Old Testament Lesson #16 "I Cannot Go Beyond the Word of God"

(Numbers 22-24; 31:1-16)

As the Children of Israel moved into the Land of Canaan, winning battles against the current inhabitants, their power and might became known.  Among the tribes living in the area were the Moabites, and the Midianites.  (See "Teaching the Family to Trust in the Lord" in a previous post for the ancestry of the Moabites; and "Abraham's Wives" in a previous post for the ancestry of the Midianites.)  These tribes had both become idolatrous, worshiping the god Baal with extremely wicked acts.

Balak, the king of the Moabites, could see that the Israelites' God, Jehovah, was much more powerful than Baal, as he watched the Israelite army crush the cities in their way, and he became terrified.  He sought the help of a prophet of Jehovah (who was not an Israelite) named Balaam.

CHANGING THE LORD'S MIND

First Solicitation (Numbers 22:5-14).  Balak asked Balaam to curse the Israelites, sending a healthy bribe to him as a reward.  Being idolators, the Moabites did not understand that "the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven and cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness" (D&C 121:36).  Balaam asked God, and God said the Israelites were not to be cursed.  Balaam told the messengers to return to their own land, "for the Lord refuseth to give me leave to go with you."

Second Solicitation (Numbers 22:15-21).  Balak sent again to Balaam, this time adding to the monetary reward "very great honor."  Balaam knew Jehovah, though, and said, "If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to do less or more."  But even though he had received the Lord's answer, he said he would ask again, clearly hoping the answer would change.  He already knew the Lord did not give him leave to go with them.  (Is this sounding a little bit like Joseph Smith and the lost 116 pages?)  Willing to let Balaam learn from his own experience, as he does with us, God said to Balaam, "If the men come to call thee, rise up if thou wilt go with them; but yet the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do" (words in italics are JST change).  God let Balaam go, but he "sent an angel before [him] to keep [him] in the way" as in Exo. 23:20.

This is where we meet up with the strange story of the talking donkey.  Balaam was determined to go to the Moabites and mightily hoped to change the Lord's mind when he got there.  The donkey, however, was spooked by the presence of the angel that Balaam could not see.  Although the animal was protecting Balaam's life, Balaam was hard set on going that direction and mistreated the beast.  At this point, "the Lord opened the mouth of the ass," which may be a way of saying He gave to Balaam a clear insight as to why the donkey was acting the way she was.

Obviously the angel was there to prevent Balaam from going to Moab, yet still he didn't turn back of his own accord, but said to the angel, "If it displease thee, I will get me back again."  It was already abundantly clear that it displeased the Lord.  (Here the similarity to the story of the lost 116 pages ends; Balaam did not humble himself and submit to the Lord's will as did Joseph Smith.)  The Lord, once more giving Balaam his freedom to choose, said through the angel, "Go with the men: but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shal speak" (Num. 22:34-35).

Third Solicitation (Num. 22:36-23:12).  Balak added oxen and sheep to his previous bribe.  Balaam's desire to change the Lord's mind was heightened, and he came up with a new idea:  Perhaps if the Moabites worship God as the Israelites do, He will defend them.  So he and Balak set up sacrifices to the Lord, but in the "high places of Baal," a thinly veiled ruse.  Of course, obedience is more important than sacrifice to the Lord (1 Sam. 15:22) and the deception did not work.

Fourth Solicitation (Num.23:13-26).  Balak reduced his request, taking Balaam to an area where just a part of the Israelites were visible, and asking him to curse just that group.  Again they offered sacrifices to the Lord, but Balaam admitted the Lord was not a man and therefore unlikely to "repent," or change his mind.  Despite his desire to do otherwise, Balaam did not curse the Israelites, as the Lord "hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the Lord his God is with him."

Fifth Solicitation (Num. 23:27-24:24).  Balak clearly was not used to a god that could not be bribed.  He took Balaam to another lookout, and asked the Lord to curse that group of Israelites.  Instead, Balaam prophecied of Christ and the blessings He will bring to the Israelites.  Balak was angry, and he and Balaam parted ways.

This was not the end of their alliance, however.  After asking amiss and in vain five times, Balaam devised another scheme to get the Lord to curse the Israelites, which is not mentioned chronologically in this story, but in several other places in scripture:  He conspired with the Moabites, and the confederation of the Midianites of which they were apparently a part, to tempt the Israelites to commit whoredoms and worship their idols, therefore hoping to cause them to lose their favored place with Jehovah.  As a consequence, the Lord sent a plague upon the Israelites which killed 24,000 of these idolators (Num. 25:1-9).

The result, however, did not improve Balak's case with Jehovah, but incurred His wrath.  God commanded the Israelites to smite the Midianites.  Although Balak had left Moab, he apparently returned to the alliance, and was killed in the conflict (Num. 31:8).

THE EXAMPLE OF BALAAM

"Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen?

"Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of men, that they do not learn this one lesson—That the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness. That they may be conferred upon us, it is true; but when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man.  Behold, ere he is aware, he is left unto himself, to kick against the pricks, to persecute the saints, and to fight against God.

"We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion. Hence many are called, but few are chosen" (D&C 121:34-40). 

Balaam's example of a "prophet," or one who has a testimony of Christ, being outwardly obedient, while inwarding "loving the wages of unrighteousness" (2 Pet. 2:15-16) is confusing to us.  Fortunately, the tradition of the Old Testament is to place extreme examples of good and evil back-to-back, making the lessons easy for us to learn.  Balak's and Balaam's nemesis, Moses, is our clear and shining example of righteous use of the priesthood.

THE EXAMPLE OF MOSES

"No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned; By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile—Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy; That he may know that thy faithfulness is stronger than the cords of death" (D&C 121:41-44).

