Exodus 12:31-51
God had promised Abraham centuries before that his descendants would be delivered from the land of bondage. Though Abraham had died, He still remained faithful to His Word. “And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt” (Exodus 12:41). God is never late in fulfilling His promises to His people.
Although Pharaoh and his servants resisted Israel’s departure fiercely, God’s Word was fulfilled as promised. Truly, “there is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the LORD” (Proverbs 21:30). Therefore, believers should rest on His unchanging promises. Threatening storms, Satan and his agents cannot disrupt His plan for our lives because “the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand”.
1. ISRAEL RELEASED BY PHARAOH
Exodus 12:31-36; 3:20-22; 11:1; 20:2; Micah 6:4; Acts 7:36; 13:17
Pharaoh was eventually humbled by the Almighty as he called for Moses and Aaron, and said, “Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and GO, SERVE THE LORD, AS YE HAVE SAID” (Exodus 12:31). He had been humbled by God’s might and judgment. Apart from releasing Israel to go and serve the Lord, he added, “take your flocks and your herds, AS YE HAVE SAID, and be gone; and bless me also” (Exodus 12:32). Earlier, Pharaoh had proposed a compromise with Moses to go and serve the Lord without their flocks and herds, which he refused (Exodus 10:24-26). It pays to have an uncompromising spirit.
“And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they might SEND THEM OUT of the land IN HASTE” (Exodus 12:33). God had told the children of Israel to get ready to leave Egypt urgently, “with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it IN HASTE” (Exodus 12:11). Now Pharaoh and the Egyptians wanted Israel to leave immediately. Ordinarily, they should have hated the children of Israel at this time, having been victims of the terrible plagues which climaxed to the loss of all the first-born in the land. On the contrary, “the LORD gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians… Egypt was glad when they departed: for the fear of them fell upon them” (Exodus 12:36; Psalm 105:38). This is another proof that “when a man’s ways please the LORD, He maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him” (Proverbs 16:7).
At last, God’s promise to Abraham was fulfilled. “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” (Numbers 23:19). God’s faithfulness to Abraham should make our faith strong in Him.
2. ISRAEL’S LONG-AWAITED DELIVERANCE
Exodus 12:37-42; Acts 7:6,7; Psalms 78:51-53;105:37,38; Numbers 11:4; Nehemiah 13:3; Exodus 13:3; Deuteronomy 16:3
“And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth” (Exodus 12:37). It was in anticipation of this journey that they were told to have their loins girded, their shoes on their feet and their staff in their hands, and to eat “in haste”. As believers, we must understand that we are “strangers and pilgrims” on earth and “our conversation (citizenship) is in heaven”. Like the children of Israel, we have an important journey before us, and the Lord wants us to be fully prepared for it. To be prepared, we must “lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us”, and “put on the whole armor of God” (Hebrews 12:1; Ephesians 6:11-18).
“And a mixed multitude went up also with them” (Exodus 12:38). This “mixed multitude” was made up of Egyptians and others of different nations who resided in Egypt. A variety of reasons might have prompted them to join and depart with Israel: the miracles wrought by God on behalf of Israel, intermarriages with the Israelites and fear of remaining in a land of declining economy, a land so sorely afflicted with divine judgments. These motives still account for the presence of mixed multitude in the church today.
Sadly, before long, this “mixed multitude” proved a thorn in the side of Israel. They were the first people who became dissatisfied with the manna (Psalm 78:24,25) and influenced Israel to murmur (Numbers 11:4-6). The presence and integration of the mixed multitude among the congregation of the Lord have been the bane of God’s saints in every age. We must, therefore, heed the Spirit’s warning to “come out from among them and be ye separate” (2 Corinthians 6:17; Nehemiah 13:3,23-28).
3. GOD’S INSTRUCTION TO LIBERATED ISRAEL
Exodus 12:43-51; Deuteronomy 16:1,2; Leviticus 22:10-13; 17:7-10; Numbers 9:14; Ezra 6:20-22; Leviticus 24:22; Numbers 15:13-16
The children of Israel were referred to as “the hosts of the LORD” as they departed from the land of Egypt (Exodus 12:41). God had redeemed or purchased them by the blood of the lamb. Thus, He gave them instructions to follow. Redeemed by the blood of the lamb, He regulated their lives by His Word. This is always the order of God’s dealings with His people. He redeems our souls by the precious blood of the spotless Lamb; and then regulates our lives by His Word.
In God’s instructions to the children of Israel, three classes of people were debarred from eating the Passover (Exodus 12:43,45,48). These were the stranger, hired servant and uncircumcised person. Circumcision was the sign of the Covenant and only the covenant people could keep the feast of the unleavened bread in remembrance of their deliverance from Egypt. However, the servant or stranger who lived in Israel and had submitted to the rite of circumcision could participate in the feast (Exodus 12:44,48). This was a blessed foreshadowing of grace reaching out to the Gentiles who were “aliens from the commonwealth of Israel” but are now “fellow-citizens with the saints…” (Ephesians 2:12,13,14,19). In addition, God commanded, “One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you” (Exodus 12:49). There was no room for partiality or double standards among the people. So, it is today among God’s people. The Lord has established the same standard of doctrine for His Church. And we must abide by it.
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