HCF OT Survey - Exodus Pt. 1

Background and Introduction

Authorship and Setting

Exodus is the 2nd book of the Pentateuch. The conservative position held by other authors in the OT, Jesus, Peter, and Paul is that these first five books were written by Moses. They were likely composed throughout the wilderness wanderings and then given to the people of Israel around 1400 BC on the Plains of Moab (see Deuteronomy 1:1-5) before they began the conquest of the Promised Land.  

Historical Background

Does anyone know how we can know the date of the Exodus? In 1 Kings 6:1, at the inauguration of the Temple in 966 B.C, Solomon states that it has been 480 years since the Israelites left Egypt. This provides the ability to accurately date the timing of Exodus in Egyptian History. The Exodus would have happened around 1446 B.C. Now remember God’s promise to Abraham, that they were to be in Egypt for 4 generations. During this time, from about 1730 to 1446 there was much tumult and volatility in Egypt. In the 13th dynasty, you have an incredibly rich and prosperous Pharoah and this is most likely the Pharaoh during Joseph’s time. Following the end of the 13th dynasty, you have what is called the Hyksos period which lasted from about 1650 to 1550. These Hyksos rulers were a Semitic people group who rebelled against the Egyptians and ruled over Egypt. Since Israelites were from the line of Shem as well, this period would have been a time of great prosperity and protection.

Eventually, however, the Egyptians rebelled and overthrew the Hyksos in what is called the New Kingdom era in Egypt. This era began with Ahmose I who was the first ruler of the 18th dynasty. This is the Dynasty in power during the mid 1500s and on into the 1300s and it was during this time that Egypt became the world’s first superpower.

The next Pharaoh of the 18th dynasty was Thutmose I. He is known for expanding Egypt’s borders to their farthest reach and for his vast building projects. It is most likely that he is the Pharaoh in the openning chapters of Exodus. His daughter, Hatshepsut was the one who found Moses in the river. Hatshepsut is a very famous woman in Egyptian history. She married her step-brother, Thutmose II, who was heir to the throne. Shortly after, Thutmose II mysteriously dies and Hatshepsut becomes the queen mother, ruling in the place of her young son Thutmose III. During this time she eventually claims the title of Pharaoh, brings great prosperity to Egypt and begins many building projects herself.

When Thutmose III, Moses’ adopted brother, comes of age, he rules together with his mother. He has a brief rule of 40 years, and it was during this time that Hatshepsut dies and Moses flees to Midian after murdering an Egyptian. Thutmose III is known as the greatest military pharoah ever and lead the largest army in Egyptian history. After Thutmose III dies in 1450 BC, his son Amenhotep II comes to power and it is he who becomes the Pharaoh of Exodus.

Now imagine the political ramifications of the return of Moses to Egypt. Here comes this prince of Egypt from his exile in Midian. He is the brother of the most powerful Pharoah of all time and the son the greatest queen Egypt has ever seen. It is safe to assume that when Moses returns, the newly crowned Amenhotep II is fearful that Moses has returned to take the throne. Surely, Moses has a rightful claim to the kingdom as he is the only living son of Hatshepsut.

See how important it is to remember that the events of this book happened in history with real people. With some historical background we can begin to see the motivations behind the actions of the pharaohs of the Exodus. Moreover, it is amazing to see how God orchestrates Egyptian history for His purposes. He preserves and protects his people for 3 generations. Then he raises up an oppressive dynasty, who is antisemitic in nature having just overthrown the Hyksos. God then causes this dynasty to become the world’s first superpower with the most powerful Pharaohs, all for the purpose of demonstrating His power and His might through the deliverance of His people from this dynasty. God stacks the deck as high is it can go just to demonstrate how sovereign and how infinitely powerful He truly is.

Theological Theme

The Hebrew’s traditionally call this book — Shemot — which translates to Names. The theological theme of this book fits its title for it is in this book that we see that the Name of God is revealed in Israel. 

Relevance to the Original Hearers

The original hearers of this book would have been the sons and daughters of those who left Egypt in the Exodus. Moses is using Exodus to teach them about who God is, what He has planned and how they, as His chosen nation, have a role to play in that plan. He is building on the foundational values from Genesis and showing them how God magnified these values on a global scale. This is done in order to establish the nation’s values and demonstrate the power of the God they serve. The God who is with them in the wilderness, who is about to fight for them in the conquest of Canaan, is the same God who delivered their parents from the world’s most powerful empire. He fought for their parents then and He has promised to fight for them now as they go and fulfill the Abrahamic promise of inheriting the promised land. Therefore they must have faith that God will fight.

It is also in this book that God gives his people the Law. He unveils who He is to them in the wilderness at Mount Sinai and He tells them how they must live as He tabernacled among them. Furthermore, it is in Exodus, that God demonstrates His gracious and compassionate love in forgiving the Israelites after their sin with the Golden Calf. God continues to abide with His people in spite of their sin, thus displaying that He is a merciful and forgiving God. Exodus is a book where God reveals His name which is far more than introducing His title. In Exodus God is directly revealing who He is, how He acts and what He wants from His people. Ultimately Moses is writing Exodus in order to show the original readers that YHWH is a God worth serving with fear and with faith. 

