13:17. Now what took place was that, when Pharaoh sent [shalakh] the people away, Elohim did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although it was [the] shortest [way], because Elohim said, "...in case they change their minds when they see warfare, and turn back to Egypt."

Change their minds: Hesitate, think twice about it, stay where is it more comfortable; Aramaic, panic. The grass might have seemed greener back in Egypt, but we would have to forget that what was there was death and slavery. They were inexperienced in battle after several hundred years as slaves. They were not used to shedding blood, which might make them hesitate enough in battle to give the enemy an advantage. "Shortest" is literally "near”--the most direct route to the Land. It might have nothing to do with the Philistines themselves; recent archaeological discoveries reveal that along this route, the Egyptians had fortresses every few miles, so if Pharaoh regretted letting them go, he could quickly send signals to these garrisons, and the Israelites would have had to fight their way through if they went this way. There was also a honeymoon period with YHWH first. (Deut. 24:5)

18. Rather, Elohim led them circuitously by way of the desert of the Sea of Reeds, and the children of Israel ascended from the land of Egypt [arrayed for battle] by fives.  

By fives: or harnessed, i.e., in orderly ranks. They should not have felt unready for war; the number correlates to the Torah and the five gifts in Ephesians 4 that bring YHWH's congregation to maturity and fruitfulness; when each is in place, nothing is lacking.  

19. And Moshe took the bones of Yosef with him, because [Yosef] had made the sons of Israel strictly swear [to do so], saying, "Elohim will carefully attend to you, and you shall bring my bones up from here along with you."

Attend to: Aram., "remember". His oath is recorded in Genesis 50:25. Having his bones at the front of the procession would remind them of this promise and give them confidence. The word for "bones" can include the whole body with its limbs, or "members". While Moshe literally brought Yosef's bones at this time, this is also a prophecy that it is the Torah (for which "Moshe" is shorthand) that will bring the reunified "body" of Yosef's descendants back to the land of Israel. (Y'hezq’El/Ezek. 37)  

20. So they [broke camp and] journeyed from Sukkoth and camped at Etham on the edge of the wilderness.  

Sukkoth, which was out of their way, is where Yosef was buried. At the site of Sukkoth a group of twelve tombs has been discovered by archaeologists. It may be the mausoleum of the twelve sons of Yaaqov, for we only have a record of Yaaqov himself and Yosef being buried in the land of Israel. One entire sarcophagus is missing--not just the bones! If it had been merely raided by grave robbers, they would not have gone to the trouble of taking something so heavy. The whole stone container was removed, since touching his bones directly would ritually defile them (something touching stone can never do), and disqualify them from participating in the feast they were about to celebrate. Even if we die in Egypt like Yosef did, we are not to remain there. We, too, need to make our children swear to bring us home, even if that only means we go back to the Land through their carrying our DNA. We are, after all, the bones of Yosef in this sense (for in Hebrew, the same word for bones can mean "body parts" in general), and if one were to look for us, where would he find us? At Sukkoth! 

21. And YHWH was going before them in a column of cloud in the daytime, and 
in a pillar of fire at night, to give them light, so they could move by both day and night.

Day and night: This visible proof of YHWH’s protection would not let them slow down; they were not intended to stop until they reached their goal. Because there was light at night, there was no excuse to not keep walking. They had a lot of ground to cover quickly. If one left the protection of the camp, he was on his own against not only the elements, which were abnormally intense at this time, but all the other dangers of the desert. Tight organization was necessary to get them all out, and may again be in our coming, greater Exodus. (Yirmeyahu 16:14-15)

22. He did not remove the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night [from] in front of the people.

Simply because they had begun to leave Egypt, they were already experiencing YHWH’s presence.  


CHAPTER 14

1. And YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying,

2. "Speak to the descendants of Israel, and let them backtrack and encamp in front of Pi-haHiroth, between Migdol and the sea, opposite Baal-Tz'fon. You shall camp within sight of it, by the sea.

Encamp: They were back in tents, much more vulnerable, but also already more back in line with their ancestors’ lifestyle. They had apparently been traveling night and day for over 100 miles along the easy-to-traverse trade route from Egypt to the northern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba (the east branch of the Reed Sea) with no obstacles. Now they were being told to travel down a narrow, winding pass between high mountains—the Wadi Watir, according to Möller. It is wide enough for many people to move through. Today it has a highway, but even then the ground would have been solid and it is 50 to 100 feet wide. It ends at a 2-mile-wide peninsular beach on the shore of the Gulf (called Nuweiba today), a great place to camp. Pi-haHiroth: "mouth of the cleft “--the spot where the wadi ends at the beach. Baal-Tz'fon: directly across the Red Sea, it means "Lord of the north" or "winter". The targums say there was an idol by that name located here. An ancient fortress is there, now in Saudi Arabia.  Migdol: means "a tower". It may have been an Egyptian watchtower, since news of the Israelites’ whereabouts was relayed to Pharaoh.

3. "Then Pharaoh will say in regard to the descendants of Israel, ‘They are confused in the land; the uncharted territory has trapped them.'

Confused: "entangled", or "sunk"; i.e., they could not figure out how to get out. A traveler named Eneman, who wanted to retrace their steps, says that to go from Etham (13:20) to Migdol was indeed to backtrack (v. 2) partway.  This looked like the most foolish route to take. It led to a dead end. If they followed YHWH’s directions, they truly would end up trapped. We do not usually think of Him as one who backs His children into a corner with no way out. But the way He works rarely agrees with our logic, for His ways are higher than our one-dimensional ways, and His plans and methods are multi-layered, solving many problems for many people all at once. His “traps” teach, correct, deliver, bring justice, and build our confidence in Him at the same time. YHWH wanted to make Pharaoh think that though they had gotten the best of him, his land had beat them. But YHWH knew more about what was coming than any of them did, and His timing was perfect.  

4. "And I will embolden Pharaoh's heart, so that he will chase after them. Then I will gain honor for Myself through Pharaoh and all his army, so that the Egyptians will recognize that I am YHWH." And that is what they did.

YHWH made it look as if they were lost, so Israel could lure Pharaoh and his army into His own trap, so He could accomplish the grand finale. They truly would have been in a very bad position had YHWH not intervened. There was no natural escape. The logical thing would have been to remember that they were facing the world’s largest, best-equipped army, and kill Moshe and Aharon, send their heads to Pharaoh with an emissary and surrender, begging him for forgiveness. But YHWH was a factor! We usually cannot see His purpose in such a predicament except in retrospect, but they had Yosef’s bones with them as a reminder of what he taught his brothers: to see YHWH’s hand in the times we take the high road and suffer for it. YHWH’s people have tasted freedom, and have had a pillar of fire escorting them through the wilderness, so they should know He is able to rescue them now. The test could become a testimony, something to tell our children, and a weapon against fear, giving them confidence by saying, “I experienced that too, and survived.” YHWH was not only interested in rescuing the Israelites, but also in revealing to the Egyptians who He is and that their gods were powerless against Him. Even if they did not care to obey Him, He wanted to make sure no credit went to Ra—or Ba’al-Tz’fon—for the wonders done there. 

5. When the king of Egypt was told that the people had left hurriedly, the heart of Pharaoh and his servants was turned against the people, and they said, "What have we done by setting Israel free from laboring for us?"

Though they were once ready to admit that YHWH was more powerful than the king, they now thought they had made a mistake. There were still half-finished cities to be built, and if there were no more slaves, they would have to finish the job themselves! Imagine that!  In Pharaoh’s mind, they were only going to take a three-day leave of absence, but when his spies told him how much ground they had covered in such a short time, he realized they were leaving permanently. Not only had he lost his labor force; these lowly Hebrews had gotten the best of him! Now he thought they had been driven back from their intended course by the might of Baal-Tz’fon, the god of death, blight, and barren places, from whose name we derive "typhoon". Now that their path to freedom was cut off, he could get his slaves back. And in their own minds they were still his property, so YHWH had to deal with the obligation they still felt they had toward him.

6. And he prepared his chariots, and took his people with him--

Yeshua made it clear that we are to expect persecution (being pursued) but even if we are caught and killed, not one hair of our head will ultimately be lost. (Luke 21:18)  But this was not that time, but the time for a more obvious victory.

7. He took 600 select chariots, along with all the chariots of Egypt, and shield-carrying officers upon every one of them.

The word for chariots here was also used for an upper millstone (which rides upon the lower one and does the turning). It appeared they would be "ground to pieces", but YHWH looked at it more like the millstone that Yeshua said was meant to weigh someone down and drown him in the sea (see 15:5).  

