Exodus

^[1] About Exodus

Beginning of Oppression

Joseph and his brothers died, and the children of Israel multiplied in the land of Egypt. They held important positions and played an important role in the political, cultural, and economic life of the country. It is not surprising that they stirred the jealousy of the native Egyptians who felt outshone by the “foreigners.”

Old King Pharaoh died, too, and a new king ascended the throne. He had no sympathy or love for the children of Israel, and chose to forget all that Joseph had done for Egypt. He decided to take action against the growing influence and numbers of the children of Israel. He called his council together, and they advised him to enslave these people and oppress them before they grew too powerful. Pharaoh limited the personal freedom of the Hebrews, put heavy taxes on them, and recruited their men into forced labor battalions under the supervision of harsh taskmasters. Thus, the children of Israel had to build cities, erect monuments, construct roads, work in the quarries, and hew stones or make bricks and tiles. However, the more the Egyptians oppressed them, and the harder the restrictions imposed upon them became, the more the children of Israel increased and multiplied. Finally, when King Pharaoh saw that forcing the Hebrews to do, hard work did not succeed in suppressing their rapidly growing numbers; he decreed that all newly born male children of the Hebrews be thrown into the Nile River. Only daughters should be permitted to live.

Thus, Pharaoh hoped to end the numerical increase of the Jewish population, and at the same time to eliminate a danger, which, according to the predictions of his astrologers, threatened his own life in the person of a leader to be born to the children of Israel.

The Levites

The only group of Jews that escaped enslavement was the tribe of Levi. Levi was the last of Jacob’s sons to die, and his influence over his tribe was great and lasting. They had taken over the Torah academy Jacob had established in Goshen, and they instructed the children of Israel in the knowledge of God and His holy teachings. Thus, they were occupied with spiritual matters and did not mix with the Egyptians, while many of their brethren had given up their old customs and way of life. Except for their language, clothing, and names, many of the children of Israel had become assimilated into the social and cultural environment of their Egyptian neighbors, and they were the ones to arouse the wrath of the Egyptians. Only the children of Levi were, therefore, spared the slavery and oppression, which the Egyptians imposed upon the rest of Israel.

Exodus 1: ^{1 – 7} Through the generations of Joseph and his brothers in the land of Egypt was about three hundred years.  During this time, as God had promised, the Jewish people prospered and exceedingly increased and they became mighty in the land.

^{8 – 11} The Egyptians made the Jews build these two cities, Pithom and Raamses.  Now there arose up a new king—About sixty years after the death of Joseph a revolution took place—by which the old dynasty was overthrown, and upper and lower Egypt were united into one kingdom. Assuming that the king formerly reigned in Thebes, it is probable that he would know nothing about the Hebrews; and that, as foreigners and shepherds, the new government would, from the first, regard them with dislike and scorn.

^{15 – 16} Shiphrah, meaning to comfort and swaddle, or to cover in beauty; and Puah, which means to coo and cry out, suggest these women knew the language of infants; however, their actions reveal they also knew the language of God.

It is unclear whether Shiphrah and Puah were Hebrew or Egyptian and if they were, “Hebrew midwives” or “midwives to the Hebrews.” Most likely, they were Hebrew because their names are Semitic, not Egyptian. But either way, one gets the idea from the scriptures that they attended both Hebrew and Egyptian births because they were able to give the Pharaoh a comparison ( Exodus 1:19) and tell him that the “…Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them.” In addition, the fact that Pharaoh called for them shows that they were held in high respect (as most midwives were) among the Egyptians and the Hebrews, probably because of their great skill and experience.

^{17 – 22} The Jewish women were much livelier than the Egyptian women and, in most cases, did not require the midwife during childbirth.  This was one of the reasons, most importantly; they feared God, that the midwives told Pharaoh that they did not kill the male Jewish babies.

Question:  Verse 5 says there were 70; Genesis 27 says there were 70, but Acts 7:14 says there were 75.  As time moved forward, all the generation of Joseph, in the land of Egypt died off.  As God promised, the Jewish nation grew mighty in Egypt.  400 years have passed from chapter 1 to 2.

Exodus 2: ^{1 – 4} Moses is born.  A predominant Levite married a Levite woman and bore Moses.  The mother, wanting to hide Moses from the Egyptians, made a bed of bulrush, a tall rush like water plant of the sedge family. Native to temperate regions of the northern hemisphere, it has been widely used for weaving and is grown as an aid to water purification in some areas.

^{7 – 10}  Miriam the sister of Moses, who observing the ark taken up, and the maidens that were walking upon the bank of the river, and other women perhaps, gathering about it to see it; she made one among them, and after hearing their discourse about it, proposed what follows to Pharaoh’s daughter: Jarchi says, that Pharaoh’s daughter tried several Egyptian women to suckle it, but it would not suck of them: Josephus (r) says the same, and it also is in the Talmud (s); and that, if true, gave Miriam a fair opportunity to offer to do the following message for her:  shall I go and call for thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee? For she perceived that she was desirous of having the child brought up as her own.

Moses or Moshe is a male given name, after the biblical figure Moses. According to the Torah, the name “Moses” comes from the Hebrew verb, meaning, “To pull out/draw out” [of water], and the infant Moses was given this name by Pharaoh’s daughter after rescuing him from the Nile.

^{11 – 15} Knowing that all of Egypt knew what Moses had done, Moses fled to Midian. 

Moses must have been garbed of that of an Egyptian as the women of Midian regarded Moses as an Egyptian. 

^{20 – 25} Reuel (aka Jethro) gave his eldest daughter, Zipporah, to Moses as his wife.  They had two boys, Gershom and Eliezer.

Moses was actually nursed by his own mother and, she got wages to do it.  Pharaoh’s daughter wasn’t prepared to nurse the child herself.  The name Moses comes from the Hebrew, to draw out.

About 40 – 45 years has now past when Moses fled to Midian.   ²⁴ “So God heard their groaning and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.”  So, just when we think God has forgotten us, He is there.

Exodus 3: Horeb or Mount Sinai (mountain of God).   ^{1 – 4 [2]} The Angel of the Lord (AOTL) or the Angel of God, is distinct from other angels in the bible and should not be confused with an ordinary angel”. In the Old testament the AOTL has the divine authority to forgive “transgressions”,(Exodus 23:21); receive worship (Joshua 5:14)(Gen 18:2; Num 22:31) bless generations (Gen 22:18);create life (Genesis 16:10-13);consume sacrifice left at the altar(Judges 6:21)and to ascend in the very flame of that sacrifice(Judges 13:19)., It was this very Angel who commended Abraham on behalf of not withholding “thine only son from me”(Gen 22:12).

Furthermore, one will find that the Lord’s name is in this Angel of the Lord (Exodus 23:21). In the OT, His name is also secret (Judges 13:18), and yet Wonderful (Judges 13:18 ESV). The Angel of the Lord creates and seals covenants (Judges 2:1-5), and because there is no one greater than himself to swear by, therefore; he swears by “Himself”! (Heb 6:13) (Gen 22:16)

A theophany is witnessed of the Angel of the Lord when he tells Jacob, “I am the God of Bethel (Gen 31:11-13). He is the same Angel who introduced “himself” to Moses as the God of Abraham,

Isaac and Jacob and who also appeared to Moses in the burning bush (Exodus 3:2). He led the

Israelites out of Egypt by a cloud during the day and a pillar of fire by night (Exodus 4:19) (Judges 2:1-5). Encounters with the Angel of the Lord has moved witnesses to fear that they have come “face-to-face-with God.”(Gen 32:29, Judges 6:22)

In the book of Isaiah, we see the Christophany of the Angel of the Lord as Isaiah acknowledges the presence of the Angel of the Lord as none other than our Savior Jesus “For he said, Surely, they are my people, children that will not lie: so, he was their Savior. In their entire affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity, he redeemed them; and he bare them and carried them all the days of old.”(Isaiah 63:8-9)

We can understand Jesus having always been present when we read how he announced, “Before Abraham was I am.”(John 8:58) Certain listeners knew exactly what Jesus implied and were therefore offended just as some are offended even to this day. The Angel of the Lord is the Lamb who was slain before the foundation of the world (Rev 13:8) and was always present and operated from eternity before unveiling His person in the flesh (John 1:1) (John 1:14).

^{5 – 10} God profoundly proclaims the Jews as “My people”.   As we read in Genesis 11:1 – 9, God confused His people at Babel and spread them throughout the earth.  The different ethnicities were established.  Several hundreds of years later, God reiterates to Moses that the Jews are the chosen ones.

^{14 – 15} In verse 14, God says, I AM WHO I AM.  In verse 14, God says, I AM has sent me to you.  In verse 15, God says, Yahweh . . . has sent me to you . . . this is my name forever.