Relevance to Today

Theologians have said that Exodus is the foundation of the theology of the Bible. Exodus takes the theological truths of Genesis and then packages them together in a way that sets the course for all theology and redemptive History. It is in Exodus that God’s agenda for the World is specifically established. It is in Exodus that God’s plan for salvation is established. It is in Exodus that we see God’s wrath and judgement against His enemies. It is in Exodus that we see God dwell with His people. It is in Exodus that we see God reveal His will through His inspired Law. It is in Exodus that we see God act with mercy and grace in forgiving the sins of His people. The foundations for all of these Redemptive Historical theologies find their foundation in Exodus.

However, this book is not just relevant due to its impact on theology. It has great impact on the devotional aspect of our relationship with God. In the book of the Exodus, we must have faith that the same God who is acting then on the behalf of His people is the same God who is acting on behalf of His people now. 

I. Israel in Egypt (1:1-13:16)

Context and Overview

Remember that when we last saw Israel, they were a household of 70 people who were refugees in Egypt. God used the sins of Jacob’s sons against their brother, Joseph, to preserve His people. He turned their evil into good by elevating Joseph up to the status of 2nd in Command in all of Egypt. Remember that after Joseph reconciled with his brothers, they and the entire household of Jacob immigrate to Egypt and are given the land of Goshen by Pharoah himself. The book of Genesis ends with the death of Jacob and the death of Joseph and with the people of God exiled outside of the Promised Land.

Main Point and Structure

The Main point of this section is to show how God delivers His people by destroying Egypt, how God delivers His people to become its own nation and how God reveals His covenant delivering name to HIs nation. This is seen in the following structure: 

Prosperity of Israel - God’s Plan Continues (Exodus 1:1-7)

Persecution of Israel (Exodus 1:8-22)

Raising Up a Deliverer (Exodus 2:1-4:31)

God Battles Pharaoh and Egyptian Pantheon (Exodus 5:1-12:30)

The Exodus (Exodus 12:31-13:16)

Exposition

1. God’s Plan Continues (Exodus 1:1-7)

The Book of Names begins with a list of the names of Israel’s sons, verse 1, “These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household: 2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, 3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, 4 Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. 5 All the descendants of Jacob were seventy persons; Joseph was already in Egypt. 6 Then Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation. 7 But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them.”.This story picks up right where Genesis left off. Notice in verse 7 that God caused the people of Israel to be fruitful, to increase greatly (multiply) and fill the land. God has blessed His people in Egypt like He blessed Adam, Noah and Abraham. Even with His people in exile God has not forgotten His plan and promises to them.

2. Persecution of Israel (Exodus 1:8-22)

A. Egyptian Policy of Slavery/Oppression (1:8-14)

The story begins in verse 8, “8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9 And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. 10 Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.” The statement in verse 8, that this new King did not know Joseph implies that he did not recognize the Israelites as allies. And historically we can understand this sentiment.

This Pharoah was Thutmose I. He was in the business of conquering Egypt’s neighbors and expanding their borders. Also, his father was the one who fought and defeated the semitic rule of the Hyksos. Joseph was famous in the land and even had a canal named after him in Egypt (Bahr Yussef). What is going on here is that Thutmose I did not have a relationship with the Israelites and this is demonstrated by the animosity and fear that he had for them.

Moreover see how in verse 9 and 10 that he recognizes that Israel has become great in number which leads to the fear that they will revolt. In response to this supposed threat the Pharaoh oppresses the people of Israel, making them work as slaves. But God oppresses Pharaoh in return by multiplying his fear - verse 12, “12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel.”  

Another interesting thing is that Moses uses language in this section to connect back to Genesis 11 and the Tower of Babel. This Pharoah declares, “come let us…,” just like the citizens of Babel proclaimed “come let us make a name for ourselves (Genesis 11:4)” If you remember back to the teaching on Babel, this was a moment where a descendant of Ham led humanity in rebelling against God’s command to be fruitful and spread throughout the earth. Similarly, here we have a descendent of Ham who is bent on preventing God’s people from being fruitful and returning to the Promised Land.

B. Egyptian Policy of Infanticide (1:15-22) 

In verse 15, we see Pharoah’s policy go from slavery to mass infanticide, “15 Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, 16 “When you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women and see them on the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him, but if it is a daughter, she shall live.” 17 But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live.” I want you to notice how the Pharoah is not named. Think back to the story of Babel. Those citizens wanted a name but God chose to make Abraham a great name instead. The same thing happens here, Pharaoh goes unnamed but in verse 15 we learn the names of two Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah. Pharaoh instructs them to kill any son that is born to a Hebrew. However, they did not serve Pharaoh but instead feared God. They recognized that God was supreme over Pharaoh and chose to serve Him instead of Pharaoh.

When Pharoah heres of their refusal to carry out his order he is furious, verse 18, “18 So the king of Egypt called the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this, and let the male children live?” 19 The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.” The question is, are they lying? I would argue, based on the theme of the text, that they are not lying. God was causing the Hebrew women to give birth before they are able to come and carry out Pharaoh's decree and in so doing, He thwarted Pharaoh’s plan and blessed His faithful people. Also, see that the midwives go as far as declaring to Pharaoh that the Hebrew women are far superior to the Egyptian women. It’s almost comical. Pharaoh’s fear just keeps getting worse and worse. He’s fearful of the Hebrews growing too strong and causing a war. He tries to kill a generation of males at birth but instead the Hebrew woman pop out babies so fast no one is there to catch them. Sadly, as a result, Pharaoh’s heart is bent on destroying the people of God, verse 22, “22 Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, “Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live.”

3. Raising Up a Deliverer (Exodus 2:1-4:31)

A. Divine Deliverance in Birth (2:1-10)

In chapter 2, the camera shifts to a tiny house in Goshen where we find what should be a happy scene - verse 1, “1 Now a man from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a Levite woman. 2 The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months. 3 When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the river bank. 4 And his sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him.” See how the story goes from a broad focus on God’s people to God’s specific intervention in the lives of one Hebrew family which is done to highlight the son that is born. God causes the Levite woman to conceive and give birth to a son and in order to protect her son she puts him in a basket. What is notable here is that the basket is covered with bitumen and pitch. Where have we heard those words before? Let me give you a hint. Bitumen and pitch help keep objects floating in the midst of a large bodies of water.... Noah and the ark. Here’s the connection: just as God preserved His people by delivering Noah in the Ark, so too is He here preserving His people by delivering Moses in the basket. 

As we saw before, Pharaoh’s plan to destroy the Israelites is thwarted by God’s providence. And here we see God’s thwart him once more as He uses someone very close to Pharoah to deliver the knockout punch - verse 5, “5 Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her young women walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her servant woman, and she took it. 6 When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby was crying. She took pity on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews' children.”7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, “Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” 8 And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, “Go.” So the girl went and called the child's mother. 9 And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. 10 When the child grew older, she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, “Because,” she said, “I drew him out of the water.” God uses Pharaoh’s own daughter to preserve the life of the man who will one day do what Pharaoh does not want: lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Pharaoh wants to throw all the Hebrew boys into the water. Pharaoh’s daughter does the exact opposite by bringing a Hebrew baby out of the water. Pharaoh can’t control the birthing process of the Hebrew women and he can’t control the rebellious nature of his own daughter who sees that the baby is a Hebrew child and then decides to adopt him. What’s the message? Who has all the power? Pharoah or God? See how God has orchestrated a divine deliverance through the strangest means in order to demonstrate in this opening chapter that He will have victory. 

B. Failure of Moses’ Own Strength (2:11-15)

The story fast-forwards in verse 11, “11 One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people. Here we find ourselves with a young Moses who sees the oppression of his people. Even though he was raised as an Egyptian, in the very house of Pharaoh, we see here that Moses has compassion for the people of God. However, these good intentions of protecting God’s people aren’t carried out the right way as Moses murders an Egyptian - verse 12, “12 He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. 13 When he went out the next day, behold, two Hebrews were struggling together. And he said to the man in the wrong, “Why do you strike your companion?” 14 He answered, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid, and thought, “Surely the thing is known.”

Even in this act we see that Moses is hesitant for letting the Egyptians see that he is acting on behalf of his Hebrew kinsmen. He is not ready to publically take on the role of leading the Hebrews. Moreover, the people whom he “delivered” have no respect for him and declare sarcastically, “who made you a prince over us”. From this we see that Moses isn’t quite ready to deliver God’s people and God’s people aren’t quite ready to be lead by Moses. Moses needs to go through a refining process and in God’s way of doing things, refinement happens best in wilderness - verse 15 “15 When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and stayed in the land of Midian. And he sat down by a well.”

C. Preparation in the Wilderness (2:16-22)

When Moses arrived in Midian he came upon an opportunity to deliver some Midianite women- verse 16, “16 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came and drew water and filled the troughs to water their father's flock. 17 The shepherds came and drove them away, but Moses stood up and saved them, and watered their flock.” The text states that he saved them from their oppressors, he was their savior. This is the first time salvation is mentioned in the entire Bible and one of only two uses of the word in Exodus. As we will learn throughout our study on the Pentateuch, there are significant links between the Messiah and Moses. In fact, Moses foretells that God will raise up a prophet like himself in Deuteronomy 18. Here in Exodus we see that Moses is a savior of the oppressed. But he is merely a foreshadow. Moses saveda couple women by a well from some bullies. Jesus saved a woman at the well in Samaria from her sins and not only her but He saved people from every tribe and nation and tongue.

Now back to the story, immediately after this we see a testimony of his saving act, “18 When they came home to their father Reuel, he said, “How is it that you have come home so soon today?” 19 They said, “An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds and even drew water for us and watered the flock.” 20 He said to his daughters, “Then where is he? Why have you left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread.” 21 And Moses was content to dwell with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah. 22 She gave birth to a son, and he called his name Gershom, for he said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land.” Notice also that just like Isaac and Jacob, Moses finds a wife at a well. The significance of this is that God is sovereign ordaining the life of Moses to have harmony with the lives of the patriarchs. God, in His wisdom, is raising and shaping a leader for His people. This is further emphasized by the name Moses gives his son. He names him a Hebrew name, Gershom, demonstrating that he is not a citizen of Egypt but a sojourner like the rest of the Hebrews. 

