Introduction

 

We often experience crises in our lives. In the moment we face them, they feel like immense pain and unsolvable problems. If it’s a matter of life and death, it becomes a tremendous source of stress.

 

I still remember it vividly. When COVID-19 was at its peak, my wife and I were working as apartment cleaners—a job relatively unaffected by the pandemic. It allowed us to go to work early in the morning and return home by the afternoon. Since it was something we could do together as a couple, we only needed one car, making it a decent way to support ourselves while continuing our ministry. The one difficulty was that we couldn’t care for our young children when they went to school. But compared to many who had to quit their jobs at the time, we were grateful for the steady income.

 

Then one day, the apartment manager suddenly decided to switch to a cheaper contractor. We weren’t fired, but we could no longer do that job. Our livelihood became uncertain overnight. The company offered us another position, but it was far away and paid only half of what we were earning. Continuing that job wasn’t an option. It was a tremendous crisis for our family. Apart from ministry, we had no specialized skills, and since we were juggling ministry, learning a new trade or jumping into a different industry felt impossible.

 

The Journey to the Wilderness

 

Crises can come to us at any time, and the Israelites in the Bible faced a similar situation. Today, the Israelites find themselves in the wilderness. Moses led them out of Egypt with a clear goal and faith, but most of the people likely followed without much thought. They hurriedly packed their belongings and trudged along in a long procession into the wilderness, where all they could see were rocky mountains, stones, and withered trees. After walking for a long time, they arrived at a seashore.

 

Pharaoh’s Pursuit

 

At that time, Pharaoh in Egypt, grieving the loss of his child, began to think about the slaves who had been taken from him. His heart hardened. He gathered his army and set out to pursue them. They mobilized 600 elite chariots and all the chariots of Egypt. Chariots were a critical measure of a nation’s military strength back then. Even today, don’t we assess a country’s defense by counting its tanks? The more tanks, the stronger the military. In those days, chariots were the barometer of power. Equipping a chariot required at least one horse and four soldiers, and maintaining them cost a fortune. Based on the biblical record of 600 elite chariots, it’s estimated that at least 2,400 special forces led the chase against Israel. Against 600,000 Israelites, 2,400 might seem small, but war isn’t just about numbers. From the perspective of advanced weaponry and trained organization, even 600,000 were no match for Egypt’s army.

 

A Desperate Situation

 

Now, the Israelites—elderly, women, and children included—found themselves trapped: the Sea of Reeds blocked their path ahead, and Egypt’s well-trained chariots and soldiers pursued them from behind, intent on their destruction. Who created this desperate situation? Though we didn’t read it, Exodus 14:2 records that God commanded the Israelites to turn back and camp by the sea between Migdol and Pi Hahiroth, opposite Baal Zephon. In other words, God is responsible for leading them astray. God drove the Israelites into a dead end. It seems as though God is pushing them into a crisis.

 

From Pharaoh’s perspective, the Israelites were now trapped—easy prey to capture swiftly. For Pharaoh, it was like catching rats in a trap; for the Israelites, after barely escaping Egypt, everything was about to unravel. If Egypt’s army attacked now, that place would surely become their graveyard. The situation overwhelmingly favored Pharaoh and left Israel not only at a severe disadvantage but in a moment of absolute desperation.

 

Response in Crisis

 

What do we usually do in such a crisis? To see a person’s true character, you must look at them in a moment of crisis. Someone may seem wonderful in normal times, but when circumstances change, their real self emerges. I can’t forget the movie “Silmido”. It features two sergeants: one who is kind to trainees in peacetime, with a pleasant demeanor, and another who is gruff and strict, showing no leniency in training. But when the order comes from above to kill the trainees, the kind sergeant becomes obsessed with carrying it out, while the harsh one does everything to save them. A person’s true heart is revealed in a crisis.

 

Some families unite as a couple to overcome difficulties when a crisis hits, while others busy themselves blaming each other. Some churches band together tightly in hard times, while others scatter. Which relationship is healthy? Think about it. In a crisis, we must stop blaming each other and focus on solving the problem. So how did the Israelites respond? According to Exodus 14:10, they were terrified and cried out to the Lord…

 

Blaming Moses

 

After Crying Out, They Blamed Moses

 

If it had ended there, how beautiful it would have been! But they didn’t stop at crying out. In their fear and despair, they began to blame Moses. They accused him of leading them into the wilderness to die. Consider this carefully. When we live as married couples, we encounter both good and bad times. If we blame our spouse every time something goes wrong, what happens to that family? Blaming someone in a moment of hardship does nothing to help us overcome it. In times of difficulty, we must never raise voices of blame or resentment.

 

Lamenting Their Fate

 

After Blaming, They Lamented Their Fate

 

We must remember that the harmful human tendency to pin blame on others applies just as much to how we degrade ourselves. The same disposition that points fingers at others for our troubles also turns inward to judge ourselves—we must not forget this. What did the Israelites lament after blaming Moses? “It would have been better to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” Such words are the language of unbelief. The traits of unbelieving people are to resent others, shift blame, and ultimately heap lamentation and self-deprecation upon themselves. That’s why unbelief—lack of faith—leads to negativity. Their hearts become unhealthy. They doubt. They complain.

