Day 25 Exodus Chapter 26-28 Supplemental Notes

Exodus Chapter 26
Next came the instructions for constructing the Tabernacle ("tent"), an ornate portable structure that would be used as the center of worship until the Temple in Jerusalem would be built (see the Fact Finder question below). The Tabernacle was located inside a walled courtyard; inside the Tabernacle was the Holy Place, and within the Holy Place was the Most Holy Place where The Ark Of The Covenant (see also Raiders Of The Lost Ark) was kept.

"And you shall erect the tabernacle according to the plan for it which has been shown you on the mountain [i.e. Mount Horeb]. And you shall make a veil of blue and Purple and Scarlet stuff and fine twined Linen; in skilled work shall it be made, with Cherubim; and you shall hang it upon four pillars of acacia overlaid with Gold, with hooks of gold, upon four bases of Silver. And you shall hang the veil from the clasps, and bring the ark of the testimony in thither within the veil; and the veil shall separate for you the holy place from the most holy.
You shall put the mercy seat upon the ark of the testimony in the most holy place. And you shall set the table outside the veil, and the lampstand on the south side of the tabernacle opposite the table; and you shall put the table on the north side.
And you shall make a screen for the door of the tent, of blue and purple and scarlet stuff and fine twined linen, embroidered with needlework. And you shall make for the screen five pillars of acacia, and overlay them with gold; their hooks shall be of gold, and you shall cast five bases of bronze for them." (Exodus 26:30-37 RSV)

Exodus Chapter 27
All of the functional items of The Tabernacle were precisely designed by The Lord [see YHVH, Adonai, Jehovah, LORD] because The Tabernacle, and the Temple that replaced it, were symbolic of God's perfect and pure Temple in heaven.
The altar of burnt offering:

"You shall make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long and five cubits broad; the altar shall be square, and its height shall be three cubits. And you shall make horns for it on its four corners; its horns shall be of one piece with it, and you shall overlay it with bronze. You shall make pots for it to receive its ashes, and shovels and basins and forks and firepans; all its utensils you shall make of bronze. You shall also make for it a grating, a network of bronze; and upon the net you shall make four bronze rings at its four corners." (Exodus 27:1-4 RSV)

The Courtyard:

"You shall make the court of the tabernacle. On the south side the court shall have hangings of fine twined linen a hundred cubits long for one side; their pillars shall be twenty and their bases twenty, of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver." (Exodus 27:9-10 RSV)

The oil for the lamps:

"And you shall command the people of Israel that they bring to you pure beaten olive oil for the light, that a lamp may be set up to burn continually. In the tent of meeting, outside the veil which is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall tend it from evening to morning before The Lord. It shall be a statute for ever to be observed throughout their generations by the people of Israel." (Exodus 27:20-21 RSV)

Exodus Chapter 28
The garments of the Levite priests (see Levites) were also intricately designed for their symbolism. The High Priest was symbolic of Jesus Christ (see the Fact Finder question below).

"Then bring near to you Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the people of Israel, to serve me as priests - Aaron and Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu [see also False Christs Of The Old Testament], Eleazar and Ithamar [see also The Lines Of Eleazar and Ithamar]. And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. And you shall speak to all who have ability, whom I have endowed with an able mind, that they make Aaron's garments to consecrate him for my priesthood. These are the garments which they shall make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a coat of checker work, a turban, and a girdle; they shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons to serve me as priests." (Exodus 28:1-4 RSV) "And you shall take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel [see Children of Jacob], six of their names on the one stone, and the names of the remaining six on the other stone, in the order of their birth. As a jeweler engraves signets, so shall you engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel; you shall enclose them in settings of gold filigree." (Exodus 28:9-11 RSV)
"So Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment upon his heart, when he goes into the holy place, to bring them to continual remembrance before The Lord. And in the breastpiece of judgment you shall put the Urim and the Thummim [see Urim And Thummim], and they shall be upon Aaron's heart, when he goes in before The Lord; thus Aaron shall bear the judgment of the people of Israel upon his heart before The Lord continually." (Exodus 28:29-30 RSV)

Day 24 Exodus Chapter 23-25 Supplemental Notes

Exodus Chapter 23
The Lord continued His instructions in matters of justice and mercy. Examples:

"You shall not utter a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man, to be a malicious witness. You shall not follow a multitude to do evil; nor shall you bear witness in a suit, turning aside after a multitude, so as to pervert justice; nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his suit." (Exodus 23:1-3 RSV) "You shall not oppress a stranger; you know the heart of a stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt." (Exodus 23:9 RSV)

The Lord's Sabbath also applied to working animals, even the land itself.

