Who parted the sea in the Bible?

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).

The second thing to be remarked is, the division of the waters of the Red Sea. Moses was to lift up his rod, and stretch out his hand over the sea. (v. 16.) The rod is a symbol of the authority and power of God; and hence it was before it that the waters retired. The strong east wind was used as an instrumentality, but in connection with the mandate of His power as expressed in the use of the rod. Thus God opened a way through death for His people. As, on the one hand, He shielded them from Satan's power, so, on the other, He through death delivered them from death. This is the typical significance of the Red Sea — death, and also resurrection — inasmuch as the people were brought through to the other side. "As a moral type," therefore, to use the language of another, "the Red Sea is evidently the death and resurrection of Jesus, so far as the real effecting of the work goes, in its own efficacy as deliverance by redemption, and of His people as seen in Him; God acting in it, to bring them through death out of sin and this present world, giving absolute deliverance from them by death, into which Christ had gone, and consequently beyond the possibility of being reached by the enemy." This is beautifully illustrated by two particulars. They "went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground." Wherefore? Because — we speak of the typical teaching — Christ had gone down into death, and exhausted its power. He "death by dying slew," and in death met and vanquished the whole power of Satan. Through death He destroyed him that had the power of death, that is, the devil, and delivered them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. (Heb. 2:14-15.) All the force and power of death were therefore expended upon Christ, and as a consequence believers pass through on dry ground. Then, moreover, we find that "the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand and on their left." (v. 22.) Not only had death no power over them, but it became a defence. Thus "the very sea they dreaded, and which appeared to throw them into Pharaoh's hands, becomes the means of their salvation." It was the way of their deliverance from Egypt, and instead of being their enemy had become their friend. How blessedly all this is fulfilled in the death and resurrection of Christ, every believer should know. It is not only that we have been sheltered from judgment through the sprinkled blood, but through the death and resurrection of Christ, and our death and resurrection in Him, we have been brought out from Egypt, and delivered both from the power of Satan and of death. Already we have passed from death unto life, have been brought completely out of our old condition on to new ground in Christ Jesus. We might still go farther, and point out how this type will be fulfilled in another way. Death, which is the enemy of the sinner, has become the friend of the believer, and will but prove the means of our passage, should we depart before the Lord returns, into His presence.

The last thing to be noted is the destruction of the Egyptians. In the temerity of their daring presumption they "pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen." That pillar of fire even did not keep them back, but, in vain confidence in their own strength, they pressed onward, but to a sure and certain doom. "And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the Lord looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians, and took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily." They were now convinced of the hopelessness of the contest, and would fain have fled; but it was all too late. At the Lord's bidding, once again Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and it returned and covered all Egypt's host, so that "there remained not so much as one of them." (v. 28.) "By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do, were drowned." (Heb. 11:29.) The solemn lesson is thus conveyed, that to face the power of death in human confidence is certain destruction. Only the blood-bought people can pass through in safety. All others will surely be overwhelmed; and yet how many a soul dares to meet death and judgment in its own strength. Let all such be warned by the fate of Pharaoh and his army. There can be no escape apart from Christ. He only is the way of safety, because He alone has met and overcome death, is the One who has died, has risen again, and is alive for evermore, and has the keys of hades and death.

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.

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.

A miracle is a miracle, and is not to be explained away. It is an act of the Almighty, commanding the obedience of the laws of nature, as those natural principles are termed, by which He has ordained that His creation should be sustained. There is no apology needed for a miracle; it is patent to all, and proves itself to be what it is by its own force. Imitation miracles are forced upon human credulity by human authority; a real miracle witnesses to the hand of God. Why the miracle that formed a passage on dry land in the midst of the sea is not believed by many in our day, is simply because such do not believe that God is almighty. The whole story of the Exodus is the record of miracle upon miracle, sign upon sign, wonder upon wonder.

