What Can We Learn from the Israelites?

The Lord gave the Israelites some unusual instructions for their Passover meal: “And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste” (Exodus 12:11).

Why were they told to eat ”in haste”? Would they be leaving Egypt soon? Wasn’t there plenty of time to eat?

You can probably think of symbolic reasons. You’ve seen the metaphor of “girding your loins” elsewhere in the scriptures (see Doctrine and Covenants 27:15–18, for example). People pulled up their robes and tied them around their loins to be ready to run. One meaning here could be that you never know when the Lord’s going to need you, so you should be ready at all times.

By having the Israelites eat the Passover meal in haste, perhaps the Lord was reminding them to be ready for His deliverance. Remember what He would later say about His Second Coming: “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come” (Matthew 24:42). We need to be ready! And like the Israelites, we can look to our living prophet for guidance.

The Israelites were free! The Lord had saved them from the Egyptians by parting the Red Sea—an unmistakable miracle.

In response, the Israelites celebrated! They sang a song praising and thanking the Lord (see Exodus 15:1–19). Miriam and other women danced and played tambourines (see Exodus 15:20–21).

There are some things that the Lord expects us to treat with reverence and somberness. There are situations where laughter and celebration are inappropriate. But that doesn’t mean a disciple has to be serious all the time! The gospel is a “voice of gladness” (Doctrine and Covenants 128:19). The scriptures are full of instructions to rejoice:

“If thou art merry, praise the Lord with singing, with music, with dancing, and with a prayer of praise and thanksgiving” (Doctrine and Covenants 136:28).

“Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: for praise is comely [suitable, appropriate] for the upright” (Psalm 33:1).

“Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart” (Psalm 32:11).

Feel free to celebrate the miracles God performs in your life!

When Moses went to the mountain to talk to the Lord, he was gone for 40 days (see Exodus 24:18). The Israelites, who had seen wonderful miracles but were still growing their faith, feared Moses was never coming back. They rebelled against God and asked Aaron to make them a golden calf so they could worship that instead of the Lord (see Exodus 32).

In other words, when things got tough, they panicked, turned away from God, and reverted to their sinful ways.

We all have moments of uncertainty. Sometimes it may not seem clear what the Lord wants us to do. Sometimes we pray for answers and get impatient when they don’t come right away.

What do we do then? We hold onto our faith. We cling to what we already know while waiting to learn more.

You might not be tempted to build an idol to worship when you get discouraged. But what about the temptation to do things that bring more immediate gratification instead of lasting joy?

Don’t fall into that trap! Wait on the Lord for as long as it takes. Choose to trust Him. He will always deliver on His promises.