Exodus 14:27, commentary and pictures

At daybreak Moses at God's command stretched out his hand and rod over the sea, and the piled-up waters rushed together and returned to their strength and natural course. Israel had already crossed safely to the other side on dry land with the waters standing as walls on the right and left, more than a million souls brought through before the waters were released. The Egyptians had dared to follow into that prepared path and then were troubled into confusion, their chariot wheels hindered so they drove heavily, and as they tried to flee back against the returning water they were met and swallowed in the midst of the sea. Not one of Pharaoh's horses, chariots, horsemen and whole pursuing army remained, and in the morning light their bodies were cast upon the shore before Israel. Jesus Christ enshrouded in the pillar of cloud and fire stood as Israel's invisible General and wall of protection, holding back the sea by His own power until every soul was safe and then releasing it at His word through Moses. It was Jehovah's complete deliverance in one night of a helpless throng of bondmen with the sea before them and armies behind, and His final judgment on Pharaoh's hardened resistance and oppression, proving His power above every power and above the gods of Egypt.

Waters Return at Morning

At God's command Moses stretched out his hand and rod over the sea, and at daybreak when the morning appeared the sea returned to its strength and natural course, the piled-up waters rushing together. The release came only after the waters had been held back from their natural course until the work was done, then let go at His word through the human agent lifting the rod.

Israel had already been brought safely to the other side before the waters were released, more than a million souls passing through on dry land with the parted waters standing as walls on the right and on the left. The sea was made a dry path for God's people, and they walked through while the deep was rolled up and piled to open the way. Their safe crossing on dry ground completed the first half of the deliverance before judgment fell on their pursuers.

The Egyptians had dared to follow Israel into that dry path God had prepared, disappointed and enraged that an unexpected way had opened for escape. In the morning watch they were troubled and thrown into confusion and dismay, with angels going through their host and removing their chariot wheels so that they drove heavily and slowly and their progress was plagued. Remembering the judgments in Egypt they concluded the Lord was fighting for Israel against them and became terribly afraid, and they tried to retrace their steps and flee back to the shore they had left, running against the returning water.

The returning sea met them as they fled and swallowed Pharaoh's horses, chariots, horsemen and whole host in its midst in the black depths, hissing and roaring at the moment of their expected triumph. Not one of those who entered in pursuit remained, not one soul escaping, and their destruction ended their probation. As morning broke the light revealed only their bodies cast upon the shore, seen by Israel who had thus been saved.

Divine Agency and Protection

Jesus Christ, enshrouded in the pillar of cloud by day and fire by night, was the mighty General of armies and the invisible leader of Israel, with His angels that do His bidding walking on either side of Israel and the angelic host upon the field of battle so that no harm could come to them. He guided Israel through the Red Sea after their deliverance from affliction in Egypt, revealing His power to save and teaching obedience to the heavenly Guide and faith in His power to deliver. At His command Moses stretched his hand over the sea, and when the morning appeared the sea returned to its strength while the fleeing Egyptians ran against it and the Lord overthrew them in the midst of the sea, keeping Israel safe.

In the pillar of cloud and fire He stood as a wall of protection between His people and Pharaoh before the waters returned. In the morning watch the Lord looked upon the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud and troubled them, and the cloud became a pillar of fire reaching from earth to heaven amid thunder, lightning, poured-out water and trembling earth in which was heard the voice of an angry God. Seized with confusion and dismay, the Egyptians were troubled and tried to retrace their steps, while Israel sang songs of triumph and praise over a deliverance wrought with mighty signs and wonders.

The sea's course and power were under God's control, and He works by His own laws, for He is a God of order, holding back the impatient winds, controlling the tempests, calming the angry sea, and rolling up the mighty deep. He piled up its walls to make a path for the more than a million of His people He was delivering from Egyptian slavery, not suffering the waters to pursue their natural course until every soul of Israel was safely on the other side. Then at His word, through the human agent Moses lifting the rod, the impetuous waters that had been held back for the saving of Israel rushed back into their natural course, and Pharaoh and his whole army were slain with not one soul escaping.

