Introduction: What a change! Pharaoh is now throwing the
Hebrews out of Egypt, and ordinary Egyptians are paying them
to leave. Do you recall when you took a new job, or moved to
a new town? Your life took a new direction. But you also
faced new challenges. Assume that new direction is going
from being a slave to a free person living in a fabulous
place! You are now on a journey to your next home. Let’s
plunge into our study of the Bible and learn about the
challenges and opportunities for the Hebrews in this new
life!
I. The Launch
A. Read Exodus 12:39. How is the food situation at
the beginning of this new journey? Recall that
Exodus 12:37 reports there were 600,000 men. One
commentary says that would mean about two million
Israelites.
B. Read Exodus 12:38. What is the good and bad news
here on the issue of having enough food? (The two
million estimate numbered the Hebrews. We now find
that there are others, a “mixed multitude” that
went with them. While they might not have much
bread, they have livestock to eat.)
1. Why would those who are not Hebrews want to go
with them? (In our last lesson, God showed
everyone that He was God over all others. They
likely wanted to go with the winners!
2. Read Numbers 11:4. How is the “mixed
multitude” later viewed? (As “rabble.”)
II. The New Government
A. Read Numbers 2:1-2. If you had two million (plus)
people going on a journey, would you need to
organize them? Is this what we see in these two
verses? (Yes. We are not going dive into details
now, but this is the “secular” organization. If
you are interested, the rest of Numbers 2 gives
the details.)
B. Read Exodus 13:1-2 and Exodus 13:14-15. What does
it mean to redeem the firstborn? Especially the
firstborn of the sons? (Read Numbers 3:12 and
Numbers 3:46-48. God claims all the firstborn sons
as belonging to Him. God told the Hebrews that He
would trade. The existing firstborn would be
counted and then “traded” for an equal number of
Levite males. For the rest of the firstborn, and
those born later, a redemption tax was paid to the
Levites. By this God set up those in charge of the
religious side of things (the Levites) and
established their funding.)
1. Why does God claim the firstborn sons and
animals? (This flows directly from the last
plague that killed all the Egyptian firstborn.
Of course, as we learned from the plagues, God
is in charge of everything.)
2. Look again at Exodus 13:14. What is the first
reason God gives for the sacrifice/redemption
system? (It is to preserve the story of what
God did to free His people from the
Egyptians.)
3. How does this compare to Matthew 22:17-21?
4. Aside from educating the next generation, what
point is God making? (This brings glory to
God. It is a reminder of His authority. And it
creates a practical way to organize and fund
the ministry of the Levites.)
III. The Red Sea
A. Read Exodus 13:17-18 and Exodus 13:21-22. What do
you think about the attitude of God toward His
people? (He is trying to make the trip less
challenging and way more obvious.)
1. Will God do that for you in your life path?
B. Read Exodus 14:4-7. God’s motivation is that His
glory will increase. How do you reconcile that
with God’s statement (Exodus 13:17) that He wanted
the people not to be discouraged by war? They now
have the entire Egyptian army after them!
C. Read Exodus 14:9-12. Recall I just asked you about
your path in life and God’s help? If you thought,
“My path has been neither plain nor easy,” does
this turn of events seem more like your life?
1. What do you say about the attitude of the
people?
D. Read Exodus 14:13-14. Recall my question about
avoiding war yet bringing the Egyptians? What does
Moses say is the answer? (The people do not have
to fight, God will fight for them. God is
protecting His people and they should “be
silent.”)
E. Read Exodus 14:15-16. Moses told the people to
stand silent and God asks the people to move
forward. Let’s revisit the question about God’s
past guidance in your life. If you did not see
God’s hand in your life is it because you did not
“move forward” in the direction you thought God
wanted you to take?
1. What is the assumption when God says, “Why cry
to Me, move forward?” (The way forward seemed
impossible. But God had just done the
impossible with the Egyptians. God wants us to
trust Him with the impossible!)