D. God Initiates Action (2:23-25)

During Moses refining time in the wilderness his step-brother, the Pharaoh, dies, verse 23, “23 During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. 24 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25 God saw the people of Israel—and God knew.” Along with the death of Pharoah, the spirit of the people of Israel begins to die as well as they cry out in agony. When the text says that God heard them, that He saw them and that He remembered His covenant, it does not mean that God somehow forgot His people or was not paying attention. This language is similar to God remembering Noah and his family who were on the ark. It implies that they are on the forefront of God’s mind and He is filled with covenant love for His people and that He is devoted to delivering them from their oppression.

E. God Calls Moses (3:1-22)

Chapter 3 begins with Moses shepherding the flock of Jethro. “1 Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. 3 And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” 4 When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” It is while Moses is shepherding that the Good Shepherd, the angel of the Lord who is the pre-incarnate Christ appears to Moses in a burning bush. Just as God called out to Abraham in Genesis 22 saying “Abraham, Abraham”, God calls out to Moses saying, “Moses, Moses”. This is a significant calling identifying Moses as the continuation of Abraham’s leadership over God’s people. 

God continues in verse 5, “ 5 Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” 6 And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. 7 Then the Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, 8 and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 9 And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. 10 Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”

This covenant keeping God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, sees and knows the sufferings of his people and He has decided that now is the time when He will come down and deliver them out of Egypt and into the Land that He promised to Abraham. There is a great hope and comfort that comes from knowing that God sees and knows the sufferings of his people. In Revelation 2:9 Jesus tells the suffering and poor church at Smyrna, “9 I know your tribulation and your poverty” As God’s child you can find comfort in knowing that He sees you and knows what you are going through just as He did here with the Israelites. 

When we look back at the text we see that Moses is still hesitant to return to Egypt, “ 11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” He questions God saying, “who am I?” but God reassures him that He will be with Him. Remember that this phrase was frequently used to describe God’s presence with Jacob where He providentially worked to protect and lead Jacob back to the land of Canaan at the end of Genesis. 

Then Moses asks God to reveal His name to him so that Moses might authenticate his message to the Israelites. And God responds in verse 14, “14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.” As we saw in Genesis, a name is very important for it defines a person’s essence. God’s name is no different. In telling Israel His name, God is revealing to them His essence. The name I AM, or YAHWEH as it is pronounced in Hebrew, reveals the transcendent nature of God. So often we tend to describe God by the sum of His character traits. However, God describes Himself by His essence as God. He can not be reduced or divided into a list of attributes. He in the end is in a category that is supreme and transcendent above all other beings. This is why it is so hard and difficult to articulate what I AM means. If the Person of God could be fully definable by human language He would not be a supreme being. He is a holistic entity and all who He is in His character as God. This revelation also demonstrates God’s relational nature. He gives Israel His first name because He wants His people to know Him intimately. This is highlighted by the fact that He repeats that He was the covenantal God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 

F. God Instructs Moses (4:1-20)

After God reveals Himself to Moses and tells Him exactly how He plans on using Moses to deliver Israel from Pharaoh, Moses continues to bring up objections to God’s plan - verse 10, “ 10 But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” In a very complex and eloquent objection, Moses tell God that he isn’t the best choice to go before Pharaoh because he isn’t eloquent and has difficulty forming effective speech. And in verse 11 God responds to this pitiful excuse with a forceful rebuke, “11 Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” The obvious answer to this rhetorical question is that it is YHWH who is speaking to Moses now. He promises again that He will be with Moses and He will teach Moses what to say. His message: TRUST ME! However, in verse 13, Moses still asks God to send someone else. “ 13 But he said, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.” 14 Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses and he said, “Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Behold, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. 15 You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth, and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you both what to do. 16 He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and you shall be as God to him. 17 And take in your hand this staff, with which you shall do the signs.” As we shall see, Moses’ fear of man, unbelief of God’s promises and resistance to carry out God’s instruction will mark the people of Israel throughout the rest of this book and for generation upon generation. God’s anger is kindled against Moses but does not give up on him and move on. Instead he makes Moses a mediator between God and Moses’ brother Aaron who will speak to Pharaoh and the people of Israel. 

G. An Important Reminder (4:21-31)

Chapter 4 ends with some final instructions, verse 21, “21 And the Lord said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles that I have put in your power. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go. 22 Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord, Israel is my firstborn son, 23 and I say to you, “Let my son go that he may serve me.” If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son.’” Notice that God tells Moses ahead of time that He will harden Pharaoh's heart. This is an important discussion and it is worth our time evaluating what God is doing here with Pharoah. However we will not do so until we get to chapter 7. God instructs Moses and Aaron to call Israel God’s firstborn son. Moses and Aaron are to command that Pharaoh let God’s firstborn son go and serve Him. It is important to know that the word for serve translated in english implies serving a Master as a slave. God is saying, Pharaoh let my first born go from being your slaves to being my slaves. If Pharaoh resists, the punishment will be just. If Pharaoh refuses to release God’s firstborn, God will take Pharaoh’s firstborn. 

Upon returning to Egypt, Moses is reunited with Aaron and after telling his brother of all that God had said, they go and tell the people of Israel. In verse 31 we see their response, “31 And the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had visited the people of Israel and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped.” The text says that they believed and worshiped that God had seen them and heard their cries. Like Abraham before them, what we see here from God’s people is faith and worship.

