Departure From Egypt

Continuing a chronological Bible study with an order set forth by Skip Andrews:

(Exodus 12:40) Now the sojourning of the children of Israel who lived in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years.

In actuality, it was not 430 years that the Israelites had lived in Egypt, but it had been exactly 430 years since God first made His promise to Abraham.  The "sojourning" of the people who had most recently been in Egypt was their dwelling in a land that was not theirs until the fulfillment of God's promise. This was confirmed by the Apostle Paul in Galatians 3:17, when he said, "And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect."  The Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge by Canne, Browne, Blayney, Scott, and others, expressed it the most succinctly:  "from Abraham's entrance into the promised land to the birth of Isaac, was 25 years; Isaac was 60 at the birth of Jacob; Jacob was 130 at his going into Egypt; where he and his children continued 215 years more; making in the whole 430 years."

(41) And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, on that very same day, it came to pass that all the armies of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt. (42) It is a night to be much observed to 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 throughout their generations.

Incredibly, according to this scripture, it was 430 years to the day from the time God made His promise to Abraham that He would make him a great nation.  I can't prove it, but I will take this scripture at its marvelous word that it would be so intentional of God to bring the children of Israel out of Egypt on the anniversary of His promise to Abraham.  It was a night to be much observed and continually remembered throughout their generations as the night the Lord brought the children of Israel out from the land of Egypt.

Now the chronological order takes me to Numbers 33:

(Numbers 33:1) These are the journeys of the children of Israel, who went out of the land of Egypt by their armies under the hand of Moses and Aaron. (2) And Moses wrote their goings forth of their journeys by the commandment of the LORD; and these are their journeys according to their goings forth. (3) And they departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the day after the Passover the children of Israel went out with a high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians. (4) For the Egyptians buried all their firstborn, whom the LORD had killed among them; upon their gods also the LORD executed judgments.

This chapter of Numbers was written by Moses at the command of the Lord to be a record of the travels of the children of Israel through the wilderness.  These first verses tell how the journeys began; the children of Israel went out of the land of Egypt with their armies, suggesting their great numbers went out in an orderly fashion, under the command of Moses and Aaron.  It is said that the Israelites departed from Rameses, which will be confirmed when we return to the original history in Exodus.  They left in what was now the first month, Abib, on the fifteenth day, on the day after the first Passover.  They left boldly with their heads and hands held high in the sight of all the Egyptians, because the Egyptians were too busy burying their dead, their firstborn, whom the Lord of the Israelites had killed in judgment against their false gods.  Throughout all the plagues the Lord sent upon the Egyptians, their gods proved useless against the power of the Lord God of the Israelites.

(Exodus 12:37) And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot, besides children.

We were told repeatedly in scripture that the Israelites dwelled in the land of Goshen.  Here is confirmed in the original history that the children of Israel departed from Rameses, which according to Genesis 47:11, was a place in Goshen, or perhaps Goshen itself:  "And Joseph placed his father and his brothers, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded."  They journeyed first from Rameses to Succoth, which meant "booths", and had been named by Jacob in Genesis 33:17:  "And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, built himself a house, and made booths for his cattle; therefore the name of the place is called Succoth."  Ironically, it was the first place the Israelites camped, possibly in tents or booths.  What a vast army it was that left Rameses, 600,000 men, excluding children (and probably excluding women, as well)!  If the women and children were counted, it is not unreasonable to assume there could have been as many as two million people who departed Egypt.  No wonder Pharaoh fought so hard to keep them enslaved!

(Numbers 33:5) And the children of Israel removed from Rameses, and pitched in Succoth.

(Exodus 12:38) And a mixed multitude went up with them also, and flocks and herds, very much cattle.

Along with the 600,000 men who left Rameses on foot was a mixed multitude, which sounds like people other than children of Israel who chose to follow God's people.  You would hope they followed (and were allowed to follow) because they came to trust in the one true God of the Israelites, but as will be later pointed out, the "mixed multitude" would prove to be a snare to them (Numbers 11:4); so it is likely they left Egypt because their own country had just been laid waste by the plagues.  A great deal of livestock also came out of Egypt with the children of Israel.

(39) And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought out of Egypt, for it was not leavened; because they were thrust out of Egypt, and could not tarry, nor had they prepared for themselves any provision.

Camping in Succoth, they baked unleavened cakes of the dough they had brought out of Egypt.  Interesting, the original word translated as "cakes", "uggah" literally meant "ashcake" and conjures up the picture of the people baking their cakes on top of the coals or in a pan on top of hot ashes.  Once again we are reminded they had to leave in a hurry and had no prepared provisions; they had only their livestock and their unleavened dough.

(Exodus 12:43) And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the ordinance of the Passover: there shall no stranger eat of it."

The Lord delivered to Moses and Aaron rules concerning how the Passover was to be observed.  No stranger was to eat of it.  The original words translated as "stranger" were "ben" and "nekar", which meant "son" and "foreign"; no son of a foreigner should eat of the Passover.

(44) “But every man’s servant who is bought for money, when you have circumcised him, then he may eat of it. (45) A foreigner and an hired servant shall not eat of it."

However, every man's servant who had been bought with money and was therefore his "property", so to speak, once he had been circumcised, he was then allowed to eat of the Passover.  That was in keeping with what God had told Abraham back in Genesis 17:13, that any servant born in a man's house and any bought with his money needed to be circumcised, and that made him a true member of the family and entitled to all religious privileges.  However, continuing with verse 45, foreigners and hired servants were not allowed to eat of the Passover.  A different word was used for "foreigner" than was used for "stranger" in verse 43.  A "toshab", or "sojourner", denoted someone passing through for the purpose of travel or merchandise, but not someone who planned to stay.  No foreigner passing through, nor a son of a foreigner who had stayed, were allowed to eat of the Passover.  Nor could a hired servant, as opposed to one bought with money, eat of it.

(46) “In one house it shall be eaten; you shall not carry any of the flesh outside the house, nor shall you break one of its bones."

Another rule of the Passover was that it was to be eaten within one household and not carried over to another household.  That was in keeping with the initial command in Exodus 12:3-4 to take a lamb according to the size of the household and if one lamb was too large for one household, then they were to share with their neighbors.  But once two households were brought together under one roof to eat the Passover, it was to be eaten there, and none of it carried outside.  No bones of the Passover lamb were to be broken.  I can't really see a reason why this was to be the case in this first Passover lamb other than the fact it is an exact picture of the perfect Lamb of God sacrifice whose bones were not to be broken when He was crucified.  Adam Clarke in his Commentary on the Bible, suggested it might be because the Passover lamb was to be eaten in haste, and there was no time to cut and separate the bones, or break tender bones to get the marrow.  That could be, as other rituals of the Passover point to the haste of that first Passover night, but I do believe the fact that this first lamb was symbolic of the true perfect Passover Lamb of God, that alone provides the best explanation as to why no bones were to be broken.

(47) “All the congregation of Israel shall keep it. (48) And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land, for no uncircumcised person shall eat of it. (49) One law shall be to him who is homeborn, and to the stranger that sojourns among you."

All the congregation of Israel was to observe the Passover.  When a stranger among them wished to keep the Passover, then he and all the males in his household had to be circumcised, and then he would be joined to the congregation of Israel as one born in the land would be, and would have the right to join in the Passover.  I found it interesting that Matthew Henry, in his Commentary on the Whole Bible, wrote, "This was a mortification to the Jews, and taught them that it was their dedication to God, not their descent from Abraham, that entitled them to their privileges. A sincere proselyte was as welcome to the passover as a native Israelite."  The law would be the same for the native Israelite and to the stranger who dwelt among the Israelites; the Israelites were circumcised at eight days, and any stranger who wished to keep the Passover would also be circumcised, along with all the males in his household, and all would keep the same rules of the Passover that have been previously discussed.

(50) Thus all the children of Israel did; as the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did. (51) And it came to pass, on that very same day, that the LORD brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their armies.
 
On this very first Passover of the Lord, the Israelites did as the Lord had commanded through Moses and Aaron.  It was the same day the Lord did as He had promised and brought the children of Israel out of Egypt as armies, in large orderly numbers marching with boldness, not in fear running for their lives.

(Exodus 13:1) And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (2) “Sanctify to Me all the firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and beast; it is Mine.”

All the firstborn of man and beast were to be separated and set aside for the Lord; they were the Lord's.  Actually, all are the Lord's anyway, but the firstborn specifically had been saved from destruction as all the firstborn of the Egyptians had been killed.

(3) And Moses said to the people, “Remember this day in which you went out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out of this place; there shall no leavened bread be eaten."

After the Lord spoke to Moses, he went to the people and began by reminding them that this was the day the Lord Himself, by His mighty hand that wrought the miraculous plagues, had brought them out of bondage.  No leavened bread was to be eaten on this day in its annual remembrance.

