Manna: What is it? A study in Exodus 16

Introduction

Lil Abner was a comic strip written and illustrated by the cartoonist Al Capp. He died about 35 years ago leaving us memories of Pogo the alligator and a hillbilly, a backwoods set of characters of no honorable mention. One of the characters was a group of animals called the “Kick Me’s” These looked like the size of tenpin bowling pins and had a target on their bellies or their backsides. You could fry them and they would taste like your favorite steak or you could play with them like a doll. They existed for your pleasure. This was quite a fun idea for a young boy as I was when I first read about them.

At the same time I was learning with rabbis in Hebrew school. And one of the things they taught me was that the manna in the wilderness was for Jewish people like the kick-me’s in the comic Li’l Abner. How, we asked? In that, if you wanted the manna to taste like steak, it did. If you wanted it to taste like cholent or cream pies or whatever, it would taste like that for you. So the rabbis taught me. 

But I don’t think this is the way the text teaches us today. In fact, although heartened in their fears and anxiety by the presence of the manna, they were also annoyed that it is all they got to eat. Now, if it turned into our imaginary food choice, who would complain about that? So I’m starting to get the impression that the rabbis could be wrong on this one. At least on this one.

What is the manna? What is God’s idea of somewhat daily provision of the bread from heaven? And what lessons does manna have for us as 21^st Century people in Australia today?

Where are they?

Alfred Edersheim the 19^th Century Jewish Christian commentator writes,
         “Accordingly they called this the wilderness of Shur, or of “the wall.” (Exodus 15:22) This then was the wilderness, fresh, free, and undisputed! But this also was that “great and terrible wilderness,” so full of terror, danger, and difficulty, (Deuteronomy 8:15; 32:10) through which they must now pass.”

Basically the Jewish people have escaped. Phew! And now they turn from the drama of the Red Sea and look forward at… at….emptiness! They think, Ouch! What am I doing out here? What possible oasis can I find? Where is the McDonalds or at least the neighbourhood fish and chips shop? It’s vast and vacant and void of anything,  and it appears that Moses has played the biggest impractical joke of recent history… the mockery of the Hebrews.

Remember yesterday the Jewish people had been found at Marah as the chapter ended. There was no water and what they did find was undrinkable. 

Again from Edersheim,

“Worse than fatigue and depression now oppressed them, for they began to suffer from want of water. For three days they had not come upon any spring, and their own supplies must have been well-nigh exhausted. When arrived they found indeed a pool, but, as the whole soil is impregnated with nitre, the water was bitter (Marah) and unfit for use. Luther aptly remarks that, ‘when our provision ceases, our faith is wont to come to an end.’ It was so here. The circumstances seemed indeed hopeless. The spring is still considered the worst on the whole road to Sinai, and no means have ever been suggested to make its waters drinkable. But God stilled the murmuring of the people, and met their wants by a miraculous interposition. Moses was shown a tree which he was to cast into the water, and it became sweet. The help came directly from heaven, and the lesson was twofold. “There He made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there He proved them.” (Exodus 15:25)”

So what is the ordinance or the statute? I believe it’s God’s command and/or Word. He leads us and He desires us to respond and do what He asks. And there He did prove them. What is this? This is the right and privilege each of us has to live by faith. Faithfulness and faith…they go hand in hand. Ordinance and proving, in the foreground; faith and faithfulness in the background. Are you with me?

Today’s test: The Manna

So in today’s passage, again we see another ‘proving’ or test. Edersheim says “Once more their unbelief broke forth. True, it was only against Moses that their murmurs rose. But in reality their rebellion was against God. To show this, and thereby “to prove them, whether they would walk in the law of God or no,” (Exodus 16:4) that is, follow Him implicitly, depending upon, and taking such provision as He sent, and under the conditions that He dispensed it, God would now miraculously supply their wants.”

