The Book Of Exodus
Exodus 3:14 "And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and He said, Thus shalt thou say
unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you."
While Moses is up on the mount receiving from God the instructions for the tabernacle (Exodus 24:18, Deuteronomy 9:9), the Israelites begin to grow restless and impatient. They demand of Aaron that he “…make us gods, which shall go before us…”. (v.1) (Acts 7:40, Exodus 13:21) The Israelites give the following justification for this demand: “…as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him…”. This statement reveals two things: 1) The people had already forgot who it was that had actually led them out of Egypt, and 2) they mistakenly assume they’re now without a leader. The Moody Bible Commentary states it as thus: “The people were foolishly impatient and fickle. Rather than allow Moses the time to receive the law from the Lord, they wanted events to happen in a time of their own choosing. This led to a god of their own making.” Just as Abraham committed his transgression with Hagar because he was unwilling to wait for God’s timing for Sarah to conceive, so the children of Israel were restless and unwilling to wait for Moses to return in order to receive further instruction from the Lord.
Verses 2-6: Aaron tells the people to give him their gold earrings, which represent some of the spoil that the Israelites took from Egypt. (v.2) (Exodus 11:2, 35:22, Judges 8:24) From these Aaron creates a molten calf. When they see it, the Israelites respond with, “These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.” (v.4) This is a clear violation of the first and second commandments. (Exodus 20:3-4, 23, Deuteronomy 9:16, Judges 17:3-4, 1 Kings 12:28, Nehemiah 9:18, Psalm 106:19, Acts 7:41) It’s important to note here that only a few days – or perhaps a week or two – earlier, Moses had given to the people the ten commandments before he and Joshua went back up the mountain to meet with God again. Therefore, there is no excuse for the Israelites’ blatant disobedience against God with their worship of this golden idol. Not only that, but the children of Israel had also been firsthand witnesses to God’s supernatural power over the Egyptians and their false gods, one of which is Bat, a cow goddess. Bat is closely linked in Egyptian mythology with Hathor, the goddess of sexuality, motherhood, music and dance. To ascribe power to these false deities is to rob the one true God of His rightful worship and praise. When Moses had finished giving them the law, the Israelites had promised, “All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient.” (Exodus 24:7) Sadly, it doesn’t take them long to forget that promise. The fact that the people go to Aaron indicates that they are looking to him to be their new leader. He should have said ‘No’ to this demand and rebuked the Israelites for their disobedience. Instead, Aaron gives in to the mob’s request, and, when he sees their reaction to the calf, he encourages their apostasy by building an altar before it. He then declares, “Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord.” (v.5) That proclamation hints at the possibility that the Israelites believe the calf actually does represent God. The term “Lord” in verse 5 is the English translation of the Hebrew word “Jehovah”. The children of Israel very likely committed the same sin that so many Christians today fall into: mixing truth with falsehood. In this case, the creation of the golden calf, along with the sexual immorality and feasting described in verse 6, under the guise of worshiping the true God of Israel, JEHOVAH, is the real transgression. This is why God is giving Moses the instructions for the tabernacle, the Aaronic priesthood, and the system of sacrifices. Israel’s transgression proves that without the tabernacle and the priesthood they would easily fall into the heathen worship and idolatry of their neighboring nations. The phrase in verse 6, “…rose up to play…”, along with the reference in verse 25 to the nakedness of the people, indicates sexual immorality. Nearly all of the false religions of the ANE incorporated polygamy, prostitution, orgies, and bestiality in their regular worship practices. Having just come out of Egypt, the children of Israel were quick to fall back into the immorality and false religion of the Egyptians instead of patiently waiting for Moses’ return from Mount Sinai. (The picture at the top of this posting is an artist's rendering, courtesy of Logos Bible Software, of the events of this chapter.) Verses 7-14: God informs Moses of the Israelites’ sin, telling Moses to get down from the mountain. (v.7) Take note of the wording of this verse: “...for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt…” God has verbally disowned the Israelites! They are no longer His chosen people because “…they have corrupted themselves…”. That verb is used here in the same manner as in Genesis 6:11-12, hence the depth of God’s anger and desire to destroy the entire nation. “They had not just erred, this was not merely a ‘mistake in judgment’ but they had quickly turned aside, they had rapidly and rashly fallen into iniquity and transgression. They had failed to walk in the ‘…way which I commanded them…’; they had missed the mark and fallen short (32:8a). Taking the definition of ‘sin’ as ‘any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God’ (Westminster Shorter Catechism, Question 38), the people had failed on both counts.” (Moody Bible Commentary) The Lord then gives a summary of all that transpired in verses 1-6 (v.8). In verse 9, He refers to the Israelites as “…a stiffnecked people…” (Exodus 33:3, 5, Exodus 34:9, Deuteronomy 9:6, 2 Chronicles 30:8, Isaiah 48:4, Acts 7:51) and expresses to Moses his desire to destroy them. (v.10) (Exodus 22:24, Numbers 14:12, Deuteronomy 9:14, 19) The phrasing in verse 10 is interesting. God says to Moses, “Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation.” God tells Moses what He is about to do, as if Moses possesses the ability to prevent God from carrying out His righteous judgment! This is reminiscent of God’s dialogue with Abraham in Genesis 18:20-33, where Abraham acted as intercessor on behalf of the righteous remnant within Sodom and Gomorrah. God accepted Abraham’s mediation and promised not to destroy the cities if at least ten were found righteous within them. The same scenario seems to be playing out here in verses 10-14, this time with Moses as the mediator and intercessor. And now it’s God’s chosen people who are the object of His wrath and judgment. By revealing his plan to utterly destroy the Israelites for their disobedience and rebellion, God allows the opportunity for Moses to act as mediator on their behalf. The Holman Bible commentators state it as thus: “Earlier the Lord had needed to persuade Moses to accept His plans; now Moses uses the Lord’s own words to persuade Him to have mercy on His people. This displayed the depth of the victory that the Lord had won in Moses’ heart.” Moses seeks the face of the Lord. (v.11) (Deuteronomy 9:18, 26) His question to God is essentially this: “What will the Egyptians and the peoples of the promised land say if You destroy the Israelites now? Did you bring them out of bondage in Egypt only to slay them in the wilderness?” (v.13) (Numbers 14:13, Deuteronomy 9:28, Joshua 7:9) Moses then reminds God of His promise to Abraham and his seed, “…to whom Thou swarest by Thine own self…”. (v.13) God had promised Abraham that his seed would be as great as the number of stars in the sky and that they would one day inherit the promised land forever. How could that promise be fulfilled if God utterly destroyed the nation now? There is also a test here for Moses. God says in verse 10, “I will make of thee a great nation.” Moses displays great humility and maturity here by refusing God’s offer. He instead beseeches the Lord on behalf of Israel, showing just how much he has changed from the impetuous, angry, immature man that was hiding out in the desert when God first called him to be the leader of the Israelites. God, of course, does not renege on His promise to Abraham. (v.14) If he had, he would not be God. Moses is quite correct in pointing this out, and he also passes God’s test of character and true leadership. The verb “repent” in verse 14 is the same as that in Genesis 6:6, 1 Samuel 15:11, 2 Samuel 24:16, and Zechariah 8:14. It means that God is grieved and heartbroken by the sin and apostasy of his creation. “This repentance does not mean that God has literally ‘changed His mind’ about what He intended to do. Rather, ‘when God is said to repent, it indicates 1) his awareness that the human situation has altered and 2) his desire to act in a way fitting to this changed situation.’ (Bruce A. Ware, God’s Lesser Glory: The Diminished God of Open Theism [Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2000], 90)”. (Moody Bible Commentary) (For a more detailed commentary of this, see my notes on Genesis 6.) Verses 15-19: Moses descends the mountain with the pair of stone tablets. (Deuteronomy 9:15) Verses 15-16 emphasizes that the tablets are written on both sides and that they are “…the work of God…”. (Exodus 31:18) This underscores the depth of Moses’ anger in verse 19. The point at which Joshua is waiting for Moses is high enough up the mountain that he is unaware of what is transpiring in the camp. He can, however, hear some kind of noise from the camp far below, and he mistakes it at first for the sound of battle. (v.17) But as he and Moses draw closer to the base of the mountain, Joshua realizes it’s the noise of singing and festivity. (v.18) When they’re finally close enough to see what’s really going on, Moses hurls the stone tablets to the ground, smashing them in the presence of all the Israelites. (v.19) The same phrase “…anger waxed hot…” is used again here to describe Moses’ righteous fury, reflecting the same righteous wrath displayed by God in verse 10. (Deuteronomy 9:17) “Moses’ breaking of the tablets was an important symbolic act done carefully, deliberately, and openly for the benefit of the Israelites because of the way violation of a covenant is routinely described in the ancient Semitic world as a ‘breaking’ of that ‘covenant.’ ” (Holman Illustrated Bible Commentary) Verses 20-25: (Numbers 5:17, 24, Deuteronomy 9:21) Moses immediately melts down the calf and grinds the gold into powder which he casts “…upon the water…”, presumably a nearby stream or river flowing from Mount Sinai. He then orders the children of Israel to drink the bitter-tasting liquid. This is especially just punishment in light of the incident at Marah, just after the exodus from Egypt, when God had changed the bitter water into sweet. (Exodus 15:23-26) Moses had warned the children of Israel then that if they would always hearken to God’s voice and “…do that which is right in His sight…”, as well as obey all His commandments and statutes, that God would always care and provide for them. (Exodus 15:26) Disobedience, however, will always be punished accordingly. Next, Moses confronts Aaron. He demands of his brother to know what the people did to Aaron to convince him to bring “…so great a sin upon them?” (v.21) Aaron’s initial response of “Let not the anger of my lord wax hot…” echoes the same description from verses 10 and 19. He then blames the people, telling Moses “…that they are set on mischief…” (v.22), meaning that the Israelites are prone to evil, and that they demanded that he make for them the golden calf. (v.23) This is the very reason that Aaron should have refused the people’s request, and the fact that he is attempting to deflect the blame from himself is further proof that he knew from the start that this was wrong. His explanation for the creation of the idol in verse 24 is utterly laughable, “…I cast it [the gold] into the fire, and there came out this calf…”, and only serves to underscore the weakness of his character as well as the depth of his sin. This is the reason for Moses’ initial demand in verse 21. He is holding Aaron responsible for bringing this great sin upon the children of Israel. This is further confirmed by the statement in verse 25: “…Aaron had made them naked unto their shame…”. (2 Chronicles 28:19) This indicates the sexual immorality and extreme debauchery that was taking place while Moses and Joshua were up on the mountain. Verses 26-29: Moses stands in the gate of the camp where he can both be seen and heard. These verses indicate that many of the Israelites refused to leave their idolatrous worship and the orgy that was still taking place even though the golden calf is no longer present. The time has come to separate the ones who are persisting in their disobedience and rebellion from those who were only bystanders caught up in the heathen festivity. Moses’ declaration is clear, direct and loud enough for all to hear: “Who is on the Lord’s side? Let him come unto me!” (v. 26) Only the men of the tribe of Levi answer his call. This is interesting when one considers Jacob’s pronouncement in Genesis 49:5-6. The descendants of the two brothers known for their anger and vengeful violence are now the ones who stand with Moses and will be the executors of God’s wrath upon their fellow Israelites. Moses commands the men of Levi to go through the entire camp and slay every man and woman that is still participating in the idolatrous orgy. (v.27) This must have been heartbreaking for these sons to have to kill their own families as well as their neighbors, but they obey Moses nonetheless. When all is said and done, about three thousand men are dead. (v.28) Verse 29 reiterates the reason for this harsh judgment: God’s law – which the Israelites had readily agreed to honor and obey (Exodus 24:3) – demanded that no other gods or idols be worshiped in place of JEHOVAH, the one true God of Israel, Lord of heaven and earth. (Exodus 20:22-23) The Israelites had committed the sins of pride and rebellion, giving in to the lusts of their flesh rather than obeying God, and such grievous sin demanded swift and righteous punishment. Verses 30-35: Moses ascends Mount Sinai to once again “…go up unto the Lord…” (v.30) But now his purpose is to atone for the Israelites’ sin. “In the next section of the exodus experience, we can see Moses taking on two roles. He became the intercessor for Israel, and at the same time the intimate companion of the Lord.” (Moody Bible Commentary) Once again, we see a very different man here than the one God first called at the burning bush on the backside of the desert. Moses casts himself down before God, begging the Lord to take his life as an atonement for the children of Israel. (v.32) Moses is so distraught that he can’t even finish the conditional sentence that begins this verse. Instead, he finishes with a plea to “…blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.” (Psalm 69:28, Isaiah 4:3, Malachi 3:16, Romans 9:3) This is possibly a reference to the same book that is mentioned in Revelation 20:12, 15, also known as the Lamb’s Book of Life. It’s also possible that this is merely a metaphor for salvation as it was understood by the OT saints. Moses is, in essence, offering up his own salvation and eternal security if it means it will stay God’s wrath against the rest of Israel for their sin. This is the most selfless act any man could do for another, and it’s a testament to Moses’ character as a true leader and a man of God. But the Lord denies Moses’ request, saying that each man must pay for his own sins. (v.33) “…him will I blot out of My book.” (Exodus 17:14, Deuteronomy 29:20, Psalm 9:5, Revelation 3:5, 21:27) This is further proof that no man or woman can atone for another’s sins, only because we are all sinners – even the greatest men of God like Moses, Elijah, David or the apostle Paul. Only Jesus Christ, born in the flesh, who lived a perfect and sinless life, could properly and justly atone for the sins of all mankind. God commands Moses to lead the children of Israel to the promised land, repeating once more His promise from Exodus 23:20 regarding the Angel of the Lord. (v.34) He closes with an assurance that further punishment will be dealt upon the Israelites for their disobedience on this day. That judgment comes in the form of a plague. (v.35) Aaron is once again singled out by name for leading the people into sin. The incident of the golden calf proves the depravity of our sin nature. God created us to know, love and worship Him. It’s hardwired in the DNA of our souls. If we reject God, we will love and worship something else: money, career, family, false religion, or even just our own selfish pride. Just as the Israelites tried to satisfy their God-given need to worship something greater than themselves, so we do the same today, whether we realize it or not. This is the reason that so many false religions exist in the world. Satan knew of this need God placed within Adam and Eve, and that’s how he successfully deceived them, and how he’s still successfully deceiving mankind today. He convinced Adam and Eve that they could love and worship themselves by being “as gods” if they ate of the forbidden fruit, and he deceived all of their descendants the same way. All of us are born trying to fill that specific void within with everything BUT God. Only when we finally realize and admit the truth of our fallen, broken nature and then reach out Jesus as our LORD and Savior do we finally find the only missing component that truly completes us as created, sentient beings. That was God’s beautiful, perfect design for us – and this world – from the very beginning!
