Exodus Chapter 13-14

INTRODUCTION:

Quick recap of how we got to where we are today in the book of Exodus.

The past several weeks we learned that the Israelites were enslaved by the Egyptians and Moses, an Israelite himself, was actually raised up in an Egyptian household, but fled to Midian after killing an Egyptian.  He gets married and becomes a shepherd, but God appears to Moses and calls him out to lead the Israelites out of Egypt.

God then sends ten plagues to pressure Pharaoh: water turning to blood, frogs, gnats, flies, livestock disease, boils, hail, locusts, darkness, and finally the death of the firstborn. The Israelites are spared from the final plague by marking their doors with lamb’s blood, an event commemorated as Passover. After the death of the firstborn, Pharaoh relents and lets the Israelites go, and they leave Egypt after 430 years of oppression, setting the stage for their journey to the Promised Land.

That gets us to today and what many of you know as the crossing of the Red Sea. Now, I want to focus on chapter 14 but there are a few things in chapter 13 to highlight first.

After leaving Egypt, God speaks to Moses and tells the Israelites to dedicate their firstborn sons and animals to Him. Moses passes this message along to the people, explaining that it’s a big deal because God delivered them from slavery with some serious power moves.

God also institutes the Feast of Unleavened Bread (think flatbread… there are no rising agents like yeast in unleavened bread). God says they need to celebrate this every year in order for them and the generations to come to remember what the Lord did for them. Pass this on to your kids and your grandkids and on and on…. Let me read a little bit of the scripture to you.

Exodus 13:11-16

“When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and your fathers, and shall give it to you, you shall set apart to the Lord all that first opens the womb. All the firstborn of your animals that are males shall be the Lord's. Every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck. Every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. And when in time to come your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall say to him, ‘By a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of animals. Therefore, I sacrifice to the Lord all the males that first open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’ It shall be as a mark on your hand or frontlets between your eyes, for by a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt.”

• After this, instead of taking the Israelites on the shortest road to the promised land, God leads them on a detour through the wilderness toward the Red Sea. The shortest route would have taken them through Philistine and the Israelites may have changed their mind (maybe freaked out a bit) if they saw war so soon. 

• Another interesting moment is that Moses thinks to grab Joseph’s bones to take along, keeping a promise from way back, many generations earlier when Joseph made a prophetic request. 

Gen 50:25

Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.”

• God doesn’t leave them hanging, though—He guides them with a pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar of fire at night, so they can travel whenever, day or night. It’s like a divine GPS, making sure they don’t get lost on this wild journey.

Exodus 13:21-22

And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.

Exodus 13 Takeaways:

• Remember what God has brought you through: God tells the Israelites to dedicate their firstborns  and celebrate every year to never forget how He saved them. Today, it’s like keeping and sharing a journal of the tough times you’ve survived—whether it’s a personal win or a family story. Gratitude keeps you grounded.

• Trust the detour: God skips the shortcut through Philistine land because the Israelites aren’t ready for a fight. Sometimes life’s longer routes—think unwanted life changes or delayed plans—are there to prepare you for what’s ahead, even if it feels like you’re wandering.

• Guidance and direction are available: The pillars of cloud and fire are God’s way of saying, “I’m with you 24/7.” In modern terms, it’s like having a GPS that keeps you on track when you’re lost.

Let’s dive into Exodus chapter 14 and see what happens next.

God tells Moses to have the Israelites set up camp near Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, right by Baal-zephon. It’s a weird spot, and that’s on purpose—God’s got a plan. Phi-hahiroth and Baal-zephon are mountains. Migdol is a military tower and the Red Sea is… a sea. So the Israelites are surrounded on all sides. 

He says Pharaoh’s going to think the Israelites are clueless, wandering around lost in the desert. God’s about to mess with Pharaoh again, hardening his heart, so he’ll chase after them with his army. Why? Because God wants to flex big time, showing off His power so everyone knows He’s the real deal. It’s all setting the stage for a major showdown. God’s people are going to remember what’s about to happen for a long, long time.

Exodus 14:1-4

Then the Lord said to Moses, “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. For Pharaoh will say of the people of Israel, ‘They are wandering in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.’ 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.

• Word gets back to Pharaoh and his crew that the Israelites have bolted, and suddenly it hits them: “Wait, we just lost our free labor!” Pharaoh’s mood flips fast—he’s not happy and ready to roll. He rounds up his best war gear, like 600 top-notch chariots, plus a bunch more, and grabs every soldier he can muster. God hardens Pharaoh’s heart, just like He said, so Pharaoh’s all in on chasing down the Israelites. He takes off with his army, full speed, and catches up to them while they’re camped out by the sea near Pi-hahiroth, right across from Baal-zephon. The Egyptians are locked and loaded, ready to drag the Israelites back.

