Journey Through the Old Testament
#21 – The Israelites
Cross the Red Sea
For Wednesday, July 6, 2016 -- Read Ex. 12-17
Egypt Asks the Israelites to Leave. The Lord had told Moses that when Pharaoh lets you go “he will surely
drive you out of here altogether” (Exodus 11:1). After the last plague of the death of the firstborn, the
Egyptians urged the Israelites to leave Egypt, “for they said, "We shall all be dead." The Egyptians had
enslaved the Israelites for many years. Now it was time for them to be paid back: Just as God had
commanded, the Israelites asked the Egyptians for silver, gold, and clothing. “And the LORD had given the
people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested.”
The Israelites Begin Their Journey. A huge number of 600,000 men plus the women, children and livestock
made the journey from Succoth. Not all of the 600,000 were Israelites. Many Egyptians (and perhaps other
foreigners) went with them. Exodus 12:40 says that these children of Israel had sojourned for 430 years. The
430 years may not be the number of years that the children of Israel were in Egypt, but the number of years
since God had told Abraham what would happen to his descendants (Galatians 3:17).
Exodus 13 says that God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines (the way toward Canaan),
although that was the quickest way to go; for God said, "Lest perhaps the people change their minds when
they see war, and return to Egypt." So God led the people around by way of the wilderness of the Red Sea.”
The distance between Goshen in Egypt and the Promised Land Canaan, was only about 120 miles. They
probably could have gotten there in two weeks. But God had His reasons for not taking them that direction.
God showed that He was present with His people Israel leading them, by giving them a sign of a pillar of
cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. It is surprising to us that after the Lord gave this miraculous proof
to them of His presence, that they would ever doubt the Lord again, but sadly, they would doubt God many
times.
Joseph’s Bones. Remember Joseph’s ordering his people to take his bones with them when they went to the
Promised Land? Well in Exodus 13:19 it says, “And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had
placed the children of Israel under solemn oath, saying, "God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my
bones from here with you."
Trapped at the Red Sea. God knew that even though Egypt had let Israel go, Pharaoh would soon harden
his heart again; so the Lord sent Israel to a place at the Red Sea that would look like they had been trapped
by the Egyptian army. God, however, would do something wonderful there to show His great power.
Sure enough, Pharaoh soon began thinking, “Why did we let them go from being our slaves?” So he
gathered his army along with 600 chariots and began to pursue Israel. When the Israelites saw that the
armies of Pharaoh were after them, they became very afraid. “The children of Israel cried out to the LORD.
Then they said to Moses, "Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the
wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? Is this not the word that we told you
in Egypt, saying, 'Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians?' For it would have been better for us to
serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.”
But Moses told the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will
accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The
LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” Then the LORD told Moses, “Tell the children of
Israel to go forward. But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the
children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.”
Crossing the Red Sea. As the armies of Egypt approached God sent the pillar of fire that had been before
them to burn behind them. This made a barrier between Israel and the Egyptians giving them time to cross
the sea. “Then 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 into dry land, and the waters were divided. So the children
of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right
hand and on their left.”
The Egyptians went after Israel into the sea – all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. When it
was morning the LORD began to cause trouble for the Egyptian. He made their chariot wheels fall off, so that
they drove them with difficulty; and the Egyptians said, "Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the LORD
fights for them against the Egyptians." Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea,
so that the waters will come back upon the Egyptians, on their chariots, and on their horsemen.” Then the
sea returned to its full depth and covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all the army of Pharaoh that came
into the sea after them.
Exodus 14:31 says, “So the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the
Egyptians dead on the seashore. Thus Israel saw the great work which the LORD had done in Egypt; so the
people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD and His servant Moses.”
The Song of Moses. In Exodus 15 Moses led the children of Israel in a song of victory praising what God had
done that day. Noting how God had fought for His people and delivered them out of Egypt’s hands, this song
asks a question that will be brought up again in the Bible: “Who is like God?” What other so-called god is
great like Jehovah God? “Who is like You, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness,
Fearful in praises, doing wonders?” “The Lord”, Moses tells them, “shall reign forever and ever.”
The Lord’s Provision. As they journeyed on, the Israelites were without water. But the Lord made provisions
for them at Marah (Ex. 15:22-25). There the waters were bitter, but the Lord showed
Moses how to make the waters sweet.
