Exodus Chapters 14 & 15
From the Table to the Sea, From Fear to Praise..
Key Texts: Exodus 14–15; Isaiah 43; Romans 6; 1 Corinthians 10; Revelation 15
1. God Leads Them Into an Impossible Place (Exodus 14:1–4)
After the Passover, God does something surprising.
He does not lead Israel directly out.
Instead, He turns them back — toward the sea.
“I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself.” (Exod 14:4)
This is important:
- Israel is redeemed
- Israel is free
- But Israel is not yet finished trusting
God intentionally places them where:
- There is no escape
- No strategy
- No human solution
Why?
Because faith formed at the table must now be tested in the open.
2. Fear Returns — Even After Redemption (Exodus 14:10–12)
Israel has seen:
- The plagues
- The Passover
- The death of Egypt’s firstborn
Yet when Pharaoh appears, fear overwhelms faith.
“Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to die in the wilderness?” (Exod 14:11)
This reveals something deeply human:
- Redemption does not instantly erase fear
- Freedom does not immediately heal memory
Their bodies are out of Egypt,
but Egypt is still in their imagination.
How often is this true for us?
3. Moses’ Faithful Declaration (Exodus 14:13–14)
This moment becomes one of the great faith statements of Scripture:
“The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
Notice:
- Israel does not fight
- Israel does not strategize
- Israel does not earn deliverance
Just as with the Lamb,
salvation is God’s work alone.
Paul later reflects this truth:
“Do you not know that all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea?” (1 Cor 10:2)
The crossing is not just escape —
it is transformation.
4. The Sea Opens: Judgment and Salvation Together (Exodus 14:21–28)
The same waters:
- Save Israel
- Destroy Egypt
This is a consistent biblical theme:
- Flood (Noah)
- Red Sea
- Cross
- Final judgment
What destroys the oppressor becomes the pathway for the redeemed.
Isaiah echoes this:
“I am the LORD, who makes a way in the sea.” (Isa 43:16)
And Paul interprets it spiritually:
“We were buried with Him through baptism into death… that we too may live a new life.” (Rom 6:4)
The sea is not just geography —
it is death and resurrection.
5. Salvation Is Seen, Not Imagined (Exodus 14:30–31)
“Israel saw the great power the LORD used… and they believed.”
This is crucial.
Faith deepens when:
- What was believed at the table
- Is now experienced in the journey
God does not shame their fear —
He answers it with action.
6. Song Comes After Deliverance (Exodus 15:1–18)
The first recorded song in Scripture is not about:
- Strategy
- Leadership
- Israel’s strength
It is about who God is.
“The LORD is a warrior; the LORD is His name.” (Exod 15:3)
Worship erupts after salvation — never before.
Revelation connects this directly to the end of history:
“They sang the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb.” (Rev 15:3)
Exodus worship anticipates eternal worship.
7. Miriam and the Community of Praise (Exodus 15:20–21)
Redemption is not private.
Miriam leads the people — men and women — in praise.
Salvation forms a worshiping community.
God does not rescue individuals only;
He forms a people.
8. The Song Ends… and the Journey Continues (Exodus 15:22–27)
Immediately after praise:
- Wilderness
- Thirst
- Complaints
Why?
Because deliverance does not remove dependence.
God sweetens bitter water,
introducing Israel to a new truth:
“I am the LORD, who heals you.” (Exod 15:26)
The God who saves is also the God who sustains.
What This Teaches Us Today
- God may lead us into places that expose our fear — not to destroy us, but to reveal His glory
- Faith must move from the table to the sea
- Worship flows naturally when salvation is truly seen
- Redemption is complete, but formation is ongoing
We are a people:
- Saved by blood
- Passed through death
- Learning to trust day by day
Closing Prayer
Faithful God,
You who saved us by the blood of the Lamb,
teach us to trust You when the sea stands before us and fear rises behind us.
Remind us that You fight for us,
that Your power is greater than our past,
and that our story does not end at rescue but continues into worship.
Lead us forward — from fear to faith, from silence to song.
Amen.