"For six years you shall sow your land and gather in its yield; but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave the wild beasts may eat. You shall do likewise with your vineyard, and with your olive orchard. Six days you shall do your work, but on the seventh day you shall rest; that your ox and your ass may have rest, and the son of your bondmaid, and the alien, may be refreshed." (Exodus 23:10-12 RSV)

The Lord's Holy Days were grouped according to their season and timely fulfillment as it will come.

"Three times in the year you shall keep a feast to Me. You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread; as I commanded you, you shall eat Unleavened Bread for seven days at the appointed time in the month of Abib [see Bible Calendar and Bible Months], for in it you came out of Egypt. None shall appear before me empty-handed. [see Christ's Passover and Christ's Feast of Unleavened Bread]
You shall keep the Feast of Harvest [later also called Pentecost], of the first fruits of your labor, of what you sow in the field. [see Christ's Pentecost]
You shall keep the Feast of Ingathering [also called The Feast of Tabernacles] at the end of the year, when you gather in from the field the fruit of your labor. [see Christ's Feast of Trumpets, Christ's Day Of Atonement, Christ's Feast of Tabernacles and Christ's Eighth Day]
Three times in the year shall all your males appear before The Lord God." (Exodus 23:14-17 RSV)

Exodus Chapter 24
Centuries later, Jesus Christ plainly stated that, of all men, He was the only one to ever have seen the Father i.e. "Not that any one has seen the Father except Him who is from God" (John 6:46 RSV). However, people did see The Lord God, The One who would be born as Christ, The One Who delivered the Israelites out of Egypt i.e. "I want you to know, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized [see also Old Testament Baptisms and The Origin of Baptism] into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same supernatural food and all drank the same supernatural drink. For they drank from the supernatural Rock which followed them, and the Rock was Christ." (1 Corinthians 10:1-4 RSV). It was Jesus Christ who gave The Ten Commandments to the Israelites - and to all of humanity. "They saw the God of Israel":

"Then he took the book of the covenant, and read it in the hearing of the people; and they said, "All that The Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient." And Moses took the blood and threw it upon the people, and said, "Behold the blood of the covenant which The Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words."
Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up, and they saw the God of Israel; and there was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness. And he did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld God, and ate and drank." (Exodus 24:7-11 RSV)

Moses then spent 40 days and 40 nights on the mountain with The Lord (see the Fact Finder question below).

"Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. The glory of The Lord settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days; and on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. Now the appearance of the glory of The Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. And Moses entered the cloud, and went up on the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights." (Exodus 24:15-18 RSV)

Exodus Chapter 25
The Lord then gave Moses instructions for the construction of the The Ark Of The Covenant (see also Raiders Of The Lost Ark), The Tabernacle and the furnishings within.

"And this is the offering which you shall receive from them: gold, silver, and bronze, blue and purple and scarlet stuff and fine twined linen, goats' hair, tanned rams' skins, goatskins, acacia wood, oil for the lamps, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, onyx stones, and stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastpiece. And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst. According to all that I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle, and of all its furniture, so you shall make it." (Exodus 25:3-9 RSV) "They shall make an ark of acacia wood; two cubits and a half shall be its length, a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. And you shall overlay it with pure gold, within and without shall you overlay it, and you shall make upon it a molding of gold round about. And you shall cast four rings of gold for it and put them on its four feet, two rings on the one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it. You shall make poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold [see The Gold-Covered Staves]. And you shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, to carry the ark by them. The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it. And you shall put into the ark the testimony which I shall give you." (Exodus 25:10-16 RSV)
And you shall make a lampstand of pure gold. The base and the shaft of The Lampstand shall be made of hammered work; its cups, its capitals, and its flowers shall be of one piece with it; and there shall be six branches going out of its sides, three branches of the lampstand out of one side of it and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side of it; three cups made like almonds, each with capital and flower, on one branch, and three cups made like almonds, each with capital and flower, on the other branch - so for the six branches going out of the lampstand; and on the lampstand itself four cups made like almonds, with their capitals and flowers, and a capital of one piece with it under each pair of the six branches going out from the lampstand." (Exodus 25:31-35 RSV)

Day 23 Exodus Chapter 20-22 Supplemental Notes

Exodus Chapter 20 The formal proclamation of The Ten Commandments (see the Fact Finder question below), which had actually been known and in effect since creation (The Ten Commandments Before Sinai?), then came:

"I am The Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. "You shall have no other gods before Me. "You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I The Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate Me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love Me and keep My Commandments.
"You shall not take The Name of The Lord your God in vain; for The Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His Name in vain.
"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work; but the seventh day is a Sabbath to The Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your manservant, or your maidservant, or your cattle, or the sojourner who is within your gates; for in six days The Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore The Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.
"Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which The Lord your God gives you.
"You shall not kill.
"You shall not commit adultery.
"You shall not steal.
"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
"You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant, or his maidservant, or his ox, or his ass, or anything that is your neighbor's." (Exodus 20:1-17 RSV)

Exodus Chapter 21
The Lord then further explained His Law (although often referred to as "the law of Moses," it was and is actually The Law of The Lord), all of which is based upon the Ten Commandments. Many modern-day laws in countries all around the world are based (although credit for them is rarely given to their original Author, The Lord) upon God's instructions in how civilized people are to behave. Examples: the death penalty for murder, and compensation paid to a victim of assault.

"Whoever strikes a man so that he dies shall be put to death. But if he did not lie in wait for him, but God let him fall into his hand, then I will appoint for you a place to which he may flee. But if a man willfully attacks another to kill him treacherously, you shall take him from my altar, that he may die." (Exodus 21:12-14 RSV) "When men quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone or with his fist and the man does not die but keeps his bed, then if the man rises again and walks abroad with his staff, he that struck him shall be clear; only he shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall have him thoroughly healed" (Exodus 21:18-19 RSV)

Exodus Chapter 22
Property rights were also covered in God's Law (as made obvious in the Commandments against theft and coveting).

"If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and kills it or sells it, he shall pay five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep. He shall make restitution; if he has nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. If the stolen beast is found alive in his possession, whether it is an ox or an ass or a sheep, he shall pay double.
"If a thief is found breaking in, and is struck so that he dies, there shall be no bloodguilt for him; 22:4 but if the sun has risen upon him, there shall be bloodguilt for him.
"When a man causes a field or vineyard to be grazed over, or lets his beast loose and it feeds in another man's field, he shall make restitution from the best in his own field and in his own vineyard.
"When fire breaks out and catches in thorns so that the stacked grain or the standing grain or the field is consumed, he that kindled the fire shall make full restitution.
"If a man delivers to his neighbor money or goods to keep, and it is stolen out of the man's house, then, if the thief is found, he shall pay double. If the thief is not found, the owner of the house shall come near to God, to show whether or not he has put his hand to his neighbor's goods. "For every breach of trust, whether it is for ox, for ass, for sheep, for clothing, or for any kind of lost thing, of which one says, 'This is it,' the case of both parties shall come before God; he whom God shall condemn shall pay double to his neighbor." (Exodus 22:1-9 RSV)

Along with property rights came social responsibility. Examples:

""You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. You shall not afflict any widow or orphan. If you do afflict them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry; and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.
"If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be to him as a creditor, and you shall not exact interest from him. If ever you take your neighbor's garment in pledge, you shall restore it to him before the sun goes down; for that is his only covering, it is his mantle for his body; in what else shall he sleep? And if he cries to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate." (Exodus 22:21-27 RSV)

Day 22 Exodus Chapter 17-19 Supplemental Notes

Exodus Chapter 17
Despite all of the miraculous power that they had witnessed from Him, the Israelites had little faith. They grumbled and whined constantly while The Lord patiently awaited their behaving in a more responsible manner for themselves. The Lord was giving them a chance to grow up.

"All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from The Wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of The Lord, and camped at Rephidim; but there was no water for the people to drink. Therefore the people found fault with Moses, and said, "Give us water to drink." And Moses said to them, "Why do you find fault with me? Why do you put The Lord to the proof?" But the people thirsted there for water, and the people murmured against Moses, and said, "Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?"
So Moses cried to The Lord, "What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me." (Exodus 17:1-4 RSV)

The Lord (see also Christ The Creator) provided water for them (see also Why Did Christ Put Moses To Death?).

