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."
This chapter describes the ritual by which Aaron and his sons are consecrated and ordained to serve as priests in the tabernacle. The ceremony begins with one young bullock and two rams, all without any blemish or spot. (v.1) (Hebrews 7:26) Along with the animals, Moses is also to bring bread, cakes, and wafers – all of them unleavened and made of wheat flour. (v.2) (Leviticus 2:4) Here in the OT, remember, leaven represents sin. Everything about this consecration ceremony symbolizes cleanliness and purification, holiness before the Lord. Aaron and his sons are to be brought to the door of the tabernacle and washed with water (v.4), the first step of purification before God. (Exodus 40:12, Leviticus 8:6, Hebrews 10:22) Next, the garments described in chapter 28 are to be put upon Aaron and his sons. (v.5-9) (Leviticus 8:7) Because Aaron will be the high priest, the one highest in rank in the tabernacle service, the process of robing him is described first. (v.5-6) After he is properly clothed, Moses is to take the anointing oil and pour it upon Aaron’s head. (v.7) (Exodus 25:6, 30:25, Leviticus 8:12, 10:7, 21:10, Numbers 35:25, Psalm 133:2) Verse 9 repeats the command that “…the priest’s office shall be theirs for a perpetual statute…”. The Aaronic priesthood is to be inherited, passed from father to son, a sacred and holy honor for the men of the tribe of Levi.
NOTE: the Aaronic priesthood is one of the institutes of the OT that Joseph Smith erroneously and egregiously turned into a fundamental doctrine and practice of the Mormon church. God never intended for anyone but the Israelites under the Mosaic law to obey and practice this institution. This is one of the many glaring contradictions between scripture and the false teachings found in the Book of Mormon. When Jesus Christ gave up his life upon the cross, and when the veil of the temple that separated the holy place from the holy of holies was torn in two, the Levitical priesthood was abolished. We who now live in the dispensation of grace are not under the law because Christ’s sacrifice paid the penalty for our sins once and for all time – past, present and future. The need for a man to serve as our high priest and mediator is no more because Jesus Christ now serves that role for us for all eternity, as explained in the book of Hebrews. Verses 10-14: The next step of the purification and consecration ceremony for the priests is the blood sacrifice of the bullock, which is the sin offering. (Leviticus 1:4-5, 8:14) This offering is for the purpose of cleansing the altar. (Exodus 24:6) Aaron and his sons are to lay their hands upon the head of the bullock before slaying it “…by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.” (v.11) “The priest laying hands on the animal symbolized the transfer of guilt (imputation) from the guilty to the innocent. This was a key feature of the entire sacrificial system (Leviticus 16:21-22, Isaiah 53:5, 1 Peter 2:24). The concepts of transfer and imputation point to a system and theology of substitution. Combined with the act of slaying the animal, the entire scene pictured penal substitution.” (The Moody Bible Commentary) The blood of the bullock is to be sprinkled upon the horns of the brazen altar (a.k.a. the altar of burnt offering) and then poured all around the base of it. (v.12) (Leviticus 8:15) The fat of the bullock, as well as part of the liver (the caul) and the two kidneys, are to be burned upon the altar. (v.13) “The fat was considered the choicest part of the animal and was therefore offered to the Lord.” (Believer's Bible Commentary) The rest of the animal is to be burned outside the camp. “…it is a sin offering.” (v.14) (Leviticus 4:11-12, 21, Hebrews 13:11-12) “The various kinds of sin offering and their circumstances are described in Leviticus 4:1–5:13. Sometimes called a purification offering, its purpose is to atone for sin or ceremonial uncleanness