AFTER God had said that He would fight for Israel, He told Moses to lift his rod and stretch his hand over the sea and divide it. And when Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, the Lord caused it to go back by a strong east wind all that night, the waters parting this way and that. And when morning came there was a pathway of dry ground with walls of water standing on either side. How wonderful, do you say? Yes, truly so; nothing but the mighty power of the One who holds the waters in His fist, could bring such a thing to pass.
But what about the poor Israelites during this solemn night while a way through the deep was being prepared for them! Did not Pharaoh and his host make sad havoc amongst them? Oh, no! they were “standing still,” and God was fighting for them. The angel of God, which up to this time had gone before them, now removed and stood behind them, so that the pillar of the cloud was now between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. It gave light to Israel in this solemn night of waiting, but it made cloud and darkness for the Egyptians. Do you suppose that Pharaoh and his great warriors would try to break through that pillar? No, no; they did not go near the children of Israel all through the night. God was protecting and watching over His people; He was truly “a wall of fire” to them.
It must have been very early in the morning that the children of Israel were on the move, perhaps at the first peep of day, They went right into the deep, but not into the waters, for there was the dry path that God had made for them; and On they passed, that great multitude of people, their flocks and their herds with them also, the waters forming a wall on their right hand and on their left.
The Egyptians, in their boldness, pursued Israel, going after tm into the midst of the sea. But the Lord was still fighting for Israel. In the morning watch He looked through the pillar of fire and of the cloud upon the Egyptians, and troubled them. He took off their chariot wheels, and this made them heavy to drive. And it made the Egyptians begin to realize that God was fighting for Israel, and against them. Then they said, “Let us flee from the face of Israel.” They did not know that they could not get away from God. It is ever a vain thing to seek to flee from His presence, and so Pharaoh and his host found it. God was not yet done with them. He told Moses to stretch out his hand over the sea so that the waters might come down upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots and upon their horsemen.
When Moses stretched out his hand, the sea returned to its strength, and Pharaoh and all his host sank as lead in the mighty waters. There was not one of them left. But the walls of water tumbling down upon the Egyptians and sinking them as stones, did not affect Israel, for they passed through on dry ground, the waters still continuing as walls for them. Safe through the deep! And not a vestige of their enemies left, save the dead bodies that washed upon the seashore! What a deliverance!
Do not let us forget, my dear young readers, that we have the same mighty God for our God, and He can make a way for us just as truly as He made a way for Israel through the mighty deep. We should not allow our hearts, to sink because we cannot see a way through our difficulties—faith counts upon God. Why should we fear? God is greater than all difficulties. May each one who believes in Jesus be able to say from the heart, “I will trust, and not be afraid.” If we are walking by faith and not by sight, we must not expect always to see the way, but we can always count upon God to make a way.
ML 01/18/1903