God and Christ directed Moses to stretch out his hand over the sea, fought for Israel against the Egyptians, and defended Israel from Pharaoh's army. Angels went through the Egyptian host and removed their chariot wheels so they drove heavily and slowly, and remembering the judgments in Egypt they concluded the Lord was fighting for Israel against them. This event showed Moses that the Lord of hosts was leading His people, gave unmistakable evidence to the idolatrous nations that He is the only true and living God, and proved by experience that the Lord has power to create or to destroy. It was judgment upon the Egyptians because they refused to let God's people go, and the same power would be exercised for the destruction of the Amorites when their cup of iniquity was full.

Judgment on Egypt

Pharaoh's long resistance to God had blinded him, and continued rejection of light had hardened his heart until he rushed into the path God had opened for Israel even after seeing the sea opened for them. Disappointed and enraged that an unexpected way had opened for His people, the Egyptians dared to follow Israel into the dry path prepared for deliverance. Angels went through their host and removed their chariot wheels, so they drove heavily and slowly with plagued progress. Remembering the judgments God had brought upon Egypt, they concluded the Lord was fighting for Israel against them, became terribly afraid, and were turning to flee back against the returning water when the sea covered them.

That overthrow was God's judgment on those who resisted Him and oppressed His people, an idolatrous nation that acknowledged not God and refused to hearken to His voice to let them go, pursuing them to overtake and enslave them again. It was the final and closing display of His power before the Egyptians, laying Egypt desolate by plagues and slaying the firstborn. By those mighty acts He revealed Himself as Ruler of the Universe, proving by experience that His power was greater than every other power, greater than all the heathen deities, above Egypt's gods, with power to create or to destroy. That destruction gave unmistakable evidence to the idolatrous nations around Canaan that He is the only true and living God, evidence they knew and could have followed by turning from idolatry and licentiousness to serve Him.

The Egyptians perished because they persisted in opposing God's way and refusing His authority, and when Moses stretched out his hand and the waters returned to their natural course to overthrow the army in the midst of the sea, that judgment marked the end of their probation. Not one of the army that entered in pursuit escaped.

Pharaoh's destruction was the harvest of the obstinacy and unbelief he had cultivated and chosen and strengthened, the seed of unbelief and obstinacy producing its own kind and its own harvest. At every display of power he rejected light until his heart grew harder and less impressible by the Spirit of God, and God left the seed he had sown to grow without requiring a new act to produce it. Even the death of the firstborn only checked his unbelief for a moment, and because he determined not to yield he kept on until overwhelmed in the sea. This proves that God destroys no one, but the sinner destroys himself by his own impenitence, and the case stands on record as a warning that what happened in Pharaoh's heart will happen in every soul that neglects to cherish light and walk promptly in it.

Deliverance of Israel

Jehovah alone wrought complete deliverance in a single night for a vast, helpless throng of bondmen unused to battle, with women and children and cattle, caught with the sea before them and the mighty armies of Egypt pressing behind. That night proves He can make a way through seemingly impassable barriers, lead His people by a path they would not choose, and overthrow their enemies as they trust and follow His direction. In providence He had brought the Hebrews into that fastness before the sea where escape seemed impossible, to manifest His power in their deliverance and to humble the pride of their oppressors. He chose that method to test their faith and strengthen their trust, teaching them their helplessness and their need of divine aid.

The deliverance fulfilled His word and promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to bring His people out after nearly four hundred years as slaves under grievous oppression. It was rescue from the oppressive power of an idolatrous nation that acknowledged not God and refused to hearken to His voice, even desolating the fertile land of Egypt to rescue His chosen people. By those mighty acts of guiding and protecting Israel and destroying the Egyptian army that sought to overtake and enslave them again, He revealed Himself to the Egyptians as Ruler of the Universe, greater than all the heathen deities. By opening the sea and overthrowing Pharaoh and his forces He acknowledged Israel as His church and established Himself as their guide and deliverer. That deliverance revealed the Lord was above the gods of Egypt and bound Israel to Himself as their deliverer from temporal bondage, filling them with love, gratitude, and confidence in His power to help. It was done with mighty signs and wonders in order that Israel might keep holy the Sabbath day and fulfill the precepts of His law.

Being thus saved and seeing the Egyptians dead upon the shore, Israel feared the Lord and believed the Lord and Moses. The collapse of the waters brought deliverance that turned their hearts to Him in gratitude and faith expressed in triumphant songs of thanksgiving and praise.

