Pharaoh pursues God’s people
Exodus 14:1-9; 6/28/2026; BCBC/IOUC; Rev. Paul Wang
Introduction
Up to this point, the Israelites were still in Egypt. They had not yet crossed the Red Sea. That is why the events in today’s passage could take place. From the time they set out until now, they had not traveled very far. Yet along the way, God had already given four important messages. These messages would become the core values of God’s people for the rest of their lives, preparing them to face Pharaoh’s relentless pursuit. Now let’s look at the first point.
Pharaoh’s hardened heart
Today’s message not only points out Pharaoh’s hardened heart, but also reveals the consequences of that hardened heart. What began as stubbornness in his heart became a powerful driving force that everyone could see. First, consider the command to camp at Pi-hahiroth. Earlier, Scripture tells us that the Israelites set out from Succoth and camped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. But now God instructs Moses to tell the people to turn back and camp in front of Pi-hahiroth. That decision alone would have been enough to unsettle the people, wouldn’t it? They might have wondered, “Why are we going back?” “Has Moses lost his way?” “Or has the LORD lost His way?” So where exactly were the Israelites at this moment? Apparently, they were still camped at Etham when Moses received this instruction from the LORD. There, God told them to turn back. This time, God’s directions were very clear and very specific. They were to camp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. In fact, God was so specific that He said they were to camp by the sea, opposite Baal-zephon.
Second, Pharaoh drew his own conclusion. I imagine Pharaoh had people tracking the movements of the Israelites. Then a report came back: “The Israelites have turned around. They have left Etham and gone back.” Immediately Pharaoh’s heart was stirred. He must have thought, “They are lost.” “They said they were leaving Egypt, but now they don’t know where they are going.”As the text says, “The wilderness has shut them in.” What is remarkable is that Pharaoh’s reasoning matched exactly what God had already told Moses would happen. It was as if Moses was playing a game of cards while already knowing Pharaoh’s hand. Even before Pharaoh’s heart began to move, Moses already understood the whole situation. Not because Moses was exceptionally clever. But because he knew the LORD. And even then, Moses was not a great man in himself. He had only arrived at the doorway of wisdom. Yet that was enough.
Finally, God hardened Pharaoh’s heart. This time, Pharaoh could not avoid it. The LORD Himself hardened Pharaoh’s heart. If we do not understand the story of the ten plagues, and if we do not know the history of Pharaoh’s repeated hardness of heart, we may be tempted to judge God unfairly. We may even accuse Him of being unjust. But notice what God is doing here. He is also giving a prophecy. He is telling Moses in advance what is about to happen, so that Moses will be prepared. At the same time, God also has a purpose for Pharaoh. It is a redemptive purpose. Scripture says, “I will gain glory for Myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD.” Think about that. Even the Egyptians are going to know the LORD. If they come to know the LORD, would that not bring them to the very beginning of wisdom? And if a person begins to walk in wisdom, how can he remain hard-hearted and foolish? Now, let’s move on to our second point.
Pharaoh’s regret
The Bible says,”The king of Egypt was told that the people had fled.” But, if no one had reported this to Pharaoh, would he not have regretted letting them go anyway? First, Pharaoh changed his mind. An agreement had already been made. Pharaoh had said to Moses, “Rise up, leave my people, both you and the Israelites. Go and worship the LORD as you have requested.” Yet before Israel even crossed the Red Sea, Pharaoh changed his mind. The text almost seems to offer him an excuse. It says,”The king of Egypt was told that the people had fled.” But honestly, that should not surprise anyone. More than two million people were on the move. Of course the Egyptians would notice. Of course someone would report it to Pharaoh. That is only natural. The real issue is that he used the report as an excuse to change his mind. Pharaoh, wasn’t your word supposed to be final?
Second, Pharaoh’s greedy nature is revealed. From the conversation in the royal court between Pharaoh and his officials, the reason becomes clear. Scripture records that they said, “What have we done? We have let the Israelites go, and they have stopped serving us.” At this moment, Pharaoh had not learned anything from the ten plagues. Nor was there any true repentance before God. What we see is not repentance because of sin against God, but regret driven by loss. He regretted that he had let the Israelites go. Deep inside, his unspoken thought was, “Have I not suffered a great loss?” “Who will now make bricks for me?” “Where will I find such a labor force again?”
