EXODUS –LESSON 23
LEARN: Ephesians 6:16-18
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
READ: Exodus 14:1-31
1. Why would the LORD ask Moses why he had cried to the LORD concerning the approaching Egyptians? v 15 See also verses 2-4 for help.
2. Does this mean then that LORD does not want us to call out to him when we are in distress? Daniel 9:2-4; Ephesians 6:18; I Thessalonians 5:17
3. Once Moses had made his request to the LORD, what two things did the LORD require Moses to do? vv 15b, 16a
4. What did the LORD promise for the children of Israel once his instructions had been carried out? v 16b
5. What does the LORD tell Moses would happen before it came to pass? vv 17-18
6. Remind us again of a verse that proclaims God’s ability to foretell the future as opposed to other so called “gods.”
7. What did the LORD do to encourage the children of Israel as they followed his commands, which also aided them in their escape from the Egyptians? vv 19, 20a
8. This amazing pillar of cloud was calculated by the LORD to alarm the Egyptians while at the same time bringing comfort and security to the children of Israel. Explain how this was accomplished. v 20
9. According to I Corinthians 10:1-4, as well as Exodus 14:19, the cloud was not only created and controlled by God, but was_____________________________________, who was always with the children of Israel in their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land.
10. Once the LORD had put his division between the two camps so that the Egyptians could not at all see the Israelites, what did He do as Moses in obedience stretched out his hand over the sea? v 21
11. According to verses 21 and 22, at what point did the children of Israel begin to cross the sea?
12. How did the children of Israel see the Red Sea waters as they passed through them on dry land? v 22
13. At some point, as the children of Israel were crossing the sea bed, the LORD lifted up his cloud that had separated the two camps. The Egyptians had been in readiness, and as soon as there was opportunity, what did they do? v 23
NOTE: The “morning watch” of the Hebrews at this period of time was from 2 AM to sunrise. Sunrise in Egypt, early in April, would take place about a quarter to six.
14. What happened to the Egyptians during the “morning watch?” v 24
15. According to the PULPIT COMMENTARY, the description of Psalm 77: 17, 18 is generally regarded as belonging to this point in the narrative of Exodus, and may be considered the general exposition of it. What does it tell us in describing how the LORD troubled the Egyptians?
NOTE: The historian Josephus said, “Showers of rain came down from the sky, and dreadful thunders and lightnings, with flashes of fire; thunderbolts also darted upon them; nor was there anything, wont to be sent by God upon men as indications of his wrath, which did not happen on this occasion.” ( Ant. Jud.ii. 16,&3)
16. With God’s displeasure so evident to the Egyptians, even before they gave chase to the Hebrews again and went after them into the sea bed, why would they not heed God’s warning, repent and turn back from their pursuit? Find Scriptures to back your answer.
17. When the Egyptians persisted in their defiance of the LORD and pursued the Hebrews into the sea bed, what did the LORD do? vv 25a, 26, 28
18. At what point did the Egyptians finally decide to return from their pursuit of the Israelites? vv 25, 27
19. On the surface it might appear that the Egyptians had finally learned their lesson, that they really believed God, but was their repentance genuine? Explain your answer.
20. What lesson can be learned from this account concerning the longsuffering and patience of God towards sinners? Use Scripture to confirm your conclusions.
21. What did Israel see as a result of the LORD’S hand? vv 30, 31
NOTE: According to Josephus, (Ant. Jud. ii. 16, & 6), after the passage of the sea by the Israelites, a west wind set in, which (assisted by the current) drove the bodies of the drowned Egyptians to the eastern side of the gulf, where many of them were cast upon the shore. In this way Moses, according to him, obtained weapons and armour for a considerable number of Israelites.
This defeat of the Egyptians did a number of things:
- 1. It secured the Israelites from further persecution.
- 2. It caused them to exchange the artificial life of a bureaucratical and convention-loving community for the open space and untrammeled freedom of the desert.
- 3. It rejuvenated and reinvigorated them as a nation
PULPIT COMMENTARY, Genesis Exodus p. 345