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Verses 1-3: These relate to the 9th commandment. (Exodus 20:16, Leviticus 19:11, Deuteronomy 5:20, Psalm 101:5, Proverbs 10:18) God forbids the Israelites to lie to one another in matters of witness involving legal disputes (v.1), as well as participation in “mob justice”. (v.2) Legal matters are to be handled in a civil and fair manner where all cases are brought before the judges. Just going along with the angry crowd could lead to further crimes and/or perversions of justice. Likewise, the judges are to treat all parties fairly and not show partiality to one side or the other, i.e. sympathizing with someone’s cause just because he/she is poor. (v.3.) (Leviticus 19:15, Deuteronomy 1:17, 16:19)
Verses 4-5: These two verses relate to the principle of loving one’s enemies and doing good to them that hate us. (Deuteronomy 22:4, Matthew 5:44, Romans 12:20) More specifically, God is commanding the Israelites to care for not only their own personal property but that of their neighbor’s as well. In other words, treat someone else’s goods and livestock just as well as you would your own, even if you and your neighbor aren’t currently getting along. This is a basic law of any stable society. Because God Himself is kind, loving, merciful and generous, even to those that despise Him, He expects the children of Israel to behave in the same manner towards one another and their personal property. Verses 6-9: These reiterate the theme of verses 1-3. Judges are to be fair and impartial in all their dealings in regulating legal disputes. Those appearing before them are likewise to be truthful and honest in their testimony. (v.7) (Psalm 119:29, Ephesians 4:25) God will not look kindly upon those that bear false witness for the purpose of exploiting the innocent or tearing down the righteous. (Exodus 34:7, Deuteronomy 25:1, Romans 1:18) The poor, especially, are not to be taken advantage of or oppressed in any way. (v.6) (Deuteronomy 27:19, Ecclesiastes 5:8) Bribes are forbidden. (v.8) So is the unjust slavery and oppression of foreigners. (v.9) As noted in the previous chapter, the Israelites were once themselves oppressed and made slaves in a foreign country, so they should not do likewise to the peoples of the nations around them. (Exodus 22:21, Leviticus 19:33) Verses 10-12: A sabbatical rest of every seventh year for the land is commanded in verses 10-11. This is for two reasons: 1) That the poor may eat of whatever crop grows naturally from the earth in that year of rest; 2) To remind the children of Israel that the land and all the earth belong to God. We, as His creation, are merely stewards of it. Another reminder of the sabbath day is given in verse 12. Just as God rested on the seventh day after creating the heaven and the earth, so should we have a day of rest from not only our physical labor, but also for the purpose of worship and focusing on God. This is the whole reason for church on Sunday. Verse 13 sums up the reason and meaning for all the laws that have preceded it. (Deuteronomy 4:9, 23, Joshua 23:7, Psalm 16:4, Hosea 2:17, 1 Timothy 4:16) The whole point of God’s law for His chosen people is so that they would recognize His sovereignty and His Lordship over them. He is the creator of the world and all that is in it – including you and me. As such, we should acknowledge his sovereignty and humble ourselves before Him always. The point of verse 13 is that everything we do in our daily lives should always be focused on God – and God alone – by cultivating a mindset of worship, obedience and devotion to God and all that He is. In the words of the Moody Bible Commentators: “Devotion to God will mean living and serving and worship in ways quite distinct from the surrounding culture. The Lord is a God of truth and justice and His people must be the people of truth and justice.” Verses 14-17: God commands the children of Israel to observe three feasts throughout the year (Exodus 34:22, Deuteronomy 16:16): 1. The feast of unleavened bread. This feast is to be held immediately following the day of Passover in the month of Abib, as laid out in Exodus 12. It’s a week-long memorial of God’s deliverance of the Israelites out of Egypt. (v.15) (Exodus 12:14, Leviticus 23:6, Numbers 28:16, Acts 12:3) 2. The feast of harvest, a.k.a. the feast of weeks. This is a celebration of God’s provision of grain specifically. The Israelites are to bring forth the firstfruits of their harvest of wheat. (v.16) (Leviticus 23:10, Numbers 28:26) 3. The feast of ingathering, a.k.a. the feast of booths or the fest of tabernacles. This is to be celebrated at the end of the year as a memorial of God’s bounty and provision for His people by bringing forth firstfruits of all the rest of the agricultural produce. (Deuteronomy 16:13) The Believer’s Bible Commentary states that the feast of unleavened bread is a symbol for believers today of the importance of purging our lives daily of malice and wickedness. The latter two feasts are a typological foreshadowing for the day of Pentecost and the formation of the NT church (feast of harvest) and the Millennial Kingdom when Christ reigns on earth and Israel is dwelling securely in the promised land (feast of ingathering). Each of these three feasts throughout the year requires the presence of the men of Israel (and, presumably, their wives and children). (v.17) (Exodus 34:23) Nor are any of them to come empty-handed. (v.15) By requiring the assembly of the whole nation three times a year, God is providing a way for His chosen people to strengthen their bonds of familial unity and community, while also memorializing all that God has done – and will do – for them. Verses 18-19: In the context and theme of the Passover leaven symbolizes sin. Therefore it is not to be used in connection with the blood sacrifices. (v.18) (Exodus 34:25, Leviticus 2:11) The fat of the animal is the best part and is to be burned completely upon the altar so that none of it is left until morning. The best of the firstfruits are to be brought to the house of the Lord. (v. 19) (Exodus 22:29, 34:26, Deuteronomy 26:2, 10, Nehemiah 10:35, Proverbs 3:9) The specific command about boiling a young goat in its mother’s milk (Deuteronomy 14:21) has baffled scholars and commentators. The common Jewish understanding today of this law is that they are not allowed to eat any meat that has been cooked in the same pan as any sauce containing cream or milk. Most Biblical scholars believe that this commandment has to do with some pagan ritual or fertility rite that was practiced by the heathen nations of the promised land. Other commentators have stated that the real purpose of this law was that a young animal that was still suckling shouldn’t be taken away from its mother until it was weaned. To do so would traumatize the mother. Whatever the case, the point of these laws regarding the blood sacrifices and the offerings of firstfruits is that no pagan rites are to be used or mixed in with the way in which the Israelites worship God. Verses 20-23: The last part of this chapter concerns the conquest of the promised land. The Angel spoken of in verses 20-23 is the preincarnate Christ. (Genesis 16:7, 21:17, 22:11, 31:11, Exodus 3:2, Joshua 5:14) We know this because of the description given in verse 21. Only God has the power and authority to forgive sins. (Luke 5:21) God also says in the second half of that verse that “…My name is in him”, meaning that God Himself is in the form and presence of this Angel, just as He was at the Red Sea. (Exodus 13:21, 14:19) Until the building of the tabernacle, God’s presence among the children of Israel took the form of a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. God repeats His promise to bless His chosen people and to defend and protect them if they will obey His commandments and follow Him only. (v.21-22) “…obey His voice, provoke Him not…” (Numbers 14:11, Deuteronomy 9:7, Psalm 78:40, 56) He further promises to deliver the heathen nations that currently inhabit the promised land into the hands of the Israelites. (v.23) (Genesis 12:3, Numbers 24:9, Deuteronomy 30:7, Joshua 24:8, 11, Isaiah 54:15, Jeremiah 30:16, 20) Verses 24-33: God lays out His game plan to Moses, describing exactly what He will do for the children of Israel upon their entering the promised land. He begins by repeating the 1st commandment: “Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works…”. (v.24) He commands the Israelites to completely overthrow the inhabitants of the land and tear down their idols and altars to their false gods. (Exodus 20:3, 5, 34:13, Numbers 33:52, Deuteronomy 7:5, 12:3, 30-31, 2 Kings 18:4) The children of Israel are to serve and obey God alone. (v.25) (Deuteronomy 6:13, Matthew 4:10) In doing so, God would bless them in multiple ways. (v.25-26) (Exodus 15:26, Deuteronomy 7:14-15, 28:4-5, 1 Chronicles 23:1, Malachi 3:11) Rahab’s report to the Israelite spies (Joshua 2:9) confirms God’s promise to Moses in verse 27. (Genesis 35:5, Exodus 15:16, Deuteronomy 2:25) Furthermore, Joshua 24:13 states that the children of Israel took possession of cities and vineyards that they had not built or planted. God will not drive out the inhabitants of Canaan all at once, lest the wild animals overtake it and “…the land become desolate…”. (v.29) He also mentions in verse 30 that the Israelites need time as well to increase their numbers in order to fully spread out and settle all of the vast area of the promised land. In verse 31 God describes the borders of that land. (Genesis 15:18, Deuteronomy 1:7-8, 11:24, 1 Kings 4:21, 24) According to the Holman Bible Commentary, the border starts at the portion of the Red Sea known as the Gulf of Aqaba (1 Kings 9:26) and extends all the way to the Mediterranean Sea, which at this time is known in Hebrew as “…the sea of the Philistines…” since it is they who live along its coast. There is a stern warning in verses 32-33. The children of Israel are to make no treaties with the inhabitants of the promised land, nor are they to worship their gods. (Exodus 34:12, 15, Deuteronomy 7:2) The Israelites are to leave no survivors of the heathen nations (“They shall not dwell in thy land…”) lest they cause the Israelites to sin against God by turning to idolatry. Failure to heed this warning would be a snare for the children of Israel. (Deuteronomy 12:30, Joshua 23:13, Judges 2:3, 1 Samuel 18:21, 1 Kings 11:4, Psalm 106:36) Sadly, that’s exactly what happened, as the children of Israel failed miserably to obey God’s command. This next set of laws is connected to the 8th commandment. Various examples of theft or destruction of property are presented along with the prescribed punishments for each crime.
