The Crossing of the Red Sea

During the Exodus in approximately 1446 BC, the Israelites were encamped by the sea when Pharaoh and the Egyptian army pursued them with six hundred chosen chariots. As the Egyptians drew near, the Israelites became afraid, but Moses instructed them to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. God told Moses to lift up his rod and stretch out his hand over the sea to divide it (Exodus 14:16). A pillar of cloud moved from before the Israelites to stand behind them, coming between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel to provide light to one side and darkness to the other so that the two groups did not come near each other all night.

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, making the sea dry land and dividing the waters (Exodus 14:21). The Israelites went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, with the waters forming a wall on their right hand and on their left. The Egyptians, including all of Pharaoh's horses, chariots, and horsemen, pursued them into the midst of the sea. During the morning watch, the Lord looked down upon the Egyptian host through the pillar of fire and cloud and troubled them, taking off their chariot wheels so that they drove heavily.

God then commanded Moses to stretch out his hand over the sea again so that the waters would come back upon the Egyptians. Moses obeyed, and when the morning appeared, the sea returned to its full depth. The Egyptians fled against it, but the Lord overthrew them in the midst of the sea (Exodus 14:27). The waters covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh; the text does not say how many individuals were in the total host, but it notes that not one of them remained. Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore and witnessed the great work which the Lord did.