Exodus 14:1-4- And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp before Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baalzephon: before it shall ye encamp by the sea. For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in. And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, that he shall follow after them; and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD. And they did so.
Pharaoh was God's example, remember? Pharaoh had defied God 10 times! So God was going to show through Pharaoh what happens to a man when he continually goes against God's will.
Pharaoh had lost everything he owned- his cattle, his food supply, even some of his servants. He lost the thing that he held most dear- his firstborn son, the one who would rule in his place. He had lost the wealth of the country that he reigned over- Egypt was in ruin. But, he was about to pay the ultimate price for hardening his heart and disobeying God!
Exodus 14:5-9- And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us? And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him: And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them. And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with an high hand. But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, before Baalzephon.
Not only was God going to punish Pharaoh once and for all, He was also going to see how the Hebrew children reacted to a threat.
Exodus 14:10-12- And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD. And they said unto Moses, 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 carry us forth out of Egypt? Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.
My! How quickly they had forgotten the wonders of God on the land of Egypt. The Almighty God who had proved more powerful than all the false gods of Egypt was certainly able to take care of an army of humans!
But, the Hebrew children were afraid. They had no faith that God would take care of them.
Exodus 14:13-14- And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.
Moses tried to calm the people down. Then he turned to God as he always did.
Exodus 14:15-18- And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: But 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. And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.
God told Moses that He was going to take care of them. Not only was He going to protect them and bring them across this huge body of water, He was also going to make sure the Egyptians and Pharaoh could never come after them again!
Exodus 14:19-21- And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them: And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night. And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.
The angel of the Lord became a 2 sided wall between the army and the children of Israel. It was a cloud of darkness on the side of Pharaoh and his army, but it was a wall of light on the side of the children of Israel.
Then, God made a wind to blow all night long that dried up a path through the midst of the Red Sea.
Exodus 14:22-25- 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. And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians, And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians.
As the Hebrew children started through the path of the Red Sea road, the Egyptian army started in after them. But God started to mess up their advancement. He made their wheels fall off their chariots, and He made the chariots get stuck in the ground.
The Egyptians realized that the Lord was the one doing this and they were afraid. They tried to run away.
Exodus 14:26-30- And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen. And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them. But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore.
The Hebrew children were safe on the other side. As they looked back, they saw that their enemies were dead and could no more try to enslave or kill them.
Exodus 14:31- And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses.
The children of Israel learned that they should fear the Lord that day. They learned that they needed to believe Him and do what He said. And they learned that God was going to use Moses to accomplish His promises that He made to their forefathers many years ago.