Verses 1-4: The thief is required to pay back five oxen for the theft of one ox and four sheep for one sheep if he has killed or sold the stolen animal. (v.1) (2 Samuel 12:6, Proverbs 6:31, Luke 19:8) If a thief is caught breaking into a man’s home and the homeowner kills him, then the homeowner is blameless for the death. (v.2) But if the thief survives the murder attempt and is captured by the authorities, he is to make full restitution. If he has no wherewithal to pay back the money or goods that was stolen, then he shall be sold as a slave to repay his debt. (v.3) If it was livestock that the thief was caught trying to steal then he is to pay back double what was taken. Verses 5-6: These verses describe situations in which property is destroyed through negligence. Verse 5 explains the punishment for a man who allows his livestock to graze in his neighbor’s field after his own field has been eaten up. He is to pay back from the best of his own crops and vineyards whatever amount his beast consumed. Verse 6 deals with the negligence of someone who allows a fire to get out of control and it burns up his neighbor’s crops. Verses 7-9: If a man is keeping money or goods in trust for his neighbor, and those things are stolen from the man’s house, the thief – if he can be found – is to pay back double what was stolen. (v.7) But if the thief isn’t found, then the trustee is hauled before the judges to determine if he is the guilty one. (v.8) In the case of one man accusing another of stealing from him, “…both parties shall come before the judges…”. Whomever the judge determines to be guilty shall pay back double to his neighbor. (v.9) Verses 10-15: If a man is watching over his neighbor’s livestock and any of them die, or are injured, or run away, and there is no other witnesses to vouch for the man’s innocence in the matter, then shall he swear by an oath of the Lord that he did not injure, kill or drive away the beast. (v.10-11) (1 Samuel 20:42, 2 Samuel 21:7, 1 Kings 2:42-43, Hebrews 6:16) The owner of the animal is to accept this and no restitution is required. But if the animal is stolen while under the other man’s care, then that man is required to make restitution to his neighbor according to the law stated in verse 1. (v.12) (Genesis 31:39) Likewise, if the animal is killed by another beast, the man that is keeping watch over his neighbor’s livestock will prove his innocence by bring the pieces of the carcass for evidence, and, thus, he won’t have to make restitution. (v.13) This, of course, presumes that the animal’s death is not due to any negligence on the part of the man babysitting his neighbor’s flock. If that is the case, and there is sufficient witnesses to prove it, then that man would very likely be required to pay back to his neighbor according to verse 1. That same law of restitution applies to any livestock borrowed by one’s neighbor and something happens to the beast. (v.14) The neighbor is responsible for making good with the animal’s owner. But if the owner is with his beast at the time of the incident, then the neighbor is not at fault since the animal is still in the care of its owner while both man and beast are assisting one’s neighbor. (v.15) Verses 16-17: The usage of the word “entice” in verse 16 (Deuteronomy 22:28-29, Judges 14:15, 16:5, Proverbs 1:10, 16:29) refers to seduction, not rape. The wording implies consent on the part of the woman, not resistance, and the man is expected to provide for her, regardless of whether or not she is allowed to marry him. This law refers to sex outside of marriage, and the father of the virgin has the authority to deny his daughter’s marriage to the man that seduced her. If she is no longer a virgin, she would be unable to marry anyone else according to the other laws pertaining to the 7th commandment; hence the requirement for the man that enticed her to pay the full dowry regardless. Verse 18: The nation of Israel is not allowed to have anyone in their midst who practices divination or sorcery of any kind. This is punishable by death. (Leviticus 19:31, 20:6, 27, Deuteronomy 18:10-11, 1 Samuel 28:3, Jeremiah 27:9-10) Witchcraft and all its related arts is an abomination before God. It is of the devil. To practice it is to invite demons and evil spirits into one’s life, and the child of God has no business doing any of that. Sorcery, magic and other forms of divination are a staple of the false religions and false gods of the heathen nations that inhabit the promised land as well as Egypt, the land of bondage from which the Israelites had just been delivered. (Exodus 7:11) This law is another example of God setting apart His chosen people from the pagans and idol worshipers that surround them. Witchcraft and sorcery are no different today than they were back then. We now group it all under the heading of New Ageism, but the basic themes and beliefs are the same. Mother Earth, the cycle of new moons, crystals, meditation, Eastern Mysticism, Druidism, Celtic/Norse/Greek/Roman mythology, casting spells, the pentagram, the celebration of Halloween – all of it is an abomination of pride and rebellion against God. It is all false religion and the worship of self, and, even worse, to engage in any of these arts or beliefs is to open the door to the very real and very demonic spirit worlds, the realm of Satan and his fallen angels. Halloween, in particular, is a holiday that should not be celebrated in any way, shape or form by any Christian today. Even just allowing one’s children to dress up as their favorite cartoon character or superhero and going around the neighborhood to collect candy door to door should be forbidden. No, it’s not harmless fun. Satan has deceived the world into thinking this holiday is just a fun time for the kids and very few adults truly understand the historical roots of All Hallow’s Eve and what it truly represents. Halloween is a celebration of witchcraft, sorcery, divination, evil spirits, and death. God commands us right here in Exodus and Leviticus to abstain from all forms of this particular evil. The Israelites are commanded to execute known witches and sorcerers by stoning. That’s how serious God is about this sin. So why should we today, who call ourselves followers of Christ, have anything to do with a holiday that celebrates the very thing from which God commands us to abstain? Verse 19: Bestiality is expressly and explicitly forbidden. Violation of this law is punishable by death. (Leviticus 18:23-24, 20:15-16, Deuteronomy 27:21) As with witchcraft and divination, this abomination was also commonly practiced and allowed among the heathen nations of the promised land. The Hittites even allowed by law the sexual union of a man and his horse or donkey. Sexuality was created by God as something holy to be shared only between husband and wife. Therefore, anything other than that is an abomination and perversion of this holy ordinance. That’s why God forbids adultery, homosexuality, bestiality and incest. All of it is wicked, filthy, immoral behavior, and we who are saved by the blood of Christ, risen and sanctified in Him, and always striving for holiness must adopt the same attitude as God when it comes to these abominations that the world says are okay and acceptable. Verse 20: God is a jealous God, and He abhors idolatry. The commandment of the death penalty for any who are found guilty of offering sacrifices unto false gods shows just how serious God is about the Israelites' worship of Him. (Exodus 32:8, 34:15, Leviticus 17:7, Numbers 25:2, Deuteronomy 17:2-3, 5, 1 Kings 18:40, 2 Kings 10:25) We today are guilty of this sin with idols that displace God in our hearts: time, entertainment, money, sex, hobbies, our family, etc. When God is not the number one priority in our lives, we rob Him of the worship and love that is due Him. This is why the sin of sexual immorality goes hand in hand with idolatry. All those sexual perversions I listed in the commentary for verse 19 promote the worship of self. Lust is a sin of selfishness and the result of pride. One of the many deadly consequences of pornography addiction is that it feeds the lust of the flesh which, in turn, keeps us focused our selfish needs and desires and turns us away from God. Verses 21-24: Slavery of any foreigners by the Israelites is expressly forbidden. (v.21) (Exodus 23:9, Deuteronomy 10:19, 24:18, Zechariah 7:10) The word “vex” in verse 21, from the Hebrew word “yanah”, means “to oppress or suppress” or “to do violence”. In other words, God is saying to His chosen people, “Remember how you were once enslaved by a foreign nation. Don’t do the same to others.” Nor are they to oppress, abuse, or take advantage of in any way the widows and orphans. (v.22) (Deuteronomy 24:17, Proverbs 23:10-11, Jeremiah 7:6-7, James 1:27) There’s a beautiful promise in verse 23: “…I will surely hear their cry…”. This is another example of how the God of Israel is the one, true God. Unlike the false gods of the Egyptians or the Hittites or the Canaanites, our God hears our cry! He is a friend of the fatherless and the widows. (Psalm 68:5) He places the solitary in families (Psalm 68:6) and frees the slave. He is the savior of the downtrodden and the oppressed. (Psalm 34:6-7) Unlike the other laws where God ordains judges and human government to carry out the penalties and punishments, He Himself will be the judge of those guilty for breaking this law. (v.24) (Psalm 69:24) If the Israelites as a nation do not enforce this law, God will bring upon them invasion and captivity by their enemies. (Psalm 109:9) This is another way in which God’s law differs from the laws and treaties of the other peoples and cultures of the ANE. Foreigners have no rights and are often enslaved. Widows and orphans are likewise taken advantage of or abandoned entirely. But God makes special provisions in His law for this specific group of people. Verses 25-27: God also takes a dim view of those who take advantage of the poor. Usury by one Israelite to another is forbidden. (v.25) (Deuteronomy 23:19-20, Psalm 15:5, Ezekiel 18:8) If a man’s cloak is given as a pledge to his neighbor and it’s his only cloak, the neighbor must return it by nightfall. (v.26) To take advantage of one’s neighbor by depriving him of his only warmth at night is cruel, and God will hear the cry of oppressed. For God is gracious. (v.27) (Exodus 34:6-7) Verse 28-31: The first part of verse 28 is related to the 3rd commandment. To revere and honor God is more than just not taking His name in vain. The word “revile”, translated form the Hebrew word “qalal”, means “to appear trifling or insignificant” or “to make despicable” or “to curse”. It is the sense of dismissing God and all that He is by not worshiping Him, obeying Him, and always giving Him first place in our lives and our hearts. To do otherwise invites God’s righteous wrath. (Leviticus 24:16) The second part of that verse commands us to also not curse those whom God has placed in authority over us. (Proverbs 24:21, Ecclesiastes 10:20, Matthew 22:21, Acts 23:5, Romans 13:1, 1 Peter 2:17) Even when our leaders are ungodly and persecute us we are still commanded to love them and pray for them. For God is sovereign over all, and He allows kings and governors to rise to power for a reason. It's not our place to question God, but to trust in Him and obey Him. That goes back to the first part of this verse. Because God has first place in our lives we are to offer Him the first fruits of everything: our labor, our time, our children, our tithe, etc. (Exodus 13:2, 12, 15, 23:16, 19, Deuteronomy 15:19, 26:2, Proverbs 3:9) For the Israelites, it’s their firstborn sons or daughters, the firstborn of their livestock, and the first fruits of their crops and vineyards. (The word “liquors” in verse 29 is translated as “juice”.) The second part of verse 30 refers to the time that the eldest child of an Israelite or the eldest of the offspring of the livestock should spend with his/her mother. On the eighth day the child is brought forth and dedicated to God through the ceremony of the circumcision, if it is a male. For the sheep or the bullock, the animal is offered up in a blood sacrifice on the eighth day. This chapter concludes with a commandment for the Israelites not to consume the meat of wild beasts that were killed by other animals and left to rot. This is carrion and is unclean due to other animals feeding on the carcass as well as disease caused by the length of time the flesh has been rotting in the sun. God reminds His chosen people that they “…shall be holy men unto Me…”. (Exodus 19:6, Leviticus 11:44, 19:2) The whole point of this concluding verse is to restate the purpose of God’s law: the children of Israel are His chosen people, and they are to come out from among the other nations and peoples around them and walk separately unto God. They do this by obeying His commandments, treating one another with kindness and respect, and honoring God in all that they say and do. The same holds true for us today. As you’ll recall from my commentary on Genesis 3, there are at least seven distinct dispensations, or ages, of human history, starting in Genesis 1 with the creation of the heaven and the earth. The term “dispensation” refers to the primary method by which God has related to – and dealt with – mankind. Throughout human history, God has revealed Himself to man in different ways and by different means, and He has also changed His methods by which He has dispensed or instituted His governing of His creation. The Believer’s Bible Commentary puts it this way: “While God Himself never changes, His methods do. He works in different ways at different times.” Doctor C.I. Scofield, the famous 19th century American theologian, minister, and Biblical scholar, listed the following dispensations according to his study of the Bible:
1. Innocence (Genesis 1:27-28): from Adam’s creation up to his fall. 2. Conscience or Moral Responsibility (Genesis 3:7): from the Fall to the end of the Flood. 3. Human Government (Genesis 9:1-17): from the end of the Flood to the call of Abraham. 4. Promise (Genesis 12:1-3): from the call of Abraham to the giving of the Law. 5. Law (Exodus 20:1-17): from the giving of the Law to the Day of Pentecost. 6. Church (Acts 2:1): from the Day of Pentecost to the Rapture. 7. Kingdom (Revelation 20:4): the thousand-year reign of Christ. The illustration that I provided at the end of my commentary for Genesis 3, given to me by Pastor Cliff Taylor in his Bible Institute class last year, lists nine dispensations. Doctor Taylor inserted an age of transition between the age of the Law and the Church (a.k.a. the age of Grace), as well as another dispensational age for the Tribulation (Revelation 6:17) between the Church age and the Millennial Kingdom age. That latter one makes sense because God’s direct dealings with mankind will be distinctly different than they are now as well as what will be during the Millennial Kingdom after Christ’s third return to earth. However, the age of Transition that Pastor Taylor believes exists solely in Christ’s three year ministry here on earth in the four gospels is based entirely on Jesus’ words in Luke 16:16, and is up for some debate. In any case, it is clear that while God Himself never changes and is the same today as He was at the creation of the world, His methods and ways of dealing with – and interacting with – mankind have changed at various times and ages throughout human history. (For further reading and study on dispensations, I recommend Scofield’s book Rightly Dividing The Word Of Truth.) Here in Exodus 20, with the giving of the Mosaic Law to the children of Israel, God is ushering in a new dispensation. Until now, there was no direct, clear commandment from God regarding His relationship to mankind as well as mankind’s responsibilities to God and their fellow man. As noted in Scofield’s list, God had primarily used man’s conscience, then human government (which was given to Noah after the Flood), and then the covenantal promise to Abraham as methods of ruling over and guiding his creation. Now, God is giving to Moses the law by which the Israelites – and the rest of mankind, by extension – will be judged and dealt with until the death of Christ upon the cross. Verses 1-2: Once again, God reminds Moses and the children of Israel why He is the one giving them this law. He is the one who redeemed them, who brought them out of slavery and bondage in Egypt (Hosea 13:4, Deuteronomy 7:8), who guided and provided and cared for them thus far in their journey, and now God expects of His chosen people covenantal faithfulness, obedience and worship. The Moody Bible Commentary makes this note regarding verse 2: “The opening words of the Decalogue proclaim three great theological truths: The Lord is the God who speaks (in words), He is self-revealing, the God who relates: I am the LORD your God (emphasis added). The Lord is the God who acts, He is the God who redeems, who brought you out.” As noted in the previous chapter’s commentary, God is now fleshing out the details of his new treaty with the Israelites. The ten commandments specify Israel’s responsibilities to Him as their King and Lord, as well as His expectations of their responsibilities towards each other. 