Last week, we heard the story of Joseph…who was brought as a slave to Egypt. He was eventually freed, and brought his whole family…his eleven brothers and all their families…to live in Egypt with him. They were Hebrew, not Egyptian, a different race…and over centuries…as their numbers began to increase, the Egyptian rulers became fearful. Sure that they would be overrun and lose their privilege and power…they oppressed the Hebrews. They took all of their rights away and made them slave laborers for the Empire. Life under the Egyptian taskmaster’s whips was brutal. They did backbreaking labor from sunup to sundown…their lives were not their own….even their children were ripped from their arms and drowned when their numbers became too great. And the Hebrews cried out to God to save them.
And God heard their cries…and Egypt endured a series of horrible plagues…locusts and boils, blood and disease, darkness and death….which broke the will of the empire…for a moment. And they set the Israelites free….and not only did they set them free, they gave them reparations.. jewelry and clothing, gold and silver…were handed over by the Egyptians. They just wanted to nightmare to end…so they sent them on their way — over 600,000 adults plus their children. And the children of Israel left in amazement and celebration and triumph. They were free. They were wealthy. They had a future.
But then…the rulers of Egypt had second thoughts. They were the most powerful nation on earth…why should they lose their cheap labor? Why should they lose their wealth? How would any country on earth respect them if they let themselves lose in this way? So Pharoah and his armies took off in pursuit.
And this is where our story today begins. It begins with a joyous and hopeful people…now suddenly pursued by mighty armies and chariots of war. The nightmare they thought they left behind is now right at their heels, threatening to destroy them. And they are terrified…and angry. Because the taste of freedom they were given now appears to be simply a cruel joke…just an excuse to obliterate them out in the wilderness desert.
And Moses? Moses says…do not be afraid. They come to edge of the Red Sea — and Moses says “Stand Still and watch God.”
But here’s where we missed a verse in our reading. They try and condense the story for us in our lectionary, so we aren’t reading pages and pages…but I should have added this verse. Because right after Moses says “stand still”…God replies…”Why are you crying out to me? Move forward.”
Move forward. Into the sea. Into the waves. Press on…even though it looks impossible.
These early Genesis stories come from a long history of oral storytelling. Basically, these are the campfire stories…the lore and history of an ancient people retold generation after generation. And the Scriptures record the most pivotal of those stories for us. But the Talmud contains the “midrash”…or the additional stories about about these events in Jewish history. And there are volumes upon volumes of talmudic writings. And there is a story in the Talmud about what happened next…at the edge of the Red Sea, when God told the people to move forward. It is the story of Nachshon…the leader of the tribe of Judah. (You remember the 12 tribes came from the descendants of Joseph and his 11 brothers. Judah was one of Joseph’s brothers, and Nachshon was the leader of that tribe of Judah’s descendants.) Anyway, the Talmud says that when God told the people to move forward…they were too frightened to move. But then Nachshon stepped forward into the sea. Up to his ankles. Up to his knees. Up to his waist…his chest…his neck. And then, only then, as the waves swept over his head, did the wind from God blow the waters back. And Nachshon led the way for all the people to cross to the other side.
Nacshon went forward in faith…before he saw God’s hand at work. Nachson went forward in faith…when it seemed like the way was impassible. This story of God’s people crossing the Red Sea is a story of faith…faith that sometimes feels like celebration and utter joy ….and sometimes feels like a cruel joke. It is a story of faith…faith that wants to stand still and wait for God to make things happen…and faith that steps out into the churning water, trusting God will keep us from drowning.
As I reflected on this story this week, I was struck by the parallel of this Red Sea crossing from slavery to freedom…with those who are trying to get free from their addictions. They get clean and sober…and celebrate their freedom. Many are filled with hope. But it doesn’t take long to realize that this is not going to be an easy road. You see…for most addicts, getting sober means saying goodbye to all the ways they used to spend their time, all the people they used to spend their time with, all the ways they used to cope with stress and anxiety. And they have to figure out how to make new friends, how to cope with their emotions, how to spend their time…without alcohol or drugs or whatever addiction enslaved them…and it is HARD. Their old familiar patterns and friends nip at their heels like an Egyptian Army, threatening to bring them back to the life of death and destruction they were living, while the way ahead seems intimidating and impossible, like a churning sea. But they must step forward anyway. One step at a time. One day at a time….trusting that they will not drown. That each step will begin to create a path through the chaos.
But really, it’s not just addicts and alcoholics who face this difficult journey of faith, is it? Many of you know what it is to have great hope…and have it yanked out from under you. Hope for a baby. Hope for a job. Hope for a marriage. Hope for healing. And then, with a miscarriage… with a cancer recurrence…with the discovery of an affair…with a lay off….all the celebration and rejoicing is transformed into fear and grief. And you are left feeling paralyzed at the edge of the future that looks overwhelming.
And that is when somehow, we trust with Nachshon…the promises of God. And step forward anyway. One step at a time. One day at a time…into the churning future. I’m reminded of a quote from “Sleepless in Seattle”. The main character is reflecting on his grief after his wife died…and he says,”Well, I’m gonna get out of bed every morning… breathe in and out all day long. Then, after a while I won’t have to remind myself to get out of bed every morning and breathe in and out… and, then after a while, I won’t have to think about how I had it great and perfect for a while.” Sometimes…we just go forward, doing the HARD…the impossible….trusting that we will not drown. Trusting that God will make a way for us. Trusting that God has us and holds us and won’t let us go. Trusting that though it is frightening…though we cannot see what lies ahead…God will be with us.
Living with faith is not a walk in the park…a simple journey down an easy path. It is filled with obstacles and contradictions. There are moments of deep gratitude and moments of deep grief. Deep joy and deep fear. Sometimes the way will be clear. And sometimes we will be stepping out blindly. But we go…trusting that God’s hand is holding us and God’s love is supporting us. And we go…also, thankfully, together. The truth is…none of us will always have the faith and courage to step out into the unknown. There are times we will need someone else to be Nachshon for us. There are times I will need you to be Nachshon for me…letting me follow you into the water. And there will be times, you will need someone else to be Nachson for you. Basically, we will need each other along the way. Of course, that’s another thing recovering addicts learn. There’s a reason they have sponsors…because they need someone else to call when they are feeling weak…when they feel the urge to return to their addictions. They need someone to show them the way…someone who has stepped out ahead of them. They have learned the truth that they cannot do it alone.
Yes this story of of God’s people, crossing the Red Sea…is a story of faith. A story of what faith looks like, day to day. And it reminds us…that when we face the chaos, when we are afraid…we are not alone. We walk together. And we walk with God. Amen.
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