Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Exodus 12:40-42

40 Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years.

41 And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt.

42 It is a night to be much observed unto the Lord for bringing them out from the land of Egypt: this is that night of the Lord to be observed of all the children of Israel in their generations.

In these verses we learn that the Israelites lived in Egypt for a total of 430 years. Of course, not all of that time was spent in servitude. There is an unspecific gap of time between when Jacob and his sons came into the land and when a later Pharaoh decided to subjugate the Israelite people. It seems likely that most of their time was spent in freedom, as they were not put under Egyptian oppression until they had grown to a mighty number, and the population growth would have started relatively slowly, becoming exponentially greater with each passing generation.

430 years was long enough to make all the stories of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the great patriarchs, distant history to the current generation. Consider that 430 years before today’s date would have been 1593, which was the time period of William Shakespeare and Galileo Galilei. Shakespeare is as far removed to us as Jacob was to Moses. Not completely removed, still well known and with a clear line of connection in between, but removed still the same.

Thus, it was a new Israelite nation that emerged from Egypt, far different from the one that went in. This new Israelite nation was one that knew nothing of its forefathers’ land of inheritance. It was one that had become accustomed to living under another’s rule. It was one that had been surrounded by all manner of false gods and strange practices. But in spite of all this they were being called to reconnect with their foreordained place in the world.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Exodus 12:35-38

35 And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: 

36 And the Lord gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians. 

37 And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, beside children. 

38 And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle.

I pointed out earlier that when God instructed the Israelites to take the jewels of their Egyptian neighbors, it had the appearance of a conquering army taking the spoils of war. Verse 36 makes this interpretation concrete by saying the Egyptians were indeed “spoiled.” Though the Israelites had not raised a single hand against their overlords, yet they carried the trophies of their triumph over them.

Moving on, in verse 37 we hear exactly how large the Israelite nation had become. Back in Exodus 1, we were told that there were only 70 souls when Jacob and his family first entered into Egypt. Since that time, just their men were nearly 10,000 times greater in number! If their men “on foot” were 600,000, then presumably there were approximately 600,000 women, and probably more than 600,000 children, bringing their total up and to and even exceeding 2 million! One can see why the Egyptians had been worried about their growing strength. The “on foot” description of the 600,000 men seems to mean men who were still strong enough to travel forward under their own power, and therefore also fit to carry a sword. It was justifiable that Egypt would be concerned about this potential army within their borders, though their solution to that problem was certainly not justified.

Verse 38 tells us that they also took up all of their flocks, herds, and cattle, which of course Pharaoh had previously tried to deny them. Also of interest is that “a mixed multitude went up also with them.” This might have been the remnants of other nations that had been conquered by the Egyptians and made to serve alongside the Israelites. It might have been Egyptians who had intermarried with the Israelites or been converted to the Lord by His miracles.

Of course, we will see a theme soon enough of the Israelites being seduced from God by the strangers in their midst. It is possible that this “mixed multitude” was the first group to tempt them to sin. Though we will not have it spelled out to us in Exodus, a later recounting in Numbers shows that it was this group of foreigners who first began to complain to Moses in the wilderness, leading the way for the Israelites to also tempt the Lord. Thus, even in this moment of triumph, there are already the seeds of a downfall.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Exodus 12:34, 39

34 And the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneadingtroughs being bound up in their clothes upon their shoulders.

39 And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought forth out of Egypt, for it was not leavened; because they were thrust out of Egypt, and could not tarry, neither had they prepared for themselves any victual.

We just read how the Egyptians were anxious to hurry the Israelites out of their land. Today’s verses explain even more of this haste, describing the Israelites as being “thrust out, and could not tarry,” with no time for even their dough to rise. Hence the wisdom in God telling them beforehand to prepare all of their bread to be unleavened. He knew the great hurry that would soon be upon them.

I mentioned yesterday that it sounded like Pharaoh had summoned Moses and Aaron in the very same night that all the firstborn of Egypt had been slain, and given today’s verses it sounds like the Israelites had to be out of their homes by the very next morning. Waiting for the dough to rise would only have been a matter of hours after all, not days, and they apparently didn’t have that long to spare. An immediate departure would also explain why God told them to have staff in hand, shoes on feet, and to burn any leftover lamb.

To sum up, it seems most likely to me that on the evening of the tenth day of Abib the Israelites had their Passover feast, the Egyptian firstborn were killed during the night, that same night Pharaoh commanded the Israelites to leave, and all the camp was gone in the morning. I never realized before how rapidly all these events might have transpired, and if it was this way then it shows just how quickly God can change everything, accomplishing the impossible in an instant!

Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Exodus 12:31-33

31 And he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve the Lord, as ye have said.

32 Also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone; and bless me also.

33 And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste; for they said, We be all dead men.

It seems to me that Verse 31 is saying that Pharaoh did not even wait for the next morning to speak with Moses and Aaron. That he called for them by night seems to suggest it was within mere hours of discovering that his own firstborn had been slain, and also all the other firstborn of Egypt.

Pharaoh had previously declared that he and Moses would never again see each other face-to-face and Moses had agreed. So while it says that he called for Moses and Aaron, and gave them permission to take the Israelites out into the wilderness, I wonder if all this was relayed by a spokesperson, or whether Pharaoh kept his back to the prophet.

In any case, Pharaoh delivered very few words to the prophet. He only said enough to show that he was finally fully complying with the demands of the Lord. He was allowing for the men, the women, the children, the flocks and the herds to leave, the entire group with no exceptions. For the first time he was not trying to limit or compromise or go back on his word.

At the very end of his declaration he also made one small petition, “and bless me also.” This is a brief and piteous request, and I wonder if God would have granted it. However, as we will soon see, Pharaoh nullified any potential act of mercy by trying to wage war with the Israelites one last time.

For now, though, all of Egypt was united in its desire to be rid of the Israelites. It says that they were “urgent upon the people,” pushing them out in haste. Such a turn of events! Where once the Egyptians had refused to let the Israelites go, now they absolutely required it! This shows greater power in God than if He had slain every Egyptian and brought Israel out of the ruin. It is one thing to force someone to do something against their will, but it is a much more significant thing to change their will to your own.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Exodus 12:28-30

28 And the children of Israel went away, and did as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they.

29 And it came to pass, that at midnight the Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle.

30 And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead.

The Israelites obeyed Moses’s word. We will see many other instances where they did not, but here they did exercise the faith necessary to be preserved from destruction, and so it was only the Egyptian firstborn who met their fate that night. The manner of the Egyptians’ deaths is not described, but perhaps it was not silent, for we are told that their families were awoken in the middle of the night and discovered what God had done.

Verse 30 reinforces the totality of this night of destruction: “there was not a house where there was not one dead.” The word used for “house” is bayith, which is sometimes used to mean a “household.” That meaning makes more sense to me, as presumably there could have been a dwelling place that had no firstborn sleeping within its walls, but every “household” would have had a complete family unit with a firstborn who had perished.

Thus, every life in Egypt was touched that night. Each person either died, or lost a close family member. This was an act of great surgical precision by God, taking a minimum number of lives, yet ensuring that everyone would have their heart broken at once. Where human acts of conquest tend to be broad and imprecise, with all manner of collateral damage, God was able to take just what He meant to take, and leave the rest untouched.

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Scriptural Analysis- Exodus 12:24-27

24 And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever.

25 And it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the land which the Lord will give you, according as he hath promised, that ye shall keep this service.

26 And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service?

27 That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the Lord’s passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped.

The notion that the yearly observation of the Passover was meant to remind the Israelites of what God had done for them is not up for debate. God explicitly instructed His people that when their children asked for an explanation of the ritual that they should tell the story of how He had delivered Israel from Egypt. God gave the symbol, and also the interpretation of it. He did the same when He gave the prior Pharaoh the vision of the cattle and grain, and then gave Joseph the interpretation of it. Christ, too, would teach by parable, and then explain its meaning to his disciples.

That isn’t to say that God’s works are single-dimensional, there are many combined lessons and symbols that can be found in them, but we should be careful when we look for these extra interpretations. There is always the danger of reading things into the text that we personally want, making them our story to teach our principles and not His. Indeed, the only times that I feel I have found a new and valid interpretation of a scripture story is when I feel that interpretation coming to me by revelation. There are many other times that I have ideas as to what a scriptural story could mean, but I recognize that they are only that: ideas. Genuine interpretation of scripture is given only by the divine author of it.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Exodus 12:21-23

21 Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the passover.

22 And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the basin; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning.

23 For the Lord will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the Lord will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.

Thus far we have heard the instructions that God relayed to Moses and Aaron, now we have an account of Moses and Aaron repeating the instructions to the elders of Israel. A few more details emerge in this telling, such the Israelites using hyssop for their brush, dabbing it in the blood of the lamb and striking it upon all three parts of their door: the lintel and both posts.

Hyssop was a shrub native to the area, renown for its medicinal properties. It appears multiple times throughout the Biblical record, perhaps most notably when it is dipped in vinegar and raised to the lips of Jesus when he thirsted on the cross. It is, therefore, yet another symbol that ties Israel’s sacrifice of the lamb at Passover to the atonement of Jesus Christ. It also occurs to me that the lintel of the door and its two accompanying posts could also be considered a representation of Christ between the two thieves at the time of his crucifixion.

