A Mighty Hand and An Outstretched Arm

A familiar story is told as an example of God’s ‘wonders’, beginning in Exodus 13:17 through the end of chapter 14. This account tells how God delivered the Israelites out of Egypt, and out from under the control of the evil Pharaoh.

After nine plagues were let loose upon the Egyptians, the king had almost been brought to the point of letting the Israelites escape their bondage. But, finally, after the tenth and final plague—the death of all the firstborn among the Egyptians, both men and beasts—Pharaoh hastily dispatched the Israelites out of his land. However, with a sudden change of mind, and despite the forceful lessons God had sent to him, Pharaoh stubbornly pursued Moses, who, as directed by God, was leading the Hebrews out of Egypt.

Moses guided God’s people right up to the banks of the Red Sea. Nothing was between them and the Egyptians to their rear but a few miles distance, and the cloud and fiery pillar of God which hid them from Pharaoh’s view. What were they to do? Despite this seemingly desperate situation, God had everything in control. He told Moses to lift up his rod, and to stretch it out over the waters. When this was done, God divided the waters of the Red Sea, for his people to cross over. After all the Israelites were safely across on the other side, then the Lord let the waters close over the pursuing Egyptians, sending them to a watery grave! None escaped!

Through the writings of the prophets, God reminded Israel of this outstanding miracle, once with the words of our theme text for this segment of our study. But this same reminder was given to the Israelites many times. It is reiterated in Deuteronomy 5:15; and again in 9:29. In Deuteronomy 7:18,19 we read: “Thou shalt … well remember what the Lord thy God did unto Pharaoh, and unto all Egypt; the great temptations which thine eyes saw, and the signs, and the wonders, and the mighty hand, and the stretched out arm, whereby the Lord thy God brought thee out: so shall the Lord thy God do unto all the people of whom thou art afraid.”