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Charles Spurgeon · Citado em PreceptAustin
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Spurgeon - It might have been sufficient for the pillar of cloud to move that way; but it was really such an extraordinary thing for the Lord to lead the people right down to the sea that he gave a special command as well as the movement of the cloud. That Moses himself might not be staggered by what would seem to him to be such strange guidance the Lord tells him what to say to the people and then gives him this explanation: F B
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Spurgeon - Those four words, “And they did so,” though they are very short and very simple words, express a great deal. Oh, that it might always be said of all of us whenever God commands us to do anything, “And they did so.” Exodus 14:5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his servants had a change of heart toward the people, and they said, "What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?" heart - Ex 12:33 Ps 105:25 What is this - Jer 34:10-17 Lu 11:24-26 2Pe 2:20-22 Exodus 14 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries PHARAOH HAS ANOTHER CHANGE OF HEART! By now we have become accustomed to this Pharaoh's double minded dealing, and are not totally surprised he changes his mind. However, this time the hand of Yahweh is behind the scenes controlling the scenes He is behind. When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled - It was reported to him and may have been reported that Israel was ostensibly trapped by the sea. Pharaoh and his servants had a change of heart toward the people - "the heart of Pharaoh and his servants turned against the people" (Currid) The verb haphak translated here as had a change is the same one used in Ex 7:15+ of "the staff that was turned into a serpent," and Ex 7:17, 20+ to describe the Nile "turned to blood." Haphak is the same verb used when "the LORD shifted (haphak) the wind to a very strong west wind which took up the locusts and drove them into the Red Sea." (Ex 10:19+). Pharaoh's heart had been temporarily "softened" after the Tenth Plague, but not turned back (like a staff to a snake - pun intended) to its previously hardened state. Had a change (02015)(haphak) "The root hāpak figures prominently in connection with three themes of Scripture. First, it is found in association with the expression of God's anger and wrath upon unrepentant Sodom and Gomorrah: Genesis 19:21, 25, 29; Deut. 29:23 [H 22]; Isaiah 13:19; Jeremiah 20:16; Jeremiah 49:18; Jeremiah 50:40; Amos 4:11; Lament. 4:6. Perhaps the use of this verb will shed light on the exact nature of the catastrophe. That it was a volcanic eruption seems unlikely. On the other hand, to translate hāpak in these instances as "annihilate" would suggest the disastrous effects of an earthquake, accompanied by lightning which ignited the natural gases of the Jordan Valley area, producing the terrible inferno (and cf. Job 28:5). By extension, God promises the same treatment to Jerusalem (2 Kings 21:13); Nineveh (Jonah 3:4); the unbelieving nations (Haggai 2:22, parallel with shāmad) and generally "the wicked" (Proverbs 12:7). Man is also capable of "overthrowing" (i.e. reducing to vassalage) another city (1 Chron. 19:3; 2 Samuel 10:3) or even mountains (Job 28:9, something God does too, Job 9:5). The second theme of Scripture in the development of which hāpak appears frequently is the miracles surrounding Israel's exodus from Egypt and her pilgrimage in the wilderness. Most often the verb describes God's actions in turning the Nile into blood (Ex 7:17, 20; Ps 78:44; Psalm 105:29, and cf. the reference to the streams of Edom becoming pitch in Isaiah 34:9). The mind of Pharaoh and his servants was "changed" upon hearing of the escape of the Israelites (Exodus 14:5); God even "turned" the hearts of the Egyptians to hate his people (Psalm 105:25). To make Israel's escape good God "turned" the sea into dry land (Psalm 66:6). The Lord "turned" a strong west wind which drove the locusts into the Red Sea (Exodus 10:19). God had "turned" the rod into a serpent (Ex 7:15). He "turned" the rock unto a pool of water (Ps 114:8). While passing through the territory of Moab Israel was the intended recipient of a curse from the hired professional seer Balaam, but God "turned" Balaam's curse into a blessing (Dt. 23:5; Neh. 13:2). The third theme is the biblical description of the symptoms of leprosy as described in Leviticus 13. In this one chapter the root hāpak appears nine times (Lev 13:3, 4, 10, 13, 16, 17, 20, 25, 55), mostly in connection with the hair turning white as a sign of leprosy. Elsewhere it is of interest to note that hāpak in the translation "to turn" is neutral in meaning, as is one of its synonyms shûb. That is, it may mean to turn (from) good to bad with either God or man as the subject. "I will turn your feasts into mourning" (Amos 8:10). "Against me he turns his hand" (in judgment as opposed to blessing, Lam 3:3). With man as the subject cf. "you have turned into a degenerate vine (Jer 2:21); "those whom I love have turned against me (Job 19:19); you have turned justice into poison" (Amos 6:12). It may indicate a change in attitude from joy to chagrin (with man, Lam 1:20; with God, Hosea 11:8). On the other hand, hāpak may be used positively in the sense of turning the doleful into the joyful, the bad into the good. Cf. "I will turn their mourning into joy" (Jer 31:13 and also Ps 30:11). "He turned the curse of Balaam into a blessing" (Dt. 23:5 and Neh. 13:2). "He (i.e. Saul) shall be changed into another man" (1 Sa 10:6). This root is used to describe the about face in the fortunes of the diasporic Jews living in Babylon in the days of Persian hegemony: Esther 9:1, 22." (Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament) Hapak/haphak - 92v - become(1), came(1), change(1), changed(6), changes(1), come(1), drained(1), give(1), had a change(1), inundate(1), overthrew(5), overthrow(5), overthrown(3), overthrows(1), overturned(1), overturns(2), perverted(2), reined about*(1), restore(1), retraced(1), shifted(1), tumbling(1), turn(6), turned(44), turned aside(1), turned back(1), turned over(1), turning(1), turning around(1). Gen. 3:24; Gen. 19:21; Gen. 19:25; Gen. 19:29; Ex. 7:15; Ex 7:17; Ex 7:20; Ex 10:19; Ex 14:5; Lev. 13:3; Lev. 13:4; Lev. 13:10; Lev. 13:13; Lev. 13:16; Lev. 13:17; Lev. 13:20; Lev. 13:25; Lev. 13:55; Deut. 23:5; Deut. 29:23; Jos. 7:8; Jos. 8:20; Jdg. 7:13; Jdg. 20:39; Jdg. 20:41; 1 Sam. 4:19; 1 Sam. 10:6; 1 Sam. 10:9; 1 Sam. 25:12; 2 Sam. 10:3; 1 Ki. 22:34; 2 Ki. 5:26; 2 Ki. 9:23; 2 Ki. 21:13; 1 Chr. 19:3; 2 Chr. 9:12; 2 Chr. 18:33; Neh. 13:2; Est. 9:1; Est. 9:22; Job 9:5; Job 12:15; Job 19:19; Job 20:14; Job 28:5; Job 28:9; Job 30:15; Job 30:21; Job 34:25; Job 37:12; Job 38:14; Job 41:28; Ps. 30:11; Ps. 32:4; Ps. 41:3; Ps. 66:6; Ps. 78:9; Ps. 78:44; Ps. 78:57; Ps. 105:25; Ps. 105:29; Ps. 114:8; Prov. 12:7; Prov. 17:20; Isa. 34:9; Isa. 60:5; Isa. 63:10; Jer. 2:21; Jer. 13:23; Jer. 20:16; Jer. 23:36; Jer. 30:6; Jer. 31:13; Lam. 1:20; Lam. 3:3; Lam. 4:6; Lam. 5:2; Lam. 5:15; Ezek. 4:8; Dan. 10:8; Dan. 10:16; Hos. 7:8; Hos. 11:8; Joel 2:31; Amos 4:11; Amos 5:7; Amos 5:8; Amos 6:12; Amos 8:10; Jon. 3:4; Zeph. 3:9; Hag. 2:22 And they said, "What is this we have done ("what in the world have we done?" NET) that we have let Israel go from serving us?" - One can imagine his reasoning was "We are losing 600,000 free laborers. We need to rectify this immediately!" Egypt had big building programs and needed the free labor! So Pharaoh quickly about forgot the life/death power of God and pain of loss of his firstborn. Serving is the Hebrew verb abad which is used 29 times in Exodus. In the present passage the Lxx translates abad with douleuo meaning to serve as a slave. When abad is used of serving Jehovah (Ex 4:23, Ex 7:16, Ex 8:1, Ex 8:20, Ex 9:1, Ex 9:13, Ex 10:3, 7, 8, 11, 24, 26) the Greek verb used to translate abad is latreuo which speaks of worshipful service. Pharaoh sought to enslave Israel, while Yahweh sought Israel's worship.
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Spurgeon - Nothing but the grace of God will truly humble men. These Egyptians had been crushed by terrible plagues into a false kind of humility, but they were soon as proud as ever. Nothing but the omnipotent grace of God can really subdue a proud and stubborn heart. Exodus 14:5-9, 21-31 Released From Bondage! by Theodore Epp Just as the crossing of the Red Sea completed the deliverance of Israel from Egypt in order that they could begin their journey toward the Promised Land, so also when a person trusts Christ and has complete salvation, he is to progress in his Christian walk. The crossing of both the Red Sea and the Jordan River illustrate what was accomplished for the believer in the death of Christ. At the Red Sea there was separation from Egypt; at the Jordan River there was an entering into the place of rest. The place of rest for the believer is referred to in Hebrews 4:9,10: "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his." For the believer the death of Christ not only separates him from this present evil world, but it also makes him spiritually alive and seats him with Christ. What a glorious truth this is! We are on the resurrection side. We have much more than the forgiveness of sin; we have been associated with the risen Christ so that we may be united with Him forever and live the heavenly life. He who was dead is now alive! And this same Jesus indwells the bodies of believers in order to live His life in them (1 Cor. 6:19,20). What a glorious privilege is ours! "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life" (John 5:24). Exodus 14:1-14 A Matter Of Perspective I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord. —Exodus 14:4 Are you part of the problem or part of the solution? Whether that question is posed during a business meeting, a church council, or a family discussion, it often springs from a sense of exasperation in trying to comprehend why someone has acted in a certain way. More often than not, the answer is a matter of perspective. If we had been among the Israelites leaving Egypt after 400 years of slavery, we would likely have seen Pharaoh as part of the problem—and he was. Yet God saw something more. Inexplicably, the Lord told Moses to take the people back toward Egypt and camp with their backs to the Red Sea so Pharaoh would attack them (Ex. 14:1-3). The Israelites thought they were going to die, but God said that He would gain glory and honor for Himself through Pharaoh and all his army, “and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord” (Ex 14:4,17-18). Your words of pure, eternal truth Shall yet unshaken stay, When all that man has thought or planned, Like chaff shall pass away. —Anon. Faith helps us to accept what we cannot understand. Exodus 14:6 So he made his chariot ready and took his people with him; people - Ex 14:23 Nu 21:23 Dt 2:32 Dt 3:1 Exodus 14 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries CHARIOTS IN PURSUIT PHARAOH PREPARES TO PURSUE So he made his chariot ready and took his people with him - Made his chariot ready means he harnessed or hitched his chariot, preparing it for action (cf Ge 46:29, 2 Ki 9:21). The Hebrew word is literally "people," but most versions interpret this as reference to his army or troops. Thus NLT has "Pharaoh harnessed his chariot and called his troops." NET has "took his army with him." NAB has "mustered his soldiers." Exodus 14:7 and he took six hundred select chariots, and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them. Ex 14:23 15:4 Jos 17:16-18 JdG 4:3,15 Ps 20:7 68:17 Isa 37:24 Exodus 14 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries PHARAOH'S OVERWHELMING SHOW OF POWER This many chariots and soldiers of the greatest military power in the world at this time would show how hopeless the chances of Israel would be to turn back the Egyptians. Pharaoh did not know that any number plus God is a majority! And he took six hundred select chariots - Chariots were the most sophisticated military technology available at that time. Select is the Hebrew verb "to choose" so conveys the sense that they were "choice" chariots! These were the best he had, probably the best in the world at that time! And all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them - All the other chariots may be literal and if so indicates Pharaoh was holding nothing back from his last ditch effort to punish these rebellious Israelites! This reflects the stubbornness of his heart that he would foolishly risk his entire army! NET Note on officers - The word שָׁלִשִׁם (shalishim) means “officers” or some special kind of military personnel. At one time it was taken to mean a “three man chariot,” but the pictures of Egyptian chariots only show two in a chariot. It may mean officers near the king, “men of the third rank” (B. Jacob, Exodus, 394). So the chariots and the crew represented the elite. See Exodus 14:8 The LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he chased after the sons of Israel as the sons of Israel were going out boldly. the LORD - Ex 14:4 boldly - Ex 6:1 13:9,16,18 Nu 33:3 De 26:8 32:27 Ps 86:13 Ac 13:17 Exodus 14 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries ISRAEL GOES OUT WITH A HIGH HAND The LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he chased after the sons of Israel - Just as He had said "I will harden Pharaoh’s heart...will chase after them" (see note on Ex 14:4). God keeps His Word! As the sons of Israel were going out boldly - Now the Israelites were going out defiantly. (Ex 14:8NET) The NAS rendering of "boldly" is not as accurate as the NET's "defiantly." The literal rendering of boldly is "with a high hand." (Septuagint also = "with a high hand") The Israelites had not left the land as escaping fugitives but had gone out confidently.
