In some ways, Israel has to be feeling pretty great in Exodus 14 through 17.

They're finally escaping enslavement and have been delivered by God through his prophet.

On the other hand, they are also between Pharaoh's army and the Red Sea.

Now, spoiler alert, they escape, but they didn't know that until that moment of deliverance.

They had to have faith that the Lord would provide a way for them.

What can we learn from the ancient Israelites living, figuratively and literally, on the water's edge?

We'll discuss that and more on today's episode of Abide, a Maxwell Institute podcast.

My name is Joseph Stewart. I'm the public communication specialist of the Neely Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship at Brigham Young University.

Christian Heel is a research fellow at the Institute, and each week we will be discussing the week's block of reading from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Come Follow Me Curriculum.

We aren't here to present a lesson, but rather to hit on a few key themes from the

scripture block so as to help fulfill the Maxwell Institute's mission to inspire and

fortify Latter-day Saints in their testimonies of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and

engage the world of religious ideas.

Today we are again joined by Truman Callins, one of our research assistants, and an ancient

near-eastern studies major here at BYU from Seattle, Washington. After he assistants, and an ancient Near Eastern Studies major here at

BYU from Seattle, Washington. After he graduates, he plans to attend graduate school to study

theology and sacred texts. Welcome back, Truman. It's good to be here, thank you. I'm glad to

have you back. Christian, what's going on in Exodus chapters 14 through 17?

Well, the narrative tension that makes the story of the Exodus so compelling continues to its climax in chapter 14.

Pharaoh has let the people of Israel go, and they are camped between Migdol and the reed sea.

But almost immediately, Pharaoh regrets his decision and so

marshals his forces to bring Israel back. The people of Israel panic when they see the Egyptians,

...