1. Thou shalt have no other gods before Me. (v.3) (Deuteronomy 6:14, 2 Kings 17:35, Jeremiah 25:6, 35:15) The phrase “before Me” means “in addition to”. God is the only true and living God, the creator of the heaven and the earth and all that is in them. There is none like Him, and He alone deserves all of our obedience, worship and praise. The Moody Bible Commentary puts it this way: “Nothing else, no other gods (money [see Matthew 6:24], pleasure, power, fame, even one’s self) can have the priority in one’s thoughts, words, or deeds. God’s people and indeed all living creatures, owe ultimate allegiance to Him and Him alone.” 2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. (v.4) (Leviticus 19:4, 26:1, Deuteronomy 4:15, 27:15) In all the archeological digs in the Middle East there has yet to be found any carved image of Yahweh at the site of any known Israelite city. For all other nations and cultures of that time period, archeologists have unearthed many carvings and engraved images of all kinds of gods and other idols pertaining to religious worship. But there is none of the one, true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God that defeated Pharaoh and all the false gods of the Egyptians. God states in verse 5 that “…I the Lord thy God am a jealous God…”. (Exodus 34:14, Deuteronomy 4:24, Joshua 24:19, Nahum 1:2) He further commands the children of Israel, “Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them…” God is Yahweh, the One who has always been and always will be. God is holy, and His holiness is the cause of His righteous jealousy. He alone deserves our obedience and our worship and our praise precisely because of who He is. Furthermore, the attempt to create a physical image of God distorts and perverts the nature of God Himself. God is a spirit, invisible to the human eye, and thus, the very methods and processes by which an image of Him would be made by human hands could never truly represent God. John 4:24 states this command as follows: “God is a Spirit; and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” The Holman Illustrated Bible Commentary puts it this way: “The best way [for the Israelites] to know and worship Him was to recall what He had already done and said and to be alert to trust Him and see what He would do in the future.” Verses 5-6: As a consequence of idol worship, God states that He will visit “…the iniquity of the father upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me…” (v.5) It seems, at first, that God is contradicting Himself here with other passages such as Deuteronomy 24:16 and Ezekiel 18:20. But, in actuality, God is addressing only the specific sin of idolatry here in verses 5 and 6. Those verses from Deuteronomy and Ezekiel are addressing other types of sins, such as theft or murder or adultery. Those verses are also referring to legal matters of the law. In a court case, the son or daughter will not be held liable for the crimes committed by their parents. God has always held each of us accountable for our own choices and actions. However, one of the consequences of idol worship – along with almost all other sins – is that the children will almost always follow the example of their parents. Thus, God is warning the Israelites here that if they worship false gods instead of Him, their children will do the same, as will their children, and so on. This type of sin naturally carries itself over from one generation to the next, and that’s what God means by his statement in verse 5. Verse 6 is the corollary of verse 5. If the Israelites worship God alone, then their children will very likely do so, and their children’s children, and so on. God will show mercy and love to those who keep His commandments – and teach them to their children – and they will not suffer the natural consequences of their sin, as well as avoid God’s wrath for those who disobey Him. (“…them that hate Me…”) 3. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain. (v.7) (Leviticus 19:12, Deuteronomy 6:13, 10:20, Matthew 5:33) The Hebrew term in this verse for the word “vain”, shav, means “emptiness, nothingness, vanity”. The children of Israel are to use the name of God (Jehovah, Yahweh) with reverence, fear and respect. “Vain” refers to all manner of falsehood or lying, as in worthless deeds (Psalm 127:2), all forms of idolatry (Jonah 2:8), and false prophecy (Ezekiel 12:24), to name a few. So yes, while this command does prohibit using the Lord’s name as a curse word, it also addresses a host of other sins related to the various ways and methods in which mankind relates to the holiness of God and His name. The phrase “Oh my God” is the most common violation of this commandment in our modern world. The unsaved use this phrase so flippantly and so irreverently that it doesn’t offend us Christians nearly as grievously as it should. We hear it so often at work or when we’re out and about in our daily activities that we’ve become numb to it. Very often, we even allow it in our homes through the TV shows and movies that we watch, and we so easily forget the gravity and solemnity with which God gave this 3rd commandment to His chosen people on Mount Sinai. Not only that, but the name of His only begotten son, Jesus Christ, has also become nothing more than a profane epithet in the mouths of the lost and unbelieving of this world. I myself used it quite frequently in that manner before I was saved. Now it pricks my soul when I hear a customer spout His holy name in a very flippant and casual manner while speaking to someone on their cell phone as I am completing their transaction at my window. God’s name is holy, and He demands that His creation utter it with the deepest reverence, awe and respect that is always due Him. To do anything less is a sin. 4. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. (v.8) (Exodus 23:12, 31:13, Leviticus 26:2, Deuteronomy 5:12) The sabbath is first described in Genesis 2:2-3, though not mentioned by that specific name until Exodus 16:23. God had designed for all mankind from the beginning a pattern of six days work and one day of rest. Now, here in chapter 20 of Exodus, God is formally instituting this pattern as law for His chosen people. The Jewish sabbath, observed from sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday, is to be set aside as a day of complete rest for the Israelites, as well as a day to contemplate and reflect on all that God had done for the children of Israel. That is what is meant by the phrase “…the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.” (v.11) God wants His chosen people to rest from their daily labor once every week, something that they as a nation of slaves in Egypt were never allowed to do. He also wants the sabbath to serve as a memorial of His deliverance of the Israelites out of Egypt. (Deuteronomy 5:15) In a larger sense, the sabbath also represents complete rest for the weary believer at the end of this life. Just as God’s deliverance of the Israelites from their bondage in Egypt is a picture of every sinner today freed from the bondage of sin at the moment of salvation, so this day of rest each week is a picture of the rest and rejoicing that we will experience in heaven when our lives here on earth are over at last. Of the ten commandments, this one is the only one that is NOT required of us today in the New Testament church age. Nowhere in the NT did Paul or any of the other apostles write that God commands for His church to observe the sabbath as laid down in the Mosaic Law here in Exodus. It is not even required of the Jews today, just as animal sacrifices are no longer required because of Christ’s atoning death on the cross for all mankind. False religions such as Seventh Day Adventists claim that we today must adhere to the Mosaic Law, but they are wrong. They and their founder, Ellen White, failed to properly study and rightly divide scripture, and thus they missed this one important rule: we should always take into account who is writing to whom when we read and study the Bible. God is giving His law to His chosen people here in Exodus and Leviticus, and the apostles in the book of Acts – as well as throughout the NT – reinforce all the other commandments for the church EXCEPT this one. A careful study of the book of Acts as well as the Pauline epistles will bear this out. (Strangely enough, the Seventh Day Adventists don’t offer animal sacrifices every day as God commanded the Israelites to do. Why be so picky about following every single command from God in the OT, yet not that one???) In the wake of Pentecost, the new believers began assembling on Sunday for worship and teaching because that was the day that Christ rose from the dead. That’s why we do the same today. And it is worthwhile to follow the pattern that God laid down at the completion of the six days of creation in Genesis. We should be setting aside one day a week to fellowship with other believers and focus on God as we take time out to rest and recuperate from our busy lives. 5. Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. (v.12) (Leviticus 19:3, Deuteronomy 5:16, 27:16, Matthew 15:4, Ephesians 6:1-3) “Honour” in this sense means “to prize highly”, “to care for”, and “to show respect for”. God commands us to love, respect and obey our parents, but not just when we are young. We are to continue honoring them throughout our lives, eventually caring and providing for them when they are too aged to do so themselves. This commandment is the key to a stable and functioning society, and it is the only commandment with a promise attached to it. God is speaking to the Israelites with regard to the promised land, but there is a broader application for us today. If we honor our parents by loving and obeying them for all of our lives and theirs, God will bless and reward us accordingly. By contrast, rebellion and pride bring about self-destruction and death. This pattern is seen often throughout the Bible, especially here in the OT, and many of Solomon’s proverbs contain warnings about the dire consequences of the sin of pride. (King David’s son, Absalom, for example.) Foolishness and pride – which naturally lead to rebellion against all forms of authority, including one’s parents – give way to a life full of conflict and strife, as well as the likelihood of an early grave. (Proverbs 20:20, 28:24) But humility combined with the search for wisdom will almost always lead to a long and fruitful life. (Proverbs 4:7-9) 6. Thou shalt not kill. (v.13) (Matthew 5:21-22, 1 John 3:15) The Hebrew word for “kill” in this commandment, ratsach, means “to murder” or “slay”, referring to the deliberate, premeditated act of taking a human life. This command from God is not referring to the slaughter of animals for food or other needs, such as the daily and yearly blood sacrifices required by the Levitical law, nor is it a prohibition against the necessary killing of one’s enemies, such as when God commands the Israelites to slay the heathen nations that currently inhabit the promised land. All life belongs to God, for He is the Creator of life. Therefore He is the only one who decides when someone should die, not us. This commandment prohibits murder, which is the sin that Cain was guilty of when he slew Abel. Man is created in the image of God, and thus, the willful, premeditated murder of a human life is a sin against God. (Genesis 9:6) It’s a transgression caused by pride and rebellion, both of which naturally give way to jealousy, envy and rage, and these are often the cause of murder. God is saying here in verse 13 that only He has the authority to decide the fate of every man, woman and child, and that for us to assume His role in that regard by taking the life of a fellow human is a grievous sin. (Romans 12:19) Nowhere is this commandment more grievously violated than in the form of child sacrifice. Ever since the days of Noah before the Flood and continuing into our present time, mankind has willfully, rebelliously assumed the role of God by sacrificing newborns on altars of fire to false gods, or by slaying the unborn in the womb. Abortion is a heinous and despicable act that grieves the heart of God, and every single man and woman that has had a direct, active role in such an act will stand before God one day and answer for that sin. If he or she has not accepted Christ as their savior and been washed clean in His blood, then they will be cast into the Lake of Fire and burn for all eternity for the crime of murdering the precious, defenseless, innocent life made in the image of God. 7. Thou shalt not commit adultery. (v.14) (Genesis 2:24, Leviticus 20:10, Deuteronomy 5:18, Matthew 5:27-28, Hebrews 13:4, James 2:11) Adultery is the act of sexual intercourse with anyone other than one’s spouse. Marriage is a sacred institution created and ordained by God, and He also designed human sexuality to be experienced only within the boundaries of marriage. Marriage is the foundation of the family unit, and God designed that unit to be the foundation of a normal, healthy society. As I noted in my commentary of Genesis 2, sexuality was one of the key areas that was corrupted by the Fall. Our sin nature has perverted and distorted God’s design for holy sexuality between man and woman, and God’s commandment here to the Israelites reflects His original design and purpose for marriage and human sexuality. One does not have to be married to commit adultery. Premarital sex between any two people who are still single is also seen as adultery in the eyes of God. Other perversions such as homosexuality, incest and bestiality also fall into this category. (Leviticus 18:6, 22-23, 20:13, Romans 1:26-27, 1 Corinthians 6:9, 1 Timothy 1:10, Jude 7) Sexual immorality was rampant among the heathen nations that inhabited the promised land, and God was making clear to His chosen people that they were not to practice these abominations. The same holds true for all believers today. We are to abstain from sex until marriage and then remain faithful to our spouse until death. That is the original intent and purpose of this 7th commandment. 8. Thou shalt not steal. (v.15) (Exodus 21:16, Leviticus 19:11, 13, Matthew 19:18) The fundamental right to private property is also key to any stable, healthy society. This commandment, along with #9, reinforces respect for others by not unlawfully seizing the private property of one’s neighbor. This includes kidnapping. 9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. (v.16) (Exodus 23:1, 7, Deuteronomy 5:20) God is a God of truth. He hates “…every false way.” (Psalm 119:104, 128) Therefore, He expects His chosen people to reflect this aspect of His character in their dealings with others. The Moody commentators put it this way: “Lying is a denial that truth is always right. It is a denial of God’s character and of His attributes. Without truth-telling the whole social structure will fail. This command prohibits blatant lies, any conscious deceptions, and unsubstantiated assertions (i.e., gossip and rumor).” 