The Joy of the Redeemed; the Glory of the Redeemer
Pastor Steve Hardy
Pharaoh in Pursuit
14 Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Tell the sons of Israel to turn back and camp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea; you shall camp in front of Baal-zephon, opposite it, by the sea. 3 For Pharaoh will say of the sons of Israel, ‘They are wandering aimlessly in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.’ 4 And I will [a]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 the Lord.” And they did so.
5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, [b]Pharaoh and his servants had a change of heart toward the people, and they said, “What is this that we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?” 6 So he had horses harnessed to his chariot and took his people with him; 7 and he took six hundred select chariots, and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them. 8 So the Lord [c]hardened the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he chased after the sons of Israel as the sons of Israel were going out [d]boldly. 9 Then 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 Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.
10 As Pharaoh approached, the sons of Israel [e]looked, and behold, the Egyptians were coming after them, and they became very frightened; so the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord. 11 Then they said to Moses, “Is it 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, [f]bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Is this not the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, ‘[g]Leave us alone so that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness!”
The Sea Is Divided
13 But Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! [h]Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will perform for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again, ever. 14 The Lord will fight for you, while you keep silent.”
15 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the sons of Israel to go forward. 16 As for you, lift up your staff and reach out with your hand over the sea and divide it, and the sons of Israel shall [i]go through the midst of the sea on dry land. 17 And as for Me, behold, I will [j]harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them; and I will be honored through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. 18 Then the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord, when I am honored through Pharaoh, through his chariots, and through his horsemen.”
19 Then 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 behind them. 20 So it came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel; and there was the cloud [k]along with the darkness, yet it gave light at night. Therefore the one did not approach the other all night.
21 Then Moses reached out with his hand over the sea; and the Lord [l]swept the sea back by a strong east wind all night, and turned the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided. 22 So the sons of Israel [m]went through the midst of the sea on the dry land, and the waters were like a wall to them on their right and on their left. 23 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. 24 But at the morning watch, the Lord looked down on the [n]army of the Egyptians [o]through the pillar of fire and cloud, and brought the [p]army of the Egyptians into confusion. 25 He [q]caused their chariot wheels to swerve, and He made them drive with difficulty; so the Egyptians each said, “Let me flee from Israel, for the Lord is fighting for them against the Egyptians.”
26 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Reach out with your hand over the sea so that the waters may come back over the Egyptians, over their chariots and their horsemen.” 27 So Moses reached out with his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its normal state at daybreak, while the Egyptians were fleeing [r]right into it; then the Lord [s]overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. 28 The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen, Pharaoh’s entire army that had gone into the sea after them; not even one of them remained. 29 But the sons of Israel walked on dry land through the midst of the sea, and the waters were like a wall to them on their right and on their left.
30 So the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 When Israel saw the great [t]power which the Lord had [u]used against the Egyptians, the people [v]feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in His servant Moses.
The Song of Moses and Israel
15 Then Moses and the sons of Israel sang this song to the Lord, [w]saying:
“[x]I will sing to the Lord, for He is highly exalted;
The horse and its rider He has hurled into the sea.
2 [y]The Lord is my strength and song,
And 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;
[z]The Lord is His name.
4 Pharaoh’s chariots and his army He has thrown into the sea;
And the choicest of his officers are [aa]drowned in the [ab]Red Sea.
5 The waters cover them;
They went down into the depths like a stone.
6 Your right hand, Lord, is majestic in power;
Your right hand, Lord, destroys the enemy.
7 And in the greatness of Your [ac]excellence You overthrow those who rise up against You;
You send out Your burning anger, and it consumes them like chaff.
8 At the blast of Your nostrils the waters were piled up,
The flowing waters stood up like a heap;
The depths were congealed in the heart of the sea.
9 The enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoils;
[ad]I shall [ae]be satisfied against them;
I will draw my sword, my hand will [af]destroy them.’
10 You blew with Your wind, the sea covered them;
They sank like lead in the mighty waters.
11 Who is like You among the gods, Lord?
Who is like You, majestic in holiness,
Awesome in praises, working wonders?
12 You reached out with Your right hand,
The earth swallowed them.
13 In Your [ag]faithfulness You have led the people whom You have redeemed;
In Your strength You have guided them to Your holy habitation.
14 The peoples have heard, they tremble;
Anguish has gripped the inhabitants of Philistia.
15 Then the chiefs of Edom were terrified;
The leaders of Moab, trembling grips them;
All the inhabitants of Canaan have despaired.
16 Terror and dread fall upon them;
By the greatness of Your arm they are motionless as stone,
Until Your people pass over, Lord,
Until the people pass over whom You have purchased.
17 You will bring them and plant them in the mountain of Your inheritance,
The place, Lord, which You have made as Your dwelling,
The sanctuary, Lord, which Your hands have established.
18 The Lord shall reign forever and ever.”
19 For the horses of Pharaoh with his chariots and his horsemen went into the sea, and the Lord brought back the waters of the sea on them, but the sons of Israel walked on dry land through the midst of the sea.
20 Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took the tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and with [ah]dancing. 21 And Miriam answered them,
“Sing to the Lord, for He [ai]is highly exalted;
The horse and his rider He has hurled into the sea.”
The Lord Provides Water
22 Then Moses [aj]led Israel from the [ak]Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. 23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters [al]of Marah, because they were [am]bitter; for that reason it was named [an]Marah. 24 So the people grumbled at Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?” 25 Then he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree; and he threw it into the waters, and the waters became sweet.
There He made for them a statute and regulation, and there He tested them. 26 And He said, “If you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in His sight, and listen to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the Lord, am your healer.”
27 Then they came to Elim where there were twelve springs of water and seventy date palms, and they camped there beside the waters.
