Exodus 14 — Sketch

God Provides the Way

Big Idea:

• God tells Israel to encamp by the Red Sea and wait for Pharaoh to pursue them.

• Pharaoh’s heart hardens again, and the Egyptians get in their chariots and take off after the Israelites.

• Israel panics and blames Moses. Moses tells them, “The Lord will fight for you; you need only be still.”

• The pillar of cloud and the Angel of the Lord, who had been leading Israel, move behind the people — between Israel and the Egyptians.

• The cloud casts darkness over the Egyptians but casts light over Israel.

• God divides the water of the Red Sea, making a path of dry ground appear between two walls of water. The Israelites cross safely.

• The Egyptians try to follow Israel through the Sea, but God throws them into confusion and breaks their chariots.

• God lets the water flow back into its place, and the trapped Egyptians drown.

• Israel is safe on the other side of the Red Sea.

Jesus in This Chapter:

• I love this line, “The Lord will fight for you; you need only be still.” It reminds me that our salvation does not depend on us. It depends solely on Jesus’ work on the cross.

• Many people think that Old Testament references to the “Angel of the Lord” are references to Christophanies — appearances of Jesus in the Old Testament. So the angel who moved back between Egypt and Israel could have been Jesus. This would make sense because Jesus really does stand between us and our sin.

• I also think it’s cool how the pillar casts darkness on Egypt but light on Israel. It reminds me of 1 Corinthians 1:18, which says that the message of the cross is foolishness to those in sin, but it empowers those being saved.

• Just as Israel had one path through the water and away from the Egyptians, Jesus is our one path through sin and away from death.

(Originally drawn September 23, 2010)