* Israel Prepares to Leave *

      During the Plague of Darkness the children of Israel, dwelling together in the land of Goshen, enjoyed normal sunlight each of the three days. It may have been at the beginning of this plague when the tenth day of Nisan arrived and the children of Israel selected their Passover lambs. The timing for this plan had been set in motion previously by God, when He proclaimed a new beginning to the sacred year.

      “Now the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, ‘This month shall be the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you.
      “‘Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: “On the tenth day of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of persons; according to each man’s need you shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats.”’”
(Ex. 12:1-5)

      Even though the children of Israel had been forced into the slavery of making bricks and building cities for Pharaoh, they still remained shepherds at heart. They had managed to maintain their herds and flocks, probably through the diligent efforts of the women and children, so sufficient lambs for the Passover did not seem to be an issue.
      True release from bondage began here, at this point, in the minds and hearts of the children of Israel when they determined to follow God’s instructions and set aside their lambs for sacrifice. This exemplifies the ultimate expression of religious freedom, which is to obey the Creator God of the universe no matter what the price. By agreeing to God’s command to select lambs for sacrifice, they bravely expressed their religious freedom while yet in the land of sin, idolatry and slavery. Why was it an act of bravery? Because to sacrifice a lamb was an extreme affront to the Egyptians, for the sheep and goats were also considered to be manifestations of some of their gods. In effect, the children of Israel were preparing to sacrifice the gods of the Egyptians.
      The power of the ancient pagan gods rested in the minds of the people who worshipped them. In all likelihood, the vast majority of Egyptians attributed the disasters of the last several months to the anger of the various gods who possibly were at war with one another. Thus, if one of the powerful gods became angry with the god of the Nile River, he might punish the Nile god by turning it’s waters into blood. Or, perhaps the god of the Nile was displeased with the people of Egypt and he turned himself into blood. Such was the reasoning of the ancient pagan mind.
      This being their mindset, it seems probable that the Egyptians saw the God of Israel as being another pagan deity who was far more powerful than any of their local gods. Therefore, they came to the place where their desire to have the children of Israel leave their midst and take their God with them, became stronger than their desire to retain their accumulated material wealth. it is also quite possible that the Egyptian people considered Moshe himself to be a god.
      As the Plague of Darkness receded, the children of Israel went out to receive from the Egyptian people that which God had previously instructed them to take.

      “And the LORD said to Moses, ‘I will bring yet one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt Afterward he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will surely drive you out of here altogether. Speak now in the hearing of the people, and let every man ask from his neighbor and every woman from her neighbor, articles of silver and articles of gold.’
      “And the LORD gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants and in the sight of the people.”
(Ex. 11:1-3)

~ The Passover ~

      The symbolism of the Passover and Exodus is profound, and it’s relationship to the sacrifice of the Messiah, and the conversion experience of the Believer, is extensive. This profound, extensive symbolism is exactly what God intended when He performed this mighty act of redemption for the children of Israel. He intended for it to become a festival season that would be observed throughout the generations, so that the children of Israel would never forget how God had redeemed them from their slavery in Egypt and made them His very own people. As we will see later, Passover was also considered to be a prophetic feast, foreshadowing the coming of the Messiah to redeem His people.

      “‘Now you shall keep it (the lamb) until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight (between the two evenings). And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it Then they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it Do not eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted in fire--its head with its legs and its entrails. You shall let none of it remain until morning, and what remains of it until morning you shall burn with fire.’”
(Ex. 12:6-10)

      An air of uncertainty must have been ripe among the firstborn children. No doubt they watched closely as their father took a hyssop branch and applied the blood to the doorposts and the lintel above the door of their home.

* The Manner of Roasting *

      A question sometimes arises as to the manner in which the animal was roasted, especially the details involving the entrails. The details are quite remarkable when one views them in light of the sacrifice of Yeshua HaMashiach.
      First of all, like all sacrifices, the lamb had to be properly bled, for the children of Israel were not to eat the blood, nor were they to eat meat that had not been properly bled.

