Category Archives: Bible Study

Charting Israel’s Course, Exodus 13:17-14:9

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When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, ‘If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.’ So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of Egypt armed for battle.” –Exodus 13:17-18

You may read Exodus 13:17-14:9 here: Bible Gateway.

While Egypt buried its dead, the Hebrew slaves left as a free people.

The Israelites left Succoth and camped first at Ethan before going to Baal Zephon to camp by the sea.

The shortest route would have been the road crossing through the Philistine country. But, as stated in the opening verses, God reasoned that He didn’t want them to face war and lose heart. This sounds strange since verse 18 tells us “The Israelites went up out of Egypt armed for battle”.  Layman’s Bible Commentary helps clarify: “The expression used here has been understood to refer only to the orderly way in which the Israelites (nearly two million people, counting women and children) departed Egypt. Others understand that the Israelites did come out of Egypt at least partially armed, but all seem to agree that Israel was not at all prepared to fight a full-scale battle at this point in time.”

To me, the coolest part of Israel’s departure was how God led them. “By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night.  Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people,” (13:21-22).

The Israelites must have felt safe and secure with God leading them in this visible manifestation. However, they probably questioned Moses’ directional sense when he told them to turn back and camp near Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. But Moses was simply following God’s marching orders. Knowing that Pharaoh would think the Israelites are confused in the desert, God would harden Pharaoh’s heart and Pharaoh would predictably pursue them.

Sure enough, according to the NIV Life Application Study Bible, six hundred Egyptian war chariots bore down on the helpless Israelites as they found themselves trapped between the mountains and the sea (14:9).

But what appeared to be a foolish idea to the Israelites, God would use for His glory “and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD,” (v. 4).

Reflect

Have you ever felt like you were treading backwards instead of moving toward your intended goal? I know I have. In retrospect I can sometimes see how God’s direction, which seemed confusing at the time, ended in blessing. Other times, I’ve just had to trust that He is working everything out for my good since He sees the end journey from the beginning.

I admit, during the confusing times I’ve thought: if I only had an obvious directional sign—like God leading the Israelites in a pillar of cloud and fire—then I would know God’s will!  But then God reminds me that the Israelites didn’t own a direction manual like we have in the Bible. God manifested His presence to them not only to show His visible presence, but also to protect and lead them on their journey to the promised land.

I’m reminded that we are not only blessed with access to God’s Word, but we also have the same assurance of God’s presence and leading. For example, God’s Word tells us how to discern His will:

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will,” (Romans 12:2).

And though we can’t see God, we read in Scripture: “He himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.  God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being,’” (Acts 17:25-28).

And when I flip over to Psalm 9:10, I’m reminded that no matter what we face, the Lord never forsakes those who seek Him. What a great assurance! So when in doubt, reroute, to God and the Bible that is. When we seek and pray, He’ll light the way. . . . Have a great week!

The Passover, Exodus 12-13:16

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The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, “This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household. If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat.  The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the members of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight.  Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the door frames of the houses where they eat the lambs. That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast.” –Exodus 12:1-8

You may read Exodus 12-13:16 here: Bible Gateway.

God instituted the holiday of Passover. So begins God’s story of redemption, the central theme of the Bible. Redemption means “to buy back” or “to save from captivity by paying a ransom.” A slave could be purchased by offering an equivalent or superior slave in exchange. This is a picture of how God chose to buy us back from captivity to sin and spiritual death. But God didn’t purchase us with a superior slave.  Instead, He offered His perfect sinless Son so we could live with Him forever.

In Old Testament times, God accepted symbolic offerings: an animal’s life for the sinner’s life.

For the Israelites to be spared from the death plague, a lamb without defects had to be killed. God commanded its blood be placed on the door frames of each home. The innocent lamb was a substitute for the person who would have died in this final plague—another picture, or symbol, of Christ being our sacrificial Lamb.

God didn’t spare the firstborn of the Israelites because they were more righteous than the Egyptians, but rather by His grace alone. God also made provision for non-Israelites to participate in Passover if they acknowledged their faith in the Abrahamic Covenant, as demonstrated through circumcision (Genesis 17:9-14; Exodus 12:48-49). Since a large number of non-Israelites left Egypt with Israel (v 38), It’s likely that many Egyptians converted as a result of the plagues and were spared death through Passover’s provision.

The Passover is proof of God’s possession of Israel. The firstborn of Israel belonged to God as a result of the Passover, and all of Israel was God’s possession as a result of the Exodus. All of the commandments and requirements which God placed upon the Israelites were predicated upon the fact that they were a people who belonged to Him.” – Layman’s Bible Commentary

Like the redemption of the firstborn and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Passover was to become a permanent part of Israel’s religious liturgy (12:24-25). The Passover not only memorializes God’s mighty hand in Israel’s deliverance from slavery, but also serves as instruction and a reminder for Israel’s future generations (12:26-27; 13:8, 14-16).

Believers today also experience a deliverance and restoration to God. When Jesus came and ushered in the New Covenant, He made repeated animal sacrifice no longer necessary. His sacrificial death on the cross enables the believer’s redemption—deliverance from spiritual death and slavery to sin—through belief and trust in Him. By taking the penalty we deserve, Christ’s blood sacrifice covers us, sparing us from the spiritual death we deserve because of our sin (Titus 2:14; Hebrews 9:13-15, 23-26).

I found the following 38 minute video, “Christ in the Passover”, really interesting and insightful. David Brickner, Executive Director of Jews for Jesus, links the ancient Festival of Redemption and Christ as the Lamb of God in a meaningful visual sermon demonstration. If you have time, I encourage you to view it, especially as Passover draws closer. . . . Blessings!

Strike Ten: Death and Judgment, Exodus 11

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So Moses said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘About midnight I will go throughout Egypt. Every firstborn son in Egypt will die, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sits on the throne, to the firstborn son of the female slave, who is at her hand mill, and all the firstborn of the cattle as well. There will be loud wailing throughout Egypt—worse than there has ever been or ever will be again. But among the Israelites not a dog will bark at any person or animal.’”  -Exodus 11:4-7

The death of Egypt’s firstborn is the final plague that drives Pharaoh to release the Israelites.

(freebibleimages.org) You may read Exodus 11 here: Bible Gateway.

(freebibleimages.org)
You may read Exodus 11 here: Bible Gateway.

God’s judgment of sin is not a popular or comfortable subject. However, judgment is part of God’s divine revelation, although advocates for false religions will tell you otherwise. The plagues on Egypt—especially the slaughter of Egypt’s firstborn—don’t make for light reading. We’re reminded how seriously God takes sin. “This text insists that we examine and accept the meaning and application of God’s judgment at work in His creation and in the lives of His people,” (Layman’s Bible Commentary).

It’s good to keep in mind, however, that not all disasters and calamities are a result of sin. Job is a great example. His exemplary walk with God motivated Satan’s desire to destroy him. God, knowing how Job would respond, allowed Satan to fling his fiery afflictions on Job. But God used this adversity as a means of Job’s spiritual growth and immensely blessed him in the end.

God is not silent when punishing people for sin. “When He is silent at the time of the suffering of a saint, this is a test of faith, not an evidence of God’s judgment,” (Layman’s).

Layman’s Bible Commentary also observes the following perspectives on the severity of God’s judgment and the Egyptians:

  • God judged the gods of Egypt more than He did the Egyptians. Just as hell is the place prepared for Satan and his angels, so judgment here is for the Egyptian gods and whoever chooses to serve these gods.
  • God’s judgment may be intended to bring some of the Egyptians to a saving faith. The fact that some Egyptians leave Egypt with the Israelites (Exodus 12:38) gives substance to this possibility.
  • God’s judgment upon the Egyptians is the means of delivering His people from terrible bondage.
  • God’s judgment is poured out upon His own Son on the cross of Calvary, so that all mankind might be saved. God’s “severity” extended to His own Son. There was an alternative provided by God to suffering the plagues of Egypt—heeding God’s warning and doing as He commanded. God’s judgment could be avoided by faith and obedience.
  • Finally, these plagues are a prototype, a sample of God’s future judgment. They are like those which Israel will experience (Deuteronomy 28:27) if they disobey the law God is soon to give. There is much similarity between the plagues of Egypt and the plagues described in the book of Revelation, which are poured out upon the earth in the last days, preceding the return of the Lord. Thus, in Revelation we find the victorious tribulation saints singing the “song of Moses” (Revelation 15:3).

Next week, I’ll explore Israel’s first Passover in Exodus 12. . . . Have a great week!

Strike Nine: Darkness, Exodus 10:21-29

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Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that darkness spreads over Egypt—darkness that can be felt.’  So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darkness covered all Egypt for three days. No one could see anyone else or move about for three days. Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived.”  – Exodus 10:21-23 

(freeimages.com)

(freeimages.com)

I really can’t imagine being stuck in thick darkness for three days, nor do I want to. But the following story is my fictional piece of what it might have been like. You may read Exodus 10:21-29 here: Bible Gateway.

***

Pharaoh paced through the night as sleep evaded him. This morning, he would rid Moses and his slave brother once and for all. If it weren’t for them and their desert god, Egypt would still thrive as the most powerful and influential nation on earth. A prosperous nation resulting from his genius alone. For if it weren’t for him seizing the moment, Egypt would be no different from surrounding nations. But being a god gave him extraordinary vision. None of Egypt’s great cities would exist without his insight and direction. Didn’t he seize the opportunity by using the Hebrews? With zero down payment, the cities flourished. And wealth just his kept multiplying.

Until now.

Egypt’s rich, fertile land now lay in waste. What little vegetation remained after the hail soon became ravaged from the last plague of locusts.

Re the mighty sun-god should be rising by now. But Re did not rise in her glory. In fact—not that the Pharaoh or the Egyptians could accurately calculate—Re failed to dominate the Egyptian skies for three entire days. Instead, a heavy darkness fell upon the land. A darkness so thick that it could actually be felt, like being tangled in a damp heavy curtain on a cold rainy day.

Even the most jovial-hearted Egyptian couldn’t climb out of the deep pit of despair this newest plague inflicted.

None of the Egyptians dared leave their homes. For just to eat, drink, and relieve themselves proved to be the challenge of their lives. By the time it took Moses to reach Pharaoh—after being summoned—almost every Egyptian family had incurred some sort of injury due to their sudden loss of vision.

But the Israelites remained free from the dark pit that imprisoned the rest of Egypt.

“Go!” Pharaoh shouted to Moses. “Take your children, but leave your flocks and herds here.”

Moses replied in a flat, even tone: “Our livestock must go with us. For they are needed in the worship of our God.”

Pharaoh’s muscles knotted while wielding his sword. “Then you and your people will remain!” Stepping forward, he pressed the cold blade against Moses’ throat. “And if I ever see your face again, you’re as good as dead!”

Pharaoh’s threat only seemed to fuel Moses’ audacious stubbornness. “Fine, have it your way,” Moses said in a calm voice. But his face burned red before turning on his heel. “You shall never see my face again!”

Reflect

The NIV Life Application Study Bible notes: “As each gloomy plague descended on the land, the Egyptian people realized how powerless their own gods were to stop it. . . . Amon-Re, the sun-god and chief of the Egyptian gods, could not stop an eerie darkness from covering the land for three full days. . . . [In contrast to the Egyptian gods] the God of the Hebrews was: (1) a living personal Being, (2) the only true God, and (3) the only God who should be worshiped. God was proving to both the Hebrews and the Egyptians that He alone is the living and all-powerful God.”

Strike Eight: Locusts, Exodus 10:1-20

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The previous hailstorm plague had destroyed Ancient Egypt’s flax and barley crops. But the spelt and wheat crops hadn’t matured yet, until now (9:31). The locusts would claim these crops.

(source: freeimages.com)

(source: freeimages.com)

The italic excerpts in the following story are from The Message Bible translation. Everything else is my fictional retelling of this passage.

You may read Exodus 10:1-20 (The Message) here: Bible Gateway.

***

Pharaoh sighed. He longed for the days when he received envoys from foreign lands. Diplomats use to gape in awe at his wealth and amazing open buildings. But of late, his world was falling apart at the seams.

Shasu. Moses—the insolent white haired Hebrew with smoky eyes—entered his throne room with his slave brother unannounced once again. He hated that his own guards and people were beginning to favor Moses, as though he was some kind of dignitary.

He’d love to rid these two for good. But how does one bargain or fight against their god? This desert deity powerfully commands water, animals, insects, wind, storms, and disease. At least Re, the sun god still favored him. As long as Re rose in the morning, so would he!

Aaron spoke without permission: “God, the God of the Hebrews, says, ‘How long are you going to refuse to knuckle under? Release my people so that they can worship me. If you refuse to release my people, watch out; tomorrow I’m bringing locusts into your country. They’ll cover every square inch of ground; no one will be able to see the ground. They’ll devour everything left over from the hailstorm, even the saplings out in the fields—they’ll clear-cut the trees. And they’ll invade your houses, filling the houses of your servants, filling every house in Egypt. Nobody will have ever seen anything like this, from the time your ancestors first set foot on this soil until today,’” (vv. 3-5, The Message).

Moses and Aaron turned and left.

Pharaoh’s servants said to him, “How long are you going to let this man harass us? Let these people go and worship their God. Can’t you see that Egypt is on its last legs?”

 So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. He said to them, “Go ahead then. Go worship your God. But just who exactly is going with you?”

 Moses said, “We’re taking young and old, sons and daughters, flocks and herds—this is our worship-celebration of God.”

 He said, “I’d sooner send you off with God’s blessings than let you go with your children. Look, you’re up to no good—it’s written all over your faces. Nothing doing. Just the men are going—go ahead and worship God. That’s what you want so badly.” And they were thrown out of Pharaoh’s presence, (vv. 7-11).

Within the hour, a strong east wind blew in with a black, ominous cloud. The Egyptians held their breath, wondering what curse would befall them next. But it didn’t take long for everyone to realize this was no ordinary storm cloud looming over their land.

Locusts!

An army of whirring wings infiltrate and consume every building and field. So thick were the bugs, that the Egyptians couldn’t even see their neighbor. Every living plant that survived the hail storm was utterly demolished by millions of these ravenous creatures.

Pharaoh order Moses and Aaron be brought back to him.

He said, “I’ve sinned against your God and against you. Overlook my sin one more time. Pray to your God to get me out of this—get death out of here!”

 Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to God. God reversed the wind—a powerful west wind took the locusts and dumped them into the Red Sea. There wasn’t a single locust left in the whole country of Egypt.

But God made Pharaoh stubborn as ever. He still didn’t release the Israelites, (vv. 16-20).

Reflect

I didn’t include God’s instructions for Moses prior to meeting with Pharaoh (vs 1-2). But I think it’s worthy to note. God adds another reason for His powerful display of signs/plagues: “so you’ll be able to tell your children and grandchildren how I toyed with the Egyptians . . . . You’ll tell them the stories of the signs that I brought down on them, so that you’ll all know that I am God,” (MSG).

Warren Wiersbe writes (Be Delivered): “This purpose was also written into the Passover Feast. Whether in the family or the local church, it’s good for each new generation to learn and appreciate the way God has worked on behalf of previous generations.”

And although Pharaoh appears to humble himself before Moses and God in this passage, there is still no deal. . . . Have a wonderful week!