Crossing the Red SeaPRIVATE 

Exodus 13:17-15:21

Key Verse Hebrews 11:29

By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.

This passage shows us that we Christians are called to fight against the enemies all by faith in the Lord. It teaches us that faith in the Lord gives us the perfect guarantee of absolute victory over all of our enemies. By the same token, if we try to defeat our enemies on our own we are bound to fail. 

[By enemies we mean real enemies, that is, the devil and his schemes. Pharaoh and his soldiers are symbolic of the devil and his subjects.]

1.  In verse 17 God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.”  What does this tell us about the Israelites? 

** Israelites lived as a slave nation, because: first, they did not want to stand up, meet the challenges and fight to overcome them; and second they remained fatalistic because they did not have faith in the Lord. 

The first point is a symptom, the second a cause. 

This is inconsistent with God's purpose of creation in Gen 1:26-28, that is, for man to have faith in the Lord and conquer the environment rather than being ruled by it. 

2. The Israelites went up out of Egypt “armed for battle” in verse 18b.  What does the expression “armed for battle” suggest about the life that awaits them after the exodus? (Mark 4:17; Matthew 11:6; John 16:33)

** It is like a baby crying out as it comes out of it’s mother's womb, and since day 1 of his or her birth into this world, the baby must strive hard not only to survive but also overcome himself and the world, not only in terms of physical challenges but also spiritual as well. 

It is true of all newborn Christians. Everyone born of God must go through a maturing process, through learning how to meet challenges. 

3. On their way to the Promised Land, the Lord led the Israelites away from the shorter route through the Philistine country, to the longer route through the Red Sea.  Hebrews 11:29 reveals that the Lord did this to teach them faith in Him.  What can we learn about: 1) the way God trains His people; and 2) His purpose for the training? 

** God trains his people not by covering them up with blankets, but through sending them hardships and difficulties so that through these challenges they would learn faith in the Lord and become more than conquerors. 

** The point of training is to establish them as rulers over his creation, and for them to serve as God's instruments for God's glory.

4.  What do Joseph’s prophecy and instructions about his bones in verse 19 teach us about faith? The way the Lord guides the Israelites in verses 20-22 is quite amazing.  What parallel (regarding the Lord’s guidance) can we find for Christians today? 

** His prophecy and instruction regarding his bones teaches us about faith that sees what is to come even more than 4 centuries ahead. When we have this faith we can also even see the glorious world to be revealed as Jesus  comes again. 1Th 4-5; Rev 22.

** The cloud in the day and the pillar of fire during the night are symbolic of the Holy Spirit residing in each believer. 

This shows that living by faith in the Lord is not like blindly jumping off a cliff. 

5. In Exodus 14:10-12 the people grumbled bitterly to Moses.  What do the following complaints reveal about them? 

1) “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die?”

2) “What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt?”

3) “Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’?”

4) “It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”

** The word 'graves' or 'die' shows us that they were afraid of dying. The fear of death is the key characteristic of a slave.

** They blamed Moses for all the hardships they had.

** They did not take responsibility for their personal decision to leave Egypt.

** They still lived in the past. They did not have any bright vision for the future. 

6. In Exodus 14 the Lord helped the Israelites overcome their difficult challenges by faith in Him. What do the following expressions teach us about faith?

1) “I will harden Pharaoh’s heart.”

2) “The Lord will fight for you.”

3) “You need only to be still.”

4) “Why are you crying out to me?  Tell the Israelites move on.”

5) “Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.”

** The Lord helped them to see that Pharaoh and his soldiers are merely chess pieces, and the Lord is the chess player moving the pieces. 

** This expression teaches us that we must believe in the Lord who fights for us. This tells us that we must fight through the Lord who fights for us. 

** Our job then is to continue in complete trust in Him. This does not mean that we should keep our arms folded, doing nothing. Rather it means we must be keenly aware of and attentive to what the Lord is doing. 

** The expression "move on" shows us that faith is the mother of revelation for concrete plans of action. 

** This passage specifies the action plan in detail. 

1) First, raise your staff. Staff refers to the Bible. The word "raise" is suggestive of the need for us to hold God's word in high honor, making sure that God's word would ring out clearly, so everyone would hear the message, understand it, and move accordingly. When we do this, faith arises in our heart.

2) Second, stretch out your hand over the sea. When faith arises in our heart, then we can start moving our finger. Then hand. Then arm. The expression 'over the sea' refers to the need for us to start coping with the problem before us. The message is that we need to 'face' the problem, that is, the Red Sea. Never ignore or avoid. Take a good look at the problem. Then start working on it. 

3) Third, to divide the water. The word "divide" is the key. The wisdom is found in the adage  'divide and conquer.' Every problem is divisible. 

4) Fourth, so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground". Two points stand out: No. 1. Go through. No. 2. on dry ground. The expression "go through" shows us that on many occasions direct confrontation is the only way of solving the problem. The expression "on dry ground" shows us that we need to see what is underneath, that is, dry ground. Faith sees what is underneath.

7. Who crossed the Red Sea?  Who was drowned (14:28)?  What made the difference? (Hebrews 11:29)  What did the Israelites learn from crossing the Red Sea by faith? (Exodus 15:2-3, 11, 13, 18)

** The Israelites. 

** The Egyptians.

** Faith in the Lord.

** They saw the Lord in, through, above, and beyond, obstacles.

The end. 

 

 

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