SECTION A: THEMES FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT (a) Highlight the story of how the Israelites crossed the Red Sea. (b) State two lessons which Christians can learn...

(a) How the Israelites crossed the Red Sea (Exodus 14)

After Pharaoh had let the people of Israel go out of Egypt, God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, but by the way of the wilderness towards the Red Sea. God went before them by day in a pillar of cloud and by night in a pillar of fire.

• Pharaoh's pursuit: When Pharaoh and his servants learnt that the people had fled, they changed their minds and said, "What have we done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?" Pharaoh made ready his chariot and took six hundred chosen chariots and all the chariots of Egypt with their officers, and pursued the Israelites, overtaking them as they camped by the sea.
• The fear of the Israelites: When the Israelites saw the Egyptians marching after them, they were terrified and cried out to the Lord, and murmured against Moses, saying it would have been better to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.
• Moses' reassurance: Moses said, "Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today; the Egyptians you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be still."
• The dividing of the sea: The Lord told Moses to lift up his rod and stretch out his hand over the sea to divide it. The angel of God and the pillar of cloud moved from before them to behind them, coming between the host of Egypt and Israel, giving light to Israel but darkness to the Egyptians. Moses stretched out his hand, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land; the waters were divided.
• Israel crosses over: The people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.
• The destruction of the Egyptians: The Egyptians pursued them into the sea. The Lord clogged their chariot wheels so that they drove heavily. At daybreak, at God's command, Moses stretched out his hand again, and the sea returned to its normal course, covering the chariots, the horsemen and all the host of Pharaoh. Not one of them remained. Thus the Lord saved Israel that day, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore, and the people feared the Lord and believed in him and in his servant Moses.

(b) Two lessons Christians can learn from this incident

• God is a faithful deliverer who saves his people: Christians learn that God is able to rescue his people from every danger and impossible situation; they should therefore trust him completely rather than give in to fear.
• Faith, obedience and calmness in the face of trouble: As Moses told the people to stand firm and be still while God fought for them, believers learn to be patient, obedient and confident in God during times of trial, knowing that victory comes from him.