"And The Lord said to Moses, "Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel [see also The Senate]; and take in your hand the rod with which you struck The Nile, and go. Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, that the people may drink." And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the faultfinding of the children of Israel, and because they put The Lord to the proof by saying, "Is The Lord among us or not?" (Exodus 17:5-7 RSV)

Even though they were psychologically weak, the Israelites were physically strong in battle. But even then, The Lord helped them when they were attacked by the Amalekites. Already, at that early point, Joshua was proving himself to be a worthy successor to Moses when the time would come.

"Then came Amalek and fought with Israel at Rephidim. And Moses said to Joshua, "Choose for us men, and go out, fight with Amalek; tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand." So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed; and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands grew weary; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat upon it, and Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; so his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua mowed down Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword." (Exodus 17:8-13 RSV)

Exodus Chapter 18
Moses had two sons with his Midianite wife Zipporah, the daughter of Jethro. Zipporah and her children had remained in the Sinai when Moses went into Egypt for the Exodus. Afterward, the family was reunited.

"Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel his people, how The Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt. Now Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, had taken Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her away, and her two sons, of whom the name of the one was Gershom, for he said, "I have been a sojourner in a foreign land", and the name of the other, Eliezer, for he said, "The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh".
And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness where he was encamped at the mountain of God." (Exodus 18:1-5 RSV)

Jethro had been Moses' mentor before the Exodus (see The Education Of Moses). Afterward, Jethro had more advice for Moses, in how to manage the government of a large number of people.

"So Moses gave heed to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. And they judged the people at all times; hard cases they brought to Moses, but any small matter they decided themselves.
Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way to his own country." (Exodus 18:24-27 RSV)

Exodus Chapter 19
The Israelites by that time had arrived at Mount Sinai, also known as Mount Horeb, located in the southern area of the Sinai Peninsula (see the Fact Finder question below).

"On the third new moon after the people of Israel had gone forth out of the land of Egypt, on that day they came into the wilderness of Sinai. And when they set out from Rephidim and came into the wilderness of Sinai, they encamped in the wilderness; and there Israel encamped before the mountain." (Exodus 19:1-2 RSV)

The Israelites were about to experience one of the most well-known events of Bible History - the formal giving of The Ten Commandments (see The Decalogue; see also The Ten Commandments Before Sinai?). They were first given instructions in how to prepare.

"And The Lord said to Moses, "Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments, and be ready by the third day; for on the third day The Lord will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. And you shall set bounds for the people round about, saying, 'Take heed that you do not go up into the mountain or touch the border of it; whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death; no hand shall touch him, but he shall be stoned or shot; whether beast or man, he shall not live.' When the trumpet sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain." (Exodus 19:10-13 RSV)

When The Lord then descended upon Mount Sinai amidst smoke and lightning, Moses went up.

"On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God; and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. And Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke, because The Lord descended upon it in fire; and the smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder. And The Lord came down upon Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain; and The Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up." (Exodus 19:16-20 RSV)

Day 21 Exodus Chapter 13-16 Supplemental Notes

Exodus Chapter 13
The Exodus from The Land Of Goshen occurred on the First Day of Unleavened Bread.

"And Moses [see also The Education Of Moses] said to the people, "Remember this day, in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage, for by strength of hand The Lord brought you out from this place; no leavened bread shall be eaten. This day you are to go forth, in the month of Abib [see Bible Calendar and Bible Months]. And when The Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites [see The Land Of Canaan], the Hittites, the Amorites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, you shall keep this service in this month. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread [see Christ's Feast of Unleavened Bread], and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to The Lord. Unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days; no leavened bread shall be seen with you, and no leaven shall be seen with you in all your territory." (Exodus 13:3-7 RSV)

Joseph (see The Israelite Patriarchs - Joseph), although dead for centuries by then, also participated in the Exodus (see Joseph's Bones).

"And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him; for Joseph had solemnly sworn the people of Israel, saying, "God will visit you; then you must carry my bones with you from here." (Exodus 13:19 RSV)

Although the Israelites were armed for battle, The Lord provided them with all of the "fire power" that they would need to defeat the powerful army that was about to attack them.