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Spurgeon - They were resolute and brave as long as they realized that God was with them; and the Egyptians behind them were bold and proud although God was not with them. There were two high hands that day, the high hand of the proud, puny Pharaoh and the high hand of the ever-blessed omnipotent Jehovah. Exodus 14:9 Then the Egyptians chased after them with all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, and they overtook them camping by the sea, beside Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon. the Egyptians - Ex 15:9 Jos 24:6 camping - Ex 14:2 Exodus 14 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries AGAINST ALL ODDS Then the Egyptians chased after them with all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army - The desciption of this force again emphasizes the odds against Israel coming out victorious! Henry Morris on all the horses - The fact that Egyptians still had many horses in spite of the fact that all of "the cattle of Egypt died" in the plague (Exodus 9:6) seems at first to be a contradiction. However, the account refers merely to "thy cattle which is in the field" (Exodus 9:3); no doubt "the horses and chariots of Pharaoh" were kept in the palatial stables. It is also possible that the term "cattle" did not include the horses. In any case, there is no necessary contradiction. And they overtook them camping by the sea, beside Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon - Overtook does not indicate physical confrontation, but only that they came to close proximity of the campsite. NLT has a good paraphrase that "The Egyptians caught up with the people of Israel." Currid on camping by the sea - The Israelites were encamped by the sea. The Hebrew verb for ‘to camp’ bears the basic meaning of ‘to bend’, or ‘curve’, and when it is applied to settlement areas, it may perhaps reflect the circular configuration of an encampment.
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Spurgeon - Forgetting what God had done for them, and promised to them, they became timid at the sight of their old masters They knew the cruelty of the Egyptians in time of war, and their hearts failed them. Ah, dear friends, if they had cried to the Lord in true believing prayer, they would have been worthy of commendation; but they did not do so. They cried out unto the Lord in an unbelieving complaint, as the next verse plainly shows. While Spurgeon may be correct in view of their attack on God's representative (Moses) in the next verse, it is interesting that Joshua records "‘But when they cried out to the LORD, He put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea upon them and covered them; and your own eyes saw what I did in Egypt. And you lived in the wilderness for a long time." (Josh 24:7) God brings us into straits that he may bring us to our knees. -- Matthew Henry Believer's Study Bible - Even after the mighty miracles preceding the Exodus itself, the people did not respond with faith. Rather they murmured and complained against Moses. This is a continuing theme throughout the book and should be viewed in the light of several facts: (1) Not all of the people were Israelites (Ex 12:38), and not all the Israelites were equally strong in their faith. Their cries arose because they saw no human solution to their dilemma. (2) Written Scripture was not yet available. Thus, each Israelite did not have equal opportunity for understanding the nation's overall redemptive history. The ways of the Lord must have seemed much more obscure to the average Israelite than to Moses or Aaron. (3) Christian history leaves little room for judgmental attitudes, since Christians also have made many errors from lack of theological insight. Rod Mattoon - Clouds are rare in the desert, but tan-colored ones were dancing off desert sands in the horizon as chariots and horses were approaching like a tidal wave. The hoofs of horses sounded like the low rumble of a kettle drum or thunder of a distant storm. A storm of evil was approaching and God's people were terrified. They are afraid because they have forgotten what God has done for them in the past in protecting and delivering them from the Death Angel. We do the same thing. Our memories are so short. Shame on us. Sometimes no matter what the Lord has done in the past, the power He has shown we tend to forget when those new challenges pop up in our lives. The trial tends to swallow us. God allows the pressures of a pickled life to help us look beyond ourselves, to put our trust in Him, and to strengthen our faith. When your back is against the wall, the only place you can basically look is UP! This is what He is trying to teach us. Israel cried to the Lord, but they are still afraid. Their cry was not made in faith because they are griping in the next verse. Why? Their eyes are upon the Egyptian army too. The cure to fear is to keep your focus on the Lord, not the pressing circumstances of your pickled life. Do you remember Peter? He was fine on the stormy sea as long as he focused on Jesus. When he got distracted and started focusing on the storm, he sank in fear. We respond in fear because there are times we doubt the Lord's ability to care for us. Exodus 14:10-22 Finding God’s Pathway Read: Psalm 77:10-20 Your way was in the sea, Your path in the great waters. —Psalm 77:19 The Channel Tunnel opened on May 6, 1994, nearly two centuries after it was first proposed in 1802 by Napoleon’s engineer, Albert Mathieu. Today the 31-mile passage beneath the English Channel allows thousands of people, cars, and trucks to travel by train each day between England and France. For centuries, people had sailed across the Channel until this surprising new way to go under it was completed. God planned an unexpected route for His people too—one we read about in Exodus 14:10-22. Faced with certain death, either from Pharaoh’s army or by drowning, the Israelites were near panic. But God parted the Red Sea and they walked through on dry land. Years later, the psalm writer Asaph used this event as evidence of God’s mighty power, “Your road led through the sea, your pathway through the mighty waters—a pathway no one knew was there! You led Your people along that road like a flock of sheep, with Moses and Aaron as their shepherds” (Ps. 77:19-20 nlt). God can create roads where we see only obstacles. When the way ahead of us seems uncertain, it’s good to remember what God has done in the past. He specializes in pathways in any circumstance—pathways that point us to His love and power. Thank You, God, for the miraculous ways You have worked in the past. Help me to remember Your power and faithfulness when I can see only trouble and difficulty. The God who created a way for our salvation can certainly see us through our daily trials. Exodus 14:11 Then they said to Moses, "Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you dealt with us in this way, bringing us out of Egypt? Because - Ex 15:23,24 16:2,3 17:2,3 Nu 11:1 14:1-4 16:41 Ps 106:7,8 why have - Ex 5:22 Ge 43:6 Nu 11:15 Exodus 14 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries FEAR TURNS PRAYING INTO MURMURING Then - When? After they had just cried out to Jehovah! Spurgeon's comment above is probably correct! They said to Moses, "Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? - This is a mean spirited rhetorical question. They knew there were many graves in Egypt. The Egyptians were fixated on death and the afterlife and had innumerable tombs and burial places. Walter Kaiser points out that "Egypt specialized in graves and had about three-fourths of its land area available for grave sites." (EBC) Unbelief has a way of erasing from our memory all the demonstrations we’ve seen of God’s great power and all the instances we know of God’s faithfulness to His Word. --Warren Wiersbe
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Spurgeon - What cowards they were, and how faint-hearted! Were these the people that were to conquer Canaan? Were these God’s chosen people? Ah, judge them not, for you and I have often been quite as faint-hearted and quite as fickle as they were. May God forgive us as he again and again forgave them! Rod Mattoon - God's people are upset with Moses and are blaming him for their predicament. Stress and fear have a way of making people lash out at others.
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Spurgeon - “Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord.” —Exodus 14:13 These words contain God’s command to the believer when he is reduced to great straits and brought into extraordinary difficulties. He cannot retreat; he cannot go forward; he is shut up on the right hand and on the left; what is he now to do? The Master’s word to him is, “Stand still.” It will be well for him if at such times he listens only to his Master’s word, for other and evil advisers come with their suggestions. Despair whispers, “Lie down and die; give it all up.” But God would have us put on a cheerful courage, and even in our worst times, rejoice in his love and faithfulness. Cowardice says, “Retreat; go back to the worldling’s way of action; you cannot play the Christian’s part, it is too difficult. Relinquish your principles.” But, however much Satan may urge this course upon you, you cannot follow it if you are a child of God. His divine fiat has bid thee go from strength to strength, and so thou shalt, and neither death nor hell shall turn thee from thy course. What, if for a while thou art called to stand still, yet this is but to renew thy strength for some greater advance in due time. Precipitancy cries, “do something. Stir yourself; to stand still and wait, is sheer idleness.” We must be doing something at once—we must do it so we think—instead of looking to the Lord, who will not only do something but will do everything. Presumption boasts, “If the sea be before you, march into it and expect a miracle.” But Faith listens neither to Presumption, nor to Despair, nor to Cowardice, nor to Precipitancy, but it hears God say, “Stand still,” and immovable as a rock it stands. “Stand still;”—keep the posture of an upright man, ready for action, expecting further orders, cheerfully and patiently awaiting the directing voice; and it will not be long ere God shall say to you, as distinctly as Moses said it to the people of Israel, “Go forward.” Exodus 14:1-14 Standing Still By M.R. De Haan Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord. —Exodus 14:13 Stand still! That is a difficult thing for anyone to do. We all like to be busy. After years of active ministry, I was laid aside for several weeks as I hovered between life and death. During that time I learned that I was not indispensable. While I “stood still,” God’s work went on. I must confess that it was a difficult lesson to learn because of pride. It humbled me. It took something out of me, and yet it taught me something that I could learn only by “standing still”—the Lord could get along without me, and I had to depend on Him. The Israelites had to learn this when they stood before the Red Sea. When the Egyptians came from behind and the deserts and mountains closed them in from the sides, Moses said, “Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord” (Ex.14:13). Oh, the precious lessons God teaches us when we learn that He can handle any problem and that He will work wonders far beyond our comprehension. Stand still! God wants to talk to you! Be still, my heart, for faithful is your Lord, And pure and true and tried His holy Word; Through stormy flood that rages as the sea, His promises your steppingstones shall be. —Anon. Don't let problems get you down—Let them remind you to look up. YE SHALL SEE THEM NO MORE Exodus 14:13 - James Smith The Israelites had their last look at their Egyptian enemies at the Red Sea. There is a time coming when all the people of God will see their enemies no more for ever. Learn that— 1. Great changes may come suddenly. To-day the foe is pressing them, to-morrow he will be overwhelmed in the deep. He that hardeneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed. 2. Opportunities may quickly vanish. These Egyptians had seen much of the power and greatness of God, but they remained in wilful rebellion. Harden not your heart. 3. Self-confidence leads to ruin. “The Egyptians went after them,” but in their own strength. They dug their own grave, they rushed into the place of doom. The wages of sin is death. The heart is deceitful above all things. 4. The Salvation of the believer is certain. “Ye shall see them again no more for ever.” The besetting sins, the snares of the Devil, the lusts of the flesh, the pride of life, ye shall see them no more. Full and eternal deliverance is sure. 5. The separation between the believer and the unbeliever will be complete. “See them no more.” The chaff will be driven away. The wheat and the tares will not always grow together. Judas went to his own place. 6. Salvation is of the Lord. The almighty supernatural power of Jehovah was needed to deliver the children of Israel. This saving power of God is now manifested in His Son. Christ is the power of God, He came to seek and save. “He is able also to save to the uttermost, those who come unto God, by Him” (Heb. 7:25). 7. They had to stand still to see the Salvation of the Lord. Man can never make a way of deliverance through the Red Sea of his fathomless guilt. The Lord alone can roll these dark and deadly billows back. Stand still, cease from your works. “Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.” Unsaved ones, give earnest heed now to your Bibles, your Christian friends, and your privileges, or the time will come when you will see them again “no more for ever.” Steven
