Moses—The Final Showdown

 

In our previous episode, Moses—The Round 10 Knockout (from Exodus 11:1-13:16), we learned that the first Nine Plagues or Rounds in the Divine Smackdown between God and Pharaoh had only succeeded in achieving the first three of God’s objectives—those being…

• • A revelation of God in His Holiness to both the Israelites and the Egyptians;
  • The demonstration of His Power and Sovereignty over the world and its systems;
  • The creation of faith in His people and in all who would come to repentance;
  • The deliverance of His People from bondage; and,
  • His judgment on sin and injustice.

As for the last two of these objectives, we learned that it would take either the Death of a Firstborn Son—the firstborn representing the pride of a man and his assurance of a future posterity—or the death of an Innocent Substitute.  Those who chose to take God at His Word, kill an innocent lamb or goat, and then sprinkle its blood on doorposts of his home, would ensure the safety of the Firstborn in his household when the Angel of Death passed overhead.

In this episode (from Exodus 13:17-16:27), we will discover that even after his stunning defeat by God—Pharaoh, like the spiritual enemy that he represents, doesn’t just roll over and play dead.  He will come, like a roaring lion, seeking to devour the People of God who have just been redeemed and delivered from his bondage.

 

Episode #8 of Act 1, Scene 3 of God’s One Big Story
Cast:     Narrator     God     Moses     Israelites     Pharaoh/Egyptians     Miriam/the women

Setting the Stage: When we last saw Moses and the Israelites, they had fled from Egypt in haste, no longer slaves but a freed, redeemed, and prosperous people. A multitude estimated to be between two and three million made their way from Rameses to Succoth, where each family consecrated their spared firstborn sons to the Lord. That having been accomplished, here as our story resumes, they are setting out on the journey that will eventually take them to their new home in the Land of Promise…

Narrator:  Then it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, ‘Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.’  So God led the people around by way of the wilderness of the Red Sea. And the children of Israel went up in orderly ranks out of the land of Egypt.

And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he [Joseph] had placed the children of Israel under solemn oath, saying, ‘God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here with you.’

So they took their journey from Succoth and camped in Etham at the edge of the wilderness.  And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night.  He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people.

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Narrator:  Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying…

God:  Speak to the children of Israel, that they turn and camp before Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, opposite Baal Zephon; you shall camp before it by the sea.  For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, ‘They are bewildered by the land; the wilderness has closed them in.’  Then I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, so that he will pursue them; and I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD.

Narrator:  And they did so.  Now it was told the king of Egypt that the people had fled, and the heart of Pharaoh and his servants was turned against the people; and they said…

Pharaoh:  Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?

Narrator:  So he made ready his chariot and took his people with him.  Also, he took six hundred choice chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt with captains over every one of them.  And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the children of Israel; and the children of Israel went out with boldness.  So the Egyptians pursued them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, and overtook them camping by the sea beside Pi Hahiroth, before Baal Zephon.

 

 

And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the LORD.  Then they said to Moses…

Israelites:  Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt?  Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.

Moses:  Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever.  The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.

Narrator:  And the LORD said to Moses…

God:  Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward.  But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.  And I indeed will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them. So I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, his chariots, and his horsemen.  Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gained honor for Myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.

Narrator:  And the Angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them.  So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. Thus it was a cloud and darkness to the one, and it gave light by night to the other, so that the one did not come near the other all that night.

Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided.  So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.  And the Egyptians pursued and went after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.

Now it came to pass, in the morning watch, that the LORD looked down upon the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud, and He troubled the army of the Egyptians.  And He took off their chariot wheels, so that they drove them with difficulty; and the Egyptians said…

Egyptians:  Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the LORD fights for them against the Egyptians.

Narrator:  Then the LORD said to Moses…

God:  Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the waters may come back upon the Egyptians, on their chariots, and on their horsemen.

Narrator:  And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and when the morning appeared, the sea returned to its full depth, while the Egyptians were fleeing into it. So the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.  Then the waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all the army of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. Not so much as one of them remained.  But the children of Israel had walked on dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.