      “Only be sure that you do not eat the blood, for the blood is the life; you may not eat the life with the meat. You shall not eat it; you shall pour it on the earth like water. You shall not eat it, that it may go well with you and your children after you, when you do what is right in the sight of the LORD.”
(Deut. 12:23-25)

      Once the lamb had been slain and bled (and the blood applied to the doorposts and lintel) the animal was gutted and skinned. A wooden stake was cut (in Temple days it was required to be of pomegranate wood) and inserted through the lamb from the mouth to the buttocks. The stake was then driven into the ground thus placing the lamb in an upright post. don. Sometimes a small piece of wood was inserted inside the lamb to spread the sides apart, thereby allowing heat from the fire to reach the inside of the animal. The entails were hung outside the body, including being wrapped around the head. It was called a Crown Sacrifice.
      What a profound picture of the sacrifice of Yeshua, who was crucified on an upright stake with a crown of thorns on His head. And He was also bled, when the Roman centurion pierced His side with a spear, and His blood and water gushed out upon the earth.
      According to Jewish tradition, Nisan 14 (Passover) fell on the fourth day of the week (Wednesday) in the year of the Egyptian Passover. This would place the Exodus of Nisan 15, on the fifth day of the week (Thursday), while the selecting of the Passover lambs on Nisan 10 would have occurred on the previous Sabbath (Saturday).
      The Egyptian Passover was a family affair, and it has been observed in that manner every since it’s beginnings. That first year, each family (along with neighbors if the family was too small) killed their own lamb. The houses were probably fairly close together (as was common in the an-dent world), so surely there was social intercourse between the neighboring homes up until the time the lambs had finished roasting and were taken into the homes. There must have been real festivity in the air. After all, this was the first time in decades that the children of Israel had been able to observe a religious rite. To make matters even better, they had already borrowed a great deal of gold, silver, jewelry and clothing from the Egyptians, who had actually pressed their belongings upon the Israelites asking them to please leave as soon as possible. In fact, the children of Israel had never seen so much wealth in all their lives. They were being paid for all those years of servitude.

      “‘Speak now in the hearing of the people, and let every man ask from his neighbor and every woman from her neighbor, articles of silver and articles of gold.’
      “And the LORD gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians...”
(Ex. 11:2-3)

* Eaten in Haste *

      But even greater things were yet to happen before they could really enjoy all of their newly acquired wealth. The children had already been told what was to occur that night, and be” cause of the events that were soon to come to pass, they were to remain fully dressed and ready to leave at a moments notice.

      “‘And thus you shall eat it: with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So you shall ear it in haste. It is the LORD’s Passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.’”
(Ex. 12:41-12)

      It was necessary for the children of Israel to remain fully clothed and ready to flee when the call came. They were to eat the meal in haste and make sure that nothing was left of the lamb until morning. All remains; skin, bone and flesh, had to be burned. In other words, what remained became a burnt offering, though not a whole burnt offering, since most of the flesh had been eaten. Why was it all burned? Because it would have been inappropriate for any remains of the Passover Iamb, who’s blood was a symbol of the redemption of the firstborn, to be left in the idolatrous land of Egypt. It had to be removed completely from the land.

* Redemption for All Who Believe *

      At this point, the only way a firstborn Egyptian (or a member of the “mixed multitude”) might be saved from destruction, was to believe that the God of the Israelites was the one and only God. They then had to become grafted into the nation of Israel, to become Israelites through circumcision and by participation as a member of one of the families performing the Passover sacrifice. This way they too could come under the protection of the blood that had been placed on the doorposts and lintel. Apparently there were a great many people who choose to do this, for as it is written:

      “A mixed multitude went up with them...”
(Ex. 12:38)

      Notice also, that God said the purpose of this plague (v.12) is to “execute judgment” against all the gods of Egypt. YHVH was about to show, in a most dramatic way, that the pagan, so-called, gods of these idolatrous people were absolutely nothing more than the hopes and fears of their own minds. But the God of Avraham, Yitzchak and Ya’akov, the God of the children of Israel, was the all powerful God who could and would do exactly that which He had promised Avraham He would do, some four hundred and thirty years before, to the very day.

* The Death Angel Passes *

      “And it came to pass at midnight that the LORD struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of livestock.
      “So Pharaoh rose in the night, he, all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one dead.”
(Ex. 12:29-30)

      The destruction was complete and quick.

