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Our Bible Study group just studied Exodus 14:21-29 with the parting of the Red Sea and the pillar of fire and cloud. Some in our group viewed all this as mere natural events and not miracles from God. Are they correct?
Even if one accepts the natural explanation (that very high winds parted the sea, and a volcano produced a cloud during the day and a pillar of fire at night) the fact that such natural events occurred in this precise geographic location and that they occurred at this precise moment in time would still make me conclude they were miracles from God. It is true that a careful reading of the text gives some credibility to the interpretation that God intended this even to appear more natural than supernatural since the splitting of the sea did not occur instantaneously but over the course of an entire night (Exodus 14:21).
The more immediate miracle is that God placed a pillar of fire and cloud (or a volcano) between the Israelite and Egyptian camps, making it impossible for Pharaoh's troops to advance against the Hebrews. While the Egyptians were held in check by this pillar and cloud, God causes an enormous east wind to divide the sea in half by forcing the waters to both sides. Eventually, this enables the Israelites to cross over the dry land in the middle. Because God made the sea's splitting occur in a seemingly natural manner, Pharaoh and his troops, who are obsessed with the overtaking of the runaway slaves, fail to perceive the miracle occurring before their eyes. And millenniums later, we have liberal theologians today who are unable to see the hand of God in miracles, either those that are supernatural or those that may be natural in occurrence but are unexplainable as to why they occur at a particular a time and in a particular place.
The Egyptians followed the Israelites into the sea but as soon as the Israelites finished crossing, God instructs Moses to extend his hands over the water. He does so and the waters quickly rush back in and Pharaoh and all his troops drown. Only when the Israelites see their oppressors dead do they finally express faith in God and believe his servant Moses. But unfortunately their faith, like our faith, lasts only until their next crisis occurs.
Why do you think Cain wasn’t executed for killing his brother Abel, as is called for in Genesis 4:10 and in Numbers 35:33?
In “my opinion,” Cain was not executed for killing his bother Abel because Cain did not know his blows would cause death; as no human being before Abel had died. Thus, Cain might not have been aware that he was capable of killing someone. Therefore, although he was a killer, he did not premeditate murder, and therefore would not deserve capital punishment.