The Lord is Warrior

“The LORD is a warrior; 
Yahweh is his name!” 
EXODUS 15:3

A Warrior for the Suffering Exod 15:1-21

Heroes are quickly forgotten. God used Joseph, a Hebrew, to save the nation of Egypt from starvation through his shrewd management of grain harvests. But when a new Egyptian king came to power, he didn’t know or care about Joseph’s historical contribution. To him, the Hebrew people posed a potential threat to his own powerful reign (1:6-9).

In spite of Pharaoh’s disdain for them, God blessed the Hebrews in Egypt. They multiplied in number and strength, bolstering the Egyptian labour forces. But instead of rewards, Pharaoh imposed unreasonable burdens on them and even tried to exterminate them by killing their infant boys. The more the Lord blessed their labour, the more Pharaoh abused them. For a time, the Hebrews were seemingly forgotten by God in their suffering. But the Lord heard their cries and met them in their pain. God was faithful to deliver his people, but it happened in his perfect timing.

Like a mighty “warrior,” the Lord burst forth against the Egyptians (15:3). With each new plague, he defeated a prominent Egyptian god. By the end of the tenth plague, Egypt was devastated. The loss of the Egyptian firstborn was the national deathblow, for it included Pharaoh’s own son who was to be the next chief god on the throne. God’s people—once slaves—were begged and bribed to leave the country.

We must never forget God’s power to rescue his people in his timing. Our Redeemer causes evil to “pass over” us more times than we know. He works to defeat the cruel enemies in our lives as well. We must continue to celebrate the ultimate victory he has given us in our lives and families by sending his Son. We can sing with Moses, “The LORD is my strength and my song; he has given me victory” (15:2).