Exodus 14:15-15:21 -- Red Sea Crossing

Genesis 14:5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about the people and said: “What have we done? We have released Israel from serving us.” 6 So he got his chariot ready and took his troops with him; 7 he took 600 of the best chariots and all the rest of the chariots of Egypt, with officers in each one. 8 The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the Israelites, who were going out triumphantly. 9 The Egyptians—all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots, his horsemen, and his army—chased after them and caught up with them as they camped by the sea beside Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.

Pharaoh changed his mind.  He wanted the Israelites back.  This was all part of God's plan to destroy the Egyptian's strength so they could no long loom over the Israelites and provide fear that they may come back for them.

Exodus 14:10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up and saw the Egyptians coming after them. Then the Israelites were terrified and cried out to the Lord for help. 11 They said to Moses: “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you took us to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Isn’t this what we told you in Egypt: Leave us alone so that we may serve the Egyptians? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”

The Israelites are doubting the plan of God.  They see the Egyptians coming in all their might to get them back and all they can think about is dying in the wilderness.  They are not thinking God's way.

Exodus 14:13 But Moses said to the people, “Don’t be afraid. Stand firm and see the Lord’s salvation He will provide for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you; you must be quiet.”
15 The Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the Israelites to break camp.16 As for you, lift up your staff, stretch out your hand over the sea, and divide it so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. 17 I am going to harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them, and I will receive glory by means of Pharaoh, all his army, and his chariots and horsemen. 18 The Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh when I receive glory through Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”

Here God tells Moses what to do to save all the people.  God is going to deliver his people in a mighty way and insure that the Egyptians will not bother them again.

Exodus 14:19 Then the Angel of God, who was going in front of the Israelite forces, moved and went behind them. The pillar of cloud moved from in front of them and stood behind them. 20 It came between the Egyptian and Israelite forces. The cloud was there in the darkness, yet it lit up the night. So neither group came near the other all night long.

During the night, while the Israelites prepared to cross the sea, the cloud separated the Egyptians from the Israelites so no one could be harmed.  God protected the Israelites from the Egyptians.

Exodus 14:21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The Lord drove the sea back with a powerful east wind all that night and turned the sea into dry land. So the waters were divided, 22 and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with the waters like a wall to them on their right and their left.
23 The Egyptians set out in pursuit—all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen—and went into the sea after them. 24 Then during the morning watch, the Lord looked down on the Egyptian forces from the pillar of fire and cloud, and threw them into confusion. 25 He caused their chariot wheels to swerve and made them drive with difficulty. “Let’s get away from Israel,” the Egyptians said, “because Yahweh is fighting for them against Egypt!”

The Egyptians went into the sea after the Israelites.  The Lord caused the chariots and horses to have difficulty crossing, so to delay them long enough for their judgment.

Exodus 14:26 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may come back on the Egyptians, on their chariots and horsemen.” 27 So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea returned to its normal depth. While the Egyptians were trying to escape from it, the Lord threw them into the sea. 28 The waters came back and covered the chariots and horsemen, the entire army of Pharaoh, that had gone after them into the sea. None of them survived.

So in one moment the entire Egyptian army was devoured by the sea.  All at the hand of God.  

Exodus 14:29 But the Israelites had walked through the sea on dry ground, with the waters like a wall to them on their right and their left. 30 That day the Lord saved Israel from the power of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 When Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and believed in Him and in His servant Moses.

After all the plagues, after all the signs, the people of Israel finally had fear in the Lord and believed in Him and in Moses.  It took the destruction of Egypt for them to see, for their eyes to be opened to the power and glory of their God.

Genesis 15:1 Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord. They said:
I will sing to the Lord,
for He is highly exalted;
He has thrown the horse
and its rider into the sea.
2 The Lord is my strength and my song;
He has become my salvation.
This is my God, and I will praise Him,
my father’s God, and I will exalt Him.
3 The Lord is a warrior;
Yahweh is His name.

 These praises tell us a lot about God.  He is highly exalted.  He is our strength and song.  He is our salvation.  He is worthy of our praise.  He is a warrior and Yahweh is his name.

Exodus 15:4 He threw Pharaoh’s chariots
and his army into the sea;
the elite of his officers
were drowned in the Red Sea.
5 The floods covered them;
they sank to the depths like a stone.
6 Lord, Your right hand is glorious in power.
Lord, Your right hand shattered the enemy.
7 You overthrew Your adversaries
by Your great majesty.
You unleashed Your burning wrath;
it consumed them like stubble.
8 The waters heaped up at the blast of Your nostrils;
the currents stood firm like a dam.
The watery depths congealed in the heart of the sea.
9 The enemy said:
“I will pursue, I will overtake,
I will divide the spoil.
My desire will be gratified at their expense.
I will draw my sword;
my hand will destroy them.”
10 But You blew with Your breath,
and the sea covered them.
They sank like lead
in the mighty waters.

With just one hand he destroyed the Egyptians in a display of his glorious power.  He over threw Egypt with his great majesty.

Exodus 15:11 Lord, who is like You among the gods?
Who is like You, glorious in holiness,
revered with praises, performing wonders?
12 You stretched out Your right hand,
and the earth swallowed them.
13 You will lead the people
You have redeemed
with Your faithful love;
You will guide them to Your holy dwelling
with Your strength.

With His faithful love he redeemed His people.  With His strength, they are guided to the holy dwelling.  No one is like our God.  He is glorious, holy, worthy of praise and performs marvelous wonders.

Exodus 15:14 When the peoples hear, they will shudder;
anguish will seize the inhabitants of Philistia.
15 Then the chiefs of Edom will be terrified;
trembling will seize the leaders of Moab;
the inhabitants of Canaan will panic;
16 and terror and dread will fall on them.
They will be as still as a stone
because of Your powerful arm
until Your people pass by, Lord,
until the people whom You purchased pass by.

When the other nations here what the Lord has done for Israel, they will also fear God.  They will fear the Israelites because God protects them.  They heard what happened to the Egyptians and they will not want that to happen to them.

Exodus 15:17 You will bring them in and plant them
on the mountain of Your possession;
Lord, You have prepared the place
for Your dwelling;
Lord, Your hands have established the sanctuary.
18 The Lord will reign forever and ever!
19 When Pharaoh’s horses with his chariots and horsemen went into the sea, the Lord brought the waters of the sea back over them. But the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground. 20 Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her with their tambourines and danced. 21 Miriam sang to them:
Sing to the Lord,
for He is highly exalted;
He has thrown the horse
and its rider into the sea.

Praise God for all he has done for Israel and for us.  He is worthy of our praise even if he did not do all the signs and wonders in the land of Egypt.

Now let us look again at some passages from this section:

Exodus 15:2 The Lord is my strength and my song;
He has become my salvation.

Exodus 15:16 They will be as still as a stone
because of Your powerful arm
until Your people pass by, Lord,
until the people whom You purchased pass by.

These verses remind me of things said of Christ.

2 Timothy 2:10 This is why I endure all things for the elect: so that they also may obtain salvation, which is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.

1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God
and one mediator between God and humanity,
Christ Jesus, Himself human,
6 who gave Himself—a ransom for all,
a testimony at the proper time.

Salvation is in Christ, but God is also our salvation.  God "purchased" his people and Christ was a ransom for all.  Christ purchased our souls through the sacrifice of his blood.  He saved us through his death.  He is our salvation.  God and Christ are one, with the holy spirit.  They are the same but at the same time separate.  Each has their own purpose in the trinity, but they act in one accord, all towards the same goal.