Crossing the Red Sea

The people were terrified. All they had gained now seemed lost in the sounds of thundering hooves and rolling chariots. The Israelites watched as an entire army approached them from behind. They had finally escaped Egyptian bondage; was the good ending about to be spoiled?

Were they going to be slaughtered in the wilderness? The giant Red Sea was before them.

Mountains rose sharply on both sides, leaving them easy prey to well-trained soldiers armed with spears and swords. The trapped people cried out to God for help. Now their leader, a man named Moses, shouted out to the hopeless, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. … The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace” (Exodus 14:13, 14).

Moses stretched his shepherd’s rod over the sea, and God acted. Suddenly, a massive wind arose and divided the waters of the sea, making a path for His people to cross over to the other side. The Israelites stepped forward in faith while a cloud of darkness covered their enemies. All night long, this teeming multitude walked through the miraculous parting.

As the last person climbed up on the banks to safety, the cloud of confusion lifted from the Egyptian army. They immediately took off after the escaping Israelites, and again God’s people looked on in terror as these cruel forces charged at them.

Would God rescue them? Just before sunrise, Moses climbed onto a large rock above them.

As the morning light bathed him, he stretched out his rod once more, and the mighty walls of water that held up through the night came crashing down with a loud roar. Their enemies were utterly destroyed.