Exodus 14

This great chapter records the event of the passage of the Red Sea by the children of Israel and the overthrow of Pharaoh and his chariots on the same day. Asimov's concise statement of what happened here is: "The waters of the Red Sea miraculously parted for them, and then returned in time to drown the pursuing Egyptians."[1] The place where this great wonder occurred cannot now be accurately determined. It is evident that it took place opposite the place called Pi-hahiroth, but that tells us nothing, since nobody knows where that place was.

Again, with Asimov, we may eliminate the main body of the Red Sea proper, some 150 miles in width and more than a mile deep, because, if Israel had crossed that, they would have crossed on to the main portion of the Arabian peninsula, a thing which they evidently did not do. All of their subsequent activity is represented in the holy text as being in the Sinai Peninsula, and that is separated from Egypt by the northwestern extension of the Red Sea now known as the Gulf of Suez. "There is little doubt that at the time of the exodus the Gulf of Suez extended much further north than it does now, and that the modern Lake Timsah and the Bitter Lakes were connected with each other and with the Gulf of Suez."[2] If there was any portion of that extension called the "Reed Sea," it also would have been, like the whole extension, a portion of the Red Sea, fully justifying the ancient designation for the body of water that they crossed. That it was not merely a "swampland" as affirmed by critics is certain, being proved by the facts: (1) that Pharaoh considered it impassable; (2) that the Israelites themselves considered their position hopeless; (3) that the normal strength (or depth) of the waters was sufficient to drown Pharaoh's army; and (4) that it is unequivocally represented in the Bible as a sovereign act of Almighty God that enabled Israel to cross.

The employment of secondary and natural forces in this wonder is fully witnessed by the Word itself. A mighty east wind blew all night. According to Psalms 77:17-20, there were also employed other natural forces including: (1) a violent storm; (2) thunders and lightnings; and (3) an earthquake. In very recent history, an earthquake caused the Mississippi river to flow northward for about 24 hours, resulting in the creation of Reelfoot Lake. However, we do not for one moment accept any of the natural forces that were connected with this Deliverance as being in any manner the explanation. We are here dealing with a miracle. It is encouraging that even some of the very critical scholars see this. The sacred author is here, "clearly speaking of a divine miracle," and it is extremely questionable whether it is "appropriate to look for a `natural parallel' for the events he describes."[3] Noth also stated that when the author of Exodus mentioned the "clogging" or "breaking" or "removal" of the chariot wheels, "a further inexplicable divine act was the reason why!"[4]

In this chapter introduction is also an appropriate place to note the usual critical allegations regarding "prior sources." Canon George Harford analyzed the passage by splitting it into fragments attributed to J, E, P, J, Jr, E, P, E, P, J, J, J, J, P, J, P, J, J, and Rje! No scholar ever known agreed with that! However, he did state one extremely important thing:

"The escape of the Israelites from the Egyptians, by passing dryshod over the water barrier that seemed to hem them in, is unanimously presented by all the narrators!"[5]

This admitted unity of the so-called various sources on so important an event is an overwhelming testimony that the alleged sources themselves are unified, not merely in their alleged divisions, but also, with the whole of the Pentateuch.

The great significance of this Red Sea passage applies both to Israel and to Christianity.

FOR ISRAEL

"That victory at the Red Sea was the birth of a nation."[6]

It was the defeat of their enemy.

It was their entry into a new way of life.

It separated them irrevocably from slavery in Egypt.

It confirmed them in their belief in God.

It confirmed them in their belief in Moses.

It was God's initiation of a chain of events that, in time, would deliver the Messiah to mankind.

It was the triumph of monotheism over paganism.

It was the establishment of a type that would be fulfilled, in the future, by the salvation of every person.

The Red Sea destroyed and disarmed Egypt.

The Red Sea saved and armed Israel.

Only those who crossed over to Moses were delivered.

Until they crossed over, they were still in the domain of and subject to their enemy Pharaoh.