March 01, 2025
What was God’s master plan in delivering the Children of Israel from slavery? Was it just to prove that the gods of Egypt were impotent against him? Was it just to judge Egypt for their harsh treatment of Jacob’s descendants? Was it merely a demonstration of his power? Was it simply to free his people and give them some land or was there more to it than that?
In Exodus 6:6-8 God said this: "Therefore, say to the Israelites: 'I am Yahweh, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am Yahweh.'"
Judgement on Egypt and the gods they worship – Yep!
Mighty acts and an outstretched arm – Uh huh!
Freedom and redemption from slavery – Woohoo!
The promise of a land of their own – Yippee!
So, Did God’s Master Plan end with Plague 10? Was it his intent to free Israel and then turn them loose to make of themselves a great nation?
Nestled in the above declaration are these words: “I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God.”
According to Genesis (12:2-3; 15:18; 17:7) God promised Abraham 4 things:
• “I will make you into great nations,”
• “All people of the earth will be blessed through you,”
• “I will give your descendants this land”
• “I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you… to be your God.”
The most important promises in that list are not a great nation or land. They were the everlasting covenant that would result in a blessing for the entire earth.
God’s Master Plan, then, was for Israel – through their Covenant Relationship with Him – to be a blessing to the entire world. In order for that to happen, he needed to move them from a place of slavery to a place of freedom. A great nation with a land of their own was just frosting.
However, Israel had been in slavery for a while and even before slavery they had proven pretty flaky in keeping their side of the Covenant, so God was about to take them on a journey that would prove their metal – that would refine them and prepare them for their role in God’s Master Plan.
Proverbs 17:3 - A crucible is for the silver, and a furnace is for the gold, but Yahweh will test hearts.
At this point in our story, Pharaoh has finally released his grip and consented to free Israel – more than that he has told them to get out!
Exodus 12:37 - The Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Succoth. There were about 600,000 men on foot, besides women and children.
Even before leaving Egypt, Israel had proven quick to whine when things appeared to go pear shaped – but now the refining process would begin in earnest:
Exodus 13:17-22 - … God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, "If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt." So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of Egypt armed for battle. Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made the sons of Israel swear an oath. He had said, "God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up with you from this place." After leaving Succoth they camped at Etham on the edge of the desert. By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.
Yahweh now told Moses to turn back and camp at Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. The people now had nowhere to go. The mountains were at their back and the sea was in front of them. It is here that the pursuing Egyptians finally caught up with them. What will Israel do, I wonder?
Exodus 14:10-12 - As Pharaoh drew near, the sons of Israel looked … and they became very frightened; so the sons of Israel cried out to Yahweh. Then they said to Moses, "Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you dealt with us in this way, bringing us out of Egypt? "Is this not the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, 'Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians '? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness."
“Don’t be afraid.” Moses said. “Stand firm and watch the deliverance Yahweh will bring you today. The Egyptians you see now you will never see again. Yahweh will fight for you; all you need to do is be still."
While the people were complaining, Pharaoh was rejoicing. From his perspective, Moses had made a tactical error. He had led Israel into a dead-end with some pretty ticked off Egyptians blocking their only way of escape. GOTCHA!!!
Not so fast big guy!! (Exodus 14:19-28)
• The angel of God and the cloud, which up until now had been going before the people, moved behind them so that they were between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel. Throughout the night, the cloud brought darkness to one side and light to the other side.
• Moses stretched out his hand over the sea and Yahweh moved the sea with a strong east wind that blew all night. The waters were divided and the sea became dry ground. The Israelites walked on dry land with water bunched up like walls on either side.
• The Egyptians chased after them.
• In the morning, Yahweh looked down into the Egyptian camp from his cloud of fire and he threw them into a panic as random wheels began coming off their chariots (making them difficult to drive).
• The Egyptians said, “We must flee because Yahweh is fighting for Israel against us.”
• Yahweh told Moses to stretch out his hand and let the waters return over the Egyptians. Moses obeyed and the waters returned and covered the chariots and the charioteers—all the army of Pharaoh coming after them into the sea. Not one survived among them.
Yahweh saved Israel that day and when they saw the great power which He had used against the Egyptians, they feared Him. Israel believed in Yahweh and in his servant, Moses.
Standing in shock and joy on the other side of the Red Sea Moses and the sons of Israel began to sing……..
“I will sing to Yahweh, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.
Yahweh is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
Yahweh is a man of war; Yahweh is his name.
Pharaoh’s chariots and his host he cast into the sea, and his chosen officers were sunk in the Red Sea.
The floods covered them; they went down into the depths like a stone.
Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power, your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy.
In the greatness of your majesty you overthrow your adversaries; you send out your fury; it consumes them like stubble.
At the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up; the floods stood up in a heap; the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea.
The enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them. I will draw my sword; my hand shall destroy them.’
You blew with your wind; the sea covered them; they sank like lead in the mighty waters.
Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?
You stretched out your right hand; the earth swallowed them.
You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed; you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode.
The peoples have heard; they tremble; pangs have seized the inhabitants of Philistia.
Now are the chiefs of Edom dismayed; trembling seizes the leaders of Moab; all the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away.
Terror and dread fall upon them; because of the greatness of your arm, they are still as a stone, till your people, O Lord, pass by, till the people pass by whom you have purchased.
You will bring them in and plant them on your own mountain, the place, O Lord, which you have made for your abode, the sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands have established.
Yahweh will reign forever and ever.”
Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and dancing. And Miriam sang to them:
“Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.” – Ex. 15:1-21
They worshiped and acknowledged their warrior God – for He had rescued them.
Yahweh had done what only He could do and Israel was now free. The vast desert spread out before them in all its starkness and beauty.
With Yahweh’s mighty acts still vivid in their minds Israel started out from the edge of the Red Sea and into the unknown….
What could possibly go wrong?
Until Next Time………
