April 13–19. “Stand Still, and See the Salvation of the Lord”: Exodus 14

Lesson Plan

Standout Quotes

Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, Exodus 14:13

Notes

Since that time, when God’s people have needed faith and courage, they have told this story.

Intro

When do I need faith?

When things inside my control…?
When things outside my control are strongly affecting me?
- Israelites had enemies chasing them. They needed faith unto deliverance.

1 Nephi 4:2

The armies of Pharaoh were chasing what the Lord told them they couldn’t have.
- Do I ever chase something that doesn’t belong to me, but belongs to the Lord?
- Perhaps the riches of the world, fame, glory - things that are the Lords because all things in the world belong to Him?

Exodus 14

The Doubt

Exodus 14:8 → they’re going out on a “high hand”
Exodus 14:11 → they figure they’re going to die. Why bring us out here to die?
Exodus 14:13-14 → be still.
- people, ==Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the== ==Lord==, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.
- The Lord shall fight for you
Exodus 14:15 → Why are you asking me? Just tell them to go forward.

#insight It’s interesting that we want to worry, and the prophet wastes his time consoling, when the Lord just says “Why did you stop walking?” Thinking of the Lord as a teacher, he’s not asking for himself. He’s asking to provoke the question within Moses.

The Lord won’t always part the red seas. But He will part them if He knows we need it, and if we’re faithful. I think He has patience with us despite our doubts.
How much more can be done?

The Protection

The Israelites had protection

Pillars Exodus 13:21-22 - cloud by day, fire by night. Exodus 14:19,24. → Similar to 1 Nephi 17:13 “iw ill be your light in the wilderness”

The wall + pillars Exodus 14:29. “the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.”

Makes me think of this:

Doctrine and Covenants 84:88 → “88 And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up.”

Exodus 15

Exodus 15:11 - who is like thee? The israelits were used to Egyptians having many Gods. They had to say, like we all do, that “The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him.” (Exodus 15:2)

#application Perhaps I can sing a song like they do? Perhaps I can write my own song for the miracles I’ve seen in my life.

Exodus 15:21 “And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously;” - The Lord wants us to Praise him. for Doctrine and Covenants 25:12 “the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me”

#application I can pray vocally, or also I can sing a song of praise. → This is a unique thought because I think we typically think we must need to sing a “written” hymn. But Perhaps there are ways to sing our own praises (with our own testimonies of our own lyrics.)
- The power of Song is that it takes your mind and soul. That’s already two of the four alignments (heart + mind)

They travel to Marah and have their first miracle. They ask, “What shall we drink?” Moses then performs another miracle. He’s now

This is fascinating:

1 And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The Lord hath not appeared unto thee. 2 And the Lord said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.* - it’s similar to moses-6.31-33. - peopel don’t believe in themselves. They see the doubts that will arise. “It won’t work”, or “I am but a lad”. → This would be an interesting study - how frequently prophets all say “why me?” The Lord frequently plucks people out of obscurity.
- #study-idea/self-doubt-in-being-called Moses doubted himself multiple times when being called. Exodus 4:1 and Exodus 3:11-15. “Who am i?” Exodus 4:10 “i am not eloquent”

It’s also fascinating that the Lord told Moses how to introduce Him Exodus 3:11-15. This is the restoration - identity. Who is this God? He is the God of Abraham (1), the God of Isaac (2), and the God of Jacob (3). → They must have known these stories so well, to know how they came to become slaves in Egypt. They must have remembered their three fathers - only 3 generations of discipleship before their apostasy. But they remembered how the Lord was with them.

How many miracles did they have up until this point?

Exodus 3:2 - the burning bush
Exodus 4:2-4 - The staff becomes a snake, and back to a staff
Exodus 4:6-7 - the leprous hand
Exodus 4:8-9 - Water to blood.

All these three signs (last three), were done by Moses + Aaron in Exodus 4:30-31 - the people “bowed their heads and worshipped” and believe the Lord had visited the children of Israel.

Then there were the 10 signs after that and then two more miracles.

Plague 1: Water to Blood (The Nile): Exodus 7:14–24 (The miraculous act occurs in verse 20).
Plague 2: Frogs: Exodus 8:1–15 (The miraculous act occurs in verse 6).
Plague 3: Gnats (or Lice): Exodus 8:16–19 (The miraculous act occurs in verse 17).
Plague 4: Flies: Exodus 8:20–32 (The miraculous act occurs in verse 24).
Plague 5: Livestock Disease: Exodus 9:1–7 (The miraculous act occurs in verse 6).
Plague 6: Boils: Exodus 9:8–12 (The miraculous act occurs in verse 10).
Plague 7: Hail and Fire: Exodus 9:13–35 (The miraculous act occurs in verses 22–23).
Plague 8: Locusts: Exodus 10:1–20 (The miraculous act occurs in verses 12–13).
Plague 9: Three Days of Darkness: Exodus 10:21–29 (The miraculous act occurs in verse 22).
Plague 10: Death of the Firstborn: Prophesied in Exodus 11:1–10, Executed in Exodus 12:29–32 (The event strikes at midnight in verse 29).
Parting the Red Sea: Exodus 14:15–31 (Moses stretches out his hand to part the waters in verses 21–22, and again to collapse them in verses 26–28).
The Waters of Marah: Exodus 15:22–25 (Moses cries out to the Lord, is shown a piece of wood, and throws it into the bitter water to make it sweet in verse 25).

That’s 16 miracles they all beheld. Most of these miracles were very, very public. Maybe not everyone saw.

But it was only ~45 days from the first plague to Marah. That’s a lot for 45 days. This is a time of incredible restoration. The Lord telling them, “I am that i am”.

Finishes with Exodus 15:26 - the Lord saying, “I am the Lord that healeth thee.”

And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee.

April 13–19. “Stand Still, and See the Salvation of the Lord”: Exodus 14–18