Topical Bible: Journey of Israel Through The Desert: Through the Red Sea

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◄ Journey of Israel Through The Desert: Through the Red Sea ►

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The journey of the Israelites through the Red Sea is a pivotal event in the biblical narrative, marking a significant moment in the Exodus account. This miraculous event is recorded in the Book of Exodus and is a testament to God's deliverance and power.

Context and Background

The Israelites, under the leadership of Moses, had been enslaved in Egypt for several centuries. God heard their cries and appointed Moses to lead them out of bondage. After a series of plagues that demonstrated God's supremacy over the Egyptian gods, Pharaoh finally relented and allowed the Israelites to leave. However, as they journeyed toward the Promised Land, Pharaoh's heart was hardened once more, and he pursued the Israelites with his army.

The Crossing of the Red Sea

The Israelites found themselves trapped between Pharaoh's advancing forces and the Red Sea. In this moment of crisis, the people cried out to the Lord, and Moses reassured them of God's deliverance. Exodus 14:13-14 records Moses' words: "Do not be afraid; stand firm and you will see the LORD’s salvation, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still."

God instructed Moses to stretch out his hand over the sea, and He miraculously parted the waters, creating a dry path for the Israelites to cross. Exodus 14:21-22 describes the event: "Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind 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."

The Destruction of the Egyptian Army

As the Israelites safely reached the other side, the Egyptian army pursued them into the sea. God instructed Moses to stretch out his hand once more, and the waters returned to their place, engulfing the Egyptian chariots and horsemen. Exodus 14:28 states, "The waters flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had chased the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived."

Significance and Theological Implications

The crossing of the Red Sea is a profound demonstration of God's power and faithfulness. It serves as a symbol of salvation and deliverance, illustrating God's ability to rescue His people from seemingly insurmountable obstacles. This event is celebrated in the Song of Moses, found in Exodus 15, where the Israelites praise God for His mighty acts and His steadfast love.

Theologically, the crossing of the Red Sea prefigures Christian baptism, as noted by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:1-2 : "For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea." This typology highlights the transition from slavery to freedom, from death to life, and from the old life to the new.

Conclusion

The journey through the Red Sea is a cornerstone of Israel's history and identity, serving as a perpetual reminder of God's deliverance and covenant faithfulness. It underscores the theme of redemption that runs throughout the biblical narrative, pointing ultimately to the greater deliverance accomplished through Jesus Christ.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Exodus 14:22,29
And the children of Israel went into the middle of the sea on the dry ground: and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand, and on their left.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Following the Cloud.
... Then a great shout went up from the host of Israel. ... Again they took up their journey
and passed through a desert land, where they could get no food, and ...
/.../lathbury/childs story of the bible/chapter xii following the cloud.htm

Christ all and in All.
... Who could lead the children of Israel through the wilderness like the ... of the way,
and guided the people through all their wilderness journey right into ...
/.../moody/the way to god and how to find it/chapter viii christ all and.htm

Of Circumcision and the Supercession of the Old Law.
... is agreed that Zipporah did it on the journey, at the ... For Israel"who had been known
to God, and who had ... 1182] in Egypt, and was transported through the Red ...
/.../tertullian/an answer to the jews/chapter iii of circumcision and the.htm

The Land and the People.
... He travelled on his mission of love through Judaea, Samaria ... father's flocks to the
throne of Israel; where shepherds ... him in a three days' journey from Bethlehem ...
/.../schaff/history of the christian church volume i/section 17 the land and.htm

The Way to the Sea
... They passed through a lane between two tribes. ... "Even so.". "Thou hast journeyed farther
than Israel, and Israel is most weary. I trust thy journey is done.". ...
//christianbookshelf.org/miller/the yoke/chapter xliv the way to.htm

Christ the Water of Life.
... sea, and left the children of Israel without water ... the Israelites during their entire
journey to Canaan ... been, after winding its sluggish way through the parched ...
/.../iii christ the water of life.htm

From Egypt to Sinai.
... an intimate knowledge of all the wilderness through which for ... upon the request of
Moses that all Israel be allowed to go three days' journey into the ...
/.../tidwell/the bible period by period/chapter v from egypt to.htm

Where is the Lord?
... do not come to an end till the journey's end is ... That led them through the deep, as
an horse in the ... though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 38 1892/where is the lord.htm

Epistle xiii. --To Hierax, a Bishop in Egypt.
... have become an image of that sea through which the ... more parched than that wilderness
in which Israel was so overcome with thirst on their journey, that they ...
/.../dionysius/the works of dionysius/epistle xiii to hierax a bishop.htm

Sin: Its Spring-Head, Stream, and Sea
... But Israel did not remember God's mercies powerfully ... When we come to read through
our personal life-story, we ... They had not gone many days' journey out of Egypt ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 37 1891/sin its spring-head stream and.htm