Bible Study on Exodus 14, verses 15 to 20, stretch out thine hand over the sea

 

Exodus 14:15 ¶  And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: 16  But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. 17  And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. 18  And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. 19  And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them: 20  And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.

God commands Moses to raise the rod in his hand and hold it out towards the sea. There are two northern arms of the Red Sea. On the west is the Gulf of Suez and on the right is the Gulf of Aqaba separated by the Sinai Peninsula. Some commentators have the Hebrews crossing the Gulf of Suez while others have them traversing across the Sinai Peninsula to get to the Gulf of Aqaba and crossing there into what is now Saudi Arabia which is questionable to me. The Gulf of Suez makes more sense as the Sinai Peninsula would be to its east.

The angel of God now moves from His position of leading the children of Israel to getting in between them and the Egyptian army. To the Egyptians He was darkness but to the Israelites He gave light. God does give light now to those who will believe but confounds the minds of those who will not, casting them into the darkness they desire.

Isaiah 66:4  I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not.

2Thessalonians 2:11  And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12  That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.