"But God led the people round by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle." (Exodus 13:18 RSV) "And The Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud [see also He That Sat On The 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." (Exodus 13:21-22 RSV)

Exodus Chapter 14
As had been the situation all through the plagues upon Egypt, once the pressure was decreased the Pharaoh's stubbornness returned.

"When the king of Egypt [see Egypt's Royal House] was told that the people had fled, the mind of Pharaoh and his servants was changed toward the people, and they said, "What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?" So he made ready his chariot and took his army with him, and took six hundred picked chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them. And The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt and he pursued the people of Israel as they went forth defiantly. The Egyptians pursued them, all Pharaoh's horses and chariots and his horsemen and his army, and overtook them encamped at the sea, by Piha-hiroth, in front of Baal-zephon." (Exodus 14:5-9 RSV)

With The Lord holding the Egyptian army back, the sea was "parted" by a strong east wind (see the Fact Finder question below). For the Israelites, it was a bridge to freedom; for the Egyptian army, it was an ambush.

"Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and The Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left." (Exodus 14:21-22 RSV) "Then The Lord said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen." So Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its wonted flow when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled into it, and The Lord routed the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen and all the host of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea; not so much as one of them remained." (Exodus 14:26-28 RSV)

Exodus Chapter 15
With the enemy army at the bottom of the sea, the Israelites sang for joy amidst their victory and their freedom.

"Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to The Lord, saying, "I will sing to The Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider He has thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise Him, my father's God, and I will exalt Him. The Lord is a man of war; The Lord is His Name [see Names Of God]. "Pharaoh's chariots and his host he cast into the sea; and his picked officers are sunk in the Red Sea. The floods cover them; they went down into the depths like a stone. Thy right hand, O Lord, glorious in power, thy right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy." (Exodus 15:1-6 RSV)

The Lord reminded them however that with freedom comes responsibility and obedience; otherwise, people are merely "free" like rebellious Satan.

"There The Lord made for them a statute and an ordinance and there he proved them, saying, "If you will diligently hearken to the voice of The Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give heed to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases upon you which I put upon the Egyptians; for I am The Lord, your healer." Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees; and they encamped there by the water." (Exodus 15:25-27 RSV)

Exodus Chapter 16
The Israelites had spent their lives being cared for by their slave masters. Freedom and personal responsibility were new to them, so they whined like children when they had to begin looking after themselves more.

"They set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the people of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt. And the whole congregation of the people of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, and said to them, "Would that we had died by the hand of The Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger." (Exodus 16:1-3 RSV)

The Lord supplied them with manna (see also Christ, The Bread of Life) and quail.

"I have heard the murmurings of the people of Israel; say to them, 'At twilight you shall eat flesh, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread; then you shall know that I am The Lord your God.'" In the evening quails came up and covered the camp; and in the morning dew lay round about the camp. And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as hoarfrost on the ground. When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, "It is the bread which The Lord has given you to eat." (Exodus 16:12-15 RSV)

The Israelites had not yet arrived at Mount Sinai where The Ten Commandments (see The Decalogue) were formally given, but they were already well aware of The Lord's Sabbath that has existed and been observed since creation (see The Ten Commandments Before Sinai? and Do We Have The Original Calendar?).

"On the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers apiece; and when all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, he said to them, "This is what The Lord has commanded: 'Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to The Lord; bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over lay by to be kept till the morning.'" So they laid it by till the morning, as Moses bade them; and it did not become foul, and there were no worms in it. Moses said, "Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath to The Lord; today you will not find it in the field. Six days you shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is a Sabbath, there will be none." (Exodus 16:22-26 RSV)

Day 20 Exodus Chapter 10-12 Supplemental Notes

Exodus Chapter 10
Seven plagues had come upon Egypt so far: waters turned to blood, frogs upon the land, gnats, flies, disease upon livestock, boils upon man and beast and a great hail storm. Then, locusts that devoured what remained of the crops and trees.

"So Moses [see also The Education Of Moses] stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and The Lord brought an east wind upon the land all that day and all that night [see also Is This How The Red Sea Parted?]; and when it was morning the east wind had brought the locusts. And the locusts came up over all the land of Egypt, and settled on the whole country of Egypt, such a dense swarm of locusts as had never been before, nor ever shall be again. For they covered the face of the whole land, so that the land was darkened, and they ate all the plants in the land and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left; not a green thing remained, neither tree nor plant of the field, through all the land of Egypt." (Exodus 10:13-15 RSV)

There were times when the Pharaoh's stubbornness weakened somewhat, but it nevertheless continued - as did the plagues. Next, darkness, "but all the people of Israel had light where they dwelt."

"Then The Lord [see YHVH, Adonai, Jehovah, LORD] said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward heaven that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness to be felt." So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days; they did not see one another, nor did any rise from his place for three days; but all the people of Israel had light where they dwelt." (Exodus 10:21-23 RSV)

Exodus Chapter 11
Then, the preparation, and final warning, for the last plague - the death of the firstborn.

"The Lord said to Moses, "Yet one plague more I will bring upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt; afterwards he will let you go hence; when he lets you go, he will drive you away completely. Speak now in the hearing of the people, that they ask, every man of his neighbor and every woman of her neighbor, jewelry of silver and of gold." And The Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover, the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh's servants and in the sight of the people. And Moses said, "Thus says The Lord: About midnight I will go forth in the midst of Egypt; and all the first-born in the land of Egypt shall die, from the first-born of Pharaoh who sits upon his throne, even to the first-born of the maidservant who is behind the mill; and all the first-born of the cattle. And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there has never been, nor ever shall be again. But against any of the people of Israel, either man or beast, not a dog shall growl; that you may know that The Lord makes a distinction between the Egyptians and Israel." (Exodus 11:1-7 RSV)

The Pharaoh's last chance:

"Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh; and The Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not let the people of Israel go out of his land." (Exodus 11:10 RSV)

Exodus Chapter 12
The Passover occurred in spring, according to The Lord's calendar i.e. the calendar is God's creation, not the Israelites as a whole, or Jews in particular (see Bible Calendar and Bible Months; also Do We Have The Original Calendar?).

"The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, "This month shall be for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you." (Exodus 12:1-2 RSV)

Passover and Unleavened Bread were instituted together (see the Fact Finder question below).

"Then they shall take some of the blood, and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat them. They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it. Do not eat any of it raw or boiled with water, but roasted, its head with its legs and its inner parts. And you shall let none of it remain until the morning, anything that remains until the morning you shall burn. In this manner you shall eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste. It is The Lord's passover." (Exodus 12:7-11 RSV) "And you shall observe the feast of unleavened bread, for on this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt: therefore you shall observe this day, throughout your generations, as an ordinance for ever. In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, and so until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. For seven days no leaven shall be found in your houses; for if any one eats what is leavened, that person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a sojourner or a native of the land." (Exodus 12:17-19 RSV)

Then, the Exodus (notice that the Exodus wasn't just for the people of Israel; a "mixed multitude also went up with them" - the Exodus, like salvation, was open to anyone who would repent).

"And the people of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children. A mixed multitude also went up with them, and very many cattle, both flocks and herds. And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they had brought out of Egypt, for it was not leavened, because they were thrust out of Egypt and could not tarry, neither had they prepared for themselves any provisions. The time that the people of Israel dwelt in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years. And at the end of four hundred and thirty years, on that very day, all the hosts of The Lord went out from the land of Egypt. It was a night of watching by The Lord, to bring them out of the land of Egypt; so this same night is a night of watching kept to The Lord by all the people of Israel throughout their generations." (Exodus 12:37-42 RSV)

Day 19 Exodus Chapter 7-9 Supplemental Notes

Exodus Chapter 7
Moses' return to Egypt, at age eighty ("Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron eighty-three years old, when they spoke to Pharaoh," Exodus 7:7; see also The Education Of Moses), would be different than the previous journey. This time, miraculous signs and wonders would accompany the demand to set the Israelites free. The "I will harden Pharaoh's heart" could be interpreted literally, or it could also be referring to how naturally stubborn people react by simply becoming more stubborn when forced to do something.

"But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and though I multiply My signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, Pharaoh [see Egypt's Royal House] will not listen to you; then I will lay My hand upon Egypt and bring forth My hosts, My people the sons of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment. And the Egyptians shall know that I am The Lord, when I stretch forth My hand upon Egypt and bring out the people of Israel from among them." (Exodus 7:3-5 RSV)

First, The Lord's miraculous change of a rod into a snake. By Satanic means, the Pharaoh's sorcerers (see the Fact Finder question below) also transformed their rods into snakes.

