The people of Israel, God's chosen people, are fleeing their former captors in Egypt, and are complaining to their leader, Moses, about their dire situation. Which is sort of crazy because in Exodus, Chapter 14, God had instructed Moses to tell his people that Pharaoh was going to pursue them, and that God would get glory over Pharaoh and all his armies, so that the Egyptians would learn that He is the LORD. In other words, God told them this was going to happen! Yet, it's one thing to be told of a situation, it's another altogether to experience it in person. When the Israelites saw the enormous dust cloud on the horizon, generated by all of Pharaoh's chariots, his horsemen, and all his army, they were struck with fear. And they cried out, "Have you taken us away from Egypt just to die in the wilderness?"
Two quick thoughts:
1) As humans, it is always jarring to realize that our memories are ridiculously short. We experience this on a daily basis, going from mountain top to valley, sometimes in the span of a few minutes. This is why our only hope of living a life of faith is to focus on God and His Word, keeping His promises daily in the forefront of our minds and hearts.
2) This story illustrates again God's love for all of His creation. One of the reasons for God's intercession was to prove to the people of Egypt that He is the LORD. The same people that had been slave owners over his beloved people, who had spent decades abusing His children, yet God's heart was to demonstrate to the Egyptian people His power and glory in the hope that they would repent and turn to Him.
Okay, back to our story . . .
"So Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”
You see all that God is asking of His people? To be quiet and not complain. Have faith and trust. This is often true today in our circumstances as well, sometimes God says all He needs us to do is keep quiet and trust. Complaining is a big deal to God, (don't believe me, just google this topic) and that is still true today. It is an affront to His love and sovereignty when I doubt His power and resolve, which I do way too much . . .
So with their back to the Red Sea, the people of Israel awaited the power of God. The entire army of Egypt was racing toward them and they were powerless to defend themselves. They couldn't run, they couldn't hide, and they couldn't fight. They literally had no other choice but to await their fate.
"Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the LORD drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.” So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its normal course when the morning appeared. And as the Egyptians fled into it, the LORD threw the Egyptians into the midst of the sea. The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen; of all the host of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea, not one of them remained. But the people of Israel walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.
Thus the LORD saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Israel saw the great power that the LORD used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the LORD, and they believed in the LORD and in his servant Moses."
Three times the Scripture recorded in this chapter that the people of Israel walked on dry land. After only one day of rainfall my lawn turns to mush, yet the floor of the Red Sea was dry for the people of Israel to navigate. Isn't that just like God to not only rescue His people, but to think about the little things, making sure that His people, His children could safely and quickly move across the floor of the sea, walking across dry land that He provided, as just another example of His provision for His people.
