Day 20: Exodus 10-12

(The previous post presented the events surrounding the first seven plagues brought against Pharaoh by God. God hardened Pharaoh's heart as an EFFECT of the choices Pharaoh made. Pharaoh was able to choose to do differently.)

(The plagues of Egypt were covered in Exodus 7-11. Each plague seemed to have been directed against a specific Egyptian god in order to show that Jehovah was the One, True God.
-Bloody water (7:12) - against the god Nilus, the sacred river god.
-Frogs (8:6) - against Hekt, the goddess of reproduction.
-Lice (gnats) (8:17) - against Seb, the god of the earth.
-Flies (beetles) (8:24) - against Khephera, the sacred scarab (Scarab - a representation or image of a beetle, much used among the ancient Egyptians).
-Murrain (Plague) on Egyptian cattle (9:3) - against Apis and Hathor, the sacred bull and cow.
-Boils on man and beast (9:10) - against Typhon, the evil-eye god.
-Hail (9:23) - against Shu, the god of the atmosphere.
-Locusts (10:14) - against Serapis, the protector from locusts.
-Darkness (10:22) - against Ra, the sun god.
-Death of the first-born of man and beast (11:5) - against Ptah, the god of life.)

Exodus 10
¹ And Jehovah said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I may show these my signs in the midst of them,
² and that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son's son, what things I have wrought upon Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that ye may know that I am Jehovah.

(God reinforced the purpose for all of this. God continued to appeal to Pharaoh first with understanding...)

³ And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and said unto him, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of the Hebrews, How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me? let my people go, that they may serve me.
⁴ Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to-morrow will I bring locusts into thy border:
⁵ and they shall cover the face of the earth, so that one shall not be able to see the earth: and they shall eat the residue of that which is escaped, which remaineth unto you from the hail, and shall eat every tree which groweth for you out of the field:

(Pharaoh was warned about the plague of locusts. Pharaoh still could have chosen differently.)

⁶ and thy houses shall be filled, and the houses of all thy servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians; as neither thy fathers nor thy fathers' fathers have seen, since the day that they were upon the earth unto this day. And he turned, and went out from Pharaoh.
⁷ And Pharaoh's servants said unto him, How long shall this man be a snare unto us? let the men go, that they may serve Jehovah their God: knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed?

(Pharaoh's own servants confronted him. They even asked him if he knew that Egypt was destroyed. This was another testimony against Pharaoh. Would understanding work with Pharaoh?)

⁸ And Moses and Aaron were brought again unto Pharaoh: and he said unto them, Go, serve Jehovah your God; but who are they that shall go?
⁹ And Moses said, We will go with our young and with our old; with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will we go; for we must hold a feast unto Jehovah.
¹⁰ And he said unto them, So be Jehovah with you, as I will let you go, and your little ones: look to it; for evil is before you.
¹¹ Not so: go now ye that are men, and serve Jehovah; for that is what ye desire. And they were driven out from Pharaoh's presence.

(Understanding reached Pharaoh, at least enough to offer to let the men go and worship God. When Moses and Aaron wanted everyone, they were driven from Pharaoh's presence. Essentially, that was Pharaoh's final offer, take it or leave it. Now, God could equal out Justice against Pharaoh and Egypt, from the very beginning of this story (Exodus 1:22) when Egypt's Pharaoh was having Israel's sons killed.)

¹² And Jehovah said unto Moses, Stretch out thy hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail hath left.
¹³ And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and Jehovah brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and all the night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts.

(LOCUSTS - against Serapis, the protector from locusts. In The Bible, an east wind always brought a curse.)

¹⁴ And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the borders of Egypt; very grievous were they; before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such.
¹⁵ For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left: and there remained not any green thing, either tree or herb of the field, through all the land of Egypt.
¹⁶ Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste; and he said, I have sinned against Jehovah your God, and against you.

(Pharaoh confessed. It seemed that Pharaoh did respond to being reached through experience. Would it last this time?)

¹⁷ Now therefore forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once, and entreat Jehovah your God, that he may take away from me this death only.
¹⁸ And he went out from Pharaoh, and entreated Jehovah.
¹⁹ And Jehovah turned an exceeding strong west wind, which took up the locusts, and drove them into the Red Sea; there remained not one locust in all the border of Egypt.

(God removed the locusts from the land, after Moses asked Him to do so.)

²⁰ But Jehovah hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go.
²¹ And Jehovah said unto Moses, Stretch out thy hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.
²² And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days;

(DARKNESS - against Ra, the sun god. Pharaoh was not warned about this plague.)

