神掌管大海
出埃及记十四章10至22节
10法老临近的时候，以色列人举目看见埃及人赶来，就甚惧怕，向耶和华哀求。
11他们对摩西说：难道在埃及没有坟地，你把我们带来死在旷野么？你为甚么这样待我们，将我们从埃及领出来呢？
12我们在埃及岂没有对你说过，不要搅扰我们，容我们服事埃及人么？因为服事埃及人比死在旷野还好。
13摩西对百姓说：不要惧怕，只管站住！看耶和华今天向你们所要施行的救恩。因为，你们今天所看见的埃及人必永远不再看见了。
14耶和华必为你们争战；你们只管静默，不要作声。
15耶和华对摩西说：你为甚么向我哀求呢？你吩咐以色列人往前走。
16你举手向海伸杖，把水分开。以色列人要下海中走干地。
17我要使埃及人的心刚硬，他们就跟着下去。我要在法老和他的全军、车辆、马兵上得荣耀。
18我在法老和他的车辆、马兵上得荣耀的时候，埃及人就知道我是耶和华了。
19在以色列营前行走神的使者，转到他们后边去；云柱也从他们前边转到他们后边立住。
20在埃及营和以色列营中间有云柱，一边黑暗，一边发光，终夜两下不得相近。
21摩西向海伸杖，耶和华便用大东风，使海水一夜退去，水便分开，海就成了干地。
22以色列人下海中走干地，水在他们的左右作了墙垣。
信息分享
他们第一个反应是连声抱怨；抱怨的对象当然是他们的领袖摩西。危难当前，他们却不懂得向神呼求，反而只懂得抱怨摩西令他们走头无路。
摩西马上安慰和鼓励他们(13-14节)，他对他们说：「不要惧怕，只管站住，看耶和华今天向你们所要施行的救恩…耶和华必为你们争战；你们只管静默，不要作声」。
摩西所言非虚，神确实已经动手为百姓争战。当时百姓站在红海西岸，但神已经开始在东边令海水分开(21节)。换言之，海水已经由对岸开始为他们分开，但他们要到最后一刻才看见海水在他们面前分开。
神的工作往往如此。当我们以为神对我们的问题视若无睹，袖手旁观之际；但神其实已经为我们开路；直至那条路开到我们面前，我们才猛然看见。
接着，请留意第19和20节那个神同在的标记──云柱。云柱来到以色列人与埃及人中间挡着，使埃及军不得接近，直至以色列民安抵彼岸。
无论我们遇到任何困难，我们都要紧记：我们的神的能力必能助我们克服。祂甚至能阻挡我们的敌人撒但攻击我们。让我们谨记摩西的提醒：不要惧怕，神必为我们争战；在我们还未察觉之前，神已经开始施行祂的拯救计划。
GOD'S POWER OVER THE SEA
Exodus 14: 10 - 22
10 And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the LORD.
11 Then they said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt?
12 Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.”
13 And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever.
14 The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”
15 And the LORD said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward.
16 But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.
17 And I indeed will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them. So I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, his chariots, and his horsemen.
18 Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gained honor for Myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”
19 And the Angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them.
20 So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. Thus it was a cloud and darkness to the one, and it gave light by night to the other, so that the one did not come near the other all that night.
21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided.
22 So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.
Message
First, they complained to their human leader, Moses. They should have been crying out to God but instead all they could do was complain.
Moses gave them some wonderful words in reply (v.13). 'Don't be afraid! Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord'. 'The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent' (v.16).
That is exactly what God did. But notice how he did it. The people were on the west bank of the Red Sea, but God began to open up the sea from the east side (see v.21). In other words, the way across was being opened up for them, but it was not until the last minute that it was clear right up to where they were standing. Think this through for yourself.
God often works like that. We think he is doing nothing, yet all the time he is opening up the way ahead. Suddenly it is all clear to us.
Then notice how in verses 19 and 20 the pillar of fire, the symbol of God's presence, moved around to come between the enemy and God's people. God did not allow the Egyptians to move forward until his own people were safe on the other side of the sea.
When our circumstances seem to be against us, let's remember that our God is greater than those circumstances. He can still hold back our enemy, Satan. When we are afraid let us trust in God who is already planning our deliverance.