Exodus 17

The whole congregation of the sons of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin to Rephidim. They did this because the Lord commanded the move and he orchestrated the move in stages. Later writings will reveal how the sons of Israel would move from one location to another in stages. There was no water at Rephidim and the people were thirsty. They had no means to lash out at the Lord, so they chose his human representative. Moses believed that the people were ready to stone him; therefore, he called out to the Lord for help. The Lord told Moses to pass before the people (this was so that they would see what was going on) and bring with him some of the elders. Moses was to take in his hand the staff with which he struck the Nile. Moses was to meet the Lord at Horeb. 

“Horeb (“desert”), a range of mountains on the Sinai Peninsula, of which Mount Sinai is the highest (Ex. 17:6); now called the Serbal range.” (BBC) 

The Lord stood before Moses on the rock at Horeb and Moses struck the rock with the staff and water came out of it. The people wanted to stone moses but it was the Lord who stood on the rock that Moses struck and water came poring out. 

Jesus was taken to the place of the skull, (Jn. 19:17) there they crucified him. (Jn. 19:18) One of the soldiers stuck his side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. (Jn. 19:34) 

Moses named the place test and quarrel because the sons of Israel quarreled with him and they tested the Lord. So, instead of Moses being stoned, it was the Lord. Moses struck at the place where the Lord stood before him and water came out of the stone. 

Rephidim was the location of Israel’s first battle with the inhabitants of Canaan. Amalek was a descendant of Esau through Esau’s son Eliphaz and a concubine named Timna. (Gn 36:12) Amalek attacked the sons of Israel and the sons of Israel defeated Amalek. When Moses held up the staff of God in his hand, the sons of Israel prevailed but when he let down the staff, Amalek prevailed; therefore, Aaron and Hur supported Moses. Joshua was commander of the Israelite army. The Lord told Moses to write down in a book this prophecy and recite it to Joshua. “I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” (Ex. 17:14) We only know about Amalek because his name is written in Scripture but his people are no more.

Exodus 16

The people departed from the place of twelve springs and seventy fruit producing palms and came to the wilderness of Sin. It is appropriately named because there they sinned against the Lord; the whole congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron for taking them out of Egypt. They believed that they were better off in Egypt than to die of hunger in the wilderness. 

This was sin against the Lord because it was the Lord who took the sons of Israel out of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness; therefore, it was the Lord whom they grumbled against. The Lord told Moses that for six days, in the morning he will rain bread from heaven and in the evening he will provide meat. However, the Lord did this to test the sons of Israel, whether they would listen to his commands or not.  The Law does not justify anyone but gives us the knowledge of sin; the Law closes our mouth and makes us accountable to God. (cf. Rom. 3:19, 20) The Law shows us that we need the mercy and grace of God to be justified in his sight. (cf. Gal. 3:24) 

The Lord gave a new commandment regarding the gathering of bread rained from heaven in the morning and the meat in the evening. This commandment was given to test the sons of Israel. In the evening, the Lord covered the camp with quails, and in the morning, he covered the camp with a flake like substance. It was said to be like coriander seed, white, and it tasted like a sweet wafer. The commandment of the Lord regarding the bread from heaven and the quails was that they each gather no more than they could eat on that day, but on the sixth day, each was to gather enough for two days, and rest on the seventh day.

Did they do as the Lord commanded? Some gathered more than they needed for a single day and what was leftover spoiled during the night, so, nonetheless, they had to gather again the next day. Some did not gather twice as much on the sixth day as the Lord commanded; therefore, they went out looking on the seventh day. The people failed to observe the commandment of the Lord. This is how the sabbath rest was established. It was a test. Would the sons of Israel trust the Lord to provide daily for their needs, provide twice as much as they needed on the sixth and would they rest on the seventh day?