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Spurgeon - There is a time for praying, but there is also a time for holy activity. Prayer is adapted for almost every season, yet not prayer alone, for there comes, every now and then, a time when even prayer must take a secondary place.” John
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Spurgeon - Moses was no doubt praying in his heart though it is not recorded the he uttered any words in prayer; but it was not the time for prayer, it was the time for action. When people sometimes say when they know their duty, “We will make it a matter of prayer,” they generally mean that they will try to find some excuse for not doing it. You need not pray about any matter when you know what you ought to do; go and do it. Spurgeon - There is a favourite sin, of which he has long been guilty; he does not give it up, but he says that he will pray about it. God says to such a man, ‘ “Where fore criest thou unto me?” Give up thy sin; this is not a matter for thee to pray about, but to repent of.’ The man says, “I was asking for repentance.” Ask, if thou wilt, for repentance, but exercise it as well.” Life Application Study Bible - The Lord told Moses to stop praying and get moving! Prayer must have a vital place in our lives, but there is also a place for action. Sometimes we know what to do, but we pray for more guidance as an excuse to postpone doing it. If we know what we should do, then it is time to get moving. Exodus 14:5-18 A Time For Action The Lord said to Moses, "Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward." —Exodus 14:15 The woman chuckled as she told me about the time she woke her husband to tell him she was in labor and needed to go to the hospital. He jumped out of bed, dropped to his knees, and said, “Honey, let’s pray.” She told him that it was not the time to kneel and pray. It was time to get dressed and head for the hospital. It was time for action! I think this was the type of message God gave Moses when He said of the Israelites, “Why do you cry to Me?” (Exodus 14:15). Not long before that, Pharaoh had permitted the Israelites to leave Egypt, but then he changed his mind (Ex 14:5-6). Wanting to bring them back, he and his army chased after them (Ex 14:7-9). The Israelites were terrified when they saw the Egyptians approaching. They were trapped at the shore of the Red Sea, with nowhere to go! But Moses assured Israel that God would deliver them. Now was a time for action—not crying to Him. It was time to “go on dry ground through the midst of the sea” (Ex 14:16). Lord, when I sense Your call to serve, Help me to follow through; I must not just stand by and pray When there is work to do. —Fasick If God has already told you what to do, you don't need to ask Him again. Exodus 14:15. — Unseasonable Prayer -- Wherefore criest thou unto me? Exodus 14:15 - C H Spurgeon There may come a time when this question needs to be asked even of a Moses. There is a period when crying should give place to action: when prayer is heard and the Red Sea is dividing, it would be shameful disobedience to remain trembling and praying. Therefore Moses must lift his rod and speak to the children of Israel that they go forward. Every fruit of the Spirit comes in its season, and is then most precious: out of season even prayer comes not to perfection. Ask, by all means; but prepare yourself to receive. Seek earnestly; but do not hold back when the hour arrives for you to find. Knock, and knock again; but hasten to enter as soon as the door is open. When we ought to believe that we have the mercy, why do we continue to cry for it as though we had not obtained it? When increased faith is all that is wanted, why are we seeking the blessing which God places within reach of our faith? When duty is quite clear, why hesitate to perform it and make prayer an excuse for our delay? The question should be asked of all who pray, "Wherefore criest thou unto me?" I. SOMETIMES THE ANSWER WILL BE VERY UNSATISFACTORY. 1. Because I was brought up to do so. Some have perpetrated gross hypocrisy through repeating forms of prayer which they learned in childhood. We have heard of one who prayed for his father and mother in his old age (John 9:24). 2. It is a part of my religion. These pray as a Dervish dances or a Fakir holds his arm aloft; but they know nothing of the spiritual reality of prayer (Matt. 6:7). 3. It is a right thing to do. So indeed it is if we pray aright; but the mere repetition of pious words is vanity (Isa. 29:13). 4. I feel easier in my mind after it. Ought you to feel easier? May not your formal prayers be a mockery of God and so an increase of sin (Isa. 1:12-15; Ezek. 20:31)? 5. I think it meritorious and saving. This is sheer falsehood, and a high offence against the merit and sacrifice of the Lord Jesus. II. SOMETIMES THE ANSWER WILL BETRAY IGNORANCE. 1. When it hinders immediate repentance. Instead of quitting sin and mourning over it, some men talk of praying. "To obey is better than sacrifice" and better than supplication. 2. When it keeps from faith in Jesus. The gospel is not "pray and be saved"; but "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved" (Matt. 7:21; John 6:47). 3. When we suppose that it fits us for Jesus. We must come to him as sinners, and not set up our prayers as a sort of righteousness (Luke 18:11, 12). 4. When we think that prayer alone will bring a blessing. III. SOMETIMES THE ANSWER WILL BE QUITE CORRECT. 1. Because I must. I am in trouble, and must pray or perish. Sighs and cries are not made to order, they are the irresistible outbursts of the heart (Ps. 42:1; Rom. 8:26). 2. Because I know I shall be heard, and therefore I feel a strong desire to deal with God in supplication. "Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him" (Ps. 116:2). 3. Because I delight in it: it brings rest to my mind, and hope to my heart. It is a sweet means of communion with my God. "It is good for me to draw near to God" (Ps. 73:28). 4. Because I feel that I can best express the little faith and repentance I have by crying to the Lord for more. 5. Because these grow as I pray. No doubt we may pray ourselves into a good frame if God the Holy Ghost blesses us. 6. Because I look for all from God, and therefore I cry to him (Ps. 62:5). He will be enquired of by us (Ezek. 36: 37). Where must those be who depend upon their own prayers? What are those who live without prayer What are those who can give no reason for praying, but superstitiously repeat words without heart? Cases in Point, etc. An anxious enquirer to whom I had plainly put the great gospel command, "Believe in the Lord Jesus," constantly baffled my attempts to lead her out of self to Christ. At last she cried out, "Pray for me! pray for me!" She seemed greatly shocked when I replied, "I will do nothing of the kind. I have prayed for you before; but if you refuse to believe the word of the Lord, I do not see what I can pray for. The Lord bids you believe his Son, and if you will not do so, but persist in making God a liar, you will perish, and you richly deserve it" This brought her to her bearings. She begged me again to tell her the way of salvation, she quietly received it as a little child, her frame quivered, her face brightened, and she cried! "Sir! I can believe, I do believe, and I am saved. Thank you for refusing to comfort me in my unbelief. "Then she said very softly, "Will you not pray for me now?" Assuredly I did, and we rejoiced together that we could offer the prayer of faith. A good illustration of the need of following up prayer by effort may be found in the following anecdote:— A scholar was remarkable for repeating her lessons well. Her schoolfellow, rather idly inclined, said to her one day, "How is it that you always say your lessons so perfectly?" She replied, "I always pray that I may say my lessons well." "Do you?" said the other; "well then, I will pray, too": but alas I the next morning she could not even repeat a word of her usual task. Very much confounded, she ran to her friend, and reproached her as deceitful: "I prayed," said she, "but I could not say a single word of my lesson" "Perhaps," rejoined the other, "you took no pains to learn it" "Learn it! Learn it! I did not learn it at all" answered the first," I thought I had no occasion to learn it, when I prayed that I might say it." The mistake is a very common one. In a great thaw on one of the American rivers, there was a man on one of the cakes of ice, which was not yet actually separated from the unbroken mass. In his terror, however, he did not see this, but knelt down and began to pray not seen aloud for God to deliver him. The spectators on the shore cried loudly to him, "Man, man, stop praying, and run for the shore" So I would say to some of you, "Rest not in praying, but believe in Jesus." — Quoted in "The Christian," 1874 On one occasion, when Bunyan was endeavoring to pray, the tempter suggested "that neither the mercy of God, nor yet the blood of Christ, at all concerned him, nor could they help him by reason of his sin; therefore it was vain to pray." Yet he thought with himself, "I will pray." "But" said the tempter, "your sin is unpardonable." "Well" said he, "I will pray" "It is to no boot," said the adversary. And still he answered, "I will pray." And so he began his prayer, "Lord, Satan tells me that neither thy mercy nor Christ's blood is sufficient to save my soul. Lord, shall I honor thee most by believing thou wilt and canst? or him, by believing thou neither wilt nor canst? Lord, I would fain honor thee by believing that thou canst and wilt" And while he was thus speaking, "as if someone had clapped him on the back," that scripture fastened on his mind, "O man, great is thy faith" Seek thou thy God alone by prayer, And thou shalt doubt--perchance despair; But seek him also by endeavor, And thou shalt find him gracious ever. A watchword - C H Spurgeon We cannot be long in one stay. A voice ever sounds in our ear, “Arise, let us go hence.” Even when we have conversed on the sweetest themes, or have enjoyed the holiest ordinances, we have not yet crone to our eternal abode; still are we on the march, and the trumpet soundeth, “Arise, let us go hence.” Our Lord was under marching orders, and He knew it: for Him there was no stay upon this earth. Hear how He calls Himself, and all His own, to move on, though bloody sweat and bloody death be in the way. I. OUR MASTER’S WATCHWORD. “Arise, let us go hence.” By this stirring word 1. He expressed His desire to obey the Father. “As the Father gave Me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.” (1) He was not hindered by expected suffering. (2) He did not start back, though in that suffering there would be the special element of His Father’s forsaking Him. (3) He did not hesitate though death was in near prospect. (4) He was eager to do the will of the Father, and make all heaven and earth know how entirely He yielded Himself to the Father. 2. He indicated His readiness to meet the arch-enemy. “The prince of this word cometh. Arise, let us go hence.” (1) He was prepared for the test. He “hath nothing in Me.” (2) He was eager to overthrow His dominion. 3. He revealed His practical activity. All through the chapter observe our Lord’s energy. He is ever on the move. “I go. I will come again. I will do it. I will pray. Arise, let us go hence.” (1) He prefers action to the most sacred rites, and so leaves the supper table with this word on His lips. (2) He prefers action to the sweetest converse. “I will not talk much with you. Arise, let us go hence.” 4. He manifested His all-consuming love to us. (1) He was straitened till He had accomplished our redemption. (2) He could not rest in the company of His best-beloved till their ransom was paid. (3) He would not sit at God’s right hand till He had felt the shame of the Cross, and the bitterness of death (Heb 12:2). II. OUR OWN MOTTO. “Arise, let us go hence.” Ever onward, ever forward, we must go (Ex 14:15). 1. Out of the world when first called by grace (2Co 6:17). How clear the call! How prompt should be our obedience! Jesus is without the camp, we go forth unto Him (Heb 13:13), We must arouse ourselves to make the separation. “Arise, let us go hence,” 2. Out of forbidden associations, if, as believers, we find ourselves like Lot in Sodom. “Escape for thy life” (Gen 19:17). 3. Out of present attainments when growing in grace (Php 3:13-14). 