America, Moses, and the Red Sea: Hijacking the OT
Mike Johnson, the new Speaker of the House, recently said, “the Lord told me very clearly” to prepare to become a “Moses” who will lead the nation through a “Red Sea moment.”
This is far from the first time that a political leader has been likened to a heroic Old Testament figure, like Moses or David or Cyrus (although it’s usually not from himself).
And it’s even further from the first time that the OT has been narcigeted by pop evangelicalism on an individual or national level: You’re David slaying your giants! God wants you rich like Solomon! You’re Daniel on a diet! God will heal our land!
Related video: Verses that are not about America
On the blog: Can a nation be saved?
When we draw a direct line from our age to the thrilling stories of Old Testament blessings, victories and heroes, we’re missing the point of the Old Testament.
The point of the Old Testament is failure.
It’s the story of a nation God chose to make His own. He gave them His law, He gave them a land, and He gave them a king.
Yet, amazingly, Israel squandered all these blessings and, time and time again, rejected the God who was so good to them.
The good times that the aforementioned heroes brought about never lasted. Moses brought the people to the promised land, but after they entered, they fell into centuries of apostasy. David established a powerful kingdom, but it was divided after one generation and, again, fell into apostasy. Cyrus let the Israelites go back to their land, but more conquerors would come, and Israel would eventually be wiped off the map.
Look at the story Johnson referred to: The Red Sea was followed by 40 years of death in the wilderness. Why in the world would we want a “Red Sea moment”??
Nothing they did was good enough to endure.
And it was never meant to. The Old Testament is God teaching us, this is how not to do it. The Old Testament is the failure of law, land and earthly kingdom.
Why did the Israelites fail repeatedly and spectacularly? Because they were sinners. Because humanity is fallen. (Checks notes ... it still is.)
No geopolitical leader or development can bring about lasting change. Because they can’t change hearts. If Moses or David couldn’t do it, what makes us think that anyone today can? Why would anyone want to be a Moses or a David? They failed.
The failure of the Old Testament had a purpose: to drive us to the only One who can truly bring change. To the only One who can establish an everlasting kingdom. The only One worthy of our exaltation and emulation.
We don't need Moses or David or Cyrus. We need Jesus.
Jesus is our Cyrus.
Jesus is our David.
Jesus is our Moses.