So the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore.  Thus Israel saw the great work which the LORD had done in Egypt; so the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD and His servant Moses.

 

 

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Narrator:  Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the LORD, and spoke, saying—[And,  then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took the timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.  And Miriam answered them…]

Moses:

I will sing to the LORD, for He has triumphed gloriously!  ​​The horse and its rider ​​He has thrown into the sea!  ​​The LORD is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation; ​​He is my God, and I will praise Him; ​​My father’s God, and I will exalt Him.

The LORD is a man of war; The LORD is His name.  ​​Pharaoh’s chariots and his army He has cast into the sea; his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red Sea.  ​​The depths have covered them; they sank to the bottom like a stone.

Miriam and the Women: 

Sing to the LORD, for He has triumphed gloriously!  ​​The horse and its rider ​​He has thrown into the sea!

Moses:

Your right hand, O LORD, has become glorious in power; ​​Your right hand, O LORD, has dashed the enemy in pieces.  ​​And in the greatness of Your excellence ​​You have overthrown those who rose against You; ​​You sent forth Your wrath; it consumed them like stubble.  ​​And with the blast of Your nostrils the waters were gathered together; the floods stood upright like a heap; the depths congealed in the heart of the sea.

Miriam and the Women: 

Sing to the LORD, for He has triumphed gloriously!  ​​The horse and its rider ​​He has thrown into the sea!

Moses:

​​The enemy said, ‘I will pursue, ​​I will overtake, ​​I will divide the spoil; my desire shall be satisfied on them.  ​​I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.  ​​You blew with Your wind, the sea covered them; they sank like lead in the mighty waters.

​ Miriam and the Women: 

Sing to the LORD, for He has triumphed gloriously!  ​​The horse and its rider ​​He has thrown into the sea!

Moses:

Who is like You, O LORD, among the gods?  ​​Who is like You, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?  ​​You stretched out Your right hand; the earth swallowed them.  ​​You in Your mercy have led forth the people whom You have redeemed; ​​You have guided them in Your strength to Your holy habitation.

Miriam and the Women: 

Sing to the LORD, for He has triumphed gloriously!  ​​The horse and its rider ​​He has thrown into the sea!

Moses:

The people will hear and be afraid; sorrow will take hold of the inhabitants of Philistia.  ​​Then the chiefs of Edom will be dismayed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling will take hold of them; all the inhabitants of Canaan will melt away.  ​​Fear and dread will fall on them; by the greatness of Your arm they will be as still as a stone, till Your people pass over, O LORD, till the people pass over whom You have purchased.  

​​You will bring them in and plant them in the mountain of Your inheritance, in the place, O LORD, which You have made for Your own dwelling, the sanctuary, O Lord, which Your hands have established.

Miriam and the Women: 

Sing to the LORD, for He has triumphed gloriously!  ​​The horse and its rider ​​He has thrown into the sea!

Moses:

The LORD shall reign forever and ever. 

 

 

Narrator:  For the horses of Pharaoh went with his chariots and his horsemen into the sea, and the LORD brought back the waters of the sea upon them. But the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea.

So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea; then they went out into the Wilderness of Shur. And they went three days in the wilderness and found no water.  Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah.  And the people complained against Moses, saying…

Israelites:  What shall we drink?

Narrator:  So [Moses] cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet.  There He made a statute and an ordinance for them, and there He tested them, and said…

God:  If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you.

Narrator:  Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees; so they camped there by the waters.

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Our Review

of…

The Most Important Points in this Episode—

— God led the people/by way of the wilderness—why the wilderness?

• • To avoid any unnecessary conflict;
  • To get His people to the Red Sea where Pharaoh and his army would be destroyed;
  • It was in the wilderness that His People would learn the Laws of God; and,
  • It was to test them…

And you shall remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. (Deuteronomy 8:1)

— Israel went up in orderly ranks—this description uses a rare word meaning “armed and arrayed for battle.”