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 river of Palestine is first referred to when Lot chose the plain of Jordan, because it was well watered, as the garden of the Lord. Gen. 13:10. The first great event at the river was when the waters from above were driven back, and those below failed and were cut off, and Israel marched over on dry land. They had previously passed through the Red Sea, but the details of the two passages are quite different. At the Red Sea Moses lifted up his rod and the waters divided; but at the Jordan it was when the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the water that it divided. The ark also remained in the river until all had passed over. Twelve stones were taken out of the river to form a cairn on the land, and twelve stones were placed in the bed of the river to be covered by the water. The waters were piled up at Adam, some twenty miles from where the Israelites crossed; but at the Red Sea the water was as a wall on each side. Joshua 3:8-17; Joshua 4:1-24. (The waters being piled up 'at Adam' [Joshua 3:16] is according to the Hebrew text [see also R.V. and Mr. Darby's Trans.]; the reading 'from Adam' is according to the Keri.)

Returning to the Jordan, Elisha used the mantle to strike the water, at the same time saying, "Where is the Lord God of Elijah?" (v.14). The answer to his question was immediately given, for the waters were again divided for Elisha to pass over. The Lord God of Elijah was with Elisha.

When the children of Israel came to the river Jordan the waters of death stood between them and the land of promise with no natural means of removing the raging flood, or of crossing over it. Only by divine intervention was it possible for them to reach the other side, and enter the land flowing with milk and honey. Chapters 3 and 4 of the Book of Joshua tell us how God intervened to take them dry shod to the other side. Whenever the priests who carried God’s holy ark touched the water of Jordan, the “waters which came from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam…and those that came down toward the sea of the plain…failed, and were cut off” (Joshua 3:16). That which depicted the holiness and the power of God, His holy ark, was the means of Israel’s entry into the land.

It was about six hundred years after Israel crossed the Jordan that Elijah stood at the same river with Elisha, but his crossing was from the land of promise, which had become corrupt through idolatry, to another land which could never be corrupted. The dark chilly waters of death were before him, but “Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground” (2 Kings 2:8). The same divine power that had made a way for Israel so long before now made a way for God’s servant. He passed in figure through the waters of death, but only in figure, for on reaching the other side he was taken up to heaven without seeing death.

"And the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: but lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it; and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. And 1, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen." (vv. 15-18.)

There is no inconsistency between the command of Moses, "Stand still," and that now given, "Go forward." They had truly to be reminded that they could do nothing; but faith should have perceived that the work was done, and marched boldly forward through the sea which seemed to bar their advance. Death, and the power of death, had been overcome, the salvation had been completed, and hence they were to go forward. The order and the teaching of the order are beautiful. The Lord completes the work, and by the finished work of salvation a way of escape from Satan's power through death has been opened. Being opened, it is for the believer to walk through it, to go boldly forward in confidence in Him who, having been their Judge, has now become their Saviour. This the Lord proceeds to unfold by the farther command addressed to Moses. He will show His power over the sea before the eyes of His people, to pacify their fears, and to assure them of His protection and care. But this must be explained more fully. Together with the command to the children of Israel to go forward, Moses was directed to lift up his rod, and stretch his hand over the sea, and divide it, so that the children of Israel might go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. The Egyptians should be hardened to follow, and to follow for their own destruction, and God would be glorified both in the salvation of His people and the destruction of their foes. Having thus directed Moses, the Lord proceeds to act.

"And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them: and it came between the camp of the. Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night. And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand and on their left.

Israel’s fear of death was to be taken away by the Lord’s intervention for them; His power was to be manifested in the defeat of Pharaoh and his host. Moses, and his rod, were the instruments used of God to make a way for His people through the Red Sea, but it was by “a strong east wind all the night” that a path was made through the sea for Israel to cross on dry land. The strong east wind surely brings before us what the Lord Jesus endured to make a way for His own through the waters of death. And the Red Sea, which was the means used of God to deliver Israel from the power of Pharaoh, was the means of the destruction of Pharaoh and his power. God used that which was typically death for the destruction of Israel’s foes, and the deliverance of His people.