And God Himself showed that He was with them, for the pillar of cloud went behind them, instead of before, and made it dark to the Egyptians, but gave light by night to the Israelites: so the Egyptians could not get near them all night.
PHARAOH'S HOST DESTROYED IN THE RED SEA.—Ex. 14:30, 31.
Then God bade Moses stretch out his rod over the sea. And then there was a great wonder. The waves of the sea parted, and stood up on each side in a heap, and in between there was a wide open space, where the children of Israel might walk safely dry-shod, through the very midst of the sea. Through it they went, men, women, and children, through the depths of the sea, with the waves standing still on each side of them.
Pharaoh saw that they were all gone over. He chose to follow after them. But when his host was in the midst, the sea returned in its strength again and came down on the Egyptians, and every one of them was drowned—"they sank like lead in the mighty waters"—and the Israelites were freed from their enemies, quite away from all their trouble and all their slavery; and they sang hymns of joy to God, who had been so good to them and now had set them free.
And we read about them being set free because this is the great Easter Day when we give thanks to our Blessed Lord for having set us free.
QUESTIONS.
1. What last plague had come on Egypt? 2. Who had set off to leave Egypt? 3. But what did Pharaoh do? 4. What was before the Israelites? 5. What was behind? 6. Where did the pillar of cloud go? 7. How were the Egyptians cut off from them? 8. What wonder did God work? 9. Where did the Israelites go over? 10. Who came after them? 11. What became of the Egyptians? 12. Who were free? 13. Who had made them free?
