Author's Notes: As promised here's a new chapter...
Summary:The Jesus Storybook Bible tells the story beneath all the stories in the Bible. It takes the whole Bible to tell this Story. And in the story Jesus is at the center of it all.
Disclaimer: I don't own "The Jesus Storybook Bible" or anything, all the credit goes to Sally Lloyd-Jones. This is to help others understand the Bible easily for free.
Chapter 11
God Makes a Way
Moses and the Red Sea, from Exodus 14-15
MOSES AND GOD'S people escaped out of Egypt and into the wilderness. They didn't know the way-but God knew the way and he would show them.
"I will bring you to a new home, a special land," God promised them. "I will look after you. I am with you."
God sent a big cloud for them to follow - a pillar of smoke stretching up to the sky. It moved in front of them as they walked and shaded them from the blazing heat of the day. And when it was time to rest, it stopped. All through the cold desert nights it kept them warm, glowing like fire.
God led his people through the desert to the edge of the great sea. They were just wondering how to cross it when, suddenly, they heard a terrible thundering and pounding. It sounded almost like horses' hooves. They shaded their eyes to look back-and screamed! It was! Pharaoh and his army were coming to get them!
Pharaoh had changed his mind again. "Get my slaves BACK!" he screeched and charged out into the desert after them - with 600 of his fastest horsemen - and every single chariot in Egypt.
What were God's people going to do? In front of them was a big sea. It was so big there was no way around it. But there was no way through it - it was too deep. They didn't have any boats so they couldn't sail across. And they couldn't swim across because it was too far and they would drown. And they couldn't turn back because Pharaoh was chasing them. they could see the flashing swords now, glinting in the baking sun, and the dust clouds, and chariot after scary chariot surging towards them. So they did the only thing there were left to do - PANIC!
"We're going to die!" they shrieked.
"Don't be afraid!" Moses said.
"But there's nothing we can do!" they screamed.
"God knows you can't do anything!" Moses said. "God will do it for you. Trust him. And watch!"
"But there's no way out!" they cried.
"God will make a way!" Moses said.
Another minute and it would have been over. But then the strangest thing happened.
God made the pillar of smoke move. It moved behind his people and hid them from the Egyptians. then God sent a strong east wind to blow all night long. It blew the water on the big sea. It blew it to the left and it blew it to the right, until it blew it into two towering walls of water, and there - right through the middle of the sea - a muddy pathway opened up and God's people walked across on the dry land!
When the Egyptians tried to follow, the walls of water crashed back down on them and swallowed them up. God's people were safe. They danced and laughed and sang and thanked God - when there had been no way out, God had made a way.
Many years later, once again, God was going to make a way where there was no way.
From the beginning, God's children had been running from him and hiding. God knew his children could never be happy without him. But they couldn't get back to him by themselves - they were lost, they din't know the way back.
But God knew the way.
And one day he would show them.
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Next:
Chapter 12
Ten Ways to be perfect
Moses and the Ten Commandments, from Exodus 16-17, 19 - 40