4. God Battles Pharaoh and Egyptian Pantheon (Exodus 5:1-12:30)

A. God’s Command and Pharaoh’s Challenge (5:1-23)

After meeting with the people of Israel, Moses and Aaron have their first meeting with Pharaoh. They declare to Pharaoh in verse 1, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.’” However, Pharaoh responds with defiance and disrespect, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and moreover, I will not let Israel go.” Pharaoh is here challenging YHWH. He says that he does not know Him, meaning that He does not recognize YHWH as God. In response Pharaoh makes his own divine command in verse 7, “ 7 “You shall no longer give the people straw to make bricks, as in the past; let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8 But the number of bricks that they made in the past you shall impose on them, you shall by no means reduce it, for they are idle. Therefore they cry, ‘Let us go and offer sacrifice to our God.’ 9 Let heavier work be laid on the men that they may labor at it and pay no regard to lying words.” 10 So the taskmasters and the foramen of the people went out and said to the people, “Thus says Pharaoh, ‘I will not give you straw. 11 Go and get your straw yourselves wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced in the least.’” Pharaoh wants to demonstrate that he has power over Israel and they are his slaves. He makes his point by forcing them to make bricks without the straw provided. Now they have to bend down or get on their knees to pick up the straw to make bricks as a demonstration of their enslavement to Pharaoh.

After this occurs the people grumble against Moses, verse 21, “The Lord look on you and judge, because you have made us stink in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.” In their eyes, Moses and God were tools in the hands of their master Pharoah. This grumbling causes Moses to experience doubt as well, verse 22, “22 Then Moses turned to the Lord and said, “O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me? 23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not delivered your people at all.” Moses had forgotten that God had revealed to him several times that Pharaoh would resist. In this we see that despite the revelation of His name and despite the signs and wonders He performed through Pharoah, His people’s faith was fickle. Is this not also how Israel acted when the Name of God dwelt among them and He performed signs and miracles Himself?

B. The Lord’s Assurance of Deliverance (6:1-9)

In response to this complaining and this doubt we find a patient God, look at verse 2 of chapter 6, “ 2 God spoke to Moses and said to him, “I am the Lord. 3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name the Lord I did not make myself known to them. 4 I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they lived as sojourners. 5 Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel whom the Egyptians hold as slaves, and I have remembered my covenant. 6 Say therefore to the people of Israel, ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. 7 I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. 8 I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession. I am the Lord.’”

See here the longsuffering and love of God for His people. Even when they doubt Him and do not trust Him, He continues to reveal Himself to them and assure them that He will carry out His plan. He declares again to Moses that He is YHWH and that He has waited until this time to make Himself truly known to His people. He revealed Himself to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and He had covenant relationships with them but what He plans to do now with His people will show Himself to them on a far greater level. He promises again that He will redeem them from their current master, Pharaoh, so that they will be His people. He then promises that He will be their God and that He will return them to the promised land. 

C. God Charges Moses and Aaron (6:10-30)

D. The Introduction to the Plagues (7:1-13)

At the beginning of chapter 7 we see again how God declares to Moses that He will harden Pharaoh’s heart, verse 1“1 And the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet. 2 You shall speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron shall tell Pharaoh to let the people of Israel go out of his land. 3 But I will harden Pharaoh's heart...” What does that mean? In chapter 3:19, God revealed to Moses, 19 But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand” What this shows us is that Pharoah already desires in his own heart to keep the Israelites from leaving. At its root, Pharaoh’s resistance is a result of his own sinful desires. That being said what we see here is God declaring that he will harden Pharaoh’s already resistant heart. What this means that God will play a role in preventing Pharaoh's heart from changing under the pressure of God’s wrath.

And in 7:3-5 we see God’s purpose in doing this, “ though I multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt. 4 Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and bring my hosts, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment. 5 The Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring out the people of Israel from among them.” If Pharaoh broke after the first plague then God would only have shown a small amount of his power and signs and wonders and Egypt and all the nations around them would not have known that He is YHWH. God caused Pharaoh’s own attitude to intensify so that He will glorify and magnify His name and demonstrate His power against the Egyptians and for His people. To sum it up, God was actively involved in effecting Pharaoh’s heart in order to accomplish His will for His glory. However, Pharaoh’s heart was already bent in this direction on his own and is therefore guilty for his actions. 

Background to the Plagues

Now before we get to the plagues, there is some background that is needed. In that time each nation was represented by their own gods. When a nation attacked another nation, it was believed that their respective gods were battling as well. If your nation won, your gods were the reason for your victory. If you lost, your gods lost and could even be considered dead. The 10 plagues are not random acts of God’s judgement. They are designed to symbolize God defeating the false gods of the Egyptian pantheon. That being said, one must not think that there was some supernatural battle going on in the spiritual realm between God and the gods of Egypt. The purpose was to show Egypt, Israel, and the world that the gods of the greatest nation of the world were nothing. They were dead false idols and the only real true God is YHWH. There is another interesting background feature of these 10 plagues. In Genesis 1 where we see the account of God creating the world there are 10 instances of God speaking. God demonstrated His awesome power by speaking 10 seperate times to create the world and God demonstrated His awesome power here when He used what He created 10 seperate times to destroy Egypt.  Lastly we need to know that there is an order to the 10 plagues. The plagues are grouped based on lesser severity and impact to greater severity and impact like so: 1-3; 4-6; 7-9; 10.

E. Plague #1: Water to Blood - 7:14-25

In verse 14 we see God send the first plague, “14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh's heart is hardened; he refuses to let the people go. 15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning, as he is going out to the water. Stand on the bank of the Nile to meet him, and take in your hand the staff that turned into a serpent. 16 And you shall say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you, saying, “Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness.” But so far, you have not obeyed. 17 Thus says the Lord, “By this you shall know that I am the Lord: behold, with the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water that is in the Nile, and it shall turn into blood. 18 The fish in the Nile shall die, and the Nile will stink, and the Egyptians will grow weary of drinking water from the Nile.”’ Now, The first plague was an attack against the god of the Nile Hapi. The Nile was the life blood for the economy and agriculture of Egypt. This impacted all the major cities located on the Nile where most of all Egypt lived. By turning the Nile into blood, God was symbolizing that Hapi was killed in battle. It was very inconvenient for it required people to dig wells to drink fresh water. It also killed a major food source: fish. Pharaoh tries to demonstrate that he still has divine power by using  magicians to recreate God’s plague and this is slightly comical because it requires that the magicians take good drinking water and change it into blood, making it undrinkable. 

F. Plague #2: Frog Infestation (8:1-15)

The second plague was an attack against Heqt, the goddess of childbirth and midwives. She was symbolized by a frog. Let’s look at verse 1, “1 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Let my people go, that they may serve me. 2 But if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will plague all your country with frogs. 3 The Nile shall swarm with frogs that shall come up into your house and into your bedroom and on your bed and into the houses of your servants and your people, and into your ovens and your kneading bowls. 4 The frogs shall come up on you and on your people and on all your servants.”’” 5  And the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers, over the canals and over the pools, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt!’” 6 So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. 7 But the magicians did the same by their secret arts and made frogs come up on the land of Egypt.” By multiplying the frogs in the land so that they became a nuisance, the people of Egypt became irritated with the symbol of Heqt and wished to remove this symbol from their sight. Again, this plague was simply annoying and not life threatening. Also, the magicians are able to cause frogs to multiply in the land which again is slightly comical because it made the situation worse. See in verse 10 that God brings the plague and then removes the plague so that Pharaoh and all Egypt will know that there is no one like the Lord our God. Ultimately God is demonstrating His dominance over the most powerful man on earth. 

G. Plague #3: Gnats (8:16-19)

The third plague was an attack against Geb the god who controlled the dust of the earth. Let’s start in verse 16, “16 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, so that it may become gnats in all the land of Egypt.’” 17 And they did so. Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and there were gnats on man and beast. All the dust of the earth became gnats in all the land of Egypt. 18 The magicians tried by their secret arts to produce gnats, but they could not. So there were gnats on man and beast. 19 Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said. Obviously Geb lost his control because the dust was turned to gnats and they were everywhere.  This again is not a life threatening plague, but it is very annoying. Notice that the magicians were unable to reenact this plague and even go as far as warning Pharaoh that these three plagues have just been the fingertip of God’s wrath. In other words they were saying,  “Pharaoh, let them go. This is just the tip of the iceberg.” However Pharaoh’s heart was hardened and he did not listen. 

H. Plague #4: Flies (8:20-32)

The fourth plague begins the next level of plagues. Look at verse 20, “20 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Rise up early in the morning and present yourself to Pharaoh, as he goes out to the water, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Let my people go, that they may serve me. 21 Or else, if you will not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and your servants and your people, and into your houses. And the houses of the Egyptians shall be filled with swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they stand. 22 But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where my people dwell, so that no swarms of flies shall be there, that you may know that I am the Lord in the midst of the earth. 23 Thus I will put a division between my people and your people. Tomorrow this sign shall happen.” This was an attack on Khepri who was represented by the scarab fly.  The scarab fly was not your ordinary fly it had pincers that could grab onto chunks of skin. This morning plague Is not lethal, but it is harmful. Another distinction of this next level of plagues is that this plague only affected the land of the Egyptians. Goshen, where the Israelites were located was spared by this plague. Also notice that there is no mention of the magicians. They have given up.

I. Plague #5: Pestilence on Cattle (9:1-7)

The fifth plague is against Hathor, the god of cows. Verse 1, “1 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, “Let my people go, that they may serve me. 2 For if you refuse to let them go and still hold them, 3 behold, the hand of the Lord will fall with a very severe plague upon your livestock that are in the field, the horses, the donkeys, the camels, the herds, and the flocks. 4 But the Lord will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that nothing of all that belongs to the people of Israel shall die.”’” This was a very damaging plague that crippled a large portion of the food production and economy of Egypt. The Egyptians can not eat fish and now they can not eat beef. However, this is not completely lethal in nature. Lastly, in verse 7 we see that notice the cows in the land of the Hebrews were spared, “7 And Pharaoh sent, and behold, not one of the livestock of Israel was dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go.”