One month after they had left Egypt, the whole congregation of the children of Israel
started complaining against Moses and Aaron. They said, they wished they had died
back in Egypt where they had plenty to eat. They accused Moses and Aaron of
bringing them into the wilderness to starve them to death. God promised to feed the
children of Israel with bread from heaven – manna. All they had to do was go out and
gather it each day. On the seventh day, the manna would not fall, but what they gathered on the sixth day
would be enough to feed them. Manna is described in Scripture as being small, round and fine as frost on
the ground. It was like coriander seed (about the size of a sesame seed), and tasted sweet like honey. God
would feed them with manna for the next 40 years.
As the children of Israel came to Rephidim, there was no water for the people to drink.
They demanded that Moses give them water and complained against him. They
questioned whether God was really with them. Moses cried out to God, “What shall I do
with this people? They are almost ready to stone me!” God said for Moses to take his
rod and stand before the rock and strike it. Water came from the rock giving the people
plenty to refresh themselves and their livestock.
The New Testament Teaches Us…
Baptized Into Moses. 1 Cor. 10:1-2 “For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were
all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the
sea.” Paul is making a comparison here between the children of Israel and Christians. The Israelites started
their journey and were finally delivered from Egypt when they crossed the Red Sea. As they crossed they had
water on each side of them and the cloud of water above them, so they were surrounded by water. Paul
says they were “baptized into Moses” – he became their leader.
People become Christians when they are “baptized into Christ.” Galatians 3:27 says, “For as many of you as
were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” Jesus Christ becomes the One we follow in everything. We die
to our old lives and start living for the Lord. The word “baptism” means an immersion, dipping or burial. At
baptism we are placed under the water and are completely surrounded by it. The water itself does not
remove our sins, but as we are baptized God washes us clean in the blood of Christ. Romans 6:3,4 says, “As
many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death…Therefore we were buried with
Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even
so we also should walk in newness of life.”
It must have been scary for the Israelites to think about walking where the water was like a wall on each side
of you. But Hebrews 11:29 says that in their faith, the Israelites followed Moses into the Red Sea: “By faith
they passed through the Red Sea as though they were passing through dry land; and the Egyptians, when
they attempted it, were drowned.” Faith in God’s great works is also what moves us to be baptized.
Colossians 2:12 says that we are “buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him
through faith in the working of God.”
Jesus is the Real Manna, the Bread of Life. In John 6 Jesus fed the 5,000. Some of these people continued
to follow Jesus because they wanted Him to give them more food. They told Jesus, “Our fathers ate the
manna in the wilderness; as it is written, `He gave them bread out of heaven to eat.” (vs. 31) But Jesus told
them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My
Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down out of
heaven, and gives life to the world." (Vs. 32-33) So the people told Jesus, "Lord, always give us this bread"
and Jesus said, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will
never thirst.”
We may be amazed that God miraculously fed His people with the bread of heaven called manna, But God
gave something out of heaven far more important than food -- He gave us Jesus. Jesus is the real bread that
gives us life. He is what we really need. His death on the cross will save us from our sins and give us eternal
life.
Jesus is the Real Rock. In I Corinthians 10:4 the Apostle Paul said of the children of Israel, “all drank the
same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.” Of
course the children of Israel really did drink real water from a real rock, but Paul’s point is that Jesus would
ultimately come to provide the real “water” that they needed. Jesus said of Himself that He was the “living
water” (John 4:10). In John 7:37, the Lord said, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.”
The Sin of Complaining. Christians are told not to spend their time complaining like the children of Israel
did. I Corinthians 10 says, “Let us not complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by
the destroyer.” Phil. 2:14 says, “Do all things without complaining.” We should be very careful about
complaining. Moses told the children of Israel that God “hears your complaints against Him.” God has done
so much for us. Everything may not always go perfect in life, but we have too many good blessings from God
to be complaining about things.
Bible Quiz
1. How many men left Egypt? (Ex. 12:37)
2. What special thing did Moses take with him as they left Egypt? (Ex. 13:19)
3. What did Pharaoh do once the Israelites went out of Egypt? (Ex. 14:5,6)
4. When Israel was trapped at the Red Sea and the Egyptians were coming they were afraid. But Moses
told them, “"Do not be afraid. S___________ s___________, and see the s____________________ of
the LORD.” (Ex. 14:13)
5. Once God had divided the Red Sea, what were the waters like on each side of them? (Ex. 14:22)
6. In Exodus 15, after they had crossed the sea, what did Moses and the children of Israel do?
7. What did God promise to give the children of Israel to feed them? (Ex. 16:4,31)
8. What did manna look like? (Ex. 16:14)
What did it taste like? (Ex. 16:31)