Answers Bible Curriculum 2nd Edition Unit 6 Lesson 55
This week in Sunday school, we look at God’s great deliverance and judgment accomplished at the Red Sea. Many have heard about or seen depictions of this great biblical event, but what actually happened historically? Where did this crossing take place? Could the parting of the sea have been a natural occurrence? And how was the event supposed to affect Egypt, Israel, and us today?
Our texts for this lesson are Exodus 12:37-41 and 13:17-14:31.
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all right well good morning everyone welcome back to Sunday school good to see you we’re continuing our study through the book of Exodus working our way through the scriptures last week we looked at the final of the ten plagues that God sent against Egypt and we also looked at the inauguration of the Passover celebration but now though all the plagues are accomplished on Egypt God is not yet done with Pharaoh Pharaoh has let Israel go but Pharaoh and the Egyptians as a whole still have an important role to play and bringing God glory and in testing the faith of the people of Israel and what we’re talking about today is what happens next in the marvelous deliverance at the Red Sea it may notice a little asterisk on the title that’s because as we’ll talk about later there is a bit of an interpretation question as to whether this passage is really talking about the Red Sea as we call it today now we’ll come back to that question but this is another of the more well-known events of the Bible or at least more frequently depicted events of the Bible which means you will need to pay extra close attention because we want to make sure that we’re understanding what the Bible actually says rather than what we’ve seen in movies or cartoons why did God lead Israel in Egypt to this confrontation by the sea how did God bring about deliverance and what is the significance of those events for us today that’s what we want to find out and let’s pray and we’ll get into it look god I pray that we would see more of you this morning that we would behold you and all your power and goodness mighty to save but mighty to judge God I pray that you’d help me to be able to explain this well in Jesus name Amen let’s begin by returning to where we left off last time in the Exodus so please open your Bibles to Exodus chapter 12 Exodus chapter 12 page 69 if you’re using the Pew Bible at this point Farrell and his people have just told the israelites and/or they’ve just told the israelites to leave egypt quickly israelites have requested and have been granted various treasures from their egyptian neighbors so weighed down with plunder so to speak the nation now actually departs from egypt look at Exodus 12 verses 37 to 41 I’m gonna start with a kind of short section here Exodus 12 verses 37 to 41 here’s what says now the sons of Israel journeyed from Ramses to Sukkoth about 600,000 men on foot aside from children a mixed multitude also went up with them along with flocks and herds a very large number of livestock they make the dough which they had brought out of Egypt into cakes of unleavened bread for it had not become leavened since they were driven out of Egypt and could not delay nor had they prepared any provisions for themselves now the time that the sons of Israel lives in Egypt was 430 years and at the end of 430 years to the very day all the hosts of the Lord that is of Yahweh went out from the land of Egypt all right this is a this isn’t a very important moment in the history of Israel let’s make some observations on the text notice in verse 37 the first part of their journey is from Ramses to Sukkoth so Ramses would have been in the land of goshen just southeast of the Nile Delta in Egypt and there have been various sites today proposed for Sukkoth but probably it was southeast of Ramses so Israel is proceeding in a southeasterly direction notice how many are said to travel the specific detail on verse 37 is 600,000 men now the people of Israel often took numbers in terms of men only and we see this even in the Gospels right when Jesus feeds the 5000 it is 5000 men now there were others there but it was only the men who were counted now this doesn’t mean that only men were important in that society children and women we’re not important it doesn’t mean that it’s just the way that Hebrews number things number of men would be significant over certain aspects of a nation’s well-being like having fighting men for battles so that would be an important reason to have the number but from the number of men given in the different passages we can estimate the total number of people as a whole and so when we see 600,000 men traveling out of Egypt what that means as a whole is probably one and a half to two million people to just infer estimate the number of children and women that would be attached to those men we’re probably talking close to 2 million people leaving Egypt now that sounds like a lot of people it’s because it is and remember how many people came down to Egypt how many people came to Egypt with Jacob 70 persons about 70 persons but now we have 2 million and how long did it take to multiply to such a great people notice verses 40 and 41 they tell us it was exactly 430 years so in 430 years God caused 70 people to become 2 million now has God not kept his promise to multiply the descendants of Abraham Isaac and Jacob in fact if you just turn back to Genesis 15 for a moment think about wasn’t turning back to Genesis 15 you’ll see that a number of the promises that God gave to Abraham are all being fulfilled or have been fulfilled by the time we get to Exodus 12 so Genesis 15 I just want to highlight a few verses for you there again look at Genesis 15 5 God says now look toward the heavens and count the Stars if you’re able to count them and he said to him so shall your descendants be and then jump down to verses 13 or 14 it says God said Abram know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in the land that is not theirs or they will be enslaved and oppressed for hundred years but I will also judge the nation whom they will serve and afterward it will come out with many possessions and isn’t this exactly what we’ve seen in the book of Exodus and yet this was pronounced hundreds of years before and if God has brought these promises to pass well then surely one of the promises we’ve not yet seen come to pass will also be fulfilled look at Genesis 15 7 verse 7 God says to Abraham I am Yahweh who brought you out of ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess it now he was talking about the land of Canaan but Abraham had not received the land of Canaan as possession