^[3] Seven Implications of the Divine Name:

1. God exists – God is there. At first, this may seem so obvious and so basic that we wouldn’t need to mention it. Well, it is obvious and it is basic, but the reason we should mention it is that most people live as if it were not true, or as if it were a truth that makes no difference in life.
2. No reality exists beyond God – God’s personality and power owe solely to himself and to no other.
3. God does not change – In Malachi 3:6 God says, “I Yahweh do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.” Within the name Yahweh is the affirmation I AM WHO I AM. However, if who God is not determined by any forces outside himself, then he is not subject to the changes we are. People change their mind because of unforeseen circumstances or weak resolution. God foresees all circumstances and has no weaknesses. Nothing in all creation takes him off guard and backs him into a corner where he might have to act out of character or compromise his integrity.
4. God is an exhaustible source of energy – Isaiah 40:28 says, “Yahweh is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary.” If God is the everlasting absolute Reality, then he is the Creator of the ends of the earth and of the universe. In addition, if he is the Creator of everything, then all energy— all motion, combustion, fusion, and fission— originate in him. Somehow all the energy in the universe must get started. In addition, since God is the first and absolute reality, it all starts in him. He is an inexhaustible reservoir of power.
5. Objectivity is crucial – It is very important that we believe in objective truth that is more than our own subjective feelings or desires. We may desire God to be a certain way. We may feel that he simply can’t be the way some people say he is. However, what we feel or what we desire does not make God what he is. 
6. We must conform to God, not He to us – If children should learn their manners from their parents and not the parents from the children; if players should learn their moves from the coach and not the coach from the players; if soldiers should learn their strategy from the general and not the general from the soldiers; then surely it is plain that creatures should conform all their lives to the will of their Creator!
7. God has drawn near to us in Jesus Christ – In John 8:56-58 Jesus is answering the criticism of the Jewish leaders. He says, “Your father Abraham rejoiced that he was to see my day; he saw it and was glad.” The Jews then said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly! I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”

God’s fulfilling promise of delivering His people from the oppression of the Egyptians as well as telling Moses that not only will He deliver them out of their hands, but also, they will plunder all of Egypt from their gold, silver and belongings to take with them.

Moses and the burning bush: The first mention of Mt. Sinai in the Bible.  Mt. Sinai is where Moses in currently living with his new wife, when he deserted Pharaoh.  In verses 3 – 6, God instructs Moses that he is now on Holy ground and he is to remove his sandals.  God tells Moses that He is the God of his fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, this is the first mention of the fact that Moses did come from this lineage.  

⁸ “So I have come down to deliver them…”   This would be indication that heaven is above.  

¹² “I will certainly be with you.”   A sign of the future from God that He will send His Son to be with us.  The Lord represents the Hebrew name Yahweh; I AM is a similar word in Hebrew.   ¹⁵ “This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.”

Exodus 4: ^{1 – 2} So often when the Lord gives us direction, even when we fervently pray and ask for God’s direction, we doubt ourselves and ask God, “Are you sure?”, “Did you really say that?”, “God, give me another sign just to make sure.”.   Like Moses, we need to trust our heart when God gives us direction.  Proverbs 3:6 says, “God will direct your paths”.

This is so pungent for me in particular today.  I am asking God for direction in our lives for our home, jobs, health, etc.  In addition, in today’s devotional reading from ^[4]Jesus Calling, ‘I speak to you continually’…just listen and spend quiet time with your Father.

^{6 – 10} God is using Moses as He has never used anyone previously.  God is prophetically telling Moses that Pharaoh won’t believe him initially but it will take a few times to get his point across so be patient.

¹¹ Everyone should heed this verse.  So many times, Christian’s say that they don’t like to read or reading is very hard for them and they use that as an excuse not to get into the Word.  Moses tells God that he is not strong in speech, quick in tongue or eloquent.  God reminds him who made him, his mouth and all things and God is very capable of giving you the qualities you need.  If God meant for His Word to be listened to and not read, He would have left His Word on tape not written; God is capable of anything, just ask.

^{12 – 17} Like every one of us, we doubt ourselves even though God tells us He will direct us.  Even though God tells Moses He will give him the gift of communication, Moses still doubts himself and brings anger to God.

^{21 – 23} As revealed in Exodus 1, God’s chosen people are Israel.  Here God tells Moses that Israel is God’s son, His firstborn.  If Pharaoh refuses to let His firstborn go, God will slay Pharaoh’s firstborn.  KJV uses the word ‘slay’ from the Hebrew haråg; to kill, slay, murder, destroy, murderer, slayer, out of hand. 

^{24 – 26} God met Moses in anger. The Lord threatened him with death or sent sickness upon him, as the punishment of his having neglected to circumcise his son. When God discovers to us what is amiss in our lives, we must give all diligence to amend it speedily.  

^{27 – 31} God blessed Aaron with a kiss.  Therefore, Moses and Aaron went to their people in Israel and showed the signs and wonders of what the Lord had given and promised Moses.  Unfortunately, their worshipping and honor to God was short lived.

Moses was the original “Doubting Thomas”.  He not only doubted himself but he doubted God.  God had to show Moses 3 signs, turn the rod into a snake, turned his hand into leprosy, and turned water into blood.  Still, after all this, Moses told God ¹⁰ “But I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.”     Verses 14 – 17, God had had it with Moses’ whining.  God gave Moses step by step instructions, which included using his brother Aaron, to get this job completed.  

²¹ “But I will harden his heart”.   Some commentaries interpret this verse and to v. 9:16 as God raising up Pharaoh to show His power.  The Jews were going to be wondering the desert for 40 years and these signs should have helped their belief.  

Eliezere

Gershom

 ²⁴ “The Lord met him and sought to kill him.”   Most commentaries are a bit confused with this statement.  Some feel that God’s anger was set on that Moses may not have had both of his sons circumcised, due to Midianite customs.  

After 40 years, God sent Aaron out to meet Moses on the Mountain of God (Horeb/Mt. Sinai.)   

Exodus 5: When Moses and Aaron approached Pharaoh and requested him to let their people go and to worship their Lord in the desert, Pharaoh not only became angry but also resented the fact that during this time, the Israelis’ had stopped working.  Pharaoh not only demanded that they continue with their daily quota of bricks, but also took away their provision of straw and made them get their own.  This doubled their workload since now not only did they have to fulfill the daily quota of brick, but also time was taken away so they could gather the necessary straw.

God will put us through tough times to get us seasoned and strengthened to be able to endure what He has in store for us. 

As Moses asked God, “Why?” in verse 22, so many of us, especially me, ask God “Why me?”  When God chooses us to do His work, it can often times be very painful, being rejected, etc.  The same appeared to happen to Moses.  

Man, it’s so easy to look at Moses and wonder where his faith is!  But he didn’t have Jesus…I do!  What’s my excuse?   THANK YOU, GOD.   I needed a slap in the face from God.  I was feeling neglected.

Exodus 6: ^{1 – 4} By my name Jehovah was I not known to them. —rather, was I not made manifest to them. The antiquity of the name itself appears rom its derivation.  This is from the obsolete havah, a form already in the time of Moses superseded by hayah; from its occurrence in some of the most ancient documents inserted by Moses into the Book of Genesis, e.g., Exodus 2:4; Exodus 2:3-4; Exodus 11:1-9, &c.; from its employment by Abraham as an element in a name (Genesis 22:14). Though the name was ancient, and known to the patriarchs, its full meaning was not known to them, and so God was not manifested to them by it.

^{5 – 9} The Jews were a stubborn people.  God spoke again to Moses assuring him and his people deliverance but the Jews did not believe; are we any different?

^{14 – 30} We have here a genealogy, not an endless one, such as the apostle condemns (1 Tim. 1:4).

The ten plagues:

1. Waters become blood – Aaron struck the water with the rod.

2. Frogs – Aaron stretched out his hand with the rod.

3. Lice – Aaron stretched out his hand with the rod.

4. Flies – The Lord acted on His own knowing Pharaoh’s heart.

5. Livestock diseased – The Lord did it on the appointed day.

6. Boils – The Lord acted on His own.

7. Hail – Moses stretched out his hand towards the heavens.

8. Locusts – Moses stretched out his hands.

9. Darkness – Moses stretched out his hands.

10. Death of the Firstborn – Angel of the Lord.

God was telling Moses that He had appeared to his fathers as God Almighty (El Shaddai), but they did not know Him as Lord (Yahweh).   The command is verse 13 seems repetitious but it is not.  Verses 14 -27 are mere parenthesis and it then picks back up at verse 28 where implications are that God’s words were much stronger.  

Exodus 7: ¹ The NKJV is translated incorrectly in this verse.  The word ‘god’ here should be a small g. The original Hebrew text is which translated is “רֶ אמ ֹ ֤ יַּ ו ֙הָ הו ְ ה י ֶ֔ שֹׁ ל־מ ֶ ה א ֵ֛א ְ י ר ִ֥ תַּתְ ים נ ִ֖ ה ֱ ה א ֹ֑ﬠ ְ רַפְ ן ל ֹ ֥ רֲהַאְ י ו ִ֖ חָ, and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.”

God has provided Moses the godly authority over Pharaoh and given him his brother the eloquent tongue to speak for him.

^{2 – 5} God is working mightily through both Moses, at the ripe old age of 80, and Aaron to show Pharaoh and all of Egypt who He is.  God is equipping them with not only the power of God but also the confidence needed for them to lead the Jews out of Egypt to the Promised Land.

^{6 – 13} The beginning of the use of the rod.  The rod is used all through the Exodus through the desert.

^{19 – 21} Often misunderstood that it was Aaron that reached out the rod, the Lord told Moses to tell Aaron to do so.  Aaron was to touch all of the water sources with the rod from God.

