#27 – Exodus 14:13-22
While You Keep Silent
The Hebrew slaves have been freed. They marched in orderly fashion out of Goshen, following the pillar of cloud as G-d led them. Now at the edge of the Red Sea, their hearts fail them for fear. Pharaoh’s military might is closing in – fast. Moses takes the brunt of their emotional outburst: “Better to serve the Egyptians than die in the desert!”
A leader in crisis
Leadership has its privileges – and its demands. Moses served as mediator between G-d and the people (Egyptian and Jewish) while the L-RD poured out His judgments on the gods of Egypt and demonstrated His power to those oppressing His people. After the ninth plague we read Moses was greatly esteemed in the land of Egypt, both in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants and in the sight of the people. (Exodus 11:3.)
Now faced with Pharaoh’s pursuing army and hemmed in by the sea, the Hebrews confront Moses. “Why in the world did you bring us out to the wilderness just to die? We should have known better than to listen to you!” (Exodus 14:11-12 NASB.)
The L-RD had informed Moses He would harden Pharaoh’s heart, so there should have been little surprise to see the Egyptian army advancing. But the array of military might bearing down on them would give anyone pause. How will Moses respond?
But Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent.” (Exodus 14:13-14.)
Get a move on!
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you[1] crying out to Me? Tell the sons of Israel to go forward. (Exodus 14:15.) There is a time to talk, and a time to act.
Once again Moses’ trusty staff is to be lifted at G-d’s command. That’s Moses’ responsibility. G-d’s part is to harden Pharaoh’s heart – for the fourth and final time. (Exodus 14:17-18 NASB.)
Security blanket and night light
How much does G-d care for His people? He knows what will calm the hearts of frightened folks and protect them. The angel of G-d and pillar of cloud which had been leading the way out of Egypt now reposition to become Israel’s rear guard.
And since it was now night, the cloud also provided illumination – but only for the Jewish people. The pursuing Egyptians were literally left in the dark. (Exodus 14:19-20 NASB.)
Through the midst of the sea
One of the most memorable of G-d’s miracles is described with few details:
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.
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 14:21-22)
We haven’t dealt with some of the most-debated elements of this story, such as the location of the sea.[2] The Scriptures give us some geographic makers: leaving from Succoth, camping in “Etham at the edge of the wilderness” (Exodus 13:20 NASB); Pi-hahiroth and Baal-zephon (Exodus 14:9 NASB). But we don’t know with certainty where any of those places are today.
We also don’t know how long it took for God to lead Israel around by the way of the wilderness to the Red Sea (Exodus 13:18 NASB.) If Pharaoh mobilized very quickly, the likely setting would be the Nile Delta region. Horses and chariots travel much faster than a multitude of families on foot. Over the millennia, the geography and topography have shifted considerably, so reconstructing what the “Reed Sea” looked like is only speculative.[3]
Naturalistic explanations for the parting of the sea abound. The text itself tells us that G-d used a strong wind to separate the waters – just as He employed real frogs, lice, hail, and locusts in the plagues.
What isn’t so easy to explain is how the water parted in such a way as to form a wall on both the left and right sides. Simply moving the sea to one side (as explained by some as the result of an earthquake) doesn’t fit the scenario. And this many people surely didn’t move through a narrow pathway in the course of an hour.
The story is told of a university student who endured the withering attack of an atheistic professor who pronounced as foolishness any notion of the supernatural. “There is a scientific explanation for all the so-called miracles in the Bible. For instance, meteorologists have demonstrated that strong winds in have dried up a pathway in the reedy marshes of the Nile where the Hebrews crossed. And by the way, the so-called ‘sea’ is only four inches deep,” ridiculed the prof.
The student, a strong believer in God’s Word, yelled out, “What a miracle!”
The startled professor sneered, “Miracle! What miracle? I just explained this was a natural occurrence.”
“Is that so?” the student responded. “Then it was miraculous that Pharaoh’s armies, horsemen and chariots all drowned in four inches of water!” [But that’s getting ahead of our almost-completed story.]
Fear factor/Misery index
“Don’t be afraid!” How often have we said that to others? It’s easy to comfort a child who fears a non-existent bogeyman. It’s another thing to calm the heart of another when our own is racing.
What does it mean when the L-RD Himself says, “Do not fear”? The first time[4] that phrase is recorded in Scripture is when God appears to Abram (Genesis 15:1 NASB).
Now Moses[5] seeks to calm a panicking people with those words. But his assurance is not based on his leadership skills or military prowess. The L-RD will deliver His people, and without their assistance. Their job description: keep still.
Where is G-d?
Psalm 91 (NASB) is a favorite passage to which many turn when life overwhelms. It speaks specifically to our fears in times of danger:
You will not be afraid of the terror by night,
Or of the arrow that flies by day;
Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon.
(Psalm 91:5-6)
Among the reassurances the L-RD gives are these words: For He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways. (Psalm 91:11.)
Whether disguised or invisible to us, angelic beings are all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation. (Hebrews 1:13-14 NASB.) Since the Psalmist tells us they “guard you in all your ways,” we ought not to think they only show up for emergencies but are continually[6] on watch.
Where is G-d in fearful times? On watch, always. Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. (Psalm 121:4.)
[1] Of note, G-d addresses Moses only: the “you” here is second person singular. Exodus 14:10 tells us “the sons of Israel cried out to the L-RD” out of their fright. So why do you think G-d told Moses to “quit yelling and get going”? The text doesn’t tell us.
[2] The “Red Sea” is actually the “Reed Sea” in Hebrew. But then again, the Red Sea is a brilliant blue, thus misnamed!
[3] For one Nile Delta crossing explanation see https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2014/12/08/no-really-there-is-a-scientific-explanation-for-the-parting-of-the-red-sea-in-exodus/. Among those touting the Gulf of Aqaba as the crossing site (and placing Mount Sinai in Arabia) are the makers of Patterns of Evidence (see https://patternsofevidence.com/2020/01/10/introducing-the-red-sea-miracle/).
[4] Indeed, the L-RD (or the angel of G-d) says “Do not be afraid” the next two times: to Hagar (Genesis 21:17 NASB) and Isaac (Genesis 26:24 NASB). Jacob also hears them (Genesis 46:3 NASB).
[5] The only other time Moses tells Israel not to fear is when the L-RD appears on Mount Sinai with thunder and lightning, trumpets and smoke (Exodus 20:18-20 NASB).
[6] Well, perhaps not in my case. I likely wore out more than a few guardian angels. According to my godly grandmother, “The angels step out of the car over 60 miles per hour.”
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