Exodus 15:22-15:27 -- The First Grumbling in the Wilderness

Exodus 15:22 Then Moses led Israel on from the Red Sea, and they went out to the Wilderness of Shur. They journeyed for three days in the wilderness without finding water. 23 They came to Marah, but they could not drink the water at Marah because it was bitter—that is why it was named Marah. 24 The people grumbled to Moses, “What are we going to drink?” 25 So he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree. When he threw it into the water, the water became drinkable
He made a statute and ordinance for them at Marah and He tested them there. 26 He said, “If you will carefully obey the Lord your God, do what is right in His eyes, pay attention to His commands, and keep all His statutes, I will not inflict any illnesses on you that I inflicted on the Egyptians. For I am Yahweh who heals you.”
27 Then they came to Elim, where there were 12 springs of water and 70 date palms, and they camped there by the waters.

Their journey just begun and they are already grumbling about the things they need.  They grumbled to Moses  about the water being bitter and undrinkable.  Moses appealed to God and God told him what to do to make the water drinkable.   God promises that if the people obey his laws and statutes, he would not inflict them with the diseases that were put on the Egyptians.  He then led the Israelites to a place with many springs and date trees.  They had food and water while they were there.

God provided for the needs of the Israelites.  He told Moses how to make the water at Marah drinkable and then lead them to where they had plenty of water.  The Lord will always provide what we need.  Not what we think we need, but what we actually need.

Matthew 6:25 “This is why I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? 27 Can any of you add a single cubit to his height by worrying? 28 And why do you worry about clothes? Learn how the wildflowers of the field grow: they don’t labor or spin thread. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these! 30 If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t He do much more for you—you of little faith? 31 So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32 For the idolaters eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. 34 Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

God tells us not to worry about our needs.  He will provide them for us.  Just as God provided for His people in their wandering, he too will provide for us.  The Israelites grumbled and worried about the water they had to drink.  Why would God lead them out of oppression just for them to die in the dessert?  They asked that question many times in the 40 years they wandered.  Did they ever stop to think that God would provide all they needed to make it to the promised land?  If he had not, then God's promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob would not have been fulfilled, then our God would not be worthy to worship because if he cannot keep a promise, then we cannot trust that anything he says would be true.  Since our Lord did keep his promise to Israel, we know he will keep these promises for us as well.

Exodus 14:15-15:21 -- Red Sea Crossing

Genesis 14:5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about the people and said: “What have we done? We have released Israel from serving us.” 6 So he got his chariot ready and took his troops with him; 7 he took 600 of the best chariots and all the rest of the chariots of Egypt, with officers in each one. 8 The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the Israelites, who were going out triumphantly. 9 The Egyptians—all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots, his horsemen, and his army—chased after them and caught up with them as they camped by the sea beside Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.

Pharaoh changed his mind.  He wanted the Israelites back.  This was all part of God's plan to destroy the Egyptian's strength so they could no long loom over the Israelites and provide fear that they may come back for them.

Exodus 14:10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up and saw the Egyptians coming after them. Then the Israelites were terrified and cried out to the Lord for help. 11 They said to Moses: “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you took us to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Isn’t this what we told you in Egypt: Leave us alone so that we may serve the Egyptians? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”

The Israelites are doubting the plan of God.  They see the Egyptians coming in all their might to get them back and all they can think about is dying in the wilderness.  They are not thinking God's way.

Exodus 14:13 But Moses said to the people, “Don’t be afraid. Stand firm and see the Lord’s salvation He will provide for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you; you must be quiet.”
15 The Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the Israelites to break camp.16 As for you, lift up your staff, stretch out your hand over the sea, and divide it so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. 17 I am going to harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them, and I will receive glory by means of Pharaoh, all his army, and his chariots and horsemen. 18 The Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh when I receive glory through Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”

Here God tells Moses what to do to save all the people.  God is going to deliver his people in a mighty way and insure that the Egyptians will not bother them again.

Exodus 14:19 Then the Angel of God, who was going in front of the Israelite forces, moved and went behind them. The pillar of cloud moved from in front of them and stood behind them. 20 It came between the Egyptian and Israelite forces. The cloud was there in the darkness, yet it lit up the night. So neither group came near the other all night long.

During the night, while the Israelites prepared to cross the sea, the cloud separated the Egyptians from the Israelites so no one could be harmed.  God protected the Israelites from the Egyptians.

Exodus 14:21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The Lord drove the sea back with a powerful east wind all that night and turned the sea into dry land. So the waters were divided, 22 and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with the waters like a wall to them on their right and their left.
23 The Egyptians set out in pursuit—all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen—and went into the sea after them. 24 Then during the morning watch, the Lord looked down on the Egyptian forces from the pillar of fire and cloud, and threw them into confusion. 25 He caused their chariot wheels to swerve and made them drive with difficulty. “Let’s get away from Israel,” the Egyptians said, “because Yahweh is fighting for them against Egypt!”

The Egyptians went into the sea after the Israelites.  The Lord caused the chariots and horses to have difficulty crossing, so to delay them long enough for their judgment.

Exodus 14:26 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may come back on the Egyptians, on their chariots and horsemen.” 27 So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea returned to its normal depth. While the Egyptians were trying to escape from it, the Lord threw them into the sea. 28 The waters came back and covered the chariots and horsemen, the entire army of Pharaoh, that had gone after them into the sea. None of them survived.

So in one moment the entire Egyptian army was devoured by the sea.  All at the hand of God.  

Exodus 14:29 But the Israelites had walked through the sea on dry ground, with the waters like a wall to them on their right and their left. 30 That day the Lord saved Israel from the power of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 When Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and believed in Him and in His servant Moses.

After all the plagues, after all the signs, the people of Israel finally had fear in the Lord and believed in Him and in Moses.  It took the destruction of Egypt for them to see, for their eyes to be opened to the power and glory of their God.

Genesis 15:1 Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord. They said:
I will sing to the Lord,
for He is highly exalted;
He has thrown the horse
and its rider into the sea.
2 The Lord is my strength and my song;
He has become my salvation.
This is my God, and I will praise Him,
my father’s God, and I will exalt Him.
3 The Lord is a warrior;
Yahweh is His name.

 These praises tell us a lot about God.  He is highly exalted.  He is our strength and song.  He is our salvation.  He is worthy of our praise.  He is a warrior and Yahweh is his name.

Exodus 15:4 He threw Pharaoh’s chariots
and his army into the sea;
the elite of his officers
were drowned in the Red Sea.
5 The floods covered them;
they sank to the depths like a stone.
6 Lord, Your right hand is glorious in power.
Lord, Your right hand shattered the enemy.
7 You overthrew Your adversaries
by Your great majesty.
You unleashed Your burning wrath;
it consumed them like stubble.
8 The waters heaped up at the blast of Your nostrils;
the currents stood firm like a dam.
The watery depths congealed in the heart of the sea.
9 The enemy said:
“I will pursue, I will overtake,
I will divide the spoil.
My desire will be gratified at their expense.
I will draw my sword;
my hand will destroy them.”
10 But You blew with Your breath,
and the sea covered them.
They sank like lead
in the mighty waters.

With just one hand he destroyed the Egyptians in a display of his glorious power.  He over threw Egypt with his great majesty.

Exodus 15:11 Lord, who is like You among the gods?
Who is like You, glorious in holiness,
revered with praises, performing wonders?
12 You stretched out Your right hand,
and the earth swallowed them.
13 You will lead the people
You have redeemed
with Your faithful love;
You will guide them to Your holy dwelling
with Your strength.

With His faithful love he redeemed His people.  With His strength, they are guided to the holy dwelling.  No one is like our God.  He is glorious, holy, worthy of praise and performs marvelous wonders.

Exodus 15:14 When the peoples hear, they will shudder;
anguish will seize the inhabitants of Philistia.
15 Then the chiefs of Edom will be terrified;
trembling will seize the leaders of Moab;
the inhabitants of Canaan will panic;
16 and terror and dread will fall on them.
They will be as still as a stone
because of Your powerful arm
until Your people pass by, Lord,
until the people whom You purchased pass by.

When the other nations here what the Lord has done for Israel, they will also fear God.  They will fear the Israelites because God protects them.  They heard what happened to the Egyptians and they will not want that to happen to them.

