SIX HUNDRED CHARIOTS: Would this be enough to strike
terror in the hearts of upwards of 2,000,000 Israelites? See Lesson,
Large numbers in the OT.
Exo 14:8
BOLDLY: "With an high hand" (AV); "defiantly"
(RSV).
Exo 14:10
13 murmurings: Exo 5:21; 14:10; 15:24; 16:2; 17:2; 32:1; Num
11:1,4; 12:2; 14:2; 16:3; 20:2; 21:5. Cp Joh 6:41-43. Those who murmur without
cause are soon given cause to murmur.
Exo 14:13
STAND... AND SEE: "Stand still and see the salvation of
God" (Exo 14:13; 2Ch 20:17). "Stand still and hear God's commandments" (Num
9:8). "Stand still that I may show you the word of God" (1Sa 9:27). "Stand still
that I may reason with you" (1Sa 12:7). "Stand still and consider the works of
God" (Job 37:14).
STAND STILL: Do not lie down and die, giving everything
up. Do not retreat back to the world because the going is rough. Do not do
something just to be doing it. Do not rush forward if God has not said to do so.
Instead, stand still -- immovable as a rock. Stand still -- cheerful, upright,
ready for action, expecting further orders. It will not be long before God tells
you, as Moses told the people of Israel, 'Move on'... 'Go forward' (v
15).
THE EGYPTIANS YOU SEE TODAY YOU WILL NEVER SEE AGAIN:
Do we ever see the "Egyptian" again, after his death in baptism (v
30)?
Exo 14:19
THE ANGEL OF GOD... THE PILLAR OF CLOUD: This is one of
three occasions when the pillar of cloud/fire is more or less synonymous with
the angel of the LORD: see also Exo 23:20,21; 32:34. An angel, then does not
always take the form of a man: the burning bush is another example (Exo 3:2;
Acts 7:30,35). God's influence over man through His messengers can come in many
ways, not all expected.
Exo 14:20
As in Gen 1:2,3, the separation between light and
darkness.
As in Gen 31:45-52, the pillar marked a border of separation
between 2 antagonistic parties.
Exo 14:21
As in Gen 1:9, the separation of dry land (Israel) from sea
(Egypt).
Exo 14:27
"The clouds poured out water" (Psa 77:17), a further "baptism"
(1Co 10:1,2).
Exo 14:28
A boy was sitting in a park bench with one hand resting on an
open Bible. He was loudly exclaiming his praise to God. "Hallelujah! God is
great!" he yelled without worrying whether anyone heard him or not.
Shortly after, along came a man who had recently completed
some studies at a local university. Feeling himself very enlightened in the ways
of truth and very eager to show this enlightenment, he asked the boy about the
source of his joy.
"Hey," asked the boy in return with a bright laugh, "Don't you
have any idea what God is able to do? I just read that God opened up the waves
of the Red Sea and led the whole nation of Israel right through the
middle."
The man laughed lightly, sat down next to the boy and began to
try to open his eyes to the "realities" of the miracles of the Bible. "That can
all be very easily explained. Modern scholarship has shown that the Red Sea in
that area was only 10 inches deep at that time. It was no problem for the
Israelites to wade across."
The boy was stumped. His eyes wandered from the man back to
the Bible lying open in his lap. The man, content that he had enlightened a poor
naive young person to the finer points of scientific truth, turned to
leave.
Scarcely had he taken two steps when the boy began to rejoice
and praise God louder than before. The man turned to ask the reason for this
resumed joy. "Wow!" Exclaimed the boy happily, "God is greater than I thought!
Not only did He lead the whole nation of Israel through the Red Sea, but He
topped it off by drowning the whole Egyptian army in 10 inches of
water!"
Exo 14:30
The preeminent Biblical commentator, Rashi, explains that
after the Egyptians drowned, the sea threw them onto the shore, so that the
Jewish people could be relieved at the knowledge that their enemies would no
longer be in pursuit.