Wednesday, December 06, 2006

Exodus 14

Parting of the Red Sea


"The Ten Commandments" DVD - Watch the part of the Hebrews crossing the Red Sea.


(1) Then the Lord* gave these instructions to Moses:


*Lord: Yahweh


(2) “Order the Israelites to turn back and camp by Pi-hahiroth* between Migdol** and the sea. Camp there along the shore, across from Baal-zephon***.


*Pi-Hahiroth: The Hebrew name "Pi-hahiroth" has been translated as "mouth of the gorges," descriptive of its location, where the mouths of two rivers (wadis) combine at the point of entry into the sea. Another possible translation is "the Bay of Hiroth." Literally, "the mouth of freedom".


**Migdol: Probably a fortress that served to defend the bay. www.godrules.net/library/clarke/clarkeexo14.htm More specifically, it is believed to be the site of an ancient military watchtower. Migdol is mentioned again in Jeremiah 44:1; 46:14.


   This word is rendered "tower" in Ezekiel 29:10, but the margin correctly retains the name Migdol, "from Migdol to Syene;" i.e., from Migdol in the north to Syene in the south, in other words, the whole of Egypt. Migdol, or migdal, is a Hebrew word which means either a tower (from its size or height), an elevated stage (a rostrum or pulpit), or a raised bed (within a river). Physically, it can mean fortified land, i.e. a walled city or castle; or elevated land, as in a raised bed, like a platform, possibly a lookout. Figuratively, it has connotations of proud authority. Joshua referred to Migdal-Gad, ‘tower of Gad’, one of the fortified cities of Judah, and also to Migdal-El, ‘tower of God’, a place in Palestine. Jeremiah referred to the Migdol of Egypt, an island in the Nile, and Ezekiel referred to the Migdol of Syene, in Upper Egypt, in the context of the seat of government.


***Baal-zephon: The worship of Baal was known throughout the Fertile Crescent, the Levant, and down into Egypt. Upon this mountain, Baal Zephon, it was believed that Zephon reigned in power and was lord over the sea. Here, Pharaoh may have sensed that the idol Zephon was going to display his power over the Israelites. Baal-zephon, the lord or master of the watch, probably an idol temple, where a continual guard, watch, or light was kept up for the defense of one part of the haven, or as a guide to ships.
Lord-of-the-North
- Baal Tzafon in Hebrew. Zephon = "treasure", a son of Gad.


(3) Then Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are confused. They are trapped in the wilderness!’


   In order for them to be "trapped in the wilderness!," they would have to be traveling through an area of wadis (canyons) with high mountains all around, which would seem to hem them in. This takes place prior to crossing the sea, so I looked for an area such as this which would terminate on a beach or shore of the sea which was large enough to hold perhaps 2 or 3 million people, as well as their flocks. I found a beach of tremendous size on the Gulf of Aqaba at Nuweiba, and the only passage to it is through an 18 mile long wadi system. From "Etham in the edge of the wilderness," they changed their direction of travel from a northerly direction, (which would have soon taken them around the northern tip of the sea,) and went south, through a wadi system that must have appeared like an endless maze to them. Hemmed in to the left and right, they could only travel in one direction -- and the only path through that wadi leads to the tremendous sized beach. THE SITE OF THE CROSSING As I mentioned, I found this tremendous beach on the Gulf of Aqaba which could easily have held the multitude, their flocks, and also pharaoh's army -- separating the two groups by several miles. Josephus gives an additional bit of information in his "Antiquities of the Jews" Book II, Chapter XV. Speaking of pharaoh's army pursuing the multitude, he states: "They also seized upon the passages by which they imagined the Hebrews might fly, shutting them up between the inaccessible precipices and the sea; for there was [on each side] a [ridge of] mountains that terminated at the sea, which was impassable by reason of their roughness, and obstructed their flight; wherefore they there pressed upon the Hebrews with their army, where [the ridges of] the mountains were closed with the sea..." When I first visited the site of Nuweiba in 1978, these mountains could be seen on the south end of the beach area which terminated at the sea -- no passage would have been possible to the south. (See photo below) As I found the chariot parts when diving on the southern end of the beach, this implies that the multitude traveled to this section of the beach. Pharaoh's army entered from the same wadi, which is the only entrance onto the beach. This wadi is located midway of the beach, and once the army entered the area, the multitude's only means of escape would have been to the south. But the mountains to the south extend all the way to the sea -- they had no way of escape, or so it seemed. --
www.wyattnewsletters.com/exodus/ex03.htm



