Scroll to the bottom for thoughts/discussion questions!
One-sentence summary: The Lord leads Israel by way of the Red Sea, He gives them a tradition to practice through all generations to remember how He delivered them, Pharaoh's army pursues them, the Lord parts the Red Sea so that the Israelites cross on dry land but the Egyptians are submerged, and the people sing a victory song to the Lord.
The Lord tells Moses to consecrate all the firstborn males and animals to Him (details below.) Moses tells the people to remember this day and how God brought them out by His own hand. They are not to eat any unleavened bread, and when God brings them to the land He has sworn to their forefathers, a land flowing with milk and honey, they are to keep this tradition for seven days, and they shall have a feast to the Lord on the seventh day. They shall tell their children the reason why they are keeping this tradition because of what the Lord did for them, and "it will be as a sign on [their] hand and as a memorial on [their] eyes" so that the Lord's law will be in their mouths. Moses tells them when they are brought into the land that they should set aside every firstborn of man and beast to the Lord; the animals will be sacrificed but the sons will be redeemed. (There is a weird verse in there about donkeys.) When their sons asks them why they are doing that, they should say that the Lord brought them out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, and that He killed the firstborn of Egypt, so that is the reason all the firstborn animals are sacrificed but the sons are redeemed.
God does not lead the Israelites by the land of the Philistines, because He thinks that if they see war, they might turn back. Instead, He leads them through the wilderness to the Red Sea. And Moses takes the bones of Joseph with him. The Lord goes before the Israelites by day in a pillar of cloud and by night as a pillar of fire so that they travel both by day and night.
The Lord tells Moses to speak to the Israelites and have them to camp by the sea, so that Pharaoh will think that they are lost, and that He will again harden Pharaoh's heart, so that he will pursue them in order for God to get the honor over Pharaoh and his army and for the Egyptians to know that He is the Lord. When Pharaoh hears the people are gone, he regrets his decision, so he prepares his chariot and his army and pursues the Israelites. (He must be out of his mind.) When the people of Israel see the Egyptian army heading toward them, they are very afraid and cry out to the Lord. Then they ask Moses if he has brought them out into the wilderness to die. They say that they told him to leave them alone to serve the Egyptians and that that would have been better than dying in the wilderness. Moses's response is, "Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord that He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians that you see today, you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you will hold your peace."And the Lord says to Moses, "Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. Lift up your rod and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it." The Lord says that He will divide the sea and that the Israelites will cross it on dry ground, but that Pharaoh's heart will be hardened, and he will pursue them and be overtaken by it, so that God will get the glory and the Egyptians will know that He is the Lord.
The Angel of God that had gone before the camp of Israel moves behind them, and the pillar of cloud moves from before to behind, so that it stands between the Israelites and the Egyptians. It is a cloud of darkness to the Egyptians, but it is light by night for the Israelites, so that the Egyptians do not come near Israel the whole night.
Then Moses stretches out his hand, and the Lord causes a strong east wind to push back the sea through the night so that the waters are divided and the sea floor is dry. And the Israelites cross over, with walls of water on either side. And Pharaoh's army with his chariots and horseman follow. (It is debated whether or not Pharaoh himself actually goes. Although the previous verses say that Pharaoh takes his chariot and goes with them, thereafter it speaks of his army and not Pharaoh himself. His death is also not mentioned in the later victory song. In Psalm 136, it sounds as if he was with them when it says, "Pharaoh and his army, He has hurled into the sea," but this could also be interpreted as Pharaoh being represented by his army.)
In the morning, as the Egyptians are pursing Israel, the Lord "[troubles] the army of the Egyptians" and takes off their chariot wheels so that it is difficult for them to drive, and they say, "Let's get out of here!" (paraphrased.) The Lord tells Moses to stretch out his hand again so that the water may come down on the Egyptians. When he does, the walls of water come down, and the Egyptians are completely submerged. So Israel is saved out of the hands of the Egyptians, and the Israelites see them dead on the seashore. And the people "[fear] the Lord and [believe] Him and His servant, Moses."
Then, Moses and the Israelites sing a song to the Lord containing this beautiful line: "The Lord is my strength and my song. He has become my salvation." Miriam, Aaron's sister and a prophetess, takes a timbrel, and the rest of the women follow suit and dance, and she sings, "Sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously. The horse and his rider He has thrown into the sea."
Then the Israelites travel three days into the wilderness and arrive at Marah (a place in the desert meaning "bitter" because the water there is very bitter), and the people complain because they have no water, but Moses cries out to the Lord, and the Lord shows him a tree. When Moses casts the tree into the waters, they are made sweet. The Lord gives the people a law and a test. He says that if they will diligently listen to His voice, do what is right in His sight, listen to His commandments and keep all His laws, He will not put on them the diseases He put on the Egyptians , for, He says, "I am the Lord who heals you."
Thoughts/Discussion Questions:
Tradition is beautiful, if not separated from meaning.
Complaining is second-nature, or should we say first nature.
It is easy to look at Israel and think how silly they were to ever distrust God again after all the wonders they saw in Egypt, but what about us? We need to constantly maintain a right heart and never allow the things of God to become commonplace or take Him for granted. This is written to teach US.
"I am the Lord who heals you." How beautiful. There is no area in our lives where God does not want to bring healing.