CROSSING THE RED SEAPRIVATE 

Exodus 13:17-15:21

Key Verse: Hebrews 11:29

1. In verse 17 God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.”  What does this tell us about the Israelites? 

2. The Israelites went up out of Egypt “armed for battle” in verse 18b.  What does the expression “armed for battle” suggest about the life that awaits them after the exodus? (Mark 4:17; Matthew 11:6; John 16:33)

3. On their way to the Promised Land, the Lord led the Israelites away from the shorter route through the Philistine country, to the longer route through the Red Sea.  Hebrews 11:29 reveals that the Lord did this to teach them faith in Him.  What can we learn about: 1) the way God trains His people; and 2) His purpose for the training? 

4. What do Joseph’s prophecy and instructions about his bones in verse 19 teach us about faith? The way the Lord guides the Israelites in verses 20-22 is quite amazing.  What parallel (regarding the Lord’s guidance) can we find for Christians today? 

5. In Exodus 14:10-12 the people grumbled bitterly to Moses.  What do the following complaints reveal about them? 

1) “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die?”

2) “What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt?”

3) “Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’?”

4) “It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”

6. In Exodus 14 the Lord helped the Israelites overcome their difficult challenges by faith in Him. What do the following expressions teach us about faith?

1) “I will harden Pharaoh’s heart.”

2) “The Lord will fight for you.”

3) “You need only to be still.”

4) “Why are you crying out to me?  Tell the Israelites move on.”

5) “Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.”

7. Who crossed the Red Sea?  Who was drowned (14:28)?  What made the difference? (Hebrews 11:29)  What did the Israelites learn from crossing the Red Sea by faith? (Exodus 15:2-3, 11, 13, 18)