Numbers 33:1-18 This is the route the Israelites followed as they marched out of Egypt under the leadership of Moses and Aaron. At the Lord’s direction, Moses kept a written record of their progress. These are the stages of their march, identified by the different places where they stopped along the way. They set out from the city of Rameses in early spring—on the fifteenth day of the first month - on the morning after the first Passover celebration. The people of Israel left defiantly, in full view of all the Egyptians. Meanwhile, the Egyptians were burying all their firstborn sons, whom the Lord had killed the night before. The Lord had defeated the gods of Egypt that night with great acts of judgment! After leaving Rameses, the Israelites set up camp at Succoth. Then they left Succoth and camped at Etham on the edge of the wilderness. They left Etham and turned back toward Pi-hahiroth, opposite Baal-zephon, and camped near Migdol. They left Pi-hahiroth and crossed the Red Sea into the wilderness beyond. Then they traveled for three days into the Etham wilderness and camped at Marah*.


*Marah means "bitter".


(4) And once again I will harden* Pharaoh’s heart, and he will chase after you. I have planned this in order to display my glory through Pharaoh and his whole army. After this the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord!” So the Israelites camped there as they were told.


*harden: The Hebrew verb hazaq is used; it indicates that God would make Pharaoh’s will strong or firm.


(5) When word reached the king of Egypt that the Israelites had fled*, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds. “What have we done, letting all those Israelite slaves get away?” they asked.


*fled: They hadn't returned after the 3 days!


(6) So Pharaoh harnessed his chariot and called up his troops.


(7) He took with him 600 of Egypt’s best chariots*, along with the rest of the chariots of Egypt, each with its commander.


*chariots: That day's equivalent to armored tanks. 2 soldiers per chariot. It is this cavalry that made Egypt's army so powerful.


(8) The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, so he chased after the people of Israel, who had left with fists raised in defiance.


(9) The Egyptians chased after them with all the forces in Pharaoh’s army—all his horses and chariots, his charioteers, and his troops. The Egyptians caught up with the people of Israel as they were camped beside the shore near Pi-hahiroth, across from Baal-zephon.


(10) As Pharaoh approached, the people of Israel looked up and panicked when they saw the Egyptians overtaking them. They cried out to the Lord,


(11) and they said to Moses, “Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness? Weren’t there enough graves* for us in Egypt? What have you done to us? Why did you make us leave Egypt?


*graves: The challenge to Moses brings a double irony. To die in the desert would be without proper burial, but in Egypt there were graves – it was a land of tombs and graves!


(12) Didn’t we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt? We said, ‘Leave us alone! Let us be slaves to the Egyptians. It’s better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!’”


   The Israelites keep up this complaining and grumbling until all of them, except Caleb and Joshua, were dead and the entered the Promised Land.


(13) But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid*. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again.


*Don’t be afraid: The servant of God would quiet their hearts and set them in perfect peace before Him. “Fear not” is one of the great words recurring all through the Scriptures. “Fear not” was what God said to Abraham (Genesis 15:1). “Fear not, neither be thou dismayed” was His message to Joshua (see Joshua 8:1). “Fear not” was His command to Gideon (Judges 16:23). “Fear not” was David’s counsel to Solomon (1 Chronicles 28:20). This will be the word of the Jewish remnant in a day to come: “Be strong, fear not, behold, your God will come” (Isaiah 35:4). “Fear not” was the angel’s counsel to Daniel (10:12). “Fear not little flock” is the Lord’s message to us (Luke 12:32). “I will fear no evil” said the Psalmist (23:4), “for Thou art with me.” But how is this to be attained? How is the heart to be established in peace? Does not Isaiah 26:3 sum it all up? — “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed in Thee because he trusteth in Thee.” - www.scripturestudies.com/Vol13/M1/ot.html


(14) The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm*.”


*stay calm: Literally, "Be quiet" or "Shut up"!


(15) Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving!


   No mention of Moses praying audibly, so he must have been praying fervently in his heart and mind.


(16) Pick up your staff and raise your hand over the sea. Divide the water so the Israelites can walk through the middle of the sea on dry ground.


   The crossing of the Red Sea speaks of Christ making a way through death for His people. “The Red Sea is the figure of death — the boundary-line of Satan’s power”. Note the words of God to Moses: “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” (v. 16). Moses is plainly a type of Christ, the “rod” a symbol of His power and authority. The Red Sea completely destroyed the power of Pharaoh (Satan) over God’s people. Hebrews 2:14 gives us the antitype — “That through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the Devil.” The effect of Moses lifting up his rod and stretching forth his hand is blessed to behold — “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” (v. 22). Not only had that which symbolized death no power over Israel, but it was now a defense to them! This very sea, which at first they so much feared, became the means of their deliverance from the Egyptians; and instead of proving their enemy became their friend. So if death overtakes the believer before the Lord’s return it only serves to bring him into the presence of Christ — “Whether Paul or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours” (1 Corinthians 3:22). But deeply solemn is the other side of the picture: “By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do, were drowned,” for the natural man to meet death in the power of human confidence is certain destruction. - www.scripturestudies.com/Vol13/M1/ot.html


(17) And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they will charge in after the Israelites. My great glory will be displayed through Pharaoh and his troops, his chariots, and his charioteers.


(18) When my glory is displayed through them, all Egypt will see my glory and know that I am the Lord!”


(19) Then the angel of God*, who had been leading the people of Israel, moved to the rear of the camp. The pillar of cloud also moved from the front and stood behind them.


*God: Elohim. The angel of God. The Angel of the covenant, the Lord Jesus, appeared on this occasion in behalf of the people; for as this deliverance was to be an illustrious type of the deliverance of man from the power and guilt of sin by his incarnation and death, it might have been deemed necessary, in the judgment of Divine wisdom, that he should appear chief agent in this most important and momentous crisis. - www.godrules.net/library/clarke/clarkeexo14.htm


(20) The cloud settled between the Egyptian and Israelite camps. As darkness fell, the cloud turned to fire, lighting up the night. But the Egyptians and Israelites did not approach each other all night.


   It’s a very hard verse to translate. The best translators struggle at it, but what’s clear is that in the manifestation of the pillar of fire and the pillar of cloud the children of Israel saw the fire and had light whereas the Egyptians were in darkness. Joshua 24 verse 7 recalls the very fact that the Egyptians were kept in darkness. Now, there are a couple of things going on there. Notice first of all God once again making a distinction between His people and those who were not His people. His people were in the light; those who were not His people were in the darkness. Secondly, remember that Egypt worshiped Ra the god of the sun, and yet Israel has light and Egypt is in darkness. God is displaying His sovereignty over the gods of Egypt yet again. -- www.fpcjackson.org/resources/sermons/exodus/Exodus%20Vol%201%20&%202/16bExo.htm


   It appears also that this cloud had two sides, one dark and the other luminous: the luminous side gave light to the whole camp of Israel during the night of passage; and the dark side, turned towards the pursuing Egyptians, prevented them from receiving any benefit from that light. - www.godrules.net/library/clarke/clarkeexo14.htm


(21) Then Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the Lord opened up a path through the water with a strong east wind*. The wind blew all that night, turning the seabed into dry land.


   Where are the children of Israel? They are on the west bank of the Red Sea. Where does the wind come from? From the east. They have to stand there, how long? Most of the night and watch the sea part from the other side. God demands an exercise of faith, watch it unfold, look over your shoulder, look who’s behind you, look who’s standing in between and watch Me part the waters from the other side. And then when the time comes, go through. Go through on dry land. Again, everything in this passage indicated the miraculous nature of it, but it’s not instantaneous. It takes how long? Well, we’re told, well into the night. Well into the night it is before the Egyptians themselves will attempt to follow the children of Israel into the waters. The language in verse 21 is, "the Lord swept back the sea by a strong east wind all night and turned the sea into dry land." So, God shows His glory and He shows His grace through parting the Red Sea. None of the children of Israel could ever have said that they did something in order to earn their deliverance to get their own deliverance through the Red Sea. God had put them at a point where there was literally nothing that they could contribute to their salvation. They simply had to believe and go. -- www.fpcjackson.org/resources/sermons/exodus/Exodus%20Vol%201%20&%202/16bExo.htm. These comments remind me of Ephesians 2:8-9: For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
(King James version).


