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led the people," but now Jehovah, as it were, took command (ver.21), and, by a
sensible sign of His Presence, ensured their safety. This pillar was at the same timeone
"of fire and of the cloud" (14:24), "of light" and "of cloud and darkness" (ver. 20).
Ordinarily, byday only the cloud was visible, but by night the fire, which the cloud
had enwrapped, shone out.(Numbers 9:15, 16) In this cloud Jehovah was visibly
present in the "Angel" of the covenant;(Exodus 14:19) there the glory of Jehovah
appeared (16:10; 40:34; Numbers 16:42); thence Hespoke to Moses and to Israel; and
this was the Shechinah, or visible Presence, which afterwardsrested upon the Most
Holy Place. And this pledge and symbol of His visible Presence appears oncemore in
the description of the last days, only then "upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion."
(Isaiah4:5)
Secondly, it was probably from Etham, as they turned southwards, that tidings were
carried toPharaoh, which made him hope that Israel had, by this sudden backward
movement, "entangled"themselves as in a net, and would fall a ready prey to his
trained army. (Exodus 14:2-4) Perhapsnow also, for the first time, he realized that the
people had "fled" (ver. 5) -not merely gone for a fewdays to offer sacrifice, as they
might have done, close by Etham, but left entirely and forever. Thesacred text does
not necessarily imply that from Etham to Pi-hahiroth there was only one day'smarch.
Indeed, opinions as to the exact locality of each of the stages to the Red Sea are
stilldivided, though the general route is sufficiently ascertained. While Israel thus
pursued their journey,Pharaoh quickly gathered his army, the principal strength of
which lay in its "six hundred chosenchariots." Each of these was drawn by two fiery,
trained horses, and contained two warriors, onebearing the shield and driving, the
other fully armed. A most formidable array it would have beenunder any
circumstances; much more so to an untrained multitude, encumbered with women
andchildren, and dispirited by centuries of slavery to those very Egyptians, the flower
of whose armythey now saw before them.
It must have been as the rays of the setting sun were glinting upon the war chariots,
that the Israelitesfirst descried the approach of Pharaoh's army. It followed in their
track, and came approaching themfrom the north. There was no escape in that
direction. Eastward was the sea; to the west and southrose mountains. Flight was
impossible; defense seemed madness. Once more the faith of Israelsignally failed, and
they broke into murmuring against Moses. But the Lord was faithful. What nowtook
place was not only to be the final act of sovereign deliverance by God's arm alone, nor
yetmerely to serve ever afterwards as a memorial by which Israel's faith might be
upheld, but also toteach, by the judgments upon Egypt, that Jehovah was a righteous
and holy Judge.
There are times when even prayer seems unbelief, and only to go forward in calm
assurance is duty."Wherefore criest thou unto Me? Speak unto the children of Israel
(^)