in order to restore communion.” (Holman Illustrated Bible Commentary) Verses 15-18: The first ram is to be the burnt offering. (Leviticus 8:18) This offering is for propitiation. (Leviticus 1:4) Once again, Aaron and the priests are to lay their hands on the head of the ram (v.15) before killing it. (v.16) This time, however, the blood is to be sprinkled around the altar rather than just on the horns. The animal is to be cut up into pieces – the head, body, and the four legs – and his insides cleaned out and washed. All the pieces are then laid upon the altar (v.17) and burned. (v.18) This offering is one of atonement on behalf of the priests, foreshadowing once again Christ’s death on the cross for our sins. (Exodus 20:24) That’s why the whole animal is to be sacrificed on the altar. Verse 18 concludes with, “…it is a sweet savour, and offering made by fire unto the Lord.” Verses 19-21: The second ram is the ram of consecration. (Leviticus 8:22) As before, Aaron and his sons are to lay their hands upon the head of the ram before slaying it. With the blood of this animal, Moses is to put some on the tip of Aaron’s right ear, his right thumb, and the big toe of his right foot. (v.20) He then repeats the process for Aaron’s sons, and then sprinkles the blood on the altar and all around it. Lastly, Moses is to sprinkle some of the blood that’s on the altar, as well as some of the anointing oil, on Aaron and his sons and their garments. (v.21) (Exodus 30:25, 31, Leviticus 8:30, Hebrews 9:22) According to the Believer’s Bible Commentary, the placing of the blood on the right ear tip, the thumb, and the big toe “…signified the need of cleansing from sin in every area of human life—the ear for obedience to God’s Word, the hand for action or service, and the foot for walk or deportment.” By all of this, Aaron “…shall be hallowed, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons’ garments with him.” It might seem strange to us that Moses is to stain these beautiful priestly garments with blood, but in the eyes of God this blood is for atonement. Without it, there is no fellowship or communion with God who is holy and perfect and us who are stained with sin. Without penal substitution and the propitiation of a blood sacrifice, there is no way of salvation for mankind. Verses 22-25: From the third ram Moses is to take the fat, the rump, the caul of the liver, the two kidneys, and the right shoulder. (v.22) All of these, along with a loaf of bread and a wafer (v.2, 23), are to be placed into the hands of Aaron and his sons. (v.24) (Leviticus 8:26) They are to offer them up “…for a wave offering before the Lord.” (Leviticus 7:30, 10:14) The priests will hold up the items and wave them back and forth in the air above the altar, presumably also looking towards heaven, as if to say to God, “See this!” After this all the items are burned upon the altar, once again “…for a burnt offering, for a sweet savour before the Lord…”. (v.25) (Leviticus 7:31, 8:28) Verses 26-28: The breast and left shoulder of the second ram are for Aaron and his sons to consume after the pieces have been sanctified and offered up in wave and heave offerings. (v.26-27) (Leviticus 7:34, 8:29, Numbers 18:11, 18, Deuteronomy 18:3) The heave offering is so named because of the priest lifting the animal flesh vertically instead of waving it horizontally above the altar. The heave offering is to always be set aside for the priests. (v.28) (Leviticus 10:15) The sacrifice of the second ram is referred to as a “peace offering” in verse 28. (Leviticus 3:1) “A peace offering (see Leviticus 7) was, in a sense, celebratory, a joyful act symbolizing the peace now enjoyed (after the sin and guilt offerings had been made and accepted by the Lord) between the worshiper and God.” (Moody Bible Commentary) Verses 29- 34: The garments of the high priest are to be passed down from generation to generation (v.29) (Numbers 20:26, 28), and the ordination ceremony for the new high priest is to last seven days. (v.30, 35) The meat of the second ram, the peace offering, is for the nourishment of the priests only (v.33), along with the bread from the basket that is to be kept always at the door of the tabernacle. (v.31-32) The ram’s flesh is to be boiled, (Leviticus 8:31), and any of the meat or bread that is left over at the end of each day is to be burned. Nothing is to be saved for the following day. (v.34) (Exodus 12:10, 16:16, 19, 23:18, 34:25, Leviticus 7:18, 8:32) As with many of the commandments found in the Mosaic law, especially in Leviticus, this rule was most likely given for health reasons. With no way to adequately and safely refrigerate any leftover meat, it would quickly spoil if the priests tried to save any for the following day or later. Verses 35-37: This ceremony of consecration is to last seven days. (v.35) (Leviticus 8:33) Each day there is to be the three different animal sacrifices. (v.36) (Hebrews 10:11) God makes a point of emphasizing the first sacrifice, that of the bullock which is the sin offering, and the holiness of the altar. (v.37) Only that which is holy may touch the altar itself. (Numbers 4:15, Matthew 23:19) Verses 38-46: The priests are to sacrifice on the altar twice daily, once in the morning and evening, a lamb less than a year old. (v.38) (Numbers 28:3, 29:6, 1 Chronicles 16:40, Ezra 3:3) “This shall be a continual burnt offering…” (v.42), says the Lord. With each lamb the priest is to combine a meat offering of flour and oil and a drink offering of wine (v.39-40), “…for a sweet savour, an offering made by fire unto the Lord.” (v.41) The purpose of these two daily sacrifices is states in verse 43: “And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory.” (Exodus 25:22, 33:7, 9, 40:34, Numbers 17:4, 1 Kings 8:11, 2 Chronicles 5:14, Ezekiel 43:5, Haggai 2:7, 9) The whole reason and purpose of the tabernacle, the priests, and the various sacrifices is so that God may commune and fellowship with His chosen people. (Exodus 6:7) It’s why he brought them out of bondage in Egypt in the first place. God desires on ongoing relationship with the Israelites, and all these commandments and instructions for the law and the tabernacle and the daily sacrifices are so that He – a holy, perfect God – can meet with His unholy, sinful creation. Sin separates us from God. Without the blood sacrifice of a perfect, sinless being there can be no atonement for our sin. Until it was time to send Christ into the world – born of a virgin, living a perfect, sinless life, and then offering up himself as a blood sacrifice once and for all for all mankind – only the daily sacrifices and burnt offerings of lambs, bulls and goats could temporarily repair the broken relationship between almighty God and His chosen people. (Hebrews 9:13-15) It was God who first desired to dwell among His people (v.45-46), and it was He that initiated the instructions to Moses in the proper way that that fellowship could be restored. (Exodus 25:8, Leviticus 11:45, 26:12, Numbers 5:3, Deuteronomy 12:11, Zechariah 2:10, John 14:17, 23, Revelation 21:3)
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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) As I noted previously, the first 28 verses of this chapter take place some time before the ninth plague, probably on the ninth day of the current month of Abib which would, from now on, be the first month of the Jewish calendar. (v.2) The tenth day would have been the first of the three days of darkness over all the rest of Egypt since God required the Israelites to select a perfect lamb of one year old and separate it from the flock for three days. (v.3, 5-6) Thus, on the evening of the third day, as Moses has his penultimate confrontation with Pharaoh (10:24-29, 11:4-8), the children of Israel would have been obeying God’s new ordinance to them by slaying the lamb and using the hyssop to mark the side posts and the lintel of the door of every house.