8. Then YHWH strengthened the courage of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and he chased after the descendants of Israel, while the sons of Israel were going out with a high hand.

Strengthened the courage:  He made him him proud enough of his bravery to do something foolish--the reward for someone who sees YHWH’s power, yet still tries to defeat Him again. With a high hand: a legal status of full independence which Pharaoh had granted them at their departure. (Hirsch) While in Goshen, Yosef had told them to keep a low profile, but now YHWH had put them in a position Pharaoh could not ignore. They have not broken up into small groups to covertly cross the border, and the Egyptians have probably never seen them all gathered in one place before. This boldness, however, was still based on Pharaoh’s permission, so they were still tied to him in their minds; when he reappeared, their boldness turned to fear again, because they felt he still had some authority over them. Exhausted and without weapons, what could they do but surrender or be annihilated? But the result was much like Goliath's overconfidence. Such insurmountable straits give YHWH the best occasion to demonstrate both His power and provision at the same time.

9. Then the Egyptians pursued them, and caught up with them while they were encamped by the sea beside Pi-haHiroth, opposite Baal-Tz'fon.

None of them would have come this way unless Moshe had been shepherding them. But when we follow Moshe (the Torah) rather than our emotions or logic, we will be exactly where we need to be for YHWH to work.  

10. And when Pharaoh was getting close, the descendants of Israel lifted their eyes and, lo and behold, the Egyptians were marching up behind them. Then they were extremely terrified, and the descendants of Israel cried out to YHWH for help.

Josephus says that not only was there a ridge of mountains terminating at the sea on each side, impassable for roughness, but the Egyptians also closed off the only potential way of escape and thus hemmed them in completely. This is exactly the scenario at Nuweiba, a 3.5-km.-wide peninsula that is flat and easy to camp on—12 square kilometers where millions of people and livestock could fit. But there is not even any vegetation behind which to hide, making them a very easy target. Because the mouth of the wadi is narrow, the Israelites could not see the Egyptians approaching until they were right upon them. By that time, there was no way out. Ibn Ezra said they were afraid of the Egyptians because they had been taught to be, ever since their youth. Freed slaves often decide it will be easier to remain with their masters than face the big world that they have never experienced firsthand; all their provision had come from the “big house”, and that is exactly what “Pharaoh” means! It is familiar, despite the abuse and ultimate death. Change is scary, but the alternative is to be enslaved again.  

11. And they said to Moshe, "Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have carried us away to die in the desert? What were you trying to do to us in bringing us out of Egypt?

There was little else in Egypt but graves. One's whole life, at least for the wealthy, was spent on preparing one's tomb! That’s what most of the pyramids were.  YHWH had just delivered them—a greater favor than anyone could reasonably ask for—yet they expected the journey to freedom to be easy as well!

12. "Isn't this just what we told you in Egypt--to leave us to be enslaved to the Egyptians? Because it would be better to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!"

It seems that they would rather be stuck in a bad situation where they are guaranteed a meal (security) than be free. When we get relief from pressure, we very quickly tend to forget just how painful it was. They are romanticizing how things used to be, forgetting about the whips and their children being thrown in the Nile to die. Now it is the wilderness that is the dangerous place, not Egypt! Back there, there was no army to hurt us; the army protected us there! They can hardly cast the blame on YHWH, so they say it is all Moshe’s fault. But they were in reality saying YHWH did not know what He was doing (16:8).  

13. But Moshe told the people, "Don't be afraid. Stand still, and you will see the salvation of YHWH, which He will effect today for you! Because you will never again see the Egyptians whom you have seen today.

Whom you have seen: or, in the way that you have seen them. Egypt eventually recovered, but never again rose to the same level of world power that it had been up to this time.  

14. "YHWH will fight for you; you just keep quiet."

15. But YHWH said to Moshe, "Why are you crying to Me? Tell the descendants of Israel to pull up [their tent pegs]!

“Don’t be afraid” was excellent advice, but Moshe did not get every detail right. "Stand still” (place yourselves expectantly in YHWH's care) was assumedly all they could do, having no military training, while the Egyptian army was the finest in the world. But YHWH had a different opinion. Yes, pause and call on Him for help, but use the calm that brings to get your head together. Don’t ask Him to do the part you can do. He will do His part, but only when we prove we trust Him and mean business by going as far as we can go. Rather than freezing at the impasse as if it were permanent and whining about how much it hurts, find something in His word that relates to the problem you need to be freed from, and take whatever steps you can.  

16. "But you lift up your rod and stretch out your hand over the sea, to divide it. Then the descendants of Israel will pass right through the middle of the sea on dry ground."

He had to lay everything on the line; only then would they would see YHWH's deliverance. We are most afraid when we do not know how big something really is. These people had never been outside of Egypt as Moshe had; they did not know what the desert might hold. But like a tiny mouse whose shadow looks huge because he is near the light, when we get close enough to the problems, they look much smaller. If YHWH tells you to move ahead when you cannot see how, He has the solution on the way, though He does not give us the itinerary until we get there. YHWH had already told him the “how to”: simply lift his rod (the authority he had already been given). Moshe has shepherding skills; that is one reason he was chosen. Now is the time YHWH expects him step back into this aspect of leadership. The encounters with Pharaoh have only been job training. All the way back at Avraham, YHWH was telling His people to step into the unknown. (Gen. 12:1) That is the road to the Kingdom. He did not even tell Avraham where to go; He said He would show him when he had arrived at the right place. There is less stress that way; if we get it into our head how things are “supposed to” be, we will miss the things along the way that were meant to teach us. Go as far  as you can and the next step will show up.  

17. "And behold, I Myself will strengthen the courage of the Egyptians, and they will follow them, and I will be honored through Pharaoh and all his forces, his chariotry, and his cavalry.

Honored: seen as important, authoritative, or weightier than they.

18. "Then the Egyptians will know that I am YHWH by My being proven weighty through Pharaoh, his chariotry, and his cavalry."

If we see too many previews, going to the movie will be a waste of time. YHWH is the one factor that makes us sure it is safe to walk into the unknown. The more we know Him, the less we need to know what is ahead.  

19. And the messenger of Elohim who had been moving in front of the camp of Israel withdrew and went to their rear; the pillar of cloud also withdrew from in front of them and stood behind them,

Messenger: There is no need to make this mystical; the messenger of YHWH who has been leading them all through this story is Moshe! As a shepherd, he would stand between his flock and whatever danger they faced, as we see David do as a youth. And he would then not step onto the other shore until they had all gotten there safely. But YHWH also has his back with something that would frighten the Egyptians into keeping their distance.

20. and it came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel, and it became a cloudy, obscuring mass, yet  gave light to the night, and the one [camp] did not come near the other all night.

Being backed up against the sea certainly looked like a dark moment for Israel, but it was precisely the backdrop which set them up to best see what YHWH alone could do for them. 

21. Then Moshe stretched out his arm over the sea, and YHWH caused the sea to recede with a fierce east wind all night, and He made the sea into dry [land] when the waters were split apart.

“East wind”also means “an ancient spirit” in Hebrew, and that is indeed what makes it possible for us to become Hebrews (“crossers-over”). The northern basin of the Gulf of Aqaba is 900 meters deep, and its southern basin is 1900 meters deep. Only at Nuweiba is there a land bridge that is less than 100 meters below the shorelines at only a 2.2% gradient—much safer than the grade the U.S. government has determined is acceptable for wheelchair ramps! It is not far from Midyan and the mountain in Saudi Arabia now thought to be the true Mt. Sinai (Jabal al-Lawz). Two pillars set up by King Shlomoh to commemorate the location of the crossing have been found at this point (see photo), one on each side of the Gulf of Aqaba, with inscriptions in Paleo-Hebrew referring to Moshe, YHWH, and someone's death on the one in Saudi Arabia (which has not been made available for closer scrutiny). 

22. Then the descendants of Israel proceeded into the midst of the sea over dried-up ground, with the waters [being] a wall for them from their right hand and from their left.

They were participating in a new creation, like the first in which the waters were divided and dry land appeared. (Gen. 1:9) While it would take the gravitational force of a passing planetary force to lift the waters up (like the moon's tidal effects, only much more impressively due to its closeness), the strong wind was what would dry the pathway and actually freeze the water in place temporarily (15:8). It would also blow the cloud and thick darkness in the direction of the Egyptians and away from the Israelites. At this point the Gulf is 14 km. (about 9 miles) wide.

