Exodus 14

Exodus 14:1

B. Crossing the Red Sea (Chap. 14)14:1-9 Chapter 14 is one of the most dramatic in the whole Bible. The Lord directed the children of Israel southward to Pi Hahiroth, somewhere west of the Red Sea. This made escape seem impossible, but made the subsequent miracle more marvelous. Pharaoh thought they were trapped and set out after them with his army of six hundred choice chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt with captains over every one of them. Pharaoh’s overtaking the two million apparently helpless Israelites camping by the sea and shut in between the two is probably the origin of the popular idiom for a terrible dilemma: “Between the devil (Pharaoh) and the deep blue (Red!) sea.” 14:10-14 When the children of Israel raised their eyes and saw the Egyptian army marching after them they were naturally petrified, but wisely cried out to the LORD. Yet they quickly complained to the Lord’s leader, Moses, as they had once before (Exo_5:21), saying it would have been better for them to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness. This was sheer unbelief on their part, and not the last instance, by any means. No longer timid, Moses told them to “stand still and see the salvation of the LORD.“14:15-18 One of the greatest miracles in all history was about to occur: The LORD instructed Moses, . . . “Tell the children of Israel to go forward. But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.“Regarding God’s hardening of the hearts of the Egyptians, and gaining honor over Pharaoh and over all his military might, Matthew Henry writes: It is a righteous thing with God to put those under the impressions of his wrath who have long resisted the influences of his grace. It is spoken in a way of triumph over this obstinate and presumptuous rebel. 14:19-28 The Angel of God (Christ, see Judges 6 for discussion) took His place as a pillar of cloud at the rear of the host of Israel, protecting them from the Egyptians. The pillar of cloud provided light for the Israelites and darkness for the Egyptians. At Moses’ bidding the Red Sea parted, forming two walls of water with a path of dry land between. The Israelites passed through safely, but when Pharaoh’s army tried to follow, the LORD . . . troubled them and disabled their chariots so that they drove them with difficulty. Before they could retreat, the sea closed in on them at Moses’ command. Not so much as one of them remained. The same faith that opened up the Red Sea enables us to do the impossible when we are moving forward in the will of God. 14:29-31 The crossing of the Red Sea is set forth as the greatest display of God’s power in the OT, but the greatest power of all time is that which raised Christ from the dead.