Tim Maas Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

This is just one of multiple incidents in the Old Testament where a dividing of waters was recorded. Other occasions included when Israel (under Joshua) crossed the Jordan into Canaan (Joshua 4:23); when Elijah and Elisha crossed the Jordan (before Elijah was taken up to heaven) (2 Kings 2:8); and when Elisha later crossed back over the Jordan alone, after Elijah had been taken up (2 Kings 2:14).

Similarly, other events are recorded that would seemingly be impossible, or would be expected to "inescapably" result in disastrous "natural" effects, according to "normal" human understanding or reasoning, such as when God delayed the setting of the sun at Joshua's request (Joshua 10:12-14). 

Each of these occurrences was either explicitly or implicitly attributed to an action initiated by God, who is not constrained by the "laws" of sciences such as meteorology, geology, or physics (which He instituted, in any event, and which he therefore can conform on an individual basis to His will).

However, I would also say that these accounts are not to be deliberately used by humans as a justification for "tempting" God, or "testing" His protection, as Satan did when he tempted Jesus to throw Himself off the pinnacle of the temple in Jerusalem in the expectation that God the Father would send angels to save Him (with Satan even quoting Psalm 91:11-12 in doing so) (Matthew 4:5-7; Luke 4:9-12), in response to which Jesus quoted Scripture (specifically, Deuteronomy 6:16) back to Satan.

November 25 2019 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Jack Gutknecht ABC/DTS graduate, guitar music ministry Baptist church

Exodus 14:22 demonstrates that the passage was miraculous.—“And the waters were a wall unto them on their right and on their left” - Some supposed that the Israelites had passed through, favored by an extraordinary ebb, which happened at that time to be produced by a strong wind, which happened just then to blow! Had this been the case, though, there could not have been waters standing on the right hand and on the left; much less could those waters, contrary to every law of fluids, have stood as a wall on either side while the Israelites passed through, and then happen to become obedient to the laws of gravitation when the Egyptians entered in! An infidel may deny the revelation in toto, and from such we expect nothing better; but to hear those who profess to believe this to be a Divine revelation endeavoring to prove that the passage of the Red Sea had nothing miraculous in it, is really intolerable. Such a mode of interpretation requires a miracle to make itself credible. 

Now, it’s true that extremely hot sirocco winds from the Arabian desert could displace a lot of water and quickly dry the land. (Psalm 77:16-20 shows that a heavy rainstorm accompanied the high winds, and after the Jews had crossed, the rain turned Israel’s dry pathway into a muddy road for their foes to negotiate!) But, especially, the walling up of the waters on either side was God’s miracle over and above the providential force and timing of the wind, because Israel would have had to march right into its gale-force (Exodus 14:22).

November 26 2019 • 4 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report