(4) "This day you came out, in the month Abib. (5) And it shall be when the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, which He swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, that you shall keep this service in this month."

The day they came out was in their new first month of Abib, which was about April, or even parts of our March and April.  Rather than an exact match to one of our present Gregorian calendar months, Abib represented the beginning of spring, when the tender young ears of corn and wheat began to ripen.  "Abib" meant "a young ear of grain" and was actually used to mean "ear(s)" in a couple of other places in the Bible. When the Lord brought them into the land of Canaan, now inhabited by several other nations of people, that wonderfully fertile land plentiful in all things, they were instructed to keep this annual service in that particular month.

(6) “Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the LORD. (7) Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days; and there shall no leavened bread be seen with you, nor shall there be leaven seen with you in all your quarters."

Moses went on to remind the people about how to keep the annual service of the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord when they came to the land of Canaan.  For seven days they were to eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day they would have a feast to the Lord.  Not only were they to eat unleavened bread for seven days, but no leavened bread should even be seen among them on their person or in any of their quarters.  I have read that the Jews took great care in searching out every corner of their houses to remove any leavened bread before the Passover.  The care and strictness of this command made sure that they really thought about what they were doing, and had another purpose indicated in the next verse:

(8) “And you shall show your son in that day, saying, ‘This is done because of what the LORD did for me when I came forth out of Egypt.’ (9) And it shall be for a sign to you on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the LORD’s law may be in your mouth; for with a strong hand the LORD has brought you out of Egypt. (10) You shall therefore keep this ordinance in its season from year to year."

One very important reason to keep a memorial with certain rules is that in performing the rituals it would provide an opportunity to teach the next generation about why they did the things they did because of what the Lord had done for them.  They were to keep the symbols of the first Passover at hand and the facts of it constantly on their minds so that they would be able to speak of it and teach with knowledge about how the Lord mightily brought them out of Egypt.  They were to keep the ordinance of the Feast of Unleavened Bread at this same time every year.

(11) “And it shall be, when the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as He swore to you and your fathers, and shall give it to you, (12) That you shall set apart to the LORD all that open the womb, every firstborn that comes from a beast which you have; the males shall be the LORD’s."

Moses continued with further instructions from the Lord to the people.  When the Lord brought them into the land of the Canaanites as He had promised, they were to set apart to the Lord their firstborn.  Interestingly, the original word translated as "set apart" was "abar" and it meant "to pass over"!  The word has a multitude of applications and implications, but the primary definition is "pass over".  I find that fascinating!  The word translated as "open" was "peter" or "pitrah", and it specifically meant the first to open.  All that open the womb are the first ones to break through or open the womb for the first time.  All the firstborn of the Israelites, including the firstborn of their animals, specifically the firstborn males were to be the Lord's.  The Lord had passed over their firstborn when He sent the destroyer to kill all the firstborn in Egypt, and now they were to be set apart or passed over to the Lord.  All the firstborn were the Lord's, those He took away, and these He passed over and allowed to live, and now these should be dedicated to Him.

(13) "And every firstling of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb; and if you will not redeem it, then you shall break its neck; and all the firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem."

It was only to be the firstborn of clean animals that was to be set apart for the Lord.  Therefore, the firstborn of a donkey was to be redeemed with a lamb in its place.  If it was not redeemed, maybe because they didn't have a lamb, it was to be destroyed.  The firstborn unclean animal was still the Lord's and was not to be used by the owner, but more than that, it was a perfect picture of those who are not redeemed by the blood of the Lamb of God, who are destroyed.  The animals who were set apart for the Lord were sacrificed to Him, so obviously He would not have the firstborn sons of the Israelites sacrificed, so they, too, had to be redeemed.  I need to point out that instead of "sons", the KJV translated the original word "ben" as "children".  Usually, I trust the KJV to be a more accurate translation than the newer NKJV and NIV, etc. (see this post on an explanation why), but in this case the KJV used the word "children".  Although the word meant "sons" or "children" either one, its primary definition and the one obviously meant here is "sons".

(14) "And it shall be when your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is this?’ that you shall say to him, ‘By strength of hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. (15) And it came to pass, when Pharaoh would hardly let us go, that the LORD killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of beast; therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all males that open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’"

Once again, an important aspect of all these instructions was that it provided an opportunity to teach the next generation so that the Israelites would never forget what the Lord had done for them in delivering them from bondage by Pharaoh.  Because the Lord had slain all the firstborn of Egypt, but had delivered the Israelites, including all their firstborn, they now gave back to the Lord their firstborn.  The animals were given in sacrifice to Lord, but sons were redeemed with lambs.

