It was midnight, in the deepest of the night, when we marched from Egypt. It was a wonderful feeling of excitement and anxiety as we marched with all our property and people from Goshen toward Succoth. We encamped at Etham, towards the tip of the Wilderness…and smelled freedom in the air. For 430 years we have been slaves in Egypt, and now, we’re excited to know what freedom will feel like.
We sang songs of deliverance as we recounted our terrors and oppression under slavery…and chanted with a joyful chorus as we yearned for a better life on a land flowing with milk and honey. It was a slow journey through the wilderness because of the kids and animals. Yet, we slowly made it towards Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baalzephon: before it, we were encamped by the red sea.
While at Etham, we became suddenly troubled and impatient by news of an approaching army. The whole company was confused, extremely afraid, and began wailing. We immediately regretted leaving Egypt and preferred slavery to freedom. Out of fear of the approaching doom, we forgot what God did for us in Egypt. We blasphemously criticized Moses for bringing us out of Egypt. Indeed, we forgot that the divine cloud ☁️ was hovering above us, giving us shade by day and burning lights by night.
The sound of Pharaoh’s approaching army got louder and nearer, and our fears and tremors knew no bounds. Suddenly, the divine cloud moved behind us and turned exceedingly dark to the Egyptians and bright towards us. This halted the approach of the Egyptians as they couldn’t see through the darkness. The darkness gave us momentary relief as we waited for our uncertain fate.
Moses then rose his voice in commanding assurance:
“Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more forever. The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.”
He then struck the sea with his rod, and a mighty wind never before seen swept through the sea with such great force and power that we feared for our very lives.
The red sea roared and ran away from the mighty wind. For the wind tore the sea apart like a man tearing apart a garment. A clean clear path was made in the sea by the wind and we walked sweetly through, both amazed and shocked beyond our imagination. Oh that I could describe the scene and situation more perfectly. For by our sides were the mighty walls of water, drizzling dew on us as we walked through it. We could see through the waters of the sea wall and beheld numerous creatures in it…
Slowly but surely, we all passed through the sea to the other side. Hardly were we settled on the other side than we saw the cloud separating us from the Egyptians lifted towards us. The Egyptians, seeing the way through the sea, also rushed towards us. Strangely, they weren’t even scared by the miracle of a separated sea!! Oh, what blindness. It still amazes me that they could not stand to think that this was a trap and the work of a divine hand.
Sheepishly, they run to their destruction. As they run through the sea towards us, the walls of the sea gave way. With a mighty and thunderous sound, the sea walls rushed back toward each other to close the gap within them. The Egyptians were crushed into the swirling waves and were immediately swallowed into the depths of the sea. Not even one soldier was spared. Both horses and riders, chariots and footmen, were consumed by the hungry waters into the depths, never to be seen again.
We watched in awe and astounding shock. For the chariots were broken apart and strewn on the banks of the sea. The whole army of Egypt perished in a twinkle of an eye. Surely, this is the greatest miracle the world has ever witnessed.
Suddenly, Miriam rose her voice in song and praise, and we could not but join her to express our most profound joy and gratitude to Jehovah for such a deliverance. Our God indeed, is a mighty man of war.
For there is nothing that He cannot do. This miracle of God in delivering us from the threat of death, has cemented my faith in Him. Let’s comfort ourselves with these words in this dark world. A happy blessed Sabbath to all the sons and daughters of God.