²⁴ Wells may be sunk in any part of the alluvium, and will always yield water, which is, however, brackish and unpalatable. This water is, no doubt, derived by percolation from the river; but the percolation is a slow process, and blood would scarcely percolate far. The water obtained was probably in the ground before the miracle took place, and was not made subject to it.

Alluvium – This is a loose, unconsolidated soil or sediments, which has been eroded, reshaped by water in some form, and redeposited in a non-marine setting.

Percolation – This is the process of a liquid slowly passing through a filter. Its how coffee is usually made. Percolation comes from the Latin word percolare, which means, “to strain through.” Percolation happens when liquid is strained through a filter, like when someone makes coffee.

When we minister to people on the power and wonders of our Lord, they immediately become defensive and talk about the advantages of not being a believer and signs of how good it is for them already.  This occurred with Moses and Aaron with the Pharaoh.  They showed the sign of the rod and the serpent to Pharaoh but he was not to be outdone.  

The First Plague:  Waters Become Blood 

Exodus 8: The first four plagues.  Exodus 4: 21 – 23 God tells Moses that as long as Pharaoh continues to refuse to let His people (firstborn) go, He will kill/slay his first-born. 

No matter what about of plagues God imposes on Pharaoh, he refuses to let His people go.  God is grooming Moses as to what He told him earlier.

The Second Plague:  Frogs     

The Third Plague:  Lice

The Fourth Plague:  Flies

Exodus 9: ^{1 – 7} God says that He will destroy all livestock, horses, donkeys, camels, oxen and sheep.  These are the only livestock mentioned. 

^{8 – 28} God says He will bring hail to Egypt, as it has never seen.  This included all livestock.  Only those who believe will be spared if they put their livestock away.

^[5]Is there a contradiction?  Five possibilities of disproving any contradictions.

1. Exodus 9:3 states, “Behold, the hand of the LORD will be on your cattle in the field, on the horses, on the donkeys, on the camels, on the oxen, and on the sheep—a very severe pestilence.” Surprisingly, this verse does not mention one of the most important domestic animals at that time— ^[6] the goat. Therefore, it is possible that all of the livestock except goats were killed in the first plague on the livestock (fifth plague overall), and in the second instance it was goats that were affected by the plague of hail.

2. Exodus 9:19–20 mentions that those who “feared the word of the LORD among the servants of Pharaoh” were told to get their livestock out of the fields. Some scholars mention that these Egyptians may have been warned about the previous plague of pestilence (although it was not recorded), so they still had all of their livestock left. In this scenario, God warned them to put all of their livestock in barns so they wouldn’t be killed by hail.

3. The third possibility is similar to the previous explanation except that the survival of their livestock hinges on the phrase “servants of Pharaoh.” Perhaps this means they were not actually Egyptians, but other vassal subjects who were warned of the plagues so that their animals could be spared. So, in Exodus 9:6, where it says that all the livestock of Egypt died, this view suggests that the animals belonging to these foreign vassals were spared if they obeyed God and not Pharaoh.

4. The Bible does not reveal how much time passed between the fifth plague and the seventh plague. Following the fifth plague, which wiped out the livestock of Egypt, the Egyptians may have taken some of the livestock belonging to Israel. Another possibility is that they bought (or took) livestock from surrounding areas (Libya, Ethiopia, Canaan, etc.). The first option would require very little time to complete while the second would probably require at least a few weeks. However, since the Bible does not specify how much time passed, either is possible.

5. The fifth, and perhaps simplest solution, would be to acknowledge the fact that “all” does not always mean exclusively “all.” ^[7] We must use the context to determine its meaning. In the case of Exodus 9:6, it might be best translated that “all manner of livestock of the Egyptians died.” In other words, the plague included all kinds of animals, as clarified in the third verse: “on the horses, on the donkeys, on the camels, on the oxen, and on the sheep—a very severe pestilence.” This is the approach taken in Coverdale’s translation, and the New English Translation includes a footnote with a similar explanation.

The Fifth Plague:  Livestock Diseased

The Sixth Plague:  Boils – This time the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart.    

The Seventh Plague:  Hail – ¹⁵ “Now if I had stretched out My hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, then you would have been cut off from the earth.”  The Lord is telling Pharaoh that He could have eliminated him immediately if He so wanted to.  I think the message here is free will AND, the amount of grace God continues to give us.  

¹⁹ “Therefore send now and gather your livestock and all that you have in the field.”   Since, based on the fifth plague, all of the livestock of Egypt was diseased and killed; this must have been a significant amount of time between this plague and the fifth plague.   Even though Pharaoh begged Moses to have the Lord stop this plague and admitted that Moses’ Lord was the Lord of the earth, Moses stretch out his had to God to have it stopped KNOWING that Pharaoh would harden his heart again (verse 30).  

Exodus 10: ^{1 – 20} Interesting scripture regarding the locusts.  

^{1 – 5} God instructs Moses to warn Pharaoh to let His people go or He will cover the entire earth with locusts.  

^{8 – 11} At first, Pharaoh tells Moses to go and take his family with him.  He then immediately changes his mind.

^{12 – 15} The Lord spread the locusts over the entire earth and every herb and fruit tree that remained from the hail.

^{16 – 20} There is only mention of a very strong west wind that cleared the locusts in Egypt.  God brought in the locusts from the east.  In whichever direction the locusts covered the rest of the earth; God restored it from the opposite direction.

^{22 – 23} Three days of total darkness is symbolic of the three days the earth was in darkness until Jesus arose from the dead.  Three full days not only did the apostles suffer with a darkness of missing their Leader but sin fell heavy on the earth until Jesus arose and removed the sin from the earth as far as the east is from the west. 

²⁹ NKJV “So Moses said, “You have spoken well. I will never see your face again.

KJV “And Moses said, thou hast spoken well, I will see thy face again no more.”

Wycliffe” Moyses answeride, Be it doon so, as thou hast spokun; I schal no more se thi face.

Why do I reference three versions?  The Wycliffe version is the oldest translation of the original text dating back to 1450.  The Wycliffe translation has Pharaoh as thou, small ‘t’ where both KJV’s have it capitalized.   Pharaoh is not deity and should not be referenced as such. 

The Eighth Plague:  Locusts The first instance that Pharaoh started to give in by letting only the men go.

The Ninth Plague:  Darkness The second instance that Pharaoh started to give in by letting now the women and children to go with the men but not the livestock. 

Exodus 11: ^{1 – 3} God is establishing Moses’ greatness in Egypt.  

^{4 – 7} God is definitely distinguishing the Jewish people from the Egyptians.

^{8 – 10} Moses proclaimed to Pharaoh what God had instructed him to do and God hardened Pharaoh’s heart again.

The Tenth Plague:  Death of the Firstborn

Exodus 12: The Passover – ^{1 – 2} God is establishing the calendar here.  This month shall be the first of months.   [Return]

^{3 – 6} The Passover begins on the tenth of the month until the fourteenth. 

^{7 – 20} The Lord is establishing His Passover.  From the fourteenth day for seven days, no one shall eat leavened bread.

²³ God sends a destroyer over the land of Egypt.  This could be an angel.

^{29 – 30} The Lord sent His destroyer over the entire land of Egypt and all the firstborn of the Egyptians and livestock were killed.

The Exodus begins.

^{31 – 36} The Jews had plundered all of what the Egyptians had according to the Lord’s commandment.

³⁷ An Egyptian Sukkot is the second of the stations of the Exodus. Pharaoh ordered the Israelites to leave Egypt, and they journeyed from their starting point at Pi-Rameses to Succoth (Exodus 12:37). Both appear to be towns within the Land of Goshen, which is generally believed to be in the eastern Delta.

^{40 – 42} The entire journey from Egypt was four hundred and thirty years.

^{43 – 51} Passover regulations.

^{43 – 45} Only the Jews and a purchased circumcised servant may observe Passover.

^{46 – 49} If a pilgrim comes into the land to dwell, not a sojourner, let him be circumcised and he can observe the Passover.

God had established two separate laws for Passover, one for the native-born and one for the pilgrim. 

The Lords Passover – The month of Abib (or April-May (also known as Nisan)) was established, by God, as the beginning of their year.  Each family was to take a perfect lamb, on the 10^th of the month, wait 14 days from the first of the month^[8], and kill it at twilight.  They were to take a portion of the blood and place it on the door posts and the lintel.  The lintel is the “support beam” of the house (Jesus is our support beam of our house/tent).      

What a remarkable analogy, unless we accept Jesus (the lintel of our house) into our lives, we will not be “Past Over” come judgment day.  ¹⁴ “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.”  The Feast of Unleavened Bread is directly tied to The Passover.  Immediately following the Passover, they were to get rid of any leavened bread from their houses and eat only unleavened bread for 7 days.  

Exodus 13: ^{1 – 2} In remembrance of the slaying of the firstborn in Egypt, God is commanding that the firstborn among the children of Israel both of man and beast.  The firstborn in the Jewish culture is held at a higher esteem.

^{3 – 4} What is the significance of unleavened bread?  Exodus 12:33-34 Wycliffe translation – and Egyptians constreyneden (urgent) the people to go out of the land swiftly, and said, all we should die!  ³⁴ Therefore the people took meal spread together, before that, it was diet with sour dough; and bound in mentis, and put on her shoulders.

God had them leave BEFORE the bread had time to rise, unleavened. 

Abib/Nisan (The first month of the Jewish calendar) falls somewhere within our months of March and April. It changes in relation to our months because the Jews use a lunar calendar (months of 29 or 30 days), with an extra month inserted in the year periodically to maintain the seasons.

^{5 – 10} God is commanding the Jews to commemorate the Exodus from Egypt forever by celebrating the Feast of Unleavened Bread.  

^{11 – 16} God is establishing His reign over the Jews with the commands remember what God has done for them by delivering them from the hands of the Egyptians.  The final plague of the killing of the firstborn in the land of Egypt both man and beast.  The firstborn of His sons he will redeem and the firstborn of animal shall be sacrificed.

^{17 – 18} There were two routes to take from Egypt to Canaan, the short cut, the way of the Philistines, which may have been a 4 – 5-day journey, or the way of the Red Sea.  There are many reasons by God chose the longer route.  Compare this to today and the route in which God has for you.  There’s the easy way or the Lord’s way, Proverbs 3:5-6 says that He will direct your paths and don’t trust your own understanding.

God’s plans are not our plans.  God’s intention was to drown the Egyptians and leave the Jews with a relief that they could not come back.  God used this longer route to season the Jewish people.  God tests our faith in Him all of the time.  God rewards us when we trust completely in Him.

^{20 – 22} A pillar of clouds and a pillar of fire by day and night are what God provided for His people to get to the Promised Land.  God is our Shekinah Glory (Shekinah, Shechinah (Biblical Hebrew: שכינה), is the English transliteration of a Hebrew word meaning “dwelling” or “settling” and denotes the dwelling or settling of the divine presence of God.)

God showed the Jews that He was divine and guiding their every step.  As He has promised us in Proverbs 3: 5 – 6, He directed their paths by day and by night.

Exodus 14: ^{1 – 4} God told Moses what His intentions were, to box the Jews in and corner them to show Pharaoh His might.  As you can see from the map below, God trapped the Jews, boxed them in.

Exodus 14:1-3 Camped before Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, opposite Baal Zephon

^{5 – 12} Does it really matter what God does in our lives?  We live day to day and God provides food, clothing, and a bed to rest our head on and still it’s not enough.  Are we not any different from the Jews?   The Jews were witness to all of the miracles of the plagues.  The Jews saw how God delivered them out of the hands of Pharaoh but still now, “why have you lead us into this trap?”  Proverbs 3:5-6 we need to trust in the Lord with all of our might and lean not in our own understandings but in all our ways acknowledge Him and He will direct our paths.

^{13 – 14} Moses was the only one who had faith in God.  The Jews, like us today, want a constant sign that God has not left us.

^{19 – 20} Up until this point, the cloud of darkness and the fire of light was protection for the Jews.  At this moment, the protection was needed behind them, as the Egyptians were ready to attack.  God provided this wall as a protection for the Jews to proceed.

^{21 – 23} After 24 days leaving Egypt, they spent one whole day crossing the sea for a total of 25 days on the other side. Subtract the 8 days camped at Etham waiting for Pharaoh to come gives a travel time of 17 days to go 250 miles from Goshen to Red Sea gives us an average daily 15 miles per day. Very possible considering they traveled day and night and had supernatural help from God so they would not stumble: Isaiah 63:11-14.

Crossing the Red Sea.  ³¹ “Thus Israel saw the great work which the Lord had done in Egypt; so the people feared the Lord.”  It is the belief here that the Israelites were reborn or saved here.  As well noted, they totally abandoned God later on.  Can one lose his salvation?   

Exodus 15: ^{1 – 19} The Song of Moses.  

Songs of praise and worship after the Lord’s deliverance from the Egyptians.  Here is the first occasion of a “slight” complaint from the people regarding no clean water.  Here Moses, instructed by God, placed a tree in the bitter water and made it clean.

The Red Sea or the Reed Sea?

Wycliffe Bible: ⁴ he castide doun in to the see the charis of Farao, and his oost. Hise chosun princis weren drenchid in the reed see.

Original Hebrew text: וִּמִ בַחַר שָׁלִָׁשָׁיו ֻטֻ בעוּ בְיַם־סוּף    ַמַ ר כֹבֹת ַפַ רֹעֹה  וְחֵילבֿ יָָׁׁרָׁה בַיָׁם  

Translated to Hebrew:

mar’K’vot Par’oh w’chëylô yäräh vaYämûmiv’char shälishäyw †uB’û v’yam-šûf

Translated to English:

Par`ò’s פַרֹּעֹּה 6547 chariots 4818 and his host 2428 hath he cast 3384 z8804 into the sea:3220 his chosen 4005 captains 7991 also are drowned 2883 z8795 in e Sûf סוּף 5488 sea. 3220

Wycliffe Bible: ⁵ the depe watris hiliden hem; thei yeden doun in to the depthe as a stoon.

NKJV: The depths have covered them; They sank to the bottom like a stone. KJV: The depths have covered them; they sank into the bottom as a stone.

A couple of interesting points here; all three translations indicate the waters with great depth.  A reed river or such would not be able to totally immerse chariots and horses.  Also, note that both the Wycliffe and KVJ versions write ‘they’ sank where the NKJV says ‘They’ sank.

¹⁰ Thi spirit blew, and the see hilide hem; thei weren drenchid as leed in grete watris.

The Wycliffe Bible shows the Reed Sea and in verse ten, it shows leed as lead. 

^{20 – 21} The Song of Miriam.

^21b “The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea!”

Wycliffe: “he castide doun in to the see the hors and the stiere of hym.”

^{23 – 25} “What shall we drink?” For a second time, as God was leading Moses and the Jews to the Promised Land, they were confronted with no good water to drink.    All of the miracles God has shown them to this point still has sunk into the Jews that God was leading them. 

²⁶ I am the Lord your Healer.

Exodus 16: ^{2 – 3} “What are we to eat?”  Moses lead the Jews out of Egypt, where they were fed, and now look what he has done.

^{4 – 5} God will supply all of our needs.  If we are truly faithful, God will abundantly provide for us.

^{6 – 8} Moses rebukes the Jews by telling them that their complaints are against God not him.  This should remind us that when we encounter troubles or walls, it’s God’s plan for us to be faithful to Him.  As God is testing the Jews here, He tests our faith as well. 

¹⁶ They were to gather one omer for each person.  From Latin gomor in the Vulgate, from Ancient Greek γομόρ (gomór) in the Septuagint, from Hebrew עומר (‘ómer, “sheaf; unit of dry measure”).  Historical units ofmeasure, archaic) Alternative form of omer: form Hebrew unit of dry volume equal to about 2.3 L or 2.1 quarts.

²⁰ NKJV Notwithstanding they did not heed Moses. But some of them left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them. 

²⁰ Wycliffe Bible: but summe of hem leften til to the morewtid, and it bigan to buyle with wormes, and it was rotun; and Moises was wrooth ayens hem.

The NKJV is very much the same as the 1611 KJV.  It would appear that the KJ translators added the ‘nonetheless’ knowing the hearts of the Jews, knowing that they would not listen to Moses.

 Wycliffe Sabot.  Sabbath. ַֽלַיהָוִָ֖ה ֵ֛קֶֹּדֶש שַׁבַׁת־ שַבָ֧ת֧וֹן יְהֶָׁ֔וֶָׁ֔ה ²²

^{27 – 30} The Lord was not so much grieving Moses directly but the people.  The Jews were so stubborn.  It wasn’t sinking in with the Jews what God meant to keep His day holy.

³¹ And the hous of Israel clepide the name thereof man, which was whijt as the seed of coriandre, and the taast therof was as of flour with hony.

I love it when the original text stays the same through the years.

A sign here is that the Jews complained, again, for not having food.  Their lack of faith is astounding.  First, God delivers them from the Egyptians by opening up the Red Sea, and then he gives them sweet water.  Was anything too hard for our God to do?  We often complain that we don’t have what WE want all the time.  We should just reflect on what God has done for us, continually.  

God had given the Israelites the “Bread of Life”.  They were to use up all of the manna that was given to them each day and leave nothing.  God the Father, through our Lord Jesus Christ, has given us the “Bread of Life”.  He tests our faith every day to see if we are faithful servants and know that God will provide for us each day.

 Exodus 17: The people complain again and contempt against God wanting water.

Moses calls the places Massah and Meribah – mas’-a, mer’-i-ba (maccah umeribhah, “proving and strife“; peirasmos kai loidoresis).

and he clepide the name of that place Temptacioun, for the chidyng of the sones of Israel, and for thei temptiden the Lord, and seiden, Whether the Lord is in vs, ether nay?

^{7– 8} Amalek fought against the Jews.  Moses’ unconditional faith in God directed him to have Joshua and Hur go with him to the top of a hill.  Moses took the rod that God had blessed and as long as he held the rod up, the Jews prevailed.  Remember, Moses was very old at this time and had a hard time keeping his arms up to hold the rod during the entire time of the battle.  The bible does not say how long the battle lasted but we can be sure it lasted a good bit.

When God directs us in our lives to help others, often times we need help to help others.  God uses us to do His work and we shouldn’t be so proud as to not allow others to help us in these efforts.

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This is such a picture of how God has taken us out of captivity, prior to saving us, and continually provides for our needs.  Instead of getting on our knees every day and thanking Him for providing for us, we tend to complain when things don’t go our way or we don’t get what WE want.