Exodus 14:5 says 

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?” 

• Here’s what happens next… The Israelites spot Pharaoh and his army barreling toward them, and they totally lose it. Trapped by the sea with nowhere to run, they freak out and start yelling at Moses: “Seriously? You dragged us out here to die? We’d rather be slaves in Egypt than dead in the desert!” Moses tries to calm them down, saying, “God’s got this. Just stay calm and watch—He’s about to blow your minds and take care of the Egyptians for good. You won’t even have to lift a finger; He’ll handle it.” It’s a big pep talk to get them to trust God’s next move.

Exodus 14:10-14

When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”

• In verses 15-18, God steps in and instructs Moses, “Why are you just standing there? Get moving! Tell the Israelites to head toward the sea. You—lift up your staff, stretch it out over the water, and split it open. The people will walk through on dry ground, right through the middle.” 

• God’s got a plan: He’s going to harden Pharaoh’s heart and the Egyptians’ too, so they’ll charge in after the Israelites. When they do, God’s going to show His power big time, smashing them so hard that Egypt will finally get it—He’s the real boss. The true God. The Egyptians are the ones about to be trapped. 

• Then, the angel of God, who’d been leading the Israelites, shifts gears and moves behind them, along with the pillar of cloud. It slides from the front to the back, parking itself between the Israelites and the Egyptians. The cloud’s a game-changer: it’s bright on the Israelite side, lighting up their night, but pitch-black on the Egyptian side, keeping them in the dark. This split-screen setup stalls the Egyptians, making sure they can’t get close to the Israelites all night long. It’s God throwing up a supernatural roadblock to buy time.

Exodus 14:19-20 let’s read it

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, 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.

• Next, Moses stretches out his hand over the sea, and God sends a hardcore wind blowing all night, splitting the water wide open. The sea turns into dry ground with walls of water on both sides, and the Israelites march right through like it’s a highway. The Egyptians, seeing this, don’t back off—they charge in after them with chariots and all. But God’s not done: He messes with their heads from the pillar of fire and cloud, throwing them into chaos. Then He jams up their chariot wheels, making them slog through like they’re stuck in mud. The Egyptians finally catch on, yelling, “This is nuts—God’s fighting for them! We’ve got to get out of here!” It’s a total panic as they realize they’re in way over their heads. Literally. 

• God tells Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea again—the water’s coming back to bury the Egyptians, chariots and all.” Moses does it, and bam—at sunrise, the sea crashes down, swallowing up Pharaoh’s whole army. Not a single one makes it out alive. Meanwhile, the Israelites make it through on dry ground, water stacked up like walls on both sides, totally untouched. God pulls off the ultimate rescue, wiping out their enemies in one move. When the Israelites see the dead Egyptians washing up on shore, they’re blown away by God’s power. They’re shook—in a good way—and start trusting Him and Moses big time after that. It’s a game-changer moment for them. It’s unforgettable.

Exodus 28-31 says 

The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen; of all the host of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea, not one of them remained. But the people of Israel walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. Thus, the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses.

Exodus 14 Takeaways:

• Fear Doesn’t Mean It’s Over: The Israelites panic when they see Pharaoh’s army, but Moses says, “Hold up, watch this.” It’s a reminder that impossible situations doesn’t mean you’re doomed—sometimes the most challenging situations flip into breakthroughs.

• Step Up When It’s Time and Make A Move: God tells Moses to stop whining and move the people forward through the sea. Today, it’s like knowing when to quit overthinking and just take action, even if the path looks impossible…faith!

• Celebrate Big Wins: Crossing the sea and seeing the Egyptians wiped out locks in the Israelites’ faith. In our lives, those “how did I even survive that?” moments—like…..—can remind us of God’s faithfulness.

Conclusion:

These chapters remind us about resilience and timing. Exodus 13 is all about God setting the tone for the Israelites’ fresh start after escaping Egypt and showing off God’s amazing navigation system with pillars of cloud and fire. In Exodus 14 we see this epic showdown where God turns the Red Sea into a highway for the Israelites and a graveyard for Pharaoh’s army.

So how do we apply this to our lives today after all of this?  I think we can relate to the Israelites.  Has there ever been a time in your life where you just couldn't see a way out?  Maybe even trapped?  Maybe you used the word hopeless?

Life’s messy, and it’s easy to panic or doubt the plan, but there’s something bigger at play—and that is the Glory of God!

Personal Challenge

• Is there an area in your life where you feel trapped or overwhelmed?  Practice letting go of control, trusting that a way forward will emerge, even if it’s not immediately clear.  Remember you do not travel alone.