Re. Ex.14:18
Answers (3)
Exodus 14:18King James Version (KJV)
18 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.
The Hebrews were slaves owned by Pharaoh. God doesn't steal, so He could not remove them from the land without permission from the Pharaoh as long as the Pharaoh lived. God was glorified because he whipped the most powerful army on Earth in open war.
To appreciate the full understanding of that statement we have to have the whole picture.
Exodus 14:4 says, "I will allow Pharʹaoh’s heart to become obstinate, and he will chase after them, and I will glorify myself by means of Pharʹaoh and all his army; and the Egyptians will certainly know that I am Jehovah." (NWT)
To Glorify means to praise and worship,exalt, give honor adore. This is what the kings of Egypt expected of anyone who lived on their land, slave or free man. The Egyptians viewed the ruling pharaoh as a god, the son of the sun-god Ra. As god, Pharaoh’s word was law, and he ruled not according to a law code but by decree.
However, because of an agreement or covenant make with Abraham some 400 years earlier, "I will establish my covenant between me and you, and I will multiply you very, very much.” “And I will keep my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you." Genesis 17:4,7
This established God's ownership of the Hebrews, and because he is the creator over all, any so-called claim pharaoh had on them or anyone.
The Bible says, at Deuteronomy 5:9 "Jehovah your God, am a God who requires exclusive devotion." 2 King 17:35 also says, "When Jehovah made a covenant with them, he commanded them: “You must not fear other gods, and you must not bow down to them or serve them or sacrifice to them."
God's glorification had to do with his name being vindicated and his people being freed.
First we have to understand why God had a need to Glorify his name. When Pharaoh took the Istalites God's people into captivity, God send his messenger Moses to ask Pharaoh to release his people,Pharaoh responded with these words at Exodus 5:2,'Who is Jehovah, that I should obey his voice to send Israel away? I do not know Jehovah at all, and what is more, I will not send Israel away." What an arrogant man Pharaoh was. Did God just lay back and let Pharaoh continue to ill treat his people? Not at all, for Jehovah God responded to haughty Pharaoh through Moses at Exodus telling him if he don't let go his people, he will bring plagues on him until he let his people go. Exodus 9:14," You may know that there is no one like me in all the earth." Jehovah God was proving to Pharaoh that he God will glorify his name Jehovah by sending the ten plagues proving that He is the all powerful almighty God. So with all the plagues that Jehovah send on Pharaoh and the Egyptians Pharaoh then realized that Jehovah was proving to him that he is the one and only true God and he alone deserves to be glorify.
Eventually Pharaoh could not take it anymore the plagues was to much for even haughty him to ward off, so he decided to send God's people away back to their God Jehovah.
After Pharaoh send God's people away from his bondage he changed his mind and gather all his horse men and chariots and went after the Israelites to the Red Sea. What will the Israelites do now that they are cornered by the Egyptians behind them and the Red Sea in front of them? Exodus 14:21, "Jehovah drove the sea back with a strong east wind all night long, turning the sea basin into dry ground, and the waters divided. So the Israelites went through the midst of the sea on dry ground."The Egyptians try pursuing them but Jehovah taking the wheels off their chariots so that they were driving them with difficulty, and the Egyptians were saying: "Let us flee from any contact with Israel,because Jehovah is fighting for them against the Egyptians."
Have you notice that Jehovah God name was glorify by the Egyptians and haughty Pharaoh himself acknowledgeing that Jehovah was fighting for his people and that he is the one and only true God ready and capable to do what ever it takes to glorify his name. Even Haughty Pharaoh was able to see the powers Jehovah uses to glorify his name.
For more information on this and other bible topics please visit JW.org