We lift up our hands to the Lord and praise Him.  We pursue daily against the enemy but we can’t do it alone.  We need Jesus, as Moses needed Aaron and Hur, to “hold us up” and defeat the enemy.

Exodus 18: ^{1 – 14} Moses’ fathers-in-law, Jethro, was a loving and compassionate man.  All that Moses had accomplished through the Lord up until this point was extremely taxing on Moses.  We all have someone in our lives to go to and relieve our day-to-day stresses, Moses did not.  Jethro took upon himself to let Moses unload on him.  I’m sure Moses felt a lot of stress just leave his body.

^{15 – 16} Moses’ display of his devotion to God.

^{17 – 22} Jethro was a God-fearing man.  He had an abundance of Godly wisdom.  God says He will give us all the wisdom we desire if we truly believe in faith that He will.

^[9] Have you ever wondered why God, who gave Moses such detailed verbal instructions about things like the construction of the tabernacle and the keeping of the law, never instructed Moses on how he was to perform his role as judge in Israel? Instead, he allowed Moses to struggle under an overbearing workload for a while and finally sends Jethro, Moses’s father in-law, to be an organizational consultant.

In Exodus 18, while visiting his famous son-in-law, Jethro observes Moses’s judicial administrative methods and then gives sage advice on delegation. The outcome was a much more effective and efficient way of serving the people.

However, why didn’t God just tell Moses that from the beginning? Alternatively, why didn’t he just call him to the tent of meeting one day and give him some correction? Why Jethro?

I think one very important reason is that God understands how influential he is. In addition, he does not intend the vast majority of our methods or systems to be considered sacred. Therefore, even if he approves of them, he doesn’t endorse them.

There are countless ways to do things depending on our context and technology. But if this counsel had come directly from God’s mouth rather than from Jethro, we likely would still be structuring our churches, denominations, and organizations by thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens because it’s God’s endorsed way of organizing people.

God speaks with clarity and preciseness everything that is required to redeem his people and make them holy throughout the generations. He’s clear on every commandment to be obeyed and every promise to be trusted. However, regarding secondary or administrative things, he leaves much to our figuring out. He loves to answer our prayers for guidance in these areas, but he usually answers indirectly. He does not want us to make an idol out of what is only meant to be helpful.

Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, helped Moses establish a hierarchy of Godly men to assist him in judging his people.  The qualifications, though only 5, are similar to the qualifications that Paul gave Timothy for leaders in the church.

Exodus 19: The Wilderness of Sinai

^{3 – 6} God called to Moses and instructed him to tell the children of Israel to obey His covenant.  Mount Sinai is a significant place throughout the Bible.

^{7 – 9} The Lord came to Moses and to the people of Israel in a thick cloud.  Often, we feel a heaviness of a cloud over us.  Look at this as God speaking to us.  Take this time not to pity ourselves for the heaviness we feel but listen.

^{10 – 13} God told Moses to prepare His people for His presence on the mountain.  God’s presence is so glorious.  Just think about this.  God, the Creator of all things known and unknown, all the stars in the heavens, the galaxies.  It’s so hard for us to phantom God’s presence so much so, God warns Moses to not allow anyone to touch the mountain.  This says an awful lot about Moses.

^{14 – 19 [10]}And Mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, not from nature, as volcanos, but for a reason after given; it seemed to be one large body of smoke, nothing else to be seen but smoke; an emblem of the darkness of the legal dispensation, which was full of obscure types and figures, of dark shadows and smoky sacrifices, to which the clear day, of the Gospel dispensation is opposed, see 2 Corinthians 3:12.

because the Lord descended upon it in fire; in flaming fire, as the Targum’s, which set the mountain on fire, and caused this prodigious smoke; for if he, who is a consuming fire, but touch the hills and mountains, they smoke, Psalm 104:32, and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace such a one as that which Abraham in vision saw, Genesis 15:17.

and the whole mount quaked greatly; to which circumstance Deborah refers in her song, when she speaks of mountains melting and flowing from before the presence of the God of Israel, and particularly of Sinai, Judges 5:4, and the psalmist, who makes mention of the earth shaking, and the heavens dropping, and of Sinai being moved at his presence, Psalm 68:8, it is probable there was an earthquake now, which sometimes attends thunders and lightning’s, see Revelation 16:18.

^{23 – 24} Moses was not prepared to hold off the Jews from their curiosity.   God knew better and warned Moses, “Away”.  Go back down and prepare them for they would not perish.  He also answered Moses’ question on who could come up, only he and Aaron.

Exodus 20: The Ten Commandments.                                                       

Since this current generation of people did not survive the entry in the Promise Land, besides Joshua and Caleb, and when the second generation of children were about to enter in the

Promise Land, Moses gives a series of sermons, documented in Deuteronomy.  In chapter 5 of Deuteronomy, Moses gives the new generation the Ten Commandments.  For this purpose, I took both versions of the Ten Commandments directly from the Wycliffe bible, the earliest bible.  Several scholars debate that these versions have discrepancies.  God’s Word does not change and they are reflected in both versions.

The later part of Chapter 19, God told Moses and Aaron to go back down the mountain and tell the people to be still and then you, Moses, and Aaron come back up.

¹ God then spoke to Moses and Aaron the Ten Commandments. Taken from the Wycliffe bible.

1. ³ Thou schalt not have alien goddis before me.
2. ^{4 – 6} Thou schalt not make to thee a graven yage, nether only license of thing which is in heaven above, and which is in earth beneath, nether of the things, that ben in watris under earth; thou schalt not `here to,
   1. nether `thou schalt worship; for Y am thi Lord God, a strong jealous lover; and Y visit the wickedness of father in to the third and the fourth generation of hem that hate me,
   1. and Y do mercy in to `a thousand, to hem that love me, and keep my command.
3. ⁷ Thou schalt not take in vein the name of thi Lord God, for the Lord schal not have hym guiltless, that takes in vein the name of his Lord God.
4. ⁸ Have thou mind, that thou hallowed the `day of the Sabbath. 
5. ¹² Honor thi father and thi mother, that thou be long lying on the land, which thi Lord God schal you to thee.
6. ¹³ Thou schalt not slay.
7. ¹⁴ Thou schalt `do no letcherie (adultery).
8. ¹⁵ Thou schalt `do no theft.
9. ¹⁶ Thou schalt not speak false witnessing ayens thi neiybore.
10. ¹⁷ Thou schalt not covet `the hous of thi neiybore, nether thou schalt desire his wife, not servant, not handmaiden, not oxe, not asse, nether all things that ben house.

^{18 – 21} God’s purpose here is to plant the fear of Him among His people and to have the utmost respect for Him.

^{22 – 23} God commands again that no one shall make any graven image from silver or gold.  God’s purpose here is not alone to place His fear in them but to warn them that He is a jealous God.  We, today, don’t heed God’s instructions with all our worldly desires and we didn’t have the honor or distinction to have Him in our face warning us.  The Jews did and still disobeyed Him.

Exodus 21: ^{1 – 6} The law of servants.  I love these scriptures as they are repeated in Deuteronomy 15:16-17.  If you buy a servant, after six years you shall let him go.  If he loves his master, you take him to the doorpost and put an awl in his ear.  This is a sign of a bondservant’s love to his master.

^{12 – 13} These verses are describing second degree murder.

¹⁴ This verse describes first degree murder.

¹⁴ The word “strikes” here ought to be understood in the same way as in v. 12 – a blow that is meant to kill.  This refers to a person who shows such distain and rebellion for his parents that he lashes out against them with serious violence.  His blows may not outright kill his mother or father, but it’s clear that was his intent.  In such a case, he’s to be put to death!

And the reason why is because such violence against one’s parents is a fundamental violation of the 5^th Commandment to honor parents, a commandment which under girds the whole idea of honor and order in society.  The man who violently rebels against his parents, if left without judgment, will introduce a moral and spiritual infection into society which will work great harm to many.

^{14– 27} God’s commands on violence are made perfectly clear.  

^{28 -32} It’s amazing how God’s commands are somewhat still adhered to today.  Animal owners take full responsibility of their animal’s actions.  The initial act is excused if the owner was not aware but once the owner is made known and does nothing to stop the continuing violence. The owner is subject to severe punishment.

Laws for servants and violence.  Up to this point, there are two different types of laws established by God for Israel, casuistic and apodictic laws.   Casuistic laws, or case laws, that were moral, pertaining to a given situation that was brought up to Moses for a particular situation and Apodictic laws were those laws established by God, general laws.  

Responsibility for property.  ¹⁸ “You shall not permit a sorceress to live.”   ²⁰ “He who sacrifices to any god, except to the Lord only, he shall be utterly destroyed.”

Exodus 22: Exodus 21 expounded on the fifth commandment of though shall not murder.  This chapter expounds on the eighth commandment, though shall not steal.

¹⁸ You shall not permit sorceress to live; witchcraft, fortune tellers, etc.

¹⁸ The law against bestiality. 

¹⁸ He that offers to goddis, out taken to the Lord alone, be he slain.  As the first commandment clearly states, God is a jealous God and He shall have no gods before Him.

