The Pulpit Commentary — Exodus — Volume 1 — Section 349

thus grclltly retarded. So that the Egyptians wars; _and (2) the defeat and disgmr,c of the snld, "Let us flee." Literally," And I~gypt Egrptian k.ing himself, in an experlition for k1tid, 'I will flee.'" The Lord ftghteth for which he wes alone re,iponsible, involving them. Comparo the promise of Moses (ver. permanent d1Bcred1t to his military capacity, H). Tho Bgyptio.ns were convinced, by the and nature.By_ tendmg to shake his authority various obstacles which they encountered, over his subiects. H secured the Israelites that Jehovah wo.s lending his people o.ctive fro~ _further persecution, mainly by the aid, ancl miraculously obstructing their ad- reminiscences which it left behind, but partly vauce. If this were so, it WOB of no use to also by removing them to a distance from persevere, and accordingly thoy began their the natural course of Egyptian warlike or retreat. co~ercial movement. Though Egypt ha,J Vers. 26, 27.-And the Lord ae.id. God nunmg establishments in the Sinaitic penin- here interposed a new difficulty. Moses we.s suia, at Wady-Magharah and Sarabit-el- instructed to stretch out his rod once more, Khadim, yet es these were avoided by the and undo his former work. At the appointed Israelites on their way to Sinai, and never sign, the east wind cee.sed to blow, and the afterwards approached, there naturally was no waters of the Bitter Lakes, no longer driven to collision between them and the Pharaonic the north-west by its force, flowed back with garrisons at those sites. Still more remote something of a reflux, while at the same time, were they daring their wanderings from the the tide having turned, the Red Sea waves Egyptian military route, wh.ich proceeded co.me rushing on at unwonted speed. In vain along the coast from Pelusium to Gaza, and the Egyptians fled. They were met by the then ran northwards through the Shephehh. advancing floods, which poured in on either Thus the Passage of the Red Sea brought one side, overwhelming and covering np all those phase in the life of the people to an end, and who had entered on the dangerous path. was the commencement of another. It sepa.- Ver. 28.-The cha.riots and the horsemen, rated them from Egypt until the time came e.nd e.ll the host of Pharaoh. Rather " The when their king wouid holdcommunication with chariots, and the chariot men of all the host its monarch on equal terms (1 Kings iii. 1). It of Pharaoh.'' So Knobel correctly. Kalisch secured their independence, and raised them at thinks-" We are not permitted to suppose once into a nation. It further caused them to that only the Egyptian chariots pursued the exchange the artificial life of a bareaucratical ..sraelites into the sea, while the infantry re- and convention-lo,ing community for the open mained behind, so that the former alone were space and nntrammelled freedom of the desen. devoured by the waves." But even he admits It thus rejuvenated and reinvigorated the race, that" both in this and in the following chapter, and enabled them to enter on that career of and in most other parts generally, the destruc- conquest which culminated in the Kingdom- tion of the chariots ( chariot force?) and may we not say the Empire ?-of Davicl its warriors is chiefly alluded to, so that this Some writers have supposed that the blow to the particular stress would perhaps justify that Egyptian power we.s greater than here repre- ronclusion." What is clear is, that no force sented. They believe the entire warrior caste but the chariot force is said to have entered or class to have taken part in the expedition.. the bed of the sea in pursuit of Israel. There and to have been destroyed in the Red Sea. remained not so much as one of them. On Thus they describe the calamity as "the the proper understanding of this statement, total annihilation of the whole military force see the introductory paragraph to the chapter. of the Egyptians" (Kalisch). They also be- Ver. 29.-We.lked. Rather," had walked." lieve the Pharaoh to have perished with his The waters were a well. Rather, "had been host. To the present writer it seems that the a wall." For the meaning of the expression, former opinion is contrary both to the text of see note on ver. 22. Scripture, and to the after course of Egyptian Ver. 30.