Through the Red Sea on Dry Ground

I am impressed by how often in the Book of Mormon reference is made to the miracle of brining the children of Israel out of Egypt, across the Red Sea, and into the promised land. It was clearly a very important story for the Nephites and inspiring to their faith. Nephi in particular loved the story. He said to his brothers in an attempt to motivate them to keep trying to get the plates of brass: “Therefore let us go up; let us be strong like unto Moses; for he truly spake unto the waters of the Red Sea and they divided hither and thither, and our fathers came through, out of captivity, on dry ground, and the armies of Pharaoh did follow and were drowned in the waters of the Red Sea…. Let us go up; the Lord is able to deliver us, even as our fathers, and to destroy Laban, even as the Egyptians” (1 Nephi 4:2-3). Later as they opposed his plan to build a ship, he again used the story as he defended his work: “Now ye know that Moses was commanded of the Lord to do that great work; and ye know that by his word the waters of the Red Sea were divided hither and thither, and they passed through on dry ground. But ye know that the Egyptians were drowned in the Red Sea, who were the armies of Pharaoh” (1 Nephi 17:26-27). His point was that if the Lord could do that miracle for the children of Israel, He could do a miracle for them too. Later in his writings Nephi mentioned the story again as he referenced the Savior’s sacrifice: “And the God of our fathers, who were led out of Egypt, out of bondage, and also were preserved in the wilderness by him, yea, the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, yieldeth himself, according to the words of the angel, as a man, into the hands of wicked men, to be lifted up, according to the words of Zenock, and to be crucified, according to the words of Neum, and to be buried in a sepulchre, according to the words of Zenos” (1 Nephi 19:10). In this case the reference is meant to contrast His miraculous power with His unimaginable humility to yield Himself up as an offering for all of us. Nephi mentioned the story one last time as he testified of the Savior: “According to the words of the prophets, and also the word of the angel of God, his name shall be Jesus Christ, the Son of God. And now, my brethren, I have spoken plainly that ye cannot err. And as the Lord God liveth that brought Israel up out of the land of Egypt, and gave unto Moses power that he should heal the nations after they had been bitten by the poisonous serpents… yea, behold I say unto you, that as these things are true, and as the Lord God liveth, there is none other name given under heaven save it be this Jesus Christ, of which I have spoken, whereby man can be saved” (2 Nephi 25:19-20). Here he tied the truthfulness of the story of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt to the power of Jesus Christ to deliver us all. If one is true, the other must be true as well.

                The story of Israel’s miraculous escape from Egypt was referenced several more times in the Book of Mormon. King Limhi used the story to inspire his people that they could likewise be delivered from the Lamanites: “Therefore, lift up your heads, and rejoice, and put your trust in God, in that God who was the God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob; and also, that God who brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, and caused that they should walk through the Red Sea on dry ground” (Mosiah 7:19). Abinadi referenced the story briefly as he recited the ten commandments to King Noah and his priests: “I am the Lord thy God, who hath brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other God before me” (Mosiah 12:34-35). He sought to help them remember the importance of obeying the One who had delivered their fathers. As Alma spoke to his son Helaman, he gloried in this story of deliverance: “And I know that he will raise me up at the last day, to dwell with him in glory; yea, and I will praise him forever, for he has brought our fathers out of Egypt, and he has swallowed up the Egyptians in the Red Sea; and he led them by his power into the promised land; yea, and he has delivered them out of bondage and captivity from time to time. Yea, and he has also brought our fathers out of the land of Jerusalem; and he has also, by his everlasting power, delivered them out of bondage and captivity, from time to time even down to the present day; and I have always retained in remembrance their captivity; yea, and ye also ought to retain in remembrance, as I have done, their captivity” (Alma 36:28-29). He wanted his son and his people to always remember the captivity of their fathers, both the Nephites and the ancient Israelites, and how the Lord had with great power delivered them. Later when his descendant Nephi spoke to the wicked Nephites, he also referenced the story: “Behold, my brethren, have ye not read that God gave power unto one man, even Moses, to smite upon the waters of the Red Sea, and they parted hither and thither, insomuch that the Israelites, who were our fathers, came through upon dry ground, and the waters closed upon the armies of the Egyptians and swallowed them up? And now behold, if God gave unto this man such power, then why should ye dispute among yourselves, and say that he hath given unto me no power whereby I may know concerning the judgments that shall come upon you except ye repent?” (Helaman 8:11-12) Just as the Lord had given power anciently to Moses to miraculously deliver the children of Israel, He could give power to Nephi and other prophets to know concerning the future and prophesy to them.

                All of these references from Nephite prophets remind us of the power of God and encourage us to put our trust in the miracles He can provide again today. If we believe that He really delivered the children of Isarel from bondage and led them across the Red Sea on dry ground, we should also believe that He can do miracles for us and take us to our own promised lands. The Book of Mormon wants us to believe in miracles and know that He works them according to the faith of the children of men, the same yesterday, today, and forever.