²³ they saw not one another, neither rose any one from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.

(Another plague that only affected the Egyptians. God supplied Israel with light in the midst of darkness.)

²⁴ And Pharaoh called unto Moses, and said, Go ye, serve Jehovah; only let your flocks and your herds be stayed: let your little ones also go with you.

(Pharaoh continued to attempt to compromise. What would it take for Pharaoh to finally let the Israelites go?)

²⁵ And Moses said, Thou must also give into our hand sacrifices and burnt-offerings, that we may sacrifice unto Jehovah our God.
²⁶ Our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not a hoof be left behind: for thereof must we take to serve Jehovah our God; and we know not with what we must serve Jehovah, until we come thither.
²⁷ But Jehovah hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let them go.
²⁸ And Pharaoh said unto him, Get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more; for in the day thou seest my face thou shalt die.

(Pharaoh said he did not want to see Moses any more, there would be no more negotiations. Pharaoh felt so guilty for all his confessing without repentance, he could not even look at Moses any more.)

(Notice how many times Pharaoh confessed without actually following through on repenting. Do you think he was getting better or worse throughout this story? When a spouse or friend continually confesses without following through on repentance, do people think the person is getting better?...that they are only one step away (so close) from getting it right?)

²⁹ And Moses said, Thou hast spoken well. I will see thy face again no more.




Exodus 11
¹ And Jehovah said unto Moses, Yet one plague more will I bring upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt; afterwards he will let you go hence: when he shall let you go, he shall surely thrust you out hence altogether.

(God told Moses that after one more plague, Pharaoh would let them go. God was showing Moses how bad it would have to get for Pharaoh to finally release them.)

² Speak now in the ears of the people, and let them ask every man of his neighbor, and every woman of her neighbor, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold.

(This required faith.)

³ And Jehovah 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.
⁴ And Moses said, Thus saith Jehovah, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt:

(Moses explained the plan.)

⁵ and all the first-born in the land of Egypt shall die, from the first-born of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the first-born of the maid-servant that is behind the mill; and all the first-born of cattle.

(DEATH OF FIRST-BORN - against Ptah, the god of life.)

⁶ And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there hath not been, nor shall be any more.
⁷ But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast: that ye may know how that Jehovah doth make a distinction between the Egyptians and Israel.
⁸ And all these thy servants shall come down unto me, and bow down themselves unto me, saying, Get thee out, and all the people that follow thee: and after that I will go out. And he went out from Pharaoh in hot anger.
⁹ And Jehovah said unto Moses, Pharaoh will not hearken unto you; that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.

(God assured Moses that Pharaoh would not listen to him.)

¹⁰ And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh: and Jehovah hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go out of his land.




Exodus 12
¹ And Jehovah spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying,
² This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.

(God changed the calendar and set up the Passover ritual.)

³ Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to their fathers' houses, a lamb for a household:
⁴ and if the household be too little for a lamb, then shall he and his neighbor next unto his house take one according to the number of the souls; according to every man's eating ye shall make your count for the lamb.
⁵ Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old: ye shall take it from the sheep, or from the goats:

(Male lamb without blemish symbolized Jesus Christ: The Lamb of God.)

⁶ and ye shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month; and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at even.
⁷ And they shall take of the blood, and put it on the two side-posts and on the lintel, upon the houses wherein they shall eat it.

(As the blood was applied to the top and each side of the doorway, the blood dripped down which formed a figure of a cross in the doorway.)

⁸ And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; with bitter herbs they shall eat it.
⁹ Eat not of it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roast with fire; its head with its legs and with the inwards thereof.

(The lamb (Jesus Christ) had to come in direct contact with the "fire" of God's judgment on behalf of the people.)

¹⁰ And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; but that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire.

(Nothing of the "flesh" of the animal could remain. The "flesh" had to be completely sacrificed.)

¹¹ And thus shall ye eat it: with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is Jehovah's passover.

(This was the first use of the term "passover.")

¹² For I will go through the land of Egypt in that night, and will smite all the first-born in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am Jehovah.

(This confirmed that God was in fact executing judgment on Egypt's gods.)

¹³ And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and there shall no plague be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.

(The blood was a token/covenant. This plague would affect Egypt and Israel, unless by faith they followed God's instructions for Him to "pass over" them.)

¹⁴ And this day shall be unto you for a memorial, and ye shall keep it a feast to Jehovah: throughout your generations ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.

(This day became a MEMORIAL. It was supposed to be remembered for generations so it would point future Israelites to Jesus Christ as the Messiah. Remembering the Passover would build their faith in God.)