-Israel saw the Egyptians dead history, for it is agreed on all hands that upon the sea-shore. Josephus says (.Ant. Egypt continued nearly as powerful as before, Jud. ii. 16, § 6), that, after the passage of the while the latter he regards as at least exceed- sea by the Israelites, a west wind set in, which ingly doubtful. Ps. bcxxvi. 15, is quoted as 'assisted by the current) drove the bodies of the asserting it; but it appears to him (1) that drowned Egyptians to the eastern side of the •· overthrow " is not necessarily " death ; " gulf, where many of them were cast up upon and (2) that "Pharaoh and his host" may be the shore. In this way Moses, according to put for" Pharaoh's host" by hendiadys. The him, obtained weapons and armour for a con- absence of any prophecy that God would take siderable nwnber of Israelites. the Pharaoh's life, and the entire silence of Ver. 31.-And Israel saw that great work. Moses on the subject in chs. xiv. and xv. seems The" work" was, at the least, (1) the (almost) to be scarcely explicable on any other theory entire destruction of that arm of the service- than that he escaped, not having accompanied the chariot force-on which the Egyptian his chariot force in its rash pursuit of th@ lµngs m~inly relied for success in all their ~lites  HOMILETICS. Vcrs. 23--30.-God's <kalings with the wicked and impenitent. If the passage of Israel through the Red Sea shows conspicuously God'R protection of his people iu the time of trouble, the overthrow of the Egyptians indicates, a.t least a.s conspicuously hiA execution of wrath upon the wicked. ' l. First of all, IT IS NOTICEABLE HOW ms EYE UPON TIIEIR HE.!.RTB, LOOKING INTO TllEM TIIBOUGH 'l'RE CLOUD AND DARKNESS WHEREIN TIIEY ARE ENVELOPED, TROUDl,EB THEM. Bad men ~annot bear God's eye upon their hearts. It sees through all veils, penetrates all disgmses, detects all subterfuges. The bad man is a riddle, even to him- self, and would feign continue an enigm:1., impenetrable, mysterious. But the searching eye of God ~urned full upon him, so illuminates every dark corner and unexplored cranny of his nature, that all becomes only too patent and clear. "All thinas are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do." Under that ~tead- fast gaze the mystery melts away, like a sumn:.er fog, and the bed man sees himself revealed., without disguise as a very ordinary and commonplace offender. II. lT IS WORTHY OF OBSERVATION THAT IIE OFTEN CLOGS THEIR CHARIOT WHEELS, AND MAKES THEM TO oo HEAVILY. The enterprises which the wicked under- take are continually interfered with. God will not let them have the success which their framers anticipate, and which for their cleverness and ingenuity they may be said to deserve. He" clogs the wheels" of their various designs, and makes them drag heavily, One miscarrie.ge follows another. This enterprise will not advance at all; that, by dint of great exertfon, moves but slowly. It is as though the chariot wheels sank into <! uicksands. It is not oaen that they wake up to the conviction that "the Lord fighteth against the Egyptians;" though this may happen sometimes. Then perhaps they repent them of their va.in attempt, and would feign retreat from it. But it is TOO LATE. III. IT IS MOST NOTICEABLE HOW AT LAST Goo's JUDGMENTS COME IN WITH AN OTI:RWHELMING FLOOD, WHICH THERE IS NO ESCAPING. "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Upon the ungodly God at the last rains down ",tmares, fire and brimstone, storm and tempest--this is their portion to drink." "Suddeu destruction comes upon them unawares." Now it is in financial cuin, now in utter failure of health, now in complete prostration of the spirit, and an intolerable Rense of remorse and despair that the judgment descends-blow follows blow, failure succeeds to failure, all the old refuges and supports prove unavailing-angry floods pour in on every side- there is no reaching the shore-all is tossing surf, slippery rock, and entangling sea- weed-not a hand is stretched out to save. So they go <lown to the pit-the devouring waves swallow them up--the water-floods go up over their heads-they disappear, and their place knows them no more. The wages of sin is <~eath ; and the end of sin is death. The ultimate end of impenitent sin is eternal death. Let men, while there is time, turn away from sin, give up their wicked enterprises, retrace their steps-taking warning from the awful Red Sea ca.l.a.mity, and the terrible destruction there wrought.