Does the Bible Say “The Lord Will Fight Your Fights – Just Be Still?”

“As Pharaoh drew near, the Israelites looked back, and there were the Egyptians advancing on them. In great fear the Israelites cried out to the LORD. They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us, bringing us out of Egypt? Is this not the very thing we told you in Egypt, ‘Let us alone and let us serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” But Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid, stand firm, and see the deliverance that the LORD will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you see today you shall never see again. The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to keep still.” Then the LORD said to Moses, “Why do you cry out to me? Tell the Israelites to go forward. But you lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the Israelites may go into the sea on dry ground.” Exodus 14:10-16

This chapter and verse causes us to think back to the Israelites, and their initial journey out of Egypt. Thinking back to our expanding band of Israelites, Moses, with a lot of help from the Lord, had finally convinced Pharaoh to let them leave. But the Israelites are not far off when Pharaoh has a change of heart. He pursues them to the point where the people are trapped between the Red Sea and the advancing army of Egypt. In their fear the Israelites began to cry out to Moses that they would have been better off had they never left Egypt. In the NIV translation, Moses responds by telling them not to fear, “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” The Lord will fight for you; you need only be still. It is a saying that has been printed on t-shirts, bumper stickers, posters, and the like so much it has lost its original meaning. Too many people turn to this verse thinking that if they just wait for the Lord to act in their lives, if they just sit still, the Lord will deliver them from whatever trial they are facing. But, unfortunately, this is not the kind of “being still” the text is talking about. In fact, if you look up different translations, you will find this verse has different interpretations:

The New King James and the ESV translate the verse as “The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace,” and, “The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent,” respectively.

The Hebrew word translated here does not have an English equivalent, but means all of the things stated in those translations…to be still, peaceful, and silent. As such, the verse has nothing to do with the people sitting still – and has everything to do with the people remaining calm. Which then sets up the next verse which reads: “Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on.” (Exodus 14:15)

That’s right – the Lord tells them to move on. Why would the Lord tell Moses to tell the Israelites to sit still in one breath, and in the next breath tell them to “get going”? Because, the people were told not to sit still, they were told to be calm. To understand one verse you have to read the second with it – and when you do it becomes clear that we are being told that our reaction to mounting trials should be two-fold. First, we are to remain calm and remain steadfast in our hearts. We are to trust the LORD will always fight for us. But don’t stop there. We, then, must move in faith. Don’t stand still! God says, Get moving!!!

Pastor Dave