4. Out of all rejoicing in self. There we must never stop for a single instant. Self-satisfaction should startle us. 5. To work, anywhere for Jesus. We should go away from Christian company and home comforts to win souls (Mark 16:15). 6. To defend the faith where it is most assailed. We should be prepared to quit our quiet to contend with the foe (Jude1:3). 7. To suffer when the Lord lays affliction upon us (2Co 12:9). 8. To die when the voice from above calls us home (2Ti 4:6). Conclusion: 1. Oh sinner, where would you go if suddenly summoned? 2. Oh saint, what better could happen to you than to rise and go hence? (C. H. Spurgeon.) Do we understand the price of retreat, of going back? That's a costly step. The mariners who sailed with Christopher Columbus pleaded with him to turn their small vessels around and return to Spain, but he pressed on and on. What a loss it would have been to the entire world if Columbus had listened to those who clamored for him to give up. . Shall we go back? Lot's wife looked back and met death (Genesis 19:26). Jesus says the plowman who looks back is not fit for His kingdom. To go back is the coward's choice. It means to forfeit or lose all the territory gained. It means the adoption of the "crayfish strategy." God says: "If any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him" (Hebrews 11:38). . Whoever entertains an attitude of returning to the "slave days of Egypt" forgets the price paid for redemption. Neither does such a person remember his or her horrible chains of bondage. Sin galls and gouges! It binds, blinds, and bruises. Read again the first chapters of Exodus to get a picture of sin's devastation. Who wants to live again under "the taskmaster's lash?" Who wants to die without hope? An "escape from evil" is a thousand-fold better! Be done with the attitude of retreat. A second attitude concerning advance is to wait for God's marching orders. Don't retreat in panic. Don't rush forward at one's own whim. Wait on the Lord! Moses declares: "Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord...The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace" (Exodus 14:13-14). God's red light and caution light flash in the text. Don't rush out into the sea until God turns on the green light. Let God reveal His moment to march. The victory belongs to Him. We are not to march to the beat of a different drummer. We can't win God's battles, or our own. This is a hard lesson to learn. Look at Lamentations 3:26: "It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord!" . Forty years before the time of the text, Moses disqualified himself. He had not learned to wait upon God. He wanted to do God's job and then check in at the office for the work-order. We still run ahead of God! A person may be too hasty about the choice of a school. Some run too hurriedly to the divorce court. A few, in the excitement of a great spiritual moment, may step into an ordained ministry when God wants their zeal and fire to burn among the laymen in the pew. The Bible says: 42 "Wait on the Lord." Blind poet John Milton wrote: "They also serve who only stand and wait." Maybe some people need to slow down and let God "catch up!" A third attitude is that of advancing at God's Word. We are to respond to and obey His command. Just at the right second God tells Moses: "Wherefore crieth thou to me? speak unto the children of Israel that they go forward" (Exodus 14:15). When God's hour to march arrives, we are not to stand still any longer. Banish every idea of "the leek and garlic and onion of Egypt" - - besides, that stale life only gives spiritual halitosis. Take in the fresh air of adventure and excitement. Advance when God speaks the word. . The lines of Annie Johnson Flint challenge all of us as we face every "Red Sea" experience in life. This is another reminder that we are to let fear turn to faith, cowardice to courage, and bashfulness to boldness! . "Have you come to the Red Sea place in your life, Where, in spite of all you can do, There is no way out, there is no way back, There is no other way but through? Then wait on the Lord with a trust serene Till the night of your fear is gone; He will send the wind, He will heap the floods, When He says to your soul, "Go on!" We must not be insensitive to the attitude of progress when God says, "March!" (Exodus - Escape from Evil) A Remedy Against Despondence "Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward."—Exod. 14:15 "Let me mention," says Sir W. R. Hamilton in one of his letters, "what I think an important secret of experience; namely, that blessed a thing" as meditation is, it is action, rather than meditation, which is the appointed remedy, the Divine specific, against despondence; and that present duties which may at first seem irksome, are part of the medicine wherewith God healeth the sickness of those that are broken in heart." When God Waits Today's Reading: Exodus 14:11-15 Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving! Exodus 14:15 THERE ARE a lot of why questions that we lift up to God. Every day people are looking to heaven and crying out in frustration. "Lord, why aren't you doing something about this? Why is this happening to me? Why isn't anything happening? Why aren't you helping me with this problem?" We saturate the airwaves with the why questions of life. I'm convinced that God has one answer for almost every one of those questions. He says, I'm just waiting on you. When Moses and the Israelites stood on the edge of the Red Sea watching the Egyptian army close in on them, they cried out to God in fear. They began praying that God would somehow rescue them. They lamented over their dilemma and pleaded with the Lord to intervene. And look what God said when he answered them. "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving!" (Exodus 14:15). To paraphrase, God told them, "I'm just waiting on you." Too often we spend our days waiting for a miracle. When trouble comes, we cry out to God for help. When things don't move fast enough, we blame God for taking his time. When our faith is weak, we wonder why God has forsaken us. And all the while God is saying to us, I haven't gone anywhere. I'm just waiting on you. And what is it that God is waiting for? Often he is waiting for us to lay aside our own agenda and trust him. He is waiting for us to deal with the hidden sins in our heart, to be obedient to his Word, to love more, to fear less, to believe without doubt, to soften our heart, to draw nearer, to seek his will. Whenever God waits, he waits for a purpose. And when we finally come to our senses and do the thing that we know he wants us to do, he moves with a vengeance. The Red Sea parts, and things start to happen. When our faith motivates us to act, we will be astounded at what God can accomplish. Reflection Does God seem silent on an issue in your life? What is he waiting on you to do? (Embracing Eternity - Tim Lahaye) God's Marching Orders - Ian Paisley "Speak unto the children of Israel that they go forward" Exodus 14:15 To Go Back Is Destruction Never be tempted to go back when God commands, "Go forward". To turn back is disobedience to God's commandment and certain destruction. If Israel had turned back they, and not the Egyptians, would have been destroyed. It Is the Only Way of Escape Israel was shut up to going forward, on the right hand and on the left high mountains, behind them their bloodthirsty enemies and before them the Red Sea. God's way seemed impossible but it was possible, for God promised to part the sea. What God promises He will surely perform. Escape is certain if we go forward. If You Would Have God with You God is only with us when we go His way. To disobey God is to depart from God. In God's path alone is God's presence. Go forward! Keep going forward! Keep on going forward! GO FORWARD TEXT: “The Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward” (Exod. 14:15). INTRODUCTION: Prayer for the moment was complete. Now it was time to move. For some months God’s plan had unfolded as Moses served as God’s man in Pharaoh’s court. Next was God’s final act against Pharaoh—his destruction but Israel’s deliverance. Let us look at the command, “Go forward.” I. God is its source. A. He draws up the plan of action (Phil. 2:12–13). B. He removes the obstacles (Josh. 4:14–16). C. He never fails to keep His promise (Josh. 23:14). D. He completes what He begins (Phil. 1:6). II. God has repeated it through the centuries. A. To King Saul—“Now go and smite Amalek (1 Sam. 15:3.) He went, but disobeyed God to his sorrow. B. To Isaiah—“Go and tell this people” (Isa. 6:9). C. To Jeremiah—“Go … whatever I command you, you shall speak” (Jer. 1:7). D. To Amos—“Jehovah took me … and Jehovah said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel” (Amos 7:15 ASV). III. God has given it to us (Matt. 28:19). Jesus said, “Go”—and this is our business—into all the world; speak the gospel; baptize believers in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit! CONCLUSION: And go we must; only the disobedient and faithless retreat. To retreat when God commands, “Advance!” is disastrous. Go Forward! Exodus 14:15 Wade Horton INTRODUCTION: The Israelites' was a story of deliverance until this scene. At the first thing that happened, they wanted to go back. They were afraid. To this Moses said, "Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord." But God said, "[Why cry]... unto me?... Go forward!" I. WHY WERE THE ISRAELITES TO GO FORWARD? A. They had a choice: either go forward or stand still. They could do nothing and surrender to the enemy, or turn around and fight. God never wants His children to surrender and serve the enemy. B. God knew they were too weak to fight. The shock of losing some men would be too much. C. They cried to God for deliverance. D. Now, if they really wanted it, they had to "go forward." It was time to quit crying. Did they expect God to do it all? II. THE MARCHING ORDERS OF THE CHURCH ARE TO GO FORWARD. A. "Go... preach" (Mark 16:15-18). B. "Go... teach" (Matthew 28:19). C. "Go... into the vineyard" (Matthew 20:4). D. "[Go] let your light... shine" (Matthew 5:14-16). E. The "go forward" spirit is aggressive and positive. It is not a cowardly spirit. The prophets and apostles had it. Peter had it. Paul had it. Jesus had it. Luther, Wesley, Spurgeon, Finney, Moody, and many others had it. F. Yes, there are "stop" and "go" signs. But God said go, and He has never said stop. III. WHY IS THE CHURCH TO GO FORWARD? A. Halting and lagging hinder those behind. "Ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered" (Luke 11:52). 1. What would have happened if the front line at the Red Sea had halted? 2. What would have happened if we had halted at every disappointment? (See Romans 8:28.) 3. What would have happened if we had quit because we saw no way out? 4. Some quit at the Red Sea (the first trial), and consequently they never go forward. B. No battles are won by going backward. 1. The Church needs to destroy all holding-back straps (Luke 9:62). 2. The children of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle. We too are armed—with the Bible and the Spirit (Ephesians 6:11-17; Psalm 78:9). C. Standing still does not win battles. 1. We should stand still only until we get marching orders. 2. We have ours: Jesus said "Go"! 3. There is no time for hesitation—only for action. "Why stand ye here all the day idle?... Go" (Matthew 20:6, 7). 4. "Launch out into the deep" (Luke 5:4). D. God tells us to go forward. 1. His command is imperative. 2. If we expect victory, we must obey orders. "Be ye doers of the word" (James 1:22). 3. All God's orders are "Go forward." E. Slavery is behind us. 1. Pharaoh is a type of the devil (1 Peter 5:8). 2. The devil distorts the past, so that one remembers only the garlic and leeks in Egypt, etc. (Numbers 11:4-9). 3. We have already tried that. "But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound" (Romans 5:20). 4. Standing still is admitting the devil is as big as God. 5. Standing still is admitting also that we love Egypt best. F. Forward is the only way to Canaan. 1. Canaan is a land flowing with milk and honey. 