That is, being given what we want is actually a test of our faithfulness to the Lord. Strange—when He give us things or when He withholds them—both alike are equally proving. No wonder Solomon said in the Proverbs, 

“Two things I asked of Thee, Do not refuse me before I die:   Keep deception and lies far from me, Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is my portion, Lest I be full and deny Thee and say,  “Who is the LORD?” Or lest I be in want and steal, And profane the name of my God.” (30.7-9)

Both riches and poverty are testing places. What will I do if I have a lot; what will I do if I have too much?  Solomon wrote at the end of his days a reluctance to have such testing prove him, that is, to show of what he is made of. But that’s exactly what is happening to our reluctant heroes, the Jewish people in our chapter today.

We are called in verse 9 to come near before the Lord. Where would this be? Where would you go if you were a Hebrew freed slave and are being paged to come to God? 

Adam Clarke says, “The great tabernacle was not yet built, but there appears to have been a small tabernacle or tent called the Tabernacle of the Congregation, which, after the sin of the golden calf, was always placed without the camp; see Exodus 33:7: And Moses took the Tabernacle and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it The Tabernacle of the Congregation; and it came to pass that every one that sought the Lord went out unto the Tabernacle of the Congregation, which was without the camp.”

I agree with Clarke. Later the tent of meeting, the tabernacle of Moses will be built a full 10 months after this event, in the 2^nd year of the Jewish people’s new calendar. Also this helps us understand the placement of the jar of manna in the ark (v. 34). Where is this to be? It’s the original traveling tabernacle already in existence, but a mere model, a toy-sized compared to the one to be built by Bezalel and Oholiab.

Manna: The rules

The quail is significant as it gave the Jews good food, apart from their cattle to eat. There is no mention of the utes on which their family goods were carried, so we ought not to mention that at this point. Now let us move to the manna itself which is much more discussed in our text today than the quail. 

The Hebrew is an answer really. The people said in verse 15. Man hu. What is it? And that question became for them the answer. Manna.

Moses says to them, “This is the bread which God is giving you to eat.”

Then verse 16 immediately gives us rules on management and conservation; on collection methods and times. I love that about the Book. It’s not open free-ranged gathering which is the way a mob conducts a looting riot. It’s the energy of an ordered crowd going about its collective responsibility. 

Have you ever seen a school of fish or a flock of pigeons being given a random amount of bread pieces? Is there any order to that motley crew? 

God wants to ensure that His people, numbering 3 million, are well behaved, in decency and in good order.  So he tells them to collect a certain amount only, which is how much?  One omer per household member. And on certain days. Which ones? Sunday through Friday. That’s right. 

So what is happening is that God is training us. He is changing us from a mob of infidel slaves into a community of order and faith. From ‘what is it?’ to “pass the tupperware’ is one of the first lessons. He will do it in building a tent and telling us when and where to worship. He will do it in sending down food daily and telling us how to eat it. He will give us a caste of priests and telling us how to conduct ourselves annually with a whole new calendar. All in design here is the development of a family from frayed individuals. Do you see how He wants to organize our lives in such a way that we prove what is true and what is truly divine? In other words, what God wants is a vessel that is clean and useful in conducting His work in the world which is so desperately in need of His teaching and love.

In verse 19 we read, “Let no man leave any of it until morning”. Why? God is teaching us His principle of ‘give us this day our daily bread.” This is not a new teaching in the time of Yeshua; but God needs to teach it to us at this Exodus time. Don’t store up things for yourselves; trust in the Lord throughout your days. Again Solomon’s riches advise comes into play.

And just in case some miss the teaching, if they did horde it, they would have found worms eating the manna the next morning. 

But there were two locations of storage that were acceptable. What were they? The jar of manna kept into the Tabernacle, yes. And the other? The Friday double portion which had to remain until Sunday morning.  Neither of these stored mannas corrupted which itself is miraculous in the heat of the Arabian desert. No cooking was going to be allowed by the Almighty, but honestly I think the idea of rest is more highlighted. 