• Moses exercised persuasion with the people, and as a liaison for the people, with God (Exo. 34:9).
• Moses was longsuffering through all the 40 years in the wilderness.
• He was gentle.
• Moses was the meekest of all men (Num. 12:3), leaving Pharoah's house, obeying and honoring Jethro, wanting all his people to be prophets like himself  (Num. 11:29).
• Moses' love was evident in all his actions.
• His kindness was also apparent, particularly in his defense of the slave when he himself was a prince.
• Moses brought pure knowledge to the people in the form of the greater and lesser laws (Exo. 20).  He also gave the first five books of the Old Testament to the Israelites, and through them, to all the world.
• He reproved and followed the reproval with love, in the instances of the golden calf, breaking the tablets, calling for a royal army to slay the wicked, attempting to atone for his people 40 days and 40 nights.

These characteristics of righteous priesthood use are what made Moses great.  They connected him with the powers of Heaven--keeping him at one in purpose with God.

BLESSINGS AND CURSINGS

John the Revelator prophesied that we, in the last days, would have the choice to spread wickedness as did Balaam, or to enjoy the blessings of the priesthood, as did Moses:

"I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication...

"Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna [the Bread of Life], and will give him a white stone [revelation as a Urim and Thummim], and in the stone a new name written [temple blessings], which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it" (Rev. 2:13-14, 16-17).  (See D&C 130:10-11 for the interpretations noted.)

Old Testament Lesson #15 "Look to God and Live"

(Numbers 11-14; 21:1-9)

NUMBERS

The name of the Book of Numbers is a reference to a census of the people.  This lesson tells about how the Lord took His census among the children of Israel, separating out those who were on His side from the faithless.

It is also a lesson about "chainbreakers."  (Teaching Tip: Have the front of the room decorated with gray or black paper chains.)  In Exodus 20:5; 34:7; Numbers 14:18; and Deuteronomy 5:9 the Lord says that He answers the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Him.  The children of Israel were an exception to this rule.  They changed from idolatrous slavery to faithful freedom in only one generation.  They were what we call "chainbreakers."

DRAGGING CHAINS

The children of Israel were freed from bondage by the Lord through Moses and Aaron, but that first generation of free men carried their slavery with them through the wilderness.  They dragged heavy spiritual chains:  fear and criticism and ingratitude.  After 400 years of slavery, they were so used to having their lives dictated to them, and being physically taken care of by their masters that freedom was very frightening.

EPISODES OF FEAR, CRITICISM, AND INGRATITUDE EXPERIENCED BY THE FIRST GENERATION OF THE FREED ISRAELITES DURING THE EXODUS

(Teaching Tip:  Hand out the scriptures quoted in each event to class members at the beginning of class.  As a teacher, read aloud the first part of each of the following events, ask the class member to read the Israelites' statement at the appropriate time, then read the last part.)

At The Red Sea.  The armies of Egypt were in hot pursuit.  The Israelites were backed up against the Red Sea.
"Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness?  Wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?  Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians?  For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness"  (Exo. 14:11-12). 
The Lord parted the sea for them, and brought it down upon the Egyptians, completely destroying their army.

At Marah.  After three days of no water, they found poisoned water at Marah. 
"And the people murmured against Moses, saying, 'What shall we drink?" (Exo. 15:24)
The Lord instructed Moses to cast a particular tree into the water, which purified it.  Then, at their next stop, they found an oasis of 70 palm trees and 12 wells of water.

In the Wilderness of Sin.  The Israelites were starving.
"Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger" (Exo. 16:3).
The Lord sent manna from heaven, which was some type of grain that they could grind into flour and cook in a variety of ways.  He also sent quail.  His commandment was that they honor the Sabbath by not gathering on that day, but some went out anyway on the Sabbath, and found nothing.

At Rephidim.  Once again, they were without water.
"Give us water to drink.  Where is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?" (Exo. 17:2-3)
They were almost to the point of stoning Moses.  The Lord had Moses smite the rock in Horeb (the site of the temple mountain, Sinai) and a spring flowed from it.

At Mt. Sinai.  The Israelites became afraid when Moses went into the mountain for his 40 days' instruction of the Lord in their behalf.
The people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, 'Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is become of him" (Exo. 32:1).
They did not have the faith to believe in a God they could not see, once they thought Moses was dead, so they asked for an idol as reassurance.  The Lord withheld from them the greater law which he had given to Moses, and Moses asked, "Who is on the Lord's side?"  The Levites responded in the positive, and they then put to death 3,000 men who were rebellious.  Then Moses went back up into the mountain to offer an atonement for their sin.  There is no mention that the children of Israel asked forgiveness--just mention that Moses asked it in their behalf.

At Taberah.  The people complained.  (No explanation of why or what about.)  The Lord sent fire among them and burned a number of the camp.

At Kilbroth:  The children of Israel craved meat and vegetables.
"Who shall give us flesh to eat?  We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick; But now our soul is dried away; there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes" (Num. 11:4-6).
Moses petitioned the Lord because his burden of carrying the people was so heavy.  The Lord told him to set apart 70 more priesthood holders to help him.  As for the Israelites' complaint, he sent quail down among them, enough, he told them, to eat for a month.  All night long and all day long, the Israelites greedily gathered the quail (even though the Lord had said He would send it for a month).  The quail became diseased and the people who ate it suffered a swift and deadly illness.

At Hazeroth.  Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses because he married a Cushite.  They claimed to be of equal authority to him, and therefore able to condemn him.
"Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses?  Hath he not spoken also by us?"  And the Lord heard it (Num. 12:2).
The Lord sent leprosy upon Miriam and required her to be quarantined outside the camp for seven days, at which time He healed her.

