who part the red sea in the bible

Preparation was made. The angel of the Lord and the pillar of cloud removed from the front and guarded the rear, interposing between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. To Israel it gave light; to the Egyptians it was darkness, forming an impassable barrier between the two. Next Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and a strong east wind made it to go back all that night, and made the sea dry land. And the waters were divided. A path was thus opened where none had been before, and Israel could tread it in safety with the waters a wall to them on the right hand and on the left. What none had presupposed was now opened up. There was a way of deliverance, but through the sea for Israel, God's chosen people. On dry ground they walked through its breadth till they reached the opposite shore.

"The waters were a wall to them on the right hand and on the left" — so runs the historical record. "With the blast of Thy nostrils the waters were piled up (see R.V.): the floods stood upright as an heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea" (15:8). So sang Moses and Israel, describing in poetic language the passage made through the waters. It was a passage of dry land, whilst the waters on each side were piled up. To pursue the Israelites the Egyptians had to follow in their wake, and the pillar of cloud intervening between the two hosts effectually prevented the Egyptians overtaking them.

Moses stretched out his hand with his rod over the sea (v. 21). Then the Lord caused the sea to divide by means of a strong east wind blowing all night. He could have done this more quickly, but He did not, for Israel needed the delay. The sea bottom did not remain muddy, but became dry land. The children of Israel did not linger to marvel over the wonder of this great miracle taking place before their eyes, but marched forward between the two vertical walls of water that had been formed altogether by the power of God.

Moses lifted up his rod — the emblem of divine power entrusted to him — and the waters of the sea were divided. God sent a strong wind, which drove back the sea, heaping it up, whilst a path spread out before the feet of Israel. God purposed in this miracle that His name should be forever extolled and remembered in Israel, and also that the nations of Canaan should know that His arm was outstretched for His people's salvation. The psalmists and the prophets recall this great act of God, and often make it the subject of their songs and encouragement.

The second event to be noted is that God commands Moses to "lift thy staff, and stretch out thy hand over the sea and divide it, and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. … And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord made the sea go back by a strong east wind all the night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided" (Ex. 14:16-21). Though the "strong east wind" was the instrument used of God to cleave the Red Sea so that the waters stood as "crystal walls" on either side and made a path through which His people should pass to the other side, it was the rod stretched out by Moses in which the power and authority of God was invested. "He clave the sea, and caused them to pass through and made the waters to stand as a heap" (Ps. 78:13); "And He rebuked the Red Sea and dried it up" (Ps. 106:5: 9).

Thus this seemingly impassable sea which they so much dreaded, and which seemed to aid their adversary in his last desperate effort to bring them again into bondage, becomes the means of their deliverance. The One of whom it is said, "The sea is His and He made it," in the exercise of His sovereign power causes this formidable barrier to become the means of His people's defence, for we read "And the children of Israel went through the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left."

THE PASSAGE OF THE RED SEA. The number of the Israelites was probably about two millions. They encamped by the sea shore and Pharaoh naturally thought they were entangled in the land. With his army and his chariots he pursued after them. The Israelites greatly feared, but Moses said, "Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of Jehovah." The angel of God and the pillar of the cloud went between the Israelites and the Egyptians. To the Israelites the cloud gave light, but to the Egyptians it was a cloud of darkness, all night. Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and God caused a strong east wind to blow all that night, and the waters were divided, and the Israelites went over on dry land.

Then the Lord caused a strong east wind to blow all night, which made the sea dry land and the waters were divided. A way of escape was made by GOD.

The great prophet Isaiah anticipated this great victory for the flock of God when he cried, "Art Thou not it which has dried the sea, the waters of the great deep; that has made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over?" And the answer comes "I am the Lord thy God, that divided the sea, whose waves roared: the Lord of hosts is His Name."

Let us see how perfectly the type answers to the deliverance of the people of God from sin. The children of Israel had come to the shores of the Red Sea. It is a desert place, with mountains on either side it left no apparent way of escape from Pharaoh who has recovered from his recent terror under the judgment of God, and has gathered his hosts to pursue after and bring them back into servitude. What could they do? Behind them is their relentless enemy, they are shut in on either side, and before them are the waters of the Red Sea. All they can do is to cry to God. And when did He ever fail to respond to His people's cry? He opened the way for them, not by first overthrowing Pharaoh, but by dividing the sea asunder. Those waves of death are parted at the presence of the rod which had brought the plagues upon Egypt, and a way is opened through the sea.

Nothing is said of Moses' birth in Egypt nor of his honor in Pharaoh's court, but rather of God's sending Moses and Aaron to be the means of Israel's deliverance. Briefly too God's plagues on Egypt are mentioned, for it was these that eventually moved Pharaoh to release Israel (v.5). But it was God who brought them out, and God who had directed them to the Red Sea, which Israel would not have naturally chosen. The waters of death were rolled back for Israel to pass on dry ground, and the pursuing Egyptians found darkness while Israel was in the light (v.7).

His great excellence overpowers and overthrows all who dare to rise against Him. In His anger they are consumed like stubble set on fire. The “strong east wind” that blew the sea back is likened to the blast of God's nostrils, causing the waters to gather together and stand upright (v. 8). What power there is simply in the breath of God! We should never naturally associate breath with power, but what appears to be of little significance is tremendously great where God is involved.

“The depths congealed in the heart of the sea.” The water of the Red Sea was certainly not changed to ice, but for the time being the liquid congealed, or became a solid by miraculous power.