Shabbat is for man, not man for the Sabbath

Let me speak plainly about Shabbat. Some argue for a Saturday vs. Sunday worship from some Bible passages. I don’t know where they get that. Honestly, the passages of biblical relevance continue to make rest the number one priority. I’m glad to gather on Saturday or Sunday or any day with the people of God to worship and pray and learn and sing and fellowship. And Saturday makes sense in so many ways. But to argue that worship is in the mind from texts like these is poor argument at best. Gather double amounts on Friday so that each man can remain in his tent on Saturday. It doesn’t say to come to the Tabernacle and have a prayer meeting. It says to rest. And that needs to be in your mind as you mark your Shabbat. What are you doing that is ordinary work? What can you do to ‘stay inside’ and chill? What can you do to gather with others and chill? When the gathering takes a disproportionate amount of work to accomplish, we need to chuck it out. The main thing is to meet up with others regularly and if Shabbat is your time to do so, goodonya. If you can gather and rest, even better. But always let ‘rest’ be the most significant thing. Of course, that precludes something—that you are working on the other 6 days. The reason many believers today don’t need to rest is that they don’t work on the 6 days. I know Canberra and London want to argue for a 4-day work week of 9 hours, but God is clearer and more defining than anyone on either side of the aisles. Work hard and you will rest well.

The true manna from heaven

We read in John 6 today as well as Exodus. I’m glad for that and hope to increase our public reading of Bible.

They said therefore to Him,  “What then do You do for a sign, that we may see, and believe You? What work do You perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written,  ‘He gave them bread out of heaven to eat.’ Jesus therefore said to them,  “Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.” They said therefore to Him,  “Lord, evermore give us this bread.” Jesus said to them,  “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life. I am the bread of Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he shall live forever; and the bread also which I shall give for the life of the world is My flesh.” (John 6.30-35; 47-51)

Messiah here is making one of the boldest claims of his career. He says that what you know about manna is really about him. Who doesn’t know the story of the feeding of the family of God for 40 years? No one! Earlier in this chapter, John records for us the feeding of the multitude. 5 loaves and 2 fish (or as some say some lox and bagels) was hardly enough to feed 5,000 men as well as all the ladies and children. But God did a miracle and provided. Jesus was the instrument of that miracle and Jesus teaches the people in the afterglow of that moment that all they had heard about manna… well, it was really His doing. In fact, he continues, that He was not only the agent of that miracle; He was portended and He is the true bread that comes down to earth to men, from heaven. Unless you eat of Him and are sustained in relationship to Jesus, He says, you will not have eternal life. What chutzpah! What audacity! What if…He’s right?

I totally agree with Yeshua. I believe He is the Son of God. I believe He died for my sins and rose again from the dead. I believe He is the sustainer of the Jewish people. He is the true bread from heaven. He is what God is giving us to live by. 

Listen, as I grew up an Orthodox Jew, I would have said of Yeshua, “What is it?” I didn’t recognize Him as one of us. I didn’t know He was good for us. I didn’t know He was good for my family. But now, He is the One who has shown Himself a miracle worker. He is the One who died under such horrible Roman beating and inhumanity as shown in the movie The Passion. He is the One who rose from the dead to sustain us.

If you are hungry for relationship with God, go nowhere else. If you want eternal life, search no longer. Yeshua wants to give it to you.  

The Song of Moses: Some lessons on freedom .... a study in Exodus 15

Introduction

This week Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce announced their engagement and the world took notice. She’s a singer and he’s a football player, but the world sang their praises.

When the Oscars have their moment in the sun next year in March, probably five songs will candidate for the Best Song of the Year. But today’s chapter, contains the record of the First of 3 Songs of Moses in the Bible. And it might not win a Grammy or Oscar, but it certainly won a place in the Bible, and that’s better than any red carpet praise.

Now here’s an interesting verse in the middle of today’s song. In verse 13 we read

Thou hast guided them to Thy holy habitation.

Actually where was it to which we had been led at this point? Only across the sea and having our enemies drown in the midst of it. So, the forecast by Moses of the conquest of the Land is certainly in view as the next couple verses highlight, but I want to address the venue of our standing at this point.  Frank Sinatra sang the hit song about his lost lover whom he longed to kiss. He said, 

“Somewhere beyond the sea; somewhere waitin' for me.

My lover stands on golden sand and watches the ships that go sailin'.”

“Across the sea” for the Jewish people in our text today is freedom. And nothing else matters when you are across the sea. Let’s talk today about freedom and learn 4 lessons. I believe there is freedom in singing, there is also a danger in freedom and we can grow comfortable in true freedom. Finally, there is a cost for our freedom. 