At the Borders of Canaan.  After the scouts returned from testing out the land for 40 days, ten of them falsely reported that the inhabitants were too great to conquer and that the land was barren, both of these statements in direct opposition to what the Lord had consistently said regarding the Land of Canaan, and despite their finding a cluster of grapes so huge it had to be carried on a rod between two men.  Two faithful scouts gave a positive report, but the Israelites chose to believe the ten.
And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night.  And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, "Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt!  Or would God we had died in the wilderness!  And wherefore hath the Lord brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey?  Were it not better for us to return into Egypt?"  And they said one to another, "Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt" (Num. 13:31-14:4).
Moses and Aaron fell on their faces, "an act of contrition and entreaty [to the Lord], in hopes of avoiding terrible consequences" (Harper-Collins Study Bible). When Caleb and Joshua, the two positive scouts, tried to convince them that they could easily conquer and that the land was wonderful, they started to stone them.  Only the appearance of the glory of the Lord at the Tabernacle stopped them.  The Lord told Moses that this generation would have to wander in the wilderness for 40 years, and that none of them but Joshua and Caleb would be allowed to enter the Promised Land.  (See "The Importance of the Number 40 in the Bible.")  Their little children would survive the wilderness, despite their parents' fears, and be allowed entry into the land.  All the men 20 years and older were killed by the Lord in a plague, including the ten scouts who slandered the Promised Land.

At the Mountain of the Canaanites.  The Israelites said they were repentant and that they would now go and conquer the Canaanites.  All the soldiers must have been of the younger generation, since all men over 20 had been killed by the plague, although who knows how much time had lapsed between the two events.  Moses condemned them and counseled them not to go to war because the Lord would not back them.  They ignored his command, and were badly beaten.

At the Uprising of Korah and Company.  Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and 250 Levite princes defied Moses' authority.
"They gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, 'Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them: Where then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord?  Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land that floweth with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, except thou make thyself altogether a prince over us?  Moreover thou hast not brought us into a land that floweth with milk and honey, or given us inheritance of fields and vineyards" (Num. 16:3, 13-14).
Moses fell on his face.  He suggested that the Lord might show Moses' authority by swallowing them up with an earthquake.  An earthquake occurred immediately, and the three men and their kin were crushed in the crevice.  Then fire from the Lord burned the other 250 to death.

After the Earthquake.  The people accused Moses and Aaron of murder.
"Ye have killed the people of the Lord" (Num. 16:41).
The Lord told Moses He would consume them all.  Moses and Aaron fell to their faces.  Moses made Aaron run and take a censer from the tabernacle and hold it up as an atonement for the people's sins.  A plague had already begun.  Where he stood amid the congregation, the plague stopped, but 14,700 people were killed already.

At the Desert of Zin.  Once again, there was no water.  Miriam died and was buried there.  (She was well over 100 by this time.)
"Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the Lord!  And why have ye brought up the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there?  And wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto this evil place?  It is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink" (Num. 20:3-5).
Moses and Aaron once more fell on their faces.  The Lord had Moses call water out of a rock again.  Moses by this time was probably very annoyed by the people's lack of trust in his authority, and understandably so.  This once he failed to give the credit to the Lord, and the Lord said that therefore Moses and Aaron would be denied entrance into the Land of Canaan.  This is a message:  No matter how great you are, nothing you do on your own authority will suffice.  You can only enter the Promised Land on the merits of Christ.

On the Journey Around Edom.  At this point, we see a change begin to take place.  Many of the original slaves were dead, if not by old age, then by the curses of the Lord.  King Arad, the Canaanite, came against Israel and fought them and took prisoners.  Rather than fearing to fight the Canaanites, or fighting them on their own, this generation covenanted with the Lord that they would utterly destroy the Canaanites as He had commanded their parents to do, if He would help.  And they did it.  After destroying the Canaanites at Hormah, they journeyed around Edom, a very difficult path.  They became discouraged and once again complained.
"Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?  For there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread?" (Num. 21:5)
They complained against God and Moses, just as they had learned to do from their parents.  The Lord sent poisonous serpents to bite them and many died.  But this generation acknowledged their guilt, and came to Moses and confessed, "We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee."  They asked Moses to ask the Lord to take away the serpents.  The Lord told Moses to put up a serpent, as an effigy of Christ.  Rather than healing them as a group through an act of their priesthood leader, as He had done after the earthquake, this time the Lord required an individual act of faith in the atonement of Christ.  Each person had to have the faith to look upon the serpent to be healed.  Therefore, the Lord was able to select all those who exercised faith in Christ to remain alive to enter the Promised Land.

At Beer.  Now when they needed water, there is no mention that they complained of the thirst, or begged to go back to Egypt, or cursed Moses.  The Lord saw their need and freely gave water to them.  The Israelites sang in gratitude and rejoicing for the water they fully expected to receive.  The "nobles" among them dug the well themselves, following the instructions of Moses.  From this point on, the strength of the Lord was with them, and they conquered everywhere they went, until they achieved residence in the Promised Land.

THE CENSUS

When the Israelites left Egypt, there were 600,000 men, or heads of households.  After the lack of faith displayed by the Israelites repeatedly, the Lord said that those unfaithful people would not be allowed to enter the Promised Land.  So they had to wander through the wilderness, while all of them were tried and tested, and a whole generation of them died, and many more as well, before the promise of the Lord was realized.  This was a pretty hard way of separating the sheep from the goats, but it was necessary.  40 years later, as the children of Israel entered the Promised Land, the census count revealed almost no generational growth:  601,730.  The purpose of the wandering had not been to increase the size of the nation, but to improve upon the quality of its faith.  (In a very interesting article, the Old Testament Institute Manual states that many numbers in the Old Testament have been translated to be much too large, including this one.  The authors of the manual believe the number of Israelites to have been around 72,000.  However that does not change the point: that the number entering the promised land was about the same number that left Egypt.)

