But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch forth thy hand over the sea, and divide it: that the children of Israel may go through the midst of the sea on dry ground.
וְאַתָּ֞ה הָרֵ֣ם אֶֽת־מַטְּךָ֗ וּנְטֵ֧ה אֶת־יָדְךָ֛ עַל־הַיָּ֖ם וּבְקָעֵ֑הוּ וְיָבֹ֧אוּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל בְּת֥וֹךְ הַיָּ֖ם בַּיַּבָּשָֽׁה׃
5 Church Fathers comment on this verse
During the era of Moses, the sea trembled at the sight of the rod, recognizing the authority of the one who wielded it. Thus, the rod of Moses possessed great strength; can we say that the Cross of the Savior lacks power? Revelation 13.20
Since the Lord is close to all who genuinely seek Him (Psalm 144:18), when Moses called out from deep within while his lips remained sealed in silence, the One who perceives the heart responded, "Why do you cry out to me? Use the rod in your hand to strike the sea; it will part, and people will pass through, and I will be glorified in Pharaoh and all his might." The same holds true in our situation. We face illness and the torment of evil forces, which lead to sorrow and troubled thoughts. The body suffers from disease and is burdened by the weight of malevolence.
Yet, when Moses silently calls upon God, in other words, when the mind is alert and reaching out—even while standing or resting—the One who listens to the depths of the heart will respond (Psalm 43:22), and the Scripture will be realized: "I sleep, but my heart is awake" (Song of Solomon 5:2). The Lord will command the sea, saying, "Make way for my people," and then Pharaoh and his entire army will be drowned, allowing the people to rejoice and celebrate before God. Therefore, whether you are standing, sitting, or reclining, let your heart remain vigilant in worship. Commit yourself to prayer, continually turning to God night and day, and the adversaries troubling your spirit will be put to shame.
Moses did not carry out any of his remarkable deeds without the enigmatic tree: for when he carried out signs and wonders in Egypt, he was given a staff by God, and in response to each miracle, the Lord directed him to lift that staff. While God does not require the tree’s assistance in any manner, it is established so that we might comprehend the mystery of the future tree, which was foreshadowed by the prophetic sign of that tree. Revelation 11:2-4.
The Lord guarantees that He will guide the Israelites through the sea in a miraculous manner, allowing them to walk on dry land. To accomplish this, Moses is tasked with parting the waters on either side, creating a dry passage through the sea floor, using the same staff with which he had worked wonders previously.
The opening section alongside the annotations of this chapter presents a compelling comparison.
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS