seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Exodus 14:5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them and said, “What have we done? We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!” 6 So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him. 7 He took six hundred of the best chariots, along with all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them. 8 The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out boldly. 9 The Egyptians—all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots, horsemen[a] and troops—pursued the Israelites and overtook them as they camped by the sea near Pi Hahiroth, opposite Baal Zephon.
a. Exodus 14:9 Or charioteers; also in verses 17, 18, 23, 26 and 28
Can you believe it, Bible commentaries sometimes just go off on a tangent. Ever since Moses came back to Egypt and started talking to Pharaoh, it's been about permission to go worship for three days. Now it's been three days and they show no sign of coming back. So this has Pharaoh a tad upset, I mean who's going to be slave now? Without that strong Israeli slave labor force, the economy is going to do a strong downturn. Look at verse 7, it says they took all the chariots of Egypt to bring them back.
Here's what GodVine says about these verses.
Of their departure he could not be ignorant, because himself had given them liberty to depart: but the word fled here may be understood as implying that they had utterly left Egypt without any intention to return, which is probably what he did not expect, for he had only given them permission to go three days' journey into the wilderness, in order to sacrifice to Jehovah; but from the circumstances of their departure, and the property they had got from the Egyptians, it was taken for granted that they had no design to return; and this was in all likelihood the consideration that weighed most with this avaricious king, and determined him to pursue, and either recover the spoil or bring them back, or both. Thus the heart of Pharaoh and his servants was turned against the people, and they said, Why have we let Israel go from serving us? Here was the grand incentive to pursuit; their service was profitable to the state, and they were determined not to give it up.
According to the most authentic accounts we have of war-chariots, they were frequently drawn by two or by four horses, and carried three persons: one was charioteer, whose business it was to guide the horses, but he seldom fought; the second chiefly defended the charioteer; and the third alone was properly the combatant. It appears that in this case Pharaoh had collected all the cavalry of Egypt; (see Exodus 14:17); and though these might not have been very numerous, yet, humanly speaking, they might easily overcome the unarmed and encumbered Israelites, who could not be supposed to be able to make any resistance against cavalry and war-chariots.
Well, this is something. God led the Israelites [as a huge cloud in the daylight and a tornado of fire at night] on a particular route because the Israelites had been enslaved so long, they wouldn't be able to fight. God led the Israelites away from the Philistines because He knew they couldn't win a war. Now the whole cavalry available to Pharaoh in the day is on it's way.
The Israelites, according to Exodus 14:2,3 are pinned down. They have the desert on one side and the sea on the other. They are sitting ducks.... over 2 million sitting ducks. They've been beaten down for over 400 years so they aren't really fighters. They are workers.
Pharaoh is upset because Moses and Aaron betrayed him. They were talking about a three day vacation and now they've taken their wages [the gold and silver they collected] and they are moving on. Well that can't be happening to Pharaoh.... after all he's a little god.... people do what he says.... the Israelites can't just do as they please.... it just doesn't look right.... little god Pharaoh says "What have I done?"
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