Exodus 16:32-36 comments: Manna provided for 40 years

16:32 ¶  And Moses said, This is the thing which the LORD commandeth, Fill an omer of it to be kept for your generations; that they may see the bread wherewith I have fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you forth from the land of Egypt. 33  And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the LORD, to be kept for your generations. 34  As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept. 35  And the children of Israel did eat manna forty years, until they came to a land inhabited; they did eat manna, until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan. 36  Now an omer is the tenth part of an ephah.

This passage gives the measurement omer a definition as one tenth of an ephah. Strong’s dictionary gave a measurement, if you convert it to U.S. gallons, of between 5.5 and 11 gallons for an ephah. That would make an omer a tenth of that. A quantity of this Manna Moses kept for a testimony of this provision by the Lord. Here it says that the children of Israel ate this Manna for the entire forty years of their wilderness wanderings.

Joshua 5:10 ¶  And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho. 11  And they did eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow after the passover, unleavened cakes, and parched corn in the selfsame day. 12  And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.

Exodus 16:22-31 comments: testing God

16:22 ¶  And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses. 23  And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning. 24  And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein. 25  And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the LORD: to day ye shall not find it in the field. 26  Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none. 27  And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none. 28  And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws? 29  See, for that the LORD hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day. 30  So the people rested on the seventh day. 31  And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.

The Sabbath day, the seventh day, was a gift for man, a day of rest. It was holy to God, as a day set apart. You have a God-given right to a day off and any system, government, or person who denies you that is a godless tyranny over you. God ordained a day of rest, one out of seven.

Genesis 2:2  And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. 3  And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

As part of the Law given to Moses for the Hebrews, the children of Israel, they were to observe this day as a special day.

Exodus 20:11  For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. 12  Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest: that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed.

The religion of the Hebrews was primarily a physical one, with observances, and special days, and requirements for carrying out physical duties. The religion of the Christian is a spiritual one with no sacred spaces outside of the Christian’s own heart. The Jews had a tabernacle and a temple. However, for the Christians;

1Co 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17  If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

1Corinthians 6:19  What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

The Hebrews had a Sabbath day, a physical day of rest, and there were other special Sabbaths, as well. Many Christian faith traditions tried to call Sunday the Christian Sabbath all the while making it not a day of rest but a day of obligation. The truth is that early Christians, as history provides evidence, worshipped before dawn on Sunday and then went to work. Sunday was not a day off from work for three hundred years after Christ. If it were truly the Christian Sabbath then from sundown Saturday to sundown Sunday you would do nothing, not even light a candle in your home.

27  And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none. 28  And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?

Notice here, though, one common thread between Hebrew and Christian. God gave a command and told them how it was going to be and yet they still tested reality to see if it were true what God said. Do we not all do that and should not God be angry when we presume upon Him with our doubting disobedience?

God will lay out moral laws, confirming what had always been His standard. Modern man and woman will test these laws and suffer judgment from disobeying them but typically just don’t ‘get it.’ Sexual immorality, stealing, lying, cheating, and tolerating those who do under the excuse of tolerance typically results in suffering but many people still don’t see what they’ve done in defying the standards that God set down. These are physical facts just as much as gravity. You might jump off the roof and not break your leg but usually something like that happens. You might regularly commit sexual sin and get away with it but many times it will result in disease, lowered self-esteem, even unwanted pregnancy and poverty. ‘Pushing the envelope’ or ‘dancing on the edge’ are two euphemisms we have for testing limits. Life is hard enough when you do the right things and suffer misfortune but you are a fool when you practically beg for judgment on your behavior.

Don’t test what God has said to see if it is indeed true. There are some things you should never do, not even to think about them.

Philippians 4:8  Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Exodus 16:13-21 comments: having enough and sharing what you have

16:13 ¶  And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host. 14  And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground. 15  And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat. 16  This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents. 17  And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less. 18  And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating. 19  And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning. 20  Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them. 21  And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted.

