Exodus 14 Summary: A Concise Overview in 5 Minutes

Exodus 14 Summary - A Quick Overview

WHEN:

• Moses was born around 1571 B.C. and left Egypt at 40 years old (Acts 7:23).

• According to Exodus 7:7, Moses was 80 years old when he stood before Pharaoh as the representative of God (1491 B.C.).

• God delivered the Israelites from slavery in approximately 1491 B.C.

CHARACTERS:

• Israelites (Hebrews) – They were the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and they grew into a great nation of people during their time in Egypt.   

• Moses – A Hebrew who grew up in the house of Pharaoh. He fled Egypt in Exodus 2 and went to live in Midian. God called him back to Egypt to deliver the Israelites from slavery.

• Pharaoh – The wicked king of Egypt

• Pharaoh’s Army – They pursued the Hebrews into the wilderness after Pharaoh granted them their freedom but had a change of heart.

WHERE:

• The Israelites lived in the land of Goshen, a region of Egypt.

• After receiving their freedom from slavery, God led the Israelites south “by the way of the wilderness towards the Red Sea.”

• The exact location of the Red Sea crossing is unknown.

OUTLINE:

• THE ISRAELITES CROSS THE RED SEA (14:1-31):

  • God told the Hebrews to turn back and camp facing the Red Sea.

  • He told Moses He would harden the heart of Pharaoh so he would pursue the Hebrews into the wilderness, and God would “get glory over Pharaoh.”

  • Pharaoh’s final humiliation would teach the Egyptians that the God of Israel was the one true God.

  • Pharaoh took 600+ chariots and the army of Egypt and chased Israel down in the wilderness.

  • When Pharaoh drew near to the camp, the Hebrews cried out and fear and accused Moses of leading them to their death.

  • Moses told them, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again.”

  • The angel of the Lord, who had been leading the Israelites in the pillar of cloud and fire, moved between the Israel and the Egyptians and kept the Egyptians from entering the camp.

  • God divided the waters of the Red Sea before the Israelites with a strong wind.

  • The wind dried up the seabed so the Hebrews could walk across the sea on dry land.

  • “And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.”

  • The Egyptians pursued them, but God caused their chariot wheels to get stuck.

  • God brought the walls of water down on the Egyptian army and they were all drown.

  • After seeing the great power of God, the people “believed in the Lord and in His servant Moses.”

APPLICATION:

• As followers of God, we shouldn’t worry about dead ends.

• The Israelites were pinned against the sea and God split it to make a way for them.

• Maybe you’ve been trying to serve God but you feel like you’ve hit a roadblock... God can make a way for you.

• Maybe you’ve been fighting a sin so long you feel like you’re stuck at a dead end... God can make a way for you.

• Maybe your marriage is struggling, and you don’t know what else to do... God can make a way for you and your spouse.

• In fact, it seems like God often prefers to wait till we’ve hit a dead end to show us the way around it so, that when the solution is revealed, He receives the glory for it.