Exodus 14
05 May 2026 - Theology
The Red Sea
Faith Like Moses
In verses 10-15, we see an interesting interaction between the Israelites, Moses, and the Lord.
Exodus 14:10 - “And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the Lord.”
The children of Israel cried out to the Lord because they were afraid. Notice that Moses then responds in verses 13-14:
Exodus 14:13-14 - “And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.”
Moses responded this way before he heard from the Lord, or before he knew that the Lord would even save his people by parting the Red Sea.
Exodus 14:15 - “And the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:”
This may seem like a strange response from the Lord, but I believe it shows a difference in faith between that of Moses and the Israelites.
What exactly is faith?
faith - Strong’s Concordance [4102]
- a knowledge of, assent to, and confidence in certain divine truths, especially those of the gospel
- true faith produces good works, false faith does not
Faith is not blind trust, but rather the knowledge and confidence in truth. We gain this knowledge and increase in confidence in it by remembering what the Lord has done for us (and others) in our past. It is the past outpouring of His love for us that gives us confidence in an outpouring of His love for us today.
Moses had a level of faith that enabled him to respond differently to this negative circumstance than the rest of the Israelites did. This was because Moses knew the Lord’s promises (knowledge) and had seen the Lord fulfill His word (confidence). This level of faith comes only through an intimate relationship with the Lord, through intentional time spent studying His Word and praying in order to hear from Him. Let us be a people that do not quickly react out of emotion, but who understand the heart of the Father, that He will work all things for good for those who love Him and have been called according to His purposes (Romans 8:28).
Another Birth Image
In Exodus 13, we talked about how the Passover door was a birth image. Rabbis also consider the parting of the Red Sea in Exodus 14 to be an image of a birth canal.
John 3:5 - “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”
Jesus is using Exodus language to define what it means to be born again.
Exodus 14:21 - “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.”
“wind” = ruach - breath, the Spirit of God
The water was divided by the Spirit of God so that the Israelites could walk through and be born again.
References:
- The Hebrew - Greek Key Study Bible (KJV Version)
- The BEMA Podcast, Episode 19: A Strengthened Heart
- The BEMA Podcast, Episode 20: With All Your Heart