God provided quails in the evening. The Bible says also that He provides the prey for the predator and food for the hungry fowls which goes against our wildlife video mentality of the drama of lions taking down cape buffalo. The lion makes the effort but there would be no success in the hunt without God’s hand in it. Here, God is talking to Job;

Job 38:39  Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lion? or fill the appetite of the young lions, 40  When they couch in their dens, and abide in the covert to lie in wait? 41  Who provideth for the raven his food? when his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat.

Psalm 104:21  The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God.

Luke 12:24  Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?

The small, round piece of food that is left after the dew is called Manna, which Strong’s says means, “What is it?” which is also evident from the passage.

It is later called angel’s food.

Psalm 78:24  And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven. 25  Man did eat angels’ food: he sent them meat to the full.

But is also a reference to some event in the realm of the spirit that we can hardly understand.

Psalm 74:12 ¶  For God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth. 13  Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength: thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters. 14  Thou brakest the heads of leviathan in pieces, and gavest him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness.

Some of the Hebrews disobeyed in not consuming all that was given and trying to save it until the next day, incurring Moses anger, but the point here is that there was enough. The concept of having enough is very important in Christianity and very much in opposition to the American ideal of never having enough, of always wanting more. We see the Christian doctrine further illuminated in the New Testament requiring equality in the community of believers.

2Corinthians 8:7 ¶  Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also. 8  I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love. 9  For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. 10  And herein I give my advice: for this is expedient for you, who have begun before, not only to do, but also to be forward a year ago. 11  Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have. 12  For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not. 13  For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened: 14  But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality: 15  As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no lack.

This is how the earliest form of the church was physically nourished although this was short-term and fell short of Christ’s commandment to go out to the world.

Acts 2:45  And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.

Acts 4:35  And laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.

God sent persecution to them to disperse them as Christ had said;

Acts 1:8  But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Acts 8:1 ¶  And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.

So, while Marx and Engels stole this from the Bible;

…every man according as he had need…

…it does not mean that it is not a Christian ideal. However, it is not a required method of coercion excusing governments like Lenin’s Soviet Union or America’s welfare state for their extortions on the working class in order to create not just equal opportunity but equal outcomes at the point of a gun but it is a voluntary principle commanded in the community of Christians. Still, as it is in conflict with American ideals it is pretty much a non-starter. The church is lacking in spiritual power and force as much by its acceptance of inequality in the community of believers as it is by Christians refusing to love each other as an example to the world and a symbol of their belonging to Christ.

John 13:34  A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

I can almost hear the teeth grinding as American Christians will be thinking that the Bible’s clear statements must be wrong because what’s mine is mine and you need to go get your own. It is said that the most repeated sermon in the late 1800’s in America was titled “Acres of Diamonds” about the virtue of obtaining wealth and how rich people were usually the best people. But, God’s word says what it says in the context in which it is said. Here in Exodus and in Acts one might argue that doctrinally it is not applicable to us but you can’t argue with Paul’s statement in 2Corinthians or in the next verse.

1Timothy 6:6 ¶  But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7  For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8  And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. 9  But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10  For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 11  But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. 12  Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

Exodus 16:1-12 comments: bread from heaven

16:1 ¶  And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt. 2  And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness: 3  And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger. 4  Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no. 5  And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily. 6  And Moses and Aaron said unto all the children of Israel, At even, then ye shall know that the LORD hath brought you out from the land of Egypt: 7  And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the LORD; for that he heareth your murmurings against the LORD: and what are we, that ye murmur against us? 8  And Moses said, This shall be, when the LORD shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD. 9  And Moses spake unto Aaron, Say unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, Come near before the LORD: for he hath heard your murmurings. 10  And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud. 11  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 12  I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God.

The Sinai mentioned in verse 1 is probably a reference to Mount Sinai as the peninsula that bears the name Sinai was not called that back then. In the time of Christ it was not called the Sinai Peninsula. Some have written that the area was called by different names at the time of Christ and before but that it was given its name for Mount Sinai because of the Bible.

We must be careful about reading more modern names back into the Bible because of some tradition that was prompted by the Bible. This can cause great confusion. As an example, in the following verse Jesus is talking about how, due to the mindset that wealth brings it is very unlikely that a rich man will enter God’s kingdom but then says that with God it is possible.

