Hebrews 11:29

Having fixed the foundation and beginning of the deliverance of the church on the exercise of faith in the observance of the holy institutions of divine worship, prescribed to be the signs and tokens thereof, the apostle proceeds to give an instance in one of the most remarkable passages of divine providence that befell them in the way of their deliverance.

Hebrews 11:29. Πίστει διεβησαν τὴν ᾿Ερυθρὰν θάλασσαν, ὡς διὰ ξηρᾶς· ἧς πεῖραν λαβόντες οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι, κατεπόθησαν.

Τὴν ᾿Ερυθρὰν θάλασσαν. The Syrian retains the Hebrew name, יָמָּא דְסוּ Šy Sea,” the sea of reeds or canes, as this sea is called constantly in the Scripture.

Πεῖραν λαβόντες. Vulg., “experti,” a making a trial.” “Periculo facto,” “venturing to do;” “when they durst,” as we, assaying. Syr., כַּד אַמְרַחוּ עֲלוְחִי or emboldened themselves “to enter it.”

Κατεπόθησαν, “devorati sunt.” Vulg. Lat., “absorpti aunt.” Syr., properly, “were swallowed up,” overwhelmed, drowned, suffocated.

Hebrews 11:29. By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry [land:] which the Egyptians assaying, [making a trial of,] were drowned, [or swallowed up.]

A greater instance with respect unto the work of divine Providence, of the power of faith on the one hand, and of unbelief with obdurate presumption on the other, there is not on record in the whole Book of God.

Here we have the end and issue of the long controversy that was between those two people, the Egyptians and the Israelites; a certain type and evidence of what will be the last end of the contest between the world and the church. Their long conflict shall end in the utter destruction of the one, and the complete salvation of the other.

1. The persons whose faith is here commended are included in that word, they passed; that is, the whole congregation of the Israelites, under the conduct of Moses, Exodus 14. And the whole is denominated from the better part; for many of them were not believers in state, unto the sanctification of their persons. For “with many of them,” as the apostle speaks, “God was not well pleased,” though they were “all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea,” 1Co 10:2; 1 Corinthians 10:5. But in a professing society, God is pleased to impute the faith and obedience of some unto the whole; as, on the other hand, judgments do oftentimes befall the whole for the provocations of some, as it frequently happened unto that people in the wilderness. It is therefore the duty of every man in church society to endeavor, on the one hand, the good of the whole in his own personal faith and obedience; as also, on the other, to keep them in what lies in him from sin, that he fall not with them under the displeasure of God.

2. Their faith wrought in their passing through the sea: not in dividing of the waters, that was an act of immediate almighty power; but by faith they passed through when they were divided. It is true that God commanded Moses to divide the sea, Exodus 14:16; but this was only ministerially, in giving a sign thereof by stretching forth his rod, verse 21. And concerning their passage by faith some things may be observed.

(1.) It was the Red Sea that they passed through; that part of the Ethiopic Ocean which lieth between Egypt and Arabia. In the Hebrew it is constantly called יָםאּסוּ Š“Sea of Sedges,” reeds or canes, from the multitude of them growing on its shore; as it is unto this day. The Greeks call it ᾿Ερυθραῖος or ᾿Ερυθρά, the word here used by the apostle. And it was so called, not from the red color of the waters, appearing so from the sand or the sun, as some have fancied, but from a king whom they called Erythrseus; that is, Esau, or Edom, who fixed his habitation and rule towards this sea. For whereas that name signifies “red,” they gave him a name of the same signification in their language. Thence came the sea among them to be called the “Red Sea,” which the Hebrews called “Yam Suph.”

(2.) This sea they passed through from the Egyptian unto the Arabic shore. For what some have imagined, that they entered into the sea, and, making a semicircle, came out again on the same side, leaving Pharaoh and his host drowned behind them, is inconsistent with the narrative of Moses, that they passed through the sea. Nor is there any countenance given hereunto from what is affirmed, Numbers 33:6-8, namely, that before they entered the sea they pitched in Etham, and that after they had passed through the midst of it, they went three days'journey in the wilderness of Etham. For all that tract of land wherein the Red Sea issues and ends, from which end of it they were not far remote, belonged unto the wilderness of Etham both on the one side of the sea and the other, as is evident in the story.

(3.) It is said that they passed through as on dry land, Exodus 14:21-22; Exodus 14:29. Some think that the bottom of the sea being sand, was fit and meet to go upon, on the mere separation of the waters; others, that this was the effect of the mighty wind which God also used in the dividing of the waters, though he put forth in it an act of his almighty power. See Isaiah 63:11-13. For no wind of itself could produce that effect, much less keep the parted waters standing like walls; yet it is said directly that the east wind made the sea dry land, Exodus 14:21-22. However it was, the ground was made fit and meet for them to travel on, and pass through the waters without difficulty or impediment.

(4.) The division of the waters was very great, leaving a space for so great a multitude to pass orderly between the divided parts, perhaps unto the distance of some miles. And their passage is judged to have been six leagues from the one shore unto the other; by some much more.

(5.) The Israelites had light to discern this state of things; and no doubt the appearance of it was very dreadful. The waters must of necessity be raised unto a very great height on each side of them; and although they were, and proved, by the power of God, a wall unto them on the right hand and on the left, yet was it in them a high act of faith to put themselves between such walls, as were ready in their own nature to fall on them unto their destruction every moment, abiding only under an almighty restraint. But they had the command and promise of God for their warranty and security, which will enable faith to overcome all fears and dangers.