* Agony and Joy in Egypt *

      “Then he (Pharaoh) called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, ‘Rise and go out from among my people, both you and the children of Israel And go, serve the LORD as you have said, also take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone; and bless me also.’”
(Ex. 12:31-32)

      Some believe that Pharaoh had Moshe and Aaron come to his palace during the night, but this interpretation does not harmonize with a previous scripture:

      “Then Pharaoh said to him, ‘Get away from me! Take heed to yourself and see my face no more! For in the day you see my face you shall die!’
      “And Moses said, ‘You have spoken well I will never see your face again.’”
(Ex. 10:28-29)

      The Hebrew word kara (kah-rah; Strong’s #7121), translated ‘called,’ (v. 31) is used in a variety of ways. It can mean that someone is called into the presence of another, but it can also mean ‘to cry out.’
      The scriptures indicate that Pharaoh would send his court to Moshe to communicate his desire that the children of Israel leave immediately.

      “And all these your servants shall come down to me and bow down to me, saying, ‘Get out, and all the people who follow you!’ After that I will go out.”
(Ex. 11:8)

      According to Jewish tradition; Pharaoh himself actually went to Moshe in the night, possibly accompanied by some of his servants. Since Moshe was forbidden to go out of his house, the Pharaoh had to speak to him through the window, so they did not actually see each other’s faces. Pharaoh begged Moshe to take the children of Israel and leave immediately. When he asked Moshe what he could do to end the plague, Moshe told him to call out as loudly as he could that the children of Israel were free. Pharaoh did so, and his voice was magnified by God so that it was heard throughout the entire land of Egypt.
      This may seem like a tall tale to us today, but would it have been anymore impossible for God to communicate their freedom to the children of Israel in this manner than it was to slay all the firstborn at midnight, part the Reed Sea, drown all of Pharaoh’s army, or rain down manna for forty years in the wilderness? If we are going to believe the Scriptures we must admit this was a time of tremendous miracles. is it possible that not all of the details are given to us? Of course. This is evident in many stories throughout the Bible. We are only told what we need to know.
      Is it necessary for us to know exactly how the children of Israel learned of their release? No! The important thing is to understand that this is a night of redemption, and therefore a night to be much remembered. The details about how they learned of Pharaoh’s decree is really incidental to the main point of the story. The main point is that what God said would happen, did happen.

      “It will come to pass when you come to the land which the LORD will give you, just as He promised, that you shall keep this service.”
(Ex. 12:25)

      “‘Then they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.’”
(Ex. 12:8)

      “It is a night of solemn observance to the LORD for bringing them out of the land of Egypt This is that night of the LORD, a solemn observance for all the children of Israel throughout their generations.”
(Ex. 12:42)

      It should be noted, that in the above verse, the double use of the word “solemn,” in connection with this commanded observance, is not a part of the original Hebrew and should have been printed in italics indicating that it was added by the translator. The Hebrew word shimmur (sheem-moor; Strong’s #8107) means an ‘observance’ or a ‘celebration,’ and ‘solemn’ is not in any way connected to it.
      They knew they were leaving and they knew that this special night was the night.

      “And the Egyptians urged the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste. For they said, ‘We shall all be dead.’
      “So the people took their dough before it was leavened, having their kneading bowls bound up in their clothes on their shoulders. Now the children of Israel had done according to the word of Moses, and they had asked from the Egyptians articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing.
      “And the LORD had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.”
(Ex. 12:33-36)

      Yes, there was much joy among the children of Israel. After decades of slavery they were suddenly free from their oppression. Not only were they allowed to leave, their Egyptian hosts were actually insisting they leave.

      “They departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the day after the Passover the children of Israel went out with boldness (KJV = high hand) in the sight of all the Egyptians. For the Egyptians were burying all their firstborn, whom the LORD had killed among them. Also on their gods the LORD had executed judgments.”
(Num. 33:3-4)

~ The Symbols of Passover ~

      As with all of the Festivals of the LORD, Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread carry a number of symbolic names:

      The most important of the symbols was, of course, the Passover lamb itself. It was the blood of the lamb that provided the protection that allowed the firstborn of israel to be redeemed from the Angel of Death. In time, the Jews would come to understand that the Passover Iamb was also a symbol of the long hoped for Messiah, who would redeem His people from their oppression by sin.
      Two other symbols were also very important. They were the unleavened bread and the bitter herbs. It is around these three food items: lamb, matzoth (unleavened bread) and maror (mah-roar = bitter herbs) that the Passover observance was to be celebrated from year to year.
      While the bitter herbs are only prescribed for the Passover meal, the unleavened bread is to be eaten throughout the entire seven day Festival.