Verses 1-2: This month in which God delivers His chosen people from their bondage in Egypt is the month of Abib. (Exodus 13:4) From this time on, this is now the first month of the Hebrew calendar year. (v.2) Verses 3-6: According to Strong’s concordance, the Hebrew word for “congregation”, used for the first time here in verse 3, is “edah”, and it is used over 100 times in the Exodus/Joshua narrative. According to the Moody Bible Commentary, “It has the basic meaning of ‘community’ or ‘congregation.’ Up to now the people have been identified as ‘Hebrews’ or ‘sons of Israel,’ but from now on they are constituents of a unique assembly; they will be exclusively bound together by this Passover experience into the ‘edah’.” Each house is to select a lamb on the tenth day of Abib. (v.3) If a household is too small for a whole lamb, then those of that house may share with their neighbor. The lamb should also be large enough that there are plenty of portions for all the members of the house. (v.4) If a lamb is not available, then a goat may be used. (v.5) It’s to be an unblemished male of a year old, and it must be separated from the flock for three days. (v.6) During this time he must be observed and examined to make sure that he is perfect. On the fourteenth day of Abib, at twilight, the lamb is to be killed. The Exodus narrative, as well as the ordination of the Passover, is riddled with typologies and symbology of us today as sinners and Jesus Christ as our savior. Just as God delivered His chosen people from their slavery in Egypt and instituted the first Passover, so Jesus Christ was born into this world so that He could die on a cross so that we today might have deliverance from the bondage of sin and death. It was no coincidence that God required the Israelites to select a perfect lamb. Jesus Christ is intentionally referred to in the New Testament as the “Lamb of God”, the ultimate fulfillment of the lamb that was used in the blood sacrifices of the Old Testament as atonement for sins. (Genesis 22:7-8, Exodus 20:24, Isaiah 53:7, Ezekiel 45:15, John 1:29, 36, Hebrews 9:13-14, 1 Peter 1:18-19, Revelation 5:12-13) Just as the children of Israel were born in Egypt, so are we born in sin (Genesis 3:7, Psalm 51:5.) We are captives, slaves to the flesh and the god of this world, and we need a savior. Jesus Christ is that savior. (Romans 6:12-14, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11) It’s also worth noting here that Jesus spent three days in the tomb following his crucifixion, just as all of Egypt spent three days in darkness. At the end of those three days, following the slaying of the perfect lamb, the Israelites were delivered from bondage into freedom. When Christ arose from the dead on the third morning, we today are delivered from the darkness and slavery of sin into the glorious dawn of liberty and new life in Christ. But that’s only if we first accept the shed blood of Jesus and surrender to Him as Lord and Savior, just as the Israelites had to first follow God’s commands regarding the slaying of the lamb and then painting the blood on the side posts and lintel of the door of every house. Verses 7-13: The blood of the slain lamb is to be applied to the side posts and upper post of the door of every house wherein the lamb was eaten. (v.7) The lamb itself is to be roasted in fire, not boiled (v.9), seasoned with bitter herbs and eaten with unleavened bread. (v.8) The roasting in fire foreshadows Christ’s suffering on the cross, as does the fact that the lamb is to be roasted whole. (v.9) No bones are to be broken (v.46) (Numbers 9:12), also significant as Christ would have none of his bones broken while hanging on the cross. (Psalm 34:20, John 19:33, 36) The bitter herbs are to remind the Israelites of the bitterness of their slavery in Egypt. The unleavened bread eaten here is significant for two reasons. One, this whole meal is to be prepared in haste for the exodus from Egypt is happening this same night and so there’s no time to allow the bread to properly rise before baking, which usually takes a few hours. (Deuteronomy 16:3-4) Two, leaven is often used in scripture to represent sin. The apostle Paul made this direct connection in 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 and Galatians 5:9. Jesus used the example of leaven in bread to represent the hypocrisy and false doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees. (Matthew 16:11-12, Mark 8:15, Luke 12:1) Nothing of the lamb is to remain after the meal. Whatever is not eaten is to be burned in the fire. (v.10) The meal is to be eaten in haste, with all members of the household dressed and ready to leave as soon as it’s over. (v.11) This verse concludes with the phrase, “…it is the Lord’s passover.” Verses 12-13 explain the significance of the entire meal and its methods of preparation as well as the painting of blood on the doorposts. God is executing judgment against all of the false gods of Egypt. He has that right because He is the one