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Question

Dear father Angelo,

As always, I need your help.

My little girl was told by the religion teacher that God did not “divide” the waters to allow Moses and the people to cross the sea, but the tide was out…. (so God doesn’t work wonders??).

The little girl was perplexed… WHAT TO ANSWER?

I always remember you in the novena of the Divine Mercy!!!!

Thank you.

Answer from the Priest

Dear friend,

1. This is what can be found in a Biblical Commentary:

“The sacred text does not attribute the division of the waters to the wind, and therefore  several interpreters believe that God sent the wind to dry up the bottom of the sea so that the Israelites could cross it when it was dry.

The waters parted…,

the water was like a wall on the right and on the left. This clearly shows that this cannot be caused by the ebb of the sea.

For the water was like a wall on their right and on their left we must consider that the duration of the low tide is generally 6 hours. Now it’s not possible that such a short time could be enough for the passage of a multitude of about two millions, including many children, old people, etc., with livestock, etc., while, in addition to that, a strong wind was blowing which must have made the movements difficult.

Furthermore, we can’t explain why the Egyptians, who well knew about the duration of ebb and flow, could have ventured into the bed of the sea at that moment.

Nor should we omit the fact that the waters are divided and eventually reunited, at the command of Moses, which shows even more clearly that it is not a natural event, but a real miracle. It should therefore come as no surprise that the sacred writers consider it as one of the greatest prodigies of divine omnipotence

(Jos 4,22-24; Wis 19,17; Is 43,16-17…)

The miraculous character of the event is therefore beyond doubt, although God also used some natural elements such as the wind mentioned in the text”.

2. The prestigious Jerusalem Bible comments:

“this event appeared in the eyes of the witnesses as a splendid intervention by «Jahve warrior» (Ex 15,3), and has become a fundamental article of the Yahwist faith (Dt 11,4; Jos 24,7; cf. Dt 1.30; 6,21-22; 26,74). This miracle of the sea has been associated with another miracle of water, the crossing of the Jordan (Jos 3-4); the exit from Egypt was conceived secondarily in the image of this entry into Canaan, and the two presentations are mixed in c 14. The Christian tradition has considered this miracle as a figure of salvation and more especially of baptism (1 Cor 10, 1).

3. Just to draw a final conclusion related to the reaction of the little girl and what the religion teacher says: it seems that the little girl knows better.

Because the sacred text clearly refers to a miracle that he denies, while for the little girl this is evident!

Certainly the teacher of religion cannot share any proof, not even of common sense (a multitude so large that must cross the sea within the limited time of six hours!).

The little girl, on the other hand, has more trust in the omnipotence of God.

I thank you for the prayer you have said for me.

I assure you mine in return.

I wish you a fruitful Marian month and I bless you.

Father Angelo