      “‘So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses. For whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from IsraeL
      “‘On the first day there shall be a holy convocation, and on the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation for you. No manner of work shall be done on them; but that which everyone must eat--that only may be prepared by you.
      “‘So you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this same day I will have brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as an everlasting ordinance. In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. For seven days no leaven shall be found in your houses, since whoever eats what is leavened, that same person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a stranger or a native of the land. You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations you shall eat unleavened bread.’”
(Ex. 12:14-20)

      Traditionally, the unleavened bread (matzoth) of the Passover season is considered to represent the ‘bread of affliction.’ It is striped and pierced, these marks being representations of the difficult struggle the children of Israel had under the hand of the Egyptians. However, the matzoth also became a symbol of redemption and freedom, for one can never truly appreciate freedom unless they first experience the humiliation of slavery and oppression. Thus the unleavened bread (matzoth) simultaneously represents slavery, humility, and freedom; in other words, the process of redemption. Thus, matzoth is the ‘bread of affliction’ on the first night, but becomes the ‘bread of redemption’ during the remainder of the Festival.

      “‘You shall eat no leavened bread with it; seven days you shall eat unleavened bread with it, that is, the bread of affliction (for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste), that you may remember the day in which you came out of the land of Egypt all the days of your life.’”
(Deut. 16:3)

      The bitter herbs also represent the bitterness of slavery when the children of Israel were not allowed to live as free men and worship God in the manner God had dictated.

~ The Exodus ~

      The children of Israel were spared from the ravages of the Death Angel. Now that redemption had come, they had to step out in faith.
      At first it was easy because they had received an abundance of material goods. But they were a large company of people and they were not able to move at a very fast pace. (Over six hundred thousand men, plus women and children, has led to estimates of up to three million people, trekking out of Egypt.)

      “Then the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides children. A mixed multitude went up with them also, and flocks and herds--a great deal of livestock. And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they had brought out of Egypt; for it was not leavened, because they were driven out of Egypt and could not wait, nor had they prepared provisions for themselves. ...”
(Ex. 12:37-39)

      But the celebration did not last long. According to tradition, after three days head stan, Pharaoh again went back on his word.

      “Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: ‘Speak to the children of Israel, that they turn and camp before Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, opposite Baal Zephon; you shall camp before it by the sea.’”
(Ex. 14:1-2)

      “Now it was told the king of Egypt that the people had fled, and 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?’
      “So he made ready his chariot and took his people with him. Also, he took six hundred choice chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt with captains over every one of them. ...
      “So the Egyptians pursued them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, and overtook them camping by the sea beside Pi Hahiroth, be-fore Baal Zephon.”
(Ex. 14:5-7,9)

      According to tradition it was on the sixth day of Unleavened Bread that Pharaoh and his anny began to overtake the children of Israel. They were encamped at Pi Hahiroth (Pee Hah-hee-rote). This was between a place called Migdol (Meeg-dahl) and the Reed Sea and was across the sea from a place named Baal Zephon (Bah-ahl Tzeh-phone).
      In scripture, names are sometimes important to the story. In this case the names do prove to be interesting. Pi Hahiroth is from a word that means “to spread out.” Thus, the waters of the Reed Sea were spread out so the children of Israel could cross on dry land. Baal means husband, master or lord while Zephon has to do with something ‘cold.’ This place, in English, might be called Lord of the North. According to one theory, the children of Israel actually crossed the Reed Sea on an ice bridge rather than on the bottom of the sea.
      However, the word Migdol is the most interesting of these three names. Consider these scriptures:

“He is the tower (Migdol) of salvation to His king.
And shows mercy to His anointed,
To David and his descendants forevermore.”
(II Sam. 22:51)

      God was the ‘tower of salvation’ for the children of israel as He stood by them.

      “And the Angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them. So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel Thus it was a cloud and darkness to the one, and it gave light by night to the other, so that the one did not come near the other all that night.”
(Ex. 14:19-20)

      Just as God was a ‘tower of salvation’ to the children of Israel, He promised, through the prophet Micah, to send a ‘tower of the flock’ to bring the Messianic Kingdom to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

“‘In that day,’ says the LORD,
‘I will assemble the lame,
I will gather the outcast
And those whom I have afflicted;
I will make the lame a remnant,
And the outcast a strong nation;
So the LORD will reign over them in Mount Zion
From now on, even forever.
And you, O tower of the flock, (Migdol Eder)
The stronghold of the daughter of Zion
To you it shall come,
Even the former dominion shall come,
The kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.’”
(Micah 4:6-8)

      Migdol Eder (Meeg-dahl Eh-dehr) is the name of a place near Bethlehem along the road leading to Jerusalem. This is right in the area of Ephratah, on the northern edge of Bethlehem where the same prophet, Micah, foretold the birth of the Messiah was to take place.

