In Ex. 12:27, the people bowed their heads and worshiped after they received all the instruction concerning the Passover; The lamb, the sacrifice, the blood, the leaven, the bitter herbs, the meal, the death of the first born, etc. v.28, “The children of Israel went away and did as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they.” But first, v.27, “The people bowed their head and worshiped.” They did this when they first heard from God’s deliverer Moses in Ex. 4:31, the word bow means to shrivel up, to stoop down, to bend over; to worship means to depress, to lay prostrate, to fall down flat in homage to God, and they worshiped prostrate on the ground. I Chron. 29:20 the people at Solomon’s coronation bowed and worshiped, prostrate on the ground; II Chron. 29:29-30, when Hezekiah’s temple was restored the people fell down and worshiped prostrate on the ground; Job 1:20, Job bowed and fell to the ground and worshiped. What does all this say about the way we worship today? When was the last time you bowed, got on your knees, laid prostrate, or wept before the LORD in Church publically? Oh, that would be embarrassing, so would being nailed to a cross stark naked on a hill out side of the city gate in Jerusalem but He did that for you! Phil. 2:9-11 says, “Every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.” Do you think that will be done in your prayer closet or publically?

Exodus 14:10 says, “And the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD.” Pharaoh and his army are marching after Israel and they see them coming and they cry out to God, to shriek or proclaim in terror, they are scared to death. So they blame the leadership, what else is new? Why is it we pray so hard when we are in a crisis and we expect an immediate response, when we haven’t talked to God for days or weeks or maybe months? They cried in their crisis, do you cry out in your crisis situations? I love Moses’ response in v.13, “Fear not, (they are scared to death) stand still (they are running like chicks from a fox) and see the salvation of the LORD which He will show to you today;” v.14, “The LORD will fight for you and you shall hold your peace.” The battle is really His not yours, and He is quite capable for the task. v.15, “Why do you cry unto Me, ‘Go Forward!” Don’t you love it! Stop your whimpering and whining and go forward, will we never learn from our past? v.16, “Lift up your rod Moses, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it and the children of Israel will go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.”  Lift up your rod! Prayer, intercessory prayer, someone to stand in the gap, someone to make up the hedge, someone to bridge the breach! Where are God’s gap men and gap women today? But LORD, the water is deep, ‘Lift up your rod!’ But Lord his army is strong, ‘Lift up your rod!’ But LORD what about the enemy, ‘Lift up your rod and go forward!’ God destroys your enemies by the same way He saves His children. v.26-28. “Stretch out your hand Moses, Pray!” God’s work and God’s will depend on it. Question, can He depend on you? “O LORD, may we be gap men and gap women so You can count on us. Forgive us, cleanse us, and teach us to hold our hands high in a crisis that we may cry out to You and move forward. Amen.”

Exodus 15:1-19 is a song or a prayer of praise, ‘The Song of The Redeemed.’ They were in the desert for three days without water so they murmur against God’s servant, here we go again! So he cries out to the LORD, he prays in desperation. They come to Marah but the water is bitter, so God shows Moses a tree in v.25, and he throws it into the water and the waters become sweet. This was a test from God, the tree was the cross of Christ. When the Tree of Calvary is cast into our bitter waters, our Marahs they become sweet. What a picture or type of our life today if we will but accept it. How is your test today? Many times as a servant or leader for God, His people will not understand and they will murmur against the leadership when life seems a little bitter. We must remember to throw the Tree of Calvary into the arena of life, whether sacred, secular or social. The Tree of Calvary makes all things sweeter. Then in v.27 they came to Elim the place of 12 wells and 70 Palm Trees and they camped by the waters. Remember the refreshing water is just around the bend, just over the hill top. It’s always darkest just before the dawn, get up and watch a few sunrises and check it out. Whenever you are caught up in life’s struggles and turmoil always remember to pray, to cry out to God. Today the Red Sea, the miraculous; but tomorrow Marah, the bitter waters. Every day is a new challenge, a new test, remember to pray, to cry out to God, to lift up your Rod high and He will show you the way, He will show you the Tree to throw into your Marah, your bitter pond.

In Ex. 16 they complain about food and God sends them (manna) what is it, and quail. Then in Ex. 17 they move out and they are out of water and they blame Moses again and strive with him and put the LORD to the test v. 2, and Moses cries unto the LORD, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” Ex. 17:4. “And the LORD said to Moses, “Go On!” Before the people, and take with you the elders, the leaders and your rod in your hand, and Go! v.6, “Behold, I will stand before you on the rock in Horeb, and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink.” Moses called the place, Massah and Meribah because of the striving of Israel and they tested the LORD there saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?” It’s no different today either, when the sheep murmur against the pastors and want to stone them because they are hungry or thirsty they need to take the rod in their hand, gather the leaders, cry out to God for wisdom and ‘Go On!’ Because God goes before them. We need to seek God’s face and His wisdom in times like that, instead we often run or strike back. It wasn’t the sheep Moses struck with the rod, it was the rock. LORD help us to realize that when the sheep murmur and are contentious to cry out to You and don’t ever let us abandon the ship or the sheep but have the grit to, ‘Go On!’ Because You will always stand before us; You did it for me in 83 at Calvary Independent, in 84 at Fellowship Bible, in 87 at Clinton Baptist, in 92 at Fellowship Baptist,  and in 06 at FOI. And He will continue to do it for you and for me, we have His Word on it and He holds His Word higher than His name. Ps. 138:2.  “…Between The Lines…”

“LORD, we lift up our rod, we uplift our hands, we cry out to You, hear us O LORD, lead us and guide us, go before us and watch over us, and lead us in the way everlasting, we ask in Yeshua’s name. Amen!”

“The Rod In Prayer” – ‘Exodus 12-17’