10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbour’s. (v.17) (Luke 12:15, Romans 7:7, 13:9, Ephesians 5:3, 5, Hebrews 13:5) This commandment address one’s inner life, the source of the external actions that are prohibited in commandments 6-9. Covetousness is the root cause of murder, adultery, theft and lying. (Matthew 15:19) The purpose of this commandment is to remind us to always be focusing our desires on heavenly things, and not the accumulation of earthly possessions that are ultimately temporal and fleeting. God is teaching the Israelites – and us today – in these last five commandments to be content with what He has given each of them, and to not lust after anything that does not lawfully belong to them. (Philippians 4:11, 1 Timothy 6:6-8) The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life are the three basic sins from which spring all others, and these ten commandments address all three. (1 John 2:16) Covetousness and pride caused the fall of Adam and Eve. (Genesis 3:6) As we strive for holiness in our daily walk with God, we must take care to keep His commandments at the forefront of our minds and hearts (Psalm 1:2), using the power of the Holy Spirit and the armor of God (Ephesians 6:11) to keep our heart’s door firmly shut against sin. (Genesis 4:7) Verses 18-21: These four verses are a retelling of the same narrative found in the previous chapter in verses 16-20. According to the Moody Bible Commentary, those verses in chapter 19 describe the events from God’s perspective. Here in chapter 20, the same event is described from the people’s perspective. Verse 18 is the same powerful and majestic display that is shown in Exodus 19:18-19. Here in chapter 20, after listing the ten commandments, Moses revisits that scene of thundering and lightning and fire, all of it accompanied by the quaking of the whole mountain and the prolonged trumpet blast. The people are so afraid of this awesome display of God’s power and majesty that they retreat down the mountain, and they ask Moses to speak to them on God’s behalf instead of proceeding further up the mountain to the designated meeting place with God as He had initially command them. (v.19) (Exodus 19:11, 13) Moses exhorts the people to not be afraid for their lives, but rather to have the right kind of fear. (v.20) The purpose of the fire and smoke and thundering and lightning was so that the people would be possessed of a healthy fear and awe of God and all His majesty and power and holiness. (Exodus 14:13, Deuteronomy 4:10, 6:24, Proverbs 3:7, 16:6, Isaiah 8:13, 41:10, 13) This, in turn, should motivate them to honor and worship God daily by keeping and obeying the commandments that He’s going to give to Moses. But the Israelites remain at a distance, and so Moses goes back up the mountain to meet with God. Verses 22-26: God concludes the giving of His law with some additional instructions. He says in verse 22, “…Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven.” (Deuteronomy 4:36, 5:24, 26, Nehemiah 9:13) He then reiterates the 2nd commandment in verse 23: “Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold.” (Exodus 32:1-4, Deuteronomy 29:17) Unlike the false gods of the Egyptians or the other heathen nations that currently inhabit the promised land, God is a living God. He is the one, true God. As I noted earlier in the quote from the Moody commentators, the preamble to the decalogue in verse 2 of this chapter states clearly that God is self-revealing, that He acts of His own free will, and that He is now relating to His creation in a new and direct manner. All of those things set Him apart from all other gods that are created only from the wicked and prideful imagination of sinful mankind. God is now bringing his message to Moses full circle. The reason for the ten commandments is to show to God’s chosen people that they, too, are to be set apart from all other nations on the earth, and that they will show their allegiance to God by honoring and obeying all his commandments, for He is their God. There is none other besides Him, and He is a jealous God. In the closing verses of this chapter, God gives Moses instructions for the proper building of the altars upon which the blood sacrifices will be made by the Israelites. The first half of verse 24 states specifically that the altar is to be made of earth, not of the gold or silver that the Israelites had brought with them out of Egypt. The people can also use stones, but are not allowed to shape them or carve them in any way with tools. The stones are to remain natural and uncut, most likely to avoid the temptation of engraving on them in any manner that might violate the 2nd commandment. If they use tools of any kind in any manner during the building of the altars it would profane the altar and the sacrifice, thus polluting God’s name and glory. Nor are the Israelites allowed to build the altar upon a platform or a hill where the priest might accidentally expose himself to the people below because of the type of robes they would be wearing. This would also profane and corrupt the solemnity and purpose of the occasion of the blood sacrifice. The Believer’s Bible Commentary says it this way: “…sinners can approach God only on the ground of shed blood. The altar speaks of Christ as the way of approach to God. Man could contribute nothing to the perfection of Christ, either by the tools of personal effort or the steps of human achievement.” The Lord’s statement in the second half of verse 24 is meant to show the Israelites that God is not confined to a single place, again referring to the false gods of the Egyptians and other heathen nations. Their gods were limited to a single place or function, i.e. the sun god Ra, or Hapi, the god of the Nile. But God is everywhere, and He is over all things and all people, and He will bless the children of Israel as long as they remain faithful and obedient to Him and His commandments. (Deuteronomy 12:5, 16:6, 11, 1 Kings 9:3, 2 Chronicles 6:6) As noted previously, the children of Israel arrive in the wilderness of Sinai three months after leaving Egypt. (v.1) They set up camp at the base of Mount Sinai where they will remain for almost a year. (v.2) (Numbers 10:11-12) All the events described in the remainder of the book of Exodus, all of Leviticus, and Numbers 1-10:10 take place here in the wilderness of Sinai.
The term “wilderness” in the Bible is commonly used to describe a desolate place, a desert, or an uninhabited land. Strong’s Concordance also lists “pasture” or “open field” as one of the uses of this word in the original Hebrew. Wilderness conveys the image of an isolated place away from civilization, a vast area where there is nothing but grasslands or desert vegetation. A simple search for this word in my Bible app turned up 293 verses in the KJV, with nearly every book in the Bible having at least one verse containing this word. While it’s used as both a place of refuge for some (Genesis 21:20, Exodus 3:1, Revelation 12:6) and a form of righteous judgment for others (Job 12:24, Psalm 107:40, Isaiah 33:9, Zephaniah 2:13), it’s most often seen as the latter. There are far more references with God using the term “wilderness” as an example of His condemnation against the rebellious, the unholy, the proud and the wicked than there is of the desert as a desirable or good place. Here in Exodus, God chooses the wilderness of Sinai to give His holy law to His chosen people. The note in my study Bible for this passage says that “…this chapter, in addition to chapter 20, follows the pattern of ancient suzerainty treaties, thus suggesting that Yahweh is King and Israel is His kingdom. His subject people are to render complete submission, allegiance, and obedience to Him.” The term “suzerain” refers to the specific form of treaties that were common in the Ancient Near East (ANE), which typically consisted of the preamble (v.3), historical prologue (v.4) and then a list of specific obligations of the vassals, as well as the consequences of keeping or breaking the treaty, i.e. the blessings from God for obedience or punishment for disobedience (v.5-6). The commentary goes on to say that “…The pattern follows closely that of the Hittites, who were destroyed around 1200 B.C., thus demonstrating the antiquity of the Law, and the fact that it is a complete unit not to be dissected.” Verse 4: God had miraculously delivered the children of Israel out of bondage in Egypt, shown to them signs and wonders to demonstrate His power and authority over not only the physical world around them (the ten plagues and the parting of the Red Sea), but also over all the people of the earth (Pharaoh and the Egyptians), guided the Israelites through the desert – also miraculously providing for their basic needs – and now brings them to a place of rest and isolation at the foot of Mount Sinai. God has given His chosen people more than enough proof of His right and authority to rule over them. Verse 5: Then God says to Moses, “Now therefore, if ye will obey My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto Me above all people: for all the earth is Mine:” That phrase “peculiar treasure” conveys the idea of “personal possession” or “property”; something that is set aside or separated for a unique purpose. (Deuteronomy 4:20, 7:6, 14:2, 26:18, 1 Kings 8:53, Psalm 135:4, Titus 2:14, 1 Peter 2:9) God had chosen Abraham, called him out from among his people to a new land for a new purpose, and is now initiating a new, personal relationship with Abraham’s seed. God had stated as much to Moses in Exodus 6:4. Though the whole earth and all that is in it belongs to God (Exodus 9:29, Deuteronomy 10:14, Job 41:11, Psalm 50:12, I Corinthians 10:26), the children of Israel are His special, peculiar treasure. But that same status also applies today to all true believers in the New Testament church age! Verse 6: God then concludes by stating His ultimate desire for His chosen people: “…a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation.” (Deuteronomy 7:6, 14:21, 26:19, Isaiah 62:12, I Corinthians 3:17, 1 Peter 1:15-16) The whole purpose of the law which God is about to give to Moses is twofold: 1) It reveals the holiness of God and His perfect nature, and 2) it reveals, by contrast, the unholy, sinful, fallen nature of mankind. God is about to institute a system of rules and processes by which His chosen people will live their daily lives. This treaty, by which God will be their Lord and king and they His subjects, will state in clear and direct terms God’s expectations for the Israelites and the process by which they will atone for their sins when they fail to obey His law. That is what meant by the phrase “a kingdom of priests”. When God first revealed Himself to Abram/Abraham, He commanded him to “…Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show thee…” (Genesis 12:1) God called Abraham to separate himself from his family, and from his father’s house, and leave his homeland to begin a new life and a new journey to a promised land. God is now commanding the same thing from Abraham’s seed, the children of Israel. By giving them the law, God is making clear to His chosen people that they are to come out from the world, to live separate from the heathen nations around them, and they will accomplish this daily by doing and obeying the statutes, ordinances and precepts given forth in this law. Verse 7-9: Moses relays to the elders of the people the message God has just given him. The elders, in turn, pass this on to all the people, and the children of Israel respond by saying, “…All that the Lord hath spoken we will do.” (Exodus 4:31, 24:3, 7, Deuteronomy 5:27, 26:17) When Moses meets with God to give Him the people’s answer God then tells Moses He will appear before them as a thick cloud, and the Israelites will hear God’s voice when He speaks. (Exodus 24:15, Deuteronomy 4:11, Psalm 99:7, Matthew 17:5) The children of Israel were quick to pledge their obedience to God and His law, but they had no true understanding of their own sinfulness and depravity. D.L. Moody had this to say about verse 8: “Bold and self-confident language. The golden calf, the broken tablets, the neglected ordinances, the stoned messengers, the rejected and crucified Christ, are overwhelming evidences of man’s dishonored vows.” Verses 10-15: God then gives specific instructions to Moses about the manner in which the children of Israel are to prepare to receive the revelation of His law. For this day and tomorrow, they are to sanctify themselves by washing their clothes. (v.10) Though not stated directly, there is also an implied command here that the people are to wash and cleanse themselves. (Leviticus 11:44-45, Hebrews 10:22) Husbands and wives are also to abstain from sexual relations. (v.15) (I Corinthians 7:5) God makes clear to Moses the boundaries of the mountain and where the Israelites are to gather on the morning of the third day. God had declared Mount Sinai to be holy ground, and the people are to respect God’s holiness by not even coming near that ground which God makes clear is forbidden. (Exodus 3:5, 34:3, Hebrews 12:20-21) If anyone – man or beast – defies this command, they are to be immediately killed by stoning or shot with an arrow. In other words, no one can even go up on the mountain to execute that person or beast, lest they, too, violate the first directive. The obedience of the second directive had to be done from a safe distance. God concludes His instruction to Moses by saying that, at the sound of the trumpet on the third morning, the children of Israel are to come up to the designated assembly area on the mountain. Moses relays these instructions to the elders and all the people, and the Israelites obey. (v.14) Verses 16-25: On the morning of the third day, God descends upon Mount Sinai in a thick cloud, accompanied by lightning and thunder and the fanfare of the trumpet blast. (v.16) Moses calls the people forth to the designated area of the mountain where God instructed them to assemble. (v.17) (Deuteronomy 4:10) The whole mountain quakes, wreathed in fire and thick smoke. This, along with the constant thunder and lightning and the sustained trumpet blast, naturally causes great fear and awe among the children of Israel! (v.18) (Exodus 3:2, 24:17, Deuteronomy 4:11, 5:4, Judges 5:5, 1 Kings 19:12, 2 Chronicles 7:1, Psalm 68:8, 104:32, 144:5, Jeremiah 4:24, Hebrews 12:18, 26) So much so, in fact, that the people are too terrified to ascend the mountain to the designated meeting place. (v.17) So Moses ascends the rest of the way alone to meet with God by himself. (v.20) The reason for this grand and majestic manifestation of God’s presence is because of the oath the Israelites had just sworn to God three days earlier. (v.8) God needs to impress upon His chosen people the seriousness of His holiness and the gravity of the commitment they had just made to follow his law and obey Him. But because the people are too afraid to follow God’s first command to meet Him on the mountain, God gives a new instruction to Moses. (v.21-25) Instead of a nation of priests, the children of Israel will now be a nation with priests. God commands Moses to tell the people to return to camp, “…lest they break through unto the Lord to gaze, and many of them perish.” (v.21) Only Moses, Aaron, and the priests may come further up the mountain to meet with the Lord, but God also repeats His command regarding sanctification of the priests before they return with Moses. (Leviticus 10:3, 21:6) NOTE: the term “priests” here most likely refers to the elders, or the heads of the families, or the firstborn males of each house. [Exodus 13:2, Job 1:5] The Levitical priesthood has not yet been officially established. Moses returns to the people to give them God’s latest instructions. Verses 1-7: God leads the children of Israel from the wilderness of Sin to Rephidim where, once again, there is no water. (v.1) Rephidim is in the southern region of the Sinai Peninsula, near Mount Sinai, which is known today by the Egyptian Arabic name of Jebel Musa. (See map below, courtesy of Logos Bible study software.) For the third time in as many months, the children of Israel murmur and complain against Moses. (v.2-3) The word “chide” that is used in verse 2 means “to strive” or “contend with”, either physically or by using words. (Genesis 31:36, Numbers 20:3, Judges 8:1, Psalm 103:9) Moses’ answer: “Wherefore do ye tempt the Lord?” (Deuteronomy 6:16, Psalm 78:18, 41, Matthew 4:7, 1 Corinthians 10:9) As always, whenever the Israelites grumble and complain against Moses, they are, in actuality, sinning against God.
