Lesson #17

EXODUS 14
Lesson #17
THE DEVELOPMENT OF VICTORIOUS FAITH

• Memory Verse: Exo 14:14

• Read Exo 14:1-3 Finding the Exodus Route:

• “Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp before Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baalzephon…”

(1-2)

• Baalzephon

means = Lord of the north.

• Migdol

means = tower. This was located in the northern part of the Sinai Peninsula.

• Because these locations are difficult to determine after 3,000 years, we do not know the exact route of the Exodus.
• However, of all the suggested routes, there is one that is the most logical, the most consistent with the geographical descriptions of the land, and that has some archaeological evidence to support it.
• First we must consider what we know for sure:
• =1= Moses spent 40 years in the deserts of Midian. We know the location of Midian was on the Arabian Peninsula and not on the Sinai Peninsula.
• =2= Mt. Horeb where God revealed Himself to Moses in the burning bush was located in Midian.
• =3= When the Israelites left Goshen in Egypt, God brought them “out” of Egypt. (Exo 13:9)
• During the period of time of the Exodus, all of the Sinai Peninsula was part of Egypt and contained many Egyptian outposts and border posts between Sinai and the Arabian Peninsula. Therefore, to go out of Egypt, the Israelites would have had to leave the Sinai Peninsula.
• =4= Therefore, Mt Horeb and Mt Sinai are probably the same mountain and located in Midian on the Arabian Peninsula. (Gal 4:25)
• =5= The route that crosses the middle of the Sinai Peninsula was a trade route at that time and the usual way in and out of Egypt. This was probably the route Moses took from Midian back to Egypt.
• “For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in.”

(3)

• On the Sinai Peninsula at the north end of the Gulf of Aqaba are mountains and rugged terrain.
• In verse 1 God tells them to turn. They probably followed a dry river bed that winds for 18 miles through very rugged mountains and gorges. It ends at a unique beach on the Gulf of Aqaba. This beach is sufficiently large for the Israelites to camp.
• Is Pihahiroth (1) this beach where the Israelites camped?
• The name Pihahiroth means = mouth of the gorges.
• The ancient Jewish historian, Josephus, says that the Israelites passed through high mountains on either side of them to the edge of the sea.
• Is the Gulf of Aqaba the Red Sea?
• The Gulf of Aqaba was called Yam Suph which means = Red Sea. (1Kin 9:26)
• The archaeological evidence for this location of the parting of the Red Sea:
• The Gulf of Aqaba is about a mile deep except for a large flat ridge that crosses the gulf east to west at the beach . The surface of the ridge is covered with a thin layer of sand.
• On either side of this ridge are scattered some unique coral formations. Over time coral covers objects on the sea floor. These formations are circular like wheels that have 4 and 6 spokes.
• The chariots of Egypt at that period of time had 4 and 6 spoked wheels of the same dimension as the coral formations.
• They also found a metal wheel covered in gold without the encrustation of coral.
• As to the location of Mt. Sinai, is there evidence that it was located on the Arabian Peninsula?
• Yes, and we will consider that evidence later in our study.

• Read Exo 14:4-9 The Pursuit
• Why does God continue to harden Pharaoh’s heart? (4)
• Evil has not run its full course.
• God permits evil in people to run its full course because the end of it is self-destruction.
• God’s prophetic word has not yet been fulfilled.
• God said that the plagues would end in the death of Pharaoh. (Exo 9:15b)
• God will receive honor from the destruction of Pharaoh. (4)
• The Egyptians will know that the God, Jehovah, is the the Lord, when they see their army destroyed and their Pharaoh dead.
• Why does Pharaoh pursue the Israelites?
• Greed…the realization that Egypt has lost a valuable work force prompts him to undo his permission to let the people go. (5)
• Pharaoh’s 600 chariots
• Pharaoh, himself, pursued the Israelites along with his large army.
• The Bible does not tell us how much time passed between the Israelites’ departure and the pursuit by the Egyptians.
• However, it was probably a matter of at least days, maybe weeks, for they probably first buried their firstborn that died in the tenth plague.

• Read Exo 14:10-20 The Nature and Working of Faith
• What was the attitude of the Israelites when they saw the Egyptians following them?
• When the people see the Egyptians following, they complain to Moses in fear.

• “…Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness?” (

11)

• This is a strange statement for the people to say. Egypt is known for its tombs and its preoccupation with death. Then why do the people say this?
• It points out a human characteristic that is common among new believers:
• When a person is born again and leaves his world of sin behind, he tries to live the Christian life. However, sometimes he finds it difficult to learn new ways of thinking and acting. Temptations come along to get him to RETURN to patterns of his old life. Sometimes he thinks it is easier to go back to the world than to go forward with Christ. He forgets that the sins of the world result in death.
• The denial of graves in Egypt is the same as the denial that sin produces death in the Christian world view.
• What do verses 11 and 12 tell you about their spiritual level of faith?
• Even though the Israelites have seen God do some miraculous things, their level of faith is weak. Why?
• They grew up in a world of materialism and pagan religions that influenced them.
• The growth of faith is not based on seeing God do miracles!
• Some people say that if they just see God do a miracle, they will believe.
• In reality seeing is not believing. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God and not by seeing miracles. Miracles by God only confirm God’s Word and advertise the Gospel. Therefore, miracles are the result of a faith that already exists.
• “And 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. The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.”

