Exodus 14

Exodus 14 describes one of the most famous miracles in the Bible, the parting of the Red Sea. After leaving Egypt, the Israelites find themselves trapped between the sea and Pharaoh’s pursuing army. God instructs Moses to stretch out his hand over the sea, dividing the waters so the Israelites can cross on dry ground. When Pharaoh’s army attempts to follow, God closes the waters, destroying them. This chapter highlights God's power and faithfulness in delivering His people.

Exodus 14:1-3 (NKJV)
1 Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
2 “Speak to the children of Israel, that they turn and camp before Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, opposite Baal Zephon; you shall camp before it by the sea.
3 For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, ‘They are bewildered by the land; the wilderness has closed them in.’

God speaks to Moses, instructing him to lead the Israelites to camp near the Red Sea. He chooses a specific location, trapping them between the wilderness and the sea. This is part of God's plan to draw Pharaoh into thinking the Israelites are confused and trapped. God’s strategy aims to set the stage for a final demonstration of His power over Egypt, luring Pharaoh to pursue them in what appears to be a vulnerable moment for the Israelites.

Exodus 14:4 (NKJV)
4 Then I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, so that he will pursue them; and I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord.” And they did so.

God declares that He will harden Pharaoh's heart, provoking him to chase after the Israelites. By doing this, God will gain honor over Pharaoh and his army, and the Egyptians will come to recognize His supremacy. The hardening of Pharaoh’s heart serves a dual purpose: both to bring judgment on Egypt and to showcase God's divine power in a way that will be undeniable.

Exodus 14:5-7 (NKJV)
5 Now it was told the king of Egypt that the people had fled, and the heart of Pharaoh and 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 So he made ready his chariot and took his people with him.
7 Also, he took six hundred choice chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt with captains over every one of them.

When Pharaoh learns that the Israelites have left for good, he regrets his decision to let them go. Egypt had relied on Israel’s slave labor, and the loss was significant. Pharaoh quickly mobilizes his army, assembling his elite chariots and all the military might of Egypt. This reaction shows Pharaoh’s stubbornness and desire to reclaim what he views as his property, setting the stage for a dramatic confrontation.

Exodus 14:8-9 (NKJV)
8 And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the children of Israel; and the children of Israel went out with boldness.
9 So the Egyptians pursued them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, and overtook them camping by the sea beside Pi Hahiroth, before Baal Zephon.

Pharaoh, with his hardened heart, chases after the Israelites. The Israelites had left Egypt boldly, full of confidence in their newfound freedom. However, Pharaoh's army—equipped with horses, chariots, and soldiers—quickly overtakes them, trapping them at the edge of the Red Sea. This moment heightens the tension as the Israelites face an impossible situation, with no apparent way of escape.

Exodus 14:10-12 (NKJV)
10 And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord.
11 Then they said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt?
12 Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.”

As the Egyptian army approaches, the Israelites panic. Fear overwhelms them, and they turn on Moses, expressing regret for leaving Egypt. They accuse Moses of bringing them to the wilderness to die, forgetting the oppression they experienced in Egypt. This moment shows their lack of faith and highlights the human tendency to doubt God’s deliverance in times of crisis, even after witnessing His power in the plagues and their deliverance from slavery.

Exodus 14:13-14 (NKJV)
13 And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever.
14 The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”

Moses responds to the Israelites’ fear with words of assurance and faith. He urges them not to be afraid and to trust in the Lord's salvation. Moses declares that God Himself will fight for them, and the Egyptian army they dread will be destroyed completely. These verses remind the people that it is not by their strength that they will be saved, but by God’s power. They are called to trust and wait for divine intervention.

Exodus 14:15-16 (NKJV)
15 And the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward.
16 But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.

God instructs Moses to take action, telling him to lift up his rod and stretch it over the sea to divide the waters. God is preparing to make a miraculous way for the Israelites to escape by walking on dry ground through the sea. This command underscores that although God is the one performing the miracle, Moses must act in obedience and faith, demonstrating the cooperative relationship between God’s power and human obedience.