*strong east wind: Had the wind mentioned here been strong enough, naturally speaking, to have divided the waters, it must have blown in one narrow track, and continued blowing in the direction in which the Israelites passed; and a wind sufficient to have raised a mass of water twenty-eight yards deep and twelve miles in length, out of its bed, would necessarily have blown the whole six hundred thousand men away, and utterly destroyed them and their cattle. I therefore conclude that the east wind, which was ever remarked as a parching, burning wind, was used after the division of the waters, merely to dry the bottom, and render it passable. No natural agent could divide these waters, and cause them to stand as a wall upon the right hand and upon the left; therefore God did it by his own sovereign power. When the waters were thus divided, there was no need of a miracle to dry the bed of the sea and make it passable; therefore the strong desiccating east wind was brought, which soon accomplished this object. - www.godrules.net/library/clarke/clarkeexo14.htm


(22) So the people of Israel walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on each side!


   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. (W. C. Kaiser, Jr., “Exodus").


   The picture below illustrates the elevated underwater "bridge" at Nuweiba on the Gulf of Aqaba, one possible location for the crossing. -- firstbaptistchurch2.tripod.com/id34.html. The Gulf of Aqaba is very deep, in places over a mile deep. Even with the sea dried up, walking across would be difficult due to the steep grade down the sides. But there is one spot where if the water were removed, it would be an easy descent for people and animals. This is the line between Nuweiba and the opposite shore in Saudi Arabia. Depth-sounding expeditions have revealed a smooth, gentle slope descending from Nuweiba out into the Gulf as shown in this illustration.





(23) Then the Egyptians—all of Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and charioteers—chased them into the middle of the sea.


(24) But just before dawn* the Lord looked down on the Egyptian army from the pillar of fire and cloud, and he threw their forces into total confusion.


*just before dawn: The morning watch: From around 2 a.m. to sunrise


(25) He twisted their chariot wheels, making their chariots difficult to drive. “Let’s get out of here—away from these Israelites!” the Egyptians shouted. “The Lord is fighting for them against Egypt!”


(26) When all the Israelites had reached the other side, the Lord said to Moses, “Raise your hand over the sea again. Then the waters will rush back and cover the Egyptians and their chariots and charioteers.”


   Doctrinally the passage through the Red Sea sets forth the believer’s union with Christ in His death and resurrection. “I am crucified with Christ” (Galatians 2:20). That Israel passed through the Red Sea, and emerged safely on the far side, tells of resurrection. So we read in Romans 6:5, “If we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection.” And again, “When we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, and raised us up together” (Ephesians 2:5, 6). - www.scripturestudies.com/Vol13/M1/ot.html


(27) So as the sun began to rise*, Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the water rushed back into its usual place. The Egyptians tried to escape, but the Lord swept them into the sea.


*sun began to rise: Literally, at the morning watch. So, they crossed the red sea at night with the pillar of fire to light their way through the darkness.


(28) Then the waters returned and covered all the chariots and charioteers—the entire army of Pharaoh. Of all the Egyptians who had chased the Israelites into the sea, not a single one survived.


   The children of Israel spared like Noah and his family, and suddenly the judgment of God upon the Egyptians as the water swallows them and consumes them. God has brought His judgment on the Egyptians.


(29) But the people of Israel had walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, as the water stood up like a wall on both sides.


Hebrews 11:29: It was by faith that the people of Israel went right through the Red Sea as though they were on dry ground. But when the Egyptians tried to follow, they were all drowned.


