How does Psalm 78:13 connect with the parting of the Red Sea in Exodus?

Psalm 78:13 in Context

• “He split the sea and brought them through; He set the waters upright like a wall.” (Psalm 78:13)

• Psalm 78 is a historical psalm recounting Israel’s journey so future generations remember the Lord’s works and remain faithful (vv. 4-8).

• Verse 13 zeroes in on the Red Sea miracle as the chief illustration of God’s saving power.

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The Exodus Account Revisited

• “Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind throughout the night and turned it into dry land. So the waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on their right and on their left.” (Exodus 14:21-22)

• The miracle culminates in Israel’s salvation and Egypt’s judgment when the waters return (Exodus 14:26-28).

• Moses and Israel immediately respond with praise (Exodus 15:1-18).

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Key Parallels between Psalm 78:13 and Exodus 14

• Same Actor: “He” in Psalm 78 is “the LORD” of Exodus 14:21.

• Same Action: “split/divided the sea” echoes the Hebrew verb in Exodus.

• “Waters upright like a wall” mirrors Exodus 14:22’s “walls of water.”

• Deliverance Theme: Both passages spotlight God’s power to bring His people “through.”

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Theological Threads

• Covenant Faithfulness—God keeps His promise to Abraham’s descendants (Genesis 15:13-14; Exodus 2:24).

• Salvation through Judgment—Israel walks on dry ground while Egypt is overwhelmed (Exodus 14:30; cf. Psalm 78:53).

• Power over Creation—The sea obeys its Creator (Psalm 95:5; Nahum 1:4).

• Call to Remember—Psalm 78 uses the Red Sea event to urge steadfast faith, contrasting later unbelief (Psalm 78:17-22, 32-33).

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Echoes Elsewhere in Scripture

• Nehemiah 9:11—“You divided the sea before them…”

• Isaiah 51:10—“Was it not You who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep?”

• Hebrews 11:29—“By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land.”

• 1 Corinthians 10:1-2—The crossing prefigures baptism into Moses, anticipating union with Christ.

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Living Implications

• Remember—Regularly recount God’s past acts to strengthen present trust (Psalm 77:11-12).

• Rest—The same Lord still controls wind and wave (Mark 4:39).

• Respond—Worship flows naturally when we grasp His mighty deliverance (Psalm 95:1-3).