The primary difference, though, between this incident and the previous situation at Marah (Exodus 15:22-26) is that this time around the Israelites provoke and test God. That’s the meaning of the word “tempt” in verses 2 and 7. (This is also the same meaning of that word as it is used in Genesis 22:1 where God tested, or “proved”, the faith of Abraham.) Whereas at Marah God used the lack of water to prove the faith of the children of Israel, here the Israelites are now testing God’s sovereignty and His patience by deliberately rebelling and striving with Him. Their faith in God’s providence and power should have been stronger by now, especially when they had already been through this exact scenario only a few weeks earlier! Yet here they are again, grumbling and complaining against Moses because there’s no drinkable water, and this time Moses is actually afraid for his life because of the anger of the people. (v.4) And so, once again, Moses cries out to God, and God commands him to gather the elders of Israel at Horeb where Moses strikes a large rock with his rod. Fresh water gushes forth, and the thirst of the people is quenched. (v.5-6) (Numbers 20:10-11, Deuteronomy 8:15, Nehemiah 9:15, Psalm 78:15, 105:41, 114:8, 1 Corinthians 10:4) (NOTE: that cross reference of Numbers 20 is not the same incident as the one described here in Exodus 17. That incident is the second time that God brought forth water from the rock for the Israelites.) Moses calls this place Massah, which means “tempted” and Meribah, which means “contention”, for the people did test and quarrel with God. (Psalm 81:7) “Is the Lord among us or not?” (v.7) Even after deliverance from slavery in Egypt, the miraculous salvation at the Red Sea, the miracle of the bitter waters turned sweet at Marah, and, most recently, manna from heaven every morning and fresh quail every evening, the children of Israel STILL doubt and question the very presence of God in their midst! It seems incredible that they could be so shortsighted and weak of faith after going through all of that, but are we today any better? I can think of many times over this past year when I doubted God, even after all that I’ve seen Him do in my life since I cried out to Him three years ago! He has performed many miraculous changes, both within and without, yet I have still doubted His plan for my life and the direction that He has clearly marked for me. I have had to ask forgiveness many times just in the last few months because of my doubt and lack of faith. As much as I want to judge and condemn the Israelites for their failure to believe, trust and obey God, I must instead recognize my own failing to do just that, and then humbly ask God once more to grow my own faith and my trust in Him. Verse 8-16: The Amalekites are descendants of Esau. (Genesis 36:12, Numbers 24:20, 1 Samuel 15:2) Though this passage doesn’t specifically say why, the reason for this conflict is explained in Deuteronomy 25:17-19. The Amalekites took advantage of the weak and weary of the Israelites as they journeyed through this region. But even more importantly, they do not fear God. Joshua makes his first appearance on stage in verse 9. It’s clear that he’s a military leader, for Moses commands him to assemble an army to go fight the Amalekites. Moses, in the meantime, stands atop a nearby hill with Aaron and Hur. (v.10) (According to the Believer’s Bible Commentary, Flavius Josephus, a prominent Jewish historian of the first century, stated that Hur was Miriam’s husband, though scripture itself makes no mention of this.) Moses holds out his rod over the battlefield, and the fight goes well for the Israelites. But when Moses’ arms become weary and he lowers them, the tide of battle turns against the children of Israel. (v.11) So Aaron and Hur get a large stone for Moses to sit upon, and they each hold up an arm so that Moses can continue seeking God’s power on behalf of the Israelites. (v.12) We can reasonably infer from the passage that God must have instructed Moses to do this before Moses gave his orders to Joshua, even though the text doesn’t specifically say so. The reason for this is because God is again proving to the children of Israel that the battle belongs to Him alone. The Israelites’ should never depend on their own strength to win against their enemies. This is shown time and again throughout the OT. God honors Moses’ obedience, and the children of Israel win their first battle against the Amalekites. (v.13) God then instructs Moses to “Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.” (v.14) As stated above, the Amalekites do not fear the Lord, and they chose to fight against Israel, hence the reason for this judgment from God. This prophecy is eventually fulfilled. (1 Samuel 15:7, 30:17, 1 Chronicles 4:43) Moses builds an altar and calls the name of that place Jehovah-nissi (“YHWH Nissi” in Hebrew), meaning “The Lord is my banner”. Abraham built a similar memorial at Moriah, the site where God had directed him to offer up Isaac as a sacrifice. (Genesis 22:14) “The Lord hath sworn that the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.” (v.16) Just as He had done with their father, Esau, (Genesis 25:23, Malachi 1:3) God is now pronouncing judgment upon the Amalekites because of the promise He made to Abraham in Genesis 12:3. About six weeks after the exodus from Egypt the Israelites arrive in the wilderness of Sin. (v.1) (Numbers 33:10-11, Ezekiel 30:15) “Sin” is the English translation of the original Hebrew word, and it’s very likely that this region is so named because of the sin committed by the children of Israel. They grumble and complain against Moses and Aaron, this time due to a lack of food. (v.2) (Psalm 106:25, 1 Corinthians 10:10) “Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt…for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” (v.3) (Exodus 17:3, Numbers 14:2-3, 20:3) How quickly the children of Israel forgot the slavery and persecution that accompanied the bread, meat, fruits and vegetables of which they had plenty in Egypt! (Numbers 11:4-5)
God, ever the patient and loving Father, tells Moses, “I will rain bread from heaven for you…” (v.4) He then gives a specific set of instructions regarding this special food: 1. There would be flesh every evening in the form of quail and bread every morning with the dew. (v.12-13) 2. Of the bread the Israelites are to gather only one omer’s worth per man. An omer is a tenth of an ephah. (v.36) 3. They are to gather only enough for that day and no more. If they try to save some for the next day, other than the sabbath day, the bread will rot and grow worms. (v.20) (Exodus 12:10, 23:18, 2 Corinthians 8:15) 4. On the sixth day of the week, the Israelites are to gather two days’ worth of food, for on the seventh day they are to rest. There will be no quail or bread from heaven on that day because it is the sabbath. (v.26-27) He then concludes these instructions with the statement, “…that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.” (v.4) (Judges 2:22) As with the incident at Marah in the previous chapter, God is once again giving His chosen people the opportunity to show their faith by trusting in Him to meet their daily needs, as well as obeying His simple instructions regarding the daily allotment of meat and bread. Moses and Aaron relay God’s message to the people. (v.6-9) One the next morning, when the Israelites first see the small, white, wafer-like substance, they call it “manna” which, in Hebrew, literally means “What is it?” (v.15, 31) It tastes sweet and can be baked or boiled (v.23), but it is unlike anything they have seen or tasted before. The description of manna in this chapter makes it clear that this food was a miracle from God. (Numbers 11:7, Deuteronomy 8:3, 16) There is not now nor back then anything naturally growing in the desert of this region of the world that fits the description of manna. Furthermore, the fact that it appeared only with the morning dew and that it would become spoiled if not eaten that same day, except on the sabbath, also testifies to the supernatural source of this bread from heaven. Verse 35 makes it clear that God used manna to feed the children of Israel from this day until they entered the promised land, a period of about forty years. There was nothing like it back then, and there has never been anything like it since. Despite Moses and Aaron’s clear and specific instructions, however, some of the Israelites do not obey. (v.20) They either gather too much and try to keep some extra overnight when the next day is not the sabbath, or they don’t gather enough on the sixth day, and when they go out on the sabbath there is no manna to be found. (v.27) But those that do obey the word of the Lord by measuring what they gather each morning – only one omer per man for the first five days of the week and two per man on the sixth day – discover that each has just enough to feed him and his family for each day. (v.18) The rulers of the congregation come to Moses, asking the reason for the gathering of an additional omer per man on the sixth day. (v.22) Moses explains that “…to morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the Lord…” (v.23, 25) There will be no manna from heaven on the sabbath day. (v.26) This chapter in Exodus is the first mention in the Bible of the sabbath day. Although Genesis 2:3 says that God rested on the seventh day, it’s not until now that God gives this holy day of rest a specific name. It is shortly after this that God will give His law to Moses in the form of the ten commandments. (Exodus 20:8, 23:12, 31:15, 35:2, Leviticus 23:3, Nehemiah 9:13-14) As a final command from God, Moses tells Aaron to gather an omer of manna “…and lay it up before the Lord, to be kept for your generations.” (v.33) Later, when God gives instructions to Moses for the building of the tabernacle and the ark of the covenant, that urn of manna – which never spoils, yet again proving the supernatural nature of its very existence – is one of the items God commands to be placed in the ark. (Exodus 25:22, Numbers 10:33) There are within this chapter many pictures of – and lessons for – the daily life of the believer today. As the manna itself was a miraculous provision from heaven each morning, so Jesus called Himself the true bread from heaven, the Bread of Life. (John 6:32, 35) Just as God taught the Israelites here in the desert to always be looking to Him for their daily sustenance and care, so we today should be looking daily towards Christ for our spiritual manna each morning. God provided manna with the morning dew, and the Israelites had to rise early to go gather it. So we should rise early each morning to receive our daily spiritual food from the word of God. If not in the morning, then at least at some point during our day we should be setting aside an hour of quiet time to spend with our Lord and Savior. Feasting upon the manna of God’s word is the only way we will grow in our faith and our walk with Him! (John 15:4-5) God gives us instructions and commands in His word that He expects us to follow and obey. When we disobey by murmuring or complaining, or when we don’t do what we’re told, God is displeased. (v.28) The Israelites continually murmured and complained against Moses and Aaron during their sojourn in the desert, and God always chastened them for it. (Numbers 14:27, 17:5, 21:5-6, 1 Samuel 8:7, Luke 10:16, Romans 13:2, 1 Thessalonians 4:8) When we grumble and gossip and complain about our pastor or other church leaders, or even the leaders in government that God has allowed to rule over us, we sin against God Himself. We show the same immaturity of faith and lack of trust that the Israelites displayed here in Exodus 16. Instead of complaining, we are commanded by God to pray for our pastor, our deacons, our boss, the president and the kings of the earth. (Hebrews 13:17, 1 Peter 2:13-15) When the Israelites complained to Moses about the lack of food, Moses immediately turned to the Lord. (1 Peter 5:7) He made no attempt to solve the problem on his own but instead sought the wisdom of God for direction and a solution. The same holds true today for you and me. Too often we find ourselves in the midst of a crisis or some situation of peril, and, rather than get on our knees in prayer, we seek out all other solutions and directions that we think are best. Only after we’ve exhausted ourselves and are still mired in trouble and despair do we finally call out to God. Verse 10 says, “And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud.” In my Bible I have written in the margin next to this verse, “Am I daily seeking God's face? Am I always turned towards the glory of the Lord?” Moses and Aaron tell the Israelites to look out towards the wilderness, and there is where they see the glory of the Lord manifested in the pillar of a cloud that has guided them every day since their exodus from Egypt. (Exodus 13:21, Numbers 16:19, 1 Kings 8:10) The children of Israel are so focused on themselves and their circumstances that they forget to look for the presence of God, which is the cloud by day and the fire by night. Unfortunately, we today are no better than they. We should always, every day, be looking for the glory of God’s presence in our lives. God provides us each day what we need, but no more. He commands us not to worry about tomorrow, for it is cast into the oven. (Matthew 6:30) That doesn’t mean that we should live foolishly by squandering the mortgage payment on a new car or use the week’s worth of grocery money on a single meal at an upscale restaurant we couldn’t ordinarily afford. God expects us to use his blessings wisely and plan smartly so that we meet our daily needs. But nor should we be so focused on the future that we neglect the work that needs to be done for the Lord today. God wants all of our attention to be on the task(s) that He has delegated to us for today and not to be concerned with what might be coming tomorrow, or next week, or next month. God meets our needs each day, both physical and spiritual, but it up to us to have faith and obey Him accordingly as we seek His glory, presence, and wisdom each morning. Verses 1-21, known as the “Song of Moses”, comprise the majority of this chapter. The OT is filled with such passages, most of them in the book of Psalms, and many of them can also be filed under the additional category of prayers. This is the first recorded song/prayer in the Bible of rejoicing by the Israelites at God’s deliverance from their enemies. The Believer’s Bible Commentary divides the Song of Moses as follows:
Prelude (v.1): The triumph of Jehovah Stanza #1 (v.2-3): What He is: strength, song, and salvation. Stanza #2 (v.4-13): What He has done: victory over past enemies, deliverance of His people from Egypt. Postlude (v.19): Contrast the defeat of Egypt and the deliverance of Israel. Response by Miriam and all the women (v.20-21) Matthew Henry (1662-1714), the famous English preacher and Biblical scholar, had this to say about the Song of Moses: “We may observe respecting this song, that it is, (1.) An ancient song, the most ancient that we know of. (2.) A most admirable composition, the style lofty and magnificent, the images lively and proper, and the whole very moving. (3.) It is a holy song, consecrated to the honour of God, and intended to exalt his name and celebrate his praise, and his only, not in the least to magnify any man: holiness to the Lord is engraven in it, and to him they made melody in the singing of it. (4.) It is a typical song. The triumphs of the gospel church, in the downfall of its enemies, are expressed in the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb put together, which are said to be sung upon a sea of glass, as this was upon the Red Sea, Rev. 15:2, 3.” Verse 1: This verse immediately proceeds verse 31 of the previous chapter. The children of Israel believed the Lord after they witnessed His power and His might in not only rolling back the waters of the Red Sea, but then also in His execution of righteous judgment upon Pharaoh and all his armies. The Israelites’ belief in Yahweh, and their joy at His deliverance of them from their enemies caused this outpouring of praise and celebration of God and all that He is. “I will sing unto the Lord, for He hath triumphed gloriously…” (Isaiah 12:1) The name “Lord” appears eleven times in verses 1-19, for this song is about God Himself. Matthew Henry says of this verse that, “All our joy must terminate in God, and all our praises be offered up to Him, the Father of lights and Father of mercies, ‘for He hath triumphed’. All that love God triumph in His triumphs; what is His honour should be our joy.” Verses 2-3: God is our defense, our fortress and refuge in times of distress and suffering. (Psalm 18:1-2, Isaiah 12:2, Habakkuk 3:18-19) The Israelites’ natural response in verse 2 is to worship and praise God, just as their father, Jacob, did after his first encounter with the Lord. (Genesis 28:21-22) God deserves our worship and praise, not only because of who He is, but because of what He does on behalf of His children. Moses calls Him “my father’s God” in this verse, echoing God’s introduction to him at the burning bush. (Exodus 3:6, 15-16) Because of who God is and what He’s just done on behalf of the children of Israel, He is worthy to be exalted. (2 Samuel 22:47, Psalm 99:5, Isaiah 25:1) “The Lord is a man of war: the Lord is his name.” (v.3) (Exodus 3:14-15, 6:2-3, Nehemiah 4:20, Psalm 24:8, 83:18, Revelation 19:11) One of my favorite hymns is “O Worship the King” by Robert Grant, first published in 1833. Grant’s lyrics are adapted from Psalm 104, and my favorite lines in that hymn are in the second stanza: “His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form, and dark is his path on the wings of the storm.” I thought of that as I read verse 3 of this chapter in Exodus. God is a just and jealous God, avenger of the righteous and punisher of the wicked. Verses 4-13: Moses summarizes the crossing of the Red Sea, describing in vivid, poetic imagery how God destroyed Pharaoh and his army. “Pharaoh’s chariouts and his host hath He cast into the sea…” (v.4) “The depths have covered them…” (v.5) (Nehemiah 9:11) “Thy right hand, O Lord, is become glorious in power…” (v.6) (Exodus 3:20, Psalm 17:7, 118:15) “…Thou sentest forth Thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble.” (v.7) (Deuteronomy 4:24, Psalm 59:13, 78:49-50, Isaiah 5:24, Hebrews 12:29) “And with the blast of Thy nostrils the waters were gathered together…” (v.8) (Psalm 78:13) “The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil…” (v.9) (Isaiah 53:12) “Who is like unto Thee, O Lord, among the gods?” (v.11) (Exodus 8:10, 9:14, Deuteronomy 3:24, 2 Samuel 7:22, 1 Kings 8:23, Psalm 71:19, 86:8, Micah 7:18) “…glorious in holiness…” (Psalm 68:35, Isaiah 6:3, Revelation 4:8) “…fearful in praises…” (1 Chronicles 16:25) “…doing wonders?” (Exodus 3:20, Psalm 77:11, 14) “Thou in Thy mercy hath led forth the people which Thou hast redeemed…” (v.13) (Nehemiah 9:12, Psalm 77:20) “…Thou hast guided them in Thy strength unto Thy holy habitation.” (Deuteronomy 12:5, Psalm 78:54) Moses and the children of Israel recognize and acknowledge that God is the one true God, and that all others are false gods. He alone deserves glory, honor, praise and worship from all the people of the earth. Verses 14-15: These two verses are a good indicator that the Song of Moses was most likely composed many years after the crossing of the Red Sea, when Moses was writing the Pentateuch. The children of Israel had not yet encountered the Philistines (v.14), nor the descendants of Esau or Lot (v.15). But we know from Joshua 2:9 that the statements in these two verses come true. The Israelites will have many victories over the Edomites (Deuteronomy 2:4, Genesis 36:15, 40), the Moabites (Genesis 19:36-37, Numbers 22:3-4), and the Philistines when they finally enter the promised land. Verse 16: “Fear and dread shall fall upon them…” (Exodus 23:27, Deuteronomy 2:25) “…by the greatness of thine arm they shall be as still as a stone…” (1 Samuel 25:37) “…till thy people pass over, O Lord, till the people pass over, which thou hast purchased. (Psalm 74:2, Isaiah 43:1, Jeremiah 31:11, Titus 2:14, 2 Peter 2:1) God redeemed His chosen people from bondage in Egypt, the same way that we today are purchased by the shed blood of Christ if we accept His gift of salvation. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) Verses 17-19: God will bring His chosen people into the promised land, planting them “…in the mountain of Thine inheritance…”. (v.17) (Psalm 2:6, 44:2, 78:54, 68, 80:8, 15) Once there, the Lord will build Himself a “Sanctuary”, which His hands will establish, (Psalm 68:16, 76:2, 132:13-14), a place for Him to dwell where He will reign forever and ever. (v.18) (2 Samuel 7:16, Psalm 10:16, 29:10, Isaiah 57:15) The prophecy of this verse was partially fulfilled when Solomon built his temple in Jerusalem. But the final, definitive fulfillment is yet to come, after the Great Tribulation, during the millennial kingdom, when Christ will reign for a thousand years on the earth, and the nation of Israel will be whole again, ruling all other nations alongside King Jesus. Verse 19 closes this hymn by summarizing once more the Israelites’ crossing of the Red Sea and God’s final judgment upon Pharaoh and his army. Verses 20-21: Moses’ sister, Miriam, is called a prophetess in verse 20. The word “prophetess” is used eight times in the KJV Bible, including this instance here in Exodus: Judges 4:4 (Deborah), 2 Kings 22:14 and 2 Chronicles 34:22 (Huldah), Nehemiah 6:14 (Noadiah), Isaiah 8:3 (Isaiah’s wife), Luke 2:36 (Anna), and Revelation 2:20 (Jezebel). Acts 21:8-9 refers to Philip’s unnamed daughters who prophesy in Caesarea, and Paul speaks specifically of men and women who exercise the gift of prophecy in the New Testament church in 1 Corinthians 11:4-5. Strong’s Concordance defines “prophetess” as an inspired woman, i.e. a poetess or musician, which is how the word is used here in verses 20-21 to describe Miriam. But a prophetess can also mean, “wife of the prophet”, as is the case with the reference in Isaiah, or a “teacher” or “instructor”, which is how the apostle Paul uses it in his letter to the Corinthians. This was also probably the case with Anna in the temple at the time of Jesus’ birth. In the examples of Deborah, Huldah, and Jezebel, they, too, were teaching and instructing, but it’s obvious that they also held positions of some authority, for they were sought out by others for their wisdom and instruction, some of which was contrary to God’s word and His people, i.e. Jezebel. There are many scholars, theologians and, sadly, pastors who have used these examples from scripture to justify the ordination of women pastors and evangelicals. Paul makes it clear in 1 Timothy 3:2, Titus 1:6, and Ephesians 5:22-23 that a pastor, deacon, and all other elders of the church must be men. Wives are to submit themselves to the authority of their husbands, and, therefore, women in the church may not hold offices of authority over any of the men. That is God’s design for both marriage and His church. These women in the Bible who are referred to as “prophetess” did not have any authority over any man, but were merely teachers, instructors, workers and/or musicians. (Even Deborah did not act of her own authority over all of Israel, but was the wife of Lapidoth, and she assisted Barak in saving the Israelites from the armies of Sisera. A “judge” in those days was not the same as a king or governor, but was more like a military advisor or a mediator who resolved conflicts among the people as well as keeping law and order.) Miriam takes up her timbrel and leads the other women in song and dancing, echoing the refrain of verse 19. (Judges 11:34, 21:21, 2 Samuel 6:16, Psalm 30:11, 150:4) Verses 22-27: There is good reason these last six verses are included in this chapter and not the beginning of chapter sixteen. A mere three days after the miraculous “salvation of the Lord” on behalf of His people, the Israelites arrive at the wilderness of Shur. (v.22) But the only source of water is at Marah (Numbers 33:8, Ruth 1:20), which means “bitter”, and it is so named because the water that is found there is too bitter to drink. (v.23) So soon after witnessing God’s power and sovereignty on their behalf, the children of Israel immediately turn to grumbling and complaining against Moses. (v.24) (Psalm 106:13) This is the first event of what would become an oft repeated cycle with the Israelites: complaining to Moses & God because of some lack of a necessity, God then miraculously providing for that specific need, the Israelites thankful for only a brief time, and then complaining once more about something else, thus repeating the whole pattern once more. Moses, as he would often do over the next forty years, turns to God as soon as the Israelites complain to him about the lack of drinkable water. (v.25) In response, God directs Moses to a nearby tree which Moses cuts down and casts into the water. This causes the bitterness to vanish, thus making the water drinkable. (2 Kings 2:21) According to the Moody Bible Commentary, it’s possible that the bitterness in the water is caused by unusually high levels of mineral content, or the water is simply unclean due to other reasons. Whatever the case, there is “…no known tree that has the quality to turn impure water pure or to filter out the mineral content. This is to be seen for what it appears to be: a miracle of the Lord’s provision.” Verse 25 goes on to say that God “…made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there He proved them.” (Psalm 17:3, 66:10, 81:7, 95:9, Hebrews 3:9) What this is means is that God is testing the faith of the Israelites. The Moody Commentators have this to say about this passage: “The word for “test” here has the idea of “to prove the worth” of something, “to verify the quality” of something. The Lord was not trying to cause them to fail. Rather, as an exercise in training and testing, the need for provisions gave the people an opportunity to verify their faith. In effect, this was to remind them that, after delivering them from the plagues and dividing the sea, God would be the One to provide for their everyday needs.” Verse 26 is the ordinance referenced in verse 25, the word of the Lord, given to the Israelites through Moses: “…If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee.” (Exodus 19:5-6, 23:25, Deuteronomy 7:12, 15, 32:39, Psalm 41:3-4, 103:3, 147:3) Once again, God is demonstrating His desire to have an ongoing relationship with His chosen people. (Exodus 6:6-7) He is promising to protect and defend them from their enemies, as well as provide and care for them, if they will obey, serve and worship only Him. He has redeemed them from bondage in Egypt for a purpose, and He has a specific plan for the nation of Israel. He uses this crisis – the first of many – as an opportunity for them to demonstrate their faith and trust in Him, as well as for Him to demonstrate to them His ability to care and provide for them always. But, as we well know from reading the rest of the OT, the Israelites consistently fail miserably at trusting and obeying Yahweh, especially in these early years immediately following the exodus from Egypt. God still works in the same manner for us today. All of the trials and adverse circumstances that He allows to take place in our lives are for two reasons: the growth and purification of our faith in Him as well as for His honor and glory. (1 Peter 1:6-7) God leads the Israelites to Elim, an oasis with plenty of shade and water, where they are able to set up camp and rest from their long journey thus far. (v.27) (Numbers 33:9, Psalm 23:1-2) Verses 1-4: God directs Moses to have the children of Israel set up camp at Pi-hahiroth (Numbers 33:7), which is between Migdol (Jeremiah 44:1) and the Red Sea, near Baal-zephon. However, the exact location is unknown today, so there are three possible sites within three days journey of the Valley of Goshen where the miraculous crossing of the Red Sea, as described in this chapter, could have taken place. (Refer to the map below, courtesy of Logos Bible study software.) (v.2) Pharaoh and his army would believe that they had the Israelites trapped with no way of escape. (v.3) (Psalm 71:11) God would once again harden Pharaoh’s heart so that he would pursue the children of Israel. God states in verse 4, “…I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord.” (Exodus 9:16, Romans 9:17, 22-23)