Lesson 1: Freedom in singing

 Listen to Israel singing as they escape. Do you hear the ladies who led the chorus with their tambourines? Do you hear the birds joining in the chant? It’s a fantastic sense of relief. I was in jail for a few days in Florida as a hippie some 50 years ago. Don’t ask. But what I remember the most about the time was the getting out. The man who gave me the money to pay my penalty had enough for me, not for himself. He lent it to me and straightaway I knew I had to return it to him. But my first thought as I got out of prison was relief. I was overjoyed. I kicked my heels together and laughed and ran and felt like singing. I know how those 3 million slaves in Egypt felt, in measure. 

There is a joy in the freedom of escape. Israel turned and saw the drowned tormentors and there might have even been a feeling of satisfaction. Not only did we win, but you got yours, too, loser! Take that one!

The rabbis always caution however against smug and snooty sayings. Never rejoice, they say, at the sufferings of others.  Love of neighbour truly forbids that. 

And here’s another rub

“No man in this world attains to freedom from any slavery except by entrance into some higher servitude. There is no such thing as an entirely free man conceivable.“ Phillips Brooks (1835- 1893), Perennials.

I agree with Brooks. What was the new servitude we were to enter? I believe it was true relationship with the Lord. Many want freedom without responsibility, but that’s dangerous.

Lesson 2: Danger in Freedom

A man's worst difficulties begin when he is able to do as he likes. Thomas Huxley, "Address on University Education," Collected Essays, 1902, III, p. 236. 

Maybe I should call this the responsibility of freedom rather than the danger of it.  For it is in knowing that we are responsible and to whom we are responsible that we gain a new level of freedom. 

Cicero said this, “We are in bondage to the law in order that we may be free.”

Cicero is not speaking about biblical law here, rather moral law and civil law.

And his point is well taken. We who gain our freedom need to employ it in serving others. 

“For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement,  “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, take care lest you be consumed by one another. But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.”  (Galatians 5.13-16)

Lesson 3: The cost of Freedom

Who better than Yeshua understands that one? He had the freedom of being the Son in the heavens. He lived there throughout eternity past and chose to come to earth to bring God’s life and ministry here. If you have seen the movie “The Passion of the Christ” then you know what torment he endured. He had ample opportunity to opt out of the final march. He could have cashed in his chips and left and returned to the Father any time during his earthly stay. Yeshua however, remained. He chose to endure to the end. 

And the big question you must ask yourself as you watch the movie, or as you think through this issue, is why? Why did Yeshua endure to the end? Was it a need to be a martyr? Was he trying to make a point? Was he sort of slow and backward, not knowing the real consequences and then got caught out? Or was it his plan to trick people into thinking he was the messiah and had to play this out in public? Listen, I don’t think any of these questions and their rhetorical replies give a sense of satisfaction. I don’t believe Jesus was making a point or dying as a martyr to prove anything to anyone. He wasn’t a dolt by any means nor was this an act of trickery or slight of hand. 

The Bible says Jesus died to pay the penalty for our sins. 

The reason he came was to die. The reason he endured to the end was to see to the payment and not leave anyone out. Imagine a bank of enormous wealth and a grocery trolley and you. The bank is open and the wealth is yours. And you have to go in and out and take and carry what you want. With each transaction into the vault, you get more excited and more exhausted. There will be a time when you say, “Enough.” When is that?  When you have counted out a million dollars? Will it be enough to take one trolley full? When you have taken the entire wealth of the bank? Or is it when you attained what your goal was?  God loved the world so much that he sent his only son to die for us and to redeem us back from the powers of Satan. (John 3.16) Nothing was going to stop the Son of God from doing this job. And there were plenty of distractions and traps to cause him to fail. But his takings at the earthly bank, of something more valuable than money, were complete. He did not stop until he had in the words of the Apostle, “ruined the principalities and powers.”(1 Peter 3.22) He took the final amount of owings, that which humanity owed to sin and death, and received them on himself. Jesus took the lot of the punishment for our failings and our sins. What love the Father has for us…and Yeshua has for us. That’s the answer to the ‘why did he do it’ question.

