The song of Moses (vs. 1-19)—It must have been a tremendous relief and joy for the children of Israel finally to be out from under the oppression of Egypt and its tyrannical Pharaoh. Moses’ song is an expression of that rejoicing. It is largely a poetic rendition of what God did to the Egyptians. It starts out, as it should, with a recognition that it was Jehovah Who threw “the horse and its rider…into the sea” (v. 1). He thus is worthy of praise and exaltation (v. 2). Verse 3, “The Lord is a man of war” must be understood in poetic framework in which it is written; He makes war on His enemies when He needs to.
Pharaoh and “his chosen captains” certainly learned that and were “drowned in the Red Sea” (v. 4). Verse 5’s ”they sank to the bottom like a stone” is picturesque. The Lord “dashed the enemy in pieces” (v. 6), and overthrew “those who rose against You” by “the greatness of Your excellence” (v. 7). “With the blast of Your nostrils the waters were gathered together” (v. 8). The Egyptians pursued in vain (v. 9) because “You blew with Your wind” and “they sand like lead in the mighty waters” (v. 10). There is no god like Jehovah, “glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders” (v. 11). By His mercy He led His people forth (v. 13). The nations around “will hear and be afraid”—Philistia, Edom, Moah, Canaan—“trembling will take hold of them” and they “will melt away” (vs. 14-15). “Fear and dread will fall on them” until the Lord brings His people into the land He promised them (vs. 16-17). “The LORD shall reign forever and ever" (v. 18). A victory song of beauty and power.
Miriam’s dance and song (vs. 20-21)—Moses’ and Aaron’s sister adds her elation to the celebration, “and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances” (v. 21). Another short song sung by Miriam is recorded in verse 21.
Getting water in the wilderness (vs. 22-27)—Providing enough water in a desert wilderness for the tremendous host of people and livestock that left Egypt was going to be a continual problem, and the Lord will have to work miraculously more than once to solve it. In this case, after leaving the Red Sea, “they went three days in the wilderness and found no water” (v. 22). Storing and carrying water would not be easy, so they would depend upon natural sources. They came to a place called Marah—or perhaps they gave it that name, which means “bitter” because that’s how the water there tasted. The people complained “against Moses” (v. 24)—blaming him—asking what they would drink. A fair question, but not the complaining. Why could they not simply ask, in faith, trusting that the Lord would provide? These people would never do that. Moses took the issue before the Lord, Who “showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet” (v. 25). He then put a test before the people: “"If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you” (v. 26). Unfortunately, the children of Israel miserably failed the exam.
They traveled on to a place called Elim, where they found “twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees.” Sounds like a lovely place, and they camped there for awhile (v. 27).
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Exodus 14
God’s instructions on where to camp (vs. 1-4)—Jehovah told Moses that He wanted them to camp “before Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, opposite Baal Zephon; you shall camp before it by the sea” (v. 1). The exact location of many of these ancient places has been lost to us. The Lord had one last mighty act of power He wanted to show the Israelites concerning Pharaoh, and that would take place at this location.
Pharaoh’s change of heart (vs. 5-9)—The man never learned. After all he had seen and all that had happened, “the heart of Pharaoh and his servants was turned against the people; and they said, ‘Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?’” (v. 5). So he took ”six hundred choice chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt with captains over every one of them” (v. 7), and took out after the children of Israel.
The frightened people (vs. 10-14)—When the Israelites saw the Egyptians approaching, they were no doubt frightened, but as they often did, showed no faith in God. They complained to Moses and said they would rather had stayed in Egypt: “Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, 'Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians?' For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness" (v. 12). Most told them not to be afraid, that they would “see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today” (v. 13). This would be the last time they would see the Egyptians.
The crossing of the Red Sea (vs. 15-31)—The Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me?” (v. 15), probably as a rebuke to the people—“Why are you complaining?”, again, an evidence of their lack of faith. He told Moses to stretch his hand over the sea and it would be divided (v. 16). And then the Israelites could cross. The Egyptians would foolishly try to follow but the Lord would “gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, his chariots, and his horsemen” (v. 17), one last evidence to both peoples of the power and might of Jehovah. Until the Israelites could cross, an “Angel of God” came between the two camps, and gave darkness to one and light to the other, “so that the one did not come near the other all that night” (v. 20). The Lord again protects His people.
The waters of the Red Sea were parted, which must have been an incredible sight. The Lord used a powerful east wind to keep them in place all night (v. 21). And “the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left” (v. 22). The Lord then allowed the Egyptians to pursue (v. 23), to their own doom. He initially discomfited them by removing their chariot wheels, which made movement extremely difficult (v. 25), and then, once all Israel was safely on the eastern side of the sea, He returned the waters to their “full depth” (v. 27), and the army of Pharaoh was destroyed. “Not so much as one of them remained” (v. 28). “So the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore” (v. 30). For the moment—and only for the moment, “the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD and His servant Moses” (v. 31). This group that left Egypt was one of the most fickle, aggravating body of people who ever lived, as we shall sea. And only two of them would receive God’s promise to enter the Promised Land.
A note about the Red Sea. The Hebrew name for it is yam suph, which actually is better translated “Sea of Reeds,” and a lot of modern Bible scholars are using that translation. Where it got the name “Red Sea” is unknown, because the waters certainly aren’t that color. The name perhaps came from its banks, or from a nearby tribe who was called “the red people.” The sea is about 1400 miles and, at its greatest width, 210 miles. It stretches all the way down to the Gulf of Suez. Actually, today, the Suez canal connects the Mediterranean Sea and the Gulf of Suez. Until the canal was built, the Mediterranean Sea and the Gulf of Suez did not fully connect by water, so ships had to circumnavigate Africa to get from Europe to the Far East. The Suez Canal cuts that journey down by thousands of miles.
Pharaoh’s change of heart (vs. 5-9)—The man never learned. After all he had seen and all that had happened, “the heart of Pharaoh and his servants was turned against the people; and they said, ‘Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?’” (v. 5). So he took ”six hundred choice chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt with captains over every one of them” (v. 7), and took out after the children of Israel.
The frightened people (vs. 10-14)—When the Israelites saw the Egyptians approaching, they were no doubt frightened, but as they often did, showed no faith in God. They complained to Moses and said they would rather had stayed in Egypt: “Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, 'Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians?' For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness" (v. 12). Most told them not to be afraid, that they would “see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today” (v. 13). This would be the last time they would see the Egyptians.
The crossing of the Red Sea (vs. 15-31)—The Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me?” (v. 15), probably as a rebuke to the people—“Why are you complaining?”, again, an evidence of their lack of faith. He told Moses to stretch his hand over the sea and it would be divided (v. 16). And then the Israelites could cross. The Egyptians would foolishly try to follow but the Lord would “gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, his chariots, and his horsemen” (v. 17), one last evidence to both peoples of the power and might of Jehovah. Until the Israelites could cross, an “Angel of God” came between the two camps, and gave darkness to one and light to the other, “so that the one did not come near the other all that night” (v. 20). The Lord again protects His people.
The waters of the Red Sea were parted, which must have been an incredible sight. The Lord used a powerful east wind to keep them in place all night (v. 21). And “the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left” (v. 22). The Lord then allowed the Egyptians to pursue (v. 23), to their own doom. He initially discomfited them by removing their chariot wheels, which made movement extremely difficult (v. 25), and then, once all Israel was safely on the eastern side of the sea, He returned the waters to their “full depth” (v. 27), and the army of Pharaoh was destroyed. “Not so much as one of them remained” (v. 28). “So the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore” (v. 30). For the moment—and only for the moment, “the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD and His servant Moses” (v. 31). This group that left Egypt was one of the most fickle, aggravating body of people who ever lived, as we shall sea. And only two of them would receive God’s promise to enter the Promised Land.
A note about the Red Sea. The Hebrew name for it is yam suph, which actually is better translated “Sea of Reeds,” and a lot of modern Bible scholars are using that translation. Where it got the name “Red Sea” is unknown, because the waters certainly aren’t that color. The name perhaps came from its banks, or from a nearby tribe who was called “the red people.” The sea is about 1400 miles and, at its greatest width, 210 miles. It stretches all the way down to the Gulf of Suez. Actually, today, the Suez canal connects the Mediterranean Sea and the Gulf of Suez. Until the canal was built, the Mediterranean Sea and the Gulf of Suez did not fully connect by water, so ships had to circumnavigate Africa to get from Europe to the Far East. The Suez Canal cuts that journey down by thousands of miles.
