What is a miracle? Which events during the book of Exodus would be called miracles?
According to Oxford’s Dictionary: “A surprising and welcome event not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divine agency.”
According to Christian sources: “An act of God that goes against the laws of nature and is performed for religious reasons.”
Some people would consider it a miracle that God communicated with Moses out of a bush that is not consumed, but others might think it was some sort of delusion or hallucination. So maybe a miracle. And while many Hebrews might consider Pharaoh’s daughter pulling Baby Moses from the Nile to raise in the royal household a miracle, this action is easily explicable by natural. Thus not a miracle.
What about the 10 Plagues? 1. Several microorganisms in the Nile could have turned the water red so it appeared to be bloody. 2-4. Frogs, lice/gnats, and flies live in the area and natural causes could have caused any of their populations to increase over their usual levels. 5-6. There are many animal diseases that also infect humans. 7-8. Hailstorms and Locusts are natural phenomena that destroy crops. 9. Darkness for three days could be caused by sandstorms. 10. However, it is impossible to explain any natural occurrence that would kill only first-born males. Thus, the tenth plague should be considered miraculous.
Next, how did the Hebrews cross the Sea of Reeds, if not by a miracle? True the pillar of fire that kept the Egyptian army at bay all night couldn’t be natural, but what happened in the morning likely was. Think about how tides were affected by the moon and sun. When the sun, moon, and Earth were in alignment (at the time of the new or full moon), the solar tide has an additive effect on the lunar tide, creating extra-high high tides, and very low, low tides. During the vernal and autumnal equinoxes (March 21 and September 23, respectively) the sun is directly above the equator, causing even higher high tides and lower low tides.
Consider when Hebrews observed the first Passover—when the full moon coincided with the Spring/vernal equinox, producing the highest high tides and the lowest low tides. In a narrow low-lying wetland, such as the Sea of Reeds, people could walk on crushed reeds during low tide, but the high tide would be over fifteen feet deep. However, the following four “miracles” are difficult to explain as natural occurrences, except perhaps Moses appearing to get water from a rock above an underground spring.
Manna sent In the Wilderness Exd 16:14-35
Water from the rock Rephidim Rephidim Exd 17:5-7
Aaron's rod budded Kadesh Num 17:1, etc.
Nadab and Abihu consumed. Sinai Lev 10:1, 2