Faith and Remembrance

At the sea Israel was a vast, helpless, terrified throng of bondmen unused to battle, with women and children and cattle, caught with the sea before them and the mightiest army of the mightiest nation on the globe pressing behind, yet they trusted the Word of God spoken by Moses. They proved that trust by marching down to the very water in belief of that word and doing all in their power before the Mighty One divided the sea, and if they had held back when bidden to advance He would never have opened the path. By that faith they withstood the power of the whole world, showing that utter human helplessness joined to trust in God's word triumphs over all human power and policy in support of evil and places such believers in the royal line of true nobility. Their passing through as by dry land tested their faith, for they trembled and could not see clearly where they were going, yet trusting the guidance that had brought them there would lead them to see God's salvation and to behold His power to protect His people and overthrow their pursuers.

The mighty rescue was not to be forgotten but to be remembered as proof that He who had brought Israel safely thus far would fulfill His word to give them Canaan after four hundred years of bondage, so that facing strong peoples and walled cities was no reason to depend solely on arms or to murmur and distrust God when later trials arose. Forgetting it led to dishonoring God by unbelief on the border of the promised land, to murmuring, to valuing the former indulgences remembered from servitude above the freedom God had given, and even to idolatry despite witnessed deliverance. The opening of the sea and the destruction of the pursuers when the sea returned to its strength were mighty works completing deliverance from Egyptian bondage, and ending the pursuit in the midst of the sea. Such an unrepayable blessing and favor laid Israel under obligation to serve God with their best, which they utterly failed to do, pride and ambition and love of applause and display hardening their hearts and blinding their minds until they refused Heaven's greatest gift, Jesus Christ.

The history was recorded for the benefit of later generations to teach obedience to the heavenly Guide who enshrouded Himself in cloud by day and fire by night, and faith in His power to deliver, even obedience to the commandments of God as the terms of securing life that measures with the life of God. Through that obedience people become partakers of the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world through lust. The Egyptians' hardened pursuit into the opened path, with Pharaoh's hardened heart and refusal to acknowledge God's acts, illustrates the desperate measures slavery's defenders would take to preserve the system and their hardened principles.

Future Final Deliverance

The mighty power of the Holy One who divided the Red Sea before Israel will be manifested again in the crisis when earthly powers are arrayed against God's people. When they stand as captive exiles in fear of death by starvation or by violence, He will turn their captivity and deliver them.

The overthrow of Pharaoh's hosts in the sea by the stretching out of His hand was a manifestation of divine power that smites oppressors with supernatural terror and withers their power. That same divine act is repeated when vast, trained crusading armies flee without a blow before small Hussite defenders. It stands as an example of God using supernatural terror to defeat oppressors and deliver His people.

The opening of a passage through the sea for Israel and the destruction of Pharaoh and his host in it was judgment upon the Egyptians because they refused to let God's people go, and proof by experience that the Lord has power to create or to destroy. It gave unmistakable evidence to the idolatrous nations around Canaan that He is the only true and living God, evidence they knew and could have followed by turning from idolatry and licentiousness to serve Him. It shows how God fights for Israel against those who stand in defiance of His word to oppose their progress, the same power He would exercise for the destruction of the Amorites when their cup of iniquity was full.

The judgment that fell upon Egypt's armies as Israel was delivered displays His authority as God and means He does not pass by with silence the injustice in the world, the masterly power man has taken to himself, oppressive man-made unions that bring confusion and violence and strife, and the manipulation of power to rule men and to acquire means through underhand deceptions and lies. Though He bears long with deceptive acuteness, He is not deceived but keeps strict account of every lie framed and every secret and hidden devising, and rewards every transgressor according to his works when He takes matters into His hand. This Bible history is to be repeated in calamities most awful and most unexpected following one after another, when cities full of transgression and sinful in the extreme will be destroyed by earthquakes, by fire, by flood, with destruction, devastation and death by His unseen agencies, making all accumulated riches as nothingness despite scientific care to safeguard buildings, to warn all the world that there is a God. If warnings are heeded and churches repent and return to allegiance to the law of God, other cities may be spared for a time, but if deceived men continue disregarding God's law and presenting falsehoods, He allows them to suffer calamity that their senses may be awakened.