Chapter 18: Crossing the Red Sea
Exodus 14:13-31
Q1 - What does it mean, that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart and those of his officials? Did they have a choice or not in how they responded to the situation?
A1 - God knows the hearts of people. David explained this concept to his son, Solomon, in 1 Chronicles 28:9 (NIV): “‘And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.’”
God knew Pharaoh’s heart, and He gave him over to his own willful pride. The Pharaohs of Egypt wielded great power and had immense resources at their disposal. More than that, the Pharaohs were evidently considered gods, and their authority was absolute.
This Pharaoh who was in power at the time of the Exodus had already shown himself to be ruthless in his treatment of the Israelites. From his words and actions, his ego and his great pride were evident. For him to have backed down from his rulings or decrees would have meant that he had been wrong, that he was fallible. This would have threatened his power, something he could not tolerate.
Pharaoh’s resolve to keep the Israelites in captivity was already firmly in place. While God may have strengthened Pharaoh’s resolve and hardened his heart, in several cases the scriptures state that Pharaoh, rather than God, hardened his heart (see Exodus 8:15; 8:32).
God knew the bent of Pharaoh’s heart. God understood the Pharaoh’s pridefulness. He also knew that Pharaoh’s officials would not have the strength to stand against Pharaoh, and God used all this in fulfilling His plan to free the Israelites.
For further study, read Psalm 10 which talks about the wicked and their ways. Psalm 10:4 (NIV) states: “In his pride the wicked man does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.”
These articles provide further information and thoughts on the topic:
"Meet King Pharaoh: Arrogant Egyptian Ruler"
"Did God Really Harden Pharaoh’s Heart?"
"Why Did God ‘Harden’ Pharaoh’s Heart in Exodus?"
Q2 - In Exodus 14:17b–18 (NKJV), God declared, “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.” If God’s purpose was to free the Israelites from slavery, why was it also important to Him to gain honor over the Egyptians?
A2 - Egypt was likely the most powerful country in the known world at that time. It was also a well established country that worshiped many false gods. If God could show His dominance over Egypt, He would in effect show that the whole world was under His control. Just as importantly, He would show that all the other gods were false gods.
God could have chosen to free the Israelites from slavery in a much less dramatic fashion if He had so desired. By leading up to their deliverance with the ten plagues and then parting the waters of the sea to make a path for their escape, He clearly illustrated that He had control over all the forces of the earth. This demonstration of power was as much for the benefit of the Israelites as it was for the Egyptians. The Israelites could have no doubt that He was the true God and that He had chosen them for His own people. The Egyptians could have no doubt that their gods were useless and that their most powerful ruler, the Pharaoh, was no match for the God of the Israelites.
Q3 - The Israelites deliverance from Egypt become a defining event in their history. God refers to it many times in the scriptures. In 1 Corinthians 10:1b–2 (NKJV), the Apostle Paul states, “…all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea…” What did their crossing the sea symbolize?
A3 - The Israelites were guided in their journey to the Promised Land by the presence of God in the pillar of cloud. When they passed between the great walls of water as they crossed the sea, they left Egypt and slavery behind. They emerged on the other side a free people. They were now undeniably followers of God, of Yahweh.
The Apostle Paul compared this experience of the Israelites to the way believers become Christians today. In baptism, a person goes down into the water as a slave to sin and comes up out of the water a new person, free from the shackles of sin with the hope of spending eternity with God (see Romans 6:1–9).
Paul used the example of the Israelites as a warning to the church at Corinth to whom he wrote the epistle of 1 Corinthians. Even though the Israelites had pledged themselves to God, many of them fell away. They grumbled and engaged in immoral behavior and idolatry. As a result, their bodies were scattered over the wilderness.
What happened to the Israelites should serve as a warning to all Christians. The same dangers the Israelites faced were still present in various forms during the time of the early church, and they’re still present today. Paul urged them not to allow temptations to lead them astray. In 1 Corinthians 10:12–13 (NIV), he gave a warning, along with a promise from God: “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”