Moses

Israelites Crossing The Red Sea

The children of Israel had lived in Egypt for 430 years. After Joseph died, there arose a ruler who did not remember how kind Joseph had been, and the people of Israel became slaves to the Egyptians.

Ten plagues had been sent on the Egyptians so that Pharaoh would let the Israelites be free.

The plagues as they appear in the Bible are:

1. Rivers and other water sources turned to blood killing all fish and other water life. (Dam)
2. Amphibians (commonly believed to be frogs) (Tsfardeia)
3. Lice or gnats (Kinim)
4. Flies or beasts (Arov)
5. Disease on livestock (Dever)
6. Unhealable boils (Shkhin)
7. Hail mixed with fire (Barad)
8. Locusts (Arbeh)
9. Darkness (Choshech)
10. Death of the first-born of all Egyptian families. (Makat Bechorot)

In the last plague that came upon them, the firstborn of every Egyptian family died. Pharaoh finally agreed to let them go, but when he realized that he was losing all his slaves, he decided to go and bring them back. He took his soldiers and 600 of the best chariots along with all the chariots in Egypt.

The Israelites were afraid when they saw the chariots coming. The Red Sea was in front of them, and the Egyptians were following behind them. There seemed to be no escape.

Moses told them, " The Lord will fight for you. You need only to be still."

God told Moses to lift up his rod and stretch out his hand over the sea to divide it, and the children of Israel could cross.

The angel of the Lord moved from in front of the Israelites to a place behind them. The cloud also moved. It was light on Israel's side, and dark on the Egyptian's side and Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. All that night the Lord caused an east wind to blow. The Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.

The Egyptians ran after them and followed them into the sea. They saw the Israelites crossing on dry land, and they thought they could, too.

The people of Israel all got across to the other side. Then the Egyptian army became confused and the wheels started coming off the chariots. They could not overtake the Israelites.

The water came crashing down on the soldiers, and they were all lost in the sea.

Moses sang a song of praise to God for the great blessing that had come to his people that day.