Once again, the human eye of the Israelites saw the danger behind, while God saw only the future of His people, and their gaining of the inheritance He promised their ancestors. Sadly, Israel could not imagine God protecting them from a mighty army with their backs up to the shore of the Red Sea. I mean, it is not as if they had seen him do anything else of note. (AKA the 10 plagues, pillar of cloud and fire…)Moses would become keenly aware of the people’s lack of faith and God’s patience in transforming the Israelites into a free people.
On this day, He did truly amazing. He let the 2mm Israelites and their livestock, and stuff pass through the Red sea on dry land. as they looked to their left and right, they saw great walls of water but their sandals were getting dusty from the dry ground they passed. Conversely, the Egyptians were getting bogged down and stuck, who would have thought???
Then as the Israelites reached the other shore, the sea returned to normal, and the Egyptian soldiers and all their high-tech equipment were drowned. No more problem with Egypt. Verses 30-31 sum it up quite nicely, “Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses.”
As we walk through our lives, God shows His power and plan in big and small ways. Often, we stand in awe of the Lord’s mighty power and plan. Other times, we see God steadily leading through provision (Manna) and protection (The pillar of fire and cloud) that our Lord provides for us. We need to remember that the mighty hand and deeds of God are a precious gift and therefore, we cannot feel entitled to His assistance. Instead, We need to be reverent, grateful, and sensitive to God’s daily leadership. That is what our hero Moses did, and that is what all who entered Canaan also did. That, however, is a different story for a different day.
God Bless You
5 The Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. 16 Lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground. 17 And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they shall go in after them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, his chariots, and his horsemen. 18 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”
19 Then the angel of God who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them, 20 coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel. And there was the cloud and the darkness. And it lit up the night[a] without one coming near the other all night.
21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. 22 And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. 23 The Egyptians pursued and went in after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. 24 And in the morning watch the Lord in the pillar of fire and of cloud looked down on the Egyptian forces and threw the Egyptian forces into a panic, 25 clogging[b] their chariot wheels so that they drove heavily. And the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from before Israel, for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians.”
26 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.” 27 So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its normal course when the morning appeared. And as the Egyptians fled into it, the Lord threw[c] the Egyptians into the midst of the sea. 28 The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen; of all the host of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea, not one of them remained. 29 But the people of Israel walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.
30 Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses.
Walking With God 