“But you, Bethlehem Ephratah,
Though you are little among the thousands of Judah,
Yet out of you shall come forth to Me
The One to be ruler in Israel,
Whose goings forth have been from of old,
Even Everlasting.”
(Micha 5:2)

      There was a tower at Migdol Eder which was used by the shepherds to keep watch over their flocks. This may seem a bit unusual, as it is not customary to build a tower as an aid in keeping watch over sheep. But these were not ordinary sheep. This was the very area where the lambs were bred and raised for the Passover sacrifices at the Temple in Jerusalem. According to Jewish law, the Temple offerings had to be raised within a certain distance of the Temple itself. Ephratah and Migdol Eder came within that area, but the major portion of Bethlehem did not. Yeshua was born near ‘the tower of the flock’ (Migdol Eder) in the Bethlehem district of Ephratah. Not only that, the shepherds that were watching over the flocks were probably all Levites. As servants of the Priesthood and the Temple, it was a part of their responsibility to make sure that all sacrificial animals were raised according to the ceremonial law.
      What a marvelous tapestry our Creator God has woven. Everywhere we look there are additional examples of how He has taken such great care to both conceal and allow to be revealed, these precious truths.

“It is the glory of God to conceal a matter,
But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.”
(Prov. 25:2)

* Crossing On Faith *

      The children of Israel were a very normal, carnal group of people. This fact was born out repeatedly by their complaints and actions over the next year. Many have wondered how they could have experienced all of the marvelous miracles that God had performed for them, and then turned so quickly into faithless whiners.
      The answer is complex and lies hidden deep within the psyche of all men. But the fact of the matter is (Micah 5:2) that the children of Israel did display remarkable faith when it was absolutely necessary for them to do so. The first example was when they proved willing to choose a lamb for ritual slaughter despite the fact that it meant killing one of the gods of their oppressors. The second example is when they willingly went to the homes of their Egyptian neighbors and borrowed valuables of silver, gold and jewelry. The third case is when they sacrificed their Passover lambs and placed the blood on the doorposts and lintel, believing that it would indeed protect them from the terrible plague to come.
      The next example of faith is when they left the land of Egypt. Maybe they had no choice, since the Egyptians were so insistent that they leave. Yet, where were they going to go? How were they going to sustain themselves? Today, the Sinai peninsula is a barren desert. Was it the same in their day? The scriptures seem to indicate that it was.
      The final act of faith came on the banks of the Reed Sea, but only after they cried out to God and confronted Moshe with their fear.

      “And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the LORD.
      “Then they said to Moses, ‘Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of 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.’”
(Ex. 14:10-12)

      From a human standpoint can we blame them? Would we have been any different? After all, they were not hearing the voice of God talking directly to them. How could they know if Moshe really had an open line to God or whether he was just making all this up?
      Well, there were the plagues, that is true. But after six days of trekking through the hot desert this was getting to be a bit much. They probably thought they would walk out of Egypt and proceed directly up the coast to the land of Canaan. Now they were hemmed in between the Pharaoh’s army and the Reed Sea, nowhere to turn but to either their own fears, or to God.
      From our perspective we can see that God had redeemed His people of promise through His own might and strength. Pharaoh no longer had the right to claim them as his possession. Yet, Pharaoh wanted his ‘daughter’ back, for he did not think the redemption price was fair. After all, what did he get out of the deal? A devastated land, many dead, and now all his precious slaves were gone. But it was his own fault. He had been just as responsible for the ‘hardening of his heart’ as had been God. Of the twenty passages of scripture that refer to the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart, ten ascribe it to Pharaoh and ten to God.

* Immersion in the Sea *

      The redemption price had been paid, and Pharaoh no longer had any claim. But he went after his former possession anyway. The analogy is to the Believer accepting the blood of Messiah as the redemption price for his sins, and then being pursued by HaSatan to return to sin before the next step that must be taken, which is Baptism.

      “Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of the spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.”
(I Cor. 10:1-4)

      The final step in the Believer’s redemption process is to publicly proclaim one’s faith through the ceremony of immersion (baptism). This removes the redeemed from any claim that might be made by the former owner, since it publicly states that the Believer is a willing recipient of the redemption. The same was true of the children of Israel.

      “And Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. “The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”’
      “And the LORD said to Moses, ‘Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. And I indeed will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them. So I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, his chariots, and his horsemen. Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gained honor for Myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.’”
(Ex. 14:13-18)

      By stepping into the Reed Sea, the children of Israel made a public statement that their faith was in God, and they were committed to follow Him. Even though they were motivated by fear, they must be given credit for going forward when they could have stayed back.
      This is not the end of the story, in some ways it is only the beginning, for Shavu’ot (Pentecost), Rosh HaShanah (Feast of Trumpets), Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) and Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) still lay ahead. Redemption is only the first step in the great master plan laid out by the Creator God of the universe, YHVH, and revealed through His Festivals. (For more information on the meaning of the Festivals see previous issues of Hebrew Roots).
      At this point, the pillar of cloud stood between the camp of Israel and the army of Pharaoh. On the Egyptian side was a thick darkness, like the darkness of sin, while on the Israeli side there was a pillar of light, like the light of Messiah. The children of Israel could see clearly now, and there was only one path to follow, and that path led to God and His way of life.

      “Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided. So 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. And the Egyptians pursued and went after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.”
(Ex. 14:21-23)

      The wind blew from the east, meaning that it was coming from the direction of Baal Zephon (The Lord of the North). The crossing took place at night, and according to Jewish tradition it was the night portion of the Last Day of Unleavened Bread. Another view, commonly held by Believers in Yeshua, is that the crossing took place on the night portion of the first day of the week, corresponding to the day of the Wave Sheaf Offering, and to the finding of the empty tomb of Yeshua. This theory is based on a counting of the encampments mentioned in the narrative:

      “Then the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth...
      “So they took their journey from Succoth and camped in Etham ... (and then they were to)
      “...turn and camp before Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea...”
(Ex. 12:37; 13:20; 14:2)

      It is generally agreed that the children of Israel left during the night portion of Nisan 15. This would have put the first encampment at Succoth on Thursday night (Nisan 16), the second at Etham on Friday night, (Nisan 17) and the third at Pi Hahiroth on Saturday night (Nisan 18). The trek through the Reed Sea would then have occurred on Saturday after sunset which, by Hebrew calendar standards, would be the first day of the week, since the days always began at sunset.
      In Jewish tradition the third day of the Exodus is also significant, since that is the day they believe Pharaoh began his pursuit of the children of Israel.

* Complete Release *

      “It came to pass, in the morning watch, that the LORD looked down upon the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud, and He troubled the army of the Egyptians. And He took off their chariot wheels, so that they drove them with difficulty and the Egyptians said, ‘Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the LORD fights for them against the Egyptians.’
      “Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the waters may come back upon the Egyptians, on their chariots, and on their horsemen.’
      “And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea and when the morning appeared, the sea returned to its full depth, while the Egyptians were fleeing into it. So the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. Then the water returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all the army of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. Not so much as one of them remained.”
(Ex. 14:24-28)

      The “morning watch” fell between, what we would call, two and six in the morning. This meant the children of Israel must have gone into the sea at a much earlier time, in order for all three million people and ‘much livestock’ to have completed their crossing.
      This also completed the immersion (baptism) of the children of Israel. Now all vestiges of their old life had been obliterated and they were free to move on to Mt. Sinai, for Shavu’ot, (Pentecost) to learn what kind of obedience their new Master would require of them. God now owned Israel and had become their ‘Kinsman Redeemer.’ He had obtained the right to call the shots. However, God’s rules would be fair and equitable, and would be driven by mercy rather than malice.

      “And if one of your brethren who dwells by you becomes poor, and sells himself to you, you shall not compel him to serve as a slave. But as a hired servant and a sojourner he shall be with you, and shall serve you until the Year of Jubilee.”
(Lev. 25:39-40)

      Children are never treated as slaves, and neither is a wife. At this point, Israel was both a betrothed bride and God’s children. Either way you look at it, they certainly had a far better Master than when they dwelt in the house of Pharaoh.

* The Song of Celebration *

      The story of the Exodus ends with the children of Israel seeing the bodies of Pharaoh’s army washing up on shore. There is now no doubt in their mind that they have seen the last of Egypt and the Egyptians. What a blessed relief.
      There is some controversy as to whether Pharaoh himself actually died in the waters of the sea or not. One tradition has him becoming a Believer in the God of the Israelites and moving on to become the king of Ninevah. Thus it was to the Pharaoh of Egypt that Jonah was sent and this is supposedly why they repented. The Pharaoh finally knew that when God spoke, he was supposed to listen.
      However, Psalm 136 seems to indicate that Pharaoh died along with the rest of his army.

