Shemot {14:1} HaShem spoke to Moshe, saying, {14:2} "Speak to bnei of Yisrael (the children of Israel), that they turn back and encamp before Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, before Ba'al-zephon. You shall encamp opposite it by the sea. {14:3} Pharaoh will say of bnei Yisrael, 'They are entangled in the land. The wilderness has shut them in.' {14:4} I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will follow after them; and I will get honour over Pharaoh, and over his entire host; and the Mitzrayim (Egyptians) shall know that I am HaShem." They did so.

Have you ever wondered why HaShem had Yisrael turn back from where they had already traveled? Certainly it was not easy for a community of close to two million people to just change directions. They were after all supposed to be moving away from Mitzrayim not closer to it? Well obviously G-d had a plan, but at first glance it may not be exactly what we though.

Having already read the end of the story, and therefore knowing the outcome for both bnei Yisrael and the Mitzrayim, you may have formulated your own conclusion as to why HaShem did this u-turn. Perhaps you thought HaShem was testing Yisrael to see if they truly trusted in Him. So He backed them up between the Sea of Reeds and the wilderness to position them between a rock and a hard place with no where to turn but to Him. Or perhaps you thought HaShem wanted to display His mighty power to Yisrael, with a great sign and wonder so that they would never question His authority again. Both of these ideas may certainly be valid! Bnei Yisrael ended up having nowhere to turn but to HaShem and they certainly were impressed by His great display of parting the Sea of Reeds, even though they still questioned His authority afterwards. However I do not believe these were the main purpose HaShem had in mind. This is why I think that!

Shemot {14:4} I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will follow after them; and I will get honour over Pharaoh, and over his entire host; and the Mitzrayim shall know that I am HaShem."

Form this Scripture we can see that it obviously was not Yisrael that HaShem wanted to impress, even though they were impressed in the process. This entire event was primarily for the benefit of the Mitzrayim. Let us consider why!

First of all, Ba'al-zephon was known by the Mitzrayim to be the secret residence of an evil Mitzrayim god called Typhon. Now although HaShem and wreaked havoc on Mitzrayim with the ten plagues, discrediting just about all of their gods, there was one more, it seems, that He still had to deal with. So He turned bnei Yisrael back, yes He had then turn around so that He could bring them opposite Ba'al-zephon.

Can you picture the scene here? Bnei Yisrael were happily walking in the direction of the Promise Land, basking in the joy of there redemption, singing and rejoicing all the way, when suddenly they hit a bump in the road or rather a dead end street! Now I would like you to take note of this event because the way HaShem works with Yisrael is the same way He works with us as well. We do not always end up where we expect to go in life. Sometimes G-d turns us in an unexpected direction so that He can use us to bring Himself glory, while still delivering us out of the trouble and build our faith in the process. That is just the way He does things!

We all need to understand that there is a battle raging in the heavenlies between HaSatan (Satan) and the G-d of Yisrael and the spoil is our souls, but have no fear HaShem has a plan!

First He confuses the enemy:

Shemot {14:3} Pharaoh will say of bnei Yisrael, 'They are entangled in the land. The wilderness has shut them in.'

Then He uses Satan's own pride, the reason why he fell in the first place, against him:

Shemot {14:4} I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will follow after them; and I will get honour over Pharaoh, and over his entire host; and the Mitzrayim shall know that I am HaShem."

HaSatan's sin was his pride; he exhausted himself above HaShem, a mirror image of what is taking place here in these Scriptures with Pharaoh. Why did HaShem have to harden Pharaoh's heart when it was hard enough already? Well as I have explained before, HaShem always increases the resistance of the enemy so that He can demonstrate His superior power. It is a law of physics. The more resistance the more power required.

Learn from our Parsha this week. Often HaShem will lead you into a position of vulnerability, so that the enemy will be fooled into thinking he has you cornered. You might even come to the conclusion where you yourself think you are through. However if you trust HaShem and you stand firm, HaSatan will be defeated and you will be delivered every time!

Here is the best part. Now that I have explained this to you, you no longer have to be concerned when situations happen in your life. Yes you can now get excited instead of depressed, because of the enemies immanent defeat, your deliverance and G-d's glory.

Was not Gulgaltah (a place of a skull or Calvary) Yeshua's Sea of Reeds? As you abide in Him is not His victory your victory as well?

Rabbi Jack "Yaacov" Farber is the spiritual leader of Congregation Melech Yisrael in Toronto, Canada.

Copyright 2005