Exodus 14:18, commentary and pictures

God pledged to win honor over Pharaoh and his chariots and horsemen by overthrowing the pursuing army when Israel lay trapped at the Red Sea. He stood between the hosts all night with cloud and darkness that kept them apart, then divided the sea by a strong wind so Israel passed through on dry ground between walls of water. When Pharaoh rushed in after them the waters returned and drowned his host, and by that destruction the Egyptians were made to know that He is the LORD, supreme above their gods in power and mercy and judgment. He chose a place where escape looked impossible to display His power, humble the oppressors, and bind Israel to Himself as their deliverer that they might love and trust Him. Israel had to go forward in obedient faith, stepping toward the sea before the way was opened, proving that trust in His word triumphs over the mightiest human power and still opens a path through impossible hindrances.

Red Sea Deliverance Account

The promise belongs to Israel's entrapment at the Red Sea after the Lord had wrought through Moses and Aaron to deliver them from Egyptian bondage with miracles and increasingly severe plagues. Pharaoh with his mighty men, counselors and army hardened their hearts against those judgments and explained them away as natural causes, refusing to admit they were from God. Only when the angel slew the firstborn of the Egyptians, from the king upon the throne down to the most humble and lowly, did Pharaoh command to let Israel go. After the Egyptians had buried their dead he relented, and in hardened blindness pursued the greatly terrified Israelites with horsemen and chariots equipped for war. They were trapped with the Red Sea before them and the Egyptian host behind them, while Egypt burst into a shout of triumph to find them completely in their power.

God gained the promised honor by removing the angel of God and the pillar of cloud from before Israel to behind them, to stand between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel all night. To the Egyptians it was a cloud of thick darkness that hid the Hebrews and kept the two armies from coming near each other, while it gave light by night to Israel. At His command Moses lifted up the rod and stretched out his hand over the sea and divided it, and by a strong east wind the sea parted and left a plain path miraculously prepared for them. Israel went into the midst of the sea and passed over dry shod on dry ground, with the waters risen up like congealed walls on the right hand and on the left.

Pharaoh had so long withstood God and hardened his heart against His mighty, wondrous works that in blindness he rushed with hardened resistance into that opened path. At God's command Moses stretched forth his hand again, and the sea returned to its strength and the waters covered the Egyptian host. Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen were drowned, and the returning sea overwhelmed the pursuing force. By that defeat and destruction of Pharaoh and his army God got honor upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots and upon his horsemen.

Revealing the Lord's Identity

Exodus 14:18 promises that the overthrow at the sea would make the Egyptians know that He is the LORD, for in defeating Pharaoh with his chariots and horsemen God would gain honor to Himself. That knowing is a revealing of His power, glory, identity and supreme rule as greater than the heathen gods of Egypt. Israel's deliverance and the destruction of the pursuing army together manifested Him in judgment as well as in power and mercy.

God deliberately chose a deliverance where escape seemed impossible in order to display His power, humble Egypt's oppressors, and reveal His mercy as deliverer from temporal bondage. By bringing Israel into apparent helplessness before the pursuing Egyptians and then rescuing them, He taught them their need of divine aid and bound them to Himself. That rescue was meant to lead the people to love and trust God and to recognize Him as their deliverer.

The same display was to prove Israel whether they would trust Him after such tokens of His care and love, and to rebuke their unbelief and murmuring. It was chosen to test and strengthen their faith. Their miraculous freeing from slavery and new freedom tested whether they valued His service more than the comforts they had known in Egypt.

Pharaoh's stubbornness under reproof and the judgments brought upon Egypt stand as a warning that persistent refusal of God can bring further judgments.

Moving Forward by Faith

Exodus 14:18 belongs to God's command to go forward when the Red Sea stood before Israel and no way was visible. Israel had to obey and advance in trust before the sea opened, stepping with their feet into the very waters, and only after the people did what they could did God roll back the sea and open the path so they went safely over. If they had waited until they saw distinctly the path opened they would never have crossed. Blessing comes by moving in obedience without waiting for certainty of success, for earnest prayer and trust in what seems an impossible passage are met by God opening a way and bringing His people through. God chose this deliverance to display His power, humble Egypt's oppressors, and test and strengthen Israel's faith, directing them to go forward and opening a path through the waters when Moses acted at His command.

At the sea the children of Israel were a helpless, terrified multitude of slaves facing the mightiest army of the mightiest nation on the globe. Those utterly helpless in themselves withstood the power of the whole world by trusting the Word of God. Their stand proves that faith that receives God's gifts triumphs through God's Word against human power and policy in support of evil. Such trusters are the world's true noblemen, its royal line.

That same opening of the way through impossible hindrances raised by Satan to stop advancement will still be done in God's present work for those who go forward in faith. When His people face what seems an impossible passage, earnest prayer and trust are met by His bringing them through. The Red Sea crossing remains an example for travelers in danger to invoke as they go forward across the perilous river and to praise the Lord when they reach safety. Their example belongs to the world's true nobility and royal line that the youth of today are called to join.

God got honor upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots and upon his horsemen by drowning the Egyptian army in the Red Sea. He wrought by Moses and Aaron to deliver Israel from Egyptian bondage with miracles and increasingly severe plagues, which Pharaoh and his mighty men and counselors hardened their hearts against and explained away as natural causes, refusing to admit the judgments were from God. Only after the angel of the Lord slew the firstborn of the Egyptians, from the king upon the throne down to the most humble and lowly, did Pharaoh command to let Israel go. After the Egyptians buried their dead Pharaoh relented and pursued Israel with horsemen and chariots equipped for war, leaving Israel trapped with the Red Sea before them and the Egyptian host behind and greatly terrified, while Egypt burst into a shout of triumph to find Israel completely in their power. God commanded Moses to bid Israel go forward and to lift up the rod and stretch out his hand over the sea and divide it, and the sea parted and Israel passed over dry shod on a path miraculously prepared for them. Pharaoh had so long withstood God and hardened his heart against His mighty, wondrous works that in blindness he rushed into that path, and God commanded Moses to stretch forth his hand again, and the sea returned to its strength and the waters covered the Egyptian host and they were drowned. It illustrates the selfish love of slavery and the desperate measures and dreadful lengths slaveholders will adopt to cherish the institution before they will yield, with consciences seared and hardened as was Pharaoh's and principles unchanged even if compelled to release their slaves, so that God alone can wrench the slave from the hand of the desperate, relentless oppressor.