God's Victory

Now what?

Israel had just left the land of Egypt, loaded down with cattle and plenty of loot that the Egyptians freely gave them. After all the hardship and the plagues, Pharaoh had finally allowed Israel to go and sacrifice to the LORD in the wilderness.

It had not been easy. Many terrible plagues-- the Nile turned to blood, infestations of frogs, gnats, flies, and locusts, a horrendous hailstorm, and complete darkness-- did not move Pharaoh. Finally, when the LORD put all the firstborn children of Egypt to death, Pharaoh relented.

But now Israel was pinned next to the sea, and a large force of Egyptian cavalry was approaching quickly. Israel despaired. "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 bring us forth out of Egypt?", they asked Moses (Exodus 14:11). It was one thing when Moses and Aaron confronted Pharaoh themselves-- now the whole nation was threatened with an army!

Moses was unmoved. He said to the Israelite in Exodus 14:13-14:

"Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you to-day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to-day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The LORD will fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace."

Moses' confidence was not in vain. He lifted up his staff, the LORD divided the waters of the Red Sea, and the Israelites passed through the sea on dry land, with the water as a wall on either side (Exodus 14:15-22). Meanwhile, the Egyptian army attempted to pursue them, but their chariot wheels became stuck in the mud, effectively trapping them in the sea bed (Exodus 14:23-25). The LORD then commanded Moses to again raise up his staff, and the sea returned to its normal state, drowning the Egyptians (Exodus 14:26-29). As the bodies of the Egyptian soldiers came ashore, Israel feared the LORD and trusted in Him and in Moses His servant (Exodus 14:30-31).

God gained a powerful victory over Egypt that day and obtained glory over all Egypt so that the power of God was even known in Jericho (cf. Joshua 2:10). He did not do this through the hand of Israel, but by His own hand.