“But overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea,
For his mercy endures forever.”
(Psalm 136:15)

      This beautiful Psalm has become a part of the traditional Passover service (Seder) as observed over the centuries by the Jewish people, in remembrance of their redemption from the slavery of Egypt.
      Moshe too, composed a beautiful song about all the events that had just happened. That song is written for us in Exodus 15. It is mixture of sharp imagery of both the horror and the triumph of the days events, in Hebrew it is called simply shirah (sheerah’) which means ‘song’ or ‘singing.’ It was meant to be sung, although we do not know the original melody. That is our loss, for it would be far more memorable if it could be learned as music.

“I will sing to the LORD,
For He has triumphed gloriously!
The horse and its rider
He has thrown into the seal
The LORD is my strength and song,
And He has become my salvation
He is my God and I will praise Him;
My father’s God, and I will exalt Him.”
(Ex. 15:1-2)

      The phrase that states; “He has become my salvation;” literally says that “He has become my Yeshuah.” It means; ‘something saved, deliverance, aid, victory, prosperity.’
      Other references to the Messiah include three references to “Your right hand,” verses 6 and 14, and “Your arm,” verse 16.
      The Hebrew word for ‘right hand’ is Yamin (yah-meen’) and has the connotation of being the stronger of the two hands. The word for ‘arm’ is zaroah (zah-roh-ah) and carries the meaning of ‘force, might, power.’ It is interesting to note that in the modern Jewish Passover Seder (Say-der = set order, or order of the service) one of the objects on the Seder plate is the shankbone of a lamb. It is called the Zaroah, and is considered to be a symbol of the Passover lamb (which they do not partake of today) and also of the Messiah.

~ Summary ~

      This has been a rather lengthy treatise on the Passover and Exodus, however, it is a story that must be continually retold so that it is never forgotten. This is the primary purpose for celebrating all of the Feasts of the LORD each year. The spring festivals, Passover and Pentecost, have already had dual fulfillments in the past. One each, for the ancient physical children of Israel, and one each, for the fully redeemed children of Israel, the Believers. (See Romans chapter 11).
      It behooves all Believers to take what ever time is needed, prior to this coming Passover season, and make all of the connections between what happened to the children of Israel as they experienced their release from bondage; and what happened to each of us as individuals, when we came out of our bondage to the Pharaoh of this world, HaSatan (the Adversary).

            DEW

~ Sources ~

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____, The Bibical and Historical Background of the Jewish Holy Days, Ktav Publishing House, Inc., New York, 1978
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Edersheim, Alfred, Old Testament Bible History, Associated Publishers and Authors, Wilmington, DE.
Finegan, Jack, Myth & Mystery, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, 1989.
Goodman, Philip, The Passover Anthology, The Jewish Publication Society, Philadelphia/Jerusalem, 1993.
Green, Jay P., The lnterlinear Bible, Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody, MA, 1985.
Hertz, Dr. J.H., editor, Pentateuch and Haftorahs, Soncino Press, London, 1988.
The Holy Bible, King James Version, Oxford, University Press, London.
The Jewish Encyclopeda, 12 vols., Funk & Wagnalls Co., New York & London, 1901.
Neusner, Jacob, The Mishnah, Yale University Press, New Haven and London, 1988.
The Open Bible, The New King James Version, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, 1985.
Shulman, Eliezer, The Sequence of Events in the Old Testament, Ministry of Defense Publishing House, Israel, 1993.
Strong, James, S.T.D., L.LD.,Strong’s New Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, World Bible Publishers, Inc., Iowa Falls, 1986.
Tanakh - The Holy Scriptures, The Jewish Publication Society, Philadelphial New York, 1988.
Tregelles, Samuel Prideaux, LL.D., Gesenius’ Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament Scriptures, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, 1979.
Trepp, Leo, The Complete Book of Jewish Observance, Behrman House, Inc., New York, 1980.
Weissman, Rabbl Moshe, The Midrash Says, Benel Yakov Publications, Brooldyn, 1980.
Wigram, George V., The Englishman’s Hebrew and Chaldee Concordance of the Old Testament, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, 1980.
Zimmerman, Martha, Celebrete the Feasts, Bethany House, Minneapolis, 1981.

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