Exodus 14 - The Red Sea Crossing
Timeline: 1450 BC
|
Chuck Missler Skip Heitzig Dr. Baruch Korman Steven Armstrong Les Feldick
Rameses
|
Exodus Reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QiF-WgvqAg
In ancient times, when armies would march, generals would give orders that were carried out by using smoking pots that were lifted high on poles and used to signal that told the soldiers which way to turn and when to stop. The Israelites were camped at the edge of the wilderness and the pillar of fire, often called "the Shekinah Glory of God" was before them, signaling when they should stop and in which direction they should go. Exodus 14:1 Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: "Speak to the children of Israel, that they turn and camp before Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, opposite Baal Zephon; you shall camp before it by the sea. For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, 'They are bewildered by the land; the wilderness has closed them in.' Then I will harden Pharaoh's heart, so that he will pursue them; and I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord." And they did so. After about three days' journey, the Israelites were on the border of the desert. God told Moses to turn and lay camp in near the Red Sea. Various Hebrew Scholars have speculated what the names of the locations mean: Pi Hahiroth - Place of liberty The people would have never chosen this place to camp since it put them to a place where the wilderness on was on one side, steep mountain terrain of the Sinai on the other and behind them was the sea. They were closed in with no obvious way out. They never imagined that they were going to be able to cross the sea. But of course, God knew exactly what He had in mind. Exodus 14:5 Now it was told the king of Egypt that the people had fled, and the heart of Pharaoh and his servants was turned against the people; and they said, "Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?" So he made ready his chariot and took his people with him. Also, he took six hundred choice chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt with captains over every one of them. And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the children of Israel; and the children of Israel went out with boldness. So the Egyptians pursued them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, and overtook them camping by the sea beside Pi Hahiroth, before Baal Zephon. Moses told Pharaoh that they were going into the wilderness, a three day's journey to serve and sacrifice to the Lord. Some Egyptians went with the Israelites and when they changed direction, alerted Pharaoh that they had no intentions of returning on the fourth day. Recovering from the shock and grief of losing the first born sons of Egypt, Pharaoh and his servants realized that they lost their primary workforce of about 600,000 laborers. War chariots and cavalry were always the leading force of the Egyptians. Each chariot would carry three men. One would drive while the others would be armed to do battle. Pharaoh chose the best of the best, which were ready for battle at any given moment, to go after the Israelites. So on the fourth, fifth and sixth days, they made haste to catch up to the multitude. Pharaoh probably thought that the people were trapped between a rock and a hard place so they would be easy prey. Surely Pharaoh expected an unconditional surrender on the part of the Israelites, as soon as they saw his forces. Exodus 14:10 And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord. Then they said to Moses, "Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, 'Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians'? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness." The Israelites had been oppressed through many years of slavery and was unaccustomed to warfare. Now there was an army barreling toward them. They were defenseless and had many women and children with them. Their fear was quite natural under the circumstances. They cried out to the Lord at first but then their fear turned to remorse and criticism. They quickly lost their confidence and in their despair, began to complain and accuse Moses. This was the first of many times the Israelites complained against Moses. Exodus 14:13 And Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace." Moses was confident when he spoke to his people but he must have been nervous about this situation. He was unsure what miracle God would perform to get them out of this situation. So he did the right thing. He prayed to the Lord looking for instructions. Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!Exodus 14:15 And the Lord said to Moses, "Why do you cry to Me? 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. And I indeed will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them. So I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, his chariots, and his horsemen. Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gained honor for Myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen." The instruction were given. Once again, Moses' staff was put to use. God revealed His purpose to Moses. it was that He would display His sovereign power over the most powerful army in the world and in so doing would "save" His people and bring great glory and honor to His Name. Exodus 14:19 And the Angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them. So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. Thus it was a cloud and darkness to the one, and it gave light by night to the other, so that the one did not come near the other all that night. The same angel of God that appeared in the burning bush is now appearing as a pillar of cloud. The object that was leading them is now behind them as a protective barrier between them and their enemies. While darkness prevented the army from advancing, the Israelites were provided with light in order for them to prepare for the flight ahead. Exodus 14:21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided. So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. And the Egyptians pursued and went after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.
During the night, God prepared the path for His children and began to lead them safely to the other side. Not only was the water parted, but the ground was dried, obviously well below the water table. The path must have been at least a half-mile wide for approximately two million Israelites plus all their livestock to cross over in one night. Josephus says, that Moses went first, and then the Israelites, encouraged by his example. What faith it must have taken to walk through the sea with a wall on either side. It was now the twenty first day of the month, seven days after the full moon, when the Passover began. Exodus 14:24 Now it came to pass, in the morning watch, that the Lord looked down upon the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud, and He troubled the army of the Egyptians. And He took off their chariot wheels, so that they drove them with difficulty; and the Egyptians said, "Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians." God gave the Israelites sufficient time to be either almost or completely through to the other side. Daylight arrived and the army was able to proceed. The Morning watch would have been between three and six o'clock in the morning. They were well into the sea before they realize that the Lord was fighting against them. God made their trek difficult by removing their chariot wheels so they could not retreat. Exodus 14:26 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the waters may come back upon the Egyptians, on their chariots, and on their horsemen." And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and when the morning appeared, the sea returned to its full depth, while the Egyptians were fleeing into it. So the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. Then the waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all the army of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. Not so much as one of them remained. But the children of Israel had walked on dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. Psalm 106:7 Our fathers in Egypt did not understand Your wonders; They did not remember the multitude of Your mercies, But rebelled by the sea—the Red Sea. Moses was ordered to stretch out his hand over the sea; the waters returned, the waters covered all the solders, horses and chariots, however there is overwhelming biblical and historical evidence that Pharaoh himself did not die with his army. Exodus 14:30 So the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Thus Israel saw the great work which the Lord had done in Egypt; so the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord and His servant Moses. Archaeological discoveries have verified that parts of the biblical Exodus are historically accurate. Amidst the ruins of a Greek city of Mycenae, archeologist found ancient artifacts on granite monuments that corroborate the Biblical accounts of the Exodus from Pharaoh's point of view. Follow these links and look at these photos to see the story told in hyroglifics: This one shows an Egyptian in a chariot chasing a man with a staff. The next one shows the man turned to face the Egyptian. The third one shows man and horses being overturned in the water. 1 Corinthians 10 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, Israel's passage was a foreshadowing of the waters of Baptism. The Israelites come out the other side free of pharaoh and his army, a new nation journeying to the Promised Land. Bible Study Questions 1. Why did God harden Pharoah's heart?
2. What happened when Pharoah was told that the people had fled?
3. What did the Israelites say when they saw Pharoah coming after them?
4. What did Moses say to the people when they were afraid?
5. What did God say to Moses when he cried out to Him?
6. What happened to the pillar of cloud when the Egyptians came near?
7. What happened to the Egyptians in the morning?
8. What happened after the Israelites crossed the Red Sea?
9. What did the Israelites see after they crossed the Red sea?
10. How did the Israelites react when Israel saw the great work which the Lord had done in Egypt? a. They ran away as fast as they could |
| Cassie, Matt | |
