A Path Through the Sea

“The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” — Exodus 14:14

God led the Israelites out of Egypt. He went ahead of them in a tall pillar of cloud during the day, to show them the way. At night He was in a pillar of fire, to give them light. The pillar never left them.

God led them to camp by the edge of the Red Sea. But back in Egypt, Pharaoh changed his mind again. “What have we done?” he said. “We’ve let our slaves go!” So he got his chariot ready. He took six hundred of his best chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt, with soldiers in every one, and he chased after the Israelites.

The Israelites looked up and saw the Egyptian army thundering towards them. In front of them was the sea. Behind them were the chariots. There was nowhere to go!

They were terrified, and they cried out to Moses. “Weren’t there enough graves in Egypt, that you brought us out here to die? We told you to leave us alone! It would have been better to be slaves in Egypt than to die in the desert!”

But Moses said, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see how the Lord will save you today. The Egyptians you see today, you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you. You need only to be still.”

Then the pillar of cloud moved from in front of the Israelites to behind them. It stood between them and the Egyptians, so that it was dark on the Egyptians’ side and light on the Israelites’ side. The Egyptians couldn’t come near them all night.

God told Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea.”

Moses stretched out his hand. And all that night God drove back the sea with a strong east wind. The waters split apart, and the bottom of the sea turned into dry land. The Israelites walked right through the middle of the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on their right and on their left!

The Egyptians chased after them, right into the middle of the sea, with all their horses and chariots. But God made the wheels of their chariots wobble, so they could hardly drive them. “Let’s get away from the Israelites!” the Egyptians shouted. “The Lord is fighting for them!”

When all the Israelites were safe on the other side, God told Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea again.” Moses did, and as morning came, the water flowed back to its place. It covered the chariots and the horsemen and Pharaoh’s whole army. Not one of them was left.

The Israelites stood on the shore and saw how great God’s power was. And they trusted God, and they trusted His servant Moses.

Then Moses and the people sang a song to God. “The Lord is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation!” Moses’ sister Miriam took a tambourine, and all the women followed her, playing tambourines and dancing. “Sing to the Lord,” Miriam sang, “for He is highly exalted. The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea!”

Read it in your Bible: Exodus 13:17–15:21

Dear God, when I am frightened and there seems to be no way out, help me to be still and trust you. Thank you that you fight for your people. Amen.