January 16

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Now it came to pass, in the morning watch, that the Lord looked down upon the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud… Exodus 14:24

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🔊 This is the climax of the confrontation between Yahweh and Pharaoh.  Pharaoh continued his insane opposition to God and to the deliverance of the people of Israel.  God stood majestically between Israel and the Egyptians, but Pharaoh’s armies entered the sea, where they were held back by the pillar of cloud and fire.  Perhaps they saw the dim outline of God’s face, looking at them.  Certainly they must have sensed His indignation.  What was on God’s face?  Perhaps it was the same absolute, restful authority of God which confronted the devil at Calvary.  God was saying, by His look, “How dare you come here to this place of salvation?”  God troubled the Egyptians through His majestic gaze.  God looked on the devil as he sought to destroy Jesus on Calvary.  Jesus persisted in ceaseless love, and destroyed the powers of darkness, swallowing them up in the floods of wrath against sin, and mercy for sinners.  With what terror of total defeat the enemy fled from Calvary!  The wonderful truth is made known in verses like these, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself and spoiling principalities and powers – He made an open show of them.