(13-14)

• This statement by Moses is amazing when we consider his numerous doubts and reluctance at the beginning. His faith has grown greatly through the experience of the power of God working through him during the ten plagues. He is now the leader God wanted him to be.
• A leader of faith:
• In faith, Moses encourages the people not to fear.
• In faith, Moses encourages the people to remain unified (stand still) and not to flee.
• In faith, Moses prophesies that the people will never see the Egyptians again.
• In faith, Moses says the battle belongs to God.
• However, God prompts Moses to even greater faith in verse 15.
• You see that we never quite arrive. There is always more to learn and a challenge to greater faith in the Christian life.
• “

But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it…” (16)

• The use of Moses’ rod has had an important part in the performance of the miracles. We have seen that the rod was something empowered by God as a symbol of authority.
• However, this was the same rod that Moses used as a shepherd in the deserts of Midian. In other words, Moses had all the attributes and characteristics he needed from the beginning.
• Principle for Leadership #1:

God empowers what the leader already has within him. God knows us better than we know ourselves.

• The only difference in the rod is that Moses did not know what he had in his hand until he started to use it by faith.
• Principle for Leadership #2:

Faith for the big things in life is developed gradually over time.

• The believer is given a measure of faith when he is born again. (Rom 12:3)
• The believer develops his faith by hearing, reading, and studying the Word of God. (Rom 10:17)
• The believer uses his faith for small things. When the believer sees God answer, he is encouraged to believe God for bigger things.
• This is the process of the development of faith that we have seen here in the book of Exodus.
• By faith, Moses was obedient to God. He lifted the rod and the waters parted.
• The Bible tells us three times that they walked on dry ground. (16, 22, 29)
• “And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them…”

(19)

• Who is the angel of God?
• The phrase, “angel of God” is the same as “angel of the Lord”.
• This is what is called a theophany. It is an appearance of Jesus Christ in the Old Testament.
• It is interesting that we did not know previously that the angel of God, Jesus Christ, was personally leading them out of Egypt until verse 19 tells us that He moved behind the Israelites to place Himself between the Israelites and the Egyptians.
• Why does He do this?
• The Holy Spirit wants us to know that the battle belongs to the Lord. He is the defender of His people.
• “…and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them. And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel …”

(19-20)

• We have already identified the pillar of cloud as the presence of the Holy Spirit who guided the Israelites through the wilderness.
• Now we see that the Holy Spirit is also involved in defending and protecting God’s people.
• There is a spiritual battle that the believer must fight to gain victories in faith.
• While the battle is God’s, we, by faith, participate in that spiritual warfare. (Eph 6:10-12)
• We provide the faith, He provides the power.
• “… 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.”

(20)

• The pillar of cloud was darkness to the Egyptians but light to the Israelites.
• How can the same thing appear differently to different people?
• Jesus said in Joh 12:46, “I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.” (Joh 12:46)
• Read Joh 3:16-21
• Read 1Joh 1:5-7
• The hardened hearts of the Egyptians prevented them from seeing the light of the truth.
• Jesus Christ is a light to believers but a condemnation to non-believers who love the darkness.

• Read Exo 14:21-31

• “…the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night,…”

(21)

• Previously, we discussed the east wind as being a wind of judgment, and so it is here.
• Yes, it saves the Israelites from the Egyptian army, but remember the purpose that was stated at the beginning of this chapter in verse 4, “…I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD…” (4)
• God’s judgment on evil brings honor to God. How?
• God proves there is no other God like He.
• God’s perfect justice is demonstrated when good is victorious and evil is destroyed.
• The words, “go back” literally mean = congealed. (21)
• The Israelites crossed the sea all that night.
• Many say that it was impossible for that many people to cross a river in only one night. However, they assume the people crossed over single file when probably many hundreds crossed over at one time.
• The wall of water on each side.
• The description that we have here in Exodus about the wall of water on either side of the Israelites as they crossed over, indicates that the traditional route that most scholars and Bible teachers advocate is impossible.
• The Sea of Reeds (now called Bitter Lakes) that separates Egypt proper from the Sinai Peninsula is a swampy marsh with an insufficiency of water deep enough to explain “…the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.” (22)
• On the other hand, the Sea of Aqaba is a mile deep.
• The Destruction of the Egyptians:
• With the light of the morning, the Egyptians could see that the Israelites had escaped. They pursued after them across the Red Sea. Josephus wrote that there were 250,000 Egyptian soldiers.
• “…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.”

(24)

• This is a miraculous part of the event that we often overlook.
• There is confusion among the Egyptians and their chariots suddenly begin to fall apart.
• The Egyptians recognized that God was causing their problems. They attempted to flee, when the waters came in upon them.
• There were no survivors among the Egyptians.
• The destruction of the Egyptians occurred in “the morning watch“. (24)
• This tells us the time was between 3 a.m. and sunrise.
• The response of the Israelites:

• “And 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.”

(31)

• Summary and Application:
• There are a number of miraculous events in this chapter:
• Moses’ strong faith to trust God and encourage his people.
• The darkness over the Egyptians and the light over the Israelites.
• The parting of the sea with a wall of water on each side.
• A large multitude between 2 and 3 million people crossed in one night.
• The Israelites walked on dry ground.
• The confusion among the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.
• The failure of the chariots.
• The drowning of all the Egyptian army without one survivor.
• How can we apply this lesson to our own lives?
• Of special significance is the development of faith that we see through the life of Moses that is relevant to every Christian life, and especially to those in leadership.

HOMEWORK
EXODUS 15
This is a Self-study. Please do not send homework answers to the teacher forcorrection.

• Application of Exo 14
• In which areas has your faith failed to increase? Why?

• What have you learned from this lesson that will help you to increase your faith?

• Preparation for Exo 15
• Read Exo 15:1-21 The song of the redeemed
• What do you see in this song that parallels your own redemption through Jesus Christ?
• Read Exo 15:22-27 The Bitter Waters
• Spiritually speaking, what does the tree represent? How do you know?
• What is the significance of the tree cast into the bitter waters?
• What is the symbolism and significance of the 12 wells and the 70 palm trees?

• Memory verse: Psalms 103:2-4