Exodus 15:17 You will bring them in and plant them
on the mountain of Your possession;
Lord, You have prepared the place
for Your dwelling;
Lord, Your hands have established the sanctuary.
18 The Lord will reign forever and ever!
19 When Pharaoh’s horses with his chariots and horsemen went into the sea, the Lord brought the waters of the sea back over them. But the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground. 20 Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her with their tambourines and danced. 21 Miriam sang to them:
Sing to the Lord,
for He is highly exalted;
He has thrown the horse
and its rider into the sea.

Praise God for all he has done for Israel and for us.  He is worthy of our praise even if he did not do all the signs and wonders in the land of Egypt.

Now let us look again at some passages from this section:

Exodus 15:2 The Lord is my strength and my song;
He has become my salvation.

Exodus 15:16 They will be as still as a stone
because of Your powerful arm
until Your people pass by, Lord,
until the people whom You purchased pass by.

These verses remind me of things said of Christ.

2 Timothy 2:10 This is why I endure all things for the elect: so that they also may obtain salvation, which is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.

1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God
and one mediator between God and humanity,
Christ Jesus, Himself human,
6 who gave Himself—a ransom for all,
a testimony at the proper time.

Salvation is in Christ, but God is also our salvation.  God "purchased" his people and Christ was a ransom for all.  Christ purchased our souls through the sacrifice of his blood.  He saved us through his death.  He is our salvation.  God and Christ are one, with the holy spirit.  They are the same but at the same time separate.  Each has their own purpose in the trinity, but they act in one accord, all towards the same goal.

Exodus 13:17-14:4 -- The Israelites Begin Their Journey

Exodus 13:17 When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them along the road to the land of the Philistines, even though it was nearby; for God said, “The people will change their minds and return to Egypt if they face war.”

God knew that after all the hardship they had faced in Egypt, they were not mentally ready for war.  He knew they would become very discouraged if they left the oppression of Egypt and immediately went to battle.  God wanted them to have a chance to rest and build up their strength so that they would be ready for the day when they would have to fight for their land.

Exodus 13:18 So He led the people around toward the Red Sea along the road of the wilderness. And the Israelites left the land of Egypt in battle formation.

Even though the Lord did not want them to fight, they still left ready to do so.  The went by the road in the wilderness towards the Red Sea so that they could avoid the Philistines.

Exodus 13:19 Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, because Joseph had made the Israelites swear a solemn oath, saying, “God will certainly come to your aid; then you must take my bones with you from this place.”

Moses took back the bones of Joseph to the promise land as was promised him.  He would now rest near his relatives.

Exodus 13:20 They set out from Succoth and camped at Etham on the edge of the wilderness. 21 The Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to lead them on their way during the day and in a pillar of fire to give them light at night, so that they could travel day or night. 22 The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night never left its place in front of the people.

The Lord guided the people in the way they should go.  The safest way.  The true way.  I have heard some speculation that the pillar of cloud during the day and the pillar of fire at night was a volcanic eruption.  While the imagery makes since and God can use any form of nature to create his pillars, we cannot be certain this is what actually happened.  God could have chosen to create the cloud and the fire completely independent of a known natural phenomenon.

Exodus 14:1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses: 2 “Tell the Israelites to turn back and camp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea; you must camp in front of Baal-zephon, facing it by the sea. 3 Pharaoh will say of the Israelites: They are wandering around the land in confusion; the wilderness has boxed them in. 4 I will harden Pharaoh’s heart so that he will pursue them. Then I will receive glory by means of Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh.” So the Israelites did this.

I bet when the Israelites heard this they were a little confused.  Why should they turn back when they have already gone this far?  The did though.  They turned back and camped where God told them to.  This sets up for the final defeat of the Egyptians when Pharaoh takes it upon himself to take his own army and pursue the Israelites to bring them back.  This does not end well for Pharaoh.  We will read of that tomorrow.

