Friday: Further Thought – Through the Red Sea
Daily Lesson for Friday 8th of August 2025
Read Ellen G. White, “The Exodus,” Pages 281–290, in Patriarchs and Prophets.
Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com
God was for the Israelites despite their little faith. He wished to teach and guide them in how to think and behave as His chosen people. God led them patiently and directed them to a location where they would encounter fewer challenges. Ellen G. White explains: “The Israelites . . . had little knowledge of God and little faith in Him, and they would have become terrified and disheartened. They were unarmed and unaccustomed to war, their spirits were depressed by long bondage, and they were encumbered with women and children, flocks and herds. In leading them by the way of the Red Sea, the Lord revealed Himself as a God of compassion as well as of judgment.”—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 282.
Talking about the Song of Moses, the Andrews Bible Commentary says: “The certainty of this redemptive act of God in history assures us that we have nothing to fear for the future. The last stanza focuses on future enemies who would be faced in conquest of Canaan. Because of God’s powerful ‘arm,’ they would be ‘as still as a stone’ (v. 16). When we face certain impossibilities, when we feel cornered and do not know which way to turn, we can find assurance in ‘The Song of Moses,’ for it commemorates a great event in the history of God’s people.”—Andrews Bible Commentary, “Exodus” (Berrien Springs, MI: Andrews University Press, 2020), p. 214.
Discussion Questions
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When God asked the Israelites to turn back in Exodus 14:1-21, it wasn’t a mistake but it was a clear strategy. The Lord was deliberately positioning the children of Israel for a greater miracle, the parting of the Red Sea. Sometimes, what feels like a setback is a real setup for God’s power to be manifested in our our lives. We may be tempted to feel we are going in circles, but God knows and sees the full picture. God allows detours to strengthen our faith and deepen our trust in Him. Our impatience doesn’t change His purpose. The Lord wants us to trust Him even when it is not making sense, when the road is blocked, when there is no way ahead, God’s plan is still unfolding. He leads us through the wilderness not to abandon us, but to show us His glory in ways we couldn't imagine. God’s delays are never His denials but indeed they are preparation for a bigger, brighter and a greater destiny. In those moments when everything seems to be falling apart with plans delayed, progress blocked, and it seems like God is silent it is when we can learn to trust him most!
As God led the Israelites to a place that looked like a dead end, He is keen to lead us to a position where His glory can shine brightest. The Red Sea in front, mountains on both sides, and Pharaoh behind, felt like a trap, but it was God’s divine setup. When God places you in an impossible situation, it’s never without purpose. He wants to remind you that your help doesn’t come from the path ahead but from the power above psalms 121:1-2. The Israelites didn’t have boats or weapons but had God. Our strength is not in our resources but in our relationship with Him. If God brought you here, He will bring you through. His greatest miracles often happen in the middle of our greatest fears. When the situation seems reversed, or even hopeless— God never loses control. God uses our obstacles to write a greater testimony and that is why He wants our faith to lead us and not our feelings. We must learn to trust that God is not only with us in the fire but is directing the flames to refine and not consume us. We need to take a step of faith even if the waters haven’t parted yet our miracle waits on the other side of obedience.
Wow! What a great miracle! A miraculous escape through a geographic impossibility, a cloud of protection day and night, and the destruction of a persecuting army! Surely, that was enough evidence to believe in God forever.
We know the rest of the story, don't we? It was like a roller coaster ride of belief and unbelief. It did not take long to forget a miraculous God and think about the abundance of water and the ease of purchasing onions back in the land of captivity. Their beliefs were deeply rooted in the supply chain.
And that begs the question for us modern Christians. What sort of God do we believe in? Why should we believe in God when there are no miracles? Is our belief rooted in the supply chain? Was Job just uttering pious word when he said, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust him?"
I think sometimes we are a little afraid to answer the question, "Why do I believe him?" and fall into the politicians response, "That is a very good question but the real thing you should be looking at is ..." and they divert to something that is more attractive.