23. And the Egyptians gave chase, and all of Pharaoh's horses came after them--his chariots and his horsemen--into the midst of the sea.

24. Then this is what took place in the morning watch: YHWH looked down upon the armed company of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud, and He noisily confused the army of the Egyptians.  

Morning watch: the fourth and final watch of the night (set up to divide guard duty), from about 3:00 to 6:00 a.m., the same time Yeshua walked out onto the sea (Matt. 14:25) amidst a storm. Looked down: Were they so disconcerted because they saw a face in this fiery pillar? Did they think that cloud was the YHWH they had been hearing about? In any case, they decided to turn around and leave this frightful place:

25. And He caused the wheels of their chariots to turn sideways, and made them drive with difficulty, and the Egyptians said, "I'm going to escape from the presence of Israel, because YHWH is fighting for them against Egypt!"

Caused the wheels...to turn sideways: the fire would start melting the ice after the Israelites had already passed that point, and soften up the wet sand again. Chariot wheels have been found at this site.  For them: on their side. Finally all of Egypt recognizes that YHWH is just too big and powerful to defy, but it was too late for them to appreciate this newfound fact:

26. Then YHWH told Moshe, "Stretch out your arm over the sea, and let the waters come back on top of the Egyptians, their chariots, and their war-horses."

27. So Moshe stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its usual flow, just as morning approached, and the Egyptians were rushing to try to make it while they could, but YHWH overthrew the Egyptians into the middle of the sea.

The stretching out of hand and rod seems to have been mainly for dramatic effect, timed perfectly by the Grand Choreographer, so the people would recognize Moshe’s authority as visible representative of the Elohim who was actually causing the effects.   Overthrew: or "churned"; LXX, "shook off".  

28. And the waters returned and covered the chariots and the war-horses, together with all the army of Pharaoh, who went after them into the sea, and not even one was left of them.

The many references here to horses and chariots are to drive home the point of how unreliable they are; all through Scripture YHWH tells us not to trust in them, but in His provision. Chariot wheels have been found under the Reed Sea in this area.

29. But the descendants of Israel walked on dry ground in the middle of the sea, the waters [being] a wall for them, from their right and their left.

30. Thus YHWH liberated Israel on that day from Egypt's hand, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore.

This officially ended their obligation to the Egyptians, because Moshe had implied he would take the people three days' journey, celebrate the feast, then return to serve Pharaoh. "That day" is 3 days after the Passover, or the 17th of Aviv.  Noah's ark came to rest on the very same day of the year that the waters of the Red Sea buried Pharaoh's army, and the same date on which Haman was exposed and condemned in Queen Esther's time. They all picture deliverance.  On the day after the Sabbath following Passover, Yeshua was resurrected. Paul even calls him the "firstfruits of those who slept" (I Cor. 15:20), because the day of firstfruits was when he came out of the ground. Dying on the 14th of Aviv, he was in the grave for three days and three nights, that day had to be the 17th of Aviv, the day Yahweh had accomplished those other momentous examples of deliverance. No wonder all of YHWH’s prescribed days are called “appointments”!  
All Israel has already been saved once. So why do we mystify His coming salvation? It is a tangible thing, involving once again the removal of His people from servitude to another master and back to their Land. When Yeshua told his disciples to take his message of salvation to the “ends of the earth”, He was alluding to Yeshayahu/Isa. 45:22, which in context (v. 20, 25) is clearly referring to the exiled tribes of Israel who needed to be brought back. So, as here, national salvation is the ultimate goal of any salvation of individuals.  

31. Then Israel saw the great hand with which YHWH acted upon [against] Egypt, and the people stood in awe of YHWH, and they firmly trusted with certainty in YHWH and Moshe His servant.

This trust was short-lived, only lasting until He proved Himself again (15:24ff), or until they had another excuse to disbelieve (24:14ff; Yochanan 6:66). But note that it is just as important to trust Moshe as to trust YHWH. (Compare Yochanan 14:1; this is a precedent.)  We cannot say, “I believe what YHWH says, but that Old Testament has been done away with”, because that IS “what He says”!  


CHAPTER 15

1. Then Moshe and the sons of Israel began singing this song to YHWH, and spoke, saying, "I will sing to YHWH, because He has risen up in triumph! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea!

This is the first time in Scripture that a song is specifically used in praise to YHWH. It had to be composed on the spot! Words are much more memorable when put to music than when merely spoken; it moves our emotions, even subconsciously at times, and makes the content stay with the hearers even better. Music draws us in, whether to a story or to worship. Moshe’s first phrase is in the imperfect tense, which expresses the idea that the action is not yet complete, in the sense of, "O that I could find words to offer adequate praise to express what I am feeling!" (Hirsch) Rabbi Yitzhaq Re’uven of the Temple Institute points out that because of the verb tense, this verse could also be read as "YHWH will liberate Israel" and "Moshe and the sons of Israel will sing..." The sages see this as a prophecy that in the resurrection, Moshe will lead us in that song yet again. This is borne out by the heavenly vision of Yochanan (John) the envoy in Revelation 15:3, when he saw those who had overcome in the final battles singing the "Song of Moshe" as well as the "Song of the Lamb". Josephus adds that the song was in hexameter verse.

2. "My strength and my praise-song is Yah, and He has become my deliverance! He is my El, and I will prepare Him a resting-place; the Elohim of my father, and I will lift Him up!

My strength: power of resistance, invincibility, like a shield; the reason I have come through it unscathed. (Hirsch) He has become: He has proven to be whatever His people need. He had kept the details of what He was doing hidden until it was time to act, but now we see that He had it all planned in advance. Resting-place: with the sense of being at home and relaxed; the word is commonly used of pastureland for animals. Now that the wrath has departed from the Northern Kingdom as well as Yehudah, our deliverance this time will, as before, include a homeland for Israel. But the ultimate purpose of Israel having a home is to provide a home for YHWH. Yerushalayim is called by this same word, “resting place” or “home” of righteousness. (Yirm./Jer. 31:23) The morning prayer liturgy asks that YHWH rebuild Yerushalayim, then come and “rest in it”. Until we make Him our own Elohim, we cannot recognize Him as our fathers’ El.

3. "YHWH is a warrior; YHWH is His Name!

Israel is not an aggressor, but YHWH is the one who ensures that His people who have been enslaved receive justice. (Hirsch) He had responded as provider, husband, and king, but now another aspect of His attributes comes out, because this is what Israel needed Him to be this time.  

4. "He has thrown Pharaoh's chariots and his army into the sea; indeed, his select captains are drowned in the Sea of Reeds!

5. "The deep covers them; they sank to the bottom like a stone!

6. "Your right hand, O YHWH, has become majestic in power! Your right hand, 
O YHWH, has shattered the enemy!

With the pillar of fire and cloud between Israel and the Egyptians, each had a different view of YHWH’s instrument. His right hand of judgment to them was His right hand of mercy to Israel.

7. "In the greatness of Your excellence You have pulled down those who rose up [against] You; You send forth Your burning wrath, and it consumes them like [a fire does] stubble!

Against You: Aram., " against Your people." Yet it is ultimately YHWH Himself that anyone who attacks Israel is actually striking at. 

8. "With the blast of Your nostrils, the waters towered up, and the floods stood upright like a wave; the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea.

The “blast of His nostrils” (15:8) froze the sea in place, only to be melted again by the fire that came after the Israelites as the Egyptians were entering the pathway. This shows just how cool His "long nostrils" can make the heat of His anger—for “long-nostriled” is a Hebrew idiom for “slow to anger”.  The "east wind" He had brought to part the sea (14:21) may be the same wind seen passing over the waters in Gen. 1:2, for "east wind" in Hebrew also means "ancient spirit". 

9. "The enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will distribute the booty; I will get what I want from them! I will draw my sword; my hand will [re]possess them!'

10. "You blew with Your wind; the sea covered them, and they sank like lead in mighty waters!

Heavy armor and the chariots would weigh them down once the water came back over the pathway.

11. "Who is like You, O YHWH, among the mighty ones? Who is like You, magnificently one-of-a-kind, awe-inspiring in renown, O worker of wonders?

Majestic: from adar, a word meaning “to expand”. (There can be a second month of Adar, the last month of the year, if the barley has not yet reached the aviv stage by the time the first Adar ends, thus "expanding" rather than "repeating" this month.) One of a kind: or, “being holy (set apart)”, which includes the idea of being absolutely free to will and act, unconditioned by and independent of everything else. (Hirsch) Thus YHWH’s holiness actually continues to expand, so to be His special possession, we too must be separate from more and more things and separated more unto Him each day.

12. "You stretched out Your hand; the earth engulfed them!

This suggests that not only did the sea open up; the ground split as well. A major earthquake was not at all unlikely in Velikovsky’s scenario of a planetary passby (compare Revelation 12:15-16).

13. "In Your mercy You led the people whom you had redeemed; You guided [them] in Your strength to the resting place of Your set-apart habitation.

14. "Peoples heard, and they trembled. Trembling seized the inhabitants of Philistia.

15. "Then the leaders of Edom were confounded; the leaders of Moav were seized by trembling. All the inhabitants of Kanaan melted away.

16. "Terror and dread fell upon them; by the greatness of Your arm they became as silent as stone, until Your people cross over, O YHWH--until the people whom You have purchased [as a possession] cross over.

Terror: this Hebrew term is always used of a superior force or power. They were technically not Hebrews ("crossers-over") until this point. Why is “cross over” repeated here? Yirmeyahu 23:7, 8 says this Exodus will be so overshadowed by a second  one that it will be forgotten in comparison to the return of Israel (not only Jews, the tribe of Yehudah, but all the tribes who have not even known they were Hebrews) to the land from all over the world, not just from one country like Egypt—but from across oceans, and from bondage to Gentile ways as well. (Yirmiyahu 16:14) Purchased: The price was the firstborn of Egypt (Num. 3:13; Yeshayahu 43:3).

17. "You shall bring them home and plant them at the mountain of Your [permanent] inheritance, the place You have made for Your dwelling, O YHWH, the sanctuary which Your hands have set up.

Plant: "fix" or "establish". He continues to speak not only of what YHWH has done, but what He will do. This is a prophecy of the Temple Mount. He expected the journey there to be over soon (Deut. 1:2-3), but the people did not maintain their enthusiasm. Still, the next time it will be even more permanent.

18. "YHWH reigns forever and ever,

19. "because the horses of Pharaoh came into the sea along with his chariots and horsemen, and YHWH brought the waters of the sea back on top of them, and the descendants of Israel proceeded on dry land through the middle of the sea."


20. Then Miryam the prophetess, Aharon's sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and dancing.

Why is she not called Moshe's sister? Aharon was older than Moshe. Where did these former slaves get so many tambourines? Actually the term can mean any form of percussion instrument, from a tambourine to a drum to a wood block. There are many depictions in Egypt of music being used both for entertainment and worship, and it could be that some of the slaves were the court musicians. This may be why the tribe of Levi seemed to have more freedom than the rest of Israel, and why YHWH later put the Levites in charge of the music in His sanctuary. Imagine the sound of millions of people singing and beating percussion instruments, echoing from the mountains around them! This in itself would begin to strike fear in the peoples around them. (vv.14-16)

21. And Miryam answered, "[Let's all] sing to YHWH, because He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea!"

She repeats Moshe’s wish to sing, but makes it plural and imperative. Answered: This probably refers to singing antiphonally, repeating the same phrases after Moshe paused, as the structure of the Hebrew text itself suggests, leaving wide gaps between each of the phrases in this song. YHWH’s hand was against the horses of Egypt. (Ex. 9:3) Horses are mentioned first here and before the chariots and even the horsemen in 14:9, 23. Why? All throughout Scripture, horses are a symbol of relying on natural, physical strength rather than on YHWH (e.g., Deut. 20:1; Psalm 20:7; Hos. 14:3), and very often this concept is linked with returning to Egypt for help, because it was there that horses were multiplied. (Deut. 17:16) But strength is not always in numbers.


22. So Moshe had Israel set out from the Reed Sea, and they went out into the Desert of Shur. And they traveled in the desert for three days, but found no water.

Had Israel set out: Again he is prodding them on as a shepherd. (See Psalm 77:20) “Moshe” (the Torah) continues to show us where to eat and drink.  

23. And when they came to the site of Marah, they could not drink the water because it was bitter; that is why the place was called "Marah".

Marah also means "bitter", but the word translated "bitter" here (marim), when without vowel points as it was originally, is spelled exactly like "Miryam" (rebel). Now she is called a prophetess, and we can imagine that when Aharon was named high priest, the people accused them of nepotism. The only difference between “water” (mayim) and “bitter” in Hebrew is the letter “resh”, which pictographically stands for “rosh” (a head). In Deut. 29:18 another meaning of the word rosh (venom as of a snake, Iyov 20:16) is tied to a “root of bitterness” springing up in the people if of our hearts turn away from YHWH. There was bitterness in their hearts, and they did not act like a community. But the rebellion was against Moshe, whom they again blamed for all their problems:

24. And the people grumbled against Moshe, saying, "What are we going to drink?"

Right after this awesome celebration of worship, they are back to focusing on ordinary resources instead of those they have just seen demonstrated.  

25. And he called out to YHWH for help, and YHWH directed him to a tree, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. He established a specific prescription for them and rectified [it] there, and He put them to the test there.

This portion is read right around the 15th of Shevat, the date set for counting the age of trees, since their fruit cannot be eaten before they are four years old. (Lev. 19:25) Elisha did something similar. (2 Kings 4:40ff) Directed him to: or "showed him". He did not tell Moshe to “wave his wand” over the water this time, but rather gives him a prescription--something specific to do, with definite limits. This is not magic, but something he was apparently familiar with from his 40 years of experience with desert phenomena, and he knew what to do with it. They weren’t just beneficiaries of an unexplained phenomenon; He took them to the next step. Rectified it: or established a legal precedent. This is one of the first instructions for the new nation, coming before the Torah, and it is meant to set the tone for how we understand the rest. All of the instructions given us in the Torah are meant to be seen as interventions that bring about a “chemical change” in interpersonal relationships that makes our situations liveable again. Just as Moshe had something specific to do to bring about the change in the water, he tells them (and this is the test):

26. And He said, "If you carefully listen to the voice of YHWH your Elohim, and do what is right in His eyes, giving ear also to His orders and guarding the limits He prescribes, I will not place upon you any of the diseases that I have placed upon the Egyptians, because I am YHWH your healer.”

Healer: the term for “doctor” in modern Hebrew. Following the “orders the doctor prescribes” brings about the desired results. There are different “medicines” in the Torah for different social ills, but the principle remains the same: will we complain about our aches and pains, or do something—the right thing—to remedy them? A pure miracle would be an adventure, but He allows us to do our part in making things right. The undrinkable water was also a reminder of the first plague that came upon Egypt, as a warning that YHWH could start a countdown against them in just the same way. A great many of YHWH's commands, especially the dietary laws, have proven to have beneficial effects on health. The water of the Torah seems bitter because we have been told that obeying it is rebellion against YHWH, but there is nothing else to drink. The Hebrew word for tree also means “stick”, and the two houses of Israel, when brought back together, are made “one stick”. (Yehezqel 37) When the truth that we are Israel is added to the Torah, we realize that it is our national constitution and what sets us apart as a people. It thus becomes sweet to us again in a way it never could be when we thought it was “just for the Jews”.  

27. Then they arrived at Eylim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy date-palms, and they camped by the waters.

Eylim: means "strong ones", especially referring to large trees. Twelve springs of water: 70 persons--still just one clan--went into Egypt (1:5), but came back out as twelve whole tribes. There are 70 nations delineated in Genesis 10, corresponding with the number of the sons of Israel. (Deut. 32:8) A (date) palm tree is a symbol of the flourishing of the righteous (Ps. 92:12); water symbolizes the teaching of the Torah (the receiving of which they are being prepared for by seeing what life without water is like), and 70 palms signifies that THIS "oasis" provides enough for all of the nations. Not until Israel had been removed from Egypt and given the Water could she be such a light to the nations.  


CHAPTER 16

1. Then they [broke camp and] set out from Eylim, and the whole congregation of the descendants of Israel came to the wilderness of Siyn, which is between Eylim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departure from the land of Egypt.

This is only thirty days after they left (cf. Numbers 33:3). There was a “honeymoon” period of nothing but nurturing and healing after having been slaves, but even small children soon need to learn to walk. It was time to move on, because YHWH has the ultimate goal of Home in mind. Having been in bondage day in and day out, and not free to even think on their own, they now needed to learn how to learn, so they could be taught by the encounters that were to come. It was a place for the tribes to set their houses in order. This is the first time they are called a congregation, but still they are learning how to be one: 

2. Then all the congregation grumbled against Moshe and Aharon in the desert.

Grumbled: The Hebrew term also means “to spend the night”; i.e., they stopped making progress when they started complaining. How quickly they forgot the greatness of Moshe, whom they had extolled! Most had used the time at “Palm Springs” as a vacation to just enjoy no longer being slaves, rather than first learning what the place was meant to teach them. So they became dead weight on the backs of those who were working so hard to carry them. But the burden is on the complainer to help provide a solution to whatever they are complaining about.  

