God Divideth the Sea

"But I am the LORD thy God, that divided the sea, whose waves roared: The LORD of hosts is his name."—Isaiah 51:15

Verse by verse Bible study in Exodus 14

Passover is the oldest continually observed holiday in history. For over three thousand years Israelites have used this day to recount their deliverance from bondage in Egypt. The form of observance from that which God ordained in Exodus 12 has changed, but the remembrance of that marvelous deliverance is annually renewed.

While the term "passover" relates particularly to the saving of the firstborn children of Israel from the death angel, there were two other "passings over" which are also commemorated. The first of these, which we will investigate in this article, is the "passing over" of the Red Sea by the Hebrews a few days after leaving their Egyptian homes in Goshen. Then there was the still larger "passing over" of the intervening desert that lay between Egypt and the promised land, a "passing over" that was extended forty long years because of their lack of faith.

The Setting—Verses 1 to 4

"And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp before Pi-Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baalzephon: before it shall ye encamp by the sea. For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in. And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, that he shall follow after them; and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD. And they did so."

There were three trade routes connecting Egypt with their trading partners to the east. The "Way of the Philistines" (or Via Maris, "the way of the sea"), hugged the shoreline of the Mediterranean as far as present day Tel Aviv before turning northeastward to Assyria. The "Way of Shur" was so named for the "shur" or great wall of Egypt, a long fortified wall separating ancient Egypt from the deserts to the east. This road paralleled the Via Maris some thirty miles to the south, going through the trading center of Beersheba. Further south, the "Way to Arabia" followed a line of oases due eastward to the copper-rich area of Aqaba, from whence it entered into present-day Saudi Arabia.

When the Israelites began their journey to Succoth (Exod. 12:37), it appeared that they would take the "Way of Shur." However once assembled they took a sharp turn northward crossing the "Way of the Philistines" and camping to the west, between Bazal-Zephon and Pi-Hahiroth. Some writers suggest that Pi-Hahiroth is not a place name, but should be translated as a topographical description, "the mouth of the gorge." Here they were surrounded by the tall walls of a great gorge with a "sea of reeds" in front.

Evidently Pharaoh had his spies following the fleeing Israelites. They reported back that the Hebrews appeared to be lost in the wilderness, not following any of the well-traveled roads, and now encamped in a gorge with impassable water in front of them. It was a perfect situation for Pharaoh to recapture his slave labor and once again bring them into bondage.

However, as in so many other instances, what appears to be wise strategy on the part of the enemies of God’s people is really part of Jehovah’s overruling providence for them. The little word "for" which opens verse three shows that it was God’s intent from the beginning to take this route in order to lure Pharaoh into the battle.

Although most translations credit God with "hardening" the heart of Pharaoh, this is not the only sense of the Hebrew word chazaq (Strong’s #2388). The usual meaning of the word, according to the lexicon of Brown, Driver, and Riggs, is "to strengthen." Probably here the thought of the word is to firmly set Pharaoh’s heart to do what he had already determined to be done.

The ultimate purpose, however, of this entire maneuver was not so much to destroy the Egyptian army as to clearly demonstrate once and for all the superiority of Israel’s God to that of their oppressors. This had been the special mark of each of the plagues preceding the Exodus, each successive plague exposing a different god of the Egyptians.

We are to remember, too, that these instructions God gave to Moses and not to all of Israel. As the leader of the people and one well accustomed to the desert, he would have found it strange to take the route by which God led them. God, however, informed Moses that the purpose was to entrap Pharaoh and his hosts. "Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets" (Amos 3:7).

The Pursuit—Verses 5 to 9

"And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us? And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him: And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them. And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with an high hand. But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, before Baalzephon."

The pursuit begins. The army of Pharaoh seems unreasonably small. An Egyptian chariot carried three men: the charioteer, who seldom fought; a soldier to protect the charioteer; and one soldier to fight the enemy. Thus the entire force of the Egyptians is approximately 1800, sent out to bring back nearly two million fleeing slaves. It was evidently considered sufficient, however, since the Israelites were unarmed and used to being in subjection and therefore timid to challenge authority. There may also have been other foot-soldiers, not mentioned in listing the number of chariots. Jospehus claims that Pharaoh was accompanied by 200,000 horsemen and 50,000 footmen.

Israel’s Reaction—Verses 10 to 14

"And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD. And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? was not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilder ness. And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace."

How quickly confidence turns to fear when there is a lack of faith! Marching out with a "high hand," they now quiver in fearful foreboding. As in any traumatic experience, therein lies a test. There was a twofold reaction by the Israelites. The sense of the Hebrew is that some cried unto the Lord (v. 10) while others cried unto Moses (v. 11). The former properly resorted to prayer, the latter to murmuring. The former saw the cloud leading them onward, the latter saw merely a man who seemingly had made a fatal leadership mistake.

How short is memory in times of distress! Had not Moses been the instrument of God in plague after plague, ultimately freeing them of years of enforced slavery? They distrusted Moses from the start. "Was not this the word we did tell thee in Egypt?" Yes, they had complained there also. When Moses’ pleadings with Pharaoh brought forth the edict to make bricks without straw, they had said, "The LORD look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us" (Exod. 5:21).

The direction they were given to "stand still" was not a direction to idleness but to resoluteness of purpose. The Revised Standard version correctly translates it as "stand firm." Do not be swayed by the seeming impossibility of your circumstances. Have faith in God. He who has led thee thus far will lead thee further.

Moses assured the people that if they would trust God in this newest of a long series of confrontations it would be the last time they would need to face the dreaded Egyptians: "ye shall see them again no more for ever." The victory was to be such a manner as to both reveal to the Egyptians that Jehovah was the superior deity and to show the Israelites that any deliverance would not be by their own acumen or power. To put the closing words of this section into colloquial English, "Do not worry. Quiet down. God will fight for you."