he was a sojourner but his descendants would receive it and in a sense through them Abraham would receive it and that’s coming that’s coming for the people of God so you see that what’s happened at the end of exodus 12 is just the start of a bountiful outpouring from God’s words his people God has provided wonderfully for the people of Israel as they leave Egypt but he’s going to continue to do this and not only when he provides miraculously for them as they journey through the wilderness but also when they arrived to Canaan God will give the people of Israel cities and farms and vineyards that they did not buy and they did not build Todd is gonna give all of Canaan to Israel and not just an empty land but a land filled with various cities and farms and things like that this is part of God’s gracious provision for Israel now turn back to exodus 12 I want you to notice one other detail in verses 37 to 41 notice the next is 12 at verse 38 it refers to a mixed multitude says a mixed multitude also went up with them what is this referring to you this would have to mean that some non-hebrews went up with the people of Israel this would refer to other Semites other people who are descended from Abraham or other people from his clan but it may also refer probably also refers to some Egyptians and non Semitic peoples they these people they witnessed the power of God they heard about the power of God displayed in Egypt and they want to go with Israel so they do it’s a part of this 2 million is this fixed multitude now some of these non Israelites they’re gonna cost trouble later on and we’ll see that later but in summary around 1445 bc i think that’s a good date for the exodus about 2 million men men men women and children hebrews and non-hebrews coming up with abundant livestock and treasure and leaving egypt and with these observations on this short passage let’s just ask to you interpretation questions first many modern biblical scholars and archaeologists they scoff at the idea the Israelite population being so large at the time of the exodus suggest number 600,000 is an exaggeration an exaggeration meant to glorify God and emphasize the growth of Israel or other possibility they suggest that we should infer some kind of copyist error with this number 600,000 really shouldn’t be searched in a thousand it should be more like 60,000 or 6,000 even have these suggestions they are born out of the belief that a horde of people in numbering 2 million is simply too large to be accepted they claim there’s no archaeological evidence of such a large group living in or leaving Egypt all at one time and two million people they say cannot reasonably be expected to travel successfully through wilderness and desert on the way to Canaan considering such objections and considering what we’ve observed in the passage how should we interpret the numbers 600,000 there’s no reason to depart 600,000 we take the text straight up it is six hundred thousand men and by inference one and a half to two million people there are several good explanations as to why archaeological evidence might be lacking supposedly lacking for such a large number of people and one would be and this is something we’ve seen in the DVD patterns of evidence exodus one would be that people are looking for archaeological evidence in the wrong time period because they date the exodus much later than what the Bible actually indicates but there are no clues in the text that indicate to us that 600,000 is an exaggeration or symbolic or in error besides and this always gets me because some even evangelical scholars will say that exaggeration can glorify God but how is that possible if you have to balloon the number of the people of God to emphasize the growth well aren’t you actually exposing the shortcomings of God you say oh look at all these people actually it wasn’t all these people isn’t that shame God you couldn’t produce such a great amount of people and yet this is offered as an explanation by serious scholars but really they’re the heart of the issue is the questioning this number is all about that that term reasonable is it reasonable because we must remember that reason always rests on the foundation doesn’t exist by itself biblical Christians true Christians they are to start with the Bible to determine what is reasonable reason needs a foundation and the Bible is the only appropriate Foundation unbelievers and Christians influenced by unbelieving thinking their reason is resting on something else it it rests on the foundation of man’s wisdom and man’s wisdom does not find the Bible acceptable truly there’s nothing unreasonable about six hundred thousand men or two million people leaving Egypt in the Exodus that is what the Bible says and the Bible because it is God’s Word is trustworthy man’s wisdom man’s ideas they are not trustworthy in fact they are in rebellion against God and His Word our reason needs to have the proper foundation so we can take six hundred thousand in the normal sense we’re not being naive to do so it’s eminently reasonable in light of this fact and in light of the other things we’ve observed the passage what do these four or five verses emphasize to us about God exactly right uses promises he is a faithful God he is a covenant-keeping god what else twist say that he is a blessing kind of God he is generous she is good he loves to lavish blessing on those to whom he’s chosen to show love we see that here what else it’s got a design that all nations would be blessed through Israel that’s another good point extra mission that mark this is not strictly for Israel but we’re already seeing one of the themes that we’ll see throughout the scriptures which is God always has the nation’s in mind Israel is to be a catalyst to that and specifically in the Old Testament Israel is to be drawing the nation’s after God and we can see that being accomplished in us in a small way Israel will never totally fulfill that they will one day that’s why God’s gonna return it causes rule to repent but we see that happening in a small way here Roy is that a hand in the back that’s right yeah so yeah you mentioning Rahab and her connection even into the genealogy of David and the genealogy of Christ God was not saying all right forget Gentiles I’m just about the Jews for a long time no it’s always been he’s always had all the families of the earth in mind and we can see that even with specific people in the Old Testament but he had a certain means that he was going to use and it would be Israel as we moved in the Old Testament they were to be the light to the nation’s to draw people to God and they will again serve that function one day so we certainly