3. And the descendants of Israel said to them, "If only we had died by the hand of YHWH in Egypt, while we sat by our pots of meat and ate bread to the point of being satisfied--because you have brought us out into this desert to kill this entire congregation with hunger!"

Things are not going the way we foresaw, and a pattern is already being established that we whine when we have much to be thankful for. Moshe and Aharon have earned better treatment than this; though the people have plenty of flocks of their own, they demand that Moshe and Aharon feed them! They are saying that they would rather have died from the plagues than what they expected to be a slow starvation. (Compare Lamentations 4:9.) In Egypt there are known to have been at least 60 varieties of bread, and they were used to it being presented to them already prepared. Pharaoh was mean and did horrible things, but at least he fed and clothed them! Of course they are exaggerating about how enjoyable their lives used to be; after all, they were slaves! Back then they would have probably said they wouldn’t mind not eating for days if they could just stop being beaten!

4. Then YHWH told Moshe, "Here I am! Bread is going to rain down from the sky for you! Then the people will go out and gather what is appropriate for one day on its day, so that I can test them [to see] whether they will walk in My instruction or not.

YHWH speaks to the only one in the congregation with merit, rather than directly to those who are whining. Here I am: He has not gone anywhere, and He already had a plan in place to get them fed. He responds to their whining as anyone would respond to a baby who cannot communicate its need in any other way. But because they are still so immature, He must “lead them into temptation” again, because when we complain, we are begging for a test. They think everything would be fine if their bellies were just full. But He is going to show them that this is not true. He will be faithful to provide, but will they be as faithful as He afterward? What is appropriate for one day: We tend to wants to have provisions stored up for a long time to come, but Yeshua said, “Give us our daily bread today.” It literally says, “pick up a word per day”—symbolic of learning a little more of YHWH’s word each day (as in Acts 15:21). He could have just miraculously made them full; after all, their shoes did not wear out for 40 years. But “the soul of the lazy desires, but has nothing; the soul of the diligent will be made fat.” (Prov. 13:4) He gives us His word, but we have to search it out. (Prov. 25:2) “Each day has enough trouble of its own”, Yeshua says. But look for what we are supposed to learn from it, and it will be worth the trouble.

5. "However, on the sixth day when they prepare what they bring in, it must be twice as much as they glean [on the other] days."

Two loaves of bread are still baked for the opening meal of the Sabbath in remembrance of this double portion. But today we live at the tail end of the sixth “day” (2 Kefa/Peter 3:8), so as the Kingdom gets closer, there is more work to do to prepare for it than our predecessors had. We have to do double duty, gleaning “two words” a day now: “Love YHWH with all your heart” and “Love your neighbor as yourself”—the whole Torah, not just part of what YHWH has for us. He does not yet say not to gather on the seventh day, to see whether they will deduce this before being told.

6. Then Moshe and Aharon said to all the descendants of Israel, "When evening comes, you will know that YHWH [is the one who] has brought you out from the land of Egypt,

7. " and in the morning you will see [that] YHWH is to be taken seriously, because He has heard your grumblings against YHWH. But what are we, that you are grumbling against us?"

Heard: or listened to. He would end up giving them what they wanted, but we have to be careful what we ask for, because He is capable of making it occur. Like those who did obey, they would also get to see His weightiness, but in the same way the Egyptians did--from the wrong side of the argument. He emphasizes that it is really YHWH they are arguing with, not himself:

8. Then Moshe said, "When YHWH gives you meat to eat in the evening, and bread in the morning, to the point of being satisfied...! When YHWH listens to your complaints that you are lodging against Him...! But what are we? Your grumblings are not against us, but against YHWH."

They did not like what YHWH was doing, but complained against the messengers, because they did not have the courage to complain directly about YHWH! Trusting the leaders YHWH has set in place is how we demonstrate our trust in YHWH; trusting men—the contrast seen in Psalm 118:8-9—refers to trusting those who are not His people, because a few verses earlier it says,“YHWH is for me through those who help me.” His heeding our complaint is really a curse, because they got exactly what they asked for. Had they said, “You have done such wonderful things, and we look forward to seeing how you will feed us tomorrow”, the same provision still would have come, but it would not have been a test.

9. Then Moshe said to Aharon, "Tell the whole congregation of the descendants of Israel to draw near to the presence of YHWH, because He has heard your grumblings."

Even before he is made priest, Aharon’s job is to bring the people closer to YHWH.

10. And as Aharon was speaking to the whole congregation of the descendants of Israel, they turned toward the wilderness, and, lo and behold, YHWH's authority appeared in the cloud!

An intensification of His presence was somehow visible.  

11. Then YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying,

12. "I have heard the grumblings of the descendants of Israel. Speak to them and say, ‘Between the evenings you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be satisfied with bread; then You will know that I am YHWH your Elohim.'"

He notices our complaints, and takes our words seriously, so be careful what you say. “Between the evenings" is an idiom for late afternoon. The phrase, which appears ten times in Scripture, is most often related to one of the times of offering in the Temple, and was a designated time for prayer—as if YHWH somehow opens a special “window” in heaven at that time and our prayers are heard with fewer impediments. Moshe spoke of there being meat to eat in the evening before YHWH said it. It seems that Moshe added to His words, but since YHWH respected Moshe’s obedience overall, He chose to honor Moshe’s idea, just as He did not let Yirmeyahu’s words fall to the ground. Then you will know: Apparently they still saw themselves as Pharaoh’s slaves, not YHWH’s prized possession. (v. 6.) It takes time to get used to new ideas, but this is another reason He used such extraordinary signs, to impress the new reality on them more deeply.

13. And what took place in the evening was that quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning a layer of dew was around the camp,

Dew in itself is uncommon in a desert, where there is little to evaporate, but not all of this “wilderness” was desert, especially back then. The Hebrew word for quail (selaw) comes from a word meaning to be sluggish, making them easy to catch.

14. And as the layer of dew lifted, lo and behold, on the surface of the wilderness [there was something] thin, flake-like, fine [as] hoarfrost, on the ground.

Hoarfrost: related to kapar (protective cover). The first layer of dew (v. 13) made the surface of the ground firmer so the fine grains of this substance did not get sand or soil mixed in with them, then the layer of dew above it protected it from any dirt settling on top of them. (Hirsch)  

15. And when the descendants of Israel saw [it], each one said to his brother, "What is it?", because they did not know what it was. And Moshe told them, "This is the bread that YHWH has given to you for food,

What is it: Heb., man hu? Traditionally it is known in English as “manna”.

16. "and this is the thing that YHWH has ordered: Gather some of it—[each] man [according] to how much he can eat: an omer per head, by the counting of your persons, you shall take for each one who is in your tent."

YHWH defines how much each needs.  An omer is a unit of measure--a tenth of an eyfah (v. 36), the designated amount of "daily bread" that one man needs each day. We could say this is the first of the dietary laws—an ideal calorie count! An omer's measure is the amount of grain produced by one sheaf of wheat.

17. So that is what the descendants of Israel did, that is, they gathered [it]--some gathering more and some gathering less,

But everyone gathered something.

18. then they measured [it out] with an omer, so that the one who gathered more did not have a surplus, nor did the one gathering less have any lack. Each one gathered according to how much he could eat.

Have any lack: Aramaic, "feel at all deprived". No one ate exactly what he collected. They pooled it all—at least within each household--then distributed it to each, and the result was an appropriate portion for each individual. As it was blended together, each received some from all of the others, so it was a commonly-shared experience. When each one was doing his job and brought all that he had gathered, there was enough for all Israel, and no one was cheated out of his share. As some outdo others, the excess can be passed along to the weaker ones. Each one fills his neighbor’s lack so each has something to give and each needs all the others. What He gives us is not just for ourselves, but for all Israel. But if we are part of Israel, we lose nothing and gain much more.  

19. Now Moshe had said, "One must not leave any of it until morning."

If we stash some away, it is likely to be for self rather than for the community, and we would find personal security in it. Yesterday’s bread is “old news” anyway; we need a fresh word each day. (Lam. 3:21ff)

20. But [some of the] people did not listen to Moshe, but left some of it until morning, and it grew rotten with maggots, and stank, and Moshe was furious with them.

When bread is provided daily, what is left over until the next day is wasted. There is no nourishment left in it; it is out of season. It reveals a lack of trust in YHWH's provision, which prevents us from allowing today's excess to overflow to others now, meeting their real needs that already exist today. Hoarding it for our own assumed "needs" of tomorrow, which are still imaginary and not proven to even exist (Luke 12:13-34) gives it to someone it does not belong to; it is actually worship of the demon “security”, which always proves elusive. We should not hold back time, energy, or worship, assuming we will have occasion to do better at a later date. (Proverbs 3:27) Since everyone’s measure was mingled together, what one did out of season affected everyone else in Israel. These worms were coccus ilicis, from the female of which crimson dye was made. The blood-red color and stench would have certainly reminded the people again of the first plague in Egypt, and warned them to stop proceeding down the course they were taking. This worm is associated with death and punishment (Yeshayahu 66:24), for disobeying the Torah always goes counter to life. (Deut. 30:15, 19; 32:47) These worms form the Adversary’s garments (Yesh. 14:11); when we disobey, our measure becomes like haSatan’s covering. 

21. So they gathered it in the morning, each according to how much he could eat, and when the sun became hot, it melted away.

The door of provision will not always be open if we put it off; we need to remember our Creator while we are young (Qoheleth/Eccles. 12:1) and not put off until noon what we could do in the morning, to paraphrase Benjamin Franklin’s adage. On the other hand, if the provision had not been stopped, some would have kept gathering it all day out of greed and wasted much of the day.

22. And it came about that on the sixth day, they gathered twice as much bread, two omers apiece, and all the leaders of the congregation came and reported it to Moshe.

Though they had been told what to do, they did not know why they were to gather twice as much. The answer comes after they have obeyed:

23. And he told them, "That's what YHWH has said: ‘Tomorrow is a sabbatical observance, a rest set apart unto YHWH. Bake what you want to bake, boil what you want to boil, and all that is left over, set aside for yourselves to be kept until the morning."

This is the first the Sabbath is mentioned since creation, probably because we were now out of Egypt, autonomous, and free to observe it again. This mention already includes one rule of Sabbath observance: we are not to cook on this set-apart day, but prepare our food in advance. The distinction made here between baking and boiling is important to the interpretation of 23:19 and 34:26. 

24. So they set it aside until morning, as Moshe had commanded, and it did not stink, and there was not a maggot in it.

Everything is different on the Sabbath, and our activities should reflect this clear distinction from what we do on the other days of the week. Some use different dishes or wear different clothes only on this day. We salt the two loaves of bread as the Sabbath begins as a reminder of this supernatural continuation of what would not endure on any other day. Obedience is what made the difference.  

25. And Moshe said, "Eat it today, because today is a Sabbath unto YHWH, and you will not find any in the field.

There is no provision for us elsewhere on this day, so do not even let your mind go out into the “field”.

26. "You must gather it [on] six days, but the seventh day is a Sabbath; there will not be any."

None will come into existence; nothing new will be produced, because the Sabbath is not a day of creation, but of enjoyment of what has already been put in place.

27. Yet on the seventh day, some people went out to gather, but found nothing.

They had the naturalistic view that things will continue uniformly as they have been, while YHWH stepped in to intervene with this "wrinkle", so they could not become overly confident in their own calculations. (2 Keyfa 3:4)

28. And YHWH said to Moshe, "How long are you refusing to keep My commandments and my instructions?

29. "Look, because YHWH has given you the Sabbath, that's why He is giving you two days' worth of bread on the sixth day. Each one of you remain in his place; don't let anyone leave his place on the seventh day."

These commands seemed so simple, yet many failed even in them. Yet without passing the test of the Sabbath, we could get no further in our growth; without proving faithful in what we do with what is YHWH’s, we cannot be given anything of our own. (cf. Luke 16:10-12) Remain in his place: While the city gates were closed on the Sabbath so no commerce could enter or exit, the Temple’s gates were open all day on the Sabbath, and “place” is a special idiom for the Temple Mount. That is the place to stay on the Sabbath.  
30. So the people rested on the seventh day.

Finally! Why did they have to be persuaded to do something that is such a privilege, especially for former slaves? Yet this is the very reason they had a hard time doing so: their Egyptian taskmasters had probably made them feel guilty every time they relaxed.

31. And the house of Israel called its name "prepared portion". It was white like coriander seed, and its flavor was like cakes with honey.

House of Israel: This is the first time this term is used as such. Prepared portion: the Hebrew word “mann” appears to stem from the word manah, meaning "prepare", "allot", "apportion out", or "appoint". YHWH had prepared just the amount they needed, and it was ready to eat, though they could still be creative in cooking it (v. 23). Alt. meaning, "What...?" since they did not know what it was or how it appeared.  Coriander: that is, cilantro. Cakes with honey: or "wafers made with honey". Velikovsky suggests that this was a form of precipitation from the thick atmosphere, overcharged with carbon and hydrogen (thus carbohydrates)  resulting from a cinder-trailing comet's tail that activated many volcanoes worldwide, causing a thick gloom over the whole world for many years. Yirmeyahu 2:6 speaks of the people wandering "through deserts...and...the shadows of death". Psalm 78:23-24 says YHWH brought the "manna" from the clouds (also Talmud tractate Yoma 75a). Accounts from around the world at this time speak of a long age of darkness, in which the morning dew served as food. Some called it "ambrosia", the food of the gods, others, "honey from the clouds", or "honey dropping from the dreaded shades", and were unable to explain it.  

32. Then Moshe said, "This is the thing that YHWH has commanded: ‘Fill up the measure from it, to preserve for your posterity, so that they may see the bread with which I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out from the land of Egypt.'"

Measure: also the Hebrew word omer. (See v. 36)  

33. Then Moshe told Aharon, "Take one container and put a full omer's worth of [the] ‘prepared portion' and deposit it before the face of YHWH to preserve for your posterity."

Container: Hirsch, "a cooling-flask", possibly of stone, to keep the damaging heat away from it during its long-term storage. While it was very unusual, there was a natural explanation for this provision (note on v. 31), but it is pretty hard to explain why it would fail to appear the same day each week without YHWH’s direct intervention. One reason this sample was stored up was probably to be a witness to the fact that this had really occurred, as unbelievable as it may have seemed later. Posterity: literally, "generations". Will some of it be needed again during the time no one is able to buy or sell if they do not have the mark of the beast? (Rev. 13) Yeshua said he would give some of the "hidden manna" to the one who overcomes—that is, endures until the time of testing is complete. (Rev. 2:17) Maybe he will also multiply it (cf. Mat. 14) so it can feed all 12 tribes who will then be with him!

34. Just as YHWH commanded Moshe, Aharon deposited it in front of the Testimony to be preserved.

Testimony: a different entity than the ark of the covenant is, which was not yet built, though later the two are usually seen together. While some say they know where the ark of the covenant is, Yirmeyahu 3:16 tells us it will one day no longer be brought to mind. If we get the point and live out the intent behind it, it really does not matter if we still have the physical reminder or not. We will already be that omer.

35. And the descendants of Israel ate the "prepared portion" for forty years, until they came into an inhabited land; [that is], they ate the "prepared portion" until their arrival at the border of the land of Kanaan.

When they arrived in the inhabited country, there would be other produce, so the miraculous provision would no longer be the only way to survive. Days of grace are meant to end when it is possible to "pay the rent". In one sense, the grace Yeshua (who identifies himself with the manna in Yochanan 6:51) made available was a similar holdover provision during the special situation in which we were separated from the covenant and from being a people and YHWH knew it was not possible for us to obey His instruction fully. But now that we have been brought back into a place where more information about the meaning of the Torah is available, and especially when the Temple is rebuilt, the stopgap may no longer be the way in which we relate to Him. Yeshua's job was to repair our relationship with his Father, so that we can know Him directly. Yeshua is the road to Him and the door, but the restored access to the Father is the goal. The produce of the land was YHWH’s provision too; the ability to be back in a position to obey is His merciful gift as well. But after the honeymoon, the "free lunch" stops, and we are called to maturity.  

36. (Now the omer is one-tenth of an eyfah.)