Lesson 4: Growing comfortable in your freedom

The Israelites on the east side of the Red Sea are now free. They can rejoice and they can sing. They are unsure where they are going at this point. They know that God is leading them. The siblings, Moses, Aaron and Miriam are leading the troops of weary wanderers. It’s hot and dusty in the desert. It’s uncomfortable living out of a suitcase. They don’t know a lot; they don’t have earthly comforts, but they have something going for them. They have discovered the God who led them out of Egypt has the power to keep fighting for them in the world outside Egypt. Yahweh is not a tribal God or local deity; He is Lord of earth, and as they sing “ki ga’o, ga’ah”. He has triumphed triumphantly. He is not just an exalted local deity; He is the boss. They are beginning to understand the power and immensity of the Almighty.  I love the song we sing ‘Mi chamocha,’ “Who is like unto Thee?”(Ex. 15.11) reflects this orientation.  It’s also in this chapter. There are no gods like our God! You begin to sense that Israel which has been so far removed from the notice of the Lord for generations is now beginning to grow comfortable in saying things about Him, in singing to Him, and in living for Him.

Some of you reading this lesson today are new believers. Good! Make sure you grow comfortable in learning about the Lord, in saying the name of Yeshua to others, in being baptized, in walking out life with Him. Why? Because He has triumphed gloriously. He is the God among all false gods. He has taken us to freedom and will never forsake us. How awesome is he?

Taylor knows how to sing. The world of entertainment knows how to sing at the engagement of celebrities and the winning of Super Bowls. We have won the victory over sin and death in the powerful name of Yeshua. Let's sing together, even now.

 

Conclusion:  What lessons do we learn from today's teaching?

1)   Freedom has a cost and someone has to pay it

2)    Singing to God brings Him pleasure as well as you

3)   Never rejoice at the sufferings of your enemies

4)   Yeshua loved you so much that he would not stop until He died for all your sins and shortcomings.   

Red Sea Crossing and terror. A study in Exodus 14

Introduction

Being surrounded can be a frightful experience. Women know this and thus avoid walking in certain foot paths in the dark.  I’ve had a few experiences of such surround at Macquarie Uni or in Brooklyn New York that are emblazed on my memory. I remember being in Brisbane’s southern suburbs on my way to Bayside where I was being housed. One evening was destined for soggy lethargy. Over 40 degrees (Celsius) and massive humidity. Except that I had to preach in Algester at an Anglican church. As the service concluded, it happened. A massive cold front came up from the south bringing such sparks of lightning that the sky was literally full of splendour. It matched and surpassed the beauty of the fireworks on Australia Day in Sydney this year.  Standing in the doorway of the church, as I was ready to exit, gear in hand, I dared not move as the torrent of rain and wind had blown in severely. But I did.

I had to drive the 40 kilometres back to Bayside. Just as I got into the car a mate rang me on the mobile. He had left about 10 minutes earlier and wanted to advise me of the weather and road conditions. It was beyond treacherous, he said. Trees were down, and lights were out in many nearby areas. Did I feel confident he wondered? I assured him I was ok.

What I saw next was absolutely glorious and frightful. I was surrounded. Behind me was wind and rain. The rain flew almost horizontally. Ahead of me on the road were indeed many fallen limbs and branches. Darkness lay like a couching lion on both sides. It was eerie. Lights on the road were off.

And all the while, lightning crackled loud and increased in volume. Such sights and sounds are powerful and a bit intimidating, perhaps more so in unfamiliar territory.

In today’s story in the book of Exodus, we see the Jewish people, recently delivered from slavery in a similar situation. How they would react and how God would continue to be their strength is our focus today.

God closes in on Israel  (.1-9)

It looks like Pharaoh is his typical schizophrenic self in his alarm at Israel’s departure. Wait a minute, Pharaoh, you sent us out! The exile was our prayer but your idea. Now he realizes that the departure of the Jews would impact his country. Financially, of course. There go 300,000 able-bodied slave men and another 300,000 oldies that would still have some years left in them. Who would get rid of such a work force?

