Bible Talks

From: Messages of God's Love: 1937

Walls of Water Exodus 14:13-31¹³And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will show to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. ¹⁴The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. ¹⁵And the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: ¹⁶But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. ¹⁷And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honor upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. ¹⁸And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten me honor upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. ¹⁹And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them: ²⁰And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night. ²¹And 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. ²²And 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. ²³And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. ²⁴And 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, ²⁵And 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. ²⁶And 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. ²⁷And 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. ²⁸And 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. ²⁹But 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. ³⁰Thus the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore. ³¹And 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. (Exodus 14:13‑31)

WHILE the army of Egypt was coming fast after the people of Israel, the Lord told Moses to stretch his rod above the waters, and He sent a strong wind which divided the sea, making the waters stand up like a great wall on each side of a wide path of dry sand. Moses gave the order for them all to “go forward”, and all that company of people and animals started across; they believed God would keep up the wall so the waters would not come upon them. It took them all night to cross, but the bright cloud gave them light, and they did not fear or stumble; and the cloud, or pillar, was all the time between them and the army (Isaiah 63:13¹³That led them through the deep, as an horse in the wilderness, that they should not stumble? (Isaiah 63:13)).

When the Egyptians saw the wonderful path, instead of believing in God’s power, they seemed more determined to capture Israel. The king said, “I will pursue, I will overtake; I will draw my sword,” and they drove into the path following after Israel.

Toward morning God caused their chariot wheels to loosen, and the men began to fear and said, “Let us flee,” but it was too late. Israel was then safe on the farther shore, and God bade Moses again stretch out his rod, and the waters rushed back to their usual place, the path was covered over, and the Egyptians drowned. “They sank as lead in the mighty waters,” not one saved.

The people of Israel safe, thanked God for His great deliverance, and all sang a song of praise there on the shore of the Red Sea (Exodus 14, Hebrews 11:29²⁹By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned. (Hebrews 11:29)).

“He divided the Sea, and caused them to pass through; He made the waters to stand as an heap.” Psalms 78:13, 53¹³He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; and he made the waters to stand as an heap. (Psalm 78:13)
⁵³And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea overwhelmed their enemies. (Psalm 78:53).

“The Lord...is longsuffering...not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9⁹The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9).

Note: Look on a map of Egypt and you will see the Red Sea on the East, and notice it is narrow in the north where the Israelites crossed, —the exact place is not now known, but probably was several miles wide.

ML 03/21/1937

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