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his reputation and our rescue

Psalm 106:6-12 (JDV)

Psalm 106:6 We have sinned along with our ancestors; we have done wrong and have acted wickedly.
Psalm 106:7 Our ancestors in Egypt did not grasp the significance of your wonderful things or remember your many acts of covenant faithfulness; instead, they rebelled by the sea – the Red Sea.
Psalm 106:8 Yet he saved them for his name’s sake, to make his power known.
Psalm 106:9 He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up; he walked them through the depths like through an open country.
Psalm 106:10 He saved them from the power of the adversary; he redeemed them from the power of the enemy.
Psalm 106:11 Water covered their foes; not one of them remained.
Psalm 106:12 Then they believed his promises and sang his praise.

Rescue came to the Israelites, in spite of their rebellion, because God wanted to make his power known. Chappell says “We must follow God and live for His purpose. We must walk in His path for His name’s sake” (49). When our identity is bound up in God’s, he will move to deliver us to protect his divine reputation.

Chappell Stephen. The Heart of the Shepherd: Embracing God’s Provision for Life’s Journey. Striving Together Publications 2008.