Pharaoh goes after the Hebrews. He chooses his top-ranking officials and hundreds of chariots and their riders, and they go on a military strike. You must see this as if the Ukrainian strike force were going after the Russians. The powerful country of the day was Egypt and here they go on military sorties to chase down the Jews.

And when they found us, where were we, and what were we doing? We were camping. Our caravan was in the back, and we were making lunch and relaxing with our mates. Camping by the sea…what a pleasure this must have been for former slaves, eh?

But remember that much of what happened in the history of Israel viz. a viz. the erring foreign countries near them, was to get Israel right before God. As the Egyptians are pounding their way across the desert, they find a relaxed Israel. What a new people they must be. But all the while storm clouds are building up in their rear guard.

Complaining: is it an answer?

 My sister quotes Jackie Mason who says that a Jew is born to kvetch. I don’t know what Bible they are reading, but I do know our experience is not too far off. And complaining doesn’t ever really help us that much. Even though I had plenty of reason for kvetching on that Brisbane Sunday in that heat. Oy.

I’m reminded of the story of the American cowboy who was driving down a dirt road, his dog riding in back of the ute, his faithful horse in the trailer behind. He failed to negotiate a curve and had a terrible accident. 

Sometime later, a highway patrol officer came on the scene. An animal lover, he saw the horse first. Realizing the serious nature of its injuries, he drew his service revolver and put the animal out of his misery. He walked around the accident and found the dog, also hurt critically. He couldn't bear to hear it whine in pain, so he ended the dog's suffering as well. 

Finally he located the cowboy --who suffered multiple fractures--off in the weeds. "Hey, are you okay?" the cop asked. The cowboy took one look at the smoking revolver in the trooper's hand and quickly replied, "Never felt better!" 

Of course Mark Twain wrote, “Don't complain and talk about all your problems--80 percent of people don't care; the other 20 percent will think you deserve them.“

I don’t think it was Twain, but it surely sounds like him in this axiom, “You will find that, as a rule, those who complain about the way the ball bounces are usually the ones who dropped it. “

Although I think my favourite complaint story is Catholic. And takes place in a monastery.

A monk joined a monastery and took a vow of silence. Once every ten years, the monks are allowed two words to speak. After the first 10 years his superior called him in and asked, "Do you have anything to say?" The monk replied, "Food bad." After another 10 years the monk again had opportunity to voice his thoughts. He said, "Bed hard." Another 10 years went by and again he was called in before his superior. When asked if he had anything to say, he responded, "I quit." "It doesn't surprise me a bit. You've done nothing but complain ever since you got here." 

Listen, I know I’m stepping out of culture at this point, but my personal view is that kvetching doesn’t do much but make you look bad in front of others. One of my personal goals is to complain less this year and to see things from God’s point of view.

Frightened Israel’s four–fold reactions

So here are the Jewish people outside the Red Sea and the enemy is furiously chasing them.

They are alerted to the situation in verse 10. They lifted their eyes and behold! They saw the Egyptians and become terrorized. They yelled at Moses, why did you bring us out? We were ok in Egypt, they allege. What historical revisionism. Who are they kidding? Mostly themselves.  So, to this, Moses has an answer. Actually four answers in one two-verse statement.

So what are the four reactions?

1)    Let’s dive into the Red Sea and drown ourselves

2)    Let’s go back to Egypt

3)    Let’s fight the Egyptians right here and right now

4)    Let’s pray, with great energy and fear

Now there’s nothing wrong with traveling to Egypt or with fighting your enemies.  There’s of course, nothing wrong with praying or going for a swim. What is wrong and what Moses rebukes in the people is their fear.

How do we know the reactions? Listen to the rebuke in verses 13 and 14.

“Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. The LORD will fight for you while you keep silent.”

Moses rebukes the children of Israel for the 4 reactions. To the divers he says, “Do not fear.” To the returnees, he says, “the Egyptians… you will never see them again.” To the fighters, he says, “The Lord will fight for you.” And to the pray-ers, he says, “keep silent.”

