Exodus 16:28

Exodus 16:28 says, And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?  Though it was really the people of Israel who were refusing to obey or doubting God, Moses was God's representative to them, so he was asked the question about refusing to obey God.  As Christians, we are God's representatives to the world today, and we need to pray that God doesn't ask us how long we will refuse to obey His commands, especially the command to carry the gospel into the world.  

Verse twenty-nine adds, See, for that the LORD hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.  God was referring to the keeping of the Sabbath in particular.  God had made provisions for the people to gather enough on the day before so that they could keep the Sabbath set aside for Him.  Since keeping one day, the Sabbath, set aside for God was always important, is it any less important that we keep one day, for us the Lord's Day, or Sunday, set aside for God?  I believe God still expects us to do this.  

Verse thirty continues, So the people rested on the seventh day.  The people of Israel obeyed God and rested on the seventh day.   As stated above, we need a day set aside for God every week.  

Verse thirty-one states, And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.  They called the bread Manna, and it was sweet tasting, like wafers made with honey.  God didn't just give them bread.  He gave them sweet tasting bread.  God will always give us more than we really deserve if we put our faith in Him.  

Verse thirty-two adds, And Moses said, This is the thing which the LORD commandeth, Fill an omer of it to be kept for your generations; that they may see the bread wherewith I have fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you forth from the land of Egypt.  Moses told the people to fill an omer with the bread to keep as a memorial to God.  

Verse thirty-three continues, And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the LORD, to be kept for your generations.  Moses told Aaron to fill a pot with the manna to keep as a memorial to God for the generations to come.  If we have a memorial today, it is the empty cross, but most importantly, as followers of Christ, we have the Holy Spirit indwelling us.  Of course, we also observe the Lord's Supper as a memorial to Christ.  

Verse thirty-four declares, As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept.  Aaron did as God had instructed Moses to do.  This was God's plan and not just Moses' idea.  We need to make sure that God is the source our plan today and that we are not just attempting to get our way by claiming that it is His plan.  

Verse thirty-five adds, And the children of Israel did eat manna forty years, until they came to a land inhabited; they did eat manna, until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan.  God provided the manna for the people of Israel for forty years, until they got to the Promised Land.  Today, God will provide for us if we are followers of Christ until we get to the Promised Land which is Heaven.  

Verse thirty-six concludes. Now an omer is the tenth part of an ephah.  This simply gives us the amount that an omer was.

Exodus 16:13

Exodus 16:13 says, And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host.  In the evening, the LORD provided quail for the Israelites to eat.  They were complaining about starving, and God provided even more than just the bare minimum for them to eat.  I believe that we should be more concerned about spiritual hunger than we should physical, because if we are spiritually close to God, then we won't allow physical hunger or concerns to cause us to murmur against God.  

Verse fourteen adds, And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground.  The ground was covered with dew in the morning, and when the dew disappeared, the ground was covered with small round things.  

Verse fifteen continues, And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.  The people of Israel did not know what it was, so they called it manna.  Moses then told them that it was the bread rained down from heaven by God.  We may fail to recognize God's blessings at times because they do not look like what we are expecting.  This was not bread like the people of Israel were used to seeing, but since God provided it, I believe it was even better.  

Verse sixteen states, This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents.  Moses gave the people specific commands about gathering the bread.  They were to gather an omer for each person in the tent.  We today could learn from this.  God does not tell us that He will provide for our entire life's needs today, but that He will provide for our needs daily, so we should learn to be content with having our needs met daily.  

Verse seventeen adds, And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less.  The people did more or less what God had told them to do through Moses.  

Verse eighteen continues, And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating.  I believe that the fact that they attempted to comply with what God said was more important than the literal amount that they gathered.  Everyone had their needs met, and no more.  When we come to Christ, it is the fact that we come, and not how we come that matters.  Some people's faith may not be quite as strong as others, but if they come, they will both be spiritually filled.  

Verse nineteen says, And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning.  Moses told them not to leave anything over until morning.  I believe that we too often worry about tomorrow and attempt to want to keep things stored up for tomorrow instead of being willing to just rely on God daily.  

Verse twenty adds, Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them.  Not all people listened to Moses then, and he was upset with them, and not all people listen to God today, even those who are followers of Christ.  Even as we say we think the second coming of Christ will be soon, we want a lifetime of physical security for ourselves.  

Verse twenty-one continues, And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted.  What wasn't used melted away, but every person had their needs met.  What we don't use for God today will likewise melt away some day.  

Verse twenty-two declares, And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses.  They gathered twice as much on the sixth day, so they could keep the Sabbath holy.  

Verse twenty-three adds, And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.  Again, the people were given specific instructions for preparing the bread for the Sabbath.  We, as followers of Christ, celebrate the Lord's Day instead of the Sabbath, but do we keep it holy?  

