Exodus 14:20 “And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel and it was a cloud and darkness to them but it gave light by night to those. So that the one came not near the other all the night.”
Many of us as children have watched these phony movies of the Bible and create pictures that get locked in our minds such that we never really stop to consider what the situation might really have been like. For one thing, the crossing of the Red Sea was not an instantaneous event. Moses just didn’t hold out his rod, the sea parted and every one scampered across. Remember we are dealing with over a million people here.
What is interesting in Exodus 14:20 is the word it. There is no neuter in Hebrew. Everything is either male or female. However, since no one is certain as to the identity of the Angel of the Lord and the nature of the cloud, the translators call it an it. Let’s just call He as it is in the Hebrew (pun deliberate), “and He (the Angel of the Lord) came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel.
Something else that is odd is the use of the Hebrew word canaan. This means encampment. The Angel of the Lord came between the encampments of the Egyptians. Even though the Egyptians had the fire power, they were greatly outnumbered. They were not going to use force unless it was absolutely necessary. They settled down and set up camp and were waiting for the children of Israel to come to their senses and return to Egypt. I remember one night a few years ago when I was working as a security guard, some old boy, pretty sauced up, wandered into our building. I simply stood by his side and explained to him he had no authority to be on the premises and then walked with him to the exit, opened the door and let him walk out. I simply escorted him to where he belonged. That is all the Egyptians were there to do, escort the people of Israel back to where they belonged, but to not leave their side so as to make sure they all reached their destination.
This was, however, a fearful prospect. The Children of Israel could not cross the Red Sea nor could they now escape to another part of the desert as they were now encircled by the Egyptians. They could stay and starve or be escorted back to Egypt where they would most likely face heavy retribution with key family members being tortured or put to death for leading a rebellion and, of course, return to enslavement.
This turned out to be a real standoff except something very strange happens. The Angel of the Lord moved forward and stood between Egypt and Israel. Verse 20 tells us “It was a cloud of darkness to the Egyptians and a cloud of light to Israel.” This was nothing new to the children of Israel and the Egyptians; they had already been through this thing back in Egypt. Scripture indicates that it took all night for the East wind to part the sea (verse 21). The word It was could also be a play on words for it is also the same form for the word Jehovah. The cloud was Jehovah. In verse 20 this cloud is Hebrew is the word or or light and in verse 24 this cloud when confronting Egypt becomes esh or fire.
So all night long while the East wind blows on the Red Sea, the children of Israel are sitting in a bright light unable to get a wink of sleep while the Egyptians gets it nice and dark so they can get a good nights sleep. Just what did Israel do all night while enveloped in a cloud of the light of Jehovah? The Bible doesn’t say? What would you have done? This is just a guess on my part. But I suspect that people of Israel had an all night prayer and praise meeting focusing on God while He was slowing parting the Red Sea.
Do you find yourself in an impossible situation? You have gone as far as you can, you have done as much as you can and now you are faced with a Red Sea. Suddenly before you stand the Egyptians ready to escort you back to yon rock from whence you came. Perhaps this is the time to let the cloud of Jehovah come between you and the Egyptians and have a time of prayer and praise while you let God send that East wind to start parting the Red Sea. Oh yes, that miracle may take all night, day, month, years, but the East wind is blowing, the Cloud of Jehovah is keeping the Egyptians at bay, so what are you going to do, fret, worry, or have a season of prayer and praise?
Recent Comments