What we see in this story are the actions of God, not the actions of the people. We can learn a lot about God if we just read the story carefully. In this passage, rocks play an important role and are important symbols of God at work. First was the rock Moshe sits on raising his arms during the daylong battle with Amalek. Second was the rock from which “living water” came to quench the thirst of Israel.
We need to make our own personal connection to the Exodus and the events leading up to Sinai. These events are not only for those who have an ethnic Jewish heritage. This history belongs to all who are called by God our Father to take hold of Yeshua as our elder brother and kinsmen redeemer. At this point in the Exodus, God gives them manna to eat but also gives them very specific instructions of how, when and what to do with the manna after they gather it. The people violated those instructions and incurred different punishments for their folly.
The people of Israel had cried out from the burden of overwork but they didn’t want God to remove them from Goshen forever. Yet, that’s what God did in a miraculous way. As we have reached the fifth week leading up to Sinai, the people are becoming very homesick for Egypt as they are traveling further and further from Egypt. God brings the people of Israel to the wilderness of Sin where they murmur against God for the second time. God responds by making a surprising provision and another test of their willingness to listen and obey God.
Moses takes the time to sing God’s praises after they all went through the Red Sea in safety. They also faced their first test at Marah: Would Israel trust God completely or be bitter toward Him?
We are continuing our “Journey to the 10 (commandments)” as our ancestors of old went the first time. We see God’s “high hand” redeem our ancestors from the Egyptians once and for all. Then they continue for three more days until they reached Marah on the 24th of Aviv.
The people of Israel arrive at the edge of the Red Sea. They have walked day and night for 7 days to reach this point. As they set their eyes on the Red Sea in front of them, they see the Egyptians coming behind. God has one last “elohim” of Egypt to judge before he takes the Israelites away from Egypt for good.
After a temporary lack of faith, God guides them through the water and they walk in “martial array” to the other side. The Egyptians, blindly follow them in and God creates havoc and it is the Egyptians who start to panic just before the sea swallows them whole. They are never a threat to Israel again.
As Israel leaves Egypt for good, they are not fleeing in confusion and fear but walking in order and with purpose in what the NASB translation calls a “martial array.” They left with honor, glory, wealth and they were armed. However, they were not ready for war at this time. God gave both the old men and the young women with children the strength to walk by day and by night without fatigue. Even at this time, God was providing for their every need at the right time.