At that point the angel of God and the cloud that had led the Jewish people took a pass over the top of the former slaves. As if they needed anything more to traumatize them. But what is for some fearful is for others a sign of God’s presence. And the assurance of God’s presence is both a comfort to those who do well and a rebuke to those who grumble and sin.

The two camps were at bay all night. And each pondered their leader’s faith and courage.

The actual crossing

All night the people waited, then Moses raised his staff and the sea turned dry. The people begin to cross, and I’m going to bet some in the rear are pushing a little, to get away from both the new cloud and the old crowd.

How awesome is our God who dries the seas to get us where He is leading. Nothing stands between God and His will for His people. He will make a way, when it seems there is no way, says the new hymn. Or as Isaiah wrote 

“Thus says the LORD, Who makes a way through the sea and a path through the mighty waters” (43.16)

Solomon taught in the Proverbs:

“But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full day.” (4.18)

Throughout history the crossing of the Red Sea has been a signature of the Almighty and an image of His continual leading of His people. If He did it then, when there was no way out, He will do it again for you, His people today, amen?

Paul the apostle in the Newer Testament uses this scene to teach about our unity in Messiah. In 1 Corinthians chapter 10, he writes,

‘For we were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea” The unity of the Body of Messiah is founded on similar experiences of the Lord, so as Israel was baptized in a way in both the cloud (as it passed from front to back) and in the sea (as the walls were held back by God’s hand), so our baptism in Messiah unites all believers.

How good is God to use something so historic to teach us about Himself today.

All people will know

The Scripture is clear that God wants Israel to know Him, and that He wants all people to know Him as well. We will see this highlighted in chapter 19 of Exodus, even as we saw it in chapter 12 of Genesis. 

God wants all Egypt to know. Not just Pharaoh, not just his leaders, not just the magicians, but all people to know…that He is God. And if they continue to resist him, as He has done 10 times over in the Mighty Acts or Plagues, penalties will accrue. So here we see it again. The horsemen go after the Jewish people

 Remember I said that God wanted to continue to convince Israel of who He was as well? See the end of the chapter, verse 31. The people believed, said Amen, to God and to Moses His servant. Painted into a corner, fiery and smoky cloud all before and then over and then after them… the chariots, the sea, the anger, the fear, the situation overnight…and then God. All nations will know He is God, and it has to start with the Jewish people. He called us particularly and He longs for our relationship. 

Then the Egyptians did again find out that the Lord of the Jewish people is the God of all peoples.  And the Jewish people again saw the hand of God. They walked on dry ground with walls of water on right and left. [The rabbis say that there were 12 alleys, one for each tribe, but of course, that’s not in the text of the Bible]. Their salvation from Pharaoh is now complete. 

Historical and current

The Red Sea was just another ordinary body of water. It was deep enough to drown the Egyptians. Many scientists try to explain away the miracle of the Red Sea crossing by saying Moses knew when the winds would be blowing or the seasons, etc. Similarly many people try to explain away the dramatic conclusions of the life of Yeshua. They say he died, and was buried. No big deal. He was just an ordinary man.

But in this ordinary body of water, God did the extraordinary. And in this ordinary man, God did the extraordinary. 

Look scientists can have a go at the biblical account, but what they miss is the phrase, “dry ground.” 

The Israelites walked in the midst of the sea, on dry ground. That’s why Moses says “That day God saved Israel” It wasn’t Moses knowing the tides; it was the living God.

And God’s purpose in doing miracles is the personal relationship He longs for in all people. No Egyptian should miss it. No Jew should miss Him. No one should be left out of the joy of knowing the living God.

And how is that accomplished, that is, how do we come to know God? We repent of our sins and accept the death of the Messiah as a substitute for us.  That’s how awesome and spectacular and simple it is.

 

So:  What lessons do we learn from today's teaching?

1)    Nothing can successfully stand against God’s plans

2)     Complaining may be a momentary comfort to our soul, but usually has no long-lasting benefit

3)    God wants to be in personal relationship with each of us, Jew and Gentile.  

4)    One man’s fear is another man’s splendour. How we view God’s deeds determines our viewpoint. In other words, see things from God’s point of view and you will enjoy life that much better.