemy -- to distract us and to keep us from our destiny with God. No horse will help us win -- only God. Don't rely on anything else.

 

Prayer


Lord, today I want to rely on you -- and you alone. Thank you for your faithfulness and your leading in all aspects of life. May you receive the glory for all that you do. Amen.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Take Off Your Ornaments

-
Scripture: Ex. 33:4 ¶ When the people heard these harsh words, they mourned, and no one put on ornaments. Ex. 33:5 For the LORD had said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you. So now take off your ornaments, and I will decide what to do to you.’” Ex. 33:6 Therefore the Israelites stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward. Observation: The people had sinned before God by making and worshiping the golden calf!  They had taken their golden jewelry — the earrings and other items they had gotten from the Egyptians and used them to create an idol.  Now, in an act of humility and repentance they were to take off all of their jewelry and ornaments.  It was a time of mourning over their sin and it included intentional action on the part of the Israelites.  Application: We don’t do all that well with humility and repentance!  It seems that we live in a time when we try to carry
Read more

Does God Value Boys More than Girls?

-
Scripture: Lev. 12:1 ¶ The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: Lev. 12:2 Speak to the people of Israel, saying: ¶ If a woman conceives and bears a male child, she shall be ceremonially unclean seven days; as at the time of her menstruation, she shall be unclean. Lev. 12:3 On the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. Lev. 12:4 Her time of blood purification shall be thirty-three days; she shall not touch any holy thing, or come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purification are completed. Lev. 12:5 If she bears a female child, she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her menstruation; her time of blood purification shall be sixty-six days. Lev. 12:6 ¶ When the days of her purification are completed, whether for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting a lamb in its first year for a burnt offering, and a pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering. Lev. 12:7 He shall offer it before the LORD, and make atonement on her
Read more

The Advantage of Sanctification

-
Scripture: Rom. 6:22 But now that you have been freed from sin and enslaved to God, the advantage you get is sanctification. The end is eternal life. Rom. 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Observation: Two sides of life are presented here in great contrast.  One is a life of sin and enslavement to evil.  The other side of life is freedom which provides the advantage of sanctification (or holiness as some translate the word) that leads to eternal life.  The options here are a life of sin, slavery and death; or freedom, holiness and eternal life.  The advantage of holiness or sanctification is the benefit of the life of freedom.  Jesus died so that we might be made holy like him and this is something that is offered as a “fruit” or “advantage” right now.  The end is eternal life — but the living of life is that it can be lived out in holiness.  The next verse is really just an affirmation of the verse 22.  Sin will lead
Read more