Exodus 12:33-13:16 -- Keeping the Passover

Exodus 12:33 Now the Egyptians pressured the people in order to send them quickly out of the country, for they said, “We’re all going to die!” 34 So the people took their dough before it was leavened, with their kneading bowls wrapped up in their clothes on their shoulders.
35 The Israelites acted on Moses’ word and asked the Egyptians for silver and gold jewelry and for clothing. 36 And the Lord gave the people such favor in the Egyptians’ sight that they gave them what they requested. In this way they plundered the Egyptians.
37 The Israelites traveled from Rameses to Succoth, about 600,000 soldiers on foot, besides their families. 38 An ethnically diverse crowd also went up with them, along with a huge number of livestock, both flocks and herds. 39 The people baked the dough they had brought out of Egypt into unleavened loaves, since it had no yeast; for when they had been drivenout of Egypt they could not delay and had not prepared any provisions for themselves.
40 The time that the Israelites lived in Egypt was 430 years. 41 At the end of 430 years, on that same day, all the Lord’s divisions went out from the land of Egypt. 42 It was a night of vigil in honor of the Lord, because He would bring them out of the land of Egypt. This same night is in honor of the Lord, a night vigil for all the Israelites throughout their generations.

The people finally left Egypt and traveled away from the city of their oppression.  This, of course was only the beginning of their long journey to the promised land.

Exodus 12:43 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the statute of the Passover: no foreigner may eat it. 44 But any slave a man has purchased may eat it, after you have circumcised him.45 A temporary resident or hired hand may not eat the Passover. 46 It is to be eaten in one house. You may not take any of the meat outside the house, and you may not break any of its bones. 47 The whole community of Israel must celebrate it. 48 If a foreigner resides with you and wants to celebrate the Lord’s Passover, every male in his household must be circumcised, and then he may participate; he will become like a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person may eat it. 49 The same law will apply to both the native and the foreigner who resides among you.”

Here, the Lord gives to the people of Israel the instructions on how to celebrate the Passover.  Each family that participates, whether Jew or foreign, must be circumcised.  Since circumcision is the sign of the covenant between God and his people, they must be in his covenant to participate in the Passover.  That is why if a foreigner becomes circumcised, he will become like a native of the land.

Exodus 12:50 Then all the Israelites did this; they did just as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron. 51 On that same day the Lord brought the Israelites out of the land of Egypt according to their divisions.

The Israelites obeyed the command of their God concerning the Passover.

Exodus 13:1 The Lord spoke to Moses: 2 “Consecrate every firstborn male to Me, the firstborn from every womb among the Israelites, both man and domestic animal; it is Mine.”

Here, the Lord is demanding that every first born male to be consecrated to himself.  Just as God destroyed the first born of those in Egypt, he wants to separate the first born of Israel for his special purposes.  Just as his own first born, Christ, was set apart as the sacrifice for us all.

Exodus 13:3 Then Moses said to the people, “Remember this day when you came out of Egypt, out of the place of slavery, for the Lord brought you out of here by the strength of His hand. Nothing leavened may be eaten. 4 Today, in the month of Abib, you are leaving. 5 When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites, and Jebusites, which He swore to your fathers that He would give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, you must carry out this ritual in this month. 6 For seven days you must eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there is to be a festival to the Lord.7 Unleavened bread is to be eaten for those seven days. Nothing leavened may be found among you, and no yeast may be found among you in all your territory. 8 On that day explain to your son, ‘This is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’9 Let it serve as a sign for you on your hand and as a reminder on your forehead, so that the Lord’s instruction may be in your mouth; for the Lord brought you out of Egypt with a strong hand. 10 Keep this statute at its appointed time from year to year.

Here Moses commands again for the people of Israel to follow the Passover.   The people will constantly have to be reminded and redirected towards the will of God throughout their journey to and life in the promised land.

Exodus 13:11 “When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as He swore to you and your fathers, and gives it to you, 12 you are to present to the Lord every firstborn male of the womb. All firstborn offspring of the livestock you own that are males will be the Lord’s.13 You must redeem every firstborn of a donkey with a flock animal, but if you do not redeem it, break its neck. However, you must redeem every firstborn among your sons.
14 “In the future, when your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ say to him, ‘By the strength of His hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, out of the place of slavery. 15 When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed every firstborn male in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of man to the firstborn of livestock. That is why I sacrifice to the Lord all the firstborn of the womb that are males, but I redeem all the firstborn of my sons.’16 So let it be a sign on your hand and a symbol on your forehead, for the Lord brought us out of Egypt by the strength of His hand.”