I believe in God because he sees me as a work in progress. He never gives up on me. The changes are almost imperceptible - like water wearing away the rock. Like the Hebrews, I have mountain and valley experiences but the miracle is that he is always there, That is what I want to share with others.
It seems like the Hebrew slaves would have been amazed by what had happened previously in the destruction of Egypt. They would have known God would come through for them. Here’s the thing, if you read Exodus 14:10-12, they hadn’t really wanted to leave Egypt in the first place. Looking back to Exodus 5:20-21, they weren’t really convinced leaving was a good thing. Maybe it’s like when an alcoholic or drug addict is forced into rehab, it doesn’t really change them. Only when they desire the change for themselves, does it become a transformation for them. Salvation falls under the same principle, in my opinion. If I don’t see my need for deliverance, I can’t truly be delivered.
I concur with the thoughts expressed by today's sharers before me. Ps 24:1 states that, “The Earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof ..." There is relief in knowing that all of whom we are belongs to God. This also includes our cares and our fears.
Some of us may be experiencing burdensome recovery, following tumultuous crucible experiences. God's word reassures us that the Lord shall fight for us – each one, a vibrant somebody, by His power. Ex 14:14. We have only to be still; as only He can fairly fight our physical, mental/emotional and spiritual battles, for us.
Isaiah 41:10 is the premise on which we can trust God implicitly. Let us stretch out our hands of faith, in order to claim His blessings. Let us be girded with the power of God’s word. Let us trust the covering of His divine armor to equip us for rescue from our red sea scenarios. Let us, by His grace, never forget that our Saviour is ever present to provide all the help and support we need, if we ask Him. Let us never give up, even when there is no apparent way of escape. It is then that He comes through. Praise Him for being a punctual God!
When I read these passages, I see more than just ancient history — I see a mirror of our present struggles. We live in a time when fear, uncertainty, and doubt often overshadow the countless ways God has already delivered us. Just like the Israelites standing between Egypt and the Red Sea, our world is caught between crises behind us and uncertainties ahead. And yet, despite overwhelming evidence of God’s faithfulness, we still find it easy to panic when the next challenge rises.
Pharaoh’s pursuit reminds me that the human heart, if left unchecked, can become so hardened by pride, greed, and sin that even the clearest demonstrations of God’s power won’t change it. That’s not just Pharaoh’s problem — it’s a warning for us today, in a world where people see disaster, war, and mercy, yet still choose selfishness and rebellion.
And finally, we can’t ignore the lesson about praising God in the good times. In this “enemy territory” we call the world, peace is never guaranteed. Every day without calamity is an act of grace, a shield of mercy we might not even notice. If the current global mood has taught us anything — from pandemics to political unrest to climate shocks — it’s that blessings are not just to be enjoyed but acknowledged. Gratitude in the good seasons builds faith for the storms ahead.
The Song of Moses is not just a victory song from the past — it’s a survival anthem for a troubled present.
Amen and amen!!
"Why do we find ourselves so often in the position of the Hebrews after their incredible deliverance from Egypt but before the challenge of the Red Sea? That is, in the face of so much evidence for God’s goodness toward us and of His power, why do we still find it so easy to show, and even express, a lack of faith?"
My response: We often find ourselves like the Hebrews after leaving Egypt but before crossing the Red Sea because human nature struggles with uncertainty, even after seeing God’s power at work. Although we know that God is all-powerful and has done great things for us in the past, we don’t have any guarantees that He will answer our current prayers in the way we would like. In moments of crisis, our focus can shift from His past faithfulness to the size of the problem before us. Fear and doubt can quickly override trust, especially when His solution is unknown or delayed. The challenge is to remember that God’s ways and timing are perfect, and His answers—whether they align with our desires or not—are always for our ultimate good.
‘In this “enemy territory” we call the world, peace is never guaranteed. Every day without calamity is an act of grace, a shield of mercy we might not even notice. If the current global mood has taught us anything — from pandemics to political unrest to climate shocks — it’s that blessings are not just to be enjoyed but acknowledged. Gratitude in the good seasons builds faith for the storms ahead.’
Thank you so much for this timely and powerful admonition.