   Some have supposed that the Israelites had passed through, favored by an extraordinary ebb, which happened at that time to be produced by a strong wind, which happened just then to blow! Had this been the case, there could not have been waters standing on the right hand and on the left; much less could those waters, contrary to every law of fluids, have stood as a wall on either side while the Israelites passed through, and then happen to become obedient to the laws of gravitation when the Egyptians entered in! An infidel may deny the revelation in toto, and from such we expect nothing better; but to hear those who profess to believe this to be a Divine revelation endeavoring to prove that the passage of the Red Sea had nothing miraculous in it, is really intolerable. - www.godrules.net/library/clarke/clarkeexo14.htm


(30) That is how the Lord rescued Israel from the hand of the Egyptians that day. And the Israelites saw the bodies of the Egyptians washed up on the seashore.


*hand : "power" in the King James, but "hand" is the original.


(31) When the people of Israel saw the mighty power* that the Lord had unleashed against the Egyptians, they were filled with awe before him. They put their faith in the Lord and in his servant Moses**.


*mighty power: literally, "great hand"


**servant Moses: Here the title of “servant” is given to Moses. This is the highest title a mortal can have in the Old Testament– the “servant of Yahweh.” It signifies more than a believer; it describes the individual as acting on behalf of God. For example, when Moses stretched out his hand, God used it as his own (Isaiah 63:12). Moses was God’s personal representative. The chapter records both a message of salvation and of judgment. Like the earlier account of deliverance at the Passover, this chapter can be a lesson on deliverance from present troubles – if God could do this for Israel, there is no trouble too great for him to overcome. The passage can also be understood as a picture (at least) of the deliverance at the final judgment on the world. But the Israelites used this account for a paradigm of the power of God: namely, God is able to deliver his people from danger because he is the sovereign Lord of creation. His people must learn to trust him, even in desperate situations; they must fear him and not the situation. God can bring any threat to an end by bringing his power to bear in judgment on the wicked. ---www.bible.org/netbible/index.htm


Isaiah 63:11-14: Then they remembered those days of old when Moses led his people out of Egypt. They cried out, “Where is the one who brought Israel through the sea, with Moses as their shepherd? Where is the one who sent his Holy Spirit to be among his people? Where is the one whose power was displayed when Moses lifted up his hand— the one who divided the sea before them, making himself famous forever? Where is the one who led them through the bottom of the sea? They were like fine stallions racing through the desert, never stumbling. As with cattle going down into a peaceful valley, the Spirit of the Lord gave them rest. You led your people, Lord, and gained a magnificent reputation.”


1 Corinthians 10:1-2: I don’t want you to forget, dear brothers and sisters, about our ancestors in the wilderness long ago. All of them were guided by a cloud that moved ahead of them, and all of them walked through the sea on dry ground. In the cloud and in the sea, all of them were baptized* as followers of Moses.

*baptized: If baptism is immersion in water, who got wet? So, what is "baptism"? It is total identification with and immersion in - someone or something. Israel was baptized unto Moses when they stepped into the Red Sea.




On-Line Sources:



Off-Line Sources:



  • "Cruden's Complete Concordance" - Zondervan Publishing House

  • "Breath of the Holies: Secrets of Moses' Tabernacle" - DVD by Perry Stone

  • "In Search of the Mountain of God" by Robert Cornuke and David Halbrook - Broadman & Holman Publishers

  • "Life Application Study Bible" - New Living Translation version - Tyndale House Publishers

  • "Symbols of Judaism" by Marc-Alai Ouaknin - Barnes & Noble Books, publisher

  • "The Companion Bible" by E. W. Bullinger - Zondervan Publishing House

  • "The Exodus Revealed: Searching for the Red Sea Crossing" - (2001), DVD, Studio: Questar, ASIN: B00005AUE2, available from Amazon.com

  • "The Defender's Study Bible" -World Bible Publishers

  • "The Miracle of Passover" - DVD by Zola Levitt

  • "The Mountain of God" - Robert Cornuke and David Halbrook - Broadman & Holman Publishers

  • "The NIV Application Commentary - Exodus" – Peter Enns – Zondervan™

  • "The Seven Feasts of Israel - Video 1 - Passover" - Zola Levitt

  • "The Ten Commandments" (1956 film) from Paramount Pictures, directed by Cecil B. DeMille, starring Charlton Heston as Moses

  • Unger's Bible Dictionary - Merrill F. Unger

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