All That Night

After the children of Israel escaped from Egypt they found that the Egyptians were coming after them. Moses encouraged the people in these words, “Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.” It appears from how I read the account that they had camped for the night with the Egyptians nearby, and then this happened: “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: 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.” It was nighttime, and an angel was protecting them from the Egyptians as they were camped in front of the Red Sea. The next verse says this: “And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left” (Exodus 14:13, 19-22). What struck me today as I read this account was that they crossed the Red Sea at night. Not only did they have to walk into unknown in the sense that they were walking where no one had ever stepped foot before, they also had to do it in the dark of night. This picture suggests they were carrying lights with them, and perhaps the Lord lit up their way with lightning at times. And the cloud of the Lord “gave light by night” to the Israelites, so it may have gone before them through the water to help them see. But even then, surely it took great faith to walk forward in the relative darkness not knowing if the water would indeed stay in that miraculous position while they crossed over.

               This event would of course become the most important miracle for the children of Israel until the coming of the Savior. Jehovah delivered His people in the middle of the night by causing them to go forth across the water on dry ground. Perhaps the disciples thought of this story that night on the water when Jesus came to them in the dark: “But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid” (Matthew 14:24-27). Like the Israelites of old, these apostles were afraid in the night, the enemy this time being the terrible storm on the sea. And the Lord again performed a great miracle, walking in a place of water where one was not supposed to walk. Perhaps later after the experience being saved by the Savior walking on the water, they thought upon the parting of the Red Sea and saw their experience as one more proof that the God of Israel had indeed come among them.

               Perhaps it is not a coincidence as well that the Savior’s ultimate rescue of Israel and all the children of men took place at night. He entered the Garden of Gethsemane with His disciples at night and there suffered for the sins of all mankind. Just as the Israelites escaped death and slavery at the hands of the Egyptians because of what Jehovah did that night at the Red Sea, so too can we all escape death and sin because of what Christ did that night in the garden. The miracle of the parting of the Red Sea should remind us not just of the miracle God performed for ancient Israel that night but also the even greater miracle He has done for all of us in breaking the bands of physical and spiritual death in Gethsemane.