The Story Through the Bible Exodus 12-14

Micah Gafford

The Story through the Bible • Sermon • Submitted 11 days ago • Presented 18 days ago

Exodus 13–15

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Exodus

Exod 12.33-36

We ended with this plunder as they fled.

Exod 12:37-39

There are a LOT of people here. I will point out some people try and diminish the numbers of people from 600,000 men of fighting age plus the rest leave. we’re looking at 1-3 million in realistic numbers. It’s a lot, and it makes lots of people uncomfortable because it’s too many to make fit most narratives they want to use for secular explanations of everything.

They leave and make it from this town to another which we don’t exactly know where that is. Rameses was previously known as Avaris, We have the institution of passover that essentially points out these events will become a holy day to remember.

We’re going to skip reading most of chapter 13 but I will summarize. It starts with the command to consecrate all the first born, man and beast. Then the feast of unleavened bread is instituted. Then the thing about firstborns is said again but I want to read this verse.

Exod 13:15

A more literal reading is that every firstborn male animal is sacrificed and my sons I redeem. To redeem you make a sacrifice for them. You have to buy them back from the Lord. It is tied directly to the tenth plague where all the firstborns of every house that wasn’t covered by the blood as instructed by God would be killed. So not only is this event that precedes the exodus a holy day with re-doing the sacrifice and subsequent meal of that night followed by 7 days of unleavened bread. Every son born and first male animal points you back to this moment to remember it!

Now we really dive in with the exodus route in

Exodus 13:17

This tells us they didn’t take the direct route to modern Israel. There was a path from Goshen straight into the land of the Philistines. It was a major trade route, they did not take that route. Which way did they take?

Exodus 13:18

The road of the wilderness toward the red sea. The Red Sea is a bit contested now days. Some would like to translate this the Reed Sea and there is a lot of back and forth and conjecture about it but I don’t think we need to find out what the real meaning is because we have several other verses that give a definitive location for this

Where is this Sea? Yam-Suph

Exodus 23:31 “And I will set your border from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the Euphrates, for I will give the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you shall drive them out before you.” Numbers 14:25 “Now, since the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwell in the valleys, turn tomorrow and set out for the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea.”” ,Numbers 21:4 “From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way.” Deuteronomy 1:40 “But as for you, turn, and journey into the wilderness in the direction of the Red Sea.’” ,Deuteronomy 2:1 ““Then we turned and journeyed into the wilderness in the direction of the Red Sea, as the Lord told me. And for many days we traveled around Mount Seir.” 1 Kings 9:26 “King Solomon built a fleet of ships at Ezion-geber, which is near Eloth on the shore of the Red Sea, in the land of Edom.” Jeremiah 49:20–22 “Therefore hear the plan that the Lord has made against Edom and the purposes that he has formed against the inhabitants of Teman: Even the little ones of the flock shall be dragged away. Surely their fold shall be appalled at their fate. At the sound of their fall the earth shall tremble; the sound of their cry shall be heard at the Red Sea. Behold, one shall mount up and fly swiftly like an eagle and spread his wings against Bozrah, and the heart of the warriors of Edom shall be in that day like the heart of a woman in her birth pains.””

These locations all point to the Gulf of Aqaba

Where was Moses heading? Back to Midian where he met the Lord at the burning bush.

Exodus 3:1 “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.” ,Exodus 3:12 “He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”” Acts 7:30 ““Now when forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in a flame of fire in a bush.”

What’s the most direct route to Midian? The established trade route across the wilderness that turns at the top of the Gulf of Aqaba to go south.

Exodus 13:21–22 ESV

And 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. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.

I will not the travel by day and night - they might have spent some time resting but they didn’t just spend 8 hours a day on the march, if they’re going day and night we’re looking at 12 hours of daylight in this region during the spring.

Exodus 14:1–2 ESV

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell the people of Israel to turn back and encamp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, in front of Baal-zephon; you shall encamp facing it, by the sea.

I wish this wonderful amount of detailed information could pinpoint on a map where this might be. Unfortunately it can’t. We’re so far removed from this that we don’t have great information about where these places might be. There have certainly been educated guesses but they span across the region as different people have made the case for their point of view on a location of Mt. Sinai.

Here they turn around and go back - apparently so that it will trick Pharaoh into coming after them to complete God’s plan of dealing with the wicked Pharaoh.

Exodus 14:3–4 ESV

For Pharaoh will say of the people of Israel, ‘They are wandering in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.’ And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord.” And they did so.

Exod 14:5-9,10-18,19-20

Exod 14:21-22 - Is there any language here that makes you think about another story?

CREATION!

I have mentioned although a long time ago the idea of curse being a de-creation event. In many ways the plagues in Egypt also stand in contrast to creation. The waters of Genesis 1 teem with life while the waters in Egypt turn to blood. The earth produces plants and tree, the plagues see plants destroyed by hail and locusts. In Genesis light is established but in the 9th plague darkness encompasses.

So we’ve gone through in a sense an un-creation. Now we’re standing at the precipice of a new creation. In this symbolic sense. I don’t think the Bible is calling it this by the way but the allusion is making us think about how things are new when we’re rescued. When Noah gets off the boat with his family and the animals it’s not technically a new earth but it’s certainly been destroyed and is essentially new again. Here the chosen people have been rescued by God once again and are looking at a new beginning.

Exod 14.23-31

Whatever route this took, whatever location is really here in the text is not the particularly important thing. What is important? These are real historic events. God was active here in reality. He was with his people that he saved. Even when they despaired about being lead to the wilderness to die.

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Josephus's description focuses on three main attributes: its extreme height, its location in Midian, and its terrifying sanctity.

1. The "Highest" Mountain

The most famous claim Josephus makes about Mount Sinai is its altitude. He emphasizes that it was the tallest peak in its surrounding area.

The Quote: He describes it as "the highest of all the mountains thereabout" (Antiquities 2.264) and later reiterates that it is "the highest of all the mountains that are in that country" (Antiquities 3.76).

The Physicality: He notes that the mountain was not only high but also extremely difficult to climb because of its "vast altitude" and the "sharpness of its precipices." He even claims it was painful to look at because of its sheer height.

2. The Location in Midian

Josephus consistently associates Mount Sinai with the land of Midian (which he spells Madian).

Proximity to the City: He states that the city of Midian lay upon the Red Sea. He describes Moses fleeing from Egypt to this city and eventually driving his flocks to Mount Sinai, implying the mountain was within grazing distance of Jethro’s home in Midian.

Travel Time: Josephus notes that the Israelites reached Mount Sinai three months after leaving Egypt, having traveled through a "wilderness" and "Arabia."

3. A Mountain "Inhabited by God"

Even before the Ten Commandments were given, Josephus describes Sinai as a place with a pre-existing reputation for being sacred—and dangerous.

Shepherds' Fear: He writes that local shepherds did not dare to ascend the mountain or even let their flocks graze there because of a widespread belief that "God dwelt there."

The Presence: During the actual giving of the Law, Josephus describes the mountain being enveloped in a massive cloud, violent winds, and "terrible" lightning that signaled the Divine presence.

Water height of the sea parting

Exod 15:8,10 Neh 9.11 Psa 77:16,19,106:9 Isa 43:16,51:10

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