Fear is an interesting word in the Bible, isn’t it? Its meaning is twofold—in one sense it means dread and in another it means reverence. Unfortunately, these two types of fear are enemies of one another. Mutually exclusive. You can only go with one fear at a time. The former stops you dead in your tracks. The latter leads to life. At the Red Sea, the people made their choice. Which will you choose?

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Questions for Reflection & Discussion

Look again at the references to Joseph’s charge about his bones in Genesis 50:25, Exodus 13:19 and Hebrews 11:22. What do these references tell us about Joseph’s faith and hope? What do they tell us about our faith and hope?

Consider the two types of “fear” in Exodus 14 (v. 10, 31). How does the fear of the Lord differ from other fears? How does the call to “Fear not, but go forward in the fear of the Lord!” resonate with you this week? How does the fear of the Lord free us from other fears we might have?

Have there been situations in your life where you felt like the Israelites, trapped between Pharaoh and the Red Sea? Have there been times when God has stepped in to help you and to make his presence and power known? Discuss what these meant to you at the time.