“SEE THE SALVATION OF THE LORD!”

 Exodus 14:4                  (ESV)

“And I WILL HARDEN PHARAOH’S HEART, and he will pursue them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, and the Egyptians shall know that I AM THE LORD." And they did so. 

Exodus 14:8

“And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the people of Israel while the people of Israel were going out defiantly.”

Exodus 14:10:14

“10 When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and THEY FEARED GREATLY. And the people of Israel cried out to the LORD.

11 They said to Moses, "Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt?

12 Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: 'Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians'? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness."

13 And Moses said to the people, "FEAR NOT, STAND FIRM, and “SEE THE SALVATION OF THE LORD”, which HE will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again.

14 THE LORD WILL FIGHT FOR YOU, AND YOU HAVE ONLY TO BE SILENT."”

Exodus 14:16-31

“15 The LORD said to Moses, "Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward.

16 Lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground.

17 And I WILL HARDEN THE HEARTS OF THE EGYPTIANS so that they shall go in after them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, his chariots, and his horsemen.

18 And THE EGYPTIANS SHALL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD, when I have gotten glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen."

19 Then THE ANGEL OF GOD who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them,

20 coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel. And there was the cloud and the darkness. And it lit up the night without one coming near the other all night.

21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the LORD drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.

22 And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.

23 The Egyptians pursued and went in after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.

24 And in the morning watch the LORD in the pillar of fire and of cloud looked down on the Egyptian forces AND THREW THE THE EGYPTIAN FORCES INTO A PANIC,

25 CLOGGING THEIR CHARIOT WHEELS SO THAT THEY DROVE HEAVILY. And the Egyptians said, "LET US FLEE from before Israel, FOR THE LORD FIGHTS FOR THEM against the Egyptians."

26 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen."

27 So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its normal course when the morning appeared. And as the Egyptians fled into it, the LORD threw the Egyptians into the midst of the sea.

28 The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen; of all the host of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea, NOT ONE OF THEM REMAINED.

29 But THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL WALKED THROUGH ON DRY GROUND through the sea, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.

30 Thus the LORD saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore.

31 ISRAEL SAW THE GREAT POWER that the LORD used against the Egyptians, SO THE PEOPLE FEARED THE LORD, and they Believed in the LORD and in HIS servant Moses.”

The entire chapter of Exodus 14 is worthy of being shared together as one needs to understand how intricately GOD is involved with not only GROWING OUR FAITH, but getting GLORY FOR HIS NAME!  I will only share some of the verses in a space conservation effort today.  To begin with, in Exodus 14:2 GOD tells Moses to “tell the people of Israel to TURN BACK and ENCAMP”!  We now know the Israelites were escaping from the confines of Egyptian captivity.  Soon their FAITH would be put to the test, and rather distinctly!  UNDERSTANDING that GOD is working ALL THINGS FOR HIS GLORY (Romans 8:28) is a lot easier on the other side of the FAITH growing event, but GROWING PAINS are real!!!

The Israelites were set free from captivity after the Passover, when the death angel killed the firstborn in every house that didn’t have blood on the doorpost of the house.   Even Pharaoh was included in this JUDGEMENT.  In the preceding chapters of Exodus, GOD had “hardened” Pharaoh’s heart numerous times to accomplish HIS purpose.   Pharaoh wasn’t a Believer, at least until the walls of the Red Sea came crashing down on him!  Why did GOD not have mercy on Pharaoh?  

Looking at a map of the Exodus journey, the Israelites literally had to make a U-turn to get where GOD was leading them.....TO WAIT BY TURNING BACK and CAMPING!  Why would you TURN AROUND and CAMP when your enemy is coming after you?  Moses and the Israelites were told that GOD WOULD GET GLORY over the Egyptians, but their FAITH had to experience that GOD would do what HE said HE would do!  The Israelites were crying and complaining when they saw the dust clouds moving closer as their enemy moved in.  But Moses told them FEAR NOT, STAND FIRM, and “SEE THE SALVATION OF THE LORD”, which HE will work for you today!  Soon the Egyptians would saying “LET US FLEE from before Israel, FOR THE LORD FIGHTS FOR THEM against the Egyptians."  The ones who WERE being feared were now FEARFUL themselves!  

GOD never changes, but the FAITH of HIS children did, and the FEAR of HIS WRATH by those who experienced HIS JUDGEMENT did!   “ISRAEL SAW THE GREAT POWER that the LORD used against the Egyptians, SO THE PEOPLE FEARED THE LORD, and they Believed in the LORD and in HIS servant Moses.”  The Egyptians saw also!  Being delivered by ALMIGHTY GOD is a lot more PROMISING than being JUDGED by HIM!  

When we KNOW that we are one of GOD’S CHOSEN, HIS PROMISE is to NEVER LEAVE US (Hebrews 13:6)!  However Hebrews 11:6 says “...without FAITH it is IMPOSSIBLE to please HIM, for whoever would draw near to GOD must believe that HE exists and that HE REWARDS THOSE WHO SEEK HIM”!  We don’t have to UNDERSTAND how something is giving HIM GLORY, but we MUST accept that HE IS BEING GLORIFIED!  GOD told the Israelites that HE would get Glory over Pharaoh and his hosts.....and HE did!  They had to EXPERIENCE the FEAR of the Egyptians believing that they were victorious, but then they also witnessed THE JUDGEMENT of GOD on their enemy at the Red Sea!  “SEE THE SALVATION OF THE LORD” is great when you are CHOSEN!  If you have yet to be CHOSEN, it might be that GOD is waiting for you???  HE will not wait forever though?!?!?