Exodus 13
Consecration of the firstborn (vs. 1-2, 11-16)—The Lord told Moses to “consecrate to Me all the firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and beast; it is Mine” (v. 2). Jehovah, demands, and deserves, the first and the best. How often do we give Him whatever is leftover or convenient for us? Verse 11 says it is the males who are to be consecrated. Donkeys—which weren’t as numerous and were more valuable—could be redeemed with a lamb; in others words, substituted. This also may have to do with the donkey being unclean, for Numbers 18:15 reads “the firstling of an unclean beast shalt thou redeem.” How the son is to be redeemed will be explained later in the law. In this section, the Lord simply explains why He wants this done: “So it shall be, when your son asks you in time to come, saying, 'What is this?' that you shall say to him, 'By strength of hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage” (v. 14). The Lord killed the firstborn of Egypt, thus He wants the firstborn of Israel (v. 15). It was to be a perpetual reminder of their deliverance from bondage (v. 16).
The Passover to be kept (vs. 3-10)—This feast was the most important established for the Israelites, so the Lord will emphasize it more than once. Again the command that “no leavened bread shall be eaten” is reiterated (v. 3). There is not a detailed account of the feast here; as with the instructions concerning the firstborn, the Lord here tells the people why He wants this feast kept: “And you shall tell your son in that day, saying, 'This is done because of what the LORD did for me when I came up from Egypt.' It shall be as a sign to you on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the LORD'S law may be in your mouth; for with a strong hand the LORD has brought you out of Egypt” (vs. 8-9). Just as, for the Christian, the weekly observance of the Lord’s Supper is to be a reminder of what Christ did for us on the cross (Acts 20:7; I Cor. 11:23-26)—i.e., deliverance from the bondage of sin--even so the Passover was to remind Israel of its deliverance from the bondage of slavery. Indeed, Christ is “our Passover” (I Cor. 5:7). For Israel, the Passover feast was to be kept every year (v. 10).
Israel’s initial travels (vs. 17-22)—The most direct route from Egypt to the land of Canaan would be along the Mediterranean coast (see any map of the region). But that would lead the people through the land of the Philistines, a tough, warrior people whom Israel would fight for centuries. So “lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt” (v. 17), the Lord led the people across the Red Sea and into the wilderness of Sinai (v. 18). There was another rationale for this—He would give them the law on Mt. Sinai. Moses mentions (v. 19) that he took the bones of Joseph with him, something the reader might recall was requested by the great patriarch in Genesis 50:25). He wanted to be buried in the land of Canaan, which indeed did happen (Joshua 24:32). On their travels, God led the Israelites with a “pillar of cloud” by day and a “pillar of fire” by night (vs. 21-22).
The Passover to be kept (vs. 3-10)—This feast was the most important established for the Israelites, so the Lord will emphasize it more than once. Again the command that “no leavened bread shall be eaten” is reiterated (v. 3). There is not a detailed account of the feast here; as with the instructions concerning the firstborn, the Lord here tells the people why He wants this feast kept: “And you shall tell your son in that day, saying, 'This is done because of what the LORD did for me when I came up from Egypt.' It shall be as a sign to you on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the LORD'S law may be in your mouth; for with a strong hand the LORD has brought you out of Egypt” (vs. 8-9). Just as, for the Christian, the weekly observance of the Lord’s Supper is to be a reminder of what Christ did for us on the cross (Acts 20:7; I Cor. 11:23-26)—i.e., deliverance from the bondage of sin--even so the Passover was to remind Israel of its deliverance from the bondage of slavery. Indeed, Christ is “our Passover” (I Cor. 5:7). For Israel, the Passover feast was to be kept every year (v. 10).
Israel’s initial travels (vs. 17-22)—The most direct route from Egypt to the land of Canaan would be along the Mediterranean coast (see any map of the region). But that would lead the people through the land of the Philistines, a tough, warrior people whom Israel would fight for centuries. So “lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt” (v. 17), the Lord led the people across the Red Sea and into the wilderness of Sinai (v. 18). There was another rationale for this—He would give them the law on Mt. Sinai. Moses mentions (v. 19) that he took the bones of Joseph with him, something the reader might recall was requested by the great patriarch in Genesis 50:25). He wanted to be buried in the land of Canaan, which indeed did happen (Joshua 24:32). On their travels, God led the Israelites with a “pillar of cloud” by day and a “pillar of fire” by night (vs. 21-22).
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