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When Moses and the Israelites
left Egypt in so much haste, they did not forget Joseph's dying command,
but carried his bones with them. Then they went on, and came to the
Red Sea. But when Pharaoh heard they were gone, he commanded his
servants to bring his chariots, and his horses; and he went with a great
army to bring the people back again. He overtook them by the sea;
they were all resting in their tents; a pillar of cloud was before them;
God gave them this pillar to show them the road by day; and by night, He
put before them a pillar of fire to give them light. They were safe
under God's keeping. But soon they looked up; and what did they
see? Pharaoh and the Egyptians coming after them very quickly, with
their chariots and horses. The Israelites cried to the Lord, and
said to Moses, "Why hast thou brought us away from Egypt? We
shall die, now, here in this wilderness!" They forgot that God
was still with them; but Moses said, "Fear not; be still, and the
Lord will fight for you." Then the Lord commanded the people to
go on. But where could they go? The great sea was before them,
and there was no bridge to go over, and no ships to carry them
across. What could they do? God knew; He could find a way for
them to escape. The pillar which was before them, moved behind; it
stood now between the Israelites and the Egyptians; but the side next the
Israelites was bright, to give them light; and the side next the
Egyptians, was dark and cloudy, so that they could not see to do the
Israelites any hurt all that night. Then God told Moses to stretch
his rod over the sea; and the Lord sent a very strong wind to blow back
the water; and in the morning, there was a dry road through the sea, and
the waters stood like a wall on each side. Who did this
wonder? Not Moses, not his rod, not the strong wind alone;—it was
God, God who has power to do all things. The Israelites walked
through the sea, all of them, on dry ground; not one was drowned, for God
held back the waters till they were all gone over safely. Then the
Egyptians tried to pursue them, and went in after them; but God looked
angrily at them through the pillar, and made them fear, and took off the
wheels of their chariots. And then He told Moses to stretch his rod
over the sea, and the waters came back again upon Pharaoh, and his army,
and his servants, and chariots, and horses, and they were all drowned. In
the morning, the Israelites saw all their enemies lying dead upon the
sea-shore. The Egyptians could hurt them no more now; their bodies
were cold and dead, and their souls were gone to be judged by God, whom
they had rebelled against, and disbelieved. "It is a fearful
thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Hebrews
10:31. The Israelites
thanked God, and sang praises to Him; and Miriam and the women played and
danced for joy. Then they went on into the wilderness of Shur.
They wandered there three days, and found no water. At last they
came to Marah, and there was water; but the water was bitter, and they
could not drink it. Then the people were discontented again, and
said to Moses, "What shall we drink?" Was this
right? No; the Israelites were discontented and unbelieving
people. They knew God had power to give them water if He pleased;
and they knew that they ought to be patient if He gave them none; He had
done many wonderful things for them, and He could do as many more; but
they forgot His kindness, and were impatient, and angry, and
discontented. Moses was sorry to find the people doing wrong again
so soon. He could not comfort them; he could not make the water
good; but he remembered who could, and he cried to the Lord. And did
God attend to Moses? Yes; He did not forget His distressed
people. Moses "cried unto the Lord; and the Lord showed him a
tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made
sweet." Was there any
wonderful power in this tree? No, the power was in God; the tree
could do no good without Him. God taught His people how great His
power is, because He wished them to trust in Him, and to feel safe and
happy in his keeping. We ought all to trust Him. He knows what
is best for us; and, if we are His people, we are safe in all places, and
may have comfort in all our sorrows.
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