CHAINBREAKERS TODAY

From the 40-year efforts of Moses and the Lord to make the children of Israel a truly free people, we learn that a certain blame for sin can be placed on the environment (slavery in Egypt), or upbringing (idolatrous parents)--things over which one has no control.  Children are very prone to commit the same types of sins as their parents did (criticism of Church authority, discontent with the blessings the Lord has given, memory loss relating to miracles).  But we also learn that the chains of sin or abuse or wrong teaching can be broken by:

1) recognizing the sin as a sin and repenting of it (Num. 21:7);
2) seeking the counsel of priesthood leadership and following it (Num. 21:9);
3) looking to Christ for healing (Num. 21:9);
4) truly changing and remaining on the Lord's side, by digging for Living Water, expressing faith and gratitude to the Lord even before blessings are received, and following the direction of the prophet (Num. 21:17-18).

Although the iniquities of the rebellious can carry to the third and fourth generations (Exo. 20:5), when the rebellious decide to change, "know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations" (Deut. 7:9).

As for Moses, he was blessed to be translated straight out of the temple mount into the heavenly Promised Land (Deut. 32:50) after helping fit his people for their earthly Promised Land.  (Although the Bible says he died,  Deut. 34:6 JST and Alma 45:19 both say he was "taken unto the Lord," or translated.)  He was spared the battles that ensued when conquering the Land of Canaan.  At his death, he was honored and revered by this second generation.  "And the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab 30 days [the meaning of the Hebrew number 30 is dedication]: so the days of weeping and mourning for Moses were ended.  And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him: and the children of Israel hearkened unto him, and did as the Lord commanded Moses.  And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face" (Deut. 34:8-10).

Old Testament Lesson #14 "Ye Shall Be a Peculiar Treasure Unto Me"

(Exodus 15-20; 32-34)

THE FAITH OF MOSES

The great treatise on faith, written by Paul to the Hebrews (chapter 11), itemizes many of the great prophets (plus three women, if you include Moses' mother) as examples of great faith.  Most of them receive one verse, or two, but Paul gave Moses center stage with six verses, citing four different ways in which Moses showed great faith.  Apparently Moses learned well the lesson he was taught by God, that he did not need to be a great leader, he just needed to have faith in the Lord's help.  (See "Here Am I...Or Who Am I?" in a previous post.)

"(1) By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. (2) By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. (3) Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them. (4) By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned"  (Heb. 11:24-29).

FIRST MILESTONE:  BAPTISM

"The ancients always saw Moses' leading his people through the Red Sea as the type and similitude of a baptism, symbolizing at one and the same time death, birth, victory and purification from sins" (Hugh Nibley, "A Strange Thing in the Land," Ensign, July 1976).  Some LDS scholars theorize that baptism was the literal purpose that the Children of Israel went to the Red Sea, which was otherwise not a logical direction.  It makes sense, remembering that the reason the Lord wanted Pharoah to let His people go was so that they could serve him.  Baptism is the only way for the believer to enter into the path of worship.

THE PROBATIONARY JOURNEY

Below is the map of the route the Children of Israel took during their travels in the wilderness from Egypt to Canaan.  It is immediately apparent that they did not take a direct route.  Why not?  Because of the very reason that Moses described the journey as taking 40 years; the journey prepared them to enter the promised land.  (See The Importance of the Number 40 in the Bible in the previous post.)  As the Joseph Smith Translation tell us of all those great and faithful men and women noted by Paul, "God having provided some better things for them through their sufferings, for without sufferings they could not be made perfect" (JST Heb. 11:40).

So the journey was a probationary period, in which they learned and proved themselves, eventually, to be obedient to God.  Therefore, it had to be "40 years", the full time period necessary to prove and prepare the people, even if that meant increasing the distance.  But at the same time of their proving, God proved His faithfulness to them by blessing them whenever they needed help, even when they didn't deserve it.  He led them by a pillar of fire to the shores of the Red Sea, and carried them safely across, destroying their enemies.  He fed and watered them through the desert, and fought their battles when conflict arose.

Between the Red Sea and Mt. Sinai, four miracles showed that the Lord would always watch over them:

1) The waters of Marah were purified (Exo. 15:25)

2) The quail and the manna appeared to feed them (Exo. 16:13-15)

3) In a dry land, water came from a rock (Exo. 17:1-6)

4) The Israelites beat the Amalekites in battle, simply by the holding up of Moses' hands (Exo. 17:8-13)

FIRST STOP:  THE TEMPLE

Alec Moytner wrote in his book, The Story of the Old Testament, "Israel has come out of Egypt as the Lord's redeemed.  They have sheltered under the blood of the Lamb.  Their promised destination is Canaan, but as they follow the guiding pillar, it is not to the promised land that they come but to Sinai, the mountain of covenant law.  The theological truth here is that those who have been redeemed by the blood of the lamb must come to the place where they hear the law of the Lord" (p. 30).  Alec Moytner is not LDS, but he hits so close to the truth:  Those who have been freed by the remission of their sins, and redeemed by their baptism into the Kingdom of God, are then expected to come to the Temple, where they hear the covenant law of the Lord.

"What was the object of gathering...the people of God in any age of the world?...The main object [of gathering] was to build unto the Lord a house whereby He could reveal unto His people the ordinances of His house and the glories of His kingdom, and teach the people the way of salvation" (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 307-308).

The purpose of the temple is to prepare the people to enter into the presence of the Lord.  A prophet's purpose is to lead the people to the temple.  Therefore, Moses brought the children of Israel first to the temple, Mt. Sinai, to prepare them to enter into the Promised Land.

"This is why Adam blessed his posterity: he wanted to bring them into the presence of God.  They looked for a city...'whose builder and maker is God' (Heb. 11:10). Moses sought to bring the children of Israel into the presence of God, through the power of the Priesthood, but he could not.  In the first ages of the world they tried to establish the same thing; and there were Eliases raised up who tried to restore these very glories, but did not obtain them; but they prophesied of a day when this glory would be revealed" (TPJS, p. 159).

A TYPE FOR ALL BELIEVERS

In Hebrews 3, Paul tells us that not only was Moses a type of Christ, but the Children of Israel were symbolic of all who would belong to the Kingdom of God and hope to enter into His presence.

• Manifestations of the Holy Ghost--As the pillar of fire led the Children of Israel to the Red Sea, so the Light of Christ and manifestations of the Holy Ghost lead us to baptism.
• Baptism--As the crossing of the Red Sea committed the Children of Israel to their journey as free people, so our baptism enters us into the journey to the Celestial Kingdom, crossing the line with no going back. 
• Temple Ordinances--The Israelites received from their prophet's entrance into the temple of Mt. Sinai further instruction on how to become a holy people.  Today we are privileged to follow our prophet into the temple, where we covenant and learn how to become holy enough, through Christ, to enter the presence of God.
• Continued Attendance--As the Israelites carried a tabernacle through the wilderness, we continue to attend the temple through our life's 40 years' probation.  We do our best to become more faithful and obedient during the journey, and Christ blesses us with His grace whenever we err or fall into dire straits, and gives us all the time necessary to get us where we need to go.
• Kingdom of Heaven--Just as the Israelites entered finally into Canaan, "a land for which [they] did not labor" (Josh. 24:13), so can we enter the Celestial Kingdom at life's end, not by our own efforts, but through the merits of Christ.

LESSONS IN TRIALS

At the end of the journey, as he was about to depart from them, Moses reviewed the Exodus and Journey into the Promised Land in his last sermon to his people, and itemized several important truths regarding probationary experiences:

Trials are tests:  "And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no" (Deut. 8:2).  There is never a shortcut through our trials, because the entire probationary process is necessary to attain the growth and edification.  When the trials are past, and times are easier, it is important for us to take the effort to remember the aid we received.

Trials make you learn to depend on the Lord:  "And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live" (Deut. 8:3).  When things are going well, we can feel a gratitude toward God, if we remember, but when we are hanging onto peace and life and sanity by a thread, we must get up every single morning and search for that manna in our prayers and in our scriptures.  We realize, in the hard times, our utter dependence upon God.

The Lord makes you strong enough to survive the journey:  "Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years" (Deut. 8:4).  We are always given what we need to complete the journey.  But never a free ride.

The Lord is teaching you:  "Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the LORD thy God chasteneth thee"(Deut. 8:5).  Although it is hard to believe it at the low times, God gives us trials because He loves us, therefore, there is no reason to think "why me?"  We are children of God.  Our Father will teach and train us, even if it is unpleasant.  That's what good parents do.

Therefore always trust in the Lord through the trials, knowing the end result will be worthwhile:  "Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to fear.  For the Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good land..." (Deut. 8:6-7).  Every purpose of the Lord in our lives is to fit us for the kingdom, to make us into celestial people so we can enter and enjoy the celestial kingdom.  The end of the journey will be so glorious, it will dwarf the trials.

Throughout the history of the Lord's people, we find the repeated saga of the journey to the Promised Land.  In the Bible we have the Exodus, in the Book of Mormon we have the Nephites and the Jaredites, and in the latter-days we have the pioneers.  Each story is unique, and yet there are some common elements.

PROMISED LAND JOURNEYS

Each of us is also on a journey to the Promised Land.  It's what our lives are all about.  Each of our stories is also unique, and each also has some elements in common with the journeys of the Israelites, the Nephites, the Jaredites, and the early Mormon saints.

• The purpose of the journey is always to worship freely, to build a temple, to create a Zion society, to be one with God.
• No one takes a journey to the Promised Land alone.  It is always done in families, and in groups of believers who support each other, watch over each others' children, build ships together and fix wagon wheels.
• There is always a prophet to lead the group, who has a vision of the destination. The willingness of the people to follow that prophet has a great effect upon the efficiency of the journey.
• Although every day of travel is a new frontier, there is always guidance available.  There is a map, a pillar of fire, the stars, the scriptures, a compass.  There is always light, even in the depths of the sea.
• Sometimes the unbelievers are weeded out by the difficulties along the way so that a more pure society can be established, such as in the pioneer days of the Church.  Sometimes, the unbelievers are dragged along unwillingly, and eventually become believers as well, such as in ancient America.  Sometimes both things happen, such as in the Exodus.
• The journey strengthens, teaches and shapes the believers.
• There are stunning vistas, beautiful seascapes, stars, flowers, deserts and mountains. There is music for encouragement and celebration. There is beauty and joy all along the way.
• A few saints become "fit for the kingdom" more quickly than others. The shortcut of early death takes them to God's heavenly Promised Land.
• The travelers are always surprised by terrifying perils, pitfalls, switchbacks and U-turns.  Just as disaster is eminent, miracles occur: quail blow in from the sea, water comes from the dry prairie, angels push the handcarts, the Red Sea drowns the army, Ephraim Hanks shows up with a buffalo. 
• It's always hard to remember the last miracle when the next one is deperately needed.
• Extreme difficulties are always a part of the journey so that the saints can learn that "no monster of the sea could break them" (Ether 6:11) when the Lord is traveling with them.  By needing rescue, they learn He is always ready, willing and able to save, and no one could make it without Him.
• Although the journey is hard, things are always worse for those who don't take it: Jerusalem is destroyed and its survivors are taken as slaves; the land of Egypt is devastated beyond recovery by the plagues and the loss of its army and government; Jackson County, Missouri is completely burned and emptied by General Order #11 after the Civil War.
• Everyone has to walk, work, and stick it out to the end.  It's the only way to get there.