2. There new experiences await us. a. New environments, free land, free people b. New hopes c. New home d. New liberty e. New joy CONCLUSION: Victory is won by going forward. "Go forward!" God will take care of the enemy. "Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord" (Romans 12:19). When the sea is crossed and the enemy is destroyed, there is joy in the camp! Spurgeon - Exodus 14:15 Forward! Forward! Forward! SPIRITUAL men, in their distresses, turn at once to prayer, even as the stag when hunted takes to flight. Prayer is a never-failing resort; it is sure to bring a blessing with it. Even apart from the answer of our supplications, the very exercise of prayer is healthy to the man engaged in it. Far be it from me ever to say a word in disparagement of the holy, happy, heavenly exercise of prayer. But, beloved, there are times when prayer is not enough—when prayer itself is out of season. You will think that a hard saying, and say, “Who can hear it?” But my text is to the point. Moses prayed that God would deliver his people; but the Lord said to him, “Wherefore criest thou unto me?” As much as to say this is not the time for prayer, it is the time for action. “Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward.” When we have prayed over a matter to a certain degree, it then becomes sinful to tarry any longer; our plain duty is to carry our desires into action, and having asked God’s guidance, and having received divine power from on high, to go at once to our duty without any longer deliberation or delay. Brethren, a vigorous faith will often shut its eyes to difficulties. When faith looks upon a difficulty as being exceedingly great, then she turns to prayer; but, on the other hand, after having sought God’s help, and having received it, she frequently laughs at the impossibility, and cries, “It shall be done;” and then, instead of betaking herself any longer to her knees, she boldly marches on, believing that the difficulty will vanish before her, that the crooked will be made straight, and the rough places plain. We are not to be always praying over a difficulty; when we have fairly committed it to God, we are to act upon the assurance that he has heard us; nor will such an action be the fruit of rashness, for it is a solid and substantial fact, that prayer does avail with God. Beloved, it strikes me that the advice which the Lord gave to Moses, was such as he has given to the preacher to-night; and that the message which Moses delivered to the children of Israel, is a very fit one for me to deliver to you. Short, prompt, soldierlike, here is the whole of it: “Forward! forward!” If you have been sitting down or tempted to go back—“Forward!” We have long been praying, let us to-night “Go forward.” (Full sermon - Exodus 14:15 Forward! Forward! Forward!) Streams in the Desert - “Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward.” (Exod. 14:15.) IMAGINE, O child of God, if you can that triumphal march! The excited children restrained from ejaculations of wonder by the perpetual hush of their parents; the most uncontrollable excitement of the women as they found themselves suddenly saved from a fate worse than death; while the men followed or accompanied them ashamed or confounded that they had ever mistrusted God or murmured against Moses; and as you see those mighty walls of water piled by the outstretched hand of the Eternal, in response to the faith of a single man, learn what God will do for His own. Dread not any result of implicit obedience to His command; fear not the angry waters which, in their proud insolence, forbid your progress. Above the voices of many waters, the mighty breakers of the sea, “the Lord sitteth King for ever.” A storm is only as the outskirts of His robe, the symptom of His advent, the environment of His presence. Dare to trust Him; dare to follow Him! And discover that the very forces which barred your progress and threatened your life, at His bidding become the materials of which an avenue is made to liberty.—F. B. Meyer. Have you come to the Red Sea place in your life, Where, in spite of all you can do, There is no way out, there is no way back, There is no other way but through? Then wait on the Lord with a trust serene Till the night of your fear is gone; He will send the wind, He will heap the floods, When He says to your soul, “Go on.” And His hand will lead you through—clear through— Ere the watery walls roll down, No foe can reach you, no wave can touch, No mightiest sea can drown; The tossing billows may rear their crests, Their foam at your feet may break, But over their bed you shall walk dry shod In the path that your Lord will make. In the morning watch, ’neath the lifted cloud, You shall see but the Lord alone, When He leads you on from the place of the sea To a land that you have not known; And your fears shall pass as your foes have passed, You shall be no more afraid; You shall sing His praise in a better place, A place that His hand has made. —Annie Johnson Flint. Exodus 14:16 "As for you, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, and the sons of Israel shall go through the midst of the sea on dry land. lift - Ex 14:21,26 4:2,17,20 7:9,19 the sea - This sea was what is called in Scripture {yam suph,} "the sea of weeds;" so called, according to Mr. Bruce, from the vast quantity of coral which grows in it. In the LXX. it is called [thalassa erythra,] and by the Latins {Rubrum mare,} and we from them the Red Sea; so called it is supposed, from {Edom} (red) or Esau, whose territories extend to its coasts. and the - Ex 14:21,22 Exodus 14 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries A HIGHWAY THROUGH THE RED SEA As for you, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, and the sons of Israel shall go through the midst of the sea on dry land. - Moses is instructed like a grand composer leading his musical finale by raising his baton for the members of the symphony to begin to play the dramatic crescendo of the composition! While Jehovah used Moses as His "instrument" (Moses), it was God of course Who brought about the miracle the prophet Isaiah affirming... Was it not You (YAHWEH) Who dried up the sea the waters of the great deep; Who made the depths of the sea a pathway for the redeemed to cross over? (Isaiah 51:10). Currid - In spite of Israel’s unbelief, God orders Moses to stretch out his hand (apparently with the rod of God in it) over the Red Sea in order to divide it. It is essentially the same command God had given in the opening plague (see comment on 7:19). On that earlier occasion, the miracle had worked primarily as a curse upon Egypt. Here, as we shall see throughout the passage, it serves as both blessing and curse. John Trapp on the staff - This rod God makes use of, fo: the greater manifestation of his own power, and the gracing of his servant Moses. Adrian Rogers - Do you know what God did to that dead-end? He turned it into an eight-lane super highway, and, dry-shod, they went through the Red Sea. God knows the way through the wilderness. Have you any that seem to be uncrossable? Have you any mountains you cannot tunnel through? God specializes in things that seem to be impossible. He knows a thousand ways to make a way for you. "I am the Lord thy God. Is there anything too hard for Me?" (Jeremiah 32:27) And, that so-called impossibility is God's opportunity to display His glory and His might, if you are living in the Spirit, and if you have your eye on that pillar of cloud and that pillar of fire. This passage reminds me of Don Moen's famous song "God Will Make a Way" (of course in this case God will make a way Israel could see).... Oh, God will make a way Where there seems to be no way He works in ways we cannot see He will make a way for me He will be my guide Hold me closely to His side With love and strength for each new day He will make a way, He will make a way By a roadway in the wilderness, He'll lead me And rivers in the desert will I see Heaven and Earth will fade but His word will still remain And He will do something new today Exodus 14:17 "As for Me, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them; and I will be honored through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. behold - Ge 6:17 9:9 Lev 26:28 De 32:39 Isa 48:15 51:12 Jer 23:39 Eze 5:8 6:3 34:11,20 Ho 5:14 I will - Ex 14:8 Ex 4:23 Ex 7:3,13,14 and I will - Ex 14:18 Exodus 14 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries JEHOVAH IS ORCHESTRATING THE FINAL DRAMA AT THE RED SEA This is a repetition of Exodus 14:4 "Thus I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will chase after them; and I will be honored through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD.” And they did so." There the hardening is related to the heart of Pharaoh and here to the Egyptians, presumably especially those who served in Pharaoh's army, so that they would be motivated to chase after Israel. See more detailed notes on the parallel passage in Ex 14:4 As for Me, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them - NAB = " I will make the Egyptians so obstinate that they will go in after them." The hardening is effected by God simply giving men over to the lusts of their flesh as in Romans 1 where 3 times God gave over men who rejected the truth about God to their own fallen flesh! (Read Romans 1:18-32+, especially Ro 1:24+ = to lusts of their hearts, Ro 1:26+ = to degrading passions, Ro 1:28+ = to a depraved mind). That is the hardening by God that is to be most feared! God is hardening not only Pharaoh’s heart but the hearts of the entire Egyptian army to chase the Hebrews into the sea. NET has "And as for me, I am going to harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will come after them." The NET Note says "The repetition of the verb translated “come” is interesting: Moses is to divide the sea in order that the people may cross, but God will harden the Egyptians’ hearts in order that they may follow."
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Spurgeon - God was like a wall of fire between them and their enemies, so that they had no cause for fear even though the Egyptians were so near. ILLUSTRATION - The nearer the moon draweth into conjunction with the sun, the brighter she shines toward the heavens and the earth; so, the nearer the soul draws into communion with Jesus Christ, the comelier it is in the eye of the Spouse, and the blacker it appears in the sight of the world. He that is a precious Christian to the Lord is a precious puritan to the world; he that is glorious to a heavenly saint is odious to an earthly spirit. But it is a sign thou art an Egyptian, when that cloud which is a light to an Israelite is darkness to thee. It is a sign thou movest in a terrestrial orb, when thou seest no lustre in such celestial lights C H McIntosh - Jehovah placed Himself right between Israel and the enemy—this was protection indeed. Before ever Pharaoh could touch a hair of Israel’s head, he should make his way through the very pavilion of the Almighty—yea, through the Almighty Himself. Thus it is that God ever places Himself between His people and every enemy, so that “no weapon formed against them can prosper.” (Isaiah 54:17) He has placed Himself between us and our sins; and it is our happy privilege to find Him between us and every one and everything that could be against us.… The believer may institute a diligent and anxious search for his sins, but he cannot find them. Why? Because God is between him and them. He has cast all our sins behind His back (Isaiah 38:17); while, at the same time, He sheds forth upon us the light of His reconciled countenance. Exodus 14:21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD swept the sea back by a strong east wind all night and turned the sea into dry land, so the waters were divided. stretched - Ex 14:16 the Lord - Ex 15:8 Jos 3:13-16 4:23 Ne 9:11 Job 26:12 Ps 66:6 74:13 Ps 78:13 106:7-10 114:3-5 136:13 Isa 51:10,15 63:12 Exodus 14 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries MOSES STRETCHED OUT HIS HAND SEE VIDEO REPLAY OF THIS EVENT SUPERNATURAL SWIRL SWEEPS WATER I am amazed that commentators which I normally consider conservative make vain attempts to try to explain the supernatural hand of Yahweh by invoking natural phenomena. This is just plain wrong in my humble opinion! It reminds me of Thomas Jefferson's "Bible" (if you could still call it that) from which he had carefully extirpated all allusions to the supernatural and to the work of the Holy Spirit! He could have just as well spent his time reading a novel by Charles Dickens (in my opinion)! (Even Wikipedia says "Consistent with his naturalistic outlook and intent, most supernatural events are not included in Jefferson's heavily edited compilation.") Mark it down - Moses stretched and Yahweh swept! Man's part, God's sovereignty! Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea - What sea? Ex 13:18 and Ex 15:4 identify it as the Red Sea. Moses believed the words that Jehovah had spoken to him and obeyed his instructions in Ex 14:16 "As for you, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, and the sons of Israel shall go through the midst of the sea on dry land." Moses did not question or doubt these unusual instructions, but did as he had been instructed. Notice the principle that if one believes the Word of God, he or she will obey the Word of God. Obedience does not save a person, but does demonstrate that their faith is genuine. Faith that refuses to act is at best faulty faith and at worse false faith. And the LORD swept the sea back by a strong east wind all night and turned the sea into dry land, so the waters were divided. - NET = "the LORD drove the sea apart by a strong east wind all that night." Notice once again how the sovereignty of the LORD is intimately (and mysteriously) intermingled with the responsibility of man. And so we see Moses stretched and Yahweh swept! Notice the direction of the wind is from the East. Where were the Israelites? On the west side. So the miracle began to take place opposite their position and occurred all night. Notice that in bringing out this miracle God used the natural forces He controls, but the event was nevertheless totally supernatural! I live by the sea and the wind blew 50 mph recently from the shore toward the water in the Gulf of Mexico and while the waves were huge, the sea itself did not part! So not only did the natural wind supernaturally divide the water, the soil was supernaturally dry! Yes Yahweh used wind but the psalmist clearly records "You divided the sea by Your strength." (Ps 74:13) As Spurgeon says "Infinite power split the Red Sea in twain. Israel delighted to rehearse this famous act of the Lord." NET Note - There is no way to “water down” the text to fit natural explanations; the report clearly shows a miraculous work of God making a path through the sea—a path that had to be as wide as half a mile in order for the many people and their animals to cross between about 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. Believer's Study Bible - On the use of the east and west winds, cf. Ex 10:13, 19. That the path through the sea was not even soggy was considered highly significant by later writers of Scripture (cf. Ps. 66:6; P 106:7-12; Isa. 63:12-14). Life Application Study Bible - There was no apparent way of escape, but the Lord opened up a dry path through the sea. Sometimes we find ourselves caught in a problem and see no way out. Don't panic; God can open up a way. Adrian Rogers - Now, many of you think you know about the Exodus because you saw a movie, and Cecil B. DeMille told you how it was done. Friend, let me tell you that there's no movie—no film—that can describe the glory, the marvel, the mystery, and the miracle of the opening of the Red Sea, and the bringing of the children of Israel through, dry-shod. THE NEW WAY Exodus 14 In following the Lord the Israelites were led into the wilderness. The first strivings of the Holy Spirit is to lead the soul into a true sense of its utter emptiness and barrenness that it may become capable of enjoying the riches of divine grace. “I will pour water upon him that is thirsty” (Isa. 44:3). Notice their— I. Helpless Condition. “They are entangled in the land, the wilderness has shut them in” (v. 3). They have been led between Pi-hahiroth and Baal-zephon like a convicted sinner without hope, shut up between the impassable crags of a broken law and the sinking swamps of human inability. Has God made a mistake in leading them into such a trap? No wonder the enemy says, seeing their plight, “God hath forsaken him; persecute and take him, for there is none to deliver” (Psa. 71:11). II. Despairing Cry. “Pharaoh drew nigh, and they were sore afraid, and cried unto the Lord” (v. 10). Those entangled by the guiding Spirit of conviction are shut up to faith (2 Chron. 20:12). All earthly help and hope must be cut off to make room for the deliverance of the Lord. It was when the disciples were utterly helpless in the storm the Lord rebuked the winds. Salvation is near when the despairing cry is raised. III. Precious Privilege. “Fear not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord” (v. 13). He is a present help in time of trouble. He knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation. This salvation was not of works—“The Lord shall fight for you.” It was not of words—“Ye shall hold your peace” (v. 14). The busybodies mentioned in Romans 10:4 did not succeed in lifting one foot out of the miry clay. Jesus paid it all. Your strength is to sit still. IV. Miraculous Deliverance. “The Lord made the sea dry land” (v. 21). This new way of salvation was all of God’s making. It required Almighty power to roll the difficulties back and leave a free and open way of escape for the weary, tangled feet of men. What a picture of the great saving work of our Redeemer King! Through the vail of His flesh He hath consecrated for us a new and living way (Heb. 10:20). Let us draw near. This way was not only made by the Lord, but you will note that it had to be maintained till every redeemed one was saved. Jesus is the Way. Not only the Waymaker. Himself we need every step. “I am the Way” (John 14:6). V. Saving Faith. “Go forward” (v. 15). “They went into the midst of the sea” (v. 22). It is not enough to know there is a way, to see to it, or even to praise and magnify the wisdom and power of Him who made it; it must be entered or the enemy of souls will overtake and destroy. Go forward, only believe these watery walls of judgment, so dark and ominous, cannot overflow you. “There is therefore no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1). Alas, that there are so many of whom it may be said, “They cannot enter in because of unbelief.” VI. Almighty Protection. “The angel of God, … the pillar of cloud, came between” (vv. 19, 20). Those who walk in God’s ways will be kept by God’s power (Psa. 37:24). The pillar of His presence between us and our foes is a strong guarantee of safety. The light of the pillar was hid from the Egyptians. Solemn thought, “If our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost” (2 Cor. 4:3). There is a darkness that thickens into “the blackness of darkness for ever” (Jude 13). VII. Triumphant Song. “I will sing unto the Lord” (chap. 15:1). It is surely suggestive that in this song there are three “Thine’s,” ten “Thou’s,” and eleven “Thy’s,” but no “Me’s.” “Not unto us, not unto us, but unto Thy Name give glory” (Psa. 115:1). “Thanks be unto God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 15:57). The way of life, through the open sea of our Redeemer’s sufferings, leads to the song of victory. “I heard a great voice of much people in Heaven, saying, Alleluia! Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: for true and righteous are His judgments” (Rev. 19:1, 2). Question: "Did the Israelites in the book of Exodus cross the Red Sea or the Reed Sea?" Answer: Moses’ song of praise after the crossing of the Red Sea contains this line: “Pharaoh’s chariots and his army he has hurled into the sea. The best of Pharaoh’s officers are drowned in the Red Sea” (Exodus 15:4). This is one of over twenty Old Testament verses dealing with the Exodus that mention the Red Sea. There has always been a question, though, about the accuracy of translating these verses with “Red Sea” instead of “Reed Sea.” The Hebrew word suph, whose root is thought to be of Egyptian origin, meant “reed,” especially the papyrus. So the Hebrew phrase yam suph can be translated “Sea of Reeds” or “Reed Sea” or even “Papyrus Marsh.” Is this phrase, commonly translated “Red Sea,” in fact referring to what today is known as the Red Sea or is it some other body of water? More importantly, are the liberal scholars correct in saying yam suph refers to a marshy area near the Rea Sea or some small, shallow lake nearby? These questions are crucial because, if the Israelites escaped Egypt without God’s miraculous intervention, then the Bible contains exaggerations and lies. ED COMMENT - THE 28 USES OF "RED SEA" - Ex 10:19; Ex. 13:18; Ex. 15:4; Ex. 15:22; Ex. 23:31; Nu 14:25; Nu 21:4; Num. 33:10; Num. 33:11; Deut. 1:40; Deut. 2:1; Deut. 11:4; Jos. 2:10; Jos. 4:23; Jos. 24:6; Jdg. 11:16; 1 Ki. 9:26; Neh. 9:9; Ps. 106:7; Ps. 106:9; Ps. 106:22; Ps. 136:13; Ps. 136:15; Jer. 49:21; Acts 7:36; Heb. 11:29 When we look at the various passages of Scripture where the term yam suph is used, it becomes clear that it is indeed referring to the large body of water: “The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left” (Exodus 14:21–22). The “wall of water” on each side of the Israelites certainly suggests depth. Later, “the sea went back to its place. . . . The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived” (verses 27–28). There can be no doubt about what Moses is communicating here. Red Sea or Reed Sea, it was deep enough to destroy the entire Egyptian army. All the credit for this miraculous event is given to the Lord (Exodus 15:3), and it is referenced often in Scripture as an example of God’s great power (Joshua 2:10; Nehemiah 9:9; Psalm 106:9–12; 136:13–14). Exodus 14 clearly describes a supernatural event involving a deep body of water that Israel crossed on dry ground and that later drowned the Egyptians. Whether the Israelites called it the Red Sea or the Reed Sea, the only way to look at that chapter and see a shallow lake or marshy area is to have a preconceived bias against the miraculous. Exodus gives us a clear understanding that the body of water the Israelites crossed was large and deep. The Red Sea surely fits that description. In support of “Red Sea” being the correct translation and the correct body of water is the Greek Septuagint (LXX) from 200 BC. This is the earliest translation of the Hebrew Bible known, and the words yam suph are consistently translated with the Greek words eruthros thalassa or “Red Sea” (see Acts 7:36; Hebrews 11:29). In Exodus 3:2 and 5, the translators of the LXX used hélos to refer to a marshy, reedy area. But when it came time to translate suph in the context of the exodus through the sea, they chose a different phrase (eruthros thalassa), which specifically means “Red Sea.” The translators of the LXX obviously understood Moses to be referring to the Red Sea, not some other body of water. When the LXX is quoted in the New Testament, the biblical writers, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, retained the Greek words meaning “Red Sea” (not “Reed Sea”). One example is in Stephen’s sermon in Acts 7:36. Also, Hebrews 11:29 says, “By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.” These New Testament passages provide strong proof that “Red Sea” is the correct translation. Further evidence that yam suph can indeed refer to the Red Sea comes from 1 Kings 9:26. There we see King Solomon building a fleet of ships on the shore of the Rea Sea/Reed Sea in the land of Edom—hardly practical if that body of water were merely a marshy area or small, shallow lake. Even if we choose the translation “Reed Sea” over “Red Sea,” there are several possible bodies of water near Egypt that the Israelites could have crossed. Some scholars point to the Gulf of Suez or the Gulf of Aqaba (both are extensions of the Red Sea) as possible crossing sites. Moving north of the Gulf of Suez is the Bitter Lakes region, and north of that is Lake Timsah. Other scholars have suggested a body of water in the Nile Delta region. Regardless of the way the words yam suph are translated, the Bible is clear that God supernaturally parted a large body of water so the Israelites could cross on dry land, and, when the Egyptian army attempted to follow, He destroyed them in an overwhelming flood. (Source: Gotquestions.org) Exodus 14:21-22 Unlimited Power [God] brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name. —Isaiah 40:26 Why don’t the stars fall down?” A child may ask that question, but so does an astronomer. And they both get essentially the same answer: A mysterious power or energy upholds everything and prevents our cosmos from collapsing into chaos. Hebrews 1:3 tells us that it is Jesus who upholds all things by the word of His power. He is the source of all the energy there is, whether the explosive potential packed inside an atom or the steaming kettle on the kitchen stove. That energy is not simply a mindless force. No, God is the personal power who created everything out of nothing, including the stars (Genesis 1; Isaiah 40:26); who divided the Red Sea and delivered the Israelites from Egyptian bondage (Exodus 14:21-22); who brought to pass the virgin birth of Jesus (Luke 1:34-35); and who raised Him from the dead and conquered death (2 Timothy 1:10). Our God, the one and only true God, has the power to answer prayer, meet our needs, and change our lives. Thou art coming to a King— Large petitions with thee bring; For His grace and power are such None can ever ask too much. —John Newton God is greater than our greatest problem. Exodus 14:22 The sons of Israel went through the midst of the sea on the dry land, and the waters were like a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. sons of Israel - Ex 14:29 Ex 15:19 Nu 33:8 Ps 66:6 78:13 Isa 63:13 1Co 10:1 Heb 11:29 a wall - Ex 15:8 Hab 3:8-10 Zec 2:5 Exodus 14 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries A WALL OF WATER AT THE WORLD'S LARGEST AQUARIUM A MIRACULOUS WALL OF WATER The sons of Israel went through the midst of the sea on the dry land - Jehovah provided an 8 lane highway which had a one way sign pointing to final freedom from fear of the foe in Egypt. Currid on dry ground - The term is used in the Bible to describe land that is exceedingly dry, with no moisture. It appears in Genesis 1:9 as the ‘dry ground’ which becomes visible at creation (in antithesis to the waters). The earth’s surface is called ‘dry ground’ after the flood of the day of Noah (Ge 8:7, 14). In all three events, God causes water to be removed so that dry land might appear. This truth underscores the sovereignty and omnipotence of Yahweh!
