The Exodus

Exodus 14:21-31 The Exodus

Call to WorshipCome people of God; come and celebrate God’s gift of

salvation.We come without fear. We come trusting in God.

Hear God’s promises and witness God’s mighty deeds.In hearing the promises, in witnessing the mighty deeds of God, we are strengthened for all that lies

ahead.Let us worship and praise God by shouting aloud and

singing for joy, for God truly is in our midst.

Opening Prayer (Isaiah 65, Luke 21)

Our loving and caring God, we need this time together to be united with our sisters and brothers in the faith;

we need this time of worship to be comforted and strengthened in your presence.

We hear of wars and rumors of wars. We read of persecution and oppression.

Remind us again of your vision, that all might live in a world of peace and justice and love.

May this time together imprint this vision and promise on our hearts, that we may live into this

beloved community. Amen.

Context

Last week we reviewed the institution of the Passover meal when the Israelites prepared to leave their

bondage in Egypt. With the death of every firstborn Egyptian, Pharaoh relented and gave permission for

God’s people to leave. As they did, the presence of God went before them, visible in a pillar of cloud and of fire (Exodus 13:21).

Context




ContextGod told them to take a most unlikely route. He

directed them toward the Red Sea rather than going northward on the Via Maris through the land of the

Philistines (13:18). Their circuitous route made Pharaoh conclude that they were confused and in

disarray. Soon the Israelites were terrified when they learned

that the Egyptians were now coming in pursuit of them. From a human perspective, things looked

hopeless. They had no “escape route.” The sea was ahead of them, the Egyptian army behind them.

Context

Peter Enns declares, “This is no word of comfort but an angry denouncement of Israel’s paper-thin faith.”

Despite their miraculous release from slavery in Egypt, they were already complaining to the Lord.

Moses told them that God would fight for them that very day.

Context

God used the pillar of cloud to separate the Egyptian army from them, leaving their pursuers with no

available light.

‘Exodus 14:21

Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The LORD drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night, and turned the sea into dry land; and

the waters were divided.

‘Exodus 14:21

Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, regretted that he had let God’s people go to worship the LORD; so, he sent his

army to bring God’s people back to Egypt to once again serve him as slaves.

The battle Pharaoh planned would be a battle between himself as a god, with the supposed gods of Egypt helping him, against the LORD as the true God and

Creator of all.

‘Exodus 14:21

The LORD had promised to fight for Israel (see Exodus 14:14); so, once again God used Moses, His prophet, and

commanded Moses to turn the Red Sea into dry land. We might picture Moses with one hand raised with his staff in his hand and with his other hand raised without also holding his staff. His power came from God and not from his staff, and the Bible seeks to make that fact clear.

‘Exodus 14:21

The Hebrew word kedem, however, rendered in our translation, "east," means, in its primary signification,

previous; so that this verse might, perhaps, be rendered, "the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong previous

wind all that night"; a rendering which would remove the difficulty of supposing the host of Israel marched over on the sand, in the teeth of a rushing column of

wind.

‘Exodus 14:21

Lesson: The Lord has already arranged for our obedient response to His leading.

Though God (I AM) is waiting for us in the future, He is very much present with us now and has been busy preparing events, people and circumstances for our positive faith. Though God is prepared to make good even on our mistakes, He stands eager

to honor our effort of faith in ways we cannot imagine.No higher honor can He give us than to say, “Well done, good

and faithful servant.” No greater pleasure can we give Him than to do what we believe He is guiding us to do. Our eyes need to

be not so much on how events turn out here but in consideration of what pleasure we are giving to Him in our

humble obedience.

‘Exodus 14:22

The Israelites went into the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on

their left.

‘Exodus 14:22

God parted the waters using a strong east wind to blow a path in the Red Sea for the Israelites to pass through to safety on the other side. When the wind blew the path,

the waters formed a wall for them on their right and left. Since there remained a wall of water on each side of

them, the Israelites needed faith in God to step onto the dry ground and march across the sea without fearing

that the water walls would collapse upon them.

‘Exodus 14:22

Some Bible scholars suggest that the dry land was likely an entire mile in width. Rabbinical writers say that the

waters were divided into twelve parts, grounded upon a passage in Ps. 136:13 and suppose that each tribe took

its particular path.It evidently was still night as the Israelites crossed, since God did not destroy the Egyptians until the last watch of

the night (v. 24).

‘Exodus 14:22

Those who did not have faith in God would have crossed fearfully and with renewed complaining, even as some

wished they could go back to Egypt and be slaves rather than face Pharaoh’s army (Exodus 14:10-12).

‘Exodus 14:22

Moses had to work hard to build up the people’s faith in the LORD, so we know that their eventual faith was based on many great experiences with God and His

saving them from disaster and death. Because of lack of faith, most of those who left Egypt

would not be allowed to enter the Promised Land.

‘Exodus 14:23

The Egyptians pursued, and went into the sea after them, all of Pharaoh’s

horses, chariots, and chariot drivers.