 

The Boldness of Faith

 

But what about people of faith? They are positive. They don’t give up. They respect others. Look at the people of faith in the Bible. Of course, they fail and become discouraged at times—those situations and emotions are part of life. But what sets them apart is that they don’t stay there. So where does this positive attitude toward life come from? It stems from the faith that the One who created the universe and still holds it in His almighty hands loves me like the apple of His eye. That’s why, no matter how deep into the gutter they fall, people of faith climb back up. No matter how many times they stumble, they rise again. Even in the face of death, they can stand bold with the hope of resurrection.

 

Right now, Pharaoh charges toward the Israelites with confidence, clinging to tangible things. What are those things? His well-trained soldiers and advanced chariots—they are Pharaoh’s certainties. With them, Pharaoh is bold and unshaken. But what certainties does Moses have? None. They have no chariots, no organized army. Yet there’s a vast difference between Pharaoh and Moses: Pharaoh was a man of human strength, while Moses was a man of faith.

 

Pharaoh is bold, but so is Moses. Pharaoh’s boldness is obvious—he has overwhelming military might. But Moses’ boldness comes from God Himself. Moses’ boldness cannot be taken away unless God is removed. Pharaoh’s boldness, however, is fragile; take away his chariots and army, and he collapses. Both are bold now, but soon the false boldness will be exposed—because those chariots and soldiers will vanish.

 

There are so many Pharaohs in this world. They’re positive, bold, overflowing with confidence. But when you examine the source of their confidence and boldness, it’s all rooted in things that will fade away. They appear bold on the outside, but inside, they’re incredibly fragile. Yet they live putting up a front, insisting they’re fine.

 

The Miracle of the Red Sea

 

The Sea Parts

 

But such human boldness crumbles before God’s power. What was the outcome? God intentionally commanded the Israelites to take a desperate stand, and as a result, Pharaoh, who relied on his chariots for boldness, fell into a trap. God told Moses to raise his staff and part the sea. In truth, it was God who parted the Red Sea, but He performed this miracle through Moses. When Moses raised his staff, the Red Sea parted; when he raised it again, the sea regained its strength. When the sea parted, the Israelites crossed it as if it were dry land, but when it closed, Egypt’s chariots were swallowed by the waters.

 

Some say the parting of the sea is a fabricated story. They question how a sea could split and argue it wasn’t a sea but reeds or a shallow lake, exaggerated in the telling. But isn’t it still a miracle that Egypt’s army drowned in that shallow lake? We don’t know—nor can we know—how the Red Sea parted scientifically. What’s clear is this: for the Israelites, the parted sea was a path to salvation; for the Egyptian army, it became a tomb.

 

Application

 

The Red Sea in Our Lives

 

Difficulties can strike our lives too. The Red Sea may block our way ahead while a fearsome army intent on our destruction pursues us from behind. You might immigrate with great effort to start a business, only to be scammed and lose everything, stuck in a dilemma—unable to return to Korea or survive here. You might move to Seattle with no connections to pioneer something, struggle to find a job, and then get laid off, leaving you with no way to make a living. We have to acknowledge that.

 

But we also must acknowledge that sometimes these difficulties come from God. I injured my knee last week—a hardship. Yet, living in the U.S., I can’t deny that every time I’ve faced such challenges, there’s been a plan from God behind it. What feels like suffering now often turns out to be a blessing in hindsight.

 

A Path Opened by Faith

 

What do we need in such difficult times? Not resentment, blame, or shifting responsibility. What we need in these moments is the eyes of faith. When we open the eyes of faith, we see the living God; when we see God, we can be bold. All we have to do is obey God’s command. Then God will open the sea, let us cross it like dry land, and ultimately defeat the horses and enemies Himself.

 

A Personal Testimony

 

I’ve had a similar experience myself. In that desperate moment, I received a call from a pastor suggesting I try hospital chaplaincy. It was an area I’d never considered, and I was afraid. But I couldn’t keep living as I was, so after praying, I decided to take that path. To become a hospital chaplain, I had to complete an internship first and train for at least one year to qualify for a job afterward. My livelihood wasn’t guaranteed during that time, so I wrestled with it. But they say ignorance is courage, and with faith, I leapt into it.

 

Then the hopeless sea of losing my job parted, and I discovered a new path God had prepared. I worked as a chaplain for one year, earned the manager’s recognition, and now a way has opened for me to serve as a chaplain today. Looking back on the whole process, I can only acknowledge that it wasn’t my doing—it was God’s.

 

An Invitation to Faith

 

Is there a sea blocking your way today? Don’t be afraid. Don’t complain. Instead, lift the eyes of faith. Look to the God who parts the sea. That sea will no longer be a barrier but a path, and its waves will become a rock for you to walk upon as you experience the God who makes it so.