The amount needed for a single day was an omer: “a handful, one-tenth of an ephah=half a gallon dry measure.” (EBD) The people named the flake like substance manna. The Lord commanded Moses and Aaron to keep an omerful of it, in a jar, throughout their generations as a remembrance of the Lord’s provision in the wilderness. Aaron would place it before the testimony, which at this point in the story is yet to come. The sons of Israel lived on the manna provided by the Lord for forty years. 

Exodus 15

Moses and the sons of Israel sang a praise song to the Lord for his defeat of Pharaoh and his army. Miriam, who is mentioned as Aaron’s sister and a prophetess, led the women with tambourines, dancing and singing to the Lord. Miriam is the first prophetess mentioned in Scripture and shows her as the leader of the women of Israel.  Though all listened to Moses, for he spoke to the Lord and Aaron was their High Priest, Miriam ministered to the women , for she was a prophetess. 

The sons of Israel sang to the Lord because he defeated the Egyptian army who rode to battle on horseback . It seems that a mounted army was fearful but the Lord is exalted because he is stronger than the mightiest army of men. The men declare: The Lord is my salvation.  It should be noted that the Hebrew word used (יְשׁוּעָה yeshuah) means salvation. A very close name is (יְהוֹשׁוּעַ Yehoshua) “the LORD is salvation,” which will be used later for Moses successor. This is also the Hebrew name for Jesus. Therefore, Moses and the sons of Israel are actually declaring in song that Jesus is my God and my father’s God. 

From this point on, the Lord is spoken of in song as a warrior. It is the righthand of the Lord which is majestic in power and shatters the enemy of his people. The enemy may have plans to destroy the people of God but the Lord is mightier than any foe. There is no other gods like the Lord. All the nations tremble because of what the Lord did at the reed sea. It is spoken here, that the Lord redeemed his people, he purchased them out of slavery. The Lord reigns forever and ever. The salvation of the Lord is redemption.

Moses led Israel from the Reed Sea to the wilderness of Shur. This is the sight of the people’s first grumbling. They had traveled three days to find water but when they came to Marah, the water was unpalatable; therefore, they became bitter and named the place bitter. Moses, however, cried out to the Lord and the Lord showed him a tree that made the water palatable. Whatever the fix, the meaning is that the Lord provided for their needs in the wilderness. This was the first test for them as his covenantal people. Will they trust the Lord and observe all that he commands them? The Lord vows that if they will, he will not plague them with any of the diseases that he put on the Egyptians. Thus, the Lord gives an  I AM statement, much like the I AM statements that Jesus gave in “The Gospel According to John;” for the Lord said to the sons of Israel, “I AM your healer.” Jesus Christ demonstrated himself to be the Son of God when he went about healing the people of their diseases.  

The Lord led the people to Elim. Elim was an oasis in the wilderness. At Elim were twelve springs of water and seventy fruit producing palms. Jesus feed five thousand men with five barley loaves and two fish and there was enough leftovers to fill twelve baskets. (cf. Jn.6:1-14)  It should also be noted that this miracle took place on the shores of the sea of Galilee. Israel camped beside the twelve springs of Elim while being feed from the fruit producing palms. 

Exodus 14

The Lord had the people turn back and camp in front of Baal-zephon, by the sea. “Baal Zephon is connected to Tahpanhes in Jeremiah 44:1; 46:14, in turn identified as Tell Dafana, about twenty miles west of Sile. If they camped near here, Lake Balah would be the closest sea. (IVP BBC OT) This gave the appearance to Pharaoh and his servants that there was no intention to the Israelites movements. They were aimlessly wondering. The Lord had them do this to get Pharaoh to chase after them. He did this so that the Egyptians would know that “I AM.” What the Lord planned to do, not only eventuated in the belief of the Egyptians but in the belief of the Israelites and in his servant Moses. Pharaoh and his servants had benefited greatly by the service of Israel in Egypt. Realizing their loss of laborers, Pharaoh sent his army after the sons of Israel. The sons of Israel were on foot but the Egyptians chased after them with horses and chariots. They overtook them at the Israelite camp site in front of Baal-zephon beside the sea. 

The situation must have seemed hopeless to the sons of Israel. They called on the name of the Lord to aide them but lashed out at his servant Moses for leading them to their death. They believed that slavery was better than death. The Christian is often faced with this, continue in the ways of the world and the world has no problem with you but flee from the world, they will try to bring you back and even kill you. However, is slavery to sin better than the promise of eternal life in the new heaven and new earth, even if that means suffering and death in this world?

Moses told the sons of Israel to wait and see what the Lord does for them. The Lord told Moses to lift up his staff and stretch out his hand over the sea. When he did, the sea was swept back by a strong east wind. No amount of wind could eventuate in splitting a sea; therefore, no natural occurrence could explain the parting of the sea. The angel of God, who was in a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day, came between Pharaoh’s army and the sons of Israel. Somehow darkness came upon Pharaoh’s army; therefore, they could not see were they were going, which aloud the sons of Israel time to get away.

Recently, I visited the brethren in the country of Cuba and this text has a great appeal for them that someone living in the U.S.A does not understand. American law regarding people fleeing from Cuba: If the Cuban makes it to dry land, he/she is not sent back to Cuba, but if the Cuban is found floating at sea, he/she is sent back to Cuba. The Cuban understands that making it across the sea on dry land means salvation. 

The Lord saved the sons of Israel but pharaoh’s army meet their death at sea. “The sons of Israel walked on dry land through the midst of the sea, and the waters were like a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.” The sons of Israel were saved in the midst of the sea because the Lord gave them dry land to walk on. When they saw the power of the Lord, the people of Israel revered the Lord and they believed in him and in his servant Moses. Salvation has an assume effect on a person!

Exodus 13

The first born from every womb is special to the Lord. The Lord formed the first man from the dust of the earth and breathed life into his nostrils. The Lord fashioned woman from the first man. (Gn.2:7, 22) Every man since the first man came into the world through his mother’s womb. (Gn.3:20) Therefore, the firstborn is holy to the Lord. So that the people remember how the Lord redeemed the first born sons of Israel in Egypt, they are to redeem the first born. The first born of the clean animals are to be sacrificed (eaten) and the first born of a beast of burden, like the donkey, who was unclean for sacrifice was to be substituted with a clean animal or his neck broken and the life of the animal wasted. This entire system of redemption and sacrifice points us to the Lord Jesus Christ, imputation, and his substitutionary atonement on the cross. “The month of Abib spans our March and April. It is the ancient name for what was later called Nisan in the Israelite calendar.” (IVP BBC OT) It is in this month that the Israelite was to remember how the Lord redeemed them and took them out of Egypt. For seven days they were to celebrate the feast of unleavened bread and their houses were to be free of leaven. This demonstrates that redeemed people should not be corrupted by the things of this world. 

The Hebrew word (סוּף suph), has been translated into English, “Red Sea;” however, the literal translation of the word is “Sea of Reeds.” (NASB Strong’s (Lockman)) The most direct route from Egypt to the land of Canaan was a route called, “The way of Horus.” However, the route was a busy thoroughfare, being a sort of highway and was under constant surveillance by the Egyptian Army. (BBC) For their protection, the Lord took them on a more southern route, which would have taken the Israelites to the bitter lakes. At the time of the Exodus, there would have been a series of natural lakes between the Gulf of Suez and the Mediterranean sea: Lake Timsah, Lake Balah, and Lake Menzaleh. (IVP BBC OT) 

When they departed from Egypt, the sons of Israel took the bones of Joseph with them, as he had requested of them before his death, when he prophesied that the Lord would visit them. (cf. Gn.50:24, 25) The Lord led the Israelites by a visible pillar, a cloud by day and a fire by night. The glory of the Lord went before them. This is a look forward to the incarnation of God into human flesh: “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (Jn.1:14, NASB95) 

