#23 – Exodus 12:29-36
Free at last!
Only those who have been held in captivity can truly appreciate freedom. Only the slave set free knows how precious is emancipation. The longsuffering Hebrews are about to taste those delicious realities. But their story unfolds against an anguishing backdrop in Egypt.
A great cry in Egypt
Now it came about at midnight that the L-RD struck 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 cattle.Pharaoh arose in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians, and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was no home where there was not someone dead. (Exodus 12:29-30.)
All life is precious. Every death is a cause for sorrow.[1]
Pharaoh’s resolve
Then he called for Moses and Aaron at night and said, “Rise up, get out from among my people, both you and the sons of Israel; and go, worship the L-RD, as you have said. Take both your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and go, and bless me also.” (Exodus 12:31-32.)
Think of the cost of Pharaoh’s pride and unwillingness to listen to the words of G-d. Like a child whose fingers have to be pried, one by one, from what he clings to, Pharaoh went from “No way you’re leaving! Work harder!” to “The men can go – but only for three days.” Then “Okay, take the women and children – but no animals.”
Now, he releases his hand – and the Jewish people. “Go away! Worship – as you have said. Take the livestock – as you have said. And say a prayer for me.”
The Egyptian people are in full agreement that the Hebrews should leave as soon as possible. Otherwise, “We shall all be dead.” (Exodus 12:33.)
Time to go
Having eaten in haste their last meal as slaves, the Jewish people now leave in a hurry. They do not depart emptyhanded. The L-RD’s promise to give them favor in the eyes of the Egyptians was fulfilled. In addition to their unleavened bread and kneading bowls, the now-freed captives head east bearing silver and gold items along with the clothing the Egyptians contributed to the plunder. (Exodus 12:34-36 NASB.)
We may consider the treasures taken out of Egypt as a form of compensation for the generations of slave labor the Jewish people contributed to Pharaoh’s coffers and the Egyptian economy. But think of the resources that will be needed to outfit the Tabernacle (e.g., golden lampstand and Ark of the Covenant) and clothe the priests as detailed in Exodus 25-28. Where would slaves have found such resources in the desert?
Fear factor/Misery index
At this time when COVID-19 dominates our news, we are reminded daily of the uncertainty of life. Each time the death count increases by one the weight of grief increases for the deceased’s family and friends.
Imagine if every home in our country experienced the loss of a loved one in a single night. The wave of mourning that would sweep through our communities would be overwhelming.
The devastation to their economy and disruption of daily life from the first nine plagues brought hardship and bitterness to the Egyptians – just as they had embittered the lives of the Hebrews. The sentence of death Pharaoh had ordered for the Hebrew baby boys is mirrored in the loss of his own firstborn son and in all the families of Egypt.
Where is G-d?
“Against all the gods of Egypt I will execute My judgments” (Exodus 12:12) is a phrase we ought not overlook. With over 2,000 named deities, it might be easier to list what the polytheistic Egyptians didn’t worship than what they did. For example:
The Nile River overflows its banks every spring bringing fertility to the land, and thus was worshiped. G-d executed His judgment over the Nile god in Plague 1, turning what had been a source of life into polluted pools of blood.
Mut, the mother goddess, was often depicted as a cow.[2] With the 5th plague wiping out Egypt’s livestock, the L-RD demonstrated His power over the cow god.
The sun god, Ra, was Egypt’s most powerful deity. With three days of total darkness, the 9th plague proved all celestial gods[3] powerless before the L-RD.
Pharaoh himself was worshiped as a deity. With the 10th plague G-d killed “the god in waiting” when the heir to the Egyptian throne was killed.
Here’s a question for each of us to ponder: What does it take for me to acknowledge the Sovereign of the Universe, to hear His voice, to trust in Him and walk in His paths?
If you want more information about G-d’s righteous requirements and provision for your redemption, read “Safe When the Deadly Plague Passes Over.”
[1] The tradition of removing a drop of wine from our cups when each plague is recited during a Passover seder reflects the idea of diminished joy by human suffering, even that of our enemies.
[2] Deeper into the Exodus saga G-d’s “nose catches fire” (Exodus 32) when the Hebrews fashion a golden calf (doubtless from the donated plunder). Aaron heightens the blasphemy by announcing, “Tomorrow will be a feast to the L-RD” after the people said of the calf idol, “This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 32:1-10 NASB.)
[3] Ra was the “noon god,” when the sun was at full strength; Horus was the sky god. Later in Egyptian history Ra was “rebranded” as Amun or Amun-Ra. One needs a thick “directory” to keep track of Egyptian deities.
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