Exodus 14:19-21 - Moses stretched out his hand

14:19,20

“Then the angel of God, who was going before the host of Israel ...” God was present with them, and He was actively present with them. The angel of the Lord had been ahead of the Israelites, but now moved to be between them and the Egyptians, so separating them the Egyptians and the Israelites. God is actively looking after us. This most definitely does not mean that we have no responsibility, but if we look at things purely in the light of our own abilities we are mistaken. God bases His plans on our taking our responsibility and His actions, taking the two together.

14:21

“Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove back the sea by a strong east wind ...” So Moses did what he had been told to do. Now why did God tell Moses to hold out his hand and staff? They clearly played no physical role in the sea being driven back? It was God’s power, not Moses’ power, that drove back the sea? I think it is because God’s power works through us. God wants a faithful trusting people, and His power will then work through His people. We see again the role of natural forces (the east wind). The division we often try to make between the natural and the supernatural is not a distinction that the Bible makes in the same way that we do.