Crossing the Red Sea

Hebrews 11:29. The event of the crossing of the Red Sea is history with Moses under God leading the people of Israel.

By faith when Moses put his arm out at God’s command, the waters of the Red Sea parted and were frozen in place on either side of some dry land. Moses crossed the sea in approx 1445BC with over 3 million people.

When they had crossed safely over, the water came back drowning the chasing Egyptian armies.

This was a continuation of miracles that God did as He brought His people the Israelites back to the land that He had promised them many centuries ago.

God Said to Moses “The Egyptians will know that I am the LORD” and God also Said “The people need to fear the LORD and put their trust in Me and in Moses his servant.” yet with all this, they still grumbled against Moses and God many times over the next 40 years.

Where they crossed is an interesting point – one commentator suggests it was across a 13km path in the Gulf of Akaba, an arm of the Red Sea, so they could enter Midian (Arabia) and Mt Sinai.

This commentator claims Mt Sinai is in Arabia and is where Moses saw the burning bush. Certainly, although Helena (the wife of Constantine, around AD300) decreed it to be in the traditional location, the Bible states (Exodus 3) that Mt Sinai was in Midian (Arabia).

Background Reading:

Crossing the Red Sea

By Faith

11:29 By faith they went through the Red Sea as if it were dry land. When the Egyptians tried to do this, they were drowned.

Hebrews 11:29

Moses crosses the Red Sea

14:10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelis looked up, and there were the Egyptians bearing down on them! Extremely frightened, the Israelis cried out to the LORD. 11 They also told Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you took us out to die in the desert? What have you done to us, by bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Is this not what we told you in Egypt, when we said, ‘Leave us alone!’ and ‘Let us serve the Egyptians!’? Indeed, it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”

13 Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid! Stand still and watch how the LORD will deliver you today, because you will never again see the Egyptians whom you’re looking at today. 14 The LORD will fight for you while you keep still.”

15 Then the LORD told Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelis to move out! 16 You are to raise your staff, stretch out your hand over the sea, and divide it, so the Israelis may go into the middle of the sea on dry land. 17 Even now I’m hardening the heart of the Egyptians so they’ll go after the Israelis. Then I’ll receive honor by means of Pharaoh and all his army, his chariots, and his horsemen. 18 Then the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I receive honor by means of Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”

19 Then the angel of God, who was going in front of the camp of Israel, moved behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front of them and stood behind them, 20 coming between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. The cloud remained there even in the darkness, illuminating the night, so that the one side did not come near the other all night.

21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the LORD caused the water to retreat by a strong east wind all night, turning the sea into dry land. As the waters were divided, 22 the Israelis went into the middle of the sea on dry land, and the waters formed a wall for them on their right and on their left.
Exodus 14:10–22

and

29 But the Israelis walked through the middle of the sea on dry land, and the water stood like a wall for them on their right and on their left.

30 On that day the LORD delivered Israel from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead along the seashore. 31 When Israel saw the great force by which the LORD had acted against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD, and they believed the LORD and Moses his servant.
Exodus 14:29–31


Other slides in this module: