In short
Exodus 12:30 to the end of chapter 14. Roughly a couple million people walk out of Egypt in the middle of the night. There is a sea in their way, but that does not stop them.
Why it is important
Jews talk about the Exodus like nerds quote Star Wars. (Ever met a nerd that has not heard of Star Wars?) I mean, there’s the Exodus story, and then there’s everything else.
The first words of the Ten Commandments immediately remind them, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery” (Ex 20:7).
The Scriptures continue to repeat variants of the same thing in:
- Ex 29:46
- Lev 11:45; 19:36; 22:33; 23:43; 25:38
- Num 15:41
- Deut 5:6,15; 6:12; 7:8; 8:14; 13:10; 15:15; 20:1 26:6-8; 29:25
- Josh 24:17
- Jdg 6:8
- 1Sa 12:6-8
- And that’s all I have time for, but there are probably dozens more
What is in this story
- The Israelites are basically kicked out of Egypt (Ex 12:33) – point is, they are NOT being chased at this point in the story
- They “plunder” the Egyptians’ money, jewelry and clothes, but really these things are given to them (Ex 12:35-36)
- “the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night” (Ex 13:21). Also, the angel of God gets involved (Ex 14:19).
- Pharaoh pursues (after all) to the water’s edge (Ex 14:5-8)
- Israelites to Moses: “That’s it, we’re going to die! I KNEW it! Didn’t I say we should have stayed in Egypt?” (Ex 14:11)
- “Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the LORD drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided” (Ex 14:21)
- And Moses does the reverse and the Egyptians perish (Ex 14:26-27)
Theology and doctrine
In the middle of all this, three memorial rites are instituted:
- The Passover (as a feast, Ex 12:43-51)
- The Feast of Unleavened Bread (Ex 13:1-2, 11-16)
- Consecration of the firstborn (Ex 13:3-10)
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