Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Exodus 15

Highlight Verse:

“When Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and charioteers rushed into the sea, the Lord brought the water crashing down on them. But the people of Israel had walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground!”
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭15‬:‭19‬ ‭NLT‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

The debates over the parting of the Red Sea fascinate me.

Detractors claim that since there’s no archeological evidence of an army drowned in the Red Sea or its two major gulfs it must not have happened.

They are also quick to point out the lack of any other reporting of such an event in Egyptian history.

Those who wish to normalize the event say they must have crossed one of the shallow lakes north of the Gulf of Suez.

The truth is:

• The high salt content of the Red Sea and the wave and seismic activity would likely have obliterated or buried any evidence.
– But there have been recent discoveries of unusual coral formations that could suggest a drowned army.
• Ancient Egyptian History tends to omit anything not flattering to the pharaohs. Such a defeat would have been omitted from any official history.
– Other Papyri from the era point to plagues and unrest in Egypt, though the details are sketchy.
• The shallow lake theory simply doesn’t fit with Biblical accounts.

The Biblical account has far more early manuscripts than any other writing from that time which, when atheist bias is removed, gives it far more credence than any other writings of the era.

That said, the miraculous aspect of the Red Sea Crossing fits in well with other Old Testament stories.

God has never been afraid to use miracles to protect His people and provide salvation to the world.

I’m not afraid of believing the Red Sea crossing really happened.

What is your take on whether or not the Old Testament stories literally happened?
If God was capable of doing such miracles then, what do you think He can do today?