Exodus 22: ^{1 – 4} While the Lord gave Moses the Ten Commandments, God is now defining those commandments.  This chapter expands on ‘though shall not steal’.  God provides His laws for those who steal and the consequences.

⁶ Arsonists are called out here the consequences for those who start fires.

^{7- 8} Consequences of stealing.

In Exodus 18, God brought Moses his father-in-law, Jethro, to give him wisdom in judging the people of Israel.  It was too much for just one person to judge.  God now explains His laws on how the judges are to judge.

It becomes extremely apparent how this country, especially today being the fourth of July, was born out of God’s Word.  His laws, that were put in place thousands of years ago, were imputed into the constitution of the United States.  We see now how our country is trying to change God’s laws and the constitution. 

⁹ The original text for trespass has fraud: to `do fraud; as well in oxe, as in asse, and in sheep, and in cloth; and whatever thing may bring in harm, the cause of ever either schal come to goddis (judges), and if they demand, he schal restore the double to his neiybore.

²¹ Love your neighbor as yourself.

 ^{21 -24} God’s warning to not harm widows or fatherless children is very clear, no exceptions.  Any man that harms either will himself leave his wife as a widow and his children, fatherless.

Thou schalt not backbite (revile; “gniklat֙ylsuoicilam֙tuoba֙enoemos֙ohw֙si֙ton֙”. tneserp֙oT֙ backbite is to gossip about someone behind his or her back. Secret slander is the essence of backbiting, and it is strongly condemned in the Bible) goddis, and thou schalt not curse the prince of thi people.

²⁸ The law of circumcision. 

Exodus 23: It seems that some Proverbs came from this book.

¹ God’s law on perjury. 

^{1 – 3} God warns of the unjust.  He demands pure honesty.

^{6 – 9} Flee from unrighteousness.

^{10 – 12} Keep holy the Sabbath.  While the rich may reap what they sow, on the day of rest, the poor shall be fed what is remaining.

¹³ Guard your tongue (circumspect; cautious, wary, careful, chary, guarded wisely) and do not talk about other gods.

⁵ This verse describes how much we are to love one another.  God demands that even if we know that someone hates or dislikes us and we see the most insignificant thing that belongs to that person in need, we are to turn away from what our natural self might do and DO whatever it takes to assist.  

⁹ tells us to extend ourselves to all strangers.  We were once strangers until we were saved as the Israelites were strangers in Egypt until they were “saved”.

^{14 – 16} The Lord tells of the three feasts that must be maintained per year; Feast of the unleavened bread, Feast of Harvest (or Feast of Weeks), and the Feast of Ingathering (called the Feast of Tabernacles).  

The Lord God:  YHWY (Yahweh) – Adonai – I AM WHO I AM 

Exodus 24: ^{1 – 8} God allowed the people to come to the foot of the mountain but not directly to Him, only Moses.  Moses created an offering at the foot of the mountain and took half of the blood and sprinkled it on the alter and some of the other blood, put it in a basin, and sprinkled it over the Jews saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which the Lord has made with you according to all these words”.  Moses was a type of Christ to the Jewish people, their mediator.  Jesus died for us, shed His blood for us for the new covenant, and became our Mediator.

^{9 – 11} The elders saw the God of Israel; they had some glimpse of his glory, though whatever they saw, it was something of which no image or picture could be made, yet enough to satisfy them that God was with them of a truth. Nothing is described but what was under his feet.  The latter part of this verse may be read: “under His feet, it was like a work of bright sapphire stone, and like the heaven itself in clearness.” On the sapphire.  The pure blue of the heaven above them lent its influence to help the inner sense to realize the vision, which no mortal eye could behold.

¹² The Lord called Moses back up to the mountain by himself to give him the Ten Commandments in stone.

^{16 – 18} The Lord appeared as a cloud over Mount Sinai.  For six days, the Lord prepared Moses and on the seventh day, He appeared to Moses in an all-consuming fire for forty days and forty nights.

The word ‘worship’ in the Hebrew #7812 (shâchâh, shaw-khaw’) means prostrate (especially reflex. In homage to royalty or God): – bow (self) down, crouch, fall down (flat), humbly beseech, do (make) obeisance, do reverence, make to stoop, worship  

¹⁰ “and they saw the God of Israel, and there was under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and it was like the very heavens in its clarity. ¹¹ But on the nobles of the children of Israel He did not lay His hand.  So, they saw God, and they ate and drank.”  It is not clear if this is a manifestation of Jesus (see 23:20).  These verses also indicate that the Lord DID lay hands on Moses.

Exodus 25: ^{1 – 9} God is instructing Moses on how to build the Tabernacle in which will house the Ten Commandments and to tell the Jews what to collect and how to make it. 

¹⁰ Cubit – (Hebrew word אמה [ammah]), the primary unit of measure in the Old Testament.  The length of a cubit was based on the distance from the elbow to the fingertips, so it varied between different ancient groups of people. 

^{10 – 16} God’s directions on the construction of the Ark of the Covenant. 

^{17 – 20} On top of the ark was a lid called the mercy seat on which rested the cloud or visible symbol of the divine presence. 

^{23 – 30} God’s instructions to build the Table of acacia wood for the Showbread.

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^{21 – 36} God’s instructions for the making of the Golden Lampstands.

 Exodus 26: Why Acacia wood?  From a practical standpoint, acacia trees would have been one of the only types of trees growing in the wilderness regions traveled by Israel. In addition, acacia wood is dense and extremely strong, making it a great option for any type of wooden construction.

One researcher has noted, “This wood is resistant to decay because the tree deposits in the heartwood many waste substances which are preservatives and render the wood unpalatable to insects making the wood dense and difficult to be penetrated by water and other decay agents.

The Tabernacle in the wilderness

Exodus 27: ^{1 – 8} The Alter of Burnt Offering

^{9 – 19} The Court of the Tabernacle

^{20 – 21} The Lamp is a symbol of our Savior; a Light shining for us for eternity.  Jesus came, tore the veil, and allowed us direct access to him. 

Exodus 28: Garments for the Priesthood.  ^{1 [11]}“Minister unto me in the priest’s office”: The 3fold repetition of this phrase in the opening words about Aaron’s priestly wardrobe would appear to stress the importance of his role in the religious life of the nation. Aaron’s sons were part of the priesthood being set up. The Hebrew text groups the sons in two pairs, the first pair being Nadab and Abihu, both of whom died because of wanton disregard of God’s instructions (Lev. 10:1-2). Aaron and his descendants, as well as the tribe of Levi, were selected by God to be Israel’s priests, they did not appoint themselves to the position. The law clearly defined their duties for worship and the sacrifices in the tabernacle and for the individual worshiper and the nation’s covenantal relationship to God.

The preparation for formally establishing Israel’s priesthood begins here. “Aaron” and his “sons” were appointed by Yahweh. Their principal function, according to the Lord, was to “minister unto Me”, through the administration of the temple and its sacrifices. From this point forward, all true priests in Israel were to be descended from Aaron’s line (Heb. 5:4).

God was telling Moses, to separate Aaron and his sons for priests for the temple of God. Notice also, that Aaron was to minister to God. The job of a high priest was two-fold. Not only was he to present himself as a representative of God to the people, but was to represent the people to God once a year on Day of Atonement.

“Abihu” means worshipper. “Nadab” means liberal. “Eleazar” means God is helper. “Ithamar” means coast of the palm tree.

The Ephod 5 – 14

The Ephod was something girt, a sacred vestment worn originally by the high priest, afterwards by the ordinary priest, and characteristic of his. It was worn by Samuel, and by David. It was made of fine linen, and consisted of two pieces, which hung from the neck, and covered both the back and front, above the tunic and outer garment. That of the high priest was embroidered with divers’ colors. The two pieces were joined together over the shoulders (hence in Latin called superhumerale) by clasps or buckles of gold or precious stones, and fastened round the waist by a “curious girdle of gold, blue, purple, and fine twined linen”.

The Breastplate ^{15 – 30} 

^[12]This breast piece was to be made in part of the same material as the Ephod. The directions specify that it was to be made “of gold, of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine twined linen” (Ex. 28. 15). “Foursquare it shall be, being doubled; a span shall be the length thereof, and a span shall be the breadth thereof” (ib. 28 16); thus, before it was doubled it was a cubit long and a half-cubit wide. On the front face of this square were set, in four rows, twelve precious stones, on each of which was engraved the name of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. These jewels in gold settings were (Ex. 28. 17-19): in the first row, “a Sardis [margin, “ruby”], a topaz, and a carbuncle [margin, “emerald”]”; in the second row, “an emerald [margin, “carbuncle”], a sapphire, and a diamond [margin, “sardonyx”]”; in the third row, “a jacinth [R. V.: margin, “amber”], an agate, and an amethyst”; and in the fourth row, “a beryl [margin, “chalcedony”], and an onyx [margin, “beryl”], and a jasper.” The exact identification and the order of these stones, as well as the tribe represented by each, are matters of speculation. The breastplate was worn over and fastened to the ephod. It hung over the breast of the wearer, and was secured to the shoulders of the ephod by gold cords (or chains). These cords of “wreathen work,” tied in the gold rings at the top corners of the outer square of the breastplate, were fastened to ouches on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod. The lower part of the breastplate was fastened to the ephod at some point below the shoulders by a blue ribbon, which passed through gold rings at the lower corners of the inner square. As well as being a means of securing in its place this most important portion of the dress of the high priest, these fastenings formed a brilliant decoration. The term “breastplate of judgment” (Ex. xxviii. 15, 29, 30) indicates that the name was given to this portion of the priestly dress because of its use in connection with the mysterious Urim and Thummim.

