Reading for July 8th

Read Exodus 12.29-51

In 12.29-51: Egypt's firstborn die and Israel departs from Egypt.

In verse 34: The haste to leave Egypt provides a rationale for the haste in eating the Passover meal (vv. 8, 11) and for celebrating the festival of Unleavened Bread (v. 39; 13.3-10).

In verses 35-36: The people of Israel plundered Egypt as they received silver and gold from their former oppressors.

The plundered jewelry is Israel's war booty and implies the victory of Israel's God over Pharaoh.

In verse 37: Six hundred thousand men apart from women, children, and elderly would mean an amazing total population of about two million Israelites.

This large number appears again in the census list in Num 1.46 (603, 550 Israelite warriors).

A Typical large army in this ancient period would be 15,000-20,000 warriors.

In verse 38: A mixed crowd suggests an ethnically mixed group that joins the Israelites in fleeing Egypt (see Num 11.4).

In verse 41: Gen 15.13 predicted 400 hundred years of slavery in Egypt.

Gen 15.16 predicted four generations or about 160 years (assuming 40 years per generation).

In verses 43-49: The Lord provides further instruction about the Passover as it applies to an alien who resides with you. 

The instruction follow appropriately the earlier mention of the "mixed crowd" that joined Israel's exodus (v.38).

Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 7th

Read Exodus 12.14-28

In verse 22: Hyssop is an aromatic plant or bush that is used for ritual purification (Lev 14.4; Num 19.6).

In verse 23: The destroyer is an agent that brings death and is here distinguished from the Lord.

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Reading for July 6th

Read Exodus 12.1-13

In 12.1-28: The Lord provides instructions for the annual festivals of Passover and Unleavened Bread.

The flow of the exodus story is interrupted by instructions for celebrating the two festivals of Passover and Unleavened Bread.

The immediate purpose of the Passover is to mark every Israelite home with blood so that it will be protected from the effects of the tenth plague, the death of all Egyptian firstborn.

After Israel leaves Egypt, the annual festivals of Passover and Unleavened Bread will enable future generations to remember and identity the story of the Exodus as their own (vv. 14-17).

In verse 2: This month begins the new year.

It occurs in the springtime (March-April) and is called either Abib (13.4; Duet 16.1) or Nisan (Esth 3.7) in later biblical traditions.

Older biblical traditions begin the new year in the fall (23.16; 34.22).

In verse 7: The smearing of the lamb's blood on the door posts and lintel or upper door frame will mark the house as Israelite and thus protect it from the plague, which will kill all the Egyptian firstborn (vv. 12-13, 21-33).

In verse 8: Unleavened bread, or biscuits without yeast, is quickly baked bread.

Verses 33-34 provide the connection with the Exodus.

The Israelites had to hurry out of Egypt and so could not wait for their bread dough to rise.

The bitter herbs recall the bitterness of Israel's slavery.

In verse 9: The lamb is to be roasted rather than eaten raw or boiled to ensure all of its blood is drained.

The blood is the essence of life and must be return to the deity and not eaten in recognition that life belongs to God (Gen 9.4: Lev 17.101-4).

In verse 13: The verb pass over ("pasah," also in vv. 23, 27) is the basis for the festival's name, Passover ("pesah," v. 11).

Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 5th

Read Exodus 11.1-10

In 11.1-10: Moses warns Pharaoh about the tenth and final plague.

In verses 1-2: The horror of the final plague will cause Pharaoh and other Egyptians to plead with Israel to leave their land.

The Egyptians will voluntarily surrender objects of silver and gold (v. 2) as predicted in 3.22 and fulfilled in 12.35-36.

This plundering of the Egyptians signifies Egypt's defeat in the battle with Israel's God.

Israel will carry away the spoils of war.

In verse 5:  The coming death of every firstborn in the land of Egypt expands the earlier judgment of 4.22-23, which predicted the death only of Pharaoh's firstborn son.

Part of the background to this judgment is the deity's claim to all firstborn among humans and animals as God's rightful possession (13.1-2).

In verse 10: On Pharaoh's hardened heart, see comment on 4.21.

Comments or Questions.. 

Reading for July 4th

Read Exodus 10.21-29

In 10.21-29: The ninth plague: A dense darkness sweeps over all Egypt.

In verse 23: The Israelites again are separated and thus do not suffer the effects of the plagues on the Egyptians.

See comment on 8.22.

In verse 27: On Pharaoh's hardened heart, see comment on 4.21.

In verses 28-29 Moses pledges not to seek an audience with Pharaoh again, but in fact Pharaoh summon Moses one more time during the tenth plague and final plague (12.31).

Moses' words may also hint at the death of Pharaoh and his army at the Red Sea crossing (14.33, 26-29).

Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 3rd

Read Exodus 10.1-20

In 10.1-20: The eighth plague: An east wind brings swarms of locust.

In verse 7: This is the first time Pharaoh's own officials seek to persuade him to let the people go.

In verse 13: The blowing of the east wind and the duration all that  night anticipates the parallel events when "a strong east wind blows back the waters of the Red Sea "all night" (14.21) to expose dry land so that the Israelites can cross safely.

In verse 15: The land black with locusts anticipates the next plague of darkness (vv. 21-22).

In verse 19: The mention of the wind and the Red Sea foreshadows the Red Sea crossing (4.21, 28).

In verse 20: On Pharaoh's hardened heart, see comment on 4.21.

Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 2nd

Read Exodus 9.13-35

In 9.13-35: The seventh plague: Thunder, hail, and fire pour out from the skies.

In verses 21-22: The story acknowledges for the first time a distinction between some Egyptians who feared the word of the Lord and those who did not regard the word of the Lord.

In verse 22: The plagues' disruption of the order established by God at creation now extends to the plants as well as animals and humans (Gen 1.11-12, 2.5).

In verse 26: On the separation of Israelites in the land of Goshen, see comment on 8.22.

In verse 27: This is the first time Pharaoh confesses, "I have sinned."

He will do so one more time in 10.16.

In verse 32: Some  plants survive, only to be devoured in the next plague (10.12, 15).

In verses 34-35: On Pharaoh's hardened heart, see comment on 4.21.

Comments or Questions..