Spiders, Israelites & Egyptians: Three Simple Wise Lessons to Overcome Fear
I just need to put it out there. I’m scared of spiders. For some bizarre reason, I’m afraid those creepy crawlies will attack me, and I will lose. It makes no difference that I know I’m larger; it makes no difference I can mentally process ways to destroy them; it makes no difference I can easily crush them. They scare me. Even the little ones.
In Exodus 14:10, the approaching Egyptians terrified the Israelites. It seems like a logical response, after all the Egyptian Army was large and powerful. When you read the whole story, all the things that had happened before their moment of fear, their response seems like my fear of spiders.
Bold Israelites
God had just provided the most amazing escape plan for the Israelites. God used weird plagues, a conceited Pharoah, and blood over the doorways that saved their first born sons. Pharoah summons Moses and Aaron in the middle of the night and tells them to go. The Egyptians were convinced if the Israelites didn’t leave, they would die. They were so desperate to get rid of the Israelites, that when the Israelites asked for silver, gold and clothing, the Egyptians just handed it over (Exodus 12:31-36).
In Exodus 14:8 it says that the Israelites were “marching out boldly.” Imagine a whole nation of people, walking out, and away, from a city where they had lived as slaves. Can you see them? They are looking straight forward, heads held high, each step taken with purpose and increasing hope.
Fierce Egyptians
In the same breath the narrator tells of the bold Israelites, he also tells of the Egyptians gathering all their army and warriors to take back what they now realize they are losing. The Israelites were a large nation, but the Egyptians were angry and fierce. Desperate, bold escapees vs. experienced, mighty warriors.
“As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the LORD.”
Exodus 14:10
Irrational Spider Fear
It made no difference that God had miraculously rescued them from Pharaoh’s grip. It made no difference that God had “made the Egyptians favorably disposed” toward the Israelites, so that the Israelites “plundered the Egyptians.” It made no difference God had forewarned them Pharaoh would pursue them, and God promised He would gain glory for himself (Exodus 14:4).
Just like my irrational fear of spiders, the Israelites had no justifiable fear. I am just like them, and they are just like me.
We all have those moments when we are courageous and take on the world without any hesitation. We are focused, head held high and filled with hope. Then, enter in: Life. Perhaps it’s an illness, or a loss of job. Maybe you’ve been betrayed, or experienced failure. It doesn’t make much difference what has happened, there is a change in one’s outlook. We become overwhelmed by what faces us, and we are afraid we will somehow lose. Just like when I see a spider.
Three Lessons to Overcome Fear
Moses gave wisdom to the Israelites and there are lessons for us as well.
“…Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
Exodus 14:13-14 NIV
1. Stand Firm
The first wise lesson is stand firm. It’s so easy to run from what fills us with fear. We back off, hide away, quit trying. Failure feels terrifying so we don’t put ourselves out there, we don’t have the conversation, we don’t attempt a different approach.
Photo by Artur Tumasjan on Unsplash
In Ephesians 6, Paul talks about the armor of God. He encourages us to “put on the full armor of God,” which enables and equips us to stand firm against whatever the devil chooses to throw our way. In my first blog of this year, I said, “God’s armor is a representation of who God is, and we are to put on the very presence and person of God Himself. Every. Day.”
Wrapping ourselves in the full person and character of God is how we stand firm and conquer our fear.
2. God is in Charge
The second wise lesson is God is the one in charge. God promised the Israelites He would deliver them on that very day as well as they would never see those particular Egyptians again. God came through! God destroyed the Egyptian army and provided the Israelites absolute freedom when the Red Sea came crashing down over the Egyptians, drowning the entire army.
We can’t claim the specific promise of deliverance today from whatever we are facing. We can claim the truth behind the promise to the Israelites; God is greater than anything we face, and He is the one in control.
In the book of Isaiah, God says of Himself, “I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God…I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things.” (Isaiah 45:5-7) In his letter to the Colossians, Paul says of Christ, “For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:16-17)
3. God Fights for Us
The third and final wise lesson is God fights for us, trust Him. In the story of the Israelites escaping the Egyptians, God did everything. In fact, God told the Israelites all they needed to do was be still. It raises the question for us, is that what we are supposed to do, just be still?
The Hebrew word for “still” is the word “haras.” It is a verb that means to cut in, plough, engrave or devise. It also means to be silent, be speechless, be deaf. In the context of the verse, to be still means to trust absolutely. When we trust God so implicitly that we are “haras,” we don’t argue, we don’t strategize others plans, we don’t make suggestions, and we don’t listen to other voices. The idea of trusting is to be engraved into the very fabric of who we are.
Whatever fear we may be facing, we don’t need to feel overwhelmed. We don’t have to know how to figure it all out, and there is no need to worry. Somehow, in His own way, God will deliver. He is the LORD, the One who is in control and who fights for us!
The Next Step
When we read on in Exodus 14, we encounter verse 15. “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on.’” We may not know exactly how to overcome what is before us, but the wisdom we learn from Moses is trustworthy. On our own, we may not have the knowledge, skill set, or experience to win the battle in front of us. God says to trust Him and keep moving. We are to take a step forward; don’t be frozen, choose an action, and trust the Lord Almighty to fight for you.
Spiders are insignificant in the list of all my fears. Truth be told, all my fears are as insignificant as those spiders. The same is true of your fears as well. As God’s children, we are assured He will deliver us. He fights for you and for me. We need to stand firm in Him, trust the God who is in control of all things, be “haras” allowing God to fight for us, and then take our next step forward.
Spider Child Photo by Vadim Bogulov on Unsplash
This blog is an updated version of a post from September 2012 entitled, “Fears and Moving Forward.”