The Lord brought the Israelites out by the strength of His hand.  He showed his mighty power in taking all the first born of Egypt, and now he wants the first born of Israel, not to kill, but to redeem and set apart for his works.

I want to look at a phrase that has been in this section a few times:  "a symbol on you forehead."  I know this is mentioned many times in Revelation in reference to the mark of the beast as well as determining who is Gods.

Revelation 13:15 He was permitted to give a spirit to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast could both speak and cause whoever would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 16 And he requires everyone—small and great, rich and poor, free and slave—to be given a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, 17 so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark: the beast’s name or the number of his name.

Revelation 14:9 And a third angel followed them and spoke with a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he will also drink the wine of God’s wrath, which is mixed full strength in the cup of His anger. He will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the sight of the holy angels and in the sight of the Lamb

Here those with the mark of the beast are those destined to an eternity in hell.  They are not marked with the seal of God, and the only other option is the mark of the beast.  The mark is probably not literal in the since that you will see a physical mark on a person's hand or forehead, but it is their thoughts and deeds that hand them over to their destruction.

Revelation 7:3 “Don’t harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we seal the slaves of our God on their foreheads.”

Revelation 9:3 Then locusts came out of the smoke on to the earth, and power was given to them like the power that scorpions have on the earth. 4 They were told not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green plant, or any tree, but only people who do not have God’s seal on their foreheads. 5 They were not permitted to kill them but were to torment them for five months; their torment is like the torment caused by a scorpion when it strikes a man.

Revelation 20:4 Then I saw thrones, and people seated on them who were given authority to judge. I also saw the people who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of God’s word, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and who had not accepted the mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with the Messiah for 1,000 years.

Revelation 22:3b The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and His slaves will serve Him. 4 They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. 5 Night will no longer exist, and people will not need lamplight or sunlight, because the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign forever and ever.

Again, the seal of God is probably not a physical mark on the person's body, but a showing of their faith through their deeds and thoughts.  Those are God's are marked and those who God has chosen will not be harmed by some of the upcoming judgments.

It seems that the mark on the hand comes from the deeds the person does.  If the person does evil or selfish deeds , they are marked by the beast but if they do righteous deeds they are sealed for God.  Likewise the mark on the forehead seems to be that if the person thinks evil things they have the mark of the beast, but those chosen by God have righteous thoughts and are sealed by God.

When referring to the Passover and the consecration of the first born males, the deed of keeping the Passover would be righteous in the site of God for the Jews, the mark on the hand.  Also, the fathers teaching their sons the importance of the Passover and the consecration of the first born, the mark on the forehead.  I could be completely wrong about seeing a connection here, and if anyone has any further incite, please let me know!

Deuteronomy 11:18 “Imprint these words of mine on your hearts and minds, bind them as a sign on your hands, and let them be a symbol on your foreheads. 19 Teach them to your children,talking about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

Deuteronomy tells the marks are not literal.  They are symbols.  Keep the words on your heard and minds.  Bind them as a sign on your hands.  Keeping the laws in Deuteronomy would be a sign of righteousness, and this the acts of the hands in keeping the law would be the sign to show you have faith and believe in God.  Believing enough to do the deeds of God, you will want to teach them to your children.  The mark of the forehead is knowing the truth of God through and through, enough to teach others about the power and glory of God.

Exodus 11:1 - 12:32 -- Death of the First Born

Exodus 11:1 The Lord said to Moses, “I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. After that, he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will drive you out of here.

Now the Lord says that Pharaoh will finally let the people go after the next plague.

Exodus 11:2 Now announce to the people that both men and women should ask their neighbors for silver and gold jewelry.” 3 The Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. And the man Moses was highly regarded in the land of Egypt by Pharaoh’s officials and the people.

God wants his people to be prepared to leave when Pharaoh drives them out.  He does not want the caught by surprise.  He is giving them favor in the eyes of the Egyptians so they will leave a wealthy people.

