Overview
To stand still and see the salvation of the Lord means refusing to back down on what you know God says, no matter what the obstacle is. Rev. Rico Magnelli works through Exodus 14, Acts 1, Acts 2 and Acts 3 to show one consistent pattern: someone takes a stand on the Word itself, not on opinion or preference, and deliverance, safety and preservation follow, first for them and then for the people around them. Moses tells a terrified Israel to fear ye not and stand still while God fights for them; two angels tell the apostles to stop gazing up into heaven and get into the valley of human need; and a man lame from his mother’s womb finally stands on his own two feet.
Transcript
What It Means to Take a Stand on the Word
Exodus chapter 14, please. There’s a great valley of human need that we have the privilege to bring God’s deliverance to. And when we stand, the Word has plenty of examples of the salvation, the deliverance, the safety, the preservation that occurs when someone takes a stand.
Because every time we take a stand on the Word, there’s a positive impact. And standing, meaning not backing down on what you know God says, no matter what the obstacle. It’s not backing down.
Bible Examples of Men and Women Who Stood and Saw Deliverance
And we see examples in the Word both of men and women taking a stand on the Word that they know, and then there’s deliverance and safety and salvation that follows. I mean the examples are just stellar. People like Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Rahab.
You think about Daniel and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Or Ruth. You think about the widow with Elijah when she took a stand and deliverance followed.
You see the woman, the Shunammite woman with Elisha. There’s so many records. It’s when we take a stand on the Word itself, not on our opinion or our preference.
When we take a stand on the Word itself, there’s great deliverance that can happen for us and then for other people as well. And here in Exodus is one of the great records when the Red Sea is parted. And I can’t read this story enough because it rings so true.
Exodus 14:10: Israel Was Sore Afraid and Cried Out Unto the Lord
It says in Exodus 14 verse 10, And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes. Behold, the Egyptians marched after them, and they were sore afraid, and the children of Israel cried out unto the Lord. That was a right move.
They were looking at the circumstances, but then they cried to God. They went to God. And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? Wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us to carry us forth out of Egypt? This is their background talking.
When Someone’s Background Bubbles Over in a Challenging Situation
This is oftentimes when working with people, that’s what comes up. In a challenging situation, their background just bubbles over and you get a whole earful of it. And sometimes you got to get through the earful to get to their heart.
And so this is their background. Remember, they’ve been there for like 400 years. Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness? Well, we know that’s not true.
But sometimes people, when confronted with a challenging situation, will bring up, dredge up their past. And what is comfortable for them. But I tell you, when you stand with God and for God, there’s very rarely a time that you stay spiritually comfortable.
Fear Ye Not, Stand Still, and See the Salvation of the Lord
And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord. He speaks the word. He says, don’t be afraid, be confident, be courageous, and stand.
Stand. Stand still. And in the construction of the Septuagint, the Greek Old Testament, this is a command that’s to be undertaken at once.
In other words, have no hesitation. I’m telling you, stand. Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, Jehovah.
Which he will show to you this day. For the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you shall see them again no more forever. And there’s a great, great truth here that when we stand, we get to see the preservation, the safety, the salvation that’s ours, and it overflows into other people’s lives.
The Lord Will Fight for You, and Then Speak Unto Them That They Go Forward
The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace. The Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? I love this. Speak unto the children of Israel that they go forward.
But lift thou up thy rod and stretch it forth. And then he parts the Red Sea. But tell them to go forward.
But first they had to stand still and see the salvation of God. Look at Acts chapter 1, please. There’s so many tremendous records in light of this.
Someone Has Got to Take a Stand and Not Budge on the Truth
But if we want to see safety and preservation in our time, if we want to see the deliverance in our time, someone has got to take a stand. And in every situation, there’s going to be a key person or key people that have to take a stand, that don’t budge on the truth. Lovingly, yes.
Tenderly, for sure. But firmly. Here in Acts chapter 1, from the day of the Ascension, the Jesus is ascended into heaven.
Acts 1:11: Why Stand Ye Gazing Up Into Heaven?
And it says here in verse 10, And while they, the apostles, looked steadfastly toward heaven, as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel. And look at what they say to them. How interesting.
It’s not like you get angels every day. Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? For this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven. In other words, they’re supposed to get about doing the business of the Lord.
Not staring up at Jesus’ feet. They’re supposed to get moving. They’re standing, yes, but they’re looking at the wrong thing.
The feet of Jesus. And he’d come on the bottom of that sandal. No.
See, what they should be doing is looking to the valley of human need, which they’re about to do. And God is prompting them to keep going. God is prompting them, by way of these two good angels, to stop looking up to heaven, and get into the valley of human need, and start dealing with stuff.
Appointed Means to Stand: Replacing Judas in Acts 1:23
And they do. Judas went and hanged himself. He impaled himself.
And then they replace him in the following verses of this record. And then you see in verse 23, that they have two individuals that they’ve separated out to take Judas’ place. In verse 23 of chapter 1 says, and they appointed.
And that word appointed means to stand. They stood to Joseph, called Barsabas, whose surname Justus, and Matthias. Now, I know this could literally mean standing.
But the standing here, there’s got to be something deeper when someone stands in this type of situation. Because they’re about to be ordained to the ministry. In a manner of speaking, they stood forth.
Peter Standing Up With the Eleven on the Day of Pentecost
So you see that the Apostles are now moving in the direction of what they should be doing. And then in chapter 2, the gift of Holy Spirit comes. And then we read in verse 14, but Peter, standing up with the eleven.