‘Exodus 14:23

Some suggest that from the darkness caused by the intercepting cloud, it is probable that they were not

aware on what ground they were driving: they heard the sound of the fugitives before them, and they pushed on

with the fury of the avengers of blood, without dreaming that they were on the bared bed of the sea till too late.

‘Exodus 14:23

More likely the Egyptian forces rashly assuming the parted waters would remain parted because of the

power of the wind or the power of Pharaoh and the gods they worshiped. They would do whatever Pharaoh

ordered them to do as their king and god.

‘Exodus 14:23

Pharaoh’s army entered the sea, but the Bible does not tell us that Pharaoh also entered the sea; so, we may

assume that Pharaoh himself did not perish in the battle. However, Egypt was destroyed as a world power for

many years after this event.

‘Exodus 14:23

Lesson: Never underestimate the vengeance of the enemy nor the protection of our God.

Israel had reason to fear. The greatest army on earth was pouring down upon them bringing a fate worse than

death. They had no means of escape. We come to points in our life where we are besieged by our enemies and

mistakes. Like the Israelites, all we can do is continue forward with what God has shown us. When can pursue His will and leave our backs to the care of the Lord. He will fight our enemies for us and move heaven and earth to keep us in

His will.

‘Exodus 14:24

At the morning watch the LORD in the pillar of fire and cloud looked down upon the Egyptian army, and threw

the Egyptian army into panic.

‘Exodus 14:24

Once again, the Bible reveals the awesome power of the true God, by saying God “looked down” upon Pharaoh’s

army. The LORD spoke to Moses from the burning bush, and

the Bible says the LORD was in the pillar of fire and in the cloud.

‘Exodus 14:24

Here we glimpse a picture of God the Judge meeting out His punishment. Rabbinical writings suggest that God’s presence reigned down powers of physical destruction from lightening to hail in such force that this massive

army broke in panic.

‘Exodus 14:24

Later, the LORD would enter the tabernacle that He commanded Moses to build and even later the LORD

would enter the temple that King Solomon built; however, we know that God is everywhere present and greater than His creation; furthermore, the Bible says, “The Most High does not dwell in houses made with

human hands” (Acts 7:48).

‘Exodus 14:24

Some commentators believe that the LORD in this account is the LORD Jesus, the Son of God, before He

came to earth in human flesh.

‘Exodus 14:24

No man made structure can completely contain the true God. Some commentators believe that the LORD in this account is the LORD Jesus, the Son of God, before He

came to earth in human flesh.

‘Exodus 14:25

He clogged their chariot wheels so that they turned with difficulty. The

Egyptians said, “Let us flee from the Israelites, for the LORD is fighting for

them against Egypt.”

‘Exodus 14:25

God filled the minds and the hearts of the Egyptian army with fear and panic. He returned the water and clogged

their chariot wheels in the seabed mud, and as they sank in the sand they “turned with difficulty.”

The Egyptian army recognized how easily the Israelites had crossed over, and how difficult the crossing was for

them.

‘Exodus 14:25

Some commentators suggest that God reign such destruction upon them that their chariot wheels were

struck off and the chariots had to be dragged.They recognized that the LORD was greater than the

Pharaoh they had worshiped as a god, and they recognized that the LORD was fighting for the Israelites.

‘Exodus 14:25

Soldiers of Pharaoh’s army shouted, “Let’s get away from the Israelites! The Lord is fighting for them against Egypt.” These were the last recorded words of the

Egyptians (14:25). Some of them may have come to faith in the true God as

God fought against Pharaoh’s army.

‘Exodus 14:26

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, so that the

water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots and

chariot drivers.”

‘Exodus 14:26

As the prophet of God, Moses obeyed God by merely stretching out his hand. The “staff of God” is not

mentioned here, perhaps to show that the staff was not essential to God’s performing miracles, but Moses as the

prophet of God was essential in this instance.

‘Exodus 14:26

The Israelites should not come to think that the staff of Moses was “a magic staff,” though Moses may have used

it once again (God’s command in Exodus 14:16). The Egyptians had trusted in their manmade idols and their Pharaoh who claimed to be a god, and these false

gods failed them.

‘Exodus 14:26

Lesson: God’s intervention may not be so much for us as for those who watch us.

We have a tendency as humans to view all things from our perspective. How is this affecting me? What we need to see is that our journey or travail is a witness to our God. Others we may know even be aware of are watching the

events of our lives. When they witness our obedience and faith, they glimpse

what the Spirit can do and are forced to recognize that favor follows us. Even in our trouble, they observe what

God can do. No wonder Paul rejoiced for hard times. They were the greatest witness to Him.

‘Exodus 14:27

So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at dawn the sea returned to its normal depth. As the Egyptians

fled before it, the LORD tossed the Egyptians into the sea.