Exodus 11:4 So Moses said, “This is what Yahweh says: ‘About midnight I will go throughout Egypt,5 and every firstborn male in the land of Egypt will die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne to the firstborn of the servant girl who is behind the millstones, as well as every firstborn of the livestock.

Can you imagine the heart ache of the Egyptians when they woke up to find all their first born dead?  Keep in mind the verse says that all the first born (male in the later verses) from Pharaoh to the servant girl.  Also note that Pharaoh had many wives/concubines.  I am sure he had children with several different women, so not only did he loose his first born and heir, he probably lost more than one child that night.  Each first born from each wife/concubine.

Exodus 11:6 Then there will be a great cry of anguish through all the land of Egypt such as never was before, or ever will be again. 7 But against all the Israelites, whether man or beast, not even a dog will snarl, so that you may know that Yahweh makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel. 8 All these officials of yours will come down to me and bow before me, saying: Leave, you and all the people who follow you. After that, I will leave.’” And he left Pharaoh’s presence in fierce anger.
9 The Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh will not listen to you, so that My wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.” 10 Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh, but the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let the Israelites go out of his land.

The longer Pharaoh holds on to the people of Israel, the greater the power of God is shown.

Exodus 12:1 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt: 2 “This month is to be the beginning of months for you; it is the first month of your year. 3 Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month they must each select an animal of the flock according to their fathers’ households, one animal per household. 4 If the household is too small for a whole animal, that person and the neighbor nearest his house are to select one based on the combined number of people; you should apportion the animal according to what each person will eat. 5 You must have an unblemished animal, a year-old male; you may take it from either the sheep or the goats. 6 You are to keep it until the fourteenth day of this month; then the whole assembly of the community of Israel will slaughter the animals at twilight. 7 They must take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses where they eat them. 8 They are to eat the meat that night; they should eat it, roasted over the fire along with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 9 Do not eat any of it raw or cooked in boiling water, but only roasted over fire—its head as well as its legs and inner organs. 10 Do not let any of it remain until morning; you must burn up any part of it that does remain before morning. 11 Here is how you must eat it: you must be dressed for travel, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. You are to eat it in a hurry; it is the Lord’s Passover.

Again, the Lord wants his people ready for travel.  He gives them specific instructions on how to choose the animal, eat the animal and prepare themselves.  By following these instructions, the Israelites will be passed over and not one of their children will be harmed.  They will then be driven out by the Egyptians in such a hurry, that if they had not already been dressed and packed, then they would not be clothed or prepared to go.

Exodus 12:12 “I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night and strike every firstborn male in the land of Egypt, both man and beast. I am Yahweh; I will execute judgments against all the gods of Egypt.

Hence all the different kinds of plagues that affected every part of life for the Egyptians.  Each god played a role in Egyptian life, and our God showed he power over all the Egyptian gods.

Exodus 12:13 The blood on the houses where you are staying will be a distinguishing mark for you; when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No plague will be among you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.
14 “This day is to be a memorial for you, and you must celebrate it as a festival to the Lord. You are to celebrate it throughout your generations as a permanent statute. 15 You must eat unleavened bread for seven days. On the first day you must remove yeast from your houses. Whoever eats what is leavened from the first day through the seventh day must be cut off from Israel. 16 You are to hold a sacred assembly on the first day and another sacred assembly on the seventh day. No work may be done on those days except for preparing what people need to eat—you may do only that.
17 “You are to observe the Festival of Unleavened Bread because on this very day I brought your divisions out of the land of Egypt. You must observe this day throughout your generations as a permanent statute. 18 You are to eat unleavened bread in the first month, from the evening of the fourteenth day of the month until the evening of the twenty-first day. 19 Yeast must not be found in your houses for seven days. If anyone eats something leavened, that person, whether a foreign resident or native of the land, must be cut off from the community of Israel. 20 Do not eat anything leavened; eat unleavened bread in all your homes.”

The Lord wants his people to remember and teach this event.  He wants generation after generation to remember what the Lord has done for the people of Israel.  This feast will incite questions from the young on why they do these things and provides times of teaching for parents to their children.