true God. “I am the Lord.” (v.12) Each plague thus far has been a judgment against one or two of the specific false gods, and this tenth judgment is to be the final, definitive proof of just how impotent and unreal are all the mythical gods of the Egyptians. The reason that the children of Israel are to have their loins girded, their shoes on their feet and their staffs in hand while eating the passover meal is because as soon as the Egyptians discover their dead sons, they will drive out the Israelites immediately. They will not wait until morning. (Exodus 6:1) The blood on the doorposts will protect the children of Israel from God’s wrath and judgment. “…I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you…” (v.13) Just as our sins today are covered under the blood of Christ when we accept Him as our Lord and Savior, so God’s chosen people were saved from judgment by the blood of the Passover lamb. Verses 14-20: The feast of the Passover is not just to be eaten on one night. It is a memorial feast that will, henceforth, be celebrated for one week. (v.15) It would begin on the fourteenth day of Abib, lasting until the 21st day, and only unleavened bread would be eaten. (v.18, 20) No leaven was to be found anywhere in the houses where this feast would be observed. Whoever did not honor the requirements of this meal would be “…cut off from Israel.” (v.15, 19) That phrase, “cut off”, means that the person or persons would be “…removed from the blessing and protection of the community”, according to my Moody Bible commentary. (Genesis 17:14, Numbers 9:13) As noted earlier, God used leaven here to represent sin. This was the first major step in the process of marking off and separating His chosen people from all the other nations and cultures around them, especially those of the promised land to which He would be leading them. From the first day of this holy week to the seventh, all leaven is to be purged and cleansed from every Israelite house. All other activities of normal life for this one week are to be suspended, and everyone’s focus is to be on this memorial feast. (v.16) The Israelites were to remember for all generations to come what God had done here on this night for His chosen people. (v.14, 17) The efforts to remove all leaven from the house represented the cleansing of hearts from sin and helped to keep the focus of the Israelites on God and His holiness. That’s why it would be a grievous sin to ignore God’s command and eat bread that was made with yeast. (v.15, 19) God repeats this ordination for emphasis in verse 20: “Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread.” It’s important to note here that God was not saving the Israelites just so that they could then go off to some other land and enjoy the blessings and freedom apart from Him. I briefly alluded to this in my commentary of chapter 3. Ever since revealing Himself to Abraham and initiating that covenant with him, God’s plan was always to develop and cultivate a relationship with Abraham’s seed. This Passover Feast, which was to be observed annually, was the first major step in the creation of that ongoing relationship with the Israelites. As we will see later in Exodus and Leviticus, God will be instituting many other feasts and traditions for the Israelites that will even further cement this special relationship between them and Him. Verses 21-28: Moses then relays all of the commands from God regarding the selection and preparation of the lamb, the painting of blood on the doorposts, and the details of the Passover Feast to the congregation of Israel. In verses 24-27, he reminds them of the reason why they would be celebrating this week-long feast every year: that their children and their children’s children may know of what God will do for His chosen people this night. (Exodus 10:2, Deuteronomy 32:7, Joshua 4:6, Psalm 78:6) Verses 29-33: As God promised to both Moses and Pharaoh, He passes through Egypt at midnight, and the firstborn of Pharaoh all the way down to the eldest of the captive slave in the dungeon, as well as the firstborn of all the cattle, is slain. (v.29) There is not a single house in all of Egypt where there is not one dead. (v.30) This includes the valley of Goshen. In the houses of the Israelites, the death was the Passover lamb instead of the firstborn son. That death, a substitutionary sacrifice of shed blood, averted the judgment of God. The obvious picture here is, once again, a foreshadowing of Christ’s death on the cross once and for all as the substitutionary atonement for our sins, thus providing us a way of eternal salvation and escape of God’s wrath. Pharaoh immediately summons Moses and Aaron and, just as God predicted (Exodus 3:20, 6:1), he tells them to go. “Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel…” (v.31) “Also, take your flocks and your herds…” (v.32) Pharaoh wanted every last Israelite, along with all their livestock, out of his land and away from his people as soon as possible. This, too, was just as Moses had predicted in his meeting with Pharaoh earlier that evening. (Exodus 10:9, 26) Also, incidentally, Pharaoh was wrong in his prediction earlier that evening. (Exodus 10:28) Not only is this his final meeting with Moses, but Moses is most certainly not going to die. Pharaoh’s last words to Moses and Aaron are, “Bless me also.” (v.32) But, as with all his previous false confessions of repentance, we can safely assume that his heart is not genuinely softened towards God, even after the loss of his firstborn son. He still does not truly believe. He is only sorrowful over the death of his son, still completely missing the point of God’s judgment and wrath against him and all his people. We know this because of the final confrontation between the Egyptians and the Israelites at the Red Sea. (Exodus 14) Not just Pharaoh, but all of Egypt is insistent that the children of Israel get out of the land as soon as possible. They are now even more terrified of the Hebrew nation and their God than ever before. “…We be all dead men.” (v.33) Verses 34-39: The Israelites depart Egypt in such haste that the bread for the next day’s meal doesn’t have time to rise, nor is there time to properly pack up their utensils and other things. (v.34, 39) And also, just as God had predicted, the Israelites find “…favor in the sight of the Egyptians…” (v.35-36) in that the Egyptians give the children of Israel silver, gold, clothing and other supplies for their exodus. (Exodus 3:21-22) Note from my study Bible: “The phrases ‘borrowed of the Egyptians’ and ‘they lent unto them’ does not imply any deception on the part of the Israelites. Both ‘borrowed’ and ‘lent’ come from the same Hebrew word, with the first commonly translated ‘asked’ and the second being rendered as ‘handed over’, as it is in a different stem. This was not merely conscience money for the Jews’ generations of slave labor. It had been promised to Abraham long before in Genesis 15:14.” In the early hours of the morning of the fifteenth day of Abib, the children of Israel, now numbering about six hundred thousand, (Exodus 38:26, Numbers 1:46, 2:32, 11:21), not including the women and children, journey from Rameses to Succoth. (Genesis 47:11, Exodus 1:11, Numbers 33:3, 5) That puts the current total population of this fledgling nation at approximately two to two-and-a-half million, according to the Moody Bible Commentary. It’s no wonder that the Pharaoh from Exodus 1 says in verse 9, “…Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we…”! Nor is it just the Israelites that leave Egypt this day. Verse 38 mentions that “…a mixed multitude went up also with them…”. This is most likely some of the Egyptians that had come to believe in the one true God (Exodus 9:20), as well as some of the other slaves of the Egyptians, and possibly some other criminals and malcontents that seized upon the opportunity to escape judgment from the law, according to my study Bible. Some of this “mixed multitude” will eventually cause trouble for the children of Israel. (Numbers 11:4) Verses 40-51: The total years of the Israelites’ bondage in Egypt was 430. (v.40-41) (Genesis 15:13, Acts 7:6) Once again, God stipulates to Moses and Aaron that the Passover meal, with all of its ordinances and rituals, is to be observed each year hence by the children of Israel for all generations. (v.42) He then adds provisions for the non-Israelite that wishes to partake of the Passover. As long as that gentile is part of the Israelite household, i.e. a “…servant that is bought for money…” (v.44), and provided he has been circumcised, he may partake of the Passover meal. But a foreigner or a hired servant are forbidden, meaning that any outsider who does not intend to become a permanent resident among the children of Israel cannot participate in any of the rituals nor eat any of the Passover meal. (v.45) (Leviticus 22:10-11) However, if a stranger who is visiting an Israelite household for a time wishes to participate, he and all his sons must first be circumcised and then he/they may eat of the meal and observe the rituals. (v.48) (Numbers 9:14) The same law – and its subsequent blessings and provisions – would apply to both the “…homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.” (v.49) Furthermore, none of the Passover lamb is to be taken outside of the house. The meat is to be eaten only within that home where it is prepared and cooked. (v.46) God also gives one last reminder to Moses and Aaron that none of the lamb’s bones are to be broken at any time during the meal’s preparation. The children of Israel do all that God commands Moses and Aaron, both in the initial preparation and eating of the Passover meal on their last night in Egypt, as well as in the early morning hours of the next day as they quickly depart the land of Egypt in a single mass exodus. (v.50) Thus, “…the Lord did bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their armies.” (v.51) |
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