Why did the chicken cross the road? To get the other side, right? (Okay, you can stop laughing now.) Why did God part the red sea? So the Israelites could get to the other side, right? Wrong. Why did God part the red sea? To trap Pharaoh's Army...maybe? Not quite.
The Passage Begun
Let's take a look at the passage. Exodus 13:17 says, "When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. For God said, 'lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt.' Hence God led the people around by the way of the wilderness to the Red Sea; and the sons of Israel went up in martial array from the land of Egypt."
No Accident
One of the things that we learn from this passage is that God intentionally lead the Israelites "around by way of the wilderness to the Red Sea". It was no accident that they came to the Red Sea; God led them there to fulfill His purposes.
Ready For Battle
I also found it interesting that, "the sons of Israel went up in martial array from the land of Egypt." They were ready to fight, and there would indeed be a fight. The battle would not be fought by them, however. Once again Pharaoh changed his mind and decided that he was not going to let the Israelites get away that easily. Pharaoh and all his army went with him in pursuit of the Israelites, but God had a plan.
The Passage Continued
Exodus 14:10-18 says,"When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses,
"'Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: 'Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians'? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.' And Moses said to the people, 'Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.'
"The Lord said to Moses, 'Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. Lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground. And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they shall go in after them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, his chariots, and his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.' "
"I will get glory"
Within chapter 13 and 14, God mentions getting glory three times. In Exodus 13:4 He says, "I will get glory over Pharaoh."Again in 14:17 God says, "I will get glory over Pharaoh." Yet again He says in 14:18, "When I have gotten glory over Pharaoh." The recurring theme in this passage is God's glory. Yes, this is the main reason God parted the sea. He was going to deliver the Israelites, and He was going to triumph over the Egyptians. More than that though, He was going to get glory, and the Egyptians would, "Know that [He] [was] the LORD," This is why God parted the red sea.
God the Deliverer, God the Destroyer
Before I draw this to a close, I have two more point to make. First, God was not only glorified in delivering His people but also in destroying those who were not His. His love and mercy were shown by providing a divine way of escape for the Israelites, and His power and righteous judgement was shown in destroying the Egyptians.
Secondly, In the same way that God was glorified by delivering some and destroying some, He will one day receive glory in condemning some to Hell and saving those who repent and trust Christ. This is a difficult thing to understand. Isaiah 55:9 says,"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Sometimes we cannot understand God's ways, but who are we to question Him?
"You will say to me then, 'Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?' On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, 'Why did you make me like this,' will it? Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use? What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, "Romans 9:19-23
It is true that God's glory is His main objective in all His actions, and His glory should also be our main objective in all our actions. Whose glory are you seeking?
