Pharaoh's problem was a hard heart. A stiff neck. Pride. This led to his big splash in the Reed Sea.
"Now when Pharaoh had let the people go, God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, even though it was near; for God said, 'The people might change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.” Hence God led the people around by the way of the wilderness to the Reed Sea; and the sons of Israel went up in martial array from the land of Egypt.'" (Ex 13:17-18)
What is mistakenly translated as the Red Sea, but is actually the Reed Sea, is the Yam Suf. Yam is “sea.” Suf is a marsh in which reeds grow, as Miriam placed baby Moses’ ark among the reeds.
Pharaoh was lured to his natural habitat, the water marshes. He is the tannin, or water-serpent, crocodile, who proclaimed himself the creator of the Nile. His army stuck to his scales, and they were drawn in with him. As Ezekiel prophesied to a future Pharaoh, the hook is set in his jaw. His crocodile pride gobbled up the bait. Ezekiel and Isaiah both prophesy Pharaoh’s past and future demise:
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The streams of Egypt will thin out and dry up; the reeds and rushes will rot away. (Is 19:6)
In other words, the sea-serpent will lose his natural habitat in the reeds of the marsh, the place of his strength. Egypt is the weak reed upon which the kings of Judah leaned. It broke and pierced them. Likewise, Pharaoh spawned the Four Kingdoms of the beast, which will have many heads and horns, systems stemming from the throne and authority that Pharaoh passed to the beast kingdoms.
An ancient midrash sheds some light on how the beast of the Fourth Kingdom, Rome, was spawned. The relationship between Pharaoh and King Shlomo (Solomon) initiated the beast-kingdom of Rome with a reed in the sea, which became a marsh. The angel used a reed because it is easily broken:
- The angel Michael, the great prince, descended from the heavens and stuck a great reed into the bottom of the sea, and the mucky moisture of the sea rose from here and from there and ultimately made that place like a forest, and that became the site of Rome. 1:51§42
The midrash remarks that this is an allegory, not literal history. It explains how the fourth kingdom, Edom/Rome was spawned, through Israelite disobedience.
Covenant-breaking sows the seeds and creates its own adversaries. Israel is the vine that was plucked from Egypt. The Torah prohibits Israelite kings from multiplying wives and returning to Egypt for horses. Centuries later, when Solomon takes Pharaoh’s daughter and purchases horses for chariots, he initiates a chain of events that lead to subjugation by the “forest” of Rome, which will oppress the vine once rescued from Egypt:
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You removed a vine from Egypt; You drove out the nations and planted it. You cleared the ground before it, and it took deep root and filled the land. The mountains were covered with its shadow, and the cedars of God with its boughs. It was sending out its branches to the sea and its shoots to the River. Why have You broken down its hedges, so that all who pass that way pick its fruit? A boar from the forest eats it away and whatever moves in the field feeds on it. O God of hosts, turn again now, we beseech You; look down from heaven and see, and take care of this vine, even the shoot which Your right hand has planted, and on the son whom You have strengthened for Yourself. (Ps 80:8-15)
Rome is understood to be the “boar” from the forest that Michael made when King Shlomo mixed the vine with Egyptian stock. The relationship between Pharaoh and King Shlomo initiated the beast-kingdom of Rome with a reed in the sea, which became a marsh. The angel used a reed because it is easily broken. The midrash says the mucky moisture of the sea came up and made a marsh, and then the forest of the “boar” of Rome.
- The power of the beast/Rome, who destroyed the second Temple, is like the reed, easily broken by Israel’s repentance and the fruits of repentance, returning to “salvation.” 1:51§42
As the Sea of Reeds symbolized the massive work of salvation on behalf of the Israelites from Pharaoh the dragon, so it symbolizes freedom from his last marsh-beast Rome, the Red One. When Shlomo leaned on Pharaoh’s chariots, it spawned Rome. When Israel leans on the Divine chariot, it destroys Pharaoh and Rome’s “chariots.”
Today, we are part of the mingled iron and clay feet and toes of the beast, extensions of the Fourth Kingdom. Its systems cover the whole earth. We are called to come out from among Babylon, the waters upon which Rome was founded (see below) and the systems of the beast. We are in them, but not of them. They are nothing upon which a disciple of Yeshua should lean. They are brittle, weak reeds of the sea.
The midrash makes an important point. Although King Solomon and Israel appeared to be at the height of their power and glory, the Egyptian marriage actually sowed the seeds of its decline in a reedy marsh far away. No matter how glorious King Solomon’s Temple looked, he’d already initiated its spiritual decline. The foreign wives led him to idolatry. The Babylonians would destroy the First Temple; the Romans would destroy the second. The eyes deceive when it comes to power and glory.
Applying the same rule, there was a moment in history where it appeared that Israel had reached its lowest point. A Galilean man stood before a Roman governor. He was beaten, flesh stripped open, spat upon, beard pulled out, thorns pressing into his head, mocked…how could any human being sink lower? They placed a reed in Salvation’s hand to show that the serpent of the Nile had prevailed. The power and glory of Rome, Pharaoh’s red beast, overcame him, and he was hung upon a tree. Moses’ words at the Reed Sea, “Stand still and see the Yeshuat Adonai!” were drowned by the powerful waves of pride. Was Salvation defeated?
Oh, no. No matter what we saw in those hours leading up to his crucifixion, Yeshua was not defeated. Our eyes deceive us. Just as King Solomon’s Egyptian faith started his unseen demise centuries later, so Yeshua’s Heavenly faith started his unseen rise and resurrection of the Kingdom of Israel. Even before Yeshua gave up the ghost, his faith to follow through sowed the seeds of a restored Kingdom. We believe this. We believe that Pharaoh and his last beast kingdom will experience one more big splash in the reeds.
So now, we stand still and await the final Yeshuat Adonai. What King Solomon’s sin turned to marshy reeds and pigs, Yeshua will dry up. He will chain the serpent back in the Abyss, Pharaoh’s natural abode. May our spirits be silent enough to hear that strong east ruach blow all night. Believe it.
For the full story on how Rome was built with the waters of Babylon, join us on the Live Stream study into the three causes of the ascending beast tomorrow on our Creation Gospel YouTube Channel live stream at approximately 1:30 pm Eastern.
