While packing my paddleboards for our beach vacation, my next-door neighbor said, “Watch out for the giant great white shark. The largest one ever recorded is off the North Carolina coast,” he added. “Great, thanks,” I replied, though his words hit me right in my biggest fear.
Sharks have been my terror since I was 12, surfing with my brother and buddy when I saw the unmistakable dorsal and tail fins of a shark. It turned toward us, then disappeared beneath the surface. Then there was Virginia Beach—a cloudy day with murky water that already had us on edge. Both my friend and I felt something bump us from below. We never saw what it was, but when we got out, locals casually mentioned that hammerheads had been spotted circling the jetties that afternoon. We had no idea we’d been sharing the water with them.
We make excuses for it, justify it, and even rationalize that it’s not real. Fear is as real as any other thing we experience. So what do we do with it? More importantly, what does God say about it? In the Old Testament, the Israelites were so fearful of the Pharaoh’s army and their uncertain future, they made pleas with Moses to go back to slavery in Egypt.
Jacob Myers, author of Invitation to the Old Testament, captured many hints. In describing the Hebrews fleeing the Pharaoh in Exodus, he wrote, “They were caught between an irresistible force and a seemingly immovable object. They could not flee into the desert, for the hosts of the Pharaoh blocked the way. Nor could they advance because in front of them lay the marshes of the sea. As always, however, when human resources run out, God intervened.”
When I first read his quote, I snapped a photo on my phone because I knew I would use it for future reference in a devotional, share it with friends, or incorporate it into my walk with Christ, or all of the above. I initially thought maybe Myers was referring to God as the irresistible force or immovable object. Still, he explained it so eloquently that God is one who offers provisions that break down the walls that are immovable and unbreakable. God works through our obstacles
“Why have you treated us this way, to bring us out of Egypt? Isn’t this the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, ‘Leave us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”
Moses said to the people, “Don’t be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of Yahweh, which he will work for you today; for you will never again see the Egyptians whom you have seen today. Yahweh will fight for you, and you shall be still.”
Exodus 14:12-14
In this passage, Moses captures a pivotal moment of crisis and faith in the Exodus narrative. The Israelites, trapped between Pharaoh’s pursuing army and the Red Sea, voice their fear and regret about leaving Egypt. Their complaint reveals our tendency to romanticize past hardships when facing present dangers, ie, slavery suddenly seems preferable to potential death.
Moses’ response is striking in its confidence: “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today.” His call for the people to “be still” while God fights for them represents a profound shift from human action to divine intervention. The passage highlights the tension between fear and faith that runs throughout the wilderness narrative. Moses serves as the mediating voice, calling them to witness rather than act, to trust rather than flee, allowing this text to resonate through centuries as a paradigm for facing overwhelming circumstances with faith rather than panic.
Who better to illustrate the personification of a lifeboat from crisis, deliverance from an impossible escape, a mediating voice, a reason to witness, and divine intervention? Only one person comes to my mind.
Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to Yahweh, and said,
“I will sing to Yahweh, for he has triumphed gloriously.
He has thrown the horse and his rider into the sea.
Yah is my strength and song.
He has become my salvation.
This is my God, and I will praise him;
my father’s God, and I will exalt him.”
Exodus 15:1-2
Considered one of the oldest recorded songs in Scripture, the Song of Moses, following the crossing of the Red Sea, marks a dramatic shift from terror to triumphant celebration. The Hebrew word for salvation (yeshuah) is the root of Jesus’ name, making this deliverance a prefiguration of Christ’s greater salvation from sin and death, which Moses celebrates as a physical rescue, pointing forward to spiritual rescue through the Messiah.
Moses’ declaration, “The Lord is my strength,” finds fulfillment in Christ, whom Paul calls “the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:24). The pattern—impossible circumstances overcome by divine intervention—mirrors the cross, where apparent defeat becomes ultimate victory. Praise flows from salvation, not works. It is meant to be joyful, communal, and deeply personal.