see God’s faithfulness his generosity his his desire to bless and even save Gentiles we see his goodness we see his power and all these are meant to be understood the Exodus one of its chief purposes is to show us God reveal to us God and we’re seeing that and it is a wonderful wonderful outcome God has brought the people out of Egypt he’s showing forth his glory but he’s not done and he never is done God’s glory always needs to be revealed and enjoyed and now the Israelites coming out of Egypt they may have everything is just gonna be roses and cotton candy going on but God has something special in mind now that Israel is actually leaving Egypt another glorious event and for this please move forward to Exodus chapter 13 starting in verse 17 Exodus 13 verse 17 and we’re going to read the whole account of what God does at the sea now this is a large section please focus please follow along with me as I read Exodus 13 verse 17 down to chapter 14 verse 31 here’s what it says now in Pharaoh had let the people go God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines even though it was near where God said the people might change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt and God led the people around by the way of the wilderness to the Red Sea and the sons of Israel went up in Marshall away array from the land of Egypt Moses took the bones of Joseph with him he’d made the sons of Israel solemnly swear saying God will surely take care of you and you shall carry my bones from here with you then they sent out from Sukkoth and Campton Ethan on the edge of the wilderness yahweh was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way and a pillar fire by night to give them light that they might travel by day and by night he did not take away the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night from before the people now you always spoke to Moses saying tell the sons of Israel to turn back and camp before P ha hair off between migdal and the sea shall camp in front of bales a font opposite by the sea for Pharaoh will say of the sons of Israel they are wandering aimlessly in the land the wilderness has shut them in thus I will harden Pharaoh’s heart and he will chase after them and I will be honored through Pharaoh and all his army and the Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh and they did so when the king of Egypt was told the people had fled Pharaoh and his servants had to chase of heart toward the people and they said what is this we have done we have let Israel go from serving us so he made his chariot ready and took his people with him and he took six hundred select chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them Yahweh hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt and he chased after the sons of Israel as the sons of Israel were going out boldly and the Egyptians chased after them with all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh his horsemen and his army and they overtook them camping by the sea beside P Hara in front of bales a faun as Pharaoh drew near sons of Israel looked and behold the Egyptians were marching after them they became very frightened so the sons of Israel cried out to Yahweh and they said to Moses this is because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness why have you dealt with us in this way bringing us out of Egypt is this not the word that we spoke to you in Egypt saying leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness Moses said to the people do not fear stand by and see the salvation of Yahweh which he will accomplish for you today with Egyptians whom you have seen today you will never see them again forever Yahweh will fight for you while you keep silent then he always said to Moses why are you crying out to me tell the sons visual to go forward as for you lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it and the sons of Israel shall go through the midst of the sea on dry land as for me behold I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them I will be honored through Pharaoh and all his army thro through his chariots and his horsemen then the Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh when I am honored through Pharaoh through his chariots and his horsemen the angel of God who had been going before the camp of Israel moved and went behind them and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood before it stood behind them so it came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel and there was a cloud along with the darkness yet it gave light at night thus the one did not come near the other all night then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea and Yahweh swept the sea back by a strong east wind all night and turned the sea into dry land so the waters were divided the sons of Israel went to the midst of the sea on the dry land and the waters were like a wall to them on the right hand and on their left then the Egyptians took up the pursuit and all Pharaoh’s horses his chariots and his horsemen went in after them into the midst of the sea at the morning watch Yahweh looked down on the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud and brought the army of the Egyptians into confusion it caused their chariot wheels to swerve and he made them drive with difficulty so the Egyptians said let us flee from Israel for Yahweh is fighting for them against the Egyptians then you always said to Moses stretch out your hand over the sea that the waters may come back over the Egyptians over their chariots and their horsemen so Moses stretched out his hand over the sea and the sea returned to its normal state at daybreak while the Egyptians were fleeing right into it then Yahweh overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea the waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen even Pharaoh’s entire army that had gone into the sea after them not even one of them remained but the sons of Israel walked on dry land in the midst of the sea and the waters were like a wall to them on their right and and on their left thus you always saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore when Israel saw the great power which alway had used against the Egyptians the people feared llame and they believed in Yahweh and in his servant Moses just an amazing amazing record let’s start our analysis of it with observations the Israelites leave Egypt and they make sure to grab Joseph’s bones as as he had commanded them to do many years before and they’re following God’s direction as they travel notice in Exodus 13 21 Yahweh appears in the form of a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night and he’s leading