"28 By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them. 29 By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned."
Hebrews 11:28-29
The Passover and the crossing of the Red Sea are next instanced as occasions on which faith was the controlling principle. The Passover is an excellent illustration of Christ's redemption and the New Testament invites us to think of it as such. The particular point underlined here is surely that Moses ventured upon the Word of God. The commandment concerning the slaying of the lamb and the sprinkling of its blood was accompanied with the assurance, "When I see the blood, I will pass over you", and led by Moses, the children of Israel took shelter under the divine provision. We see then, that for Moses faith was faith in God's word. This is even more clearly seen in the story of the crossing of the Red Sea, and in this connection we may learn something of fundamental importance for Christian life. The Israelites were in fact in a position of extremity. They were quite literally hemmed in. The geography of the place is said to have been rocky crags on the one side and frowning Egyptian fortresses on the other; behind them the pursuing hosts of the Egyptians, and in front of them the waters of the Red Sea. Surrounded on all sides, but upwards a clear sky and a living God! They were shut up unto faith. And it is only when we despair of any other help that we can truly lean on Him. True faith is born in despair, and in that extremity it is possible for men to go forward. Faith for them consisted in going forward in obedience to God's Word, venturing wholly upon it. That was how they got across. For nothing can be impossible when God speaks the Word. Not that God told them what He would do to the waters - they had no idea how the miracle would happen, or even whether it would. Their responsibility was to venture, His to see them through. The world says, 'Seeing is believing' but in the life of faith the opposite holds good. 'Believing is seeing' - and in that order. By faith Moses...!