Beginning of Freedom

                                                                 Sunday School Lesson
Lesson scripture: Exodus 14: 21-30                                                                                                 
Golden Text: “Thus the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore” (Exodus 14:30).

INTRODUCTION.  With the Exodus, the approximately two million Hebrew people traveled southeastward toward what is today the Gulf of Suez.  They were led by a pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night that God had provided (see Exodus 13:21-22).  The Lord again hardened Pharaoh’s heart causing him to regret releasing his former slaves.  He then assembled his army, both chariots and horsemen and departed in pursuit of the Hebrews.  Full of faith and briefed by God as to what He was going to do (see Exodus 14:4); Moses led the Israelites down to the sea.    

II. Background for the Lesson.  After the Lord brought the tenth plague upon Egypt which was the death of all firstborn humans and animals, the Egyptians urged the Israelites to leave Egypt immediately (see Exodus 12:31-33).  Over 600,000 men plus women and children journeyed from Rameses to Succoth (see Exodus 12:37).  A large company of non-Israelites, as well as a great deal of livestock, also made the journey (see Exodus 12:38).  From Succoth, the Israelites continued their journey to Ethan located on the edge of the wilderness (see Exodus 13:20), where they set up camp.  By day, God used a pillar of cloud to guide His people and by night He used a pillar of fire to give them light and direction (see Exodus 13:21).  The Lord told Moses that Pharaoh would come after them (see Exodus 14:4).  However, God would crush Pharaoh’s forces and bring honor to Himself and make His identity further known to the Egyptians.  At some point, Pharaoh and his officials had a change of heart.  They regretted letting their Israelite slaves go free (see Exodus 14:5).  Pharaoh then organized a large military force of soldiers and chariots to pursue the Israelites (see Exodus 14:6-8).  The sight of Pharaoh and his great army terrified the Hebrews (see Exodus 14:10), but Moses reassured them that they had no reason to fear, for the Lord would rescue them from danger and fight on their behalf (see Exodus 14:13-14).  The Lord wanted His people to go forward (see Exodus 14:15) so He told Moses to lift up his rod and stretch out his hand over the sea, which would then divide and the Israelites would pass through the sea on dry ground. As Pharaoh’s army drew near the Israelites, the pillar of cloud relocated behind them (see Exodus 14:19), and all during the night the cloud brought darkness to the Egyptian forces but light to the Israelites.  By doing this, God kept the Egyptian army at bay until He was ready to judge them.  This is where our lesson begins.         

III. A PATHWAY OPENED (Exodus 14:21-25)
A.  The waters divided (Exodus 14:21-22). 
1. (vs. 21).  This verse says “And 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 dry land, and the waters were divided.”  Moses did exactly as God had commanded him.  He “stretched out his hand over the sea.”  Because Moses was obedient, “the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.”  In other words, when Moses obeyed God by stretching his rod over the Red Sea, the Lord used a strong east wind to drive back the sea all through the night and made the seabed into dry ground.  This was clearly a miracle of God.  In Exodus 15:8, Moses and the children of Israel sang a song that graphically described what the Lord did.
2. (vs. 22).  Here we are told that the “children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.”  As the east wind caused the waters to form a wall on the Israelites’ right hand and left hand, they walked into the middle of the sea on a large stretch of dry land between the two walls of water.  The dry ground was a pathway going through the sea from the shore where the Israelites were located to the shore on the opposite side.
B. The Israelites pursued (Exodus 14:23).  This verse says “And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.”  The Lord knew all along that the Egyptian forces would come after the Israelites.  He allowed them to go “in after them (Israel) to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.”  All of Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and cavalry raced onto the dry seabed.  Exodus 15:9 gives us a glimpse of what the Egyptians were thinking at that time.  They arrogantly boasted “I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil.”  Pride is a terrible thing (see Proverbs 16:18).  The enemies of God and His people consistently act with arrogance and are blinded to the power and judgment of God.  The Lord does not look kindly on those who challenge Him or threaten His people.  In the end, all God’s enemies will experience devastation.
C. The confusion and panic of the Egyptian forces (Exodus 14:24-25).  
1. (vs. 24).  This verse says “And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the Lord looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians.”  During the time of “the morning watch” was between 3 and 6 am.  The Jews divided their nights into four watches.  The first watch was from 6-9 pm; the second watch was from 9-12 midnight; the third watch was from 12-3 am and the fourth watch was from 3-6 am (see Luke 12:38; Matthew 14:25). It was during the fourth watch that “the Lord looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud.”  The use of the word “looked” is an anthropomorphism describing God taking a look as if He was human.  There was never a time when the Lord was not aware of what the Egyptians were doing.  Of course, God was leading His people in the pillar of fire by night and the cloud by day.  In a moment of time, God brought the Egyptians into a state of confusion and panic.  This is the idea expressed in the phrase that God “troubled the host of the Egyptians.”  The east wind had blown all night (see Exodus 14:1) and now it was time for the Israelites to move ahead.
2. (vs. 25).  At this point we are told that in the process of causing confusion and panic among the Egyptians. God also “took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the Lord fighteth for them against the Egyptians.”  God took off the wheels of the Egyptian chariots so that “they drave them heavily” meaning that it was impossible to maneuver their chariots.  The situation became so difficult and critical that the once proud Egyptians decided to retreat.  They said “Let us flee from the face of Israel.”  It was clear to the enemy that the Lord was fighting for His people.  This was the real reason that they felt the need to retreat.

