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??Passover night! What a night to remember!! For many Hebrew children about your age, it was the most exciting night of their lives! After all, whoever was in a big parade in the middle of the night？About 2 million Hebrews：old, young, children, babies all were forming a parade to leave the land of Egypt that Passover night, and in the wee hours of the morning they were marching to the orders of their leader Moses. Free at last! A wonderful new land lay ahead of them, which God had promised would be their new home.
??For the children it was probably a grand adventure! They would be sitting around campfires at night, sleeping in tents, what fun! But wait! How would they know where to go？There were no maps, no highway signs, in fact, no highway! Not to worry! Exodus 13：21 says, And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light. A pillar is like a big column of cloud. What a comfort it must have been to the Hebrew people to look at that cloud ahead of them, reminding them of God’s presence with them! When the cloud stopped, Moses would stop the people, and there they would camp for hours, for days or even for weeks, until the cloud moved again.
??God showed His love and care for them in so many ways. Exodus 13：17-18 says, God did not lead them through the land of the Philistines, although that was nearer, for God said, The people are not ready for war with the Philistines, they would be afraid and turn back. But God led the people about through the way of the wilderness of the Red Sea. How wise and perfect and loving our God is! Did you know that’s just the way He loves and cares for you, boys and girls？As your Creator, He knows when you are afraid, or lonely, or confused. Jeremiah 31：3 says, I have loved thee with an everlasting love. God loves you, just as He did His Hebrew people back then!
??God not only loves us, but He already knows everything that is going to happen to us. In His great wisdom, He could see exactly what was about to happen to the Hebrew people! Danger ahead! But God is always ahead of the danger! He warned Moses that Pharaoh would change his mind and come after them in the wilderness to try to take the Hebrew people back as slaves.
??Can you believe it？After all those terrible things God had brought upon Egypt, including the death of Pharaoh’s own son, yet still Pharaoh hardened his heart even more! Do you know what caused his heart to be so hardened？It was sin, the same thing that causes our hearts to be more and more hard. The more you lie, the easier it is to lie. The more you steal, the harder your conscience becomes about stealing. Don’t be like Pharaoh who hardened his heart by continuing to sin. He said to himself, “Why have we done this, why did we let Israel go from serving us？” He wanted his 2 million slaves back working for him, so he got his chariot ready, rounded up his army, and off they went in a cloud of dust to overtake the Hebrews.
??Perhaps it was that cloud of dust the Hebrews first noticed, as they were camped by the Red Sea. Then to their horror, they realized what it was! They cried out in fear and panic! With loud cries, they began to complain to Moses, “You brought us out here to die in the wilderness!”
??Boys and girls, the Hebrew people were forgetting something very important! What？God was in control! The pillar of cloud was right there to remind them! If you know the Lord Jesus as your Saviour, even though you can’t see a pillar of cloud guiding you, remember God is in control of your life! Sometimes things happen that sure make your life seem out of control, like storms or floods. Sometimes people we love become sick and die. Parents lose their jobs, families sometimes lose their homes. Where is God when bad things happen？Very calmly He sits in control.
??The Hebrew people had forgotten that, but Moses hadn’t. He said with confidence, “Don’t be afraid! Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will show you today：for the Egyptians that you see today you will see again no more forever. The Lord will fight for you!”
??God told Moses to tell the people to go on toward the Red Sea. As they did, the pillar of cloud did a strange thing. It suddenly went from before the people and stood behind them, between them and the Egyptian army. Exodus 14：19 says that the angel of God also removed and went behind them. The pillar of cloud became darkness to the Egyptian army, and yet on the Hebrew side it gave light to the people! What miracles of God to protect His people! The darkness kept the Egyptian army from being able to come near the Hebrew people all night.
??Then God commanded Moses to stretch out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, so that there was a path of dry ground between two mighty walls of water. The Hebrew people began their walk through the Red Sea on an instant highway!
??While those almost 2 million people are walking through the Red Sea, let’s think about something. Our God not only rules over people, but He rules over all of nature! Even the sea is under His control. The natural laws of gravity and current are under His control! If you have believed on the Lord Jesus, you are His child, remember He is in control of your life! You may panic when something dangerous, or painful is happening, but you can trust and remember God is in control. The Israelites were surely seeing God in control, as they saw the mighty walls of sea water on each side of them, held back by the awesome, invisible power of God.
??Finally, the last little Hebrew was on the other side of the Red Sea! But oh, no! Look! The Egyptians have chased the Hebrews, and come right in after them and there they are in the middle of the sea, driving their chariots as fast and furiously as they can!
??But wait, let’s remind ourselves, Who is in control？??In the early morning, the LORD looked down and began to make more trouble for the Egyptians! He took off their chariot wheels, so that the horses were dragging those heavy chariots with no wheels! Too late! Too late the Egyptians acknowledged the LORD in all this. They said, “Let us run back! for the LORD is fighting for the Hebrews against us!”
??Too late! Those are two very sad words. The Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea that the waters may come again.” So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its raging strength. Even though the Egyptian army raced against the water, it was too late. The entire Egyptian army - men, chariots, and horses- were destroyed in the sea!! Too late they learned the true and living God is in control!
??Exodus chapter 14 ends with this：And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians; and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses. Later Moses and his sister Miriam led the people to sing joyous praises to the LORD for His care of them. They realized God had been in control even when they could not understand! He was working all things for their good!
