The seahorse is an incredible animal. It’s technically a fish, and yet it resembles a Frankenstein combination of creatures. The seahorse has the head of a horse, the tail of a monkey, the nose of an anteater, the skin of a crocodile, the pouch of a kangaroo, and the eyes of a chameleon.
I could add to this list, but I’ll end with a description of the eyes. The two eyes of the seahorse move independently of each other. This means that the seahorse can see forward and backward at the same time. The unique vision of this tiny fish makes it one of the most effective predators of the sea—with a successful hunting rate of over 90 percent. God has equipped this remarkable creature for endurance, and its ability to simultaneously look forward and backward testifies to that. God offers the same eyesight to his people. We see this in Exodus 12:1–20.
Exodus 12:1–20 is structured like a sandwich—there are commandments at the top and bottom and a declaration in the middle. Israel is instructed at the top, Exodus 12:1–11, to look forward in preparation of God’s coming salvation. Every Israelite household was to kill an unblemished lamb on the fourteenth day of the month. The animal would be roasted and eaten in haste with unleavened bread. Its blood would be smeared on the doorposts and lintels of Israelite homes. The people’s obedience to these detailed commands would demonstrate their trust in God’s promised redemption. God was coming to save them through a final plague, so they were to prepare and look forward in anticipation.
God declares his tenth plague in Exodus 12:12–13 (the middle portion of our sandwich structure). He would pass over Egypt by night to strike every firstborn son of the land. Israelites would be spared from this terrible judgment—lambs would die in place of their firstborns. A despairing Pharaoh would drive the Israelites from his land. God would redeem his people. Their salvation would be his work alone—and yet Israel was given a part.
Israel is initially called to look forward in anticipation of God’s coming salvation. In Exodus 12:14–20, she’s called to look back and remember God’s finished work. The fourteenth day of the first month would be memorialized as the Feast of Unleavened Bread or the Passover. Generations of Israelites would pause to remember the day God redeemed his people from Egypt. Exodus 12:1–20 tells us that Israel’s salvation belonged to God alone. However, trust in God’s promised salvation and remembrance of his faithfulness belonged to his people. This truth stands for Christ’s church today.
Yet, if you’re like me, a seahorse perspective means you often look back at your past with regrets, while facing the future with fears. There are lurking moments in your past you wish you could change—and there are uncertainties ahead you wish you could control. Sister, if that’s you, then consider some familiar words. Jesus looked ahead and he encouraged us to look back as he instituted the Lord’s Supper. He said this:
“For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me. . . . This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood” (Luke 22:18–20).
The Israelites were spared from God’s judgment because of the blood of the unblemished lamb. This sign for Israel is fulfilled in Christ, the Lamb of God whose blood is poured out for the forgiveness of sin. Sister, the work for your salvation belongs to Christ alone. Your part today is this: First, fix your eyes ahead to the sure promise of Christ’s return and restoration! Second, look back and remember that complete redemption is already secured for you. All regrets from your past are covered in the shed blood of the risen Christ.
Friend, exchange your fears and regrets for certain hope as your remember the Lamb who died for you. And anticipate his return.
Looking Down from Above
Some astronauts experiencea dramatic shift in perspective as they gaze on the Earth from the cosmos. This phenomenon is called the “overview effect.” The term was coined by Frank White, the space philosopher. White interviewed numerous astronauts and heard a similar story: from the distance of space, our vast, diverse, and fragmented planet is undeniably small, uniform, and whole. White said it this way on NASA’s Houston, We Have a Podcast:
The first thing that most people think about when they think about the overview effect is no borders or boundaries on the Earth. And we know that. But we create maps that show borders and boundaries. And what the astronauts were telling me was . . . I knew before I went into orbit, or went to the moon, that there weren’t any little dotted lines. But it’s knowing intellectually versus experiencing it.
After seeing our planet from the window of the stars, many astronauts reenter Earth with an altered vision of a singular humanity. God is kind to give these men and women such a privileged perspective—whether in space or on land, it’s a blessing to see things from a broader angle.
The Lord comes to Pharaoh in today’s passage to offer a wider lens on the Egyptian plagues: God had all the families of the earth in view.
Yahweh promised to redeem Israel from slavery in Exodus 6:6. Today, we find that his acts of judgment against Egypt have begun. There are seven plagues between Exodus 7 and 9. The Nile River becomes blood; frogs, gnats, and flies each torment the land; death strikes Egypt’s livestock; and boils fester on the skin of the Egyptian people. God’s hand is heavy against Egypt, yet the callous Pharaoh refuses to let Israel go. So God sends a seventh plague of deadly hail, and a message with it.
God offers a stunning new perspective on the plagues. He sends Moses to explain his greater purpose behind these acts of judgment. God says to Pharaoh, “I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth” (9:16). The Egyptian plagues were sent to deliver Israel from slavery, but God didn’t see Israel alone; he acted to reveal his power to various nations—the Israelites, the Egyptians, and all the earth. God uses his works of judgment and salvation to draw the nations of the earth to himself. His church today is a case in point.
The Bible tells a story of a great reversal. What was broken is made whole, and fragmented parts are united in the risen Christ. The church is a sign of this truth; diverse sinners across humanity will dwell together in sinless unity one day. Our churches are polarized today and still the reality of our one union in Christ stands. Our neighbors should experience an “overview effect” as they witness very different people communing together as one in the church.
Friend, God’s plan in redemptive history has always been to gather a diverse and unified people to himself. How often do you pray for this reality to reflect across the church and within your own personal relationships? If we are honest, we can admit that this is hard to live out. As Irwyn Ince points out, “The pursuit [for unity in the church] is too hard. It is too perplexing, and often too painful, if our commitment is not drenched in the beautiful truth that we are participating in the beautiful plan and purpose of our beautiful God.” Let’s ask God to turn our eyes to the beautiful truth of his plan for redeeming people from every tribe and nation—so we can pray that it will be so in our Christian community.
Excerpted from You Are Redeemed © 2025 by Nana Dolce. Used with permission of New Growth Press. May not be reproduced without prior written permission.
You Are Redeemed
In You Are Redeemed, Nana Dolce takes women on a 40-day journey through the book of Exodus, helping them see how God, in his Word, draws near to make himself known. You will experience how the same God who lived among his people long ago is still present today—guiding, helping, listening, delivering, and redeeming.
