Exodus Chapter 14 Verses 21-25

:21 “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. 22 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. 23 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. 24 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, 25 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.”   

“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.”  When Moses did as the LORD instructed him, then the LORD did as he had promised.  This is also true in our lives.  There are several miracles manifest in the above statement.  It was a miracle that the wind parted the sea.  It was a miracle that the sea became a wall on the left hand and on the right.  It was a miracle that the land was dried that night.  Yet, those things which are impossible with man are possible with God.  The same God that created the land, the sea, and the wind can certainly cause the land, the sea, and the wind to obey His voice.  That was certainly the case here.   

“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.”  At this point in time, you would expect that the children of Israel would have felt pretty sure about their certain deliverance from the Egyptians as they had witnessed the great miracles of God working on their behalf.  There was no reason for them to fear or doubt that the waters would remain a wall unto them on their right hand and on their left as they crossed the Red Sea.   

“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.”  Either the Egyptians took no notice of the power of God being manifest or else they were in complete darkness of their own certain doom.  The truth is that those who are not born of the Spirit of God take no notice of the power of God being manifest and are in complete darkness of their certain eternal judgment.   

The Egyptians continued on their efforts to enslave and destroy the children of Israel even though the LORD was warring on their behalf and they were no match for his power and wisdom.  Likewise, the children of this world continue to war to enslave the children of light to their ungodly deeds and thoughts and to try to wipe out all godly actions and behaviors.   

“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, 25 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.”  The LORD looked upon the hosts of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and the cloud.  The pillar of fire represents God’s judgment of sin and the cloud represents the glory of God.  The LORD looked through his judgment and glory and the time of judgment for the Egyptians had come.  First the LORD troubled the host of the Egyptians.  Second, the LORD took off their chariot wheels, and they drave them heavily.  Finally, the Egyptians recognized their circumstances and the trouble they were in and they sought to flee from the face of Israel for the LORD fought for the Israelites against the Egyptians.   Oh that we would understand today that when we have the LORD on our side, the enemy have no chance to defeat us and enslave us.   


Verses 26-31 

:26 “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. 27 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. 28 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. 29 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. 30 Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore. 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 judgment against Pharaoh and the Egyptians had come to pass.  The Egyptians had taken the kindness of Joseph and turned against the children of Israel by enslaving them, and making them to serve with rigour and hard bondage.  Moreover, Pharaoh had tried to destroy all the male babies of the children of Israel on two different occasions with the mindset that he would make sex slaves out of their female babies.   

Pharaoh and his servants had fought against allowing the children of Israel to go out and worship their God.  He had lied to Moses and tried to deceive him on several occasions.  After the death of the first born sons in all the land of Egypt, he had consented to allow the children of Israel to go into the desert and worship and then changed his mind and sought to once again enslave the children of Israel.   

The problem that Pharaoh, his servants, the Egyptians, and their host had was that they were going against a greater foe than themselves.  The children of Israel had the LORD on their side.  The Egyptians stood no chance in this battle.   

As we began the book of Exodus, the children of Israel were in hard Egyptian bondage and were made to serve with rigor.  They had neither army nor any weapons of warfare.  They were treated like cattle.  Pharaoh had no respect for their lives nor wellbeing.  Yet God had promised Abraham that at the appointed time that he would deliver the children of Israel out of Egypt and ultimately bring them into the land of promise.  With the above passage we see the children of Israel finally delivered from Egyptian bondage.  God had destroyed Pharaoh, his host, his chariots, and all his horsemen in the waters of the Red Sea.   

The crossing of the Red Sea was similar in type to the Lord’s deliverance of his elect family from their sins.  The waters of the Red Sea at the point of crossing were running in a North-South direction.  They were crossed by an East wind that blew Westward, thus, prefiguring the cross of Christ.  The children of Israel went down into the Red Sea (with the water absent) and came up out of the Red Sea on the other side.  The crossing of the Red Sea prefigured the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.  At the cross, Jesus delivered his elect family from all their enemies (death, hell, grave, Satan, and sin).  At the Red Sea the children of Israel were delivered from their enemies: Pharaoh, his servants, the Egyptian Army, along with all the weapons of their warfare.   

"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.”