Finally, emotional impulse took over Pharaoh’s heart. When a person becomes greedy, his heart can easily begin to form illusions. He starts to imagine that his own abilities are far greater than they really are. And if someone around him encourages him, even slightly, Pharaoh quickly begins to think of himself as more than just the king of Egypt. In his mind, he becomes something like the sun god of Egypt, or even the commander-in-chief of the entire world, or even as the center of national admiration, as if he were the one everyone depended on. At that point, who would he be afraid of? So he mobilized his entire army. Scripture says, “He took six hundred select chariots, and all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them. This was essentially the full military force of Egypt being sent out. On the other hand, although the Israelites were numerous, they were traveling with families and belongings, and were not in a position for battle. So Pharaoh’s decision was driven by flesh and emotion, not by wisdom. Now let us look at the third point.
Pharaoh’s confused heart
When Pharaoh decided to pursue the Israelites, his mind became confused. Even after the death of the firstborn, he still could not learn the lesson or take heed. His confusion had reached an extreme level. First, a hardened heart leads to pursuit. In this passage, there is a chain of logic that may seem a bit difficult at first glance. It says, “The LORD hardened Pharaoh king of Egypt’s heart, so he pursued the Israelites.” At first glance, this passage is somewhat difficult to understand. Pharaoh had a hardened heart, so he pursued the Israelites, which seems understandable. But the text also says that it was the LORD who hardened Pharaoh’s heart. So the question arises: whose responsibility is this? Second, Moses adds another explanation that may also seem puzzling. He says, “The Israelites went out boldly.” This is God’s word to Israel. In other words, their bold departure would also be followed by the challenge of pursuit from behind.
Second, Pharaoh’s confusion about Israel’s faith. From Pharaoh’s perspective, he could not understand where this confidence and boldness of the Hebrew slaves came from. And yet they were leaving Egypt boldly and without fear. Who were these people? Pharaoh was completely confused. But even this confusion was, in a sense, allowed by God. Just as today, when we share the gospel, some people believe immediately. They respond, make a decision for Christ, and continue to grow in their faith. But there are also others who never believe, no matter how often they hear the message. Or if they do believe, it is not genuine. When trials come, their true condition is revealed. Pharaoh was puzzled by the boldness of Israel. In the same way, Satan could not understand why the apostles were willing to die in order to spread the gospel. Even today, our faith and testimony are things that the forces of evil struggle to understand.
Finally, the encounter at Baal-zephon. “Baal” means lord or master. “Zephon” means north. Baal-zephon was an idol worshiped by both the Egyptians and the Canaanites. The appearance of this name suggests that near Pi-hahiroth and Migdol, there was likely a temple or a place of pagan worship. From this perspective, it is very meaningful that God instructed Israel to turn back from Etham. The pursuit of Israel by the Egyptians was not merely a military chase. It was a spiritual battle. Baal-zephon was the territory of a false god. Yet it became the very place where the LORD gained victory, and where He was glorified over Pharaoh and all his army. God even declared, “The Egyptians will know that I am the LORD.” God’s heart is that even the Egyptians would be delivered from idols and brought to know Him as the true God.
Conclusion
Praise the Lord! Pharaoh finally pursued the Israelites according to God’s appointed time and God’s appointed place. It was not just a single chariot. Rather, it was the entire army of Egypt. This included six hundred of the best chariots, as well as all the other chariots of Egypt, each with its own commander. Pharaoh’s heart moved from hardness, to regret, and then into confusion. And in all of this, God was glorified among the Egyptians.
Let’s pray together!……
1 Then the Lord said to Moses,
2 “Tell the people of Israel to turn back and encamp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, in front of Baal-zephon; you shall encamp facing it, by the sea.
3 For Pharaoh will say of the people of Israel, ‘They are wandering in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.’
4 And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord.” And they did so.
5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, the mind of Pharaoh and his servants was changed toward the people, and they said, “What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?”
6 So he made ready his chariot and took his army with him,
7 and took six hundred chosen chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them.
8 And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the people of Israel while the people of Israel were going out defiantly.
9 The Egyptians pursued them, all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and his horsemen and his army, and overtook them encamped at the sea, by Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.