"So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did as The Lord commanded; Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent. Then Pharaoh summoned the wise men and the sorcerers; and they also, the magicians of Egypt, did the same by their secret arts. For every man cast down his rod, and they became serpents. But Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods. Still Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them; as The Lord had said." (Exodus 7:10-13 RSV)

Next, the famous plague of blood - but again, by Satanic means, the Pharaoh's sorcerers produced blood in the waters.

"Moses and Aaron did as The Lord commanded; in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants, he lifted up the rod and struck the water that was in The Nile, and all the water that was in the Nile turned to blood. And the fish in the Nile died; and the Nile became foul, so that the Egyptians could not drink water from the Nile; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt. But the magicians of Egypt did the same by their secret arts; so Pharaoh's heart remained hardened, and he would not listen to them; as The Lord had said." (Exodus 7:20-22 RSV)

Exodus Chapter 8
With the waters of the Nile so fouled, it naturally produced the next plague, frogs driven onto the land, that The Lord miraculously multiplied. Also, once out of water, the frogs died, adding to the troubles. The Pharaoh's sorcerers foolishly continued to attempt to match the miracles, by Satanic means, while ironically, adding to the destruction of their nation. Through it all, Pharaoh maintained his stubbornness.

"So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. But the magicians did the same by their secret arts, and brought frogs upon the land of Egypt." (Exodus 8:6-7 RSV) "So Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh; and Moses cried to The Lord concerning the frogs, as he had agreed with Pharaoh. And The Lord did according to the word of Moses; the frogs died out of the houses and courtyards and out of the fields. And they gathered them together in heaps, and the land stank. But when Pharaoh saw that there was a respite, he hardened his heart, and would not listen to them; as The Lord had said." (Exodus 8:12-15 RSV)

With the plague of gnats, the Pharaoh's sorcerers were either losing their Satanic powers, or were starting to realize that they were very foolishly adding to the damage to their own country.

"Then The Lord said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, 'Stretch out your rod and strike the dust of the earth, that it may become gnats throughout all the land of Egypt.'" And they did so; Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and struck the dust of the earth, and there came gnats on man and beast; all the dust of the earth became gnats throughout all the land of Egypt. The magicians tried by their secret arts to bring forth gnats, but they could not. So there were gnats on man and beast. And the magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God." But Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them; as The Lord had said." (Exodus 8:16-19 RSV)

Then the plague of flies.

"And The Lord did so; there came great swarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh and into his servants' houses, and in all the land of Egypt the land was ruined by reason of the flies." (Exodus 8:24 RSV)

Exodus Chapter 9
Next, the plague on livestock; damaging to the economy, and on some of Egypt's "gods" (e.g. their bull idol that the Israelites may have had in mind for their Golden Calf a few months later) - but the Pharaoh remained stubborn.

"And on the morrow The Lord did this thing; all the cattle of the Egyptians died, but of the cattle of the people of Israel not one died. And Pharaoh sent, and behold, not one of the cattle of the Israelites was dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go." (Exodus 9:6-7 RSV)

Then the plague of boils (see Biological Warfare).

"And The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "Take handfuls of ashes from the kiln, and let Moses throw them toward heaven in the sight of Pharaoh. And it shall become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and become boils breaking out in sores on man and beast throughout all the land of Egypt." So they took ashes from the kiln, and stood before Pharaoh, and Moses threw them toward heaven, and it became boils breaking out in sores on man and beast. And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils were upon the magicians and upon all the Egyptians. But The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not listen to them; as The Lord had spoken to Moses." (Exodus 9:8-12 RSV)

The plague of hail followed. It was spring, so specific crops were lost (i.e. "The flax and the barley were ruined, for the barley was in the ear and the flax was in bud. But the wheat and the spelt were not ruined, for they are late in coming up," Exodus 9:31 RSV). The Israelites in Goshen were spared.

"Then Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven; and The Lord sent thunder and hail, and fire ran down to the earth. And The Lord rained hail upon the land of Egypt; there was hail, and fire flashing continually in the midst of the hail, very heavy hail, such as had never been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. The hail struck down everything that was in the field throughout all the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and the hail struck down every plant of the field, and shattered every tree of the field. Only in The Land Of Goshen, where the people of Israel were, there was no hail." (Exodus 9:23-26 RSV)