J. Plague #6: Boils (9:8-12)

The sixth plague is an attack against Isis the goddess of medicine. We see it starting in verse 8, “8 And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Take handfuls of soot from the kiln, and let Moses throw them in the air in the sight of Pharaoh. 9 It shall become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and become boils breaking out in sores on man and beast throughout all the land of Egypt.” 10 So they took soot from the kiln and stood before Pharaoh. And Moses threw it in the air, and it became boils breaking out in sores on man and beast. 11 And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils came upon the magicians and upon all the Egyptians. 12 But the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not listen to them, as the Lord had spoken to Moses.” The Egyptians are covered in boils and Isis is unable to heal them. Notice again that this plague only affected Egypt. Lastly, see that Pharaoh’s magicians could not even stand because of God’s power. 

K. Plague #7: Hail with Fire (9:13-35)

The seventh plague begins the next level of plagues. God reiterates his message to Pharoah in verse 1, “13 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Rise up early in the morning and present yourself before Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, “Let my people go, that they may serve me. 14 For this time I will send all my plagues on you yourself, and on your servants and your people, so that you may know that there is none like me in all the earth. 15 For by now I could have put out my hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth. 16 But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth. again that He is demonstrating His wrath on Pharaoh “so that you may know that there is none like me in all the earth. 17 You are still exalting yourself against my people and will not let them go. ” It is so important that we learn here that God is glorified in the deliverance of His people and in His judgement against His enemies. We must also see how terrifying it is to be an enemy of God. He is worshipped with awe and reverence. There is no room for exalting oneself, only for humility.

This 7th plague begins in verse 18, 18 Behold, about this time tomorrow I will cause very heavy hail to fall, such as never has been in Egypt from the day it was founded until now. 19 Now therefore send, get your livestock and all that you have in the field into safe shelter, for every man and beast that is in the field and is not brought home will die when the hail falls on them.”’” 20 Then whoever feared the word of the Lord among the servants of Pharaoh hurried his slaves and his livestock into the houses, 21 but whoever did not pay attention to the word of the Lord left his slaves and his livestock in the field. 22 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, so that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, on man and beast and every plant of the field, in the land of Egypt.” 23 Then Moses stretched out his staff toward heaven, and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and fire ran down to the earth. And the Lord rained hail upon the land of Egypt. 24 There was hail and fire flashing continually in the midst of the hail, very heavy hail, such as had never been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. 25 The hail struck down everything that was in the field in all the land of Egypt, both man and beast. And the hail struck down every plant of the field and broke every tree of the field. 26 Only in the land of Goshen, where the people of Israel were, was there no hail.”

This plague is attacking the god who controls the skies, Nut. God is showing that Nut has no control by sending massive hail to all the land of Egypt except Goshen. God tells Moses to warn the Egyptians of this plague and those who listened to him and kept themselves and their livestock inside were spared. Now even some of the Egyptians are seeing that their gods and their Pharoah are powerless and that what YHWH says, He will do. Furthermore, not only are all the fish and cows gone, all the grain from the fall harvest is gone as well. Surely this devastated the economy and caused a famine in the land of Egypt. Lastly, see how the plagues are no longer just annoying or harmful. This plague is deadly. 

L. Plague #8: Locusts (10:1-20)

The eighth plague is an attack against the god Seth who controls chaos and famine. In verse 3 we see Seth has no control, “3 So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, that they may serve me. 4 For if you refuse to let my people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country, 5 and they shall cover the face of the land, so that no one can see the land. And they shall eat what is left to you after the hail, and they shall eat every tree of yours that grows in the field,6 and they shall fill your houses and the houses of all your servants and of all the Egyptians, as neither your fathers nor your grandfathers have seen, from the day they came on earth to this day.’” Then he turned and went out from Pharaoh. 7 Then Pharaoh's servants said to him, “How long shall this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, that they may serve the Lord their God. Do you not yet understand that Egypt is ruined?” God sent locust to eat up all that was left by the hail. This was a devastating plague for after the locust came there was no food at all left for the Egyptians to eat. They would have to rely on hunting and whatever stores of food survived the plague of hail. 

M. Plague #9: Darkness (10:21-29)

In the Egyptian pantheon the most worshipped god other than Pharaoh himself was the sun god, Ra. In the 9th plague God demonstrates that Ra is a false god with no power, “21 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness to be felt.” 22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was pitch darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. 23 They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the people of Israel had light where they lived.” This darkness is so dark that it can be felt. The darkness was present in every part of Egypt except Goshen where the Israelites lived. This served as the most visible example of God’s love for His people and His wrath against His enemies. All of Egypt would have known for those three days that the only God was YHWH and He was the God of the Israelites. And yet, Pharoah still did not let the Israelites go. 