Other Priestly Garments

^{31 – 43} The priestly mitre or turban (Hebrew mitznefet מצְנֶֶפֶת ) was the head covering worn by the Jewish High Priest when he served in the Tabernacle and the Temple in Jerusalem.  The Hebrew word mitznefet (מצְנֶֶפֶת) has been translated as “mitre” (KJV) or “headdress”. It was most likely a “turban”, as the word comes from the root “to wrap”.

Exodus 29: ¹ And this is the thing that thou shalt do unto them to hallow them, to minister unto Me in the priest’s office: take one young bullock and two rams without blemish,

    לי לְַכַ הן–אָֹּתָם לְַקַ דש ,לֶָהֶם תַעֲֶשֶה-אֲֶשֶר הַדָָבָר וְֶזֶה  א:

 .ְתְ מי מם–שְַנַ ים ְוְ אי לם ,בָָקָר-ֶבֶן אֶָחָד ַפַר לְַקַח

The original Hebrew text states hallow Aaron’s sons, from God, when we say Hallow be Thy Name.  God was bestowing glory and honor to Aaron’s sons.

^{1 – 9} God is placing the dubious honor of only allowing Aaron and his sons to approach the veil of the tabernacle.  Think of the significance of this today!  Until Jesus died for our sins and tore the veil revealing it us and granting us direct access, we had to go through a priest.

^{26 – 27} The wave offering (Hebrew: tenufah תנופה) or sheaf offering or omer offering (korban omer) was an offering made by the Jewish priests in token of a solemn special presentation to God.  A heave offering, or terumah (Hebrew: תְרוָּמָה), plural terumot, is a kind of offering. The word is generally used in the positive sense of an offering to God, although sometimes it is also used in a negative sense, such as the ish teramot, a “[dishonest] judge who loves gifts”.

³³ “They shall eat those things with which the atonement was made to consecrate and sanctify them.”    I’d like to find out what the Catholic priests do with the remainder of the hosts after service, which was not taken at communion.  The priests in the OT were to burn anything leftover.  

^{36 – 37} the sin offering was sacrificed when a person sinned unintentionally by breaking one of the Lord’s commandments and later realized his guilt.

^{38 – 45} Their daily offering.  Everyday throughout the generations, the Jews, even to this day, offer a lamb twice a day in order to be in God’s presence.  Only then, will God show His glory.  We are so blessed to have the only true Lamb of God in our Savior Jesus Christ who took on the sin offerings for us and gives us direct access to the Father.

Exodus 30: ^{1 – 10} The Altar of Incense   

The golden altar of incense, which is not to be confused with the brazen altar, sat in front of the curtain that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. This altar was smaller than the brazen altar. It was a square with each side measuring 1.5 feet and was 3 feet high. It was made of acacia wood and overlaid with pure gold. Four horns protruded from the four corners of the altar.   God commanded the priests to burn incense on the golden altar every morning and evening, the same time that the daily burnt offerings were made. The incense was to be left burning continually throughout the day and night as a pleasing aroma to the Lord. It was made of an equal part of four precious spices (stacte, onycha, galbanum and frankincense) and was considered holy. God commanded the Israelites not to use the same formula outside the tabernacle to make perfume for their own consumption; otherwise, they were to be cut off from their people.

^{11 – 15} The Lord required ransom money for the atonement of their sins; this is not the same as tithing, this was atonement money.

^{17 – 21} The Bronze Laver

It is amazing how much of the Old Testament some religions try to keep in their day-to-day rituals.  The Holy garbs, the washing of the hands, etc.  We thank God daily for the sacrifice His only Son made to alleviate from all of the ritualistic of the old covenant (law).  However, how some religions can take only part of the law and create their own versions of it, is, well, purely man made. 

 ^{22 – 32} The Holy Anointing Oil

The holy anointing oil (Hebrew: המשחה שמן shemen ha-mishchah, “oil of anointing”) formed an integral part of the ordination of the priesthood and the High Priest as well as in the consecration of the articles of the Tabernacle and subsequent temples in Jerusalem. The primary purpose of anointing with the holy anointing oil was to cause the anointed persons or objects to become qodesh, or “most holy”.

^{34 – 38} The Incense

At the end of the Holy compartment of the tabernacle, next to the curtain dividing it off from the Most Holy, was located the incense altar. (Exodus 30:1; 37:25; 40:5, 26, 27) According to the Books of Chronicles, there was also a similar incense altar in Solomon’s temple in Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 28:18 and 2 Chronicles 2:4). Every morning and evening the sacred incense were burned. (Ex 30:7, 8; 2Ch 13:11) Once a year on the Day of Atonement coals from the altar were taken in a censer, or fire holder, together with two handfuls of incense, into the Holy of Holies, where the incense was made to smoke before the mercy seat of the ark of the testimony. (Leviticus 16:12, 13.)

The book of Exodus lists four components of the incense while the Talmud lists seven additional components from the oral Torah. The four components from the book of Exodus are:

• stacte (נָָטָף nataf)
• onycha (ְשְ חֶלֶת shekheleth)
• galbanum (חֶלְבְָנָה khelbanah)
• pure frankincense (ָזָךְ לְבוָֹנָה levonah zach)

Exodus 31: ^{1 – 11} This definitively shows that no matter what you think your particular capabilities are, if God wants you to do something or puts that desire in you, He will equip you with all you need.  Bezalel, the son of Uri, and Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, were, most likely, not gifted in these artisans.  God filled them with the wisdom and understanding of His Spirit, provided, and equipped them.

We are to seek God constantly.  God promises to give us the desires of our hearts.  These desires are put in place when we do seek Him diligently.  God will not put desires in our hears without fully equipping us and provide us with the gifts needed to accomplish work for His kingdom; what an honor and a blessing.

³ “I have filled him with the Spirit of God.”  An indication of the works of the Holy Spirit in the OT.  

The Ten Commandments initially given to Moses

^{12 – 18} God continued to provide Moses with not only the instructions for His holy place of worship, but also carved out the Ten Commandments with His fingers.

These verses speak of God’s law of the Sabbath.  One should read this text very carefully (see 35:1 for further explanation of this LAW of God given to the Israelites).  

This is toremind us that from Chapter 25 through this verse is a transcription from Moses of what transpired on the mount between him and God

Exodus 32: ^{1 – 4} Of all people, Aaron gave in to the Jews and made the golden calf.

When Aaron built a golden calf for the Israelites to worship in Exodus 32, severe judgment came upon the people. Yet Aaron went on to serve as high priest. It hardly seems fair that he should escape punishment—he was the one who made the idol, after all—while others were judged.

There are two possible responses. First, one could make a strong case that Aaron was punished for making the golden calf. Though he was not punished at that exact time, Aaron would later die in the wilderness and never enter the Promised Land. Aaron also endured the loss of two of his adult sons in a judgment from God. After Aaron made the golden calf, his life included many difficulties that could be seen as a punishment.

A second response is that God did not punish Aaron for making the golden calf because Aaron had already been chosen as high priest of Israel. Despite Aaron’s sin, his role in leading worship in the tabernacle remained vital. Exodus 28 reveals the important role Aaron and his sons would play in the worship rituals of Israel. The position of high priest was promised in Exodus 28 before Aaron’s molding of the golden calf in Exodus 32.

Here, the Israelites, including Aaron, turn completely away from God.  Is this a sign of losing your salvation?  Remember, in chapter 14 when the Israelites crossed over the Red Sea, they bowed down and worshipped God as a sign of their being born again.

³² “Yet now, if You will forgive their sin – but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written.”  A very remarkable statement by Moses, asking God to use him as atonement for the entire nation of Israel.  Similar atonement for what Jesus did for our sins.  

³⁴ “Now therefore, go lead the people to the place of which I have spoken to you.  Behold, My Angel shall go before you.  Nevertheless, in the day when I visit for punishment, I will visit punishment upon them for their sin.”  God has forgiven His people but promises to relive their punishment in the Day of the Lord.  (See Joel 2 & Zephaniah 1).

Exodus 33: ^{1 – 2} Again, I am very discouraged with the NKJV of the translation.  Verse two in the

original Hebrew text has: וְהְַפְ ר זי וְַהַ ח תי  ,הָאֱֹּמֹּ רי הַכְנֲַעֲ ני-ֶאֶת  ,ְוְ גרְַשְ תי  ;מַלְָאָךְ  ,לְפֶָנֶיךָ וְשָלְַחְ תי  ב, ַהַ ח וּי which translates to; And I sent an angel before you, and I drove the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

The Wycliffe bible has ‘nd Y schal sende thi bifore goere an aungel, that Y caste out Cananey, and Amorei, and Ethei, and Ferezei, and Euey, and Jebusey;’.

The KJV has:  And I will send an angel before thee; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite:

The NKJV has: And I will send My Angel before you.  

As you can see, I struggle with translators taking liberty by insinuating Deity by capitalizing a word.  An angle is not deity but if you capitalize it, it insinuates Jesus.  Matthew Henry’s commentary states; though He promises to make good his covenant with Abraham, in giving them Canaan, yet he denies them the extraordinary tokens of his presence, such as they had hitherto been blessed with, and leaves them under the common conduct of Moses their prince, and the common convoy of a guardian angel: “I will send an angel before thee, for thy protector, otherwise the evil angels would soon destroy thee; but I will not go up in the midst of thee, lest I consume thee’’ not as if an angel would be more patient and compassionate than God, but their affronts given to an angel would not be so provoking as those given to the Shechinah, or divine Majesty itself. Note, the greater the privileges we enjoy the greater is our danger if we do not improve them and live up to them. 6. He speaks as one that was at a loss what course to take with them. Justice said, “Cut them off, and consume them.

God is sending an angel to guide Moses and his people to the Land flowing with milk, honey, and not Himself as He was previously by cloud and by fire.

^{10 – 11} This seems to insinuate that God spoke directly to Moses not as God but as His friend and face to face within the pillar of cloud.  God had told Moses earlier that He would not follow or direct the Jews going forward but He did meet with Moses within the pillar of a cloud outside the camp at the tabernacle.

^{12 – 20} Moses was pleading with God to show Himself to him.  God promised Moses that He would be with him along the journey but He could not show His face or Moses would surely die.

^{21 – 23} Only Moses saw any part of God.  As God so loved Moses, He passed by Moses and covered his eyes then showed him His back.

When you are faithful to God, He will never leave you.  This is noted in verse 3 when God told the Israelites that He would not go with them.  Then in verse 9 God is with Moses in his tent.  

⁹ This verse is interesting stating that God spoke to Moses face to face, in verse 19, Moses asks God to show him His face.  ²⁰ “But He said you cannot see My face, for no man shall see me and live.”  ²¹ “And the Lord said, “Here is a place my Me, and you shall stand on the rock.”  

Exodus 34: ^{1 – 3} God’s everlasting love grants Moses a second opportunity to provide his people the commandments by directing Moses to cut two tablets as he had done initially and bring them back, by himself to the top of Mount Sinai.

^{8 – 9} Moses came before God requesting forgiveness for his people for their sins.

¹³The word jealous is translated in the Old Testament from the Hebrew word qinah, and in the New Testament from the Greek word zelos. The root idea behind both words is that of warmth or heat (Forrester, 1996). The Hebrew word for jealousy carries with it the idea of redness of the face that accompanies strong emotion (Feinberg, 1942, p. 429) whether right or wrong. Depending upon the usage of the word, it can be used to represent both a good and an evil passion. Three times in 1 Corinthians, Paul used this word in a good sense to encourage his brethren to earnestly desire (zeeloúte) spiritual gifts (12:31; 14:1, 39). He obviously was not commanding the Corinthians to sin, but to do something that was good and worthwhile. Later, when writing to the church at Corinth, the apostle Paul was even more direct in showing how there was such a thing as godly jealousy. 

The renewing of God’s covenant to His people and a “second chance” at the 10 commandments.

Exodus 35: ^{1 – 3} In the Old Covenant, the seventh day, the Sabbath, was a hold day; it was the day God rested when He created the heavens and the earth.  No work was to be done on this holy day.

^{4 – 9} Before Jesus came and redeemed us, to enter into the tabernacle of the Lord was something you just did not do day in and day out.  Jesus died for our transgressions and tore the veil to the Holy of Holies for us to have direct access, through Him, to the Father.

^{10 – 35} Moses tells the people what God had spoken to him.  Forgiveness was a works-based offering.  The New Covenant is faith based through our faith in our Savior Jesus Christ.  No works incense, and offerings we do can save us; works without faith is dead (James 2:14:26).

^{30 – 34} These verses show that God’s grace gives us the talents we have. He will show us how to use them for His glory.

Exodus 36: ¹ Again emphasizing that the Lord will His wisdom to those He chooses.  We can think we are very incapable of doing anything but by prayer to God and asking for His wisdom, He gave both Bezalel and Aholiab the wisdom needed to construct the articles for the sanctuary.

^{2 – 7} The Lord inspired the people so much, that too much was brought to complete the tabernacle.  We are to give back until the Lord tells us, “it’s OK, and you’ve done enough”.

Ark of the Covenant         The Bronze Laver            The Gold Lampstand

The Alter of the Covenant   The Alter of Burnt Offering The Alter of incense

^{8 – 38} The Building of the Tabernacle                                      

Tabernacle means “tent,” “place of dwelling” or “sanctuary.” It was a sacred place where God chose to meet His people, the Israelites, during the 40 years they wandered in the desert under Moses’ leadership. It was the place where the leaders and people came together to worship and offer sacrifices.

The tabernacle was first erected in the wilderness exactly one year after the Passover when the Israelites were freed from their Egyptian slavery (circa 1450 B.C.). It was a mobile tent with portable furniture that the people traveled with and set up wherever they pitched camp. The tabernacle would be in the center of the camp, and the 12 tribes of Israel would set up their tents around it according to tribe. The instruction on how to build the tabernacle was first given to Moses in the wilderness, who then gave the orders to the Israelites.

“…make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them.” (Exodus 25:8)

“Then I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God. They will know that I am the Lord their

God, who brought them out of Egypt so that I might dwell among them.” (Exodus 29:45-46)

Therefore, God dwelled among His people in the tabernacle in the wilderness. He appeared as a pillar of cloud over the tabernacle by day and a pillar of fire by night in the sight of all Israel. The people would not set out on their journey unless the cloud lifted. It was an unmistakably powerful visual statement indicating God’s presence among them.

God knew that the Israelites needed visual evidence of His presence. When Moses went up to Mount Sinai for 40 days and the people did not see or hear from him, they grew impatient and gathered their gold to form a golden calf that they worshipped in place of God. After ten generations of living in Egypt, it was not surprising that the Israelites mimicked the Egyptians in fashioning a visual idol of their own. This act of disobedience demonstrated their need to follow and worship a God who was visually tangible. God’s provision of a tabernacle — itself a splendor to behold — not only allowed the people to sense His presence, but also to see their leader go in to meet with God in a concrete place and not disappear up a mountain.

Exodus 37 & 38: Refer to Exodus 30.

Exodus 39: Refer to Exodus 28 – 30.

Garments of the Priesthood

Exodus 40: The Tabernacle Erected and Arranged

Map of the wilderness journey

^{2 – 6} God had told Moses earlier that this generation of people would not inherit the Promise Land due to their wickedness and there stiff necked.  Even though Moses was warned that these people were stubborn and did not have the faith in God required to go through the wilderness to the Promise Land, Moses was depleted and came before the Lord with their complaints of no water and no food, knowing well that God would provide for them.

^{7 – 9} God commanded Moses, with Aaron, to take the rod that God had blessed for Aaron and ‘speak’ to the rock to yield water for the people.

^{10 – 11} Moses, in his defeated attitude and his irritation with the people, calling them ‘Rebels’, was so angry, he did not heed the voice of God by speaking to the rock but struck it twice and water flowed abundantly.  In our long journey to our Promise Land, this is a reminder that God, Jehovah Jira, promises to provide for us.  When things look down or when things are going great, we must always acknowledge God’s eternal promises.

^{12 – 13} We read, “he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah,” where the people murmured and the rock was smitten. The name is also given to Kadesh, (Numbers 20:13, 24; 27:14; 32:51) (Meribah-Kadesh), because there also the people, when in want of water, strove (contended) with God.  God had instructed both Moses and Aaron to take the rod and speak to the rock but Moses chose to smite it twice in his anger.  God then reiterated that neither Moses, Aaron, nor the current generation of Jews would not inherit the Promise Land. ^{14 – 21} The children of Israel continued their journey and came to the border of Edom.  Moses went before the King of Edom and requested that they permit his people to cross through without touching of the fruits, food, or water.  Moses was explaining to the King, by which all were aware of by know of the struggle from Egypt to where they were currently.  However, the King would not permit Moses and the children to enter his land or he would kill them.

^{22 – 29} God had already spoken to Moses and Aaron telling them that neither of them would enter into the Promise Land.  In the wilderness of Zin, from Kadesh, they journeyed to Mount Hor.  Once there, God spoke to Moses and Aaron and told them to take Eleazar, Aaron’s son, with them to the mount and strip him of his garments and put them on his son.  Once done, Aaron died on the top of the mountain.

---

[1] Chabad.org

[2] Don Stewart 

[3] John Piper

[4] Jesus Calling by Sarah Young

[5] AnswersinGenesis.org

[6] The NIV is the only version that translates the Hebrew tso’n as “goat” while every other major version translates it as “sheep” or “flocks” which matches the way it is translated in the majority of occurrences throughout Scripture. The typical words used for goats are gedi, ‘ez, or sa‘iyr, none of which appear in Exodus 9:3.

[7] Geisler and Howe wrote, “The term ‘all’ is often used in a general sense to mean ‘the vast majority.’” Norman L. Geisler and Thomas A. Howe, When Critics Ask: A Popular Handbook on Bible Difficulties, (Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1992), 73–74.

[8] The first month on the 14^th day was the Feast of Unleavened Bread

[9] Jon Bloom

[10] Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

[11] Bible-studys.org

[12] Morris Jastrow, Jr., Ira Maurice Price, Marcus Jastrow, Louis Ginzberg