The Israelites were also warned that they must not exit their houses during that night. The following text then suggests that God, Himself, would pass through their midst, personally walking their streets and observing the blood upon their door posts. Perhaps not only God, either, for there is also reference to “the destroyer,” whom God would not allow into the protected houses. This is a very dramatic image, and whether it described things as they would occur literally or symbolically, it seems clear that God was very near to His people in this pivotal moment, His power all about them, even while they dwelled in the midst of an enemy.

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Scriptural Analysis- Exodus 12:16

16 And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you.

Not only did God specify the duration of the feast and the diet for it, He also mandated that “no manner of work shall be done in them.” This was to be a rest and respite from the daily toils, and the only labor that God allowed for was the necessary work to have food for that day. There are a number of reasons and symbols that can be seen in this instruction.

  1. This would help to keep a remembrance of Israel being liberated from their slavery in Egypt. Their daily toil had been the hard labor of making bricks for Egypt’s construction projects, and they were beholden to their taskmasters for any rest and respite. Now, though, God would free them, and every year they would be reminded that they now had the pleasure of being able to take an entire week off with none to tell them otherwise.
  2. Setting aside one’s work also calls to mind when God rested the seventh day, after creating the Earth. This feast was initiated as the Israelite people were being led into a new chapter, and it was to be observed forever after at the beginning of each new year. This calls to mind themes of new creation, fresh starts, the end of one phase and the beginning of a new and better one.
  3. Finally, the Israelites were specifically being instructed to set aside their worldly work. They weren’t to spin, or craft, or sell. They weren’t to try and gain worldly wealth, or collect on worldly debts. They were to be focused on only doing the work they had been given by the divine. They would sacrifice their lambs, make the Passover meal, share with their neighbors, and burn the excess before the new day. A much lesser load than the usual workday, and a sign that they would sanctify their efforts to the Lord and He, in turn, would provide for them.
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Scriptural Analysis- Exodus 12:15, 17-20

15 Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.

17 And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever.

18 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even.

19 Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses: for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger, or born in the land.

20 Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread.

God stressed multiple times the feast was to run for seven days. He said the feast was to run from the 14th day of the month to the 21st, that the bread was to be unleavened on the first day of the feast up through the seventh, and that the whole thing was to run for seven days. By describing His requirements for the duration in multiple ways, there could not be any chance of ambiguity or misunderstanding.

God also made repeatedly clear that the bread of the feast was to be unleavened, and if anyone violated this commandment it would be a grievous offense and they would be cast out of the community. He even instructed them to dispose of all the leaven in their homes, presumably so that no accidental consumption of it occurred.

I find myself wondering whether this example of God requiring the people to throw out the leaven was seen as a justification for the Pharisees to later “build a hedge” around the laws. By the time that Jesus was born, the spiritual leaders of Israel had added all manner of extra requirements around God’s laws, so as to further protect people from breaking the commandments. These “hedge laws” were often treated as if they were as sacred as God’s actual word, resulting in distraction and division from the truth faith, and Jesus had to spend much of his time correcting this matter. There is, of course, quite a difference between a buffer that is dictated by God and a buffer that is required by man.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Exodus 12:14, 17

14 And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.

17 And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever.

Verse 14 shifts back to detailing the observances that are to be held by the Israelites each year at the Passover. The first thing that stands out to is that God tells the people that they are to observe this ritual “by an ordinance for ever.” Then He repeats that detail a second time in verse 17.

Of course, in my Christian faith I don’t keep the Passover as one of my religious observations, because I am not Jewish. Any Israelite blood that has entered my family line is probably very minimal, and I do not claim the captive Hebrews as my ancestors. On the other hand, today’s practicing Jews do still observe the Passover. The sacrificing of the lamb does not occur anymore, as there is no temple for them to perform those offerings, but they are still quite meticulous about meeting God’s directions on what types of food to eat, the absence of leaven, and the dates to be observed.

Of course there are some rituals, beliefs, and observations that have been continuous from the Jewish people to the Christians. For example, both groups have a form of baptism and both believe that we are God’s children. Others, however, seem to have been specific to the Israelite people and their direct descendants today, such as the Passover and the law of circumcision. Thus there are two types of religious observation, the specific and the universal. Each are sacred and have their place, but it is good for us to understand the distinction between them. Just because something is sacred and mandated by God does not necessarily mean it is mandated for everyone. Some of them are and some of them are not, and it is expected that we will each make ourselves aware of which category we fall within, and what is expected of us.