Moses raises his staff and passes the Red Sea

Exodus 14:15-22;   7/12/2026; BCBC/IOUC; Rev. Paul Wang 

Introduction

            At this moment, the people of Israel had reached one of the greatest high points in their history.  But this was not human glory.  It was the true Light—the light of the Creator, the Sovereign Lord of heaven and earth. Because God is light.  When Moses stretched out his staff over the Red Sea, that happened about 3,500 years ago.  Yet even today, when we hear this account, our hearts are still encouraged and strengthened.  It reminds us how great the Lord we believe in truly is.  Now, let’s look at our first point. 

Stretch out the staff over the sea, and the waters parted 

            I sometimes think, maybe I should go to the Gulf of Mexico myself, lift up a staff, and see if the waters will part!  Why was Moses able to do that?  How could he do such a thing? On what basis?  Do you know?  First, the secret of crying out to God.  Up to this point in the passage, we don’t actually see Moses crying out to the Lord, do we? But if we look back at verse 10, we’ll notice that the Israelites cried out to the Lord.  One possibility is that Moses, seeing the people cry out, also cried out to God.  A second possibility is that crying out to the Lord was already a normal part of Moses’ spiritual life. It had become his habit.  A third possibility is that Moses and the Israelites had grown together spiritually, united under this one banner of crying out to God.  Whichever explanation you choose, the lesson is the same. Crying out to the Lord is never an optional choice for God’s people.  In fact, it was part of Israel’s spiritual preparation before they crossed the Red Sea.  Do you see that?

            Second, the Israelites moved forward.  When Jesus faced the challenge of the cross, He said to His disciples, “Rise, let us go.”  In today’s passage, God told Moses, “Even after you have cried out to Me, you still need to move forward.”  Brothers and sisters, I don’t know what kind of situation you’re facing today.  You can cry out to God. You can keep calling on His name.  But what comes next?  Will you stop where you are and refuse to move?  Or will you step out in faith and keep moving forward by faith?  When your eyes are fixed on Jesus Christ, there is no need to be afraid.  If worrying and fear could make your situation any better, then I would be afraid right along with you!  Of course, feeling afraid is perfectly natural.  After all, the sea was still right in front of them. It had not yet parted.  But when you are willing to take one small step of faith, God can make a way for you to take a giant step across the sea.  Are you willing?

            Lastly, obey what you hear.  Why did Moses become a man who pleased God?  Why did God even call Moses His friend?  The answer is actually very simple.  God said, “Tell the Israelites to move forward.”  Moses heard God’s command, and he obeyed.  Notice something here.  At that moment, Moses had not yet acted outwardly.  But in his heart, he had already obeyed.  God values that kind of willing heart.  The direction of our lives begins in the heart, and everything depends on God’s faithfulness.  When our hearts are willing to respond, God takes responsibility for the rest.  God did not speak in vague or abstract terms.  He gave Moses very specific instructions: “Lift up your staff, stretch out your hand over the sea, and divide it, so that the Israelites may go through the sea on dry ground.”  This also shows the deep understanding between God and Moses.  They knew each other.  Let me ask you: Do you understand God?  Does God find in you a heart that understands Him?  Are you walking in that kind of mutual understanding with Him?  Now, let’s move on to our second point.

Know who the LORD is

            Today’s passage has a very clear structure.  It can be divided into three parts: God’s command to Moses, God’s revelation of His purpose, and Israel’s walk across the dry ground.  Now let’s look at the second point.  Here, God reveals to Moses the purpose behind His command to stretch out the staff over the Red Sea.  First, God will receive glory.  When God is glorified, it is the result of God working together with His people.  But God’s glory begins with God Himself.  It is His own purpose.  He is the One who initiates it, who wills it, who carries it forward, and who brings it to completion.  God knows exactly where He will be glorified, through whom He will be glorified, and how He will be glorified.  The LORD said, “I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen.”  For this purpose, God even allowed the hearts of the Egyptians to become hardened.  To be wrong and yet unaware of it, and they had no ability to recognize their error.  This was the greatest tragedy of the Egyptians’ lives.  What about you?  When you are wrong, are you willing to admit it?