Exodus 12

The passover feast and the subsequent feast of unleavened bread are the greatest feast in the lives of the Israelite for two reasons: It is a remembrance that the Lord passed-over the Israelites when he judged the Egyptians. It is a remembrance that the Lord took them out of Egypt in haste. That month became the first month of the year for the sons of Israel. It should also be understood that a new day began when the sun set on the previous day; therefore, the passover lamb was sacrificed at twilight. The passover lamb was not to be shared with the uncircumcised. For this reason, each lamb was to be consumed by the members of a single household; however, provision was made for two smaller households sharing together in the feast. The calendar was a lunar calendar, which would mean thirteen months to a year and a week would become seven days. So, the festival would begin at twilight as the first full moon of the year was rising, then conclude after a week had passed. The blood on the lintel and two doorposts purified that household in the sight of the Lord. It was believed, by ancient people, that blood warred off evil spirits but blood used in purification was a new way of thinking. 

A batch of starter dough was used to leaven the next batch of dough and time was needed for the dough to rise before baking. The new dough was in the mixing bowls when Pharaoh sent the Israelites away; therefore, it was not leavened and had to be baked for food while traveling. Once they settled into the promised land, the Israelites were to eat unleavened bread for seven days, in remembrance, that the Lord took them out of Egypt in haste. 

Both the feast of the passover lamb and the feast of unleavened bread would be from this point on a memorial of redemption in the lives of the Israelite. The Lord passed-over the entire congregation on the night of judgment in Egypt and he led the Israelites out of Egypt as an entire congregation; therefore, it was observed with an assembly at the beginning and end of the week to celebrate the Lord’s passover of the sons of Israel and their exodus from Egypt. 

When the Egyptians saw that the first born had died in every household in Egypt, they rushed to send away the sons of Israel least they all die. The Egyptians lost great wealth when the Israelites departed. The sons of Israel took with them silver and gold from the land of Egypt. A very large assembly departed Egypt that night and traveled from Rameses to Succoth. This all occurred four hundred years after Jacob and his sons entered the land of Egypt. Thus, the word of the Lord was fulfilled, which he spoke to Jacob, in visions of the night, while he slept at Beersheba, in the land of Canaan, before the sons of Israel took their father and their little ones and their wives to Egypt. (cf.Gn.46:1-7) 

Exodus 11

The conversation between Moses and Pharaoh from the previous chapter concludes in this chapter. In Ex.10:28, Pharaoh told Moses, “Get away from me!” And told Moses that he could no longer see his face and live; however, before departing, Moses tells Pharaoh that it is Pharaoh’s son who will die and every first born son in Egypt will die. The Lord spoke to Moses either before coming to Pharaoh or while in Pharaoh’s presence. The Lord told Moses about the tenth and final plague; after which, Pharaoh will not only let the sons of Israel go but will drive them out. The Lord told Mose to tell the sons of Israel to ask for articles of silver and gold from their Egyptian neighbors. The text says, “The Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians.” As if the hearts of the Egyptians towards the sons of Israel and the hearts of Pharaoh’s servants towards Moses had been changed but Pharaoh’s heart was hardened to stone. All of the previous nine plagues that Moses warned Pharaoh about came to be; demonstrating, that the word of the Lord that Moses spoke is truth. Now, as Pharaoh is excluding Moses from face to face conversation, Moses tells Pharaoh about one last plague. The Lord is going out into the midst of Egypt, at midnight, and all the firstborn of Egypt shall die. The Lord will not make a distinction between the lowest servant and the king of Egypt’s first born, all well die; however, the Lord does make a distinction between the first born of the Egyptian and the first born of the Hebrew, none of the Hebrew first born will die. The fact that not even a dog will bark at the sons of Israel means peace (shalom) for the sons of Israel. In Ex.4:21-23, the Lord told Moses that after all of these plagues, Pharaoh’s heart would be hardened and in that text the Lord called Israel My Son, My firstborn. Then he told Moses that he, the Lord, will kill the first born son of Pharaoh. It is not that the Lord saw something good in the sons of Israel. (cf.Deut.7:6-8) He is a covenant making and a covenant keeping God. For reasons only known to God, he chose them; keeping the covenant that he made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.