Old Testament Lesson #13 Bondage, Passover, and Exodus

(Exodus 1-3; 5-6; 11-14)

(Study Tip:  Joseph Smith made many small but very significant changes to the story of the Exodus. Be sure to read and mark all the JST changes in the footnotes.)

READING QUIZ GAME

(Use this interactive quiz game to overview the story of Moses and the Exodus in any of the following ways: 1) If your class members read the assignment ahead of time, read the questions and see if they remember the answers from their reading; 2) Copy out the questions with the scripture references (but not the answers) and hand them out as class members come into the room so they can each look up an answer and give it to the class; 3) Read the questions and references, and have the first class member to find the scripture answer the question.)

1. God dealt well with the Hebrew midwives and multiplied their posterity because they did what? (Refused to follow Pharoah’s mandate to kill the male Hebrew babies they delivered. Exo. 1:16-21)
2. How old was Baby Moses when he was set adrift on the Nile by his mother? (3 months. Ex. 2:2)
3. Pharaoh’s daughter named the baby Moses. What did the name Moses mean? (In Hebrew: To draw out of the water; in Egyptian: To bear a child. Footnote to Ex. 2:10)
4. Who was Moses’ nursemaid? (His own biological mother. Ex. 2:7-10)
5. When Moses fled Egypt he traveled a great distance and ended up at the household of Jethro, a Midianite. Who did the Midianites descend from? (Abraham, through his third wife Keturah’s son, Midian. Gen. 25:2)
6. Jethro, the Midianite, had seven daughters. Which daughter did Moses marry? (Zipporah. Ex. 2:16,21)
7. Where did Aaron meet Moses upon his return journey to Egypt? (In the Mount of the Lord—the temple place. Ex. 4:27)
8. How old was Moses when he brought the children of Israel out of Egypt? (80. Ex. 7:7)
9. Aaron was actually Moses’ biological brother. Was Aaron older or younger than Moses? (Older by 3 years. Ex. 7:7. Miriam was probably about 15 years older. The word used to describe her at the time she set Moses afloat in the water refers to someone who has been through puberty.)
10. Each time Moses and Aaron petitioned Pharoah to let the Israelites go, what was the reason they said the Lord wanted them freed? (To have the religious freedom to serve the Lord. Ex. 4:23; 5:1; 7:16; 8:1; 8:20; 9:1; 9:13; 10:3)
11. How many signs or miracles were shown to Pharoah to try to convince him to let the Israelites go? (Twelve. Ex. 5-14)
12. Who turned the Nile to blood? (Aaron. Ex. 7:17)
13. Did the Lord harden Pharoah’s heart? (No, the JST changes all of those verses to say that Pharoah hardened his own heart.)
14. How many Israelites were there at the time of the Exodus? (600,000 men over age 20. Adding in women and children, likely near 2 million people. Ex. 12:37)
15. How many years had the Israelites been in bondage? (430. Ex. 12:40)
16. In one instance in these chapters, the Lord became angry with Moses. What was the reason? (Moses was afraid to take the assignment to lead the children of Israel out of bondage. Ex. 4:10-14)

This last question leads us to the next topic of our lesson.

HERE AM I…OR WHO AM I?

As Moses kept the flocks of Jethro, he came to Mt. Sinai (Institute Manual, p. 105), and he saw the burning bush and went towards it. The voice of the Lord called his name, and Moses answered, “Here am I” (Ex. 3:4). This phrase, “Here am I,” is a Hebrew idiom that indicates readiness or willingness (Amy Blake Hardison in Covenants, Prophecies, and Hymns of the Old Testament: The 30th Annual Sydney B. Sperry Symposium, p. 27). The Lord then issued the command to Moses to lead the children of Israel out of bondage in Egypt.

When Moses heard what the Lord’s requirement was, he retracted his ready and willing state. “Who am I,” he said, “that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?” (Ex. 3:11) The Lord answered, “Certainly I will be with thee.” The Lord said “I AM THAT I AM,” which identified himself as the God Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and is the first person singular form of the verb to be, signifying that this is the God who is self-existent, who does not need to be made (like an idol does), who lives eternally.

Moses pointed out his own inadequacies. “I am not eloquent…I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue” (Ex. 4:10) Moses had been away from the Egyptian language and culture probably 40 years while he dwelt in Midian as a simple shepherd. He was 80 years old by now. The Lord taught him the role of a prophet in the next two verses. “Who hath made man’s mouth?...Have not I the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say” (Ex. 4:11-12). But Moses gave his answer in verse 13, the equivalent of saying, “O my Lord, send someone else” (Harper-Collins Study Bible).

Moses may have been correct in his assessment of his inadequacies; he may have had good reasons for a poor self-confidence, especially considering the situation. But those reasons were irrelevant! And that’s why the Lord was angry (Ex. 4:14). Moses’ self-esteem was unimportant; it was his faith in the Lord that mattered, and this was shown to be severely lacking. Despite the many promises the Lord had just made to help him every step of the way, Moses did not believe Him.

