8 And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with an high hand.

9 But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pi-hahiroth, before Baal-zephon.

10 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: and the children of Israel cried out unto the Lord.

The expression “with a high hand” means to go with a confident and bold air. It would seem that the Israelites had an attitude of now being home free, certain that all their woes had been left behind them. Thus, it must have been quite the whiplash when they suddenly saw Pharaoh in pursuit.

Verse 10 tells us that the Israelites were “sore afraid,” and it seems that they saw no hope in having a battle with the Egyptians. As mentioned yesterday, there were certainly more in the Israelite camp than there were of the Egyptian soldiers, even there were more Israelite men able to bear arms than there were of their enemy. The problem, presumably, was that they did not have any arms to bear. The Israelites would be raising fists against spears and bows. It would be a slaughter. And with the sea at their backs and no option to retreat, the Israelites were absolutely powerless.

Note, then, their immediate reaction of crying to the Lord. This was the only course that remained to them, the only avenue of hope. God had worked miracles for them before, but the stakes were higher now than ever before. This was the first time where they needed a miracle simply as a matter of basic survival. This was the first time that if God didn’t come through for them, it would be an immediate death sentence!