IV. A PATHWAY CLOSED (Exodus 14:26-30)

A. The waters returned (Exodus 14:26-27).  The Israelites’ deliverance was about to be completed.  However, when the people saw the Egyptians following them, they complained to Moses saying “Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness?” (see Exodus 14:11).  The people of God had wished that Moses had left them alone to continue in their enslavement to their oppressors (see Exodus 14:12) rather than experience greater suffering from the Egyptian military.
1. (vs. 26).  Now we are told that “the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.”  As the Egyptian forces were in a panic stricken retreat, the Lord again (see Exodus 14:21) ordered Moses to stretch out his hand over the sea.  However, this time instead of dividing the waters, the waters would “come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.”  The waters would return to their original position filling the path in the sea and covering the Egyptians, their chariots and their cavalry or “horsemen.”
2. (vs. 27).  This verse continues to say “And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.”   As an obedient servant, Moses did what God commanded, he held out his hand over the sea, “and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared.”  The sea returned to its normal state.  As the waters returned to their original position, the Egyptians desperately tried to flee from the rushing waters.  However, their attempts to escape were futile for “the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.”  The sea completely overcame them.  In Exodus 15:10 in Moses’ song of deliverance and praise to God, he said “Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them, they sank as lead in the mighty waters.”  Note:  Prior to this, Moses had urged the people to “stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord” (see Exodus 14:13).  They didn’t have to do anything to secure their deliverance.  Moses went on to say, “The Lord will fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace” (see Exodus 14:14).  This is exactly what happened.  Before the Israelites’ astonished eyes, God had done it all by Himself.  He wouldn’t allow anyone else to claim credit for His victory. 
B. The Egyptians drowned (Exodus 14:28-29). 
1. (vs. 28).  This verse says “And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them.”  With Israel safely through the sea, the waters came crashing down covering the chariots, and the horsemen of Pharaoh’s mighty army which had followed after the Israelites into the sea.God’s handling of this situation was so thorough that not a single Egyptian warrior survived.  Moses wrote that “there remained not so much as one of them.”  The same power that delivered the Israelites without exception also destroyed their enemies without exception.  As already noted, the Israelites sang about God’s destruction of the Egyptians (see Exodus 15:3-7).  When God decided to deal with Israel’s enemies, their destruction was complete.  It will be the same way with His enemies on the future Judgment Day.
2. (vs. 29).  While the Egyptians were destroyed, this verse says “But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.”  In contrast to the drowning Egyptians, the Israelites walked along the dry seabed with a wall of water piled up on their right and left sides.  This verse is a repetition of verse 22.  It’s also a summary statement of the entire incident reminding us that God was working on Israel’s behalf throughout the entire situation.  There must be no misunderstanding: this was not a natural event.  It was a true miracle done by God alone.
C. Israel is saved (Exodus 14:30).  Our final verse which assures us that this was the Lord’s work, says “Thus the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore.”  That day was a day of deliverance for the people of God.  They could see a large number of dead bodies grotesquely wash up on the seashore.  This was all that remained of the once threatening Egyptian army.  From this the Israelites knew that the Lord had “saved Israel.”  The word “saved” here means to rescue or deliver from something.  The salvation or deliverance of Israel was from their slavery in Egypt.  After centuries of slavery, the Hebrew people were finally liberated from their bonds and were able to worship their God without the interference of others. God’s amazing grace showed up in an unforgettable way!  That day, the Lord saved Israel “out of the hand of the Egyptians.” The word “hand” refers to power, or authority.  To deliver into someone’s hand therefore, meant victory: to deliver out of someone’s hand meant rescue.  
                      
V. Conclusion.  The events in this week’s lesson should impress on us the truth that our God is majestic and powerful.  Like Miriam, we can say “sing ye to the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea” (see Exodus 15:21).  In addition, Isaiah 41:10 stands as a helpful reminder to the people of God when we feel overwhelmed by our circumstances.  We need not fear for the Lord is with us.  We need not be dismayed, for God will strengthen, help, and uphold us with His righteous powerful hand.