The Lord offered Moses a spokesman, a counselor, his own brother Aaron, who had been with the Hebrews and Egyptians all these years. “I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do” (Ex. 4:15). Finally, Moses accepted the call. It is interesting to note that when he asked leave of his father-in-law patriarch, Jethro, Jethro did not argue or point out Moses’ shortcomings, or the impossibility of the task.  And remember:  Moses was taking Jethro's daughter and grandsons, too (Ex. 4:20)!  Jethro had faith in the Lord. All he said was, “Go in peace” (Ex. 4:18). The Lord then sent Aaron into the wilderness to meet Moses at the temple mountain, and Aaron simply went (Ex. 4:27), showing his great faith as well.  (How did he sneak away from the Egyptians?  That would be an interesting story!)

Sometime after this first appearance of the Lord to Moses through the burning bush, but before the Exodus, Moses received the great vision recorded in the Pearl of Great Price.  (See Moses 1:17 in which the burning bush is in the past tense, and Moses 1:26 in which the Exodus is prophecied.)  In this vision he was told by God, “…Behold, thou art my son…And I have a work for thee, Moses, my son; and thou art in the similitude of mine Only Begotten…” (Moses 1:4,6). After this vision, did Moses have a better self-esteem? No! Look at verse 10: “And it came to pass that it was for the space of many hours before Moses did again receive his natural strength like unto man; and he said unto himself: Now, for this cause I know that man is nothing, which thing I never had supposed. But now mine own eyes have beheld God…his glory was upon me; and I beheld his face…” (Moses 1:10-11). Moses’ opinion of himself was even lower than it had been before. But his opinion of God, his faith in God, was greatly increased. He learned for himself that God was great, powerful, loving, and personally helpful!  It was not his self-esteem that mattered, but his knowledge of God, and his understanding of his relationship to God. This is why “the first lesson taught to every child in the world attending Primary is ‘I am a child of God’” (Gayle M. Clegg, Counselor, Primary General Presidency, Ensign, May 2002).

DEALING WITH THE DEVIL

Pharoah exemplifies Satan and his followers in this story. He hardens his heart. He thinks only of himself and his pride and his glory. He is not loyal to his own people. He makes ridiculously impossible assignments and is angry when they are not accomplished.  He does not offer aid.  He shows no mercy.  He does not keep his promises.  He is powerful, but not nearly as powerful as God, yet he seems to keep forgetting that.

Moses and Aaron tackled the long and arduous task of freeing the Children of Israel. Despite knowing that Pharoah would not let them go (Ex. 3:19), they gave him a chance by simply asking him to release the Hebrews from bondage so that they could serve the Lord (Ex. 5:1).  The Lord always warns, he always offers repentance as an option. Pharoah’s answer? “Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? (Ex. 5:2). To emphasize that he was greater than Jehovah, he added cruel tasks to the Hebrews as a punishment. Often when we are committing to do as the Lord commands, or when we are trying to free ourselves from the bondage of sin, Satan tightens his reigns and things get temporarily worse. Sometimes the reason the Lord allows this to happen is so that we can see more clearly that it is His hand that redeems us from such a hopeless state, as the Lord reassured the people through the prophet, Moses: “Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh, for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land” (Ex. 6:1), meaning not only will he let them go, he will throw them out!  Unimaginable! “I have remembered my covenant. Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments: And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the Lord” (Ex. 6:5-8).

The next four times Moses and Aaron approached Pharoah, they brought proofs of God’s power.  First Aaron (not Moses) turned the staff to a serpent (Ex. 7:10), the river water to blood (Ex. 7:20), caused a frog infestation (Ex. 8:6), and brought dust to life as lice (8:17). Pharoah’s magicians copied the tricks. Whether they performed small replicas of Aaron’s, or whether they used the power of the devil to perform full-blown spectacles, the scripture doesn’t say.

Simply showing great power did not impress Pharoah, so the Lord moved on to plagues that would clearly indicate he favored people who believed in Him. The Lord sent swarms of flies upon the Egyptian, but no flies in the land of Goshen, where the Hebrews lived (Ex. 8:22-24). Pharoah recognized the trouble to be caused by the Lord, and made a deal with Moses: If the Lord took the flies away, he would allow the Children of Israel to go on a three-day leave into the wilderness and sacrifice to their God. The flies disappeared, but Pharoah, like Satan, reneged on his promise.  So the Lord killed all the Egyptians’ cattle while preserving the Hebrews’ (Ex. 9:6).

Now the miracles were performed by Moses, not Aaron. Had Moses watched Aaron’s excellent example until he gained confidence to use the power of God himself?  Or had the Lord saved the more powerful leader for the more challenging works?  In any case, Moses and Aaron made a pretty awesome presidency.  With the power of God, Moses sent ashes into the wind, which alighted on the people and animals and broke out into boils (Ex. 9:8-11). Even the magicians had to retreat and tend to their wounds. Moses brought hail upon the land of Egypt, with lightning, thunder, and fire, while calm weather prevailed in the land of Goshen (Ex. 9:22-26), followed by locusts which tormented the Egyptians (Ex. 10:13).  Moses caused three days of darkness upon the land, so thick the Egyptians were completely immobilized, but the Hebrews had light inside their homes (Ex. 10:21-23), as do all people who trust in the Lord.

After each plague, Pharoah, in his terror, acknowledged his sins, begged forgiveness, and promised freedom to the Hebrews.  Every time, as soon as the trouble was over, he changed his mind and hardened his heart again, refusing to acknowledge the answers to his heavenward pleadings as miracles.  Just like Satan, Pharoah continually promised freedom, and just like Satan, he never delivered it.

The miracles and plagues had a two-fold purpose: 1) to demonstrate the power of the Lord to Pharaoh and give him a chance to repent, and 2) to build the faith of the Israelites so they would know they could trust in their God (Ex. 10:1-2).  After 430 years of bondage, they might have thought that God had forgotten them, or that He had no power to help them, but Moses and Aaron clearly showed His power and care.