Israel while they travel in verse 22 it actually says that the cloud never leaves Israel but is always there to guide and reside with them and if you look down at verse 19 of chapter 14 it also mentions the angel of God is leading Israel now in which direction do Yahweh and Israel go now as we noticed before it appears to be a south east direction from Goshen but the other place names given to us in the passage there are somewhat obscure as to where they are there are lots of different suggestions as to where these places are but we can only really get a good idea of where a thumb and failsafe on these other places are if we can identify the see at which this great miracle takes place and it’s kind of a difficult question we’re going to come back to that interpretation step where is this see one thing we can say though according to chapter 13 17 is that God does not lead Israel by the way of the land of the Philistines even though that route is near now where’s that actually before I say that the reason given in the text as to why God doesn’t do that as he says otherwise they will see war and that will cause them to want to turn back God wants to spare them from that temptation now where is the land of the Philistines good along the coast if you think of modern geography today we’re talking about the Gaza Strip that that section of coats between Israel and eat that’s where we find the Philistines throughout the biblical record and that’s right next to Mediterranean Sea really the route that would be the way of the land of the Philistines is that route that we’ve referred to before as the via Maurice a main trade route that connects Egypt and Canaan it was the quickest route to get to Canaan but it was also the most fortified round there were a number of Egyptian fortresses along that route along with some K tonight strongholds so you would see a lot of warfare if you went that way if you’re Israel it’d be right into war and a constant war and God in His wisdom he’s determined that’s not good for Israel right now it’s them a different in a longer direction now as God leads to is leads the people to show this other direction he has them turned back at one point and camp by a sea and our text says in chapter 13 that this is the Red Sea and notice what this action of turning back causes Pharaoh to believe God says this is what’s gonna happen in 14-3 he says Pharaoh is gonna believe that the Israelites are lost and blocked in by the desert you know Israel confronted this wilderness of like oh I don’t want to go that way and so they turn around and Pharaoh says AHA they really don’t know what they’re doing in verse 5 God says further when Pharaoh hears of this news he and his servants have a change of heart and it’s Yahweh actually hardening their hearts then Pharaoh and his servants his army will come after Israel and they’re coming again to kill Israel and to enslave them again now God ordains that these changes would happen in Egypt and he tells Moses why in verse 4 chapter 14 he says I will be honored in the actions that are about to take place I will be honored in deliverance and I’ll be honored in judgment the Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh it says it again later in the passage and notice who is actually coming after them verses 6 to 7 it says Pharaoh goes after him after them with his 600 select chariots and many other chariots and horsemen now do you know verse 6 says that Pharaoh himself got in a chariot he’s leading this army he’s at one of the chariot chariot rides and remember the chariots are very feared war machines at this time in fact if you keep reading through the Old Testament you’ll notice that when the Hebrews are confronting chariots in battle they usually don’t want to go in about because chariots are scary Egyptian chariots have apparently functioned as mobile archery platforms basically it had stalks of arrows on these chariots and they could get close to the enemy to shoot precisely at targets but then they’d flee before any foot soldiers could get near those chariots so they’re kind of like a hit and run mechanism then chip away at the army that they faced until the army breaks due to demoralisation so they were a very serious weapon in ancient times now we’ve got 600 select chariots and and more and horsemen now verse 8 to chapter 14 says Israel left Egypt boldly when they see Pharaoh’s army coming well big change keepers are not reacting with boldness and courage but they are terrorized and they come and complain against Moses in a desperate state this is not don’t get the sense of complaining here like oh yeah this is really annoying these people are afraid for their lives they believe that they are about to die and you’re gonna blame Moses for it but how does Moses react chapter 14 verses 13 to 14 Moses exhorts the people to trust in God weight on God’s deliverance he says Yahweh will fight for you yes they’ve got these war machines but we have a greater warrior than they do Yahweh will fight for you but how will you always fight he will use the see notice how Yahweh parts the sea for Israel in chapter 14 verse 21 Moses lifts up his staff he stretches his hand over the sea then God uses a powerful wind a powerful east wind to divide the waters all night while the people of Israel walk across on dry ground and there’s a wall of water on both sides on the left and on the right now just to check your understanding do wind and water normally respond to the hand or the staff of a man no they don’t and wind normally cause water to stand up continually in a wall on the left and the right as the text indicates no that doesn’t happen either does wind normally cause a sea floor to become instantly dry dry ground no again this is not normal this is what the text says happened now certainly it will take time for the two main Israelites to cross this channel of salvation though I doubt any of the Israelites would be dawdling I mean would you linger if you had a wall of water on two sides of you and Egyptians behind you I’d be movin fast across that little channel still notice how God prevents Egyptians from attacking the issue lights while they cross verses 19 to 20 of chapter 14 it says the angel of God and the pillar of cloud they move and they come behind Israel and they stand between Israel and Egypt now verse 20 mentions that the cloud has darkness and a light perhaps indicating that the cloud was darkness for the Egyptians but like for the people of Israel or it could be that it was just dark during the day and light at night but either way this is cloud and this fire is preventing the Egyptians from going after Israel by the way do you notice that the sea