Red Sea it to believe it?
The parting of the Red Sea is debated by unbelievers. And why not? To think that somehow water can be parted in the middle and stand as a wall on either side seems physically impossible. That’s what makes the story so compelling as an act of faith, not just for the Israelites, but for us as well. In fact, we need more faith to believe the story than the Israelites did for it to happen.
Reading the account of the parting of the Red Sea, we realize that the Israelites really didn’t have much faith at all at that moment. I understand that they were experiencing something I can’t possibly relate to, but the Bible does specify that they were low on faith at the time. The parting of the Red Sea was similar to the plagues – both were acts of God to prove His might.
Wind on the water
I have heard some folks try to explain the parting of the Red Sea as a weather phenomenon. They say that the sea was very low and receded from a risen path below the surface with the help of a large gust of wind. Though I don’t doubt that such a thing may happen, it doesn’t really explain how the water came back and engulfed all the Egyptians. Furthermore, if the water was so low, the Isrealites would have just started crossing instead of camping alongside it. Think about it: when you hike in the mountains and you come across a waterway that is a bit low, do you just stop and set up camp and say, “Well, I guess this is as far as we can go.” No. You take off your shoes, walk across, then put your shoes back on. Add to that someone chasing behind you and you probably wouldn’t take your shoes off to begin with.
The wind theory is comfortable. We like to believe what we already believe. Many of us believers do the same with the scriptures – we read through them picking out the things that reinforce our belief and ignore that which doesn’t. Science is no different. If we don’t believe water can stand as a wall, we’ll look for examples in nature that reinforce our existing belief. The point of the story is to believe something completely astonishing.
Miracle of miracles
The placebo effect basically states that, if we believe medicine being given to us will heal our ailment, our body will heal regardless of whether the medicine was valid or fake (i.e., a placebo). Those healings we see on TV and in the revival tents get a bad rap because of this. We would be naïve to think that all the revival tent healings are legitimate. At the same time, we would be naïve to believe all of them are not legitimate. Healings do happen. Yet miracles, be them in Biblical times or afterward, need not our belief that they’ll “work” for them to work. God makes them work whether we believe or not.
The best miracles are those that happen when our faith is low. That’s when God really shows His strength. The water parted whether the Israelites thought it would part or not. In fact, they thought they were going to die. What better time for God to provide a miracle? That shuts the mouth and opens the eyes of believer and unbeliever alike.
Here’s the good part
I believe we have not seen the last of God’s great miracles. In fact, the Bible as we know it is a foreshadowing of greater things to come. When the Great Tribulation comes (and it will) we will see miracles that dwarf those we read about in scripture. There will be new scripture written to document the amazing things the Tribulation saints will experience. By no means do I say that our existing Bible will no longer be valid, but, if we believe prophesy, it’s to be continued.
When the Great Tribulation comes, we may not have the infrastructure we have now. There’s a good chance there won’t be gas stations to fill up our cars since there won’t be suppliers for gas. And what about the airplanes? It takes lots of people and coordination (and fuel) to keep those planes in the air. What makes us think airline staff will be immune to the factors of the Great Tribulation? Are they going to still go to work and do business as usual in the midst of all that craziness?
So how will those of us who are across the ocean get to Israel? One theory involves plate tectonics and the continents suddenly moving back to a Pangaea state. That’s okay but that doesn’t ring “miracle” in the ears of scientists. Personally I like to believe that the waters of the ocean may part. I’m not saying this will happen, but, if we knew it happened in the Exodus, whey can’t a greater miracle happen in the Greater Exodus? Could we see an entire ocean part as a wall on both sides while the children of Israel (us) make our way to the other side? We know God has the power. I guess we’ll just wait and see. But we won’t need to see it to believe it, that’s the essence of faith, right? And when it comes to super-fantastic-amazing-unfathomable miracles God has in store for us in the days to come, we ain’t seen nothing yet.