— Moses took the bones of Joseph with him—fulfilling the promise made to Joseph…

By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones.  (Hebrews 11:22)

— They camped…at the edge of the wilderness—their real journey into the wilderness would not begin until after they had passed through the Red Sea.

— A pillar of cloud, a pillar of fire—representing the presence of God with them, which …

• • Was not given to them until after they had been delivered from Egypt;
  • Was a gift of God’s grace;
  • Provided them with light…

Moreover You led them by day with a cloudy pillar, and by night with a pillar of fire, to give them light on the road which they should travel. (Nehemiah 9:12)

• • Was darkness to the Egyptians…

The Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. (John 14:17)

• • Provided a covering for them, protecting them from the heat of the sun…

He spread a cloud for a covering, and fire to give light in the night. (Psalm 105:39)

Was the way God spoke to them…

He spoke to them in the cloudy pillar; they kept His testimonies and the ordinance He gave them. (Psalm 99:7)

• • Was never taken away…

And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. (John 14:16-17)

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— Camp before the sea/I will harden Pharaoh’s heart—God purposely led His People to a place from which they, through natural means, could not escape.  He would then use their apparent dilemma to lead Pharaoh to his destruction.

— It was told to the king of Egypt/why have we done this—when the “intel” came back to Pharaoh that the Israelites had gone, first he began kicking himself for letting them go; then, he began reasoning that, since they were such an ignorant bunch of people, they would be no match for him and his army and could easily be overtaken.

— He took 600 choice chariots—prior to this point in the story, there has been no mention of the Egyptian army—the implication being that they had remained relatively unscathed by the plagues.  Since the army and its chariots were the glory of Egypt, it was now their turn to be dealt with.

— Israel went out with boldness/lifted up their eyes and were afraid—they were bold until the first test of their faith; but when that came, they took their eyes off God and put them on the Egyptians and their circumstances instead.

— It would have been better to die in Egypt—in spite of all the miracles they had witnessed, the people still demonstrated how small their faith in the Lord was.

— Don’t be afraid, stand still, see the salvation of the Lord—Moses tells the people…

• • Don’t be afraid…

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7)

• • Stand still—all efforts of the flesh must cease—there is nothing you can do to save yourself.
  • See the salvation of the Lord—he is not talking about seeing with physical sight but with spiritual sight—that is, with eyes of faith, faith based on the promises in the Word of God…

While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:18)

— Why do you cry to me/lift up your rod—in other words, stop whining, step out in faith, and start using the authority I have given you.

— I will gain honor over Pharaoh—My name will be esteemed by all who hear about this.

— The Angel of the Lord moved—the Spiritual Troops had taken up their positions.

— Moses stretched out his hand over the sea/God divided the waters—when Moses used the authority God had given him, God responded by dividing the waters.  Based on Hebrews 11:29…

By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned…

It would seem that the waters didn’t separate until the people came to brink of the sea, and that the sea opened up as the people moved forward.

— In the morning watch/the Lord looked down—there were three watches…

First—from 6pm to 10 pm.
Second—from 10 pm to 2 am.
Third—from 2 am to 6 am—this would have been the morning watch.

The Lord looked down in derision at the audacity of the Egyptians—in much the same way that He did at the Tower of Babel.

— Moses stretched out his hand/the sea returned to full depth—once the Israelites were safely through the sea, Moses stretched out his hand and the sea returned to its normal levels.

— The Lord saved Israel that day/Israel saw the great work/and believed—the crossing of the Red Sea is a picture to us of Christ making a way through death for His People, as He did in His Resurrection. The sea that they had feared had no power over them but became a means of deliverance for them.  The Egyptians, however, didn’t experience the same end.

Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.  Hebrews 2:14-15

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— Then Moses and Israel sang this song to the Lord—this is the first song recorded in scripture and it can only have come from a redeemed people.  It is a song all about God and His greatness, and not about man.  As it says in the song, it is about redemption—redemption that is by purchase or ransom, and by power.  Ransom involves the payment of a price while redemption is the deliverance of those for whom the price was paid.  As it relates to our Big Story, the price paid here represents the Bride Price that was paid by God to make Israel His own.