(6.) I doubt not but that Moses first entered himself at the head of them. Hence it is said that God led them through the sea by the right hand of Isaiah 63:11-13; he entering before them into the channel of the deep to guide and encourage them. Some of the Jews say that this was done by Amminadib, captain of the host of Judah, who, when all the rest of the people were afraid, first entered, with his tribe; whence mention is made of “the chariots of Amminadib,” Song of Solomon 6:12. But, alas! they had neither chariot nor horse with them, but went all on foot.

From all these difficulties and dangers we may observe,

Obs. 1. Where God engageth his word and promise, there is nothing so difficult, nothing so remote from the rational apprehensions of men, but he may righteously require our faith and trust in him therein. Whatever almighty power can extend unto, is a proper object for faith; in reliance whereon it shall never fail.

Obs. 2. Faith will find a way through a sea of difficulties, under the call of God.

Obs. 3. There is no trial, no difficulty, that the church can he called unto, but there are examples on record of the power of faith in working out its deliverance. There can be no greater strait than the Israelites were in, between the host of the Egyptians and the Red Sea.

3. It remains that we consider the other people, with what they did on this occasion, and what end they came unto.

The people were “the Egyptians.” So they are called here in general. But in the account given us by Moses, it appears that Pharaoh himself, the king, was there present in person, with all the nobility and power of his kingdom. It was he in an especial manner whom God had undertaken to deal withal; yea, he raised him up for this very purpose, that he might show his power in him, and that his name thereby might be declared throughout the earth, Exodus 9:16; Romans 9:17. Accordingly, he carried it for a long time with intolerable pride and obstinacy. Hence the contest betwixt God and him, with the issue of it, was so famous in the world that the glory of God was exceedingly exalted thereby; and the terror of it made way for the people in their entrance into Canaan, the hearts of the inhabitants failing because of them. Here the contest came to an issue, in the utter ruin of the proud tyrant. For there is none so great, so proud, so obstinate, but if God undertake to deal with them, he will be victorious in the end. See Exodus 15:3-10.

This Pharaoh with his Egyptians (that is, his whole army, horses, and chariots) “assayed to do” what they saw the children of Israel. do before them; namely, to pass through the sea whilst the waters of it were divided. And this was the greatest height that ever obdurate infidels could rise unto in this world. They had seen all the mighty works which God had wrought in the behalf of his people among them, they and their country were almost consumed with the plagues and judgments that were inflicted on them on their account; and yet now, beholding this wonderful work of God in opening the sea to receive them from their pursuit, they would make a venture, as the word signifies, to follow them into it.

Now, although this presumptuous attempt of the Egyptians be to be resolved into that judiciary hardness which was upon them from God, that they might be destroyed, yet no doubt but some things did occur to their minds that might lead them unto the hardening of themselves; as,

(1.) That they might not know for a while that they were entered into the channel of the sea, the waters being removed far from them; but they might go on perhaps in the night, without once thinking that the people whom they pursued were gone into the midst of the sea.

(2.) When they discovered any thing extraordinary therein, they might suppose it was only by some extraordinary natural cause or occasion; of which sort many things fall out in the ebbing and flowing of the sea. But,

(3.) That which principally animated them was, that they were continually near or close upon the Israelites, ready to seize on them; as is evident in the story. And they did perfectly believe that they should fare as well as they. And for this reason it was that God began to disturb them in their passage, that they should not overtake the people, but abide in the sea unto their ruin.

But however these and the like considerations might serve to blind their minds in some measure, that they should forget all former instances of divine severity against them in the same cause, and not discern the imminent destruction that was prepared for them, the principal cause from whence they precipitated themselves into the punishment which they had deserved was the efficacy of that blindness and hardness of heart wherewith they were plagued of God. And herein, as was said, we have the most signal example and instance of the power of unbelief, confirmed by judiciary hardness of heart, that is upon record in the whole book of God; nor doth any monument of an equal folly and blindness remain among other memorials of things done in this world. And we may observe, that,

Obs. 4. God knows how to secure impenitent sinners unto their appointed destruction, by giving them up unto hardness of heart, and an obstinate continuance in their sins, against all warnings and means of repentance. The devils are reserved for judgment under the chains of their own darkness. See Romans 1:24; Romans 1:28-29.

Obs. 5. God doth not give up any in a judiciary way unto sin, but it is a punishment for preceding sins, and as a means to bring on them total ruin and destruction.

Obs. 6. Let us not wonder that we see men in the world obstinate in foolish counsels and undertakings, tending unto their own inevitable ruin, seeing probably they are under judiciary hardness from God, Isaiah 6:9-10; Isaiah 19:11-14.

Obs. 7. There is no such blinding, hardening lust in the minds or hearts of men, as hatred of the people of God and desire of their ruin. Where this prevails, as it did in these persecuting Egyptians, it deprives men of all wisdom and understanding, that they shall do things against all rules of reason and policy, (which commonly they pretend unto,) brutishly and obstinately, though apparently tending unto their own ruin and destruction. So it was with these Egyptians; for although they designed the utter extirpation of the people, that they should be no more in the world, which they attempted in the law for the destruction of all the male children, which in one age would have totally exterminated them out of Egypt, yet now they will run themselves on imminent, universal destruction, to bring them back again into Egypt.

Obs. 8. When the oppressors of the church are nearest unto their ruin they commonly rage most, and are most obstinate in their bloody persecutions. So is it at this day among the anti-christian enemies of the church; for notwithstanding all their pride and fury, they seem to be entering into the Red Sea.

Lastly; The event of this essay or undertaking of the Egyptians, was, that they “were drowned,” they were swallowed up. The account hereof is given us so gloriously in the triumphant song of Moses, Exodus 15, that nothing needs to be added in its further illustration. And this destruction of the Egyptians, with the deliverance of Israel thereby, was a type and pledge of the victory and triumph which the church shall have over its antichristian adversaries, Revelation 15:2-4.