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Spurgeon - It was no slight miracle to divide a pathway through such a sea, and to make it fit for the traffic of a whole nation. He who did this can do anything, and must be God, the worthy object of adoration. The Christian's inference is that no obstacle in his journey heavenward need hinder him, for the sea could not hinder Israel, and even death itself shall be as life; the sea shall be dry land when God's presence is felt. Psalm 77:16-20 The waters saw You, O God; The waters saw You, they were in anguish; The deeps also trembled. 17 The clouds poured out water; The skies gave forth a sound; Your arrows flashed here and there. 18 The sound of Your thunder was in the whirlwind; The lightnings lit up the world; The earth trembled and shook. 19 Your way was in the sea And Your paths in the mighty waters, And Your footprints may not be known. 20You led Your people like a flock By the hand of Moses and Aaron. Spurgeon - The waters saw thee, O God, the waters saw thee; they were afraid. As if conscious of its Maker's presence, the sea was ready to flee from before his face. The conception is highly poetical, the psalmist has the scene before his mind's eye, and describes it gloriously. The water saw its God, but man refuses to discern him; it was afraid, but proud sinners are rebellious and fear not the Lord. The depths also were troubled. To their heart the floods were made afraid. Quiet caves of the sea, far down in the abyss, were moved with fear; and the lowest channels were left bare, as the water rushed away from its place, in terror of the God of Israel. Verse 17 The clouds poured out water. Obedient to the Lord, the lower region of the atmosphere yielded its aid to overthrow the Egyptian host. The cloudy chariots of heaven hurried forward to discharge their floods. The skies sent out a sound. From the loftier aerial regions thundered the dread artillery of the Lord of Hosts. Peal on peal the skies sounded over the heads of the routed enemies, confusing their minds and adding to their horror. Thine arrows also went abroad. Lightnings flew like bolts from the bow of God. Swiftly, hither and thither, went the red tongues of flame, on helm and shield they gleamed; anon with blue bale fires revealing the innermost caverns of the hungry sea which waited to swallow up the pride of Mizraim. Behold, how all the creatures wait upon their God, and show themselves strong to overthrow his enemies. Verse 18. The voice of thy thunder was in the heaven, or in the whirlwind. Rushing on with terrific swiftness and bearing all before it, the storm was as a chariot driven furiously, and a voice was heard (even thy voice, O Lord!) out of the fiery car, even as when a mighty man in battle urges forward his charger, and shouts to it aloud. All heaven resounded with the voice of the Lord. The lightnings lightened the world. The entire globe shone in the blaze of Jehovah's lightnings. No need for other light amid the battle of that terrible night, every wave gleamed in the fire flashes, and the shore was lit up with the blaze. How pale were men's faces in that hour, when all around the fire leaped from sea to shore, from crag to hill, from mountain to star, till the whole universe was illuminated in honour of Jehovah's triumph. The earth trembled and shook. It quaked and quaked again. Sympathetic with the sea, the solid shore forgot its quiescence and heaved in dread. How dreadful art thou, O God, when thou comest forth in thy majesty to humble thine arrogant adversaries. Verse 19 - Thy way is in the sea. Far down in secret channels of the deep is thy roadway; when thou wilt thou canst make a sea a highway for thy glorious march. And thy path in the great waters. There, where the billows surge and swell, thou still dost walk; Lord of each crested wave. And thy footsteps are not known. None can follow thy tracks by foot or eye. Thou art alone in thy glory, and thy ways are hidden from mortal ken. Thy purposes thou wilt accomplish, but the means are often concealed, yea, they need no concealing, they are in themselves too vast and mysterious for human understanding. Glory be to thee, O Jehovah. Verse 20 - What a transition from tempest to peace, from wrath to love. Quietly as a flock Israel was guided on, by human agency which veiled the excessive glory of the divine presence. The smiter of Egypt was the shepherd of Israel. He drove his foes before him, but went before his people. Heaven and earth fought on his side against the sons of Ham, but they were equally subservient to the interests of the sons of Jacob. Therefore, with devout joy and full of consolation, we close this Psalm; the song of one who forgot how to speak and yet learned to sing far more sweetly than his fellows. Psalm 78:13 He divided the sea and caused them to pass through, And He made the waters stand up like a heap. 14 Then He led them with the cloud by day And all the night with a light of fire. Spurgeon - A double wonder, for when the waters were divided the bottom of the sea would naturally be in a very unfit state for the passage of so vast a host as that of Israel; it would in fact have been impassable, had not the Lord made the road for his people. Who else has ever led a nation through a sea? Yet the Lord has done this full often for his saints in providential deliverances, making a highway for them where nothing short of an almighty arm could have done so. And he made the waters to stand as an heap. He forbade a drop to fall upon his chosen, they felt no spray from the crystal walls on either hand. Fire will descend and water stand upright at the bidding of the Lord of all. The nature of creatures is not their own intrinsically, but is retained or altered at the will of him who first created them. The Lord can cause those evils which threaten to overwhelm us to suspend their ordinary actions, and become innocuous to us. Psalm 106:9-10 Thus He rebuked the Red Sea and it dried up, And He led them through the deeps, as through the wilderness. 10 So He saved them from the hand of the one who hated them, And redeemed them from the hand of the enemy. Spurgeon - A word did it (REBUKED). The sea heard his voice and obeyed. How many rebukes of God are lost upon us! Are we not more unmanageable than the ocean? God did, as it were, chide the sea, and say, "Wherefore dost thou stop the way of my people? Their path to Canaan lies through thy channel, how dare you hinder them?" The sea perceived its Master and his seed royal, and made way at once. So he led them through the depths, as through the wilderness. As if it had been the dry floor of the desert the tribes passed over the bottom of the gulf; nor was their passage venturesome, for HE bade them go;nor dangerous, for He led them. We also have under divine protection passed through many trials and afflictions, and with the Lord as our guide we have experienced no fear and endured no perils. We have been led through the deeps as through the wilderness. Isaiah 50:2 “Why was there no man when I came? When I called, why was there none to answer? Is My hand so short that it cannot ransom? Or have I no power to deliver? Behold, I dry up the sea with My rebuke, I make the rivers a wilderness; Their fish stink for lack of water And die of thirst. Isaiah 51:10 Was it not You who dried up the sea, The waters of the great deep; Who made the depths of the sea a pathway For the redeemed to cross over? Isaiah 63:12 Who caused His glorious arm to go at the right hand of Moses, Who divided the waters before them to make for Himself an everlasting name, Exodus 14:23 Then the Egyptians took up the pursuit, and all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots and his horsemen went in after them into the midst of the sea. Ex 14:17 15:9,19 1Ki 22:20 Ec 9:3 Isa 14:24-27 Exodus 14 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries EGYPTIANS PURSUE TO PERISH Then - When? While it is not stated, their pursuit could not have begun until the partition of the pillar of Yahweh was removed and God had given the Israelites a sufficient "head start" to either be almost through to the other side or completely through. The Egyptians took up the pursuit - Jehovah permitted the pursuit for it would be in the drowning of the entire Egyptian army that He would be honored and glorified. And even in their pursuit they persisted in their bravado and braggadocio declaring "I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; My desire shall be gratified against them; I will draw out my sword, my hand will destroy them." (Ex 15:9) And all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots and his horsemen went in after them into the midst of the sea - They pursued because they saw them in the Israelites in the distance. Here is their logic - Israelites on foot, Egyptians on horses or in chariots, former slow, latter fast! Logical? Yes, but not reasonable, especially in light of the supernatural manifestation they had seen in the "dividing line" produced by the pillar and the "walled" up waters, which could be nothing but supernaural! One would have thought once again reason would have ruled when they saw water standing like a wall, but their hearts were hardened and their reasoning was clouded. Their destiny was to be in the depths of the deep red sea! Exodus 14:24 At the morning watch, the LORD looked down on the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud and brought the army of the Egyptians into confusion. At the morning watch - 1Sa 11:11 LORD looked down - Job 40:12 Ps 18:13,14 77:16-19 104:32 through - Ex 14:19,20 confusion - Ex 14:25 Job 22:13 23:15,16 34:20,29 Ps 48:5 Exodus 14 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries DIVINE CONFUSION ON THE EGYPTIANS At the morning watch (1 Sa 11:11 = identical expression) - To what time does this phrase refer? We assume this phrase is based on the fact that the Old Testament divided the night into three watches of four hours each, beginning at our 6 PM, the first watch going from 6-10, the second watch from 10 PM to 2 AM and the third ("morning") watch from 2 - 6 AM (cf "night watches" in Ps. 63:6; Ps 119:148; Lam. 2:19, "middle watch" in Jdg 7:19) The LORD looked down on the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud - Jehovah looked down (Lxx = epiblepo = looked intently, paid close attention) from His Shekinah glory cloud. Note again the pillar is associated with the presence of Jehovah. In some manner Jehovah was in the pillar (even as He had been in the burning bush in Exodus 3:4-6+), and the pillar was in some way elevated over the Egyptians. Could they see the pillar? The text does not say. But the pillar could see them! Currid - During these early morning hours, Yahweh ‘leant over and looked down’ upon the Egyptian forces. He then acted by, literally, ‘throwing the army of Egypt into confusion by noise’. Looked down (08259)(saqap) The basic idea is "to look down at a sharp angle from a great height" as one would look down from a pinnacle or onto the street from a high housetop. In the present passage in Ex 14:24 this verb presents us with is a bold anthropomorphism that "Yahweh looked down." This verb is always with some demonstration of either mercy or wrath. It means "to look down on, to overlook. It has the sense of God looking down, observing from above: It is used of people or angels (Gen. 18:16); Abraham (Gen. 19:28); God (Ex. 14:24; Ps. 14:2; 53:2[3]; 102:19[20]; Lam 3:50); evil (Jer. 6:1). It may mean simply to look over at something, to observe (Gen. 26:8; Prov. 7:6). It is used in the sense of to look forth, to shine forth (Song 6:10)." (Complete Word Study Dictionary – Old Testament) Psalm 14:2 (cf uses in Ps 53:2, Ps 102:19) The LORD has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men To see if there are any who understand, Who seek after God. Saqap - 22x in 22v -grows(1), look down(1), looked(6), looked down(8), looks down(3), overlooks*(3). - Gen. 18:16; Gen. 19:28; Gen. 26:8; Exod. 14:24; Num. 21:20; Num. 23:28; Deut. 26:15; Jdg. 5:28; 1 Sam. 13:18; 2 Sam. 6:16; 2 Sam. 24:20; 2 Ki. 9:30; 2 Ki. 9:32; 1 Chr. 15:29; Ps. 14:2; Ps. 53:2; Ps. 85:11; Ps. 102:19; Prov. 7:6; Cant. 6:10; Jer. 6:1; Lam. 3:50 The words of Jehovah in Isaiah are apropos to the present passage "Now I will arise,” says the LORD, “Now I will be exalted, now I will be lifted up. " (Isaiah 33:10) And brought the army of the Egyptians into confusion - In some way not stated Jehovah caused confusion. NET Note adds that the verb hamam means “throw into confusion.” It is used in the Bible for the panic and disarray of an army before a superior force (Josh 10:10; Jdg 4:15)." The confusion could relate to the tumultuous climatic events described in Ps 77:17-18 which says "The clouds poured out water; The skies gave forth a sound; Your arrows flashed here and there. The sound of Your thunder was in the whirlwind; The lightnings lit up the world; The earth trembled and shook." A trembling, shaking earth would definitely impact both the horses pulling the chariots and the chariots as well as the soldiers on foot or horseback. This would have been a frightening scene to be sure! Spurgeon comments "Obedient to the Lord, the lower region of the atmosphere yielded its aid to overthrow the Egyptian host. The cloudy chariots of heaven hurried forward to discharge their floods. The skies sent out a sound. From the loftier aerial regions thundered the dread artillery of the Lord of Hosts. Peal on peal the skies sounded over the heads of the routed enemies, confusing their minds and adding to their horror. Thine arrows also went abroad. Lightnings flew like bolts from the bow of God. Swiftly, hither and thither, went the red tongues of flame, on helm and shield they gleamed; anon with blue bale fires revealing the innermost caverns of the hungry sea which waited to swallow up the pride of Mizraim. Behold, how all the creatures wait upon their God, and show themselves strong to overthrow his enemies The Septuagint translates the Hebrew word for confusion (hamam) with suntarasso which means they were thrown into complete confusion and were profoundly disturbed. Hamam refers to noise in (1 Sa 7:10) for "the LORD thundered with a great thunder on that day against the Philistines and confused them, so that they were routed before Israel." As noted above Ps 77:18 "The sound of Your thunder was in the whirlwind; The lightnings lit up the world; The earth trembled and shook." This would seem to be the cause of the confusion. It is interesting that in Exodus 14:3, Israel was the one in apparent confusion, but now we see it is Egypt panicked! Jehovah "confounded them ("the five kings of the Amorites" - Josh 10:5) before Israel, and He slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon." (Josh 10:10) "The LORD routed Sisera and all his chariots and all his army with the edge of the sword before Barak." (Jdg 4:15) We see similar descriptions of Jehovah in Ps 18:14 and Ps 144:6. The point is clear that the LORD has protected His people in the past and there is no reason to believe that He will not protect His people in the the present age (cf 1 Pet 1:5+). Confusion (02000)(hamam) means to make a noise, move noisily, confuse, throw into commotion. "The basic meaning of this word seems to be "to give attention to" in the negative sense, that is, "harass," "trouble," often with the purpose of creating panic." Of the 13 uses below God is the subject in 10 verses. Of these, five times the object is Israel's enemy whom God strikes with panic for their sake. (See 1 Sa 7:10; Ex 14:24; Ex 23:27; Josh 10:10; Jdg 4:15; and also 2 Chr 15:6 with a more general subject.) Thus it denotes an important aspect of holy war. The verb is used parallel to "scatter" in 2 Sa 22:15; Ps 18:14, and Ps 144:6 (parallel passages). God uses arrows and lightnings to trouble his enemies. (Some would translate hāmam as "set in motion" referring to the arrows and lightning.) The word is also used to indicate the effect of a cart wheel on grain (Isaiah 28:28). But some make wheel the object and translate "set in motion." The word describes God's treatment of the Israelites over forty until they died in the wilderness. He made sure of their death (Dt. 2:15). Other subjects of this verb are: Nebuchadnezzar, against Jerusalem (Jeremiah 51:34), and Haman against the Jews (Esther 9:24)(TWOT) Hamam - 14x in 13v - brought(1), confounded(1), confuse(1), confused(1), confusion(1), crushed(1), damage(1), destroy(1), disturb(1), routed(3), throw into confusion(1), troubled(1). Exod. 14:24; Exod. 23:27; Deut. 2:15; Jos. 10:10; Jdg. 4:15; 1 Sam. 7:10; 2 Sam. 22:15; 2 Chr. 15:6; Est. 9:24; Ps. 18:14; Ps. 144:6; Isa. 28:28; Jer. 51:34 Exodus 14:25 He caused their chariot wheels to swerve, and He made them drive with difficulty; so the Egyptians said, "Let us flee from Israel, for the LORD is fighting for them against the Egyptians." He caused their chariot wheels to swerve - Jdg 4:15 Ps 46:9 76:6 Jer 51:21 Let us flee - Job 11:20 20:24 27:22 Ps 68:12 Am 1:14 5:19 9:1 for the Lord - Ex 14:14 De 3:22 1Sa 4:7,8 Exodus 14 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries EGYPTIANS RECOGNIZE JEHOVAH IS FIGHTING FOR ISRAEL He caused their chariot wheels to swerve, and He made them drive with difficulty - NET = "He jammed the wheels of their chariots so that they had difficulty driving." NLT = "He twisted their chariot wheels, making their chariots difficult to drive." ESV = "clogging their chariot wheels so that they drove heavily." NIV = "He made the wheels of their chariots come off so that they had difficulty driving." Apparently in some manner, God locked up the wheels of the chariots in order that they could not easily move. Here we see Jehovah directly intervened and fought for Israel. MacArthur thinks that "they were also hindered from driving their chariots forward by a sudden cloudburst (Ps 77:17–19 - ED: see note in previous verse Ex 14:24)." (MSB) Currid on drive them with difficulty (ASV is more literal = "and they drove them heavily") observes that "‘Heaviness’ (kebeduth) is a derivative of the noun kabad/kabed, which, as we have seen, is often used in Exodus of what God does to Pharaoh’s heart. Here we see that not only is Pharaoh subject to the hardening activity of Yahweh, but so too are the chariots of Egypt!" NET Note agrees writing that "The idea of the next word is “heaviness” or “hardship”; it recalls the previous uses of related words to describe Pharaoh’s heart. Here it indicates that the driving of the crippled chariots was with difficulty." John
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Spurgeon comments - The Lord does nothing by halves. What he begins he carries through to the end. This, again, made Israel's sin the greater, because they saw the thoroughness of the divine justice, and the perfection of the divine faithfulness. In the covering of their enemies we have a type of the pardon of our sins; they are sunk as in the sea, never to rise again; and, blessed be the Lord, there is "not one of them left." ”Not one sin of thought, or word, or deed, the blood of Jesus has covered all. "I will cast their iniquities into the depths of the sea." John
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Spurgeon comments "After the first little alarm, natural enough when they found themselves pursued by their old taskmasters, they plucked up courage and ventured forth boldly into the sea, and afterwards into the desert where no man dwelt. But the sea overwhelmed their enemies. They were gone, gone forever, never to disturb the fugitives again. That tremendous blow effectually defended the tribes for forty years from any further attempt to drive them back. Egypt found the stone too heavy and was glad to let it alone. Let the Lord be praised Who thus effectually freed His elect nation. What a grand narrative have we been considering. Well might the mightiest master of sacred song select "Israel in Egypt" as a choice theme for his genius; and well may every believing mind linger over every item of the amazing transaction. The marvel is that the favoured nation should live as if unmindful of it all, and yet such is human nature. Alas, poor man! Rather, alas, base heart! Nehemiah records this event in Nehemiah 9:11 “You divided the sea before them, So they passed through the midst of the sea on dry ground; And their pursuers You hurled into the depths, Like a stone into raging waters. The writer of Hebrews gives us a commentary "By faith they passed through the Red Sea as though they were passing through dry land; and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were drowned." (Heb 11:29+) So the Egyptian army was clearly well into the Red Sea "highway" when Jehovah gave the order to close the waters. Exodus 14:29 But the sons of Israel walked on dry land through the midst of the sea, and the waters were like a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. walked - Ex 14:22 Job 38:8-11 Ps 66:6,7 77:19,20 78:52,53 Isa 43:2 Isa 51:10,13 63:12,13 a wall - Jos 3:16 Exodus 14 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries JEHOVAH'S HIGHWAY THROUGH THE SEA But the sons of Israel walked on dry land through the midst of the sea, and the waters were like a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. - But is a striking term of contrast. Egyptians all covered with water and dead having acknowledge Yahweh as the victor. All sons of Israel walking on dry land and alive, reverencing and believing Him. Note that dry land is repeated four times in this chapter, once in Exodus 15 not to mention in the Psalms. Dry land is like a divine exclamation point that this is a miracle regardless of what one thinks! Exodus 14:16 “As for you, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, and the sons of Israel shall go through the midst of the sea on dry land. Exodus 14:21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD swept the sea back by a strong east wind all night and turned the sea into dry land, so the waters were divided. Exodus 14:22 The sons of Israel went through the midst of the sea on the dry land, and the waters were like a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. Exodus 14:29 But the sons of Israel walked on dry land through the midst of the sea, and the waters were like a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. Exodus 15:19 For the horses of Pharaoh with his chariots and his horsemen went into the sea, and the LORD brought back the waters of the sea on them, but the sons of Israel walked on dry land through the midst of the sea. Psalm 66:6 He turned the sea into dry land; They passed through the river on foot; There let us rejoice in Him! Spurgeon - It was no slight miracle to divide a pathway through such a sea, and to make it fit for the traffic of a whole nation. He who did this can do anything, and must be God, the worthy object of adoration. The Christian's inference is that no obstacle in his journey heavenward need hinder him, for the sea could not hinder Israel, and even death itself shall be as life; the sea shall be dry land when God's presence is felt. Hebrews 11:29 By faith they passed through the Red Sea as though they were passing through dry land; and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were drowned. Henry Morris on a wall to them - Some theologians have attempted to identify this Red Sea crossing as a shallow fording of what they call the "Reed Sea," located at the northern end of the Red Sea. However, the description is clearly of a mighty miracle, not merely a wind driving the shallow waters seaward. Rather the wind opened a dry path through deep waters, supernaturally restrained as a wall on both sides and deep enough to drown all the hosts of Pharaoh when the waters collapsed. The crossing was over a narrow northern arm of the Red Sea, enabling the Israelites to cross into the wilderness of Shur (Exodus 15:22), but it was nevertheless a great miracle, requiring God to create some unknown form of energy which could hold the deep waters stationary as walls against the force of gravity. Exodus 14:30 Thus the LORD saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Thus the LORD - Ex 14:13 1Sa 14:23 2Ch 32:22 Ps 106:8,10 Isa 63:9 Jude 1:5 saw - Ps 58:10 59:10 91:8 92:9-11 Exodus 14 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries CONFIRMATION OF COMPLETE DELIVERANCE The dead bodies of Egyptian soldiers testified dramatically and definitively to the fact that Israel's deliverance from Egypt was real and complete!
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Spurgeon - “Brethren, if we have trusted in God, and have come out of the Egypt of the world through his grace, and have left all its sins behind us, if we were left to die in the wilderness, the Lord Jesus Christ would lose his glory as a Saviour, the divine Father would lose his name for immutable faithfulness, and the Holy Ghost would lose his honour for perseverance in completing every work which he undertakes.” Exodus 14:31 When Israel saw the great power which the LORD had used against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD, and they believed in the LORD and in His servant Moses. feared - 1Sa 12:18 Ps 119:120 believed - Ex 4:31 19:9 2Ch 20:20 Ps 106:12,13 Lu 8:13 Joh 2:11,23-25 Joh 8:30-32 11:45 Ac 8:13 Exodus 14 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries A PROPER RESPONSE TO THE POWER OF THE LORD When Israel saw the great power which the LORD had used against the Egyptians - Think of it - Nine plagues punctuated by the tenth which wrought their redemption from Egypt followed by the miracle of the Red Sea deliverance from their enemies. Israel saw the great power of Jehovah which went up against and utterly defeated the great power of Pharaoh (who was considered divine). The great power is more literally "the great hand" which contrast with the hand of the Egyptians in Ex 14:30. Currid adds that "Verse 31 literally says that ‘Israel saw the great hand that Yahweh used’ against the Egyptians. Here is the antithesis! Whose hand is more powerful? Yahweh’s hand is omnipotent, and his alone. The reference to the ‘hand’ of Yahweh is also a fulfilment of his promise back in Ex 6:1+, in which he said, ‘Because by a mighty hand (translated in NAS as compulsion but more literally "mighty hand") he will send them out, and by a mighty hand he will drive them from his land.’ As Jack Arnold says "At that moment, the Israelites were convinced intellectually that God is God." the people feared the LORD, and they believed in the LORD and in His servant Moses. - Fear is a good thing when it leads you toward belief. The question is this -- was their belief such that they all entered into the kingdom of God (like the belief of Abraham in Ge 15:6)? I personally do not think so and use their subsequent behavior and persistent practice of idolatry to argue that they had not really passed from spiritual darkness into spiritual life like Abraham. Not only do we see them grumbling in the next two chapters but we see the quickly make a golden calf. Steven's sermon in Acts 7 characterizes their subsequent behavior... “Our fathers were unwilling to be obedient to him (SPEAKING OF MOSES), but repudiated him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt (THIS IS A VERY INCRIMINATING DESCRIPTION!), 40 SAYING TO AARON, ‘MAKE FOR US GODS WHO WILL GO BEFORE US; FOR THIS MOSES WHO LED US OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT–WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM.’ 41 “At that time they made a calf and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and were rejoicing in the works of their hands. 42 “But God turned away and delivered them up to serve the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, ‘IT WAS NOT TO ME THAT YOU OFFERED VICTIMS AND SACRIFICES FORTY YEARS IN THE WILDERNESS, WAS IT, O HOUSE OF ISRAEL? 43 ‘YOU ALSO TOOK ALONG THE TABERNACLE OF MOLOCH AND THE STAR OF THE GOD ROMPHA, THE IMAGES WHICH YOU MADE TO WORSHIP. I ALSO WILL REMOVE YOU BEYOND BABYLON.’ (Acts 7:39-43+) Read God's assessment of the nation of Israel in Numbers 14:11 The LORD said to Moses, “How long will this people spurn Me? And how long will they not believe in Me, despite all the signs which I have performed in their midst? Comment: In the Septuagint believe is present tense speaking of continual belief. In other words God is asking how long they would continue in unbelief! I would submit that this statement by God supports the premise that Israel's belief in Exodus 14:31 was not belief that led to genuine salvation. The statement by the writer of Hebrews would also support this premise - "For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they (CONTEXT SPEAKING OF ISRAEL IN THE OT) also; but the word they heard did not profit them, (WHY NOT?) because it was not united by faith in those who heard." (Hebrews 4:2+) Israel's problem was a faith problem and so the "good news" in effect did they no good! The ESV Study Bible on Hebrews 4:2 says "the exodus generation did not receive the promised benefit since they failed to respond in faith." Faith Life Study Bible says this on "faith" in Hebrews 4:2 - "The Greek word used here, pistis, entails believing in the promises of God. People who do not trust God’s promises, who reject that which they have not yet experienced, are excluded from the benefits of those promises." NLTSB says "the hearers were deficient in faith, distrusting God’s word of promise." John