The Crisis At The Red Sea

Pharaoh and His Host Drowned in the Red Sea (illustration from the 1728 Figures de la Bible) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By David Wilkerson
[May 19, 1931 – April 27, 2011]

The Old Testament lists many times of testing for God’s people. Perhaps the
greatest example was the crisis at the Red Sea. This crisis was completely
arranged by God, set up by His very own commands to Israel. Scripture says that
it was God who hardened Pharaoh‘s heart, caused the Egyptians to pursue Israel,
and allowed the Egyptian army to overtake them by the sea.

God told the people to camp between Migdol and Pihahiroth, a location situated
between two mountain passes, with the sea bordering a third side (see Exodus
14). The only possible route of escape was back into the wilderness and that
was blocked by Pharaoh’s approaching army. The Israelites were horrified at
their situation but their God had led them there!

Let me point out something here: God could have arranged to knock the wheels
off the Egyptians’ chariots at any time in the wilderness, stranding them and
starving them to death. But, instead, He waited until they were between the
walls of the separated sea.

God also could have sent the supernatural cloud down upon the Egyptians’ camp
to confuse them. Those soldiers would have run around in the confusing mist for
days. But, instead, He chose to send the cloud behind the Israelites as
protection.

Or, God could have sent a single angel to slay the entire Egyptian army in the
blink of an eye. In fact, He could have chosen to destroy them at any point.
But the Lord did not do any of those things. Instead, He squeezed Israel into a
tight, alarming situation, a crisis that was impossible to escape by human
means.

I believe the Lord had two purposes in allowing this impossible situation for
His people:

* He was determined to annihilate Israel’s enemies; never again would they
have to look over their shoulders in fear. God was saying, in essence, “I’m
going to strew your enemies’ bodies along the shore so that you can see every
one of them dead. Then you will know I have all power!”
* God wanted to provide an opportunity for His people to put their lives in
His hands — to stand still and trust Him to give them direction.

How do we know God arranged this frightful situation to test His people? His
own Word says so: “Thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led
thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to
know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or
no” (Deuteronomy 8:2).