crossing is happening at night it’s important that we have the light of God’s pillar lighting the way for Israel as they cross over the sea now you might think we might think that’s such a supernatural display clearly supernatural display would have caused the Egyptians to give up I mean if you confronted a pillar of cloud or pillar of fire I don’t know do you want to keep pursuing but their hearts were hard and so when they have the chance they go after Israel again in verses 22 to 24 it says toward morning when Israel had finished crossing God removes themself as a barrier between Egypt and Israel God allows the Egyptians to advance after the Hebrews have crossed and they do so however during the morning watch which would have been between 2:00 and 6:00 a.m. we’re getting close to daybreak God does something that convinces the Egyptians to turn back and flee if you look at chapter 14 verse 25 it says God caused their chariot wheels to swerve and the chariots to drive with difficulty this is divine sabotage what good are war machines when God causes them not to work there should be like today if a nation we’re rolling out tanks and planes and missiles and they’re all there proceeding into battle and then suddenly all the engines just sputter and die at this at this sabotage this divine this is divine tinkering with the Egyptian war machine the Egyptians realize that God is fighting against them and they turn to flee out of the waters but notice verses 26 to 27 in chapter 14 is too late God commands Moses to lift his hand over the seas to again bring the waters back into place I must have been a sobering moment for Moses because he realized as he moves his hand that water is going to come down on all the Egyptians and it does the waterfalls in the fleeing Egyptians and how many a Pharaoh’s army survives verse 28 says not even one in fact notice the series of contrast presents in verses 28 to 30 Israel walks through on dry land but God brought the waters upon the Egyptians he was were saved but the Egyptian dead washed up on the seashore and a three-fold result occurs in verse 31 after Israel sees Yahweh’s great power it says the people feared your way it believed in Yahweh they believed in Yahweh’s servant Moses just amazing amazing record but innocent questions interpretation question first who is the angel of God in Exodus 14 19 Jesus limas is God the Son and certainly we can say that this is God both the angel of God and the angel of Yahweh and we’ve seen this already in our lessons before this they are shown to be God in in the other contexts for example in Exodus 3 we saw the angel of Yahweh appear in the burning bush and yet it was referred to as God also in Genesis 31 when Jacob is traveling he encounters what’s said to be the angel of God and actually that’s where Jacob is with Laban and the angel says to him I am seeing that all that Laban is doing to you and I’m going to do this that’s God speaking so here is the angel of God is gone and we can see there’s actually a detail in the passage that confirms that the angel of God is Yahweh because notice when the angel of Yahweh or the angel of God moves behind the people of Israel what else moves the pillar the bow the pillar of fire which is we’re told earlier in the text that is God’s presence God is in the pillar cloud in the pillar of fire so when the angel of God moves the pillar moves that’s because the angel the Messenger of God the messenger of Yahweh is Yahweh now I do believe we are right to say that this is also more specifically the Son of God the second member of the Trinity and remember why we infer this this is because the Sun as indicated by the totality of Scripture he’s uniquely tasked with the role of representing and explaining God to men see this in John 1:18 and other passages and that’s exactly what an angel does right an angel is a messenger a communicator a mediator of a certain kind this angel of God is a special messenger from God he is God himself now this is not to say however when we talk about the role of the Sun as the explainer this is not to say that the other members of the Godhead cannot be manifest into temporal world no we actually do see that remember Jesus baptism voice of the Father comes from heaven it’s heard by the people the Spirit descends upon the Sun in the form of a dove so the Spirit is able to be visibly portrayed but again in terms of roles primary roles the Sun serves as representative and mediator between God and man he is the one in the bosom of the Father who reveals the father to who map with the father witness by the way this little by discussion here about the angel of God it helps answer a certain Christmas related question and that is what was the son doing before the Incarnation well the answer is really he was doing a lot of course God is always active but even in biblical history God the Son as the angel of Yahweh or the angel of God is very involved now lives the patriarchs and the lives in the nation for the people of Israel so don’t get the idea that God the Son was like some overeager junior varsity athlete just sitting on the sidelines saying coach just put me in no the Sun is leading serving helping protecting even avenging Israel as we see in our passage by the way this helps to explain one of those little details the New Testament says that the rock was following the people of Israel or the rock was with the people of Israel as they journey through the wilderness and the rock was Christ that is a theologically accurate statement the son of God was there son of God is in fact leading and guiding and serving the people even in the Old Testament now another question dose Pharoah survived the destruction of his army Texas a very specifically done so did he I think most likely yes despite what we’ve seen in movies there’s no reason to believe that Pharaoh would did not also perish here God says I will be glorified in Pharaoh and his chariots and his horsemen chariots and horsemen were killed and destroyed so I should Pharaoh be any different Kings often led their armies personally in those days if they went the battle the king and – and we see this throughout the Old Testament and we also noted back in Exodus 14 sixth Pharaoh himself got in a chariot and was chasing after Israel so all probability is that Pharaoh was killed along with the rest of his army he was part of the not even one who escaped now what is the main message or purpose of this passage why did god record this for us like a goddess for Israel and is it not to bring about the same kind of response as we see Israel experienced in this pathos when you see this mighty deliverance of God but also this mighty judgment