“I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. The Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen.” (Exodus 14:17-18, NIV)

This statement comes just before the dramatic parting of the Red Sea. The entire episode showed God’s glory, and the parting of the sea was a means to the end. While the miracle of the sea opening was a profound demonstration of God’s power, the destruction of Pharaoh’s chariots in the returning waters serves as a final, undeniable proof to Egypt that Israel’s God is supreme.

The purpose of the whole experience was to show God’s glory in delivering His people and defeating their enemies. The focus was not on individual miracles, although there were many, but on God’s power and His ability to implement His plans no matter what puny resources humans think they have.

Pharaoh/Egypt in particular had defied God (through Moses) for weeks in continuing to refuse to release the Israelites from slavery even after the series of plagues. God may have been making a point that resistance to His word ends badly, as He did many times in the Old Testament. In Exodus 14:18 He says “Then the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD…” It seems that He is emphasizing here that they have not respected Him in the past, but they will after this miracle.

Egypt continued to exist after the warriors were killed, and presumably the people would have remembered this event and had a respect for Israel’s God that they did not have previously.

There are many incidents in the Old Testament where God miraculously saves His people even though they face overwhelming military odds and thereby shows His glory through the defeat of their enemies, such as the account of Deborah and Barak.

The overriding lesson in all of this is the same one as in the New Testament—reliance on self is useless; reliance on God is the only way to deliverance. 

Additional Resource:
Christian Questions Podcast
Episode #1164: “What Does Moses the Deliverer Teach Us About Jesus?”
Highlighting striking similarities between the lives of Moses and Jesus
Preview Video
CQ Rewind Show Notes

For children, parents and Bible class teachers:
Animated video: What were the Ten Plagues of Egypt?