In my early 20’s, I wrote a song about the journey of life. Part of the lyrics went: “There’s a long lonely road and there’s no turning back now, to a place, to a time, that we knew along the way.” The song spoke to how our own life is solitary in the sense that we each make our own way and no matter how much time there is ahead, we cannot go back in time. We might think of times past, but life never stands still. It is our life and our journey. The choices we make determine not only our path, but also our destiny. That road in this world can be full of woe if indeed we choose to take it truly alone, meaning void of Christ, who told us he would never leave us, even in time of despair. Our example is found in the book of Exodus.
After Pharaoh had let the Israelites go, God took them by way of the desert to the Sea of Reeds. The LORD went before them in a column of cloud during the day, and a column of fire at night. They camped by B’aal Tzefon, an Egyptian idol—the only one left in Egypt after the plagues. God wanted Pharaoh to think that the Israelites’ God was unable to defeat Ba’al, and the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart once again to draw him to the final showdown. Pharaoh and his army came after the Israelites, and when the people saw them approaching they cried out to God and blamed Moses for getting them in this situation. In Exodus 14:13 Moses told them not to fear, but to be steady and see “the salvation of the LORD, which he will show you today.”
Then the Angel of the LORD went behind them in a dark cloud to keep the Egyptians from following the Israelites. The LORD told Moses to raise his staff over the water, and the waters divided in two, a wall on each side, and the Israelites crossed over on dry land. This dividing of the Sea metaphorically is also the Israelites’ fate divided from the before (of slavery), to the after (of freedom)–From Pharaoh’s possession, to God’s. The word Hebrew can be translated as “one who crosses over.” The crossing of the Sea was a type of baptism for Israel—from death to life, and they became a new creation. The same is true for us when we choose to follow God and become His, we are then a new creation, and our hearts are no longer in bondage to the enemy. The road of life is similar to dry land between the high waters.
That road on earth can be pretty lonely and dangerous if we do not have the LORD. Like the Israelites before us, we can travel life from the perspective of all that is wrong with the world and worry about the perils ahead. But if we have the LORD, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we have the comfort of a travel companion that ensures no matter what happens, eternal life is the destiny. For as is written in Hebrews 13:5,6, “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you. So we may boldly say: “The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”” Let us choose to travel that lonely earthly road of life, not alone, but with the LORD of our salvation. For if the LORD be with us, who can be against us?
