旧约 - 出埃及记(Exodus)第14章

Then the LORD said to Moses,
"Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp near Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. They are to encamp by the sea, directly opposite Baal Zephon.
Pharaoh will think, 'The Israelites are wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert.'
And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD." So the Israelites did this.
When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them and said, "What have we done? We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!"
So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him.
He took six hundred of the best chariots, along with all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them.
The LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out boldly.
The Egyptians--all Pharaoh's horses and chariots, horsemen and troops--pursued the Israelites and overtook them as they camped by the sea near Pi Hahiroth, opposite Baal Zephon.
As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the LORD.
They said to Moses, "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt?
Didn't we say to you in Egypt, 'Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians'? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!"
Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again.
The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still."
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on.
Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.
I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen.
The Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen."
Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel's army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them,
coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long.
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided,
and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.
The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh's horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea.
During the last watch of the night the LORD looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion.
He made the wheels of their chariots come off so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, "Let's get away from the Israelites! The LORD is fighting for them against Egypt."
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen."
Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians were fleeing toward it, and the LORD swept them into the sea.
The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen--the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived.
But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.
That day the LORD saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore.
And when the Israelites saw the great power the LORD displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant.
出埃及记第十四章   第 14 章 

  出埃及 

  出 14:6-9> 前是深渊后有追兵,以色列人几乎面临绝境…… 

  14:6-9 众人被困在红海与山地之间,孤单无援,六百辆埃及战车已经逼近。每辆战车载有二人:一人驾驶,一人作战。战车是用木头制成,或者在轮外装有皮革,由马拉动,可以说是古代的装甲坦克。不过再厉害的武器都不是神的对手,祂将战车与军兵全部消灭。 

  出 14:10-11> 以色列人对神的信心到哪里去了? 

  14:10-11 百姓受困在海边,埃及人从后面追杀过来,人人都以为必要灭亡了。他们曾看到神大能的手,用十灾击打法老,救他们离开埃及;而现在的回应竟然是恐惧、失望与哀号。他们必须从经验中不断学习,知道神能供应一切。神将这些实例写在圣经里,使我们从起初就可以学习信靠祂。我们仰望神过去的信实,就能满有把握地面对现在的危机,而不致恐惧和怨天尤人。 

  出 14:11-12> 困境中我会有的消极行为是──以后我会学习…… 

  14:11-12 这是以色列人第一次大吐苦水。他们对神的信心小得实在惊人。可惜我们也常常如此──对不如意的事大发牢骚。百姓将要学习好多难学的功课。但若是他们肯信靠神,就不会那么忧愁了。 

  14:13-14 尽管众人内心沮丧,对摩西充满敌意,摩西却鼓励他们不要惧怕,看神所要施行的救恩。摩西的态度积极,在似乎陷于绝境时,他恳求神伸手工作。我们虽不至于仍被仇敌追逼,却可能陷于困境。不要失望灰心,要效法摩西的态度:“只管站住,看神的拯救。” 

  出 14:15> 对神的命令,你是否立竿见影地去做了?见到何果效? 

  14:15 神吩咐摩西不要只顾哀求,而要叫百姓勇往直前。在我们的生活之中,祷告当然重要,但也不可忽略行动。我们有时知道当做的事,却还要以祷告寻求神更清楚的引导作为延迟的藉口。其实只要知道当做何事,就应当立刻去做。 

  出 14:21> 你经历过分开红海式的恩典吗? 

  14:21 在以色列人看来,前有大海,后有追兵,无路可逃;但耶和华施行神迹将海水分开,他们得以走干地过去。我们感到四面受敌,难以突围之时,不要惊恐,神能给我们开一条出路。 

  出 14:21-22> “水被分开……作了墙垣”真难以置信── 

  14:21-22 有学者认为他们并不是渡过辽阔的红海,而是从红海北部浅湖或沼泽走过,那里在旱季会干涸;或许红海的小港滩,浅得能让人涉足走过。但是圣经明说神用强烈的东风,把海水分开( 14:21 ;可参看书 3:15-16 ;王下 2:13-14 );圣经也说水深得足以淹没法老的车辆和军兵( 14:28 )。创造大地与海洋的神,能及时地行神迹,显明祂的大能和祂对子民的大爱。 

  出 14:27-28> 以色列人出埃及,埃及的历史上有记载吗? 

  14:27-28 在埃及的历史中,没有记载出埃及这件大事。因为埃及历代法老的惯例都是报喜不报忧。他们甚至从现有记录之中,把奸臣与政敌的名字除去。法老一定处心积虑地不去记载他的大军追逐逃亡的奴隶而全军覆没的一页。由于埃及人没有记载,或是有记载但尚未被发现,我们至今无法判定这件事的准确时间。──《灵修版圣经注释》