And he lifted up his voice. You may want to make sure everybody can hear him. He’s standing up.
And the deliverance that followed is unbelievable. About 3,000 people are born again after this tremendous declaration of the truth regarding Jesus Christ. There’s so many records that could parallel when someone takes a stand, and then you see deliverance afterwards.
Silver and Gold Have I None: The Lame Man at the Gate Beautiful
Based on this record, when they stood up and taught the word, in Acts chapter 3, you see the first deliverance of an individual that’s noted. It’s the man at the Temple Gate Beautiful. And this man had been lame from his mother’s womb.
And he’s there at the Temple Gate Beautiful, and Peter and John go into the temple. And Peter fastens his eyes upon him. And he says, look on us.
And he says, silver and gold have I none, but such as I have, give I thee. What did he have? He had the new birth. He had the truth of God’s Word that he was standing on regarding Jesus Christ.
And he says, in the name of Jesus Christ, the most powerful name that there is, of Nazareth, rise up and walk. And then he took him by the hand and lifted him up. And immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
Something Deeper Than Physical Standing
Whatever that was like, never having walked, is incredible. But it’s all based on someone taking a stand and not backing down. Well, look at what he does in verse 8. And he leaping up, and God tells us that he stood.
I know he walked and leaped and was praising God. But he notes that the man stood. What would that have been like for that man to actually stand on his two feet? He had seen people stand his entire life.
What that meant in his heart and soul that he now could stand on his own two feet. So there’s something deeper here than just the physical standing. I know he was standing.
But what it did for that man, like when you see somebody has been ill, there’s something about it. Because they’ve been ill, and now they’re not ill anymore, and they’re enjoying simple things. And I’ll tell you, when we stand, there’s going to be deliverance and safety and preservation on the other end.
Expect Deliverance, and Then Go Help Somebody Else Stand
And we should expect it. We should expect it with Ephesians 3:20 expectation. Take a stand, especially when the challenge comes.
When the challenge is there, root yourself, stand on the Word and what God has shown you, what God told us, and then the deliverance is going to be there. So that’s the exhortation. Stand.
Don’t budge on the truth of the Word. And then, you know, if you’re standing and you’re doing well, go help somebody else stand, because more than likely there’s somebody in your sphere that’s going to need help, support, at some point, to stand. And then what happens is the ensuing safety, preservation, salvation, wholeness, all those positives we bring into impact.
God Can Bring Deliverance in One Moment of Time
So I would highly encourage standing. And keep developing our understanding of what it means to stand. As the challenge comes, if your back is against the wall, stand and see the salvation of the Lord.
If you haven’t seen something come to pass your entire life, like the man born lame, stand. You haven’t seen it your entire life. It doesn’t make any difference.
God can bring deliverance in one moment of time. It’s getting past it in our minds. And the way we do that is you just stand.
You don’t budge on the truth. And God is a God of miracles, for sure.
Key Takeaways
- Standing means not backing down on what you know God says, no matter what the obstacle, and taking that stand on the Word itself rather than on our opinion or our preference.
- In Exodus 14:13 Moses answers a terrified Israel with Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord; in the construction of the Septuagint this is a command to be undertaken at once, with no hesitation.
- Standing still comes first and going forward comes second: only after they stood still did God tell Moses to speak unto the children of Israel that they go forward.
- The two angels in Acts 1 correct apostles who were standing but looking at the wrong thing, telling them to stop gazing up into heaven and get into the valley of human need.
- The word appointed in Acts 1:23 means to stand, Peter stood up with the eleven in Acts 2:14 and about 3,000 were born again, and in Acts 3:8 the record notes that the lame man stood.
- When we stand there is deliverance, safety and preservation on the other end, it overflows into other people’s lives, and God can bring that deliverance in one moment of time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord?
It means not backing down on what you know God says, no matter what the obstacle. When Israel was sore afraid at the Red Sea, Moses answered, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord. Rev. Rico Magnelli notes that in the construction of the Septuagint this is a command to be undertaken at once, with no hesitation, and that the deliverance, safety and preservation which follow overflow into other people’s lives.
Why did the two angels ask the apostles why stand ye gazing up into heaven?
Because the apostles were standing, yes, but they were looking at the wrong thing, the feet of Jesus. Rev. Rico Magnelli explains they were supposed to get about doing the business of the Lord and get moving. God was prompting them, by way of these two good angels, to stop looking up to heaven and get into the valley of human need and start dealing with stuff, which is exactly what they went on to do.
What happened when Peter and John met the lame man at the Gate Beautiful?
Peter fastened his eyes upon him and said, look on us, then, silver and gold have I none, but such as I have, give I thee. What he had was the new birth and the truth of God’s Word that he was standing on regarding Jesus Christ. He said, in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk, took him by the hand, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
Scripture References
Exodus 14; Exodus 14:10; Exodus 14:11; Exodus 14:12; Exodus 14:13; Exodus 14:14; Exodus 14:15; Exodus 14:16; Acts 1; Acts 1:10; Acts 1:11; Acts 1:18; Acts 1:23; Acts 2:14; Acts 3; Acts 3:2; Acts 3:4; Acts 3:6; Acts 3:7; Acts 3:8; Ephesians 3:20
This text was prepared from the teaching audio. Please verify scripture references against your own Bible.