Exodus 12:21 Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go, select an animal from the flock according to your families, and slaughter the Passover animal. 22 Take a cluster of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and brush the lintel and the two doorposts with some of the blood in the basin. None of you may go out the door of his house until morning. 23 When the Lord passes through to strike Egypt and sees the blood on the lintel and the two doorposts, He will pass over the door and not let the destroyer enter your houses to strike you.
24 “Keep this command permanently as a statute for you and your descendants. 25 When you enter the land that the Lord will give you as He promised, you are to observe this ritual.26 When your children ask you, ‘What does this ritual mean to you?’ 27 you are to reply, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, for He passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians and spared our homes.’” So the people bowed down and worshiped. 28 Then the Israelites went and did this; they did just as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron.
29 Now at midnight the Lord struck every firstborn male in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the prisoner who was in the dungeon, and every firstborn of the livestock. 30 During the night Pharaoh got up, he along with all his officials and all the Egyptians, and there was a loud wailing throughout Egypt because there wasn’t a house without someone dead. 31 He summoned Moses and Aaron during the night and said, “Get up, leave my people, both you and the Israelites, and go, worship Yahweh as you have asked. 32 Take even your flocks and your herds as you asked and leave, and also bless me.”

Now Pharaoh is serious about letting them go, but not before he is blessed.  We will learn later that Pharaoh was not so quick to let them leave and that will prove fatal for so many more Egyptians.  We will look at that in a few days.

Exodus 10:21-29 -- Darkness Descends

Exodus 10:21 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, and there will be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness that can be felt.”

I wonder what it means, "a darkness that can be felt."

Exodus 10:22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was thick darkness throughout the land of Egypt for three days. 23 One person could not see another, and for three days they did not move from where they were. Yet all the Israelites had light where they lived.
24 Pharaoh summoned Moses and said, “Go, worship Yahweh. Even your families may go with you; only your flocks and herds must stay behind.”

Again, Pharaoh trying to compromise.  Now you can go where ever, take your families, but your animals must stay.  Again a ploy at trying to be certain that the Israelites would return after worship.

Exodus 10:25 Moses responded, “You must also let us have sacrifices and burnt offerings to prepare for Yahweh our God. 26 Even our livestock must go with us; not a hoof will be left behind because we will take some of them to worship Yahweh our God. We will not know what we will use to worship Yahweh until we get there.”
27 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he was unwilling to let them go. 28 Pharaoh said to him, “Leave me! Make sure you never see my face again, for on the day you see my face, you will die.”
29 “As you have said,” Moses replied, “I will never see your face again.”

Now Pharaoh has condemned Moses if he ever sees him again.  

We see some very interesting parallels in this story and with that of Christ's death.  Here in Exodus, darkness descends on the land for 3 days, it was so bad the people could not see.  We know that following this darkness, the first born of the Egyptians would all die.

Matthew 27:45 From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over the whole land.

Here in Matthew, we see that darkness covered all the land for 3 hours.  Here is a repetition of three.  For the Egyptians, it was 3 days, for Israel it was 3 hours.  Each darkness was followed by death, For Egypt, the death of all their first borns. For Israel, it was the death of their Messiah, the first born of God.  One died in judgment of God the other in sacrifice.

This passage also shows us some Biblical truths.  Notice the passage says "So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was thick darkness throughout the land of Egypt for three days. One person could not see another, and for three days they did not move from where they were. Yet all the Israelites had light where they lived."

Even in the beginning, before there was sin in the world, God separated what was good from what was evil.

Genesis 1:4 God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness.

Just like in Genesis, God separated those who were evil from those who were righteous.  The Egyptians were covered in total darkness because their hearts were hard and they would not let the Israelites go with all they had to worship their God.  Likewise, the Israelites were seen as righteous and their land was filled with light.

In the end, God will continue to separate the light from the dark.  We are given this warning from Him:

Luke 11:33 “No one lights a lamp and puts it in the cellar or under a basket, but on a lampstand, so that those who come in may see its light. 34 Your eye is the lamp of the body. When your eye is good, your whole body is also full of light. But when it is bad, your body is also full of darkness. 35 Take care then, that the light in you is not darkness. 36 If, therefore, your whole body is full of light, with no part of it in darkness, it will be entirely illuminated, as when a lamp shines its light on you.”

