The Beginning:
After leaving Egypt, Israel camps by the sea as the LORD directs their route. Pharaoh reconsiders letting the Israelites go and pursues them with chariots and troops. Trapped between the sea and the advancing army, the people fear and complain to Moses.
The Middle:
Moses tells Israel to stand firm and watch the LORD’s deliverance. The LORD instructs Moses to stretch out his staff, and a strong wind drives back the waters, forming a dry path through the sea. Israel crosses with the waters on both sides, while the Egyptian forces follow into the passage as the LORD disrupts their advance.
The End:
At daybreak, the LORD tells Moses to stretch out his hand again, and the waters return to their place. The Egyptian chariots and soldiers are overwhelmed, and Israel is saved from Pharaoh’s army. Seeing this, the people fear the LORD and trust in the LORD and in Moses, his servant.
This event presents the LORD as Israel’s Redeemer and Deliverer who acts decisively to fulfill his covenant purposes. Salvation is shown as God’s initiative: Israel does not defeat Egypt by strength, but is rescued by divine power and guidance. The crossing also marks a foundational moment of identity—Israel is constituted as a people freed by God, called to trust and follow him into the wilderness.
Exodus describes Pharaoh’s force in terms that highlight Egypt’s military power, especially chariots, a key element in Late Bronze Age warfare across the eastern Mediterranean. In the biblical story, that symbol of imperial strength is rendered ineffective, underscoring the contrast between human power and the LORD’s deliverance.
“The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” — Exodus 14:14
Answer the questions below. When you choose an option, you will see the result and an explanation.
1. What did the LORD instruct Moses to do so a dry path formed through the sea?
2. When did the LORD tell Moses to stretch out his hand again so the waters would return?