of God it should cause you fear Yahweh to believe in Yahweh and to trust and believe in always chosen spokesmen for us that would be by application that be God’s faithful pastors today for them it was their prophet Moses God just be a promise to do with Egypt and this serves as a is a great example a picture both of God’s saving capacity and his destroying and condemning capacity what a terrifying picture on the one hand of the utter destruction that awaits the enemies of God those who rebel against God they will be destroyed just like Egypt was destroyed here no mercy no compassion no win escaping on the other hand what a comforting example of education and rescue that awaits all tell people visual walk through on dry ground they didn’t lose a person and this was a seemingly impossible and hopeless situation that ends with an amazing provision and display of God’s glory these are examples these are pictures of what God does and will integral and we might also ask but why didn’t God have mercy on the Egyptians I mean they already turned around to flee why not just let them get away what’s the answer I think he did when all of those people were asking for gold and silver there was certainly there were Egyptians to respond to just probably where Egyptians that were becoming attached to the people of Yahweh and that’s why I think we had that mixed multitude and in one of the plagues I think it’s right before the hailstorm God warns them what’s about to happen and some of Pharaoh servants they bring in their livestock and their slaves from the field because they say a hail storm is coming I fear Yahweh I’m not gonna be part of that so it would be interesting that if there were Egyptians also that were spared during the Passover by doing the same thing that Israel was called to do we don’t hear about that specifically perhaps that happened but still here in this instance at the sea God does not spare any of the pursuing Egyptians why not have mercy on them the only answer that we can get to that is that in God’s wisdom and goodness he said I’m not gonna do it God remember is never obligated to show mercy to anyone if we ever say oh well God ought to show mercy well then we’ve destroyed the concept of mercy itself mercy is never deserved that’s mercy is not receiving something that you deserve it’s receiving kindness that you don’t deserve and God says I have mercy on whom I have mercy and I’m not choosing to have mercy on these Egyptians I will spare the sons of Israel but the Egyptians I will give them what they deserve I will bring the judgment on them overwhelming judgment so that not even one escapes and God glorify himself in both and that’s still true you say well why doesn’t God just save the whole world he has mercy on whom he has mercy he will hold some accountable and will judge them based on their rebellion against him but on others he has mercy do we are the recipients of that mercy those of us who are in Christ God was not obligated to show that to any of us but it did it because of his own goodness one other question or actually two other but this one first check says a wind drove back the water wins the natural phenomenon could the splitting of the sea have been natural might this just be some interesting but fully natural occurrence that wasn’t really a miracle no it couldn’t be sorry go ahead no no this clearly was not a natural phenomena and one of those as you’re saying mark is that come on the timing this instantaneous change in the water corresponding to Moses is hands that’s incredible or this unique wind that creates a channel but holds back the water on both sides it’s like a tunnel come on win doesn’t do that or win doesn’t make the ground dry instantly the details of the passage do not support an idea that this is just some natural occurrence and just say oh you know was just an exaggeration of a natural occurrence well then you don’t believe the Bible come on don’t say that you believe part of the Bible and you don’t believe the rest you either believe it or you don’t this is God’s trustworthy Word and he says no this was not a natural thing this was a miracle this was a great miracle but where did it happen I told you talk about this did this actually take place at the Red Sea as we know it today and as traditionally believed this is actually a tricky question to answer the name Red Sea let’s see if I can get my little pointer here named Red Sea refers to this little section of water even even going down to this area this is the Persian Gulf area includes the modern-day Gulf of Suez which is this part and the Gulf of Aqaba which is this part they were both qualifies the Red Sea did this take place at the Red Sea it does say so English translation and Exodus 1318 but actually that’s not what the Hebrew says this is again this is why this is very interesting issue the Hebrew words for Red Sea is yum soup which translates to sea of reeds or Reed see now it’s not like English Red Sea and beets they sound really similar in Hebrew they’re they’re not similar but the name Red Sea it first appears in the Septuagint translation of this Old Testament passage an issue no the Septuagint is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament made around 250 BC this was important translation because most of the Jews were becoming Greek speakers and they needed the scriptures but it’s translated as Red Sea in the Septuagint now why did they make that translation we don’t know it’s a mystery as to why they translated yong-soo as Red Sea but to add more mystery here the New Testament writers to New Testament writers both referred to the Red Sea when they refer to this Old Testament event if you look at Acts 736 Stephen refers to the Red Sea and Hebrews 1129 the writer there also refers to the Red Sea when he talks about God’s deliverance now we might be able to excuse these writers if it was not in fact the Red Sea by saying that they were simply referring to the Septuagint translation they’re saying whatever see that the Bible was talking about called the Red Sea in our translation that’s what I’m talking about and then one more little wrinkle added to this issue and that is the topography of eastern is Egypt was apparently different in ancient times than it is today archeologists and geologists have discovered evidence that the Nile Delta and that’s this triangular region at the at the top of the Nile River emptying into the Mediterranean apparently in ancient times the Nile Delta was wider there were there was an Eastern branch of water to the Nile Delta that no longer exists today maybe be over here somewhere also there are a number of lakes and marshes on the eastern side of Egypt