God will have glory, honor and praise one way or another. If not willingly through the bended knee and humble heart of the repentant, then He will have it through judgment and punishment of the stiff-necked, proud and defiant. Either way, God always wins! Verses 5-9: Pharaoh and his people regret letting the Israelites go. It has only been a few days since the death of all the firstborn throughout Egypt, and it seems astounding that the Egyptians are so hardened in their sin, and so stubborn in their pride and rebellion, that they willfully continue fighting against their creator. But Pharaoh harnesses his chariot and summons all his captains and his armies from all over Egypt to pursue the children of Israel. (v.6-7) We are reminded in verse 8 that God is still directing Pharaoh, hardening Pharaoh’s heart because of his willful rebellion and disobedience, and that the Lord is about to deliver His chosen people “…with an high hand.” (Acts 13:17) Thus, Pharaoh and all his army, which most likely numbers several thousand, thunders across the desert plains toward the encampment of the Israelites at Pi-hahiroth. Verses 10-14: When the children of Israel see the Egyptian army headed their way, they immediately turn to Moses in terror and anger. “…Hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness?” (v.11) Exactly as God had foreseen, the Israelites’ faith in the Lord crumbles at the first sign of what they view as certain defeat and death. They accuse Moses of leading them to their doom. “…For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.” (v.12) But Moses’ faith is greater than that of the Israelites, and he commands them, “Fear ye not..” (Genesis 15:1, 46:3, Exodus 20:20, 2 Chronicles 20:17, Isaiah 41:10, 13-14) “…stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord…” (Exodus 15:2, Psalm 46:10-11) “…which He will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.” (v.13) “The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.” (v.14) (Exodus 15:3, Deuteronomy 1:30, 3:22, Joshua 10:14, 42, 23:2, 2 Chronicles 20:29, Nehemiah 4:20, Isaiah 31:4) Verses 15-18: God tells Moses to command the children of Israel to start marching towards the sea. (v.15) He then commands Moses to “…lift thou up thy rod (Exodus 4:17, 20, 7:19, 17:5-6, 9, Numbers 20:8-9, 11, Isaiah 10:26), and stretch out thine hand over the sea…”, at which point God will divide the waters so that the Israelites will walk across on dry ground. (v.16) He then states emphatically once more that He “…will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them…”. God will receive honor and glory because of Pharaoh and his people. (v.17) “And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord…” (v.18) Verses 19-22: The angel of God (Exodus 13:21-22, Isaiah 63:9) moves from the forefront of the Israelites’ camp to the rear where the cloud then becomes like darkness to the pursuing Egyptians, thus separating the children of Israel from their enemy. (v.19) To the Israelites there was light, even during the night, but the Egyptians were surrounded with total darkness. They could not come near the children of Israel for most of the night. (v.20) The reason for this supernatural defense and separation is because it takes half the night for the “…strong east wind…” to divide the waters of the Red Sea. (v.21) This verse is proof that the location where God had directed the Israelites to cross was no mere shallow, narrow pond or tributary of the Red Sea. That is what many skeptics today claim in order to deny the truth of this event, thus denying the power and majesty of God. There was a large sea, several miles deep and most likely one or two miles wide, whose waters needed to be separated and piled up into two walls on either side of a dry path for the 2.5 million Israelites to cross. This passage in Exodus, the true and inerrant word of almighty God, who was the maker and sustainer of this miracle, states very clearly for us today what really happened. There is no other explanation for this supernatural event. It was “…the salvation of the Lord…” on behalf of the children of Israel! (v.13) In the early hours of the morning watch of the following day, while it is still night, the Israelites step onto the dry bed of the Red Sea and begin their journey to the other side. (v.22) (Exodus 15:19, Joshua 3:17, 4:22, Nehemiah 9:11, Psalm 66:6, 78:13, Isaiah 63:12-13, 1 Corinthians 10:1, Hebrews 11:29) Verses 23-25: God allows just enough distance between the Egyptians and the Israelites for Pharaoh to witness this astounding miracle, yet Pharaoh’s heart is so hardened that he orders his army to pursue the children of Israel into the Red Sea. (v.23) This is in the very early hours of the morning (v.24), when the cloud that is the angel of God is still between the Egyptian and Israelite camps. God confuses and confounds the Egyptian army by breaking off their chariot wheels, thus causing chaos among the ranks and slowing their progress. (v.25) Many of Pharaoh’s army turn back, recognizing that “…the Lord fighteth for them against the Egyptians.” But it’s now too late for them to make it back to the shore. Verses 26-31: As soon as the Israelites are safely on the other side, God tells Moses to once again “…Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.” (v.26) At dawn, just as the sun is beginning to rise, the hand of God releases the waters of the Red Sea, utterly and completely overwhelming the whole of the Egyptian army. (Joshua 4:18) Not a single one of them is left alive. (v.27-28) God’s final judgment against Pharaoh and all his people is, at last, complete. The children of Israel are saved! (v.29-30) (Psalm 58:10, 59:10, 66:6, 78:52-53, 106:10, Isaiah 11:15-16, 63:8, 11) As a result of this miracle, the Israelites’ faith in the Lord is renewed, and their trust in both Him and his servant Moses is restored. (v.31) Verses 1-2: God’s command to Moses and the Israelites in verse 2 is another memorial of the Exodus from Egypt. Just as the Passover is to be held at this time every year for all future generations, so is the firstborn child of every Israelite family to be sanctified, or “set apart” for God’s service. Even though God had slain only the firstborn sons of Egypt, He does not say here that only the firstborn sons of Israel are to be set apart and consecrated for Him. It is any firstborn child, male or female, and this law doesn’t just apply to the Israelites, but to all their livestock as well. (Exodus 22:29, Leviticus 27:26, Numbers 3:13, 8:16, 18:15, Deuteronomy 15:19)
It should be noted, though, as you can see from those cross references, that God later places special emphasis on the firstborn sons. Also, after God established the Aaronic priesthood and set aside the tribe of Levi to serve in that role, Israelite parents could redeem their firstborn with a sacrificial lamb - or two turtledoves if they could not afford a lamb - rather than give their son over for lifelong service to God. Hannah chose to do the latter when God finally answered her prayer for a son (1 Samuel 1:27-28), while Joseph and Mary did the former when Jesus was born. (Luke 2:22-23) Verses 3-10: These instructions and reminders from Moses, as well as God’s command about the consecration of the firstborn, were probably all given to the Israelites at the same time as the instructions of the Passover in chapter 12. The subject of unleavened bread is again emphasized here, as is the command to pass on to each generation the story of the Exodus and what God did for His chosen people. (v.8-9) (Exodus 10:2, 12:26-27, Psalm 44:1) Note from my study Bible: “The word ‘sign’ has been the subject of some speculation. Due to this verse and Deuteronomy 6:8 and 11:18 the Jews have concluded that this meant literally wearing pouches called tephillin, a term explained to mean prayers. The Greek designation is ‘phylakterion’ (Matthew 23:5), from which the English word ‘phylactery’ is derived. Phylacteries were small pouches made from the skin of ceremonially clean animals, sewn to leather bands by which they were strapped to the forehead between and immediately above the eyes, and to the left arms, of males who had reached the age of 13. Inside the pouches, certain passages of the law were written.” Verses 11-16: Moses’ instructions circle back around to the consecration of the firstborn. In verse 12 he specifically states that “…males shall be the Lord’s.” According to the Believer’s Bible Commentary, “The firstborn sons became priests of God, until the tribe of Levi was later set apart for this service. The firstborn of clean animals were to be sacrificed to God within a year. The firstborn of unclean animals, such as a donkey, could not be sacrificed to the Lord; therefore, it had to be redeemed by the death of a lamb; that is, a lamb had to die in its place. If the donkey was not redeemed, then its neck had to be broken. It was a choice between redemption and destruction. Later, provision was made for the donkey to be redeemed with money (Leviticus 27:27, Numbers 18:15). The firstborn child, born in sin, also had to be redeemed, the payment being five shekels (Numbers 3:46-47, 18:16). This was a solemn reminder of man’s unclean moral condition before God.” Verses 17-18: Upon the immediate exodus from Egypt, God does not lead the children of Israel to the Red Sea by the most direct route. The reason for this is because it would have taken them through the land of the Philistines (v.17), and the Israelites are not prepared for a sustained military conflict. “…Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt.” God knows that the Israelites fledgling faith in Him is nowhere near as strong as needs to be – nor are their men as trained and ready to fight as they need to be – for this newly established nation to overcome and defeat the large numbers of the Philistine armies. He knows that as soon as the Israelites see what they’re up against, they will not hesitate to turn and flee back to Egypt. What’s interesting about verse 17, though, is that God had just demonstrated his awesome power and might through the ten plagues that He unleashed upon the Egyptians for all the world to witness. It seems improbable that, after witnessing firsthand such a wonderous and miraculous display, and then successfully escaping Egypt altogether with a bounty of spoil from the Egyptians, that the children of Israel would not have eagerly and wholeheartedly obeyed and followed God in something as ordinary as a war against their enemies. But God knows the hearts of His chosen people, and He also has one last, great miracle in mind for them that will prove His power and might for all generations to come. And yet, why wouldn’t God have just defeated the Philistine armies the same way that He would later on when the Israelites finally entered the promised land? There are multiple times throughout the OT when God intervened on behalf of His chosen people by defeating an attacking army through the use of direct, supernatural intervention. So why not do that here? Surely such a miraculous event would still achieve the same objective which is the glory, honor and magnification of God, His power, and His majesty, would it not? I believe the answer lies in the faith of the children of Israel. God had only just recently made Himself known to them. (Exodus 3 and 4) Yes, they had witnessed ten miraculous and jaw-dropping display of His judgment and power against their enemy, but their faith was still brand new. Just like newly saved Christians today, the faith of the Israelite nation in Yahweh was not strong enough to face a test of the magnitude of the Philistine army. There’s a wonderful and loving picture of God displaying His grace and mercy here in verse 17. Rerouting the children of Israel to the Red Sea accomplishes two things. One, it shows God’s mercy in that He is not going to test His children with a trial that He knows their fledgling faith will not be able to withstand; and two, He is leading them to an even greater opportunity to not only deliver them from the Egyptians but also demonstrate His power, might and majesty in a way that will be even more stunning and miraculous than if He had defeated the Philistine armies through some kind of supernatural means. This is proven by Rahab’s statement to the spies in Joshua 2:10. The same is true for us today. How many times has God demonstrated His omniscience and providence through some great miracle in our own lives, but then we quickly forget as soon as He gives us a direction towards a destination that we either don’t understand or think is impossible. We often think we know where God is leading us, only to be disappointed or discouraged when things don’t work out the way we expected, even though we followed God’s direction and obeyed. But then a different outcome altogether appears, and our original prayer is answered in a way we could have never anticipated! For the Israelites, they are about to be delivered from the hand of the Egyptians once and for all in a way that they could have never foreseen! At the same time, God will demonstrate His providence, His power, and His majesty in a way that will be forever recorded for all future generations, even today for you and me! Verse 19: In the process of observing the Passover and then preparing for the Exodus, Moses does not forget the bones of Joseph. (v.19) (Genesis 50:24-25, Joshua 24:32) Joseph’s dying request – as well as his prophecy to his children – is at last fulfilled. Verses 20-22: God leads His chosen people from Succoth to Etham where they stop to set up camp at the edge of the wilderness of Shur. (Exodus 12:37) He leads them by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. (v.21) (Exodus 14:19, 24, 33:9-10, Numbers 9:15, 14:14, Deuteronomy 1:33, Nehemiah 9:12, Psalm 78:14, 99:7, 105:39, Isaiah 4:5, 1 Corinthians 10:1) |
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