Stand Still And See the Salvation of Yahweh
Exodus 14:1 Now Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying: 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, that they turn and camp before Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, opposite Baal Zephon; you shall camp before it by the sea. 3 For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, ‘They are bewildered by the land; the wilderness has closed them in.’ 4 Then I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, so that he will pursue them; and I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord.” And they did so.
5 Now it was told the king of Egypt that the people had fled, and the heart of Pharaoh and his servants was turned against the people; and they said, “Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?” 6 So he made ready his chariot and took his people with him. 7 Also, he took six hundred choice chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt with captains over every one of them. 8 And Yahweh hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the children of Israel; and the children of Israel went out with boldness. 9 So the Egyptians pursued them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, and overtook them camping by the sea beside Pi Hahiroth, before Baal Zephon.
10 And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord. 11 Then they said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? 12 Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.”
13 And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of Yahweh, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. 14 Yahweh will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”
15 And Yahweh said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. 16 But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. 17 And I indeed will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them. So I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, his chariots, and his horsemen. 18 Then the Egyptians shall know that I am Yahweh, when I have gained honor for Myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”
19 And the Angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them. 20 So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. Thus it was a cloud and darkness to the one, and it gave light by night to the other, so that the one did not come near the other all that night.
The Angel of God-- "The Jews say this was Michael, the great prince, who became a wall of fire between Israel and the Egyptians; and if they understood by him the uncreated angel, the eternal Word, the Son of God, who is always in Scripture meant by Michael, they are right: for certainly this Angel of the Lord is the same with Jehovah, who is said to go before them in a pillar of cloud and fire, Exodus 13:21, removed, and went behind them; but because removing from place to place, and going forwards or backwards, cannot be properly said of a divine Person, who is omnipresent, and fills every place and space; this is to be understood of the emblem of him, the pillar of cloud, as the next clause explains it: and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them; the Targum of Jonathan adds,'because of the Egyptians, who cast arrows and stones, and the cloud received them;’ and so Jarchi; whereby the Israelites were protected and preserved from receiving any hurt by them: so Christ is the protection of his people from all their enemies, sin, Satan, and the world, that sin cannot damn them, nor Satan destroy them, nor the world overcome them; for his salvation is as walls and bulwarks to them, and he is indeed a wall of fire about them.” (Gill’s Exposition)
"In the weak faith and great fears of the Hebrews, on seeing themselves pursued, we see that the weakness of man is such as needs support every moment. The idea of danger seemed to banish even the recollection of past miracles. Conscious therefore of our utter insufficiency, let us for ourselves and children, live every moment dependent on providence and grace.
But their case was extraordinary, human means were insufficient; therefore they were exhorted to stand still, and see the salvation of God. In the treasures of his wisdom he had a salvation in store far above their expectation; and in all the calamities and exigencies of life, when our own counsel and efforts fail, let us calmly give up our affairs into the hands of providence. It is good that a man should hope, and quietly wait for the salvation of God.
In a moment the Lord dissipated their fears; the cloud removed from the head to the rear of their camp, and kept the enemy in awe. In like manner God has often stood between his trembling church and danger. Often would Zion have been destroyed, had not God become her shield and high defense. Often should we have run into ruin, had not the Lord interposed for our safety. Oh how much we owe to the arm of strength, and to the everlasting presence of God with his church.” (Sutcliffe Commentary)
Destruction Verses Salvation
Exodus 14:21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and Yahweh caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided. 22 So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. 23 And the Egyptians pursued and went after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.
"We have here the history of that work of wonder which is so often mentioned both in the Old and New Testaments. An instance of God’s almighty power in dividing the sea, and opening a passage through the waters. It was a bay, or gulf, or arm of the sea, two or three leagues over. The God of nature has not tied himself to its laws, but when he pleases dispenseth with them, and then the fire doth not burn, nor the water flow. They went through the sea to the opposite shore; they walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the pillar of cloud being their rearward, the waters were a wall to them on their right hand, and on their left … This march through the sea was in the night, and not a moonshine night, for it was seven days after the full moon, so that they had no light but what they had from the pillar of fire. This made it the more awful; but where God leads us, he will light us; while we follow his conduct we shall not want his comforts.” (Benson Commentary)
24 Now it came to pass, in the morning watch, that Yahweh looked down upon the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud, and He troubled the army of the Egyptians. 25 And He took off [Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint, and Syriac read bound.] their chariot wheels, so that they drove them with difficulty; and the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from the face of Israel, for Yahweh fights for them against the Egyptians.”
26 Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the waters may come back upon the Egyptians, on their chariots, and on their horsemen.” 27 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and when the morning appeared, the sea returned to its full depth, while the Egyptians were fleeing into it. So Yahweh overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. 28 Then the waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all the army of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. Not so much as one of them remained. 29 But the children of Israel had walked on dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.
30 So Yahweh saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 Thus Israel saw the great work which Yahweh had done in Egypt; so the people feared Yahweh, and believed Yahweh and His servant Moses.
"There remained not so much as one of them - Josephus says that the army of Pharaoh consisted of fifty thousand horse, and two hundred thousand foot, of whom not one remained to carry tidings of this most extraordinary catastrophe.” (Adam Clarke Commentary) "In this chapter we see the Israelites saved, and the Egyptians destroyed;..These things are written that all ages might fear; for a course of crimes, and the habitual neglect of devotion, originating in hardness of heart and unbelief, will surely bring families and nations to destruction. And it is very awful to add, that when once individuals, or nations, are in the full route of ruin, they seldom pause till precipitated into the gulph their wickedness has prepared. [See Joshua 2:9-10; 1 Corinthians 10:11]
...The Israelites, notwithstanding all their fears, were commanded to go forward. What, go forward when the sea was before them, and the mountains on either hand! Yes, oh my soul, do not fear to obey the Lord under a dark and beclouded providence. There is nothing in this world but the alien host, armed against the Lord and against righteousness. Go forward, surrounded with mountains and hills; go forward through the deep, the Lord will open thy way, and the enemies thou seest today thou shalt see no more for ever.
…. Oh what rage—what horrors— what fury! What cutting down with their swords of every man that stood in their way!… All may see what awaits the ungodly in the great day, when the Lord Jesus shall look from heaven through his cloud, and be revealed in flaming fire, with his mighty angels, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel. Then Christ shall be glorified in his saints, and admired in all them that believe. Israel also, when they saw this great work, believed the Lord, and Moses his servant. Let past deliverances strengthen our faith, and encourage us to hope for future mercies.” (Sutcliffe Commentary)
"By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned." (Heb 11:29) But make sure your faith is in the Blood of the Lamb of God, slain for the sins of the world. Paul beckoned: "Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern. For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction..." (Phil 3:17-19a)