ISRAELITES ESCAPE THROUGH THE SEA

EXODUS 13–15

The oppressed Israelites desperately wanted relief from their misery. The Lord heard their cries and sent Moses to speak on their behalf to the Egyptian government. God’s message for Egypt was brief and clear: “Let my people go” (Exod. 5:1). When the Egyptian pharaoh put his country as an obstacle in the path of God’s plan, the Lord first warned and then opposed him with ten plagues. These plagues broke the arrogance and power of Egypt’s pharaoh, and the Israelites were set free (Exod. 7–12). The route they took out of Egypt is described in some detail because it was selected for a reason.

At that time, the nation of Egypt was understood to be limited to the agricultural areas that could be irrigated by the Nile. The Israelites began their journey in the eastern delta of the Nile River. This was the general region where Joseph first settled the family of Jacob, near modern Tell ed-Dab’a. Recent archaeology has associated this area as the place called Rameses in the Bible,5 which is located within the geographic region known as Goshen. The Israelites moved from here to Succoth, known today as Tell el-Maskhuta (Exod. 12:37), located at the eastern edge of the Nile delta. After leaving Succoth, the Israelites were directed by the Lord to a body of water near Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the water opposite Baal Zephon,6 which had to be crossed if they were to leave Egypt. This instruction placed them at the eastern edge of Egypt’s fortified frontier. With the Egyptian army in pursuit, the Israelites found themselves blocked by the body of water the English translations call the “Red Sea” (Exod. 14:3–9).

Wall remains of Tell el-Maskhuta, identified as biblical Succoth (Exod. 12:37), where the Israelites gathered to begin their exodus out of Egypt.

There are a number of bodies of water between the Gulf of Suez and the Mediterranean that have been suggested as possible locations for the miraculous parting of the waters.7 No matter what body of water it was, the Israelites were physically barred from continuing out of Egypt because the water functioned as a military “gate” preventing Israel’s departure.8

The reeds on the edge of Lake Timsah, an area that some have associated with the Israelites’ crossing of the Red Sea.

The Lord led the Israelites on a route that gave the Egyptians the impression that they had wandered into a trap with no way of escape. In reality the Lord’s route was designed to get Israel out of Egypt and away from Egyptian control in such a way that only he, the Lord Almighty, would be recognized as deliverer of the Hebrew people. So God himself miraculously opened the water blockade allowing the Israelites to flee Egypt, and then he quickly closed that door on the pursuing Egyptians. When that day was done, the Israelites were outside the borders of Egypt and safe from any military reprisal. The Lord’s promise of rescue was accomplished in such a way that the reputation of the God of Israel was spread to the surrounding nations (see, e.g., Josh. 9:9–10).

It was a most memorable event that happened where it did for a reason. For centuries to come, nations of the world would hear of the power of the God of Israel because of what he had done in this miraculous water crossing. In generations to come, the Israelites would be reminded that they had been chosen to be messengers of Almighty God, who had rescued them from an oppressive and powerful nation. Safely crossing the impassable waters and escaping from the pharaoh was the evidence upon which they would be asked to base their trust when encountering future struggles. This deliverance was also a witness against those who turned to idolatry and questioned the Lord’s authority, faithfulness, and power.

Israelites leave Egypt

This wooden chariot was a gift from Pharaoh Amenhotep III.
© Dr. James C. Martin. The Cairo Museum.