Verse twenty-four continues, And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein.  The next morning, the Sabbath, the bread was still good.  God provided for them on the Sabboth if they followed His command the day before.  

Verse twenty-five says, And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the LORD: to day ye shall not find it in the field.  If the people had not prepared for the Sabbath the day before, they had no food that day.  We need to take the Lord's Day just as seriously.  

Verse twenty-six adds, Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none. 

Verse twenty-seven concludes, And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none.  Evidently, some people didn't listen to Moses and went out to gather the manna on the Sabbath, but there was none.  We today need to obey God's instructions by faith if we are to be the best that we can be spiritually.

Exodus 16:1

Exodus 16:1 says, And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt.  The people of Israel were on their way to the Promised Land, but they were going through the wilderness first.  After we come to know Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we are on the way to our Promised Land, Heaven, but we will be in the wilderness of this world until we die or Christ returns.  

Verse two adds, And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness:  It didn't take long for the mummering to resume.  We too often murmur against God when things aren't going exactly as we feel they should.  

Verse three continues, And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.  The people of Israel told Moses and Aaron that they were better off with plenty to eat as slaves in Egypt than they were dying of hunger in the wilderness.  God's chosen people had once again neglected to look to God for the meeting of their needs.  When we, as followers of Christ, neglect to look to God for answers to our needs, we too may be murmuring in the wilderness of sin.  

Verse four declares, Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.  Though the people complained to Moses, God heard them.  God said He would rain down bread from Heaven, in a certain way, to see if the people would walk in His law.  We are not promised that God will give us everything we need for the ret of our life, but that if we put our faith in Him, He will give us our daily bread.  

Verse five adds, And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.  On the sixth day, the people were to gather twice as much.  This was to keep the Sabbath Day holy.  We today observe the Lord's Day instead of the Sabbath, but do we really do enough to keep it holy unto the Lord.  

Verse six continues, And Moses and Aaron said unto all the children of Israel, At even, then ye shall know that the LORD hath brought you out from the land of Egypt:  Moses and Aaron told the people that they would soon see proof that God had brought them out of the land of Egypt, since they had evidently already forgotten all that God had done so far.  We should never forget what God did for us when Christ died for us on the cross, and we should never have to ask for further proof of our redemption.  

Verse seven states, And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the LORD; for that he heareth your murmurings against the LORD: and what are we, that ye murmur against us?   Moses and Aaron told the people that they would see the glory of the LORD in the morning, and asked why they were murmuring against God and them.  If we are really living by faith in God, then there is never a need to murmur against Him or those He has called to do His work.  

Verse eight adds, And Moses said, This shall be, when the LORD shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD.  Moses said that God was going to meet their needs, in His way and time, and that their murmuring was not against Moses and  Aaron, but against God.  If we today begin to murmur against preachers and teachers that God has put in position, then we are really murmuring against God.  

Verse nine continues, And Moses spake unto Aaron, Say unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, Come near before the LORD: for he hath heard your murmurings.  Like the people of Israel, if we want our needs met, instead of murmuring against God, we 3need to come close to Him.  

Verse ten says, And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud.  While Aaron was speaking to the people, they looked toward the wilderness and the glory of the LORD appeared in a cloud.  I believe that the only way we are really going to see the glory of the LORD is if we look ahead in faith, and not by looking back in doubt.  The glory of the LORD did not appear looking back toward Egypt, but looking ahead to the wilderness, which may have seemed rather bleak by comparison.  

Verse eleven adds, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  

Verse twelve continues, I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God.  God again told Moses that He had heard the murmurings of the people of Israel and that He would meet their needs so that they could see His glory.  When God meets our needs today, we should always be quick to give Him the glory.

Exodus 15:20

Exodus 15:20  says, And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.  Miriam, referred to as Aarons sister, began to play music and lead the women to play music as well.  Music and singing have always been a part of worshipping God, though some people today believe that music has no place in the church.  

Verse twenty-one adds, And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.  Miriam told the women to sing to the LORD as well because of His great triumph over the Egyptians.  All Christians, both women and men, should sing praises to God today, especially when the evil of the world seems to be winning.  

Verse twenty-two continues, So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.  Moses lead the people of Israel three days into the wilderness from the Red Sea, and they had found no water.  They were going where God was leading them, but it seemed that He was not providing for them.  They had not only the people but the cattle to be concerned about.  Even if we look around and it seems that conditions in life are hopeless, if we are following God's leadership, we do not need to be concerned.  God will always provide for our needs.  

Verse twenty-three states, And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah.  When the people got to water at Marah, they could not drink it because it was bitter.  To find water that they could not drink would have probably seemed even worse.  I believe that this would be like our finding what looks like an answer to a problem today, relying on our own ability and not God's guidance, and realizing that what we thought was the answer wouldn't work.  

