See note Exo. 9:12^1a. God used Pharaoh to glorify Himself and to carry out His salvation for His chosen people. Pharaoh’s opposition created an environment that made the passover, the exodus, and the crossing of the Red Sea possible. In the same principle, God uses Satan’s opposition for the accomplishing of His people’s salvation (cf. note Job 1:6³).

Lit., with a high hand.

Or, silent.

The Angel of God here is the Angel of Jehovah who called Moses (Exo. 3:2, 4 and note Exo. 3:2^1b). The Angel of Jehovah is Christ as God’s sent One. The fact that God’s sent One went before the camp of Israel indicates that Christ was the One who was leading the people. When the Angel of God moved, the pillar moved also, showing that the Angel and the pillar were one. Christ and the leading Spirit cannot be separated (John 14:17-20; 16:13; 2 Cor. 3:17; Rev. 5:6).

Whenever those who follow the Lord face opposition, the guiding light spontaneously becomes the protecting light; however, to the opposers the protecting light becomes darkness.

The children of Israel crossed the Red Sea by faith (Heb. 11:29). In v. 11 they had no faith at all, but after God spoke to Moses in vv. 15-16, spontaneously they had the faith to walk into the sea (cf. Rom. 10:17). Likewise, at their baptism new believers should be encouraged to exercise faith in God as the One who operates in baptism (Col. 2:12 and note Col. 2:12³). See note Exo. 14:30^1a.

Or, He took off their chariot wheels. Some ancient versions translate, He bound their chariot wheels.

Pharaoh and his army were terminated and buried in the Red Sea. This signifies that Satan and the world were judged and buried in baptism (Rom. 6:3-4a; John 12:31; Heb. 2:14).

Like the passing of Noah’s ark through the waters of the flood, the crossing of the Red Sea was a type of baptism (1 Cor. 10:1-2 and note 1 Cor. 10:1^4b, note 1 Cor. 10:2^1a, note 1 Cor. 10:2², note 1 Cor. 10:2³; Gen. 7:17-23 and note Gen. 7:17¹). The waters of the Red Sea were used by God to save His people and separate them from Pharaoh and Egypt. The children of Israel were saved through the Red Sea into the wilderness, a realm of resurrection and separation (Exo. 15:22 and note Exo. 15:22¹), where they were free from all bondage and slavery to fulfill God’s purpose by building the tabernacle as God’s dwelling place on earth. Likewise, through baptism the New Testament believers are saved from Satan and the world into a realm of resurrection (Rom. 6:3-5) and separation (Acts 2:40-41), in which they are free to accomplish God’s purpose by building up the church as the dwelling place of God.

This marked the completion of the first stage of God’s complete salvation of His chosen people, a stage that included the passover, the exodus from Egypt, and the crossing of the Red Sea. The passover, typifying Christ with His redemption, was sufficient to save God’s people from God’s righteous judgment (Exo. 12:12-13). However, in order to be saved absolutely from the tyranny of Pharaoh and the enslavement in Egypt, the children of Israel needed the exodus and the crossing of the Red Sea. Likewise, after enjoying Christ’s redemption to be saved from God’s judgment, the New Testament believers need to leave the world and be baptized (cf. Mark 16:16a and note Mark 16:16^1a).

According to 1 Cor. 10:2, the children of Israel were “baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea.” Moses was a type of Christ and a representative of Christ (Heb. 3:1-6). Hence, by being baptized unto Moses, the children of Israel were actually baptized unto Christ, who was their real Leader (v. 19 and note Exo. 14:19^1a; Exo. 23:20 and note Exo. 23:20^1a). In the cloud and in the sea signify in the Spirit and into the death of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13; Rom. 6:3-4 and note Rom. 6:3³, note Rom. 6:4^1a, note Rom. 6:4²). Just as the cloud and the sea were one, so the Spirit and the death of Christ are one (Rom. 8:13).