EXODUS 14
Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “Tell the people of Israel to turn back and encamp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, in front of Baal-zephon; you shall encamp facing it, by the sea. 3 For Pharaoh will say of the people of Israel, ‘They are wandering in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.’ 4 And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord.” And they did so.5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, the mind of Pharaoh and his servants was changed toward the people, and they said, “What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?” 6 So he made ready his chariot and took his army with him, 7 and took six hundred chosen chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them. 8 And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the people of Israel while the people of Israel were going out defiantly. 9 The Egyptians pursued them, all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and his horsemen and his army, and overtook them encamped at the sea, by Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.
– Exodus 14:1-9
EXODUS 14 PHARAOH PURSUES THE ISRAELITES
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
As the Israelites left Egypt towards the wilderness
God hardens Pharaoh’s heart and he pursues them
The king had no idea that God was planning this all along
It was to make Egyptians know that he is the one true God
The Egyptians came after the Israelites with all their chariots
They have no clue what was about to happen to them all.
In this account, we are given a glimpse of the powerlessness of humans and God’s total sovereignty and power. It shows us that we have no control over anything. God has control over our mind, hearts, body and soul. God manifests his wondrous deeds in this event to ensure that the Egyptians and also the Israelites will know who the One true God is. It seems like a script where the only one who knows the ending is the playwright and the only one who can kill and bring to life any characters he desires.
REFLECTION
- What can we learn from this account?