Go Forward—Verses 15 to 18

"And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen."

"Go forward!" These were the marching orders. The lifting of Moses’ rod was to symbolically provide the power to separate the waters of the sea ahead so that the Israelites could go through dry shod. Seeing their captives escape, the Egyptians would plunge in after them.

The New American Standard version translates verse 25, " And 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."

This suggests that perhaps their heavier chariot wheels would soon become bogged down in the mud, as would their horses’ hooves. Thus mired down, they could go neither forward nor retreat to the rear. They had little choice but to watch in horror as the waters rolled back over them and they drowned. Thus did Jehovah vindicate himself and demonstrate to the Egyptian people who was truly God.

The same command has always been the word of God when his people are surrounded by difficulties. It remains so today. "Go forward!" If our hearts will truly "stand firm" in their resoluteness to serve our God, then our trust will continue in its determination to do so no matter how formidable may seem the barriers ahead or how powerful our fears seek to have their paralyzing effect.

Deliverance—Verses 19 to 29

"And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them: And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night. And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians, And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians. And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen. And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them. But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left."

There were five steps in the deliverance process. (1) the cloud moved from over the camp of Israel to their rear, hiding the movements of Israel from the Egyptians. (2) A strong east wind drove back the waters of the sea. It is therefore probable that the canyon walls of the gorge stretched from north to south, the winds pushing the waters to the right and left so that they formed a wall on both sides of the fleeing Israelites. (3) A sufficiently wide passage was opened up for some two million Israelites with their herds and their belongings, to pass through dry shod. (4) The pursuing Egyptians soon found their chariot wheels bogged down. Some feel that the Hebrew text suggests that the surging of the horses actually pulled the wheels off the chariots, so that they were forced to evacuate and flee by foot. (5) Finally a sudden let-up in the wind caused the waters to fall back into their natural channels, thus completely overwhelming the Egyptians.

Moses’ part in the drama was to hold forth his rod. It is not that this rod divided the sea by itself but that it became the command to the winds to do so. In like manner, having crossed, the cessation of the winds came again at the holding forth of Moses’ hands (v. 27). The force of the winds would not only divert the waters but, blowing all night, would somewhat dry out the land beneath as well.

It seems amazing that wind from the east sufficiently strong to part the waters of the sea would not hinder the crossing of the sea as well. If the passage were from west to east the Israelites would be running directly into the face of the wind and if their passage were from north to south there would be such a strong cross-current as to make it difficult if not impossible to stand upright. Thus it would seem that the wind was a closely controlled force and not attributable to an ordinary blast.

A possible allusion to this crossing of the Red Sea is furnished in Job 26:12: "He divideth the sea with his power, and by his understanding he smiteth through the proud [Hebrew, Rahab, a symbolic name for Egypt (see Psa. 87:4; 89:10; Isa. 51:9)]. This indicates that the crossing of the Red Sea was prior to the time of Job.

The Aftermath—Verses 30 and 31

"Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore. And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses."

The returning waters washed up on shore the dead Egyptians. Not only did this assure Israel that the opposing army had been, indeed, completely defeated but it may have also provided a ready supply of weaponry which they would need for their subsequent wilderness battles against the Amorites and other foes. God is a great economist. One action may have many side effects. A parallel to this was in Israel’s modern six-day war of June 1967. Israel had been running short of iron for their smelting of copper at Eilat. After the war, their supplies were replenished with the tanks and other war equipment of the demolished Egyptian forces.

Now, with renewed vigor, they could again march forward "with high hand." The song of Moses and the dance of Miriam in chapter 15 demonstrate their new-found courage. But, alas, it was not to last long. Over the next forty years they were to be brought repetitively face to face with hardship and overwhelming odds. Repetitively they succumbed to the spirit of fear. They tried not only the patience of Moses but that of God himself. As a result most of the people who left Egypt were not to achieve their goal and enter the promised land. Yet this did not annul the promises and power of God. Forty years later their descendants did inherit it, conquer it, and claim it for their own.

This is the sad lesson of the Exodus. This is the lesson to which Paul refers in 1 Corinthians 10:11, 12: "Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall."

Yet, God had a grander purpose in mind. That was a purpose that would not fail. He would take of this people of Israel and prepare them for future work. Out of their midst, some 2000 years later, would come Jesus of Nazareth. He would select, initially from the Jewish people and adding Gentiles, a people who would become the "new heavens" of his kingdom. And he will still take, in some near future point of time, another faithful remnant of Israelites to form the "new earth" of this kingdom.

This, the prophet declares, was the real reason for dividing the sea and bringing Israel through dry shod. "The captive exile hasteneth that he may be loosed, and that he should not die in the pit, nor that his bread should fail. But I am the LORD thy God, that divided the sea, whose waves roared: The LORD of hosts is his name. And I have put my words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people" (Isa. 51:14-16).

Future Crossings

On three future occasions were there to be crossings of water beds dry shod: Israel was to end their wilderness wanderings as they began them, crossing another body of water on dry ground. This time it would be the passage over Jordan into Canaan. Several centuries later two prophets, Elijah and Elisha, were to cross that same river on dry ground. One of them, Elisha, was to part the waters a final time before returning dry shod to the west bank of the stream.

On all of these occasions one of the chief lessons is the passing over of the death sentence. And that is just the relationship the crossing of the Red Sea had to the Passover a few days prior. As the Passover was to picture the deliverance of the "firstborn," the "church of the living God," from the death sentence, so the passing over of the Red Sea was to picture the ultimate and subsequent deliverance of the whole world of mankind from the clutches of death. Then they will be trained, tested, and tried to see whether they have the proper faith to claim the "promised land" of eternal life.