Exodus 14:17-18 (NKJV)
17 And I indeed will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them. So I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, his chariots, and his horsemen.
18 Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gained honor for Myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”

God reveals His plan to harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will pursue the Israelites into the sea. In doing so, God will gain glory over Pharaoh and his army, showing all Egypt that He alone is Lord. This act of judgment serves not only as a deliverance for Israel but also as a final demonstration of God’s authority and supremacy over Egypt, whose gods and rulers have been proven powerless.

Exodus 14:19-20 (NKJV)
19 And the Angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them.
20 So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. Thus it was a cloud and darkness to the one, and it gave light by night to the other, so that the one did not come near the other all that night.

The Angel of God and the pillar of cloud that had been leading the Israelites move to the rear, creating a barrier between them and the Egyptians. For the Egyptians, the cloud brings darkness and confusion, while for the Israelites, it provides light and protection. This divine intervention ensures that the two camps are kept apart, preventing the Egyptians from attacking while the Israelites prepare for their escape.

Exodus 14:21-22 (NKJV)
21 Then 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 into dry land, and the waters were divided.
22 So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.

Moses obeys God’s command and stretches out his hand over the sea, and the Lord uses a powerful east wind to divide the waters, creating a path of dry land through the sea. The Israelites walk through the sea, with walls of water on both sides. This miraculous event, the parting of the Red Sea, is a powerful demonstration of God’s ability to make the impossible possible, providing a way of escape where none seemed to exist.

Exodus 14:23-25 (NKJV)
23 And the Egyptians pursued and went after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.
24 Now it came to pass, in the morning watch, that the Lord looked down upon the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud, and He troubled the army of the Egyptians.
25 And He took off their chariot wheels, so that they drove them with difficulty; and the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians.”

Pharaoh’s army, still determined to recapture the Israelites, follows them into the sea. As they pursue, God intervenes by causing chaos among the Egyptians, removing the wheels from their chariots and slowing them down. Realizing that they are facing the power of the Lord, the Egyptians panic and attempt to retreat, acknowledging that God is fighting for Israel. Their attempt to pursue the Israelites now becomes an act of desperation, but it is too late.

Exodus 14:26-28 (NKJV)
26 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the waters may come back upon the Egyptians, on their chariots, and on their horsemen.”
27 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and when the morning appeared, the sea returned to its full depth, while the Egyptians were fleeing into it. So the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.
28 Then the waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all the army of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. Not so much as one of them remained.

At God's command, Moses stretches out his hand once more, and the sea returns to its normal state, drowning Pharaoh's entire army. The Egyptians, who had been in hot pursuit, are swallowed by the returning waters, and none survive. This event marks the final judgment on Egypt’s oppressive system and the complete deliverance of the Israelites from their pursuers. God's victory is total and irreversible, proving His sovereignty over the mightiest empire of the time.

Exodus 14:29-30 (NKJV)
29 But the children of Israel had walked on dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.
30 So the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore.

The Israelites, safely on the other side of the sea, witness the destruction of their enemies. The sight of the dead Egyptians on the shore confirms their complete deliverance. This moment is a powerful testimony of God's saving power and faithfulness. The parting and closing of the sea illustrate that God can protect His people in the most perilous situations, and once His judgment is executed, it is final.

Exodus 14:31 (NKJV)
31 Thus Israel saw the great work which the Lord had done in Egypt; so the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord and His servant Moses.

The chapter concludes with the Israelites acknowledging the greatness of God’s work in delivering them from Egypt. This miraculous event strengthens their faith in the Lord and in Moses, whom God had chosen to lead them. The fear mentioned here is a reverent awe of God's power, a recognition that He is both their protector and the one true God worthy of their trust and obedience. This experience reinforces their belief and solidifies their faith in Him.