Exodus 14:31, commentary and pictures

Israel saw with their own eyes the great work the Lord did upon the Egyptians dead on the seashore, when He made a dry path through the sea with waters as a wall on either side so that more than a million people passed safely over without loss of life, while Pharaoh's horses, chariots and all his host who pursued into the midst of the sea were troubled, turned to flee, and were covered when the sea returned to its strength so that not one remained. The One who did this was Jesus Christ enshrouded in the pillar of cloud by day and fire by night, leading as General and guide with His angels on either side of Israel, holding back wind and wave by His own laws of order until every soul was safely across. Seeing this visible proof of power and deliverance, their terror gave way to reverent fear of the Lord and to believing the Lord and trusting Moses His servant. The deliverance taught their utter helplessness and need of divine aid when escape seemed impossible, showing that faith in God's word enables a helpless, enslaved multitude to stand against the mightiest army and power of the world and binds the delivered to love, gratitude and obedience to His law. That mighty work made the former bondmen His church, a representation of His church in every age, and stands as lasting evidence and reason to trust His leading, though Israel soon forgot it in murmuring and rebellion, while the same power that divided the sea will be manifested again to gloriously deliver God's waiting people in the final crisis.

The Great Work Accomplished

Israel saw with their own eyes the great work done upon the Egyptians dead upon the seashore, for the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians. He made a dry path through the sea with the waters as a wall on the right hand and on the left, so that a vast army of more than a million people went safely over on dry land and not one soul perished. The people ended safe on the far shore while Pharaoh's army was destroyed in the sea, and then they sang a song of praise and gave thanks because He had acted wonderfully for them. Their fearing the Lord and believing the Lord and Moses His servant followed this visible proof of God's power and deliverance and miraculous escape when the sea returned over the pursuers.

Pharaoh's horses, chariots, horsemen and all his host pursued Israel into the midst of the sea, finding the unexpected dry path with Israel halfway through in disappointment and rage. In the morning watch the Lord looked through the pillar of fire and cloud and troubled their host, and took off their chariot-wheels so that they drove heavily. Remembering the judgments in Egypt, they knew the Lord fought for Israel against them, became terribly afraid, and turned to flee. Then at the Lord's command and word, as Moses stretched his hand over the sea and lifted his rod, the sea returned to its strength and former course and covered the chariots, horsemen and all Pharaoh's host, so that not one remained and none escaped.

The Lord who did this was Jesus Christ enshrouded in the pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night, leading as a mighty General of armies and an unerring guide and light, with God Himself defending Israel against Pharaoh's vast army. The cloud rose high as a wall of fire between Israel and the Egyptians, and His angels that do His bidding walked on either side of Israel so that no harm could come to them. Those angels also went through the Egyptian host to remove the wheels and slow their progress. Through Christ God communicated His will and gave great light and precious opportunity to know Him. God worked by His own laws as a God of order, holding back the impatient winds, controlling the tempest, calming the sea, rolling up the mighty deep and piling up walls of water, and not letting the waters pursue their natural course until every soul of Israel was safely on the other side.

This deliverance came after Israel had sojourned in Egypt for nearly four hundred years, where the Egyptians treated them as slaves and grievously oppressed them. The Egyptians were an idolatrous nation who did not acknowledge God and refused to listen to His voice, and they sought to overtake Israel to enslave them again. By a manifestation of His power to guide and protect Israel and to destroy that army, and by judging those oppressors despite Israel's unbelief and complaints and opening a way through the Red Sea, God revealed Himself to the Egyptians as Ruler of the universe, greater than all the heathen deities. Israel was already God's son while oppressed in Egypt, for God had undertaken their cause before their deliverance and declared that Pharaoh must let them go to serve Him.

Fearing and Believing God

Seeing with their own eyes the great work done upon the Egyptians dead on the seashore — the saving of Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians and the covering of Pharaoh's horses, chariots, horsemen and all his host so that not one remained — the people's fear and trembling gave way to fearing the Lord with reverence and believing the Lord and trusting Moses His servant. That response followed visible proof of God's power and deliverance, for the whole vast army of more than a million had gone safely over on dry land with the sea as walls on the right and on the left and not one soul had perished. Their later complaint at Marah despite this evidence showed that the deliverance had not yet made their trust steady under hardship.

At the sea Israel was a helpless, terrified multitude of slaves standing against the mightiest army of the mightiest nation on the globe. By trusting God's word though in themselves utterly helpless they withstood the power of the whole world. Their experience shows that faith in God's word enables the powerless to stand against overwhelming human power, and that faith tested in a crisis can trust God's guiding hand and see His salvation.

The deliverance revealed God's power and mercy when escape seemed impossible, teaching Israel their helplessness and need for divine aid. It demonstrates that God can make a way through what appears impossible. It bound them to God as their deliverer from temporal bondage, leading them to love and gratitude, to trust His power to help them, and to give thanks because He had acted wonderfully for them, safe on the far shore while Pharaoh's army was destroyed, with their song of praise following.

The verse supports trusting His leading and His providence through danger rather than giving way to unbelief or relying on those who refuse to follow Him. The deliverance was meant to teach obedience to the heavenly Guide and faith in His power to deliver. Faithfully studied, this history teaches how the Word of God guides experience, is one result of faith and one proof of the power of God's word against human power and policy in support of evil, making believers part of the world's true nobility and royal line that the youth of today are called to join.

That teaching includes obedience to God's law, for the deliverance from Egypt was part of God's purpose to lead Israel to keep the Sabbath and obey His law. It is therefore used to urge people to repent for breaking God's law and to show the world what it means to keep His commandments.

Remembrance, Church and Prophecy

The deliverance at the sea stands as evidence of God's power and care and as reason to trust His leading, for Israel saw His mighty act in opening the Red Sea and destroying the pursuing Egyptians and responded by fearing and believing Him and Moses. That deliverance was meant to teach trust and obedience, and the trial at Marah tested whether those lessons from Egypt and the sea had been learned. Their complaint at Marah despite such evidence showed that trust had not been made steady under hardship, and their later murmuring showed distrust and forgetfulness of those wondrous works. They forgot what God had done, rebelled, longed for Egypt's former comforts, and focused on present difficulties instead of trusting God for their needs. When fear arose over the dangers in Canaan they failed to remember the sea, acting as though victory depended only on human strength.

Even with this great work and signs among them, with food when hungry and cool water from the Rock and manifestations of His glory, they were ever ready to turn away. Through Christ as their invisible Leader enshrouded in the pillar of cloud by day and fire by night, God had defended them against Pharaoh's vast army, communicated His will, and given great light and precious opportunity to know Him. These experiences of judging oppressors, opening a way through the sea despite unbelief and complaints, and destroying enemies should have led to lasting reverence, yet they later turned to idolatry even after seeing His glory at Mount Sinai. They followed Satan's suggestions against Moses and Aaron and Joshua and Caleb until passing the boundary of God's forbearance and patience. Their testing showed whether they valued God's service and the freedom He had miraculously given more than those indulgences.

By displaying His rule through mighty wonders before Pharaoh and by His power delivering Israel from Pharaoh, God made the former Egyptian bondmen His church, a representation of His church in every age. Christ had purchased this people so they belonged to Him, and all they held in trust belonged to the Lord.

The mighty power of the Holy One who divided the Red Sea before Israel will be manifested again to turn the captivity of God's people in the final crisis when earthly powers are arrayed against them. Like the captive exile they will be in fear of death by starvation or by violence. But God will deliver those who have patiently waited for His coming and whose names are written in the book of life, and their deliverance will be glorious.