¹⁵ Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.

(Passover began on the tenth. On the fourteenth they ate the Passover lamb and this was the first day of unleavened bread. Then for the next seven days, they ate only unleavened bread.)

¹⁶ And in the first day there shall be to you a holy convocation, and in the seventh day a holy convocation; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done by you.
¹⁷ And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day throughout your generations by an ordinance for ever.

(The Feast of Unleavened Bread was a testimony throughout their generations. The testimony was one of holiness. Leaven represented sin. Eating unleavened bread during this feast was a representation of being holy.)

¹⁸ In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even.
¹⁹ Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses: for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a sojourner, or one that is born in the land.

(Eating leavened bread during that feast was a serious offense.)

²⁰ Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread.
²¹ Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, Draw out, and take you lambs according to your families, and kill the passover.
²² And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two side-posts with the blood that is in the basin; and none of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning.
²³ For Jehovah will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side-posts, Jehovah will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.

(Moses gave instructions to the elders of Israel, knowing the rest of the nation would follow. The evil was called "the destroyer.")

²⁴ And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever.
²⁵ And it shall come to pass, when ye are come to the land which Jehovah will give you, according as he hath promised, that ye shall keep this service.

(The Passover service was meant to be kept each year forever. This ought to have continued to build Israel's faith in God each year as well as continue to prepare the people for the coming of Jesus Christ.)

²⁶ And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service?
²⁷ that ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of Jehovah's passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped.

(God even prepared Israel with how to answer the inevitable question from the children: "Why do we do this service?" God did not settle with an answer of "because it's tradition" or "because I said so." God gave the why and prepared Israel to give the why as well.)

²⁸ And the children of Israel went and did so; as Jehovah had commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they.
²⁹ And it came to pass at midnight, that Jehovah smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt, from the first-born of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the first-born of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the first-born of cattle.

(Even the first born cattle were killed.)

³⁰ And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and 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.
³¹ And he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve Jehovah, as ye have said.

(Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron by night.)

³² Take both your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone; and bless me also.

(Pharaoh asked Moses and Aaron to bless him.)

³³ And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, to send them out of the land in haste; for they said, We are all dead men.

(The Egyptians pushed the people out.)

³⁴ And the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneading-troughs being bound up in their clothes upon their shoulders.

(Notice, there would not have even been time for the dough to rise.)

³⁵ And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they asked of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment.
³⁶ And Jehovah gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked. And they despoiled the Egyptians.

(Justice/payment for all their work. This was a "Reward" judgment that came near the end of the 4th Dispensation.)

³⁷ And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, besides children.

(The count of 600,000 men makes for a total population of perhaps two million that left Egypt for the Promised Land.)

³⁸ And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle.
³⁹ And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought forth out of Egypt; for it was not leavened, because they were thrust out of Egypt, and could not tarry, neither had they prepared for themselves any victuals.
⁴⁰ Now the time that the children of Israel dwelt in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years.
⁴¹ And it came to pass at the end of four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of Jehovah went out from the land of Egypt.

(Israel left Egypt. This was a "Salvation" judgment that came near the end of the 4th Dispensation. It was 430 years to the day. In Genesis 15:13, God told Abraham that for 400 years they would be afflicted in a strange land.)

⁴² It is a night to be much observed unto Jehovah for bringing them out from the land of Egypt: this is that night of Jehovah, to be much observed of all the children of Israel throughout their generations.
⁴³ And Jehovah said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the ordinance of the passover: there shall no foreigner eat thereof;
⁴⁴ but every man's servant that is bought for money, when thou hast circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof.
⁴⁵ A sojourner and a hired servant shall not eat thereof.
⁴⁶ In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth aught of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof.

(They were not to break a bone of the lamb, which symbolized that none of Jesus' bones would be broken when He was crucified. This was prophesied in Psalm 34:20 and came to pass in John 19:36.)

⁴⁷ All the congregation of Israel shall keep it.
⁴⁸ And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to Jehovah, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: but no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof.
⁴⁹ One law shall be to him that is home-born, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.
⁵⁰ Thus did all the children of Israel; as Jehovah commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they.

(This verse was referenced in Hebrews 11:28 as proof that Moses was an example of faith to us.)

⁵¹ And it came to pass the selfsame day, that Jehovah did bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their hosts.

(This post presented the last three plagues and Israel's deliverance from Egypt. The deliverance followed a "Salvation" judgment and a "Reward" judgment. The 4th Dispensation was coming to an end...)

Day 21