Early Christians saw the Red Sea crossing as a type of Baptism, with old bondage left behind for new life. Just as Israel’s song followed deliverance, the New Testament overflows with hymns celebrating Jesus as the ultimate deliverer. The passage establishes worship as the proper response to divine salvation—a pattern fulfilled when Christians proclaim Jesus as the one who has triumphed gloriously over sin and death. Recognizing the need to worship God should stem from a relationship with Him, rather than following His rescue from trials and adversity.
In that day you will say, “I will give thanks to you, Yahweh; for though you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you comfort me. Behold, God is my salvation. I will trust, and will not be afraid; for Yah, Yahweh, is my strength and song; and he has become my salvation.” Therefore with joy you will draw water out of the wells of salvation. In that day you will say, “Give thanks to Yahweh! Call on his name! Declare his doings among the peoples! Proclaim that his name is exalted! Sing to Yahweh, for he has done excellent things! Let this be known in all the earth! Cry aloud and shout, you inhabitant of Zion, for the Holy One of Israel is great among you!”
Isaiah 12:1-6
Isaiah 12 rings out as a beautiful song of thanksgiving and joy, celebrating the wonder of God’s salvation after seasons of judgment. While Isaiah first penned these words for Israel’s promised restoration, the Holy Spirit wove into them a prophetic tapestry that finds its glorious fulfillment in Jesus Christ.
Isaiah begins by giving full glory to God, and then deepens the image by naming Him as Yahweh, our covenant-keeping Lord. The Hebrew word for salvation is Yeshua—the very name of our Savior. What was once an abstract hope became flesh in Jesus. In Jesus, God’s salvation isn’t just a concept to understand but a Person to embrace.
The beautiful promise that God’s anger is turned away and comfort given instead should fill us with wonder at the Cross. There, our precious Savior bore the full weight of divine wrath against sin, satisfying perfect justice so that we might know forgiveness and peace. Oh, what love—that God’s wrath became our comfort through Christ’s sacrifice!
“With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation,” invites us to taste and see. When Jesus offered living water to the woman at the well and cried out at the feast, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink,” He was extending this very invitation. He is our well of salvation, calming fear, and offering eternal satisfaction to every thirsty soul.
The call to proclaim God’s deeds among the nations becomes our joyful commission. Just as Isaiah envisioned global praise, Jesus sends us to share this good news with every tribe and tongue.
“Great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel” (v.6) should make us marvel—Immanuel, God with us, walked among us in Christ. Isaiah 12 isn’t just ancient history; it’s our song of celebration for the salvation we’ve found in Jesus. But this raises an important question: How does God’s salvation actually work? What’s the relationship between His grace and our response? The answer takes us back to Mount Sinai, where God established a pattern that would be echoed throughout Scripture.
Moses went up to God, and Yahweh called to him out of the mountain, saying, “This is what you shall tell the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, then you shall be my own possession from among all peoples; for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’”
Exodus 19:3-6
Grace preceded the commandments. To sum it up aptly, Jacob Myers wrote, “Liberation itself came before the covenant stipulations of Sinai were revealed. The helping hand of God was extended to Israel, and Israel grasped that hand unconditionally. Only at Sinai was disclosed what was involved in being the people of the Lord. That is also the order stressed by Paul in his matchless Epistle to the Romans.”
God saves His people not just from something, but for something. Him. “I brought you to myself” reveals that the ultimate goal of redemption is communion with God. Through Jesus, this relationship becomes even more intimate. Ephesians 2:13 declares that we who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. God’s heart has always been to dwell with His people, and through Jesus, we are welcomed into His presence as sons and daughters.
He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
Psalm 91:4-6
I probably should have read Psalm 91 before the trip. I spent more time in the ocean this week than I had in decades—paddleboarding with my son, surfing with my daughter, swimming alone. And instead of worrying, I was worshiping. I felt a sense of peace as I saw the sun sparkling on the foam and shimmering on the water. On our last night, I saw a girl wearing a black t-shirt that read, “Faith Over Fear.” It stopped me. That’s what God had been teaching me all week. The sharks hadn’t disappeared—but neither had the peace He gave me in the waves.
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:9
Key Applications:
- In crisis moments when we feel trapped, we can choose to “stand firm” and act from faith rather than letting fear drive our decisions.
- Let God fight your battles. Instead of succumbing to fear, we can step back and let God work on our behalf through restraint and trust in His timing.