‘Exodus 14:27

In faith, Moses obeyed God and stretched out his hand (perhaps using his staff too). Immediately, the waters

returned. As the Egyptians fled, they drowned in the sea. God was glorified because the Egyptian people and the Israelites learned the truth about the true God and His

character and nature. God used the powers of the nature He had created with perfect timing in order to save the Israelites and destroy

the Egyptian army.

‘Exodus 14:27

James E. Smith notes, “At daybreak, when the Israelites could witness the miracle, God ordered Moses to stretch

out his hand over the sea. When he did so, the waters rushed back together.

Not one member of Pharaoh’s army which followed Israel into the sea survived . . . The people feared Yahweh, and put their trust in him and his servant

Moses.”

‘Exodus 14:28

The waters returned and covered the chariots and the chariot drivers, the

entire army of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea; not one of

them remained

‘Exodus 14:28

All those who obeyed Pharaoh and entered the sea died. For Pharaoh to rebuild his army, he would need to build new chariots and train new chariot drivers. Pharaoh was

so totally defeated, along with all the false gods of Egypt..

‘Exodus 14:28

Remembering the power of God in the Exodus and the weakness of Pharaoh’s army, later Israelites should have

known to trust in the LORD and not trust in the Egyptians or false gods when they were threatened by

their neighbors or other foreign enemies. Unfortunately, later prophets had to warn continually the Israelites not to trust in Egypt or idols, but trust in

the LORD.

‘Exodus 14:28

Lesson: The judgment of the Lord can be complete and without redemption.

We are conditioned to seeing the works of our Lord used to redeem nations and men. What we may forget is that

there comes a time when God pronounces a final judgment upon a people or place. That judgment can be

total and beyond our comprehension.There is good reason to fear our God No greater sorrow

will afflict the soul than to go before God unprepared and unbelieving. No greater anguish exists than to know that His judgment is final and there is no escape. That should

give us pause.

‘Exodus 14:29

But the Israelites walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters forming a

wall for them on their right and on their left.

‘Exodus 14:29

God inspired Moses to emphasize the fact that the Israelites had crossed on “dry ground,” not in mud from

a job half done. Now the Israelites understood what the Lord had done for them and why he led them on this unusual route to

the Promised Land.

‘Exodus 14:29

Lesson: God can give us firm footing in the midst of the storm.

God may require us to follow Him into the storm and trust His provision. What we may not see is that His

provision is so complete that even our steps have been secured in ways not contemplated.

For everyone who has walked in the mire, steps can be labored and exhausting. What God grants us is aid in

taking the next step and refreshment to our weary souls. Each step becomes lighter and more secure when they

are taken in obedience to Him.

‘Exodus 14:30

Thus the LORD saved Israel that day from the Egyptians; and Israel saw the

Egyptians dead on the seashore.

‘Exodus 14:30

We might wish that the LORD had chosen a different way to save the Israelites and not destroy Pharaoh’s army. However, “will not the judge of all the earth do right?”

(Genesis 18:25). Certainly! God did what was a wise, right, and necessary not only then but as an example for others to consider in

the future.

‘Exodus 14:30

“Egypt has finally paid the ultimate price for the ultimate transgression,” says Peter Enns. “Their king has been

contending with God, thinking that he was his equal. He set out to destroy God’s beloved son, Israel. Now, finally, once mighty Egypt understands that this was a mistake.”

The Israelites needed to only look at their feet and the drowned bodies to know their God.

‘Exodus 14:31

Israel saw the great work that the LORD did against the Egyptians. So the people

feared the LORD and believed in the LORD and in his servant Moses.

‘Exodus 14:31

This extremely important verse indicates the consequences in the lives of the Israelites after they saw how God delivered them from slavery in Egypt and the

Egyptian army. They saw that God has the power to do great works. They learned greater truths about God. God has the

power to defeat their enemies, no matter how powerful they are. God is worthy to be reverenced. And God is

just and God will execute just judgments, so He is worthy to be feared.

‘Conclusion

The crossing of the Red Sea has special meaning for Christians.

The apostle Paul uses this event to teach about baptism. “Our forefathers were all under the cloud and . . . all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into

Moses in the cloud and in the sea” (1 Corinthians 10:1, 2).

‘Conclusion

Just as the Israelites submitted to Moses as their deliverer and leader, even so the believer submits to

Christ as Savior and Lord. Just as the Israelites had water all around them and were

covered by a cloud above, so the immersion of a repentant believer pictures his burial with Christ in

baptism into death (Romans 6:1-4). Now he is ready to begin a new life in Jesus.

‘Blessing (Isaiah 65, Luke 21)

Go into a world that needs new visions.Bring the message of hope and love, of justice and

peace, to all you meet.Live the dream. Make it reality.

Celebrate endings and new beginnings, challenges and promises.

Live the new creation which you are.

‘Benediction (Isaiah 65, Luke 21)

For these words of challenge and of hope, we give you thanks and praise.

May they enable us to lead lives that embody both challenge and hope, bound together by your love.

AMEN




AMEN

The Exodus

Spiritual

Transcript of The Exodus