Eyfah: Aramaic, "three seahs". This is a defining verse for much of the rest of the Torah.  An omer is enough for one man, and from this point on became the standard allotment. An omer of fine flour was the sin offering for those too poor to afford the required birds. (Lev. 6:20) The "counting of the omer" is a 49-day period from the Sabbath after Passover (when a sheaf--also omer in Hebrew--of grain was waved to dedicate the firstfruits of the barley harvest to YHWH) until Shavuoth (Pentecost), which was another firstfruits--of the wheat harvest (Lev. 23:15-16) "Tent" there is the same word often used of the "tent of meeting" or "tabernacle". So it links us to the idea of a spiritual congregation. Ten men are considered considered sufficient to count as a  complete congregation, based on Gen. 18. An eyfah (ten omers), then represents the same. An omer, which was 1/100th of a khomer, is worth half a sheqel (Lev. 27:16), which is each person's temple tax, whether rich or poor. So it represents one person. The single omer reminds us that though we are “one bread” (1 Cor. 10:17), as individuals we are incomplete without the rest of our Israelite counterparts. Re’uven Prager says this is why it is worth only half a sheqel. During the Counting of the Omer, we especially assess what our gifts are and how what YHWH has given us is meant to be shared by all of Israel. (See Ephesians 4; Col. 1:24) In the original Hebrew, there was no punctuation and no chapter breaks. If we go on to read the next phrase as, “that is, the whole congregation of the sons of Israel”, we see that this definition of an eyfah is right in the text as well. Notice that it does not say “an eyfah is ten omers”; i.e., a person who is not part of a congregation is not a true “omer”. The individual is thus defined as part of the whole group, not the other way around. 


CHAPTER 17

1. And the whole congregation of the sons of Israel set out from the Desert of Siyn, as they traveled based on the word of YHWH, and they camped at R’fidim, but there was no water for the people to drink.

Set out: literally, pulled up (tent pegs). They knew there was food here; would it be there in the next place too? They would have to trust the One who was beckoning them to move on. Congregation: from a word meaning “witness”, and it stems further back to a root meaning “repeat”, for when we are like-minded we will all recount the same story, for we will have a common history. R’fidim means a place where we can “slacken” or “relax” because we are supported from beneath.  The word for “camped” literally means reclined or laid back. No water: symbolic also of having no word from YHWH. This should have tipped them off that it was not a place to camp for a long time, and that it could not last long, but instead they acted as if YHWH was putting them permanently in such a bad spot:

2. And the people complained against Moshe, and said, "Give us water so we can [have something to] drink!" But Moshe said to them, "Why are you arguing with me? And why are you testing YHWH?"

I.e., "It is He, not I, who has brought you here. Certainly after all you’ve seen, you know by now that He can provide and that He cares about you!" They should instead have been thankful that they would have another occasion to see Him provide. Yet we seem to have learned nothing, and still complain about minuscule irritations today.

3. But the people became thirsty there for water, and grumbled against Moshe, and told [him], "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt, then? To kill me and my sons and my livestock with thirst?"

Why: They are testing YHWH’s patience. Sometimes He dares us to test Him to show that He is trustworthy, but through doing what He says so we can see the results, not by whining. Kill me: They do not even say, “to kill us”, but rather “me”, because each one’s focus is still on himself, not on the whole community. The word here for "livestock” is based on the word for "possessions" or "acquired things". They had been slaves--themselves "possessions"--only a short while before, but now they had already set their hearts on the things they had been given, although they did not yet know how much they would need to offer to YHWH. But those who keep livestock would have had thousands of gallons of milk! They had something to drink, but thirsted for what they did not have, just as they were hungry for meat when YHWH was providing them with bread. They would not be truly thirsty until the animals had had no water for several days, and they had just come from a place where they must certainly have filled their water bottles, so they would not dry up today. By the time they ran out completely, they might be at the next campsite, so what they really wanted was wealth—more than they needed at present, so they could feel secure about tomorrow, when YHWH was giving them daily bread to teach them not to burden themselves with more than a day at a time. 

4. Then Moshe cried out to YHWH, "What can I do with this people? It won't be long until they stone me!"

5. And YHWH said to Moshe, "Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you. When you go, take in your hand the rod with which you struck the river.

Seeing him with the rod should have made the people expectant.

6. “Watch: I will stand before you there on the rock in Horev, and you will strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so the people may [have something to] drink." So Moshe did this in front of the eyes of the elders of Israel.

Horev: the site of Mt. Sinai, and probably less than a day's journey from R’fidim, which was only a place to stop long enough to catch their breath, not settle in. Sinai was where they were meant to camp for a longer time, since it was where He had promised to meet them again. So the water source was already there awaiting them, and Moshe had to precede them since they were too impatient to put up with the uncertainty for even a short period of time. The rock: Moshe, who had shepherded flocks there for forty years, must have known of a specific rock that He was speaking about, and indeed there is, within sight of Jabal al-Lawz (the probable location of Mt. Sinai in Arabia), a six-story-tall rock that is split down the middle and shows evidence of water having flowed out from the cleft. (See photo at left.) Paul calls it a “spiritual rock” that followed them (1 Cor. 10:4), based on a common Jewish tradition in his day.  Not that it wasn’t real or physical also, but that it had a deeper meaning, being symbolic of the Messiah, who makes YHWH’s word accessible to us who were exiled. Only the elders saw this miracle, so the rest of the congregation would have to accept their testimony, though the water may have flowed back to where the rest of them were. Hirsch says, "All the experiences which Israel… had hitherto made, since its entry into the wilderness… taught it what independence of the forces of Nature it was to gain, simply by subjecting itself to the will of [YHWH]."  

7. So the name of the place was called "Massah" and "Meribah", because of the complaining of the descendants of Israel, and because of their testing of YHWH, saying, "Is YHWH in our midst or not?"

Massah means “testing” and Meribah means “strife” or “arguing”. It is so sad that Moshe’s main memories of the place where such a miracle took place were of the people’s whininess. Had they trusted YHWH, they would still have experienced this miracle, but it would have been a mountaintop experience. In our midst: This kind of asking assumes He really is not with us; it is very different from genuinely seeking Him in the situation. But the main question is whether we are with Him.  


8. Then Amaleq came and fought with Israel in R’fidim,

Then: after they had gotten what they wanted, thinking they deserved it, but at such a high price! It made YHWH back away from them, and got them labeled as untrusting children. Amaleq was the son of Elifaz, grandson of Esau, by his concubine Timnah. (Gen. 36:12) From southern Kanaan, they attacked Israel as they passed near the Reed Sea. The name Amaleq means "dweller in a valley"—“low-lifes”, the opposite of those who seek the highest road. While the Israelites were in a state of "slackness" (Refidim), they were especially a prey to this people who are content to live on a lower level. They were on its “turf”. All the other nations feared Israel; Amaleq went out of his way to attack this emerging people when they were resting on their laurels, seeking the renown of being the ones to defeat them. This time Amaleq used open warfare, but later he would only take advantage of the weakest—the sick, the stragglers, or those weighed down most heavily by too much plunder taken from Egypt? Now wealthy, they may have let their guard down, and Amaleq took this as an invitation to overrun us.  

9. And Moshe said to Y'hoshua, "Choose men for us and go fight against Amaleq. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill, with the rod of Elohim in my hand."

In their state of slackness, it was crucial that he select those who were really ready to fight. This is the first time Y'hoshua appears in Scripture. His name means "YHWH is salvation". Moshe now calls his rod Elohim's, since He has used it so powerfully before. 

10. So Y'hoshua did as Moshe had told him--to fight against Amaleq. And Moshe and Aharon and Chuwr went up to the top of the hill.

Advantage comes from the high ground, and he needed to draw Amaleq onto his turf so he could defeat them. Amaleq does not understand commitment or corporate purpose; it only understands the language of “me” and “mine”. Amaleq may have come because it heard some self-centered Israelites calling it!  (v. 3)

11. And what took place was that whenever Moshe lifted up his hand, Israel prevailed, and when he gave his hand a rest, Amaleq prevailed.

Lifting up his hands is a real effort--the remedy for slackness. When we grow slack, Amaleq again has the advantage. The answer to the question (v. 7) of whether YHWH is in our midst or not is that when we recognize Moshe’s authority, He is.

12. Then Moshe's hands became heavy, so they took a stone and set it under him, and he sat on it. Then Aharon and Chuwr supported his hands from one [side] and the other, so his hands were steady until the sun set.

When our flesh receives more weight, Amaleq prevails. The enemy is often within our own selves. Moshe was over 80 years old, but Aharon was at least 83, so he, too, needed help to support his brother. Sitting on the stone would help. Chuwr (“bright white linen”) has never been mentioned before. He represents those “laymen” who can be just as righteous in their upholding of the Torah as those chosen for a more prominent position. They did not try to take Moshe's place; they silently did the job that obviously needed to be done. Rather than being part of the problem, like the complainers who made a lot of noise but did nothing to solve their problems and only blamed their leader, they became part of the solution.