We are not only to be filled with light and not darkness, but we are to let the light shine for all to see.  We are not to hide our faith, but share it.  In the end, if we are filled with light, we will be with our heavenly father for all eternity.  If we are filled with darkness, we will be separated from Him for all eternity.

John 12:35 Jesus answered, “The light will be with you only a little longer. Walk while you have the light so that darkness doesn’t overtake you. The one who walks in darkness doesn’t know where he’s going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light so that you may become sons of light.” Jesus said this, then went away and hid from them.

Jesus is our light.  We must be filled with Him.  We must radiate Him.  We must show Him to all the world so the world can too shine His light.  

Exodus 10:1-20 -- Locust Feast

Exodus 10:1 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials so that I may do these miraculous signs of Mine among them, 2 and so that you may tell your son and grandson how severely I dealt with the Egyptians and performed miraculous signs among them, and you will know that I am Yahweh.”

Here God says that the signs are so that Moses can tell his son and grandson how severely God punished the Egyptian. It is for the Israelites to tell their children and grandchildren of the wondrous might of their God and how he delivered them, through his power and signs, from the oppression of the Egyptians.

Exodus 10:3 So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh and told him, “This is what Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, says: How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, that they may worship Me. 4 But if you refuse to let My people go, then tomorrow I will bring locusts into your territory. 5 They will cover the surface of the land so that no one will be able to see the land. They will eat the remainder left to you that escaped the hail; they will eat every tree you have growing in the fields.

Do you remember in the last post I mentioned that it seemed that God had some mercy on the Egyptians by leaving them some grain (the later harvest) so they could survive?  Well, the locust may have wiped that harvest out as well.  We do not know how much time passed between the hail and the locust, but it may have been enough time for the wheat and spelt to have been planted.

Exodus 10:6 They will fill your houses, all your officials’ houses, and the houses of all the Egyptians—something your fathers and ancestors never saw since the time they occupied the land until today.” Then he turned and left Pharaoh’s presence.
7 Pharaoh’s officials asked him, “How long must this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, so that they may worship Yahweh their God. Don’t you realize yet that Egypt is devastated?”
8 So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. “Go, worship Yahweh your God,” Pharaoh said. “But exactly who will be going?”

Here Pharaoh wants another deal.  Remember the first one was you can go, but not too far, now he wants to see who is going, because Pharaoh knows that if only the men go, then they will come back for their wives and children.

Exodus 10:9 Moses replied, “We will go with our young and our old; we will go with our sons and daughters and with our flocks and herds because we must hold Yahweh’s festival.”
10 He said to them, “May Yahweh be with you if I ever let you and your families go! Look out—you are planning evil. 11 No, only the men may go and worship Yahweh, for that is what you have been asking for.” And they were driven from Pharaoh’s presence.

I have not looked at the Hebrew, nor would I really know where to look at that, but, from an English translation, Moses said "people" not "men" when referring to leaving to worship.  Pharaoh may have assumed he meant just the men?

Exodus 10:12 The Lord then said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt and the locusts will come up over it and eat every plant in the land, everything that the hail left.”13 So Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt, and the Lord sent an east wind over the land all that day and through the night. By morning the east wind had brought in the locusts. 14 The locusts went up over the entire land of Egypt and settled on the whole territory of Egypt. Never before had there been such a large number of locusts, and there never will be again. 15 They covered the surface of the whole land so that the land was black, and they consumed all the plants on the ground and all the fruit on the trees that the hail had left. Nothing green was left on the trees or the plants in the field throughout the land of Egypt.
16 Pharaoh urgently sent for Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned against Yahweh your God and against you. 17 Please forgive my sin once more and make an appeal to Yahweh your God, so that He will take this death away from me.” 18 Moses left Pharaoh’s presence and appealed to the Lord. 19 Then the Lord changed the wind to a strong west wind, and it carried off the locusts and blew them into the Red Sea. Not a single locust was left in all the territory of Egypt. 20 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the Israelites go.

Again Pharaoh asked Moses to remove the hardship and again Pharaoh refused to keep his promise.  He hardened his heart as soon as the hardship was over.  Once things got easy again, Pharaoh would not keep his word.