            Second, I Am the LORD.  Whenever I come to this truth, my heart is filled with gratitude.  When Jesus Christ prayed on the cross, He said: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”  Not only that, God also established a clear connection between His receiving glory and the Egyptians coming to know that He is the LORD.  God said:“When I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen, the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD.”  This is also the reason why we willingly give all glory and praise to God, isn’t it?  Every time we give glory and praise to God, including when we sing praises to Him, we are taking one more step forward in knowing Him.  Are you willing to sing praises to God?

            Third, light and darkness did not meet.  This may have been the most amazing experience during the crossing of the Red Sea. Would you agree?  Here we see three things: First, the angel of God — which is God Himself.  Second, the pillar of cloud. Third, the pillar of fire.  Normally, during the day, the pillar of cloud led the people forward.  At night, the pillar of fire gave light to the Israelites.  God Himself was present in the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire.  He watched over His people, gave instructions to Moses, and led them forward.  But now, the situation is completely different.  The Red Sea was in front of them, and the Egyptian army was behind them.  If God did not intervene, what could they do?  Then God moved.  The angel of God — God Himself — together with the pillar of cloud, moved from the front of Israel’s camp to the back of their camp.  God caused the Egyptians to become confused in the cloud, losing their direction and unable to move forward.  Then God looked down at the Egyptians from the pillar of cloud.  And when necessary, He took action.  Aren’t you moved by this?  Now, let’s look at our third point.

Prayer fulfilled: crossing the Red Sea 

            In the movie about the Exodus, the scene is portrayed in great detail.  But today’s passage is actually very simple.  Moses stretched out his staff over the sea, and it seems that everything happened just like that.  First, Moses truly stretched out his staff.  In verse 16, God commanded Moses to lift up his hand and stretch out his staff over the sea.  Then in verse 21, Moses actually did exactly what God commanded.  If it is true that when our hearts respond to God, God reveals His work and His purpose through us, then Moses stretching out his staff over the Red Sea shows us this:  The God we believe in is faithful, trustworthy, and completely true.  Not only that, through the Bible, God has turned the interaction between Moses and Himself into a living testimony — like a beautiful drama displayed before us —so that we, the generations who come after, can witness and learn together with God.  But the question is: Are we willing?  When we face God’s commands, His instructions, His correction, His teaching, His discipline, and even His rebuke, are we willing to obey?  Are we willing to receive His word and put it into practice?

            Second, the waters truly parted.  If verse 16 — God’s command — was already enough for us to move forward by faith, then that would be the faith of Mary Magdalene.   But if we have to wait until verse 21, until Moses stretches out his staff, the wind blows, and the waters are divided, before we are willing to say, “Now I believe,” then at best, that is only the faith of Thomas.  Thomas’ faith represents the lowest level of faith — faith that has reached the very edge of what can barely be called faith.  Do you know where the difference is?  The difference is this:Thomas touched the Lord’s side.  The Israelites saw the sea divide, and they even saw the dry ground beneath the sea.  What do they have in common?  They both believed because they saw.  It can hardly be called faith.  It may be considered faith in a limited sense, but it may not be true faith.  What about you?  Do you truly believe?  Do you believe in grace?  Do you believe in God’s power?  Do you believe only after you see?  Or do you believe in God alone?

            Lastly, the waters truly became walls on both sides.  Verse 22 says:“The Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.”  This verse provides additional details. It gives us a clearer picture of what happened in verse 21.  When the Israelites crossed the Red Sea, the waters stood up beside them.  The water on their right and on their left became like walls.  It was almost like an enormous aquarium!  The Israelites could cross the Red Sea while witnessing the amazing sight of the underwater world around them.  With about two and a half million people crossing the Red Sea, it is not surprising that it took the entire night.  After all, the Egyptian army behind them was completely blocked by the pillar of cloud, so the Israelites did not need to worry about the Egyptians catching up with them.

When all the people had crossed over, the waters returned to their place.  By that time, the sky was gradually becoming bright.

Conclusion

            Aren’t you moved by this?  How can we remain untouched by such a magnificent and breathtaking scene?  God’s three-part work — commanding Moses, revealing His purpose, and leading His people to walk on dry ground — comes together like a beautiful song, a song that praises the wonders of God.

            Let’s pray……

15 The Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. 

16 Lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground. 

17 And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they shall go in after them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, his chariots, and his horsemen. 

18 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”

19 Then the angel of God who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them, 

20 coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel. And there was the cloud and the darkness. And it lit up the night without one coming near the other all night.

21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. 

22 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.