13. So Y'hoshua defeated Amaleq and his people by the "mouth" of the sword.

Amaleq and his people: Though the man Amaleq was long dead, there is a spirit which continues to act through his descendants. It raised its head again from time to time.

14. Then YHWH said to Moshe, "Write this in a book as a reminder, and set it in Y’hoshua's ears, that I will utterly wipe away the memory of Amaleq from under the heavens."

I.e., make sure Y’hoshua hears it, because he is the one responsible to carry out what it implies.

15. Then Moshe built an altar, and called its name, "YHWH Nissi". 

Nissi: my banner, sign, or raised standard—something conspicuous. I.e., YHWH, rather than our complaints, is what is to be lifted up. YHWH was with them; now no one could get around the evidence. Moshe was increasing in wisdom; he sees that he must hold Israel responsible to build a place to give back to YHWH because of our tendency to disrespect those from whom we receive so much when we are not giving back to them. The remains of an ancient altar have indeed been located only a few hundred meters away from the 6-storey high split rock. (See note on v. 6.)

16. And he said, "--because YHWH has sworn: YHWH has a war with Amaleq from generation to generation."

YHWH has sworn: literally, "a hand is on the throne of YHWH". A “hand” is sometimes a Hebrew idiom for a memorial of something that must never be forgotten. From the right hand of the One on the throne, the Lamb who was slain received ...a book! (Rev. 5:7; see v. 14 above) His instructions remain the same. Hirsch translates it "YHWH's throne consists of war against Amaleq..." I.e., as long as Amaleq's name is still renowned, neither YHWH's throne nor His Name is complete. All the other nations were in fear because of what YHWH had done in Egypt, but Amaleq thought Israel had just been “lucky” that time, while they might be “the lucky ones” the next time. (Deut. 25:18 says Amaleq “happened” upon Israel and attacked the stragglers, and from this the Rabbis deduce that the Amaleqites considered everything to be random and chaotic, that their experiences had no meaning—a slap in the face of YHWH’s order and purpose. And philosophy at that time was never separated from religion. For an example of how they worshipped “chance”, see 2 Shmu’el 1:6.) Generation to generation: Not all of them were defeated at this time. King Agag, Amaleq’s descendant whom Israel's King Sha'ul was commanded to kill, but did not, lived long enough to father a son before Shmu’el the prophet killed him (1 Shmu’el 15). That son became the ancestor of Haman, who nearly succeeded in a genocide of the Jews during the Medo-Persian Empire (see the book of Esther). There are many uncanny parallels between that account and the Holocaust in Europe in the last century. Every generation becomes slack, but when it appears that no one cares, the enemy himself becomes slack, and that is when YHWH will surprise him. The root meaning of "generation" in Hebrew is "cycle" or "revolution". YHWH's festivals come in such cycles, and by returning to His calendar, we can fight Amaleq's philosophy that all is happenstance--the true atheism. 

TORAH PORTION
B'Shalakh 
(Exodus 13:17 - 17:16)
INTRODUCTION:   YHWH’s baiting of Pharaoh is one example of YHWH showing Himself upright to the upright, but showing the crooked that He can beat them at their own game as well, if they prefer to issue a challenge rather than marveling at His superiority. (Psalm 18:26) But as the portion progresses, He seems to be having as much trouble getting Israel to take Him seriously as the Egyptians!

The repeated theme of what a complaining people we are begins to show up in this portion, so soon after our miraculous deliverance. But, like pain, reasons to complain are meant to lead us to solutions, and those who feel them most keenly should be those who work hardest to help find a remedy, like the tree Moshe threw into the water, producing a chemical corrective for the bitterness that was there. These tastes of what life was like without water were a perfect setup YHWH gave us right before we arrived at Sinai, where the “water of the Word” which is the most basic element of our sustenance was to be introduced. We were meant to remember how it felt to be thirsty so we will seek the “water” rather than allow the bitterness to remain and permeate the whole community.

The first complaints are honest ones: we lack water and food. In an infant nation, YHWH understands our crying and brings us, through extremely rare means, satisfying sustenance even in a desert. But when we begin to throw His marvel “ambrosia” back in His face, just because His solution doesn’t stimulate our palates anymore, He is justly angered. Sadly, this was not enough to make us nip this tendency in the bud, and we still deal with it today, even when blessed beyond imagination. Will we not learn the lessons from the bitter bondage and bitter water and eradicate this root from our souls? Can we not instead be like Moshe’s two supporters, who silently became part of the solution rather than lamenting the difficulties?

Now that we are free, YHWH here restarts the metronome for the rhythms of Israelite life with His emphasis on making the Sabbath day very different from the rest, and lays the foundations for our system of weights and measures.  

Some exciting discoveries in our day of some of the mechanics of what went on at the Sea, from the freezing and thawing of the water to the land bridge and the location-markers left by King Solomon are detailed in the commentary. But still more important are the “secrets” hidden in Hebrew words which don’t show up in any translation, reminding us of our need to become conversant in YHWH’s own language, so we won’t miss these gems He has placed there for us to mine.


"Kvit Your Kvetching!"

The inconsistencies in our ancestors’ behavior during the emotional roller-coaster this portion describes never cease to amaze me. 

They cried out to YHWH for help, but blamed the one He had chosen as the instrument of their liberation! (Exodus 14:10-11) They forgot the conditions they had been living in and thought it would be better to go back to the whips and hard labor than to face the unknown with the One who had just done the unimaginable to spring them from slavery!

They celebrated with exuberance after experiencing miracles no one had ever seen before, and finally trusted that leader, Moshe, yet within three short days were already back to grumbling at him. (14:31-15:24)

They spoke too soon each time rather than placing their requests and waiting to see what YHWH might do. Everything was an emergency to them, and it always had to be someone else’s fault! And because Moshe had been the one by whose hand the miracles had been manifested, they expected him to be able to do more impossible things whenever they wanted him to, as if the power was in him!

YHWH had done all of these fearsome wonders—even making the tough decision to sacrifice the most advanced culture on earth (Isaiah 43:3)—out of kindness for these wretched forefathers of ours. (15:10-13) He knew they were under a lot of stress and had undergone some extremely mind-boggling life changes, so He was patient with their gripes until the rules had been clarified and He could show them more of who He was (16:20). But once they should have known better, He took note of their complaints (16:12), and even mild-mannered Moshe was fuming about how the whole camp stank when they tried doing things their own way because they thought they knew better. (16:20)  

But are we any better? Do we forget how much YHWH has done for us, and lapse back into our inherited tendency to complain about things that, in comparison, are really minor, before we check with YHWH to see if He might not already be doing something about the problem?  

When someone is trying to help us, do we critique his every move and write him off as useless if he is not doing everything the way we would do it?

Before opening our mouths, do we rationally assess whether it is really fair to expect our leaders to do what we could never do, rather than taking our concerns quietly to the One who really can solve the problem? Remember, we “have not because we ask not”.  (James 4:2)

Have we learned anything from all that occurred, or will we be no better than our ancestors on their worst days, even though they could have looked at these days as some of their best? Even on days when the glass is only half-full, which way will we look at it? Which kind of people do we want our descendants 3,500 years from now to know us as? The kind who curse anyone within earshot because it is half-empty, or the kind who are thankful for how full it is? Because Someone is still keeping a record!

Study questions:

1. Elohim thought the people would lose their nerve if they saw war and want to turn back to Egypt. (Exodus 13:17) What was it that later actually did make them want to turn back?

2. Why was it important to Yosef to remove his bones from Egypt to the land of his birth? (Ex. 13:19) How was the fact that he had been buried at a place called “Sukkoth” (temporary dwellings) very fitting in this regard? What can you learn from this?

3. Why did Israel need to travel both day and night for the first leg of their journey? (13:21)

4. The people blamed Moshe for getting them in their dilemma. (14:10-12) How do we know it was not Moshe’s error that put them there?  Have you ever called out to YHWH for help, yet complained to or about the ones He has put in charge of your care? Is that appropriate?

5. What did Moshe get slightly wrong? (14:13-15)

6. What purpose(s) were served by the pillar of cloud moving between the Israelites and the Egyptians? (14:19) What does the wording of 14:24-25 suggest the Egyptians saw and heard in the cloudy pillar?

7. What clue does the exact wording of 15:8 give us about the physical mechanics of what was going on with the water of the Reed Sea? What secondary purpose, therefore, did the fire in the pillar serve by going across