Crossing the sea · the Lord fights for us
A Bible story to tell as a family · Exodus 14:10–31 · ages 4–12 · 10 min
The story
The people of Israel had been slaves in Egypt for many years. God heard their cry and, through Moses, finally brought them out. Thousands of families were walking through the desert, with children, old people and animals, and they camped by the sea. But in the palace, Pharaoh changed his mind. He took six hundred of his best chariots and the whole army of Egypt and went after them.
The Israelites looked up and saw the dust: the Egyptians were marching after them. In front of them, the sea. Behind them, the chariots. They were terrified and cried out to the LORD. And they also complained to Moses: “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us into the wilderness to die?” Fear made even slavery seem better.
Moses answered: “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the LORD’s salvation, which He will accomplish for you today”. And he added a sentence to keep in your heart: “The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Then God gave Moses a surprising order: “Tell the Israelites to go forward.” Go forward where? Into the sea!
That night, the pillar of cloud, which always went ahead of the people, moved and stood behind them, between the two camps. On the Egyptians’ side, it was darkness. On Israel’s side, it lit up the night. So neither group could come near the other all night long.
Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the LORD sent a strong east wind all night. The sea drew back and the seabed became dry land. And the people went through the middle of the sea, “with walls of water on their right and on their left.” Imagine the children holding their parents’ hands, looking up, seeing walls of water on both sides, and their feet stepping on dry ground.
The Egyptians went in after them, with horses and chariots. But in the early morning the LORD threw the army into confusion, and the wheels of the chariots came loose and got stuck. “Let us flee from the Israelites,” shouted the Egyptians themselves, “for the LORD is fighting for them against Egypt!” When the people had finished crossing, Moses stretched out his hand again, and at daybreak the sea returned to its place and covered the army that was chasing them. Those chariots would never threaten Israel again.
“That day the LORD saved Israel”. The people looked back and saw the great work God had done. Then those people, who the day before had been trembling with fear, feared the LORD with reverence and believed in him and in Moses, his servant. In the next chapter, they sing and dance for joy. The same sea that seemed like the end of the story became the road to freedom.
10As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up and saw the Egyptians marching after them, and they were terrified and cried out to the LORD. 11They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us into the wilderness to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12Did we not say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone so that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” 13But Moses told the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the LORD’s salvation, which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again. 14The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” 15Then the LORD said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the Israelites to go forward. 16And as for you, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. 17And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. Then I will gain honor by means of Pharaoh and all his army and chariots and horsemen. 18The Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I am honored through Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.” 19And the angel of God, who had gone before the camp of Israel, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from before them and stood behind them, 20so that it came between the camps of Egypt and Israel. The cloud was there in the darkness, but it lit up the night. So all night long neither camp went near the other. 21Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove back the sea with a strong east wind that turned it into dry land. So the waters were divided, 22and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on their right and on their left. 23And the Egyptians chased after them—all Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and horsemen—and followed them into the sea. 24At morning watch, however, the LORD looked down on the army of the Egyptians from the pillar of fire and cloud, and He threw their camp into confusion. 25He caused their chariot wheels to wobble, so that they had difficulty driving. “Let us flee from the Israelites,” said the Egyptians, “for the LORD is fighting for them against Egypt!” 26Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.” 27So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea returned to its normal state. As the Egyptians were retreating, the LORD swept them into the sea. 28The waters flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had chased the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived. 29But the Israelites had walked through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on their right and on their left. 30That day the LORD saved Israel from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the shore. 31When Israel saw the great power that the LORD had exercised over the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD and believed in Him and in His servant Moses.
What the Bible says
- v. 13–14: “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the LORD’s salvation” and “The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
- v. 21–22: God uses a strong east wind all night, and Israel crosses on dry ground between walls of water.
- v. 31: the people see God’s work, fear the LORD and believe in him and in Moses.
What we learn
God didn’t take Israel out of danger without going through it: he opened a way through the middle of the sea. The people were afraid and complained, and even so God saved them; salvation was his work, not their merit. Being still doesn’t mean standing still: God told them to go forward. Passover and the exodus point to Jesus, who frees us from a deeper slavery, the slavery of sin and death. Fear doesn’t disappear all at once, but faith grows when we look at what God has already done.
Questions to talk about
For little ones
- What did the people see on both sides when they crossed the sea?
- Who opened the way through the sea?
For kids
- The people were afraid and even complained. Even so, God saved them. What does that show about God?
- Moses told them to be still, but God told them to go forward. How do those two things fit together?
For teens
- When fear hits hard, why does a bad past sometimes seem better than an uncertain future?
- What is the sea in front of you right now, and what would it mean to take the next step trusting God?
For adults
- In what family situation are we trapped between the sea and the army?
- Where do we need to stop trying to control everything and let God fight for us, while still doing our part?
Activity
Have two adults hold up two blue sheets or towels like walls of water. The children cross through the middle carrying something from the house, as the families did. On the other side, everyone says together: The LORD will fight for you!
To memorize: Exodus 14:14
Prayer
Lord, you opened a way through the middle of the sea. When we are afraid and see no way out, remind us that you fight for us. Give us courage to take the next step. Amen.