The Crossing

VICTORY AT SEA

INTRODUCTION

The big idea presented in this book is that God placed the exodus miracle in the heart of Scripture to remind all mankind of his faithful and loving providence. The unique setting for this miraculous event places it at the shoreline and in the waters of the Red Sea where God rescued his people—providing a major victory at sea—for the benefit of Israel, and all those who would follow, including us. He selected Moses to free his people from slavery and to record eye-witness details of the exodus miracle, placing it at the center of his salvation message to the world. There is no greater story. That is the case I will make with three core themes, by highlighting the:

Name of God, as the One who saves us;
Power of God, as the One who rescues us and defeats our enemies; and
Foundation of God, as the One worthy of all praise and worship.

These messages are explored by showing that the exodus miracle is: (1) The most frequently referenced event in Scripture with 272 mentions, including 261 times in the Old Testament, and 11 times in the New Testament; (2) A dramatic announcement by God where he presents his name “Yahweh” declaring himself the one true God and Redeemer of all mankind for all of history, (3) The time and place where God forms the human, cultural, and spiritual foundation of a new nation he sovereignly selects from 70—when Jacob and his family enter Egypt—expanding to over two million people in Egypt over the next 400 years, and (4) A dramatic fulfillment of the unconditional promise contained in the eternal Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12:1-3) by delivering the family ancestors of the future King David and Messiah Jesus from the grips of Egyptian bondage.

The approach I have taken is a novel examination of the exodus miracle and mystery that shows how God directs this event to glorify his Name, save his people, pronounce the salvation message to all nations, and preserve the seed of the Messiah within the emerging nation of Israel. This book highlights this consequential event that sent ripples across the world to all people and tribes to declare the sovereign power of the one true God—through whom salvation is offered. This book chronicles the exodus of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery with an expositional focus on the Red Sea crossing, because we all need an exodus miracle in our lives when we are rescued from the spiritual slavery, and brought through cleansing waters—by nothing short of a victory in our own sea of redemption. While the exodus is widely known and understood—among Christians and non-Christians alike—there are numerous profound issues this book uncovers, raising an exploratory Bible curtain for all readers.
The culminating moment occurs in Exodus 14, where God performs 15 dramatic supporting miracles within the profound event of one major miracle—when over two million Hebrews cross the Red Sea on dry ground! The book is biblically authentic and personally encouraging as it highlights old and new—expected and unexpected—elements of the exodus. To open the academic and theological aperture, the book is guided by decisive research questions that readers can draw upon when exploring this important supernatural event. In answering these questions, the book offers a challenging thesis and helps those who are teaching this subject, and Old Testament history, to communicate the purpose of God in presenting his grand story of the gospel through the exodus miracle—restoring our relationship with him, and with each other.

The book will help every reader—no matter what faith tradition they practice or where they worship—to uncover the exciting details surrounding one of the most foundational events in the Bible, the exodus—with a particular focus on the significance of the Red Sea crossing. The first objective was to identify all scriptural references to the exodus event and uncover the most important lessons for our personal application. Drawing from relevant sources, including Scripture passages and commentaries, the second goal is to highlight major themes and historical expressions that illuminate God’s character. The heart of this book is that the exodus—in addition to its historic and cultural significance—is a defining miracle of redemption that demonstrates God’s victorious sovereignty, eternal Kingdom plan, and unique gift of salvation. As a preview to my discoveries surrounding the exodus crossing, I will present: (1) common biblical themes, (2) explanatory scriptural texts, (3) eternal promises of God’s steadfast love and saving power, and (4) practical applications from those findings that will cause one to reflect on their personal faith journey. These interconnected themes will hopefully be a source of inspiration that opens the eyes of your heart to see God’s enduring covenant promises that were intended for the Hebrews departing Egypt then—and are also intended for our active appreciation today.

This study will focus on the profound miracle and mystery of the exodus—as a special event in Bible history—and how it expresses God’s love and redemption in the formative years of the nation Israel, and extends to all mankind and in impacts our lives today. This miracle also provides a harbinger of God’s divine plan in which he will make all things right and liberate us from all pursuing enemies—like he did the fleeing Israelites facing an angry Egyptian army—by providing for our spiritual exodus from the bondage and slavery of sin. In rescuing Abraham’s descendants out of Egyptian slavery, God not only saved them from the jaws of a great military power—performing a great victory at sea—but he also fulfilled his eternal covenant promise by securing a pathway for the promised Messiah Savior.

The exodus also offers timeless faith lessons, which is why authors of the Bible—especially in the Old Testament—returned to this event more than any other to grasp the depth and grandeur of God’s loving character.