Page:An Exposition of the Old and New Testament (1828) vol 1.djvu/310

278  art thou, O Israel; who is like unto thee, O people?

CHAP. XIV. The departure of the children of Israel out of Egypt (which was indeed the birth of the Jewish church) is made yet more memorable by further works of wonder, which were wrought immediately upon it. Witness the records of this chapter, the contents whereof, together with a key to it, we have, Heb. 11. 29. They passed through the Red-sea, as by dry-land, which the Egyptians assaying to-do were drowned; and this they did by faith, which intimates that there was something typical and spiritual in it. Here is I. The extreme distress and danger that Israel was in at the Red-sea. 1. Notice was given of it to Moses before, v. 1..4. 2. The cause of it was Pharaoh's violent pursuit of them, v. 5..9. 3. Israel was in a great consternation upon it, v. 10..12. 4. Moses endeavours to encourage them, v. 13, 14. II. The wonderful deliverance that God wrought for them out of this distress. 1. Moses is instructed concerning it, v. 15..18. 2. Lines that could not be forced are set between the camp of Israel and Pharaoh's camp, v. 19, 20. 3. By the divine power the Red-sea is divided, (v. 21.) and is made, (1.) A lane to the Israelites, who marched safely through it, v. 22, 29. But, (2.) To the Egyptians it was made, [2.][1.] [sic] An ambush into which they were drawn, v. 23..25. And, [1.][2] [sic] A grave in which they were all buried, v. 26..28. III. The impressions this made upon the Israelites, v. 30, 31

ND the spake unto Moses, saying, 2. Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baal-zephon; before it shall ye encamp by the sea. 3. For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in. 4. And I will harden Pharaoh's heart that he shall follow after them; and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the. And they did so. 5. And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us? 6. And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him: 7. And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them. 8. And the hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with a high hand. 9. But the Egyptians pursued after them, (all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh and his horsemen, and his army,) and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pi-hahiroth, before Baal-zephon.

We have here,

I. Instructions given to Moses concerning Israel's motions and encampments, which were so very surprising, that if Moses had not had express orders about them before, they would scarcely have been persuaded to follow the pillar of cloud and fire. That therefore there might be no scruple or dissatisfaction about it; Moses is told before,

1. Whither, they must go,v. 1, 2. They were got to the edge of the wilderness, (ch. 13. 20.) and a stage or two more would have brought them to Horeb, the place appointed for their serving God; but, instead of going forward, they are ordered to turn short off, on the right hand from Canaan, and to march toward the Red-sea. Where they were, at Etham, there was no sea in their way to obstruct their passage, but God himself orders them into straits, which might give them an assurance, that when his purposes were served, he would without fail bring them out of those straits. Note, God sometimes raises difficulties in the way of the salvation of his people, that he may have the glory of subduing them, and helping his people over them.

2. What God designed in these strange orders. Moses would have yielded an implicit obedience, though he had given him no reason; but shall he hide from Moses the thing that he does? No, Moses shall know, (1.) That Pharaoh has a design to ruin Israel, v. 3. (2.) That therefore God has a design to ruin Pharaoh, and he takes this way to effect it, v. 4. Pharaoh's sagacity would conclude that Israel was entangled in the wilderness, and so would become an easy prey to him; and that he might be the more apt to think so, God orders them into yet greater entanglements; also by turning them so much out of their road, he amazes him yet more, and gives him further occasion to suppose that they were in a state of embarrassment and danger. And thus (says God) I will be honoured upon Pharaoh. Note, [1.] All men being made for the honour of their Maker, those whom he is not honoured by, he will be honoured upon. [2.] What seems to tend to the church's ruin, is often over-ruled to the ruin of the church's enemies, whose pride and malice are fed by Providence, that they may be ripened for destruction.

II. Pharaoh's pursuit of Israel, in which, while he gratifies his own malice and revenge, he is furthering the accomplishment of God's counsels concerning him. It was told him that the people fled, v. 5. Such a fright was he in, when he gave them leave to go, that when the fright was a little over, he either forgot, or would not own, that they departed with his consent, and therefore was willing that it should be represented to him as a revolt from their allegiance. Thus what may easily be justified, is easily condemned, by putting false colours upon it. Now, hereupon,

1. He reflects upon it with regret, that he had connived at their departure. He and his servants, though it was with the greatest reason in the world that they had let Israel go, yet were now angry with themselves for it; Why have we done thus? (1.) It vexed them that Israel had their liberty, that they had lost the profit of their labours, and the pleasure of chastising them. It is meat and drink to proud persecutors, to trample upon the saints of the Most High, and say to their souls, Bow down, that we may go over; and thereforeit vexes them to have their hands tied. Note, The liberty of God's people is a heavy grievance to their enemies, Esth. 5. 12, 13. Acts 5. 17, 33. (2.) It aggravated the vexation, that they themselves had consented to it, thinking now, that they might have hindered it, and that they heeded not to have yielded, though they had stood it out to the last extremity. Thus God makes men's envy and rage against his people, a torment to themselves, Ps. 112. 10. It was well-done to let Israel go, and what they would have reflected on with comfort, if they had done it from an honest principle; but, in doing it by constraint, they called themselves a thousand fools for doing it, and passionately wished it undone again. Note, It is very common, but very absurd and criminal, for people to repent of their good deeds;