THE ORIGIN OF THE PASSOVER

The miracle that finally convinced Pharoah to let the people go was the death of his own son and all the firstborn sons of Egypt, man and animal (Ex. 11-12), while the Hebrew children sat safe in their homes. The Hebrews were not protected just because they were the Children of Israel, however. They were protected because they exercised their faith in Jehovah (Jesus Christ) by placing the blood of a firstborn lamb around their doors, and by preparing bread without leaven, to show their certainty that they would be so quickly freed, they would not have time to wait for the dough to rise. This feast of unleavened bread, or the Feast of the Passover, would be an annual commemoration ever after.  We, likewise, must exercise our faith in the blood of the Lamb throughout our lives, and that Atonement will protect us from spiritual death. 

As the Lord had foretold, at the death of his son, Pharoah threw the Hebrews out of Egypt with great force, not even waiting for morning, and their flight was indeed faster than bread could rise (Ex. 12:29-34). This flatbread dough became their emergency evacuation food, the 72-hour kits of the day.  They had all followed the counsel of their prophet and were ready to leave, even in the middle of the night, so that they were all the way to the Red Sea before Pharoah changed his mind this time.  As the Lord had promised, they were not only allowed to take their own possessions, but to also take spoils of the Egyptians as they desired, for a payment for their years of servitude (Ex. 12:36-38).

CROSSING THE RED SEA

"[In D&C 8:2-3], the Lord has said, ‘I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart...Now, behold, this is the spirit of revelation; behold, this is the spirit by which Moses brought the children of Israel through the Red Sea on dry ground.’  Why would the Lord use the example of crossing the Red Sea as the classic example of ‘the spirit of revelation’? Why didn’t He use the First Vision? ...Or the vision of the brother of Jared?

“First of all, revelation almost always comes in response to a question, usually an urgent question...Moses’ challenge was how to get himself and the children of Israel out of this horrible predicament they were in. There were chariots behind them, sand dunes on every side, and a lot of water immediately ahead. He needed information to know what to do, but it wasn’t a casual thing he was asking. In this case it was literally a matter of life and death...

"The Red Sea will open to the honest seeker of revelation. The adversary has power to hedge up the way, to marshal Pharaoh’s forces and dog our escape right to the water’s edge, but...he cannot conquer if we will it otherwise. Exerting all our powers, the light will again come, the darkness will again retreat, the safety will be sure. That is lesson number one about crossing the Red Sea by the spirit of revelation.

“Lesson number two is closely related. It is that in the process of revelation and making important decisions, fear plays a destructive, sometimes paralyzing role...That is exactly the problem that beset the children of Israel at the edge of the Red Sea, and it has everything to do with holding fast to your earlier illumination. The record says, ‘And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid.’ Some...said words to this effect: ‘Let’s go back. This isn’t worth it. We must have been wrong. That probably wasn’t the right spirit telling us to leave Egypt' (Ex. 14:10-12). And I have to say, ‘What about that which has already happened? What about the miracles that got you here? What about the frogs and the lice? What about the rod and the serpent, the river and the blood? What about the hail, the locusts, the fire, the firstborn sons?’ How soon we forget. It would not have been better to stay and serve the Egyptians, and it is not better to remain outside the Church, nor to put off marriage, nor to reject a mission call or other Church service, and so on and so on forever. Of course our faith will be tested as we fight through these self-doubts and second thoughts. Some days we will be miraculously led out of Egypt—seemingly free, seemingly on our way—only to come to yet another confrontation, like all that water lying before us. At those times we must resist the temptation to panic and give up. At those times fear will be the strongest of the adversary’s weapons against us.

“And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord. … The Lord shall fight for you.” In confirmation the great Jehovah said to Moses, “Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward” (Ex. 14:13-15). That is the second lesson of the spirit of revelation. After you have gotten the message, after you have paid the price to feel His love and hear the word of the Lord, go forward... Nobody had ever crossed the Red Sea this way, but so what? There’s always a first time. With the spirit of revelation, dismiss your fears and wade in with both feet. In the words of Joseph Smith, ‘Brethren [and sisters], shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. Courage, brethren; and on, on to the victory!’

“The third lesson from the Lord’s spirit of revelation in the miracle of crossing the Red Sea is that along with the illuminating revelation that points us toward a righteous purpose or duty, God will also provide the means and power to achieve that purpose. Trust in that eternal truth. If God has told you something is right, if something is indeed true for you, He will provide the way for you to accomplish it. That is true of joining the Church or raising a family, of going on a mission, or any one of a hundred other worthy tasks in life” (Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, Ensign, March 2000).

The Lord always turns a trial into a victory for those who trust in Him.  The confrontation at the Red Sea appeared to be a disaster to the Hebrews, but because Pharoah's army followed them to the Red Sea, and through the Red Sea, where the Lord could bring the waters down upon them, "there remained not so much as one of [the Egyptian soldiers]" (Ex. 14:28).  The Egyptian civilization was crushed with the loss of their leader and their men, and the Children of Israel were left to sojourn in the wilderness for 40 years, never fearing their captors again.

Teaching Tip: The Seven Dispensations Memory Aid

"A dispensation of the gospel is a period of time in which the Lord has at least one authorized servant on the earth who bears the holy priesthood and the keys, and who has a divine commission to dispense the gospel to the inhabitants of the earth" (Bible Dictionary, "Dispensations").  Each time, after a period of falling away, the gospel is revealed anew, so that people of that dispensation have accurate and unadulterated information upon which to build their faith.  As a memory aid for the chronology of the seven major gospel dispensations, here is a little story with awesome artwork by myself :)  Feel free to copy or print it.