Verse twenty-four adds, And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?  It didn't take the people of Israel long to begin to murmur and question Moses.  After their deliverance from Egypt by the power of God, we would think it would take more than three days for them to begin to doubt Moses, and more importantly, God.  We should never murmur against and doubt God, and we certainly should not do so almost immediately after experiencing His work in our lives.  

Verse twenty-five continues, And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them,  Moses cried out to the LORD, and He answered.  We really don't have any record of Moses calling out to God in the three days that they had traveled.  If we constantly seek God's guidance, we might not have 

to call out to Him in distress.  

Verse twenty-six says, And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.  Moses was called on to put his faith in God, and I believe this applied to all the people of Israel.  If we, as followers of Christ, want to be victorious in the world today, then we must put our faith in God no matter what.  

Verse twenty-seven adds, And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters.  God, through Moses, lead the people to a place with plenty of water.  Christ today provides us with plenty of spiritual water to sustain us in life, if we will only keep our faith in Him.  We should never have a reason to murmur aginst or doubt God.

Exodus 15:1

Exodus 15:1 says, Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.  Moses and the people of Israel sang praises to God for His deliverance.  We today should praise God the same way if we have accepted Christ as our Savior and Lord, individually and collectively.  

Verse two adds, The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him.  Just as with the Israelites God is our salvation, and the only way to salvation.  He is also our source of strength.  

Verse three continues, The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.  When it comes to defeating evil, God does go to war for us.  

Verse four states, Pharaoh’s chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea.  The people of Israel and Moses had just witnessed God's power to deliver, and when we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord, we witness the same thing.  

Verse five adds, The depths have covered them: they sank into the bottom as a stone.  This is just a continuation of recalling God's deliverance.  

Verse six continues, Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand,  Thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy.  Just like with the plagues of Egypt, we should always remember the power of God.  

Verse seven says, And in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee: thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble.  When God sends His judgment, we are like stubble, or powerless, to stand before Him.  

Verse eight adds, And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright as an heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea.  The people or Israel and Moses were continuing to declare the overpowering power of God from what they had just witnessed.  

Verse nine continues, The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.  Just as the Egyptians and Pharaoh sought to destroy the Egyptians, there are many, many people who are attempting to destroy Christians today.  

Verse ten states, Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them: they sank as lead in the mighty waters.  God destroyed the mighty Egyptian army with water and wind, so we should never doubt His ability to defeat any enemy we face today.  

Verse eleven adds, Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?  This is a question we should all ask today, and the answer now as it was then is no one.  God is indeed glorious in His holiness.  

Verse twelve continues, Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them.  I believe this was just another way of stating that the seas swallowed the Egyptians.  

Verse thirteen proclaims, Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation.  The people of Israel acknowledged that God's mercy was what saved them, just as it is by His mercy we are saved today.  

Verse fourteen adds, The people shall hear, and be afraid: sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Palestina.  The Israelites also acknowledge that God would give them victory over others who heard about His power.  Not everyone that we encounter today is going to be afraid of or respect God, but we can still be sure that He is and always will be victorious over the world.  

Verse fifteen continues,Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them; all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away.  The people of Israel were still proclaiming their faith in God giving them the victory over all those around them.  Yet, they would too soon start to complain.  We know that we have victory through our faith in Christ, yet we too often complain about our situation.  

Verse sixteen says, Fear and dread shall fall upon them; by the greatness of thine arm they shall be as still as a stone; till thy people pass over, O LORD, till the people pass over, which thou hast purchased.  We should make that same claim today.  God has insured us victory if we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord.  

Verse seventeen adds, Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O LORD, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established.  Just like with the Israelites then,  God has a place prepared for us today and He will bring us safely to it, if not in our lifetime on earth, then in the everlasting life that we have through our faith in Christ.  

Verse eighteen continues,The LORD shall reign for ever and ever.  This has not changed and will not change.  God always has and always will be the ruler of the universe.  

Verse nineteen concludes, For the horse of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and the LORD brought again the waters of the sea upon them; but the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea.  Much of the faith of the people of Israel was based on what they had seen God do, and when they didn't see His mighty works, they began to doubt, as we will see.  We must put our faith in God even when we do not see physical evidence that He is at work in a particular situation.

Exodus 14;23

Exodus 14:23 says,  And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.  All of the Pharaoh's horses, chariots and horsemen went into the middle of the sea in pursuit of the Israelites.  Pharaoh was determined to get them back and show that he was greater than God.  Had he not felt this way, he certainly would have acknowledged God's superiority by now.  People today will fight to the very end to keep from acknowledging God, because they refuse to believe in His superiority over all else.  

