Exodus 14:15-31
The God who commands His people forward also makes the way, fights the enemy, and brings His redeemed people through judgment into worshipful fear and faith.
15 Yahweh said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Speak to the children of Israel, that they go forward.
16 Lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. Then the children of Israel shall go into the middle of the sea on dry ground.
17 Behold, I myself will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they will go in after them. I will get myself honor over Pharaoh, and over all his armies, over his chariots, and over his horsemen.
18 The Egyptians shall know that I am Yahweh when I have gotten myself honor over Pharaoh, over his chariots, and over his horsemen.”
19 The angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from before them, and stood behind them.
20 It came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel. There was the cloud and the darkness, yet gave it light by night. One didn’t come near the other all night.
21 Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and Yahweh caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.
22 The children of Israel went into the middle of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand, and on their left.
23 The Egyptians pursued, and went in after them into the middle of the sea: all of Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.
24 In the morning watch, Yahweh looked out on the Egyptian army through the pillar of fire and of cloud, and confused the Egyptian army.
25 He took off their chariot wheels, and they drove them heavily; so that the Egyptians said, “Let’s flee from the face of Israel, for Yahweh fights for them against the Egyptians!”
26 Yahweh said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the waters may come again on the Egyptians, on their chariots, and on their horsemen.”
27 Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it. Yahweh overthrew the Egyptians in the middle of the sea.
28 The waters returned, and covered the chariots and the horsemen, even all Pharaoh’s army that went in after them into the sea. There remained not so much as one of them.
29 But the children of Israel walked on dry land in the middle of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand, and on their left.
30 Thus Yahweh saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore.
31 Israel saw the great work which Yahweh did to the Egyptians, and the people feared Yahweh; and they believed in Yahweh and in his servant Moses.
The God who commands his people forward also makes the way, fights the enemy, and brings his redeemed people through judgment into worshipful fear and faith.
To display the LORD's decisive salvation at the sea, where Israel is commanded to move forward, the pursuing Egyptians are thrown into confusion and judgment, and the redeemed people pass through on dry ground so they fear the LORD and believe him and his servant Moses.
This passage fulfills the promise given in Exodus 14:13-14: Israel now sees the salvation of the Lord, and the Lord fights for them. It completes the Red Sea deliverance begun in Exodus 14:1-14, where the Lord positioned Israel by the sea and Pharaoh pursued. The passage then prepares for Exodus 15:1-21, where Moses and the Israelites sing the Song of the Sea, interpreting the event as the Lord’s glorious triumph over horse and rider.
Israel stands at the sea with Egypt's chariots behind them. Pharaoh's military pursuit represents the last grip of Egyptian bondage after the Passover judgment. The LORD now acts publicly so both Israel and Egypt know that he alone is God and that the exodus is not a narrow escape but divine victory.
The LORD Fights for Israel at the Sea
The LORD leads His people through impossible danger so they may see that salvation belongs to Him, He fights for them, and Egypt’s power cannot stand before His mighty hand.