(16) "And it shall be for a sign on your hand and for frontlets between your eyes; for by strength of hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt.”

These instructions pertaining to setting aside the firstborn for the Lord, and especially the remembrance of the history that led to it, would be as signs on their hands and conspicuous ornaments on their foreheads, never to be forgotten.

(17) And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near, for God said, “Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.” (18) But God led the people around through the way of the wilderness of the Red Sea; and the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt.

Moses had stopped giving God's instructions to the people, and now scripture returned to God's leading of the people out of Egypt.  God purposely did not lead them through what apparently would have been the most likely route.  If they met the Philistines who likely would have hindered their passage, they probably would have wanted to retreat back to Egypt.  God was leading them away from temptation to cut and run.  What a beautiful example of God's higher purposes and actions because of His omniscience!  How many times do we question "Why me?" when things are a little more difficult than we think they ought to be, when in fact, God may be helping us to avoid a worse situation?  Even if it's not to avoid something we would consider worse, we can still be sure it is for our benefit.  Perhaps we need the experience and spiritual growth that will come from our situation; we certainly should learn that we can trust God in all circumstances.  God instead led His children through the wilderness by the Red Sea; and they went out "harnessed" or "arrayed as soldiers", that is, not secretly, but marching out in an orderly fashion.

(19) And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had straitly sworn the children of Israel, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones away from here with you.” (20) And they took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness.

Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, as Joseph had taken an oath recorded in Genesis 50:25, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.”  The children of Israel journeyed from Succoth, where they had first camped when they left Egypt.  They next camped in Etham, at the edge of the wilderness.

(Numbers 33:6) And they departed from Succoth, and pitched in Etham, which is on the edge of the wilderness.

Chronologically, the verse in Numbers 33:6 relates to the same time and event as recorded in Exodus 13:20--the children of Israel left their first camp at Succoth and camped at Etham, at the edge of the wilderness.

(Exodus 13:21) And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, to go by day and night. (22) He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people.

The Lord was now the Israelites' personal guide as He led them through the wilderness.  He was a cloud in the day which not only led them in the direction they were to go, but also shielded them from the hot scorching sun.  At night He was a pillar of fire which again led them, but also gave them light and warmth at night.  The pillars never left the people; they were their constant companions until they reached their promised land.  I have been fascinated to learn that the old commentators of the Bible believed that Jesus Christ was the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire in the wilderness.  They pointed to the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:9, when he said, "Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents."  That scripture referred to an incident that would occur while the children of Israel were in the wilderness.  Actually, when you consider the following that Christ was the Word of God, then I suppose every time the Lord spoke, Christ was present:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made. - John 1:1-3

(Exodus 14:1) And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (2) “Speak to the children of Israel, that they turn and camp before Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, opposite Baal Zephon; you shall camp before it by the sea."

After they camped at Etham, the Lord told Moses to tell the children of Israel to turn from their direct path and camp before Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the Red Sea.  They were to position their camp opposite Baal Zephon.  A lot of ancient places are named here, which are difficult for me to understand and place, but God was being very specific in directing the people away from their path toward Horeb, the place previously appointed for serving God.  I believe the point is that God was leading them toward the Red Sea with no other way out but through the sea.  Matthew Henry, in his Commentary on the Whole Bible, wrote, "...but, instead of going forward, they are ordered to turn short off, on the right hand from Canaan, and to march towards the Red Sea. Where they were, at Etham, there was no sea in their way to obstruct their passage: but God himself orders them into straits, which might give them an assurance that when his purposes were served he would without fail bring them out of those straits."  God was positioning His people for another mighty miraculous deliverance.

(Numbers 33:7) And they moved from Etham and turned again to Pi Hahiroth, which is before Baal Zephon; and they camped before Migdol.

Chronologically, this verse in Numbers, chapter 33, confirmed that the people did just as the Lord told Moses to have them do.  The word and words used to signify "before" in the preceding verses doesn't always mean specifically "before they reached the place named"; the words can mean "before", "near", "beyond", "facing", any number of words expressing "near", so I have no doubt that this verse in Numbers states that the people did exactly as God had instructed.  I am quite certain they were about to be hemmed in on all sides when the enemy came at their backs and there was only the Red Sea before them, but that is for the next study.