Verse twenty-four adds, And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians,  In the morning, God looked down through the pillar of fire and the cloud and troubled the Egyptians.  Things that keep us from seeing clearly are not an obstacle to God.  God can always see clearly through all the things that may cause us confusion, and if we do not look to Him for guidance, we may remain in our confusion.  

Verse twenty-five continues, And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians.  God caused the wheels to fall off the chariots of the Egyptians, and they began to say that they should flee because God fought for the Israelites.  It is always good for people to realize when God is behind someone that they may be against.  

Verse twenty-six declares, And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.  God told Moses to stretch out his hands so that the waters would close up on the Egyptians.  Once more, God didn't need Moses to do this to cause it to happen, just as He doesn't really need us today to accomplish His will.  God did this for this for the benefit of the Israelites and Moses, to show them that He was the cause off what happened, just as He allows us today to serve Him for the benefit of those around us and for ourselves.  

Verse twenty-seven adds, And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.  When Moses did what God told him to do, the Egyptians attempted to flee, but the sea closed in over them.  Those who want to say that the sea really didn't part and that the Israelites simply went through a marshy area now have to acknowledge that if that is the case that God drowned an army in a marsh that the Israelites could walk through.  We might wonder why God did not simply allow the Egyptians to escape, but there comes a point in life where redemption is no longer possible.  

Verse twenty-eight continues, And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them.  All those who were chasing the Israelites died in the sea.  God will still deliver us from all our enemies today, if not in this life, then in the one to come.  Like the Israelites, we may be tempted to grumble and complain, but if we truly put our faith in God, then we will not.  

Verse twenty-nine says, But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.  The people of Israel continued to walk through the sea, which like a like a wall of water on both sides.  No matter what is all around us, if we keep our faith in God, He will lead us through whatever we face.  

Verse thirty adds, Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore.  Just as God delivered the Israelites from the Egyptians, He delivers us from the penalty of sin today if we put our faith in Christ as our Savior and Lord.  

Verse thirty one continues, 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.  The people of Israel saw the work of God and feared Him and His servant Moses.  When people see what can only be explained as the work of God today, they should stand in awe of Him.

EXO14:15 says, And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:  God asked Moses why he was crying out to, or I believe we could say doubting, Him.  God may ask us the same question at times.  When God calls us to do something, we don't need to question nor complaint to Him.  God told Moses to tell the people of Israel to go forward, and so must we when God tells us to go today.  Verse sixteen adds, But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.  God instructed Moses to lift his rod and stretch his hand out over the sea and the people of Israel would walk through on dry ground.  Some people today want to say that the people of Israel really didn't pass through the sea, but escaped through the marsh land.  This is not what God's word teaches us, since it declares the sea would part and they would pass through on dry, not even muddy, ground.  Verse seventeen adds, And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.  God additionally told Moses that Pharaoh would follow him, but that God would honor Himself by what would happen to Pharaoh and his army.  God had given Pharaoh plenty of opportunities to believe in Him and His power, and he continually refused to, so he was about to reap the rewards of his continued disobedience.  I personally don't believe that God was going to do this just to show His power, just as He doesn't send anyone to hell just to show His power.  Just like Pharaoh, every person is given an opportunity to follow God, but when he or she won't, then God will judge that person for his or her sins.  God cannot overlook sin, so we either accept forgiveness through faith in Christ, or we pay the penalty.  Verse eighteen continues, And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.  God said all of Egypt would know that He was God, because of what He was going to do to Pharaoh and his army.  God did not say that they would accept Him as their God, but that they would know that He was God.  There are people today who believe that there is a God, but they do not accept Him as their personal Savior.  Verse nineteen declares, And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:  The angel of the LORD which had been going ahead of the people of Israel moved behind them, as did the pillar of cloud.  This was not to lead them back, but to stand between the people and Pharaoh.  The pillar of cloud was a visual sign of the presence of God.  Today, we need to realize that God protects us from any harm coming to us from where we were when living a sinful life, and we need to never turn back to where we were before we accepted Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Verse twenty states, And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.  The pillar of cloud was darkness to the Egyptians, but was a light to the people of Israel.  Today, Jesus is the dividing point between people.  We either accept Him as a light to our lives, or we continue to live in the darkness of sin.  Verse twenty-one states, And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.  When Moses stretched forth hs rod, God parted the sea.  We sometimes hear of Moses parting the sea, but he didn't do it.  God parted the sea.  He didn't really need Moses to stretch out the rod, but this was just a sign of Moses belief and obedience to God.  We should never take credit for what God does in the world today, and we should never need signs of His presence.  Verse twenty-two declares, And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.  The people of Israel passed through on dry ground with a wall of water on each side, which hardly describes a marsh.  When we find ourselves in a seemingly unwinnable situation, like the people of Israel, we too often complain instead of believing that God will provide the answer.  We need to always simply live by faith in God, no matter our situation.