Matthew 19:23 ¶  Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. 24  And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. 25  When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? 26  But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

Some fundamentalists and evangelicals have written that this is a reference to a gate in the walls of Jerusalem where a camel coming at night when the main gate was closed would have to kneel and have its burdens removed so it could go through the gate on its knees. This nonsense has no basis in fact. First, there is no reference to such a gate as existing before the Middle Ages and the legend has no basis in the Biblical text. In other words, there is no evidence that there was a gate in Christ’s Jerusalem called The Needle’s Eye. It is just a matter of reading back your wishes into the Bible and messing with the text because it sounds good to you.

The Hebrews are hungry and are now wishing they were back in Egypt where at least they had food to eat. You can imagine how daunting a task it would be to keep this large amount of men, women, children, and beasts fed.

God says He will rain bread from heaven down on them which they will gather for six days, gathering a double portion on the sixth. Jesus declares that He is that bread from heaven sent by God to give life.

John 6:28 ¶  Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29  Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. 30  They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work? 31  Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. 32  Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. 33  For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. 34  Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. 35  And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

As the Hebrews plunged into the wilderness and needed physical food so humanity exists in a spiritual wilderness and needs this spiritual food from God to survive.

This is also a prime example of how many Christians cannot rightly divide the word as God requires through Paul in 2Timothy 2:15. The reference in Exodus is a reference to a physical, literal food you consume with your stomach. The reference in John is a reference to a spiritual fact that happens when you believe on Christ. Both are nourishment; one temporal that needs to be renewed daily and the other is spiritual that needs to be received only once.

God is going to supernaturally feed these children of Israel as one of the signs He has already blessed them with abundantly as He states At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God.

1Corinthians 1:22  For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks [Gentiles: non-Jews] seek after wisdom:

It is amazing that these people have seen the great power of God and witnessed a sample of His glory and that they still doubt. It is no wonder that men and women who have been taught out of seeing God’s handiwork every day would question. God’s power is manifested all around us but they’ve been told that all they are seeing are perfectly natural processes that may have well invented themselves. There is no wonder when the magnificence of creation is viewed as something that just is and just happened and is of no huge importance. But, to see physical reality as a continuous miracle has to fill us with awe and even dread and fear when we realize the power and the mind of God being displayed for us constantly.

Exodus 15:22-27 comments: bitter waters

22 ¶  So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water. 23  And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah. 24  And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? 25  And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them, 26  And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee. 27  And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters.

The wilderness of Shur is east of Egypt, as we would expect. Hagar fled from Sarai to the wilderness on the way to Shur. They are now in the Sinai Peninsula it would seem.

Genesis 16:7  And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur.

1Samuel 15:7  And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt.

1Samuel 27:8  And David and his men went up, and invaded the Geshurites, and the Gezrites, and the Amalekites: for those nations were of old the inhabitants of the land, as thou goest to Shur, even unto the land of Egypt.

Marah obviously means bitter. One can easily imagine sermons about God’s word being bitter to the unbeliever but sweet to the person who is saved by God or how God’s will is bitter to the disobedient Christian but sweet to the Christian who trusts God.

God promises the Hebrews that for their obedience the diseases that were visited upon the Egyptians will not come on them. For a large group of people to move about like this you can imagine the possibilities of epidemics afflicting them. This is an important point to consider when we get to the Law that Moses is given to give to them.

Numbers in the Bible are very interesting. Such things like twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees at Elim are good material for sermons on symbolism in the Bible. Certain numbers come up quite frequently in the Bible but a sidetrack on them would take away from the flow of the narrative. Does twelve refer to the tribes of the children of Israel? What about the seventy weeks of prophecy in Daniel? 

Exodus 15:1-21 comments: giving glory to God

15:1 ¶  Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. 2  The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him. 3  The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name. 4  Pharaoh’s chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea. 5  The depths have covered them: they sank into the bottom as a stone. 6  Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy. 7  And in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee: thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble. 8  And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright as an heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea. 9  The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them. 10  Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them: they sank as lead in the mighty waters. 11  Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? 12  Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them. 13  Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation. 14  The people shall hear, and be afraid: sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Palestina. 15  Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them; all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away. 16  Fear and dread shall fall upon them; by the greatness of thine arm they shall be as still as a stone; till thy people pass over, O LORD, till the people pass over, which thou hast purchased. 17  Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O LORD, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established. 18  The LORD shall reign for ever and ever. 19  For the horse of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and the LORD brought again the waters of the sea upon them; but the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea. 20  And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. 21  And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.

