Chronological Bible Study – Feb 3

What I Noticed Today (Exodus 13-15)

Exodus 13

Chapter 13 continues with instructions for the celebration of the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and the route of the exodus out of Egypt.

In verses 1-16, God continues His instructions regarding the firstborn and the Passover celebration:

• The Lord told Moses to consecrate every firstborn male; both man and domestic animals belong to the Lord.
• Then Moses told the people to remember this day leaving Egypt by God’s strong hand.
• Nothing with leaven may be eaten.
• When the Lord brings you into the Promised Land, a land flowing with milk and honey, you must continue this ritual in the month of Abib (also called Nisan).
• For seven days you are to eat unleavened bread and on the seventh day celebrate the festival (Passover) to the Lord.
• During the festival, there may be no leaven found among you.
• Let it be a sign for you that you remember the Lord’s instruction and how He brought you out of Egypt.
• When the Lord brings you into the Promised Land, you are to present every firstborn male; they belong to the Lord.
• You must redeem every firstborn donkey with an animal from the flock, or break its neck if you do not redeem it.
• You must redeem every firstborn of your sons.
• In the future, teach your children about how the Lord brought you out of slavery in Egypt by His strong hand, when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let you go.

In verses 17-22, the route out of Egypt:

• God did not lead the people the shortest route out of Egypt because that passed through the land of the Philistines, and He was concerned that if they faced a war, they would retreat back to Egypt.
• So He led the people toward the Red Sea along the Road of the Wilderness.

• Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, fulfilling the promise of the Israelites not to leave him in Egypt, but to bury him in the family grave in Canaan.
• They left Succoth and camped at Etham on the edge of the wilderness.
• The Lord went ahead of them as a pillar of clouds in the daytime and as a pillar of fire at night.

Some thoughts for additional consideration:

• Four times in chapter 13, the people are told to celebrate the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread as a reminder of what the Lord did to save them, and how he redeemed them from Egypt. They are told several times to teach their children about the celebration and its purpose.
• We would do well to remember that God has saved us through the death of his one and only Son upon the cross! And that in saving us, God will protect us from our enemies and lead us where He would have us to go, but we have to believe and trust Him!
• If we do not teach our children, we are only one generation away from complete apostasy!

Exodus 14

Chapter 14 describes the Egyptian’s pursuit of the Israelites, and the Israelites escape through the Red Sea.

In verses 1-4, God speaks to Moses and gives him instructions:

• That night (the night the Israelites arrived at Etham), God gave Moses instructions to double back to Pi-hahiroth and camp between Migdol and the Red Sea.
• God said He would harden Pharaoh’s heart again and Pharaoh, thinking they were lost and confused, would pursue them. Then God will receive glory from Pharaoh, and the people of Egypt will know that He is Yahweh.

In verses 5-14, Pharaoh pursues the Israelites just as God had said:

• Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about releasing the Israelites, realizing they had lost their labor force.
• Pharaoh gathered 600 of the best chariots in Egypt along with all the other chariots, each driven by an officer, and his army, and pursued the Israelites. He caught up with them at Pi-hahiroth.
• As the Israelites saw the Egyptians approaching, they were terrified and cried out to God for help. They accused Moses of bringing them into the desert to die. They even said they would have preferred to stay in slavery in Egypt.
• But Moses encouraged the people telling them not to be afraid that God will fight for you today and you will never see these Egyptians again.

In verses 15-31, God saves the Israelites as they escape through the Red Sea:

• God told Moses to tell the people to break camp and get ready to leave.
• Then God told Moses to lift up his staff over the sea to divide the sea. The Israelites will pass over on the dry ground, and the Egyptians will pursue them.
• The Angel of the Lord and the pillar of cloud moved from in front of the Israelites to behind them. Neither group came close to each other all night.
• Moses stretched out his staff over the sea, and the Lord brought a strong wind that separated the sea and dried the floor of the sea.
• The Israelites walked through on dry ground while the water of the sea was piled up on either side of them like a wall.
• The Egyptians set out after the Israelites in the morning watch, but God brought confusion among them. The Egyptians realized God was fighting for the Israelites against Egypt.

• God told Moses to stretch his out over the sea and close it at daybreak. The waters closed in over the Egyptians, and none of Pharaoh’s army that had gone into the sea survived.
• When the Israelites saw the great power of the Lord and what He had done for them, they feared the Lord and believed in Him and His servant Moses.

Exodus 15

Chapter 15 opens with the first song recorded in the Bible and God’s provision of water in the desert.

In verses 1-18, Moses and the Israelites sang a song of praise to the Lord:

• Section 1, Verses 1-6. The Lord is praised for His strength and power as He defeated the armies of the Egyptians and saved the people of Israel.
• Section 2, Verses 7-11. The Lord is praised for His majesty and the power of His wrath as He shattered the enemy. There is no other like God, who is glorious in His Holiness.
• Section 3, Verses 12-16. The Lord is praised for leading and redeeming the people He loved. Terror and dread will fall upon Philistia, Edom, Moab, and Canaan until the Lord’s people pass by on their way to the land the Lord has promised them.
• Section 4, Verses 17-18. The Lord will bring them to the mountain of His possession that He had prepared for them. The Lord will reign forever.

In verse 19, the Lord’s victory over the Egyptian army and how He saved the Israelites as they walked through the Red Sea is recounted.

In verses 20-21, Miriam (Moses’ sister) sings and dances with a tambourine to praise the Lord.

In verses 22-27, God provides water in the wilderness:

• Moses led the people of Israel three days’ journey into the wilderness to the desert of Shur (northern part of the Sinai Peninsula).
• They came to an area known as Marah (Marah means bitter, or bitterness). The people could not drink the water there because it was bitter, and they complained to Moses.
• Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord had Moses throw a tree into the water, and it became drinkable.
• The Lord made an ordinance for the people and tested them at Marah. He told them if you carefully obey Yahweh your God, do what is right in His eyes, and pay attention to His commands and statutes, He would not inflict disease on the people that He had inflicted upon the Egyptians.
• Then they came to Elim, where there were water and date palms.

What did you notice in your study today? Feel free to visit the website and leave a question or a comment.

Tomorrow: Day 35 Exodus 16-18