Exodus Chapter 14 Verses 1-4

:1 “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2 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. 3 For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in. 4 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.” 

The LORD set a trap for Pharaoh and his host.  He made it appear that Israel was trapped and could not escape the mighty army of Egypt.  At this time, Egypt was considered to be the most powerful nation on earth and its army unparalleled.  The LORD would show Pharaoh and all Egypt that he was a greater tactician and more powerful than all the host of this mighty army of Pharaoh.  As he said, he would be honored upon Pharaoh, and his entire host.  By this, the Egyptians would know that He was the LORD.  Now, this suggests to us that they would know it by his mighty power and judgment upon them.  Similarly, when the non-elect stand before God in the resurrection they will also know that he is the LORD by his mighty power and judgment upon them.   

Verses 5-9 

:5 “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? 6 And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him: 7 And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them. 8 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. 9 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.”   

We make the following observations based on the above passage: 

    1.  The non-elect quickly forget any timely judgments against them and turn again to their wicked devices.  Pharaoh and his servants quickly forgot the reason they had urgently sent the children of Israel out of Egypt was because of the death of all their first born sons.  They again turned to their fleshly lusts and desire to financial gain over enslaving a people that they had no business enslaving to begin with.

    2.  Pharaoh thought he had a great advantage because he had a mighty trained and experienced army including six hundred chosen chariots and all the chariots of Egypt and captains over every one of them.  He had a mighty host to bring against the children of Israel and he knew that Israel had no trained soldiers as they had been slaves heretofore.  What he failed to consider was that he would be greatly outmaneuvered and overpowered by the very God of Israel.  The non-elect never learn the lesson from timely judgments.

    3.  Again it was the LORD who hardened Pharaoh’s heart so that he pursed after the children of Israel so that they pursued after the children of Israel including all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh and all his horsemen, and his army, and overtook the children of Israel encamping by the sea.