As Moses and then his sister, Miriam, give glory to God we come across this passage in verse 2;

2  The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation:

God has delivered the Hebrews, the children of Israel, here from death and destruction at the hands of Pharaoh’s military.

Moses declares that the people of Canaan, Palestina, which we call Palestine today, will be afraid and sorrow for what is coming. The city-states of Canaan are under the sovereignty at this time of Egypt. They have lost their defense. I want to repeat something from the last chapter’s comments.

Numbers 14:9  Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.

The Amarna Letters tell us of Canaanite kings pleading for military help against the Hebrews, military help that was not forthcoming because the Egyptian army was destroyed.

Here is a great fact about reality. Modernism, even Christian modernism, in a process that has been going on since the time of Isaac Newton, reduced God to a sort of ‘first cause’ who wound things up and then they run on their own. Here we see something that is said very plainly in the book of Job starting at chapter 38. Here, in verse 6 God’s right hand destroyed the enemy but it is also stated in 10 that it was the agency of the wind but back in 12 it is His right hand again. What we must understand is that from the Biblical perspective things which we see in the physical universe are caused by God whom we can’t see. They are not caused by theoretical entities of Physics.

For instance, theoretical scientists today, working from mathematical models and computer simulations postulate Dark Matter and Dark Energy, two results of their guesswork as being the stuff that holds the universe together because their own theories of mass and gravity show by their own Math that the universe could not be held together without those two unseen, unproven forces. Dark Matter and Dark Energy have no basis in reality but only in their explanatory power to explain what is observed without bringing God into it.

But, we have the testimony of the Bible that it is God who holds the universe together.

Colossians 1:17  And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

As man moved his heart away from God he imagined all sorts of spiritual beings as moving the wind, causing the weather, the clouds, the processes of life. He called them gods and they were often based on heroes of the past and larger-than-life men, the mighty men of renown of Genesis 6:4. In our pride and arrogance we eventually moved to imagining fictional and quite dead objects, particles, as causing the things we see as well as natural processes. As an example we have the Big Bang Theory with all of the matter and energy we see coming from a Synchronicity, the size of a period in a sentence. This is just a reworking of the occult’s medieval Jewish Kabbala’s mustard seed or the Hindu cosmic egg from centuries past. The modern pagan’s gods are now just inert things rather than a Thor wielding a hammer. Still, they are pagans, nonetheless.

But strip all of that back to the beginning. God makes or permits all reality to happen. Nothing happens, no process, no disaster, no beautiful sunrise, baby’s birth, or fiery volcano without His active role either by direct command or by permission. It doesn’t just happen by a random process.

Exodus 14:15-31 comments: the Red Sea crossing

14:15 ¶  And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: 16  But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. 17  And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. 18  And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. 19  And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them: 20  And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.

God commands Moses to raise the rod in his hand and hold it out towards the sea. There are two northern arms of the Red Sea. On the west is the Gulf of Suez and on the right is the Gulf of Aqaba separated by the Sinai Peninsula. Some commentators have the Hebrews crossing the Gulf of Suez while others have them traversing across the Sinai Peninsula to get to the Gulf of Aqaba and crossing there into what is now Saudi Arabia.

The angel of God now moves from His position of leading the children of Israel to getting in between them and the Egyptian army. To the Egyptians He was darkness but to the Israelites He gave light.

    14:21 ¶  And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. 22  And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. 23  And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. 24  And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians, 25  And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians. 26  And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen. 27  And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. 28  And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them. 29  But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. 30  Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore. 31  And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses.

In what had to be a terrifying picture in front of them the sea divided over the night under the influence of a strong wind, creating a dry pathway to the other side. The Israelites exited across the dry pathway that God had made with the waters standing high on either side of them. Pharaoh and his army plunged in after them furiously. One can easily imagine what happened next. The dry ground starts to become a mass of mud and chariot wheels come off. Panic sets in among the soldiers between the walls of water. Due to the time frame allowed this event clearly happened at a branch of the Red Sea that was just wide enough for this many people to make this trip in these hours.