N. Plague #10: Death of Firstborn (11:1-12:30)

A. Before Pharaoh (11:1-10)

This tenth and final plague moves to the final level of plagues. This plague isn’t just lethal, it is nation destroying - verse 1, “4 So Moses said, “Thus says the Lord: ‘About midnight I will go out in the midst of Egypt, 5 and every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the slave girl who is behind the hand mill, and all the firstborn of the cattle. 6 There shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there has never been, nor ever will be again. 7 But not a dog shall growl against any of the people of Israel, either man or beast, that you may know that the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.’ 8 And all these your servants shall come down to me and bow down to me, saying, ‘Get out, you and all the people who follow you.’ And after that I will go out.” And he went out from Pharaoh in hot anger. God has raised Egypt up to be the most powerful nation in the world and will bring them down in one night with this final plague. It is important to remember that, in the Egyptian pantheon, Pharaoh was considered the ultimate god over the Egyptians. He is the one who was supposed to have the most power and the most authority.  In the beginning God warned Pharaoh that if he did not let God’s firstborn, Israel, go, He would kill Pharaoh’s firstborn and here we see God fulfill this promise (Exodus 4:23). Also notice that God will not be using an element of creation to carry out this plague. He will perform it Himself. God declares that when He performs this plague there will be a wailing and crying throughout all of Egypt  such as never been heard before. And yet, not even a dog will bark in the land of Goshen where the Israelites live. Remember that it was once Israel who was crying out in pain due to the enslavement of Pharaoh. That cry will pale in comparison to the cry that God will cause with the final plague. 

B. The Passover (12:1-30)

The Tenth plague is not just the finale of God’s judgement on Pharaoh and Egypt, it marks the beginning of God’s deliverance of His people from Egypt. We see this in verse 1, “1 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, 2 “This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you. 3 Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers' houses, a lamb for a household. 4 And if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his nearest neighbor shall take according to the number of persons; according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb. 5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats, 6 and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight. 7 “Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it...12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord.13 The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt. 14 “This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast...23 For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians, and when he sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you. 24 You shall observe this rite as a statute for you and for your sons forever. 25 And when you come to the land that the Lord will give you, as he has promised, you shall keep this service. 26 And when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ 27 you shall say, ‘It is the sacrifice of the Lord's Passover, for he passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians but spared our houses.’” God instituted a national celebration of this moment that should continue for generations beyond the one of Exodus. Each household had to take a lamb without blemish and kill it. This lamb was to be a substitutionary sacrifice for the sins of the Israelite people; meaning that the lamb died in their place, making them holy before God. They then took the blood of the lamb and  marked the doorpost of their house so that when the Lord came to kill the firstborn He would pass over that house. The blood was a demonstration of their holiness before God which excused that household from the plague that was to be performed against the Egyptians. See in this that even though the Israelites were God’s chosen people, they were marked by sin just like the Egyptians. Moreover, notice that they, like their forefather Abraham, were called to exercise faith by performing a sacrifice based on the command and promise of God. 

After Moses instructs the Israelites the text says in verse 27 that “the people bowed their heads and worshiped. 28 Then the people of Israel went and did so; as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did. 29 At midnight the Lord struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of the livestock. 30 And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians. And there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where someone was not dead.” What a contrast…worship and silent awe with those who experienced grace; weeping and wailing with those who experienced judgment.

5. The Exodus (Exodus 12:31-13:16)

A. Physical Move and Fulfillment of Prophecy (12:31-42)

Remember that back in Genesis (Gen 15:13; 46:4; 50:25) that God promised Abraham, Jacob and Joseph, that He would deliver Israel out of Egypt after 4 generations. Well now the time had come, “31 Then he summoned Moses and Aaron by night and said, “Up, go out from among my people, both you and the people of Israel; and go, serve the Lord, as you have said. 32 Take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone, and bless me also!” 33 The Egyptians were urgent with the people to send them out of the land in haste. For they said, “We shall all be dead...36 And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked. Thus they plundered the Egyptians. 37 And the people of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children. 38 A mixed multitude also went up with them, and very much livestock, both flocks and herds...40 The time that the people of Israel lived in Egypt was 430 years. 41 At the end of 430 years, on that very day, all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt. Moses writes that on that very day God delivered Israel after 430 years, thus fulfilling the promises that He made before. See also that God fulfills His promise to Moses that Israel would leave with great possessions as well as silver and gold from the Egyptians. Lastly see that not only did the Israelites leave Egypt, but a mixed multitude of Egyptian citizens left amongst them, showing that even some Egyptians became slaves of YHWH. 

B. Remembering the Deliverance (12:43-13:16)

The section ends with God commanding that the Passover is to be observed by His people alone. He declares that no foreigner should eat of it unless they become circumcised. Specifically God mentions the slave who wishes to partake of the Passover. This was instituted to remind the Israelites that they were slaves before and if they had not been purchased by God there would be no passover to celebrate. Therefore, the Israelites should circumcise the foreign slaves and sojourners (immigrants) who desired to worship God so that they can celebrate Passover as well.

This feast should be celebrated as a remembrance of what God delivered them from. It was to instruct the future generations in worship verse 8, “8 You shall tell your son on that day, ‘It is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ 9 And it shall be to you as a sign on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the law of the Lord may be in your mouth. For with a strong hand the Lord has brought you out of Egypt.10 You shall therefore keep this statute at its appointed time from year to year...14 And when in time to come your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall say to him, ‘By a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. 15 For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all the males that first open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’ 16 It shall be as a mark on your hand or frontlets between your eyes, for by a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt.” For generation after generation, Israel was to celebrate Passover and remember God’s salvation as if they were there too.