aren’t on the border of that kingdom that were either that are either reduced today or simply no longer exist there are a number of lakes and marshes in fact ancient Pharaoh’s apparently dug a series of canals between these bodies of water and form something like a wall of water as Egypt’s eastern boundary and apparently this was quite visually stark that boundary would have shown greenery on the side of Egypt but total dusty desert and wilderness once you pass that watery barrier but over time the Pharaohs and others they fail to upkeep the canals and then there were changes in the environment changes in the human manipulation of the Nile River and so these many of these water bodies disappeared now you do see you can see in the little map here some water bodies today but that has a lot to do with the Suez Canal which was constructed in modern times it may be helped ever that the Septuagint translators supplied read see and translating X’s 13 18 because they could not imagine any sea body on the eastern side of Egypt except the Red Sea because the others had disappeared but anyways you can see that this issue is complicated all sorts of sites have been suggested today as for where this Red Sea crossing took place even the Gulf of Aqaba way down here I don’t think it’s very plausible because that’s a huge that’s a huge section of water to cross over there are two sites I’ll bring to your attention I think are particularly worthy of consideration Answers in Genesis prefers the Gulf of Suez so a crossing around here and the reason they suggest this is that this would be in the southeast direction which apparently Egypt or Israel was traveling it this section of the sea would not be too far to cross and one night it is an actual sea but from what we can tell about that section of C today it is a relatively shallow but flat sea floor not shallow enough that they could wade across it’s about 40 feet deep but it is the kind of thing that once the waters were pulled back you could definitely cross it one problem with this site is that in X is 15 22 right after Israel crosses over the sea and they’re done celebrating about it it says they entered the wilderness of Shur and the wilderness of Shur isn’t exactly on the other side of the Red Sea or at least not not around here so it doesn’t quite line up that way if you have the John MacArthur steady Bible you see a note there that talks about a different site around here a site in the bitter Lakes region they call this the site of the original crossing this miraculous cross a sea of reeds not the Red Sea it also fits the southeast direction it also could be crossed in one night would have had a relatively shallow and flat floor and don’t worry that it says sea sea could a term that is used for a lake as well as a larger body of water Answers in Genesis does not prefer this location over in the the bitter Lakes region because they say well we don’t even know if that really was a sea back then all right so you say we suggest the water is different on the eastern side of Egypt but we don’t really know that for sure maybe it was just a marsh and if it was just a marsh that is not a great miraculous frosting as described in this section of Scripture so I think both of these are worthy possibilities I lean toward the bitter lakes region because of the wilderness of Shur detail and because it does seem like the topography the eastern part of Egypt was different in those days this was a great sea or lake on the eastern side of Egypt the sea of reeds which God parted for Israel to cross but wherever it took place it did take place this was whichever sea it was it was a site clearly displaying God’s loving faithfulness to his people and his powerful vengeance against his enemies and the oppressors of his people so what does it all mean for us how then can we apply what we’ve read from the scriptures today and you know Bible studies never really finished until we’ve seen how it’s supposed to work out in our lives so by way of application let’s consider a few concepts these are just suggested of course I always encourage you to go back to this passage and think of more insights and applications as you read through it but here a few that I’m going to suggest first from this account we need to see that we we need to reason from the Scriptures you often hear people talking about faith verse reason today but that is a false economy reason actually needs a proper foundation and really our proper foundation is faith in the scriptures it’s only when we reason from the Bible that we see the world and reality clearly when we base our reasoning on the flesh or the wisdom of the world then we’re not going to see reality clearly and we’re going to end up questioning and repudiating many parts of the Bible and this is a constant threat and a pressure on Christians today based on the society and culture in which we live but you need a reason from the scriptures you should ask yourselves is my reasoning from the scriptures do I think with the scriptures is my foundation do I have a biblical worldview that’s what is meant by the term biblical worldview do I have anti-biblical assumptions or do I listen to ideas that come from aunty biblical assumptions for my own thinking if so you need to discard them this is part of renewing your mind and thinking according to the actual wisdom of God this is well called to do according to the New Testament number to fear God clearly this is one of the responses you should add to this passage there’s a reason that God did these works he says this is so that Israel know that I am it’s just so that the people will fear me so do you you fear God do you truly revere him do you live with a sincere regard for him in your life and what you think about and choices you make or do you test the Lord by living rebellious Lee and or indifferent Lee board does not fearing up the Bible says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and it is the way to life so you must fear must regard with holy fear that God who is and then number three trust God trust God when a situation seems hopeless God specifically led the people visual into an impossible situation in our passage so that God might accomplish a great deliverance and God might do the same in your life in fact you probably will you might by obedience to God be so to speak backed up against the sea with a murderous army coming after you I’m not literally probably not literally but figuratively you’re gonna come into those situations so how should you respond the same way that Moses exhausts Israel to respond trust God trust God these obstacles that you see they’re not impossible for God to move if you obey