F. Read Exodus 14:19-22. I’ve read all sorts of
“natural” explanations for the Red Sea dividing.
What do you think is the reason for all these
details being revealed to us? (God did use nature,
the wind, to drive back the sea. But these details
about the cloud, the dark, and the light show this
was no accident of nature. Rather, it is God
controlling nature.)
G. Read Matthew 8:24-27. What do those who claim a
natural cause for the division of the Red Sea
show? (Little faith.)
H. Read Exodus 14:23-28. If you were an Egyptian
charioteer, would you be panicked? (The sea being
walled up was an obvious danger when dealing with
a God who could control water to the extent of
turning it into blood.)
I. Read Exodus 14:29-31. How would you feel if you
were one of the Hebrews who was saved? (Jubilant!
My God demonstrated such extraordinary power!)
IV. The Details
A. Let’s go back and discuss some details. We learned
in Exodus 13:18 that the Israelites were “equipped
for battle.” They had 600,000 men yet they feared
the Egyptians. Why? (Exodus 14:7 says that Pharaoh
brought 600 chariots. Chariots were a great
breakthrough in battle technology. Imagine a foot
soldier facing a running horse pulling a chariot
with armed men inside. The Hebrews were slaves,
not trained soldiers. And they had the women and
children with them.)
B. Read Psalms 136:11-15 and Exodus 15:3-4. Also read
Exodus 14:6-7. Did Pharaoh die in the water? (We
are told that Pharaoh’s “chariots” and “chosen
officers” were sunk, but Exodus does not tell us
Pharaoh died. Psalms tells us “Pharaoh and his
host” were overthrown. Again, the Bible does not
specifically mention that he died – which I think
it would if “chosen officers” are mentioned. If
you continue in Psalms 136 it names specific kings
God killed, yet does not say Pharaoh was killed.
At the same time we know from Exodus 14:6 that
Pharaoh’s chariot was in the group. We simply do
not know.)
1. If Pharaoh was drowned, and we know that his
firstborn son previously died, this might have
created conflict in the Egyptian leadership.
C. Read again Exodus 14:4. Exodus repeatedly refers
to God hardening the heart of Pharaoh. In this
text it says God did this for His own glory. Does
this seem fair to you? All these Egyptian
soldiers who were fathers and husbands died
because God made Pharaoh unrepentant? (Let’s read
Exodus 14:5. This shows us that the decision was
not only that of Pharaoh, but “his servants”
agreed they should not have let the Hebrews go.)
D. Read Romans 1:21-25. How does Romans describe the
advance of evil in a human heart? (It says that
God “gives them up.” God did not make Pharaoh
rebel or fight. Pharaoh rebelled and fought
against God. Once Pharaoh set his course on
rebellion, God let him do it. God let his heart be
hardened.)
1. Does it sound like I’m making excuses for God?
Does God require any excuses for showing His
glory at human expense? (Read Ephesians 2:10.
We are created by God to bring glory to Him.
Pharaoh unwittingly managed to bring great
glory to God. And that is the natural order of
things.)
E. Read Exodus 14:13 and Exodus 15:14-16. How does
this event, which brings glory to God, provide a
very important blessing to His people? (This
brought a final solution to the Egyptian problem.
The nations that stood between the Hebrews and the
promised land are now in “terror and dread” of God
and His people.)
F. Friend, remain faithful. Trust God. Let Him fight
your battles. But you must move forward in faith
and trust. He is an absolutely amazing God and we
must trust Him. Will you decide, right now, to
trust Him?
V. Next week: The Bread and Water of Life.
Copr. 2025, Bruce N. Cameron, J.D. Scripture quotations are
from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard
Version ), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing
ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All
rights reserved. Suggested answers are found within
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but it is lost one week, you can find it by clicking on this
link: http://www.GoBible.org. Pray for the guidance of the
Holy Spirit as you study.
