Exodus 14:21Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Moses lifted the staff he held and struck the waters, causing the raging streams to reveal dry land, defying their natural tendency. When the Almighty commands, even the elements forsake their essence and submit their actions. The sea, acting as a devoted servant, recognized the servant of the Lord and yielded not out of respect for the staff, but for Him who bore the cross. They perceived the symbol and instantly acknowledged the truth, then moved on. God instructed, "Pass over, you and all the people of Israel." The achievement of Christ's disciples was to bind the adversary and seize all his treasures; they accomplished this not through parting the sea, but by piercing the depths of evil with the rod of Jesse, which had been stirred by tumultuous waves.

As they arrived at the Red Sea, guided by the cloud that led their journey, the people found themselves trapped from behind by the entire Egyptian army. The Israelites had no escape, with danger looming from enemies and water surrounding them. At that moment, empowered by God, Moses performed the remarkable act of striking the sea with his rod, causing it to part. Just as a crack in glass spreads from one side to the other, so too did the division of the waters; once created by the stroke of his rod, the waves continued to break until they reached the opposite shore.

Across the waters, which might have been divided at once to lead the Egyptians to seek forgiveness, a fierce warm breeze toiled throughout the night, transforming the ocean into dry ground.

In this manner, it might be said that the esteemed Moses, through the power of the divine Word—a symbol represented perhaps by a rod—pierced or rather dispersed the illusion of earthly desires as if parting the waters of the sea. He assured those eagerly pursuing the divine promise that they would have solid ground beneath them. This firm foundation symbolizes a nature that can be perceived through the right understanding of being, presenting a life accessible and navigable in pursuit of virtue. Consequently, it became evident that a life aligned with the proper understanding was achievable. Those who virtuously traversed this path did so without fear of the dangers posed by the tumultuous waters on either side, which had previously obscured the way.

Arm yourself always with faith, for it is unheard of for faith to lack its instruments. The staff of the faithful can divide the waters that overwhelmed the untrustworthy forces led by their evil monarch.

Observe: here stand the Teachers of both the Old and New Testaments, distinguished by their actions yet united in honor, in whom the One Wisdom revealed two Laws. Thus, diverse virtues are measured by a singular glory. Peter did not part the sea with a staff, nor did Moses walk upon the water, yet both are equally honored, for One is the Creator of both: to separate the waters with a staff, and to walk upon the surface of the stream (See Matthew 14:29).

The staff signifies the triumph of the Cross, which parts the waters, enabling us to traverse the eternal stream of life through faith, thereby evading the tides of sin and being enveloped in sacred stillness.

Moses recounts that the Lord caused the sea to be stirred by a powerful wind, leading to its drying. Throughout the night, the Almighty used a strong south wind, causing the waters to separate and forming a dry path. The Psalmist poetically notes that God raised the waters like a mountain, creating a passage by opening the sea and leading the people across, comparing the waters to a fleece (Psalm 77:13).

Moses lifted his hand over the sea, acting under God’s directive, raising the miraculous staff that he held. The Lord summoned a fierce south wind that blew throughout the night. Once Moses raised the rod, the wind surged forth, driven by divine power, shifting the waters from the south and creating a separation between the northern and southern parts of the sea. More accurately, according to the Russian Synodal translation, the wind arose from the east, allowing the waters to part from east to west. The sea transformed into dry land, as the waters receded. This indicates that the wind not only revealed the seabed but also drained the waters, enabling safe passage as if on firm ground.

Refer to the introductory section of this chapter. The remarkable baptism of the Israelites occurred between the western and eastern shores of the Red Sea, which the Apostle Paul describes (1 Corinthians 10:1-2). This event established a prototype for the baptism that each believer undergoes. Just as Christian believers are set apart from the pagan, secular world through baptism, Israel, through the baptism it received, was also distinguished from the ancient nations. They renounced their naturalistic beliefs and committed themselves entirely to the service of the Lord. In the wilderness, they were nourished with ‘spiritual food’ (1 Corinthians 10:3), which included the law of God and the spiritual drink that flowed from the rock: ‘But the rock was Christ’ (id verse 4).