God he will provide free in one way or another might not be the way that you anticipate it it might involve suffering he will deliver you were to live in His perfect and right way at the right time weight on the part remember God does not change the trying God who delighted it was his joy to protect to lead to avenge Israel he’s your same God if you know Jesus Christ he will delight to protect the guy provide and even avenge you if you’re his child by repentance and faith in Jesus Christ you have such a guy so trust him trust him when you say when your eyes see or your flesh feels that this is impossible if I follow God there is not going to be any good outcome trust the Lord he knows how to deliver even at the last moment what question our comment before we close today any of you have a quick question or comment yeah go ahead mark turn the evidentiary fallacy which I think the ACARS have played out in one of his books that the idea that we can only it’s true from the Bible if there is other external evidence for it and when you said you know are we influenced by non biblical thinking to me that’s the one that kind of is very heavy and that I have to really quite what would you recommend in terms of finding against that type of thinking okay good question mark so you mentioned evidentiary reasoning or the evidentiary fallacy that is I can only believe the Bible if it’s confirmed by something else outside the Bible some other evidence and how do we respond to that I do think it’s actually pretty simple and that is you you believe the Scriptures you you have to recognize that this really is trustworthy above anything that our that we’re able to see in the world today may God be found true in every man a liar or go to that section of I believe it’s first Peter or no second Peter first Peter chapter one or second Peter chapter one or he’s talking Peters talking about his experience of Christ his witness of the Transfiguration and then he says and we have a more sure prophetic word and the way the grammar instruction there he’s not saying oh now we can believe the Bible because we’ve got that evidence he’s saying actually we can believe something better than the experiential evidence that I related to you he says the prophetic word is more sure than even an experience with the Transfiguration we have to we have to realize that we have to accept that we have to I think another part to that mark is we have to recognize the importance of presuppositions if you look at evidence or data in the world today it doesn’t tell you itself what you should think of it it needs to be interpreted and whatever way you interpret something is based on your assumptions if you assume that the Bible is trustworthy well within evidence is a great thing you say oh look the Bible’s confirmed here it’s confirmed here it’s confirmed here it’s confirmed here but if you assume that the Bible is not trustworthy or if you assume there’s no such thing as the supernatural oh that’s gonna change the way you look at all the evidence you’d be like well there’s of course of course the the Bible is not trustworthy it’s because of the assumptions you made so we have to recognize that worldview assumptions they’re gonna color the way we interpret everything so evidence by itself is never gonna be enough and we also need to recognize because of how God’s Spirit has made God’s Word known to us because it just so I want to say obviously and I think that isn’t your word so obviously is true and we must start with the Scriptures and reason from that that becomes the lens through which we interpret everything in the world Steve you had something real quick and even in bruh ham you go back to Abraham you know the impossibility of you know the the start your seed being yet you know multiplied greatly and that was an encouragement to like the 600,000 you know or the one-and-a-half to two two million people I mean you started off with seventy people right and came into Egypt and now you see like you know close to two million I mean but that’s that’s faithfulness that’s God’s promise he told this Abraham Abraham didn’t see it but he believed it and you know with us we take the Word of God and we say we believe it and that that is yeah I think that’s good just to summarize real quick that you were saying that if you if you have to rely on evidence then you basically destroyed faith there is no such thing as fate it’s not as if it’s a blind faith that that it’s like oh we just believe this because yeah it really seems impossible but we just believe it no I there is a reality to the scriptures you do see God in the scriptures you do recognize exactly as Romans 1 says those things that you have been suppressing the word has brought them to your attention and by God’s Spirit use cause you to recognize that this is true that was not like we’re just we’re all just involved in a conspiracy and we’re all just saying this is true just to convince ourselves no we recognize reality for what it is and really if you just compare what the Bible says to how the world actually is today it just it explains everything it just shows itself to be true again and again and again and again and we could say more about this and I saw another hand go up but I don’t want to take more time over but that’s all for this week if you had other questions or comments please email me next week it’s gonna be a special treat because I get to be with you guys in person so Emma and I will be coming out to New Jersey later this week part part of the holiday thing so we’ll be in church next Sunday and looking forward to being with you in person I love teaching via the live stream but nothing like being there with you in person so hope I’ll see you back next week and we’ll talk about how Israel responds not with ongoing faithfulness to God on light of this great deliverance but with complaining and distress of God I will talk about how that has relevance for our lives as well that’s closing prayer Lord Ghana thank you for your people I thank you for your word I thank you that we can believe it and that it really is the light to our feet into our path we only see the world clearly one we reason and think according to your word Lord we need to let go of the that faulty empty broken thinking that we used to have in our flesh and that the world currently has true wisdom is found in your word it is not found outside of your word so god I pray that that would be something that each one listening today at Calvary or elsewhere Lord that they would adopt a biblical view and that therefore they would believe your scriptures and fear you the God who truly is Jesus name Amen all right thank you all see you soon