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— From the Red Sea/they went out into the wilderness—immediately after their experience at the Red Sea, the Redeemed People of God were led into the wilderness…

• • To manifest what was in their hearts;
  • To reveal the strength of their flesh and the weakness of their spirits;
  • To restore their souls to their original functions; and,
  • To get them ready to take the Promised Land.

— Three days in the wilderness/they found no water—the wilderness reveals our need for/thirst for the Water of Life…

A Psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah.  O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.  (Psalm 63:1)

On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.  (John 7:37)

— At Marah/the waters were bitter—all the world can offer is bitter waters.

— The people complained to Moses/Moses cried out to the Lord—the people complained to Moses instead of praying to God.  When Moses prayed, he was shown a tree which would make the bitter waters sweet.

— Keep all His commandments/none of the diseases—prior to this, there has been no mention of keeping God’s commandments—the reason being that the people weren’t a redeemed people before.  This is also the first reference to healing in the Bible.

— They came to Elim—Elim was an oasis in the midst of the desert where, following their time of testing, they could be refreshed and restored.

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In Summary

Before we bring this episode to a close, let’s take a moment to try and identify some of the Life Lessons that we can take away from it, as well as the Contributions it makes to the One Big Story that God is trying to tell us.

Life Lessons

When looking for lessons that will help us in our own spiritual journeys, we need to look no farther than the main characters and their actions in this episode. For in…

Pharaoh—we see a human incarnation of our archenemy, Satan, who, just like his master, presents himself as an arbiter of truth and the source of all wisdom, while in reality he is the father of all lies. And even though he has already been defeated by the superior power of God, his pride will not allow him to concede that defeat. As a result, he is relentless in his pursuit of recognition and worship—and in his attack on the People of God—but in the end, it will only lead to his destruction.  From him, we are reminded that…

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud. (Proverbs 16:18-19)

…and that we must be…

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. (1 Peter 5:8-9)

Israel—we see the People of God who have been newly delivered from their bondage, but who are still living with a worldly and slavish mentality. Unfamiliar with the ways of God, they are like children who are just learning to walk—which, in this case, will turn out to be a life-long walk of faith. Like us and all those whom God redeems, they must learn that…

…without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6)

And in order to develop that faith, they and we must be tested. For…

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings. (Jeremiah 17:9-10)

They, like us, must be tested so that they will learn to trust God’s leading, trust Him to defeat our enemies, and trust Him to provide for our daily needs.

God—we see the picture of a loving Father who knows our weaknesses and limitations better than we do. He also knows our enemy and all of his devices better than we do. Because of that,  He will often lead us in ways that make absolutely no sense to us at the time, but will prove to be in our best interests in the long run. And even though we are tested along the way, we have His promise that…

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.   (1 Corinthians 10:13)

Contributions to the One Big Story

Keeping in mind that the One Big Story of the Bible is the love story in which God the Father came seeking a Wife from among the nations, a Wife through whom He could bring His Son into the world—and keeping in mind that this love story has been ordered according to ancient Jewish Wedding Traditions—we should be able to see that…

God sent Moses—as a stand-in for Himself, the Bridegroom—to come and deliver His Bride, Israel, and carry her away to their wedding. In keeping with the wedding tradition, he took her from her “father’s” house in the middle of the night and led her out with great rejoicing to the Red Sea, where she underwent a mikveh—a spiritual cleansing or baptism—in preparation for the marriage ceremony that would soon take place at Mount Sinai.

However, at the end of this episode, even though we find that the Bride has been redeemed, baptized, and is on her way to her wedding, there are still a few lessons that she must learn before she is actually ready to tie the knot and live in harmony with her new husband. To discover what these may be, be sure to come back for our next episode, Moses—Lessons in Wilderness Walking!

 

 

Original used for featured image by Jan van’t Hoff courtesy of https://freebibleimages.org/.
Originals used for other illustrations from the James Tissot Collection at The Jewish Museum of New York, courtesy of https://freebibleimages.org/