Moses raised his rod and the waters returned on the Egyptian army and all of them including the Pharaoh himself, are drowned. This is celebrated in the Bible in many places.

Deuteronomy 11:4  And what he did unto the army of Egypt, unto their horses, and to their chariots; how he made the water of the Red sea to overflow them as they pursued after you, and how the LORD hath destroyed them unto this day;

Nehemiah 9:11  And thou didst divide the sea before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on the dry land; and their persecutors thou threwest into the deeps, as a stone into the mighty waters.

Psalm 78:53  And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.

Hebrews 11:29  By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned.

The best part of the mightiest army of the world’s greatest superpower is now destroyed. The leadership of Egypt is crushed with the Pharaoh following his heir, his firstborn, in death. There is now a vacuum of power in that part of the world. A human leader and his mighty army have come up against God and been vanquished in a moment in time.

2Thessalonians 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

Exodus 14:10-14 comments: "between the devil and the deep blue sea"

14:10 ¶  And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD. 11  And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? 12  Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness. 13  And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. 14  The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

The Hebrews seem to be trapped between the Pharaoh’s army and the Red Sea. They were terrified, or sore afraid. They believe they’ve made a terrible mistake by following Moses. They would have been better off as slaves in Egypt than to die so miserably in this situation.

But, Moses tells them to wait as God will fight this battle for them as salvation, more often than not in the Bible, typically means physical deliverance from an impending calamity rather than eternal life.

There are many times that God says that He will do the work for us but we are often too fearful to believe that. In the next verse, Christ tells this to His disciples regarding what they will say under persecution.

Mark 13:11  But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.

Even salvation is purely a work of God in response to our faith.

John 1:12  But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13  Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Ephesians 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9  Not of works, lest any man should boast.

One important aspect of being a Christian, as I looked at before in the example set in the book of Job, is to trust God no matter how bad things get, even if we don’t see any relief in this life.

Job 13:15a  Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him….

And taking the example also of the Hebrew men in Babylon.

Daniel 3:17  If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. 18  But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

And here, in this passage in Exodus, we can see another principle linked to that one; waiting on the Lord to work in our lives rather than jumping ahead and acting on our own. The Hebrew situation was a total disaster without some kind of intervention. There was no power on earth that could save them when the greatest power on earth had them trapped. There will be situations in your life over which you are totally helpless and without God’s help you just know only complete disaster awaits you. You’re cornered. It is in that time you are forced to trust only in God, when you are between the proverbial ‘rock and a hard place’ where there is nothing left for you but to wait and see what God does.

Exodus 14:1-9 comments: Pharaoh begins his pursuit with 600 chariots

1 ¶  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2  Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp before Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baalzephon: before it shall ye encamp by the sea. 3  For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in. 4  And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, that he shall follow after them; and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD. And they did so. 5  And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us? 6  And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him: 7  And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them. 8  And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with an high hand. 9  But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, before Baalzephon.

From Etham the Hebrews are directed to go set up camp at Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baalzephon: before it shall ye encamp by the sea. Now, from their starting point at Rameses they have traveled to Succoth and Etham and are now told to encamp here. These are traditionally locations to the west of the Gulf of Suez, an arm of the Red Sea.

The Hebrews are now between Migdol and the Red Sea. Again, God hardens Pharaoh’s disobedient heart and encourages him to chase after the Hebrews in regret over letting his slaves go. He takes 600 chariots, and it says all the chariots of Egypt. Chariots will play a very important part in places in the Old Testament and be a source of contention. One thing missing in scholarship and Bible exposition is the common sense understanding of chariot warfare. A chariot was a mobile fighting platform as well as a ceremonial vehicle whose weak link was also how it was delivered to the forefront of the battle so quickly; its horses. Logic tells us, logic and common sense, that the horses would be what the infantry would go after first. Kill the horses and the chariot cannot move and respond to the battle. So, with chariots there needed to be a string of horses and horsemen to accompany them. Like the pit crew at a NASCAR event these teams needed to be able to replace dead and injured horses or, in a fierce battle, the chariot would have been rendered useless and even helpless quite quickly, as the driver would not be able to remove to safety in the event of being overwhelmed, with dead horses.

1Kings 4:26  And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.

2Chronicles 9:25  And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen; whom he bestowed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem.

So, in these two verses which have been the source of much disagreement it is very obvious to me that Solomon had 40,000 stalls for chariot horses and 4,000 stalls that were big enough for the chariot and the horse team that drew it. This would be necessary for maintenance and preparation before training and battle. This also implies a string of 10 horses per chariot as the primary team and backup. These backup teams would have not only needed protection by cavalry but perhaps were a capable fighting force all their own. There is no contradiction, just common sense and reading comprehension needed here.

What is about to happen will explain this verse in Numbers.

Numbers 14:9  Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.

The Amarna Letters tell us of Canaanite kings pleading for military help against the Hebrews, military help that was not forthcoming because the Egyptian army was destroyed.

Historical records are very incomplete and traditional dating in Egyptology is conflicting and unreliable. It is difficult to put the events we know from the Bible in perfect order with what we think we know from the scant historical records. A pharaoh named Thutmose III was called the Napoleon of Egypt and he conquered the area of Canaan. His eldest son died. Skip a couple of generations and another pharaoh’s eldest son died and a pharaoh came to the throne and tried to institute the worship of one god but failed. Somewhere in all of this swirl of uncertain history, guesswork, and conclusions drawn from scant information is the pharaoh of the Exodus and his successors. 

Exodus 13:17-22 comments: Moses took the bones of Joseph with them

13:17 ¶  And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt: 18  But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea: and the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt. 19  And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him: for he had straitly sworn the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you; and ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you. 20  And they took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness. 21  And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: 22  He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.

We see again here that God did not let them go the way of the coasts where Philistine territory was. Repeating what I said previously, a coastal march would have been most efficient but that would have them walking right into a fiercely warlike group of people, descendants of Ham and Mizraim, the founder of Egypt; the Philistim or Philistines. See Genesis 10. So, they marched south into the wilderness of the Red Sea, the sparsely inhabited area bordering the Red Sea as logically the center of Pharaoh’s power would be in Lower Egypt, the most fertile and rich area with less control the further south one went.

Here is a definition of repent in verse 17. To repent is to change your mind and do something!

From Succoth they went to Etham. This is said to be in the edge of the wilderness, an unpopulated area near to the Red Sea. And remember, this is a huge body of people and animals walking, probably not very fast. Most of the speculation about where this place was is just that, speculation. You will read a lot of, “perhaps,” and, “maybe,” in the writings about this place’s location.

People will choose to believe their favorite Bible expositor as long as it doesn’t require them to think and pray themselves. Cross-references don’t help in this case. We just need to pray and use common sense. The Hebrews would naturally be moving east but God did not want them to go in the direction of the Philistines and He turns them in a southerly or southeasterly direction.

Verse 21 and 22 show that God went ahead of them operating in a very spectacular way.

Exodus 13:11-16 comments: thy children thou shalt redeem

13:11 ¶  And it shall be when the LORD shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites, as he sware unto thee and to thy fathers, and shall give it thee, 12  That thou shalt set apart unto the LORD all that openeth the matrix, and every firstling that cometh of a beast which thou hast; the males shall be the LORD’S. 13  And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his neck: and all the firstborn of man among thy children shalt thou redeem. 14  And it shall be when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What is this? that thou shalt say unto him, By strength of hand the LORD brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage: 15  And it came to pass, when Pharaoh would hardly let us go, that the LORD slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man, and the firstborn of beast: therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all that openeth the matrix, being males; but all the firstborn of my children I redeem. 16  And it shall be for a token upon thine hand, and for frontlets between thine eyes: for by strength of hand the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt.

God repeats His special ownership of the firstborn of the womb. Matrix means the womb of a female. The firstborn of an ass must be redeemed with a lamb or it must be killed. How symbolic that is!

Job 11:12  For vain man would be wise, though man be born like a wild ass’s colt.

Christ is the lamb that redeemed mankind.

John 1:29  The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

The man who will reject that redemption will perish. Christ must be in control.

Zechariah 9:9  Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.

Matthew 21:5  Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.

Sanctifying to God of the firstborn signifies the death of the firstborn in Egypt as God removed His people.

Exodus 13:1-10 comments: the house of bondage

1 ¶  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2  Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine. 3  And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out from this place: there shall no leavened bread be eaten. 4  This day came ye out in the month Abib. 5  And it shall be when the LORD shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee, a land flowing with milk and honey, that thou shalt keep this service in this month. 6  Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to the LORD. 7  Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days; and there shall no leavened bread be seen with thee, neither shall there be leaven seen with thee in all thy quarters. 8  And thou shalt shew thy son in that day, saying, This is done because of that which the LORD did unto me when I came forth out of Egypt. 9  And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that the LORD’S law may be in thy mouth: for with a strong hand hath the LORD brought thee out of Egypt. 10  Thou shalt therefore keep this ordinance in his season from year to year.

The word sanctify means to set apart for God, to make holy. As an example see;

Leviticus 20:7  Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God.

Deuteronomy 14:2  For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.

For these Hebrews, the firstborn of man and beast was set apart for God’s purpose, like the firstborn he took from the Egyptians.

In verse 3 Egypt is called the house of bondage. It is a type of the world from which the Christian must remove his standard of ethics and his practice of morals. In a figurative sense we leave our house of bondage when we follow Christ out of it. First, in the sense of what the world and our flesh holds as valuable and important.

Adam and Eve were taken in by three things that still plague us.

Genesis 3:6 ¶  And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

1John 2:15  Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh [good for food] , and the lust of the eyes [pleasant to the eyes] , and the pride of life [a tree to be desired to make one wise], is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

Jesus warned about this.

Luke 16:15  And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

Matthew 6:24  No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (money, the economic system, or riches).

Second, we are in bondage to our fear of death and dying and our desire to cling to one more minute of biological life in our flesh.

Hebrews 2:15  And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

Christians should be willing and desire to be with Christ and leave this mortal existence.

2Corinthians 5:8  We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. 

   

The bondage we feel to this body of flesh was a big issue to the early Christians as it is to Christians today in lands where they are murdered and martyred. One of the major spiritual battles in the early church was whether to permit those who had submitted to the pagan demand to renounce Christ as God under persecution back into the fellowship of the church with those who had not submitted to persecution.

2Timothy 2:8 ¶  Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel: 9  Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound. 10  Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. 11  It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: 12  If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: 13  If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.

The point is that we can view the world as a type of Egypt, a house of bondage, as well as our fear of death, both of which the Christian must overcome.

In verse 3 it is said that they are brought out by strength of hand the LORD. Later, the Holy Spirit, working through Moses’ understanding, will use the poetic phrasing of eagle’s wings.

Exodus 19:4  Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself.

He uses a land flowing with milk and honey as a reference to the abundance of the Promised Land of Canaan. It was also used in 3:8,17. It will be used again many times.

Is verse 9 figurative or are they supposed to have something written on their hand and between their eyes? Are the following figurative for emphasis or do they refer to physical objects?

Deuteronomy 6:8  And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.

Proverbs 1:9  For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.

Proverbs 6:20 ¶  My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: 21  Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck.

The reference to phylacteries in Matthew 23:5 is about the Pharisees of Jesus’s time doing just that, wearing small cases on their arms and foreheads. They had these verses from Exodus 13 and Deuteronomy 6 plus chapter 11 in these little cube-shaped cases. They even considered these verses attached to them as amulets to ward off evil spirits and trouble.

Matthew 23:5  But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,

Don’t mock the Jews in your heart because Fundamentalists often do the same kind of thing, taking admonitions about church attendance, Bible reading, and daily prayer as some kind of business deal with God where if they do it enough He should protect them from evil. Pagan Christianity is prevalent today as pagan Hebraism was during Jesus’time.(4)

(4) Mike Scott, “What Were the Phylacteries that the Pharisees Wore,” in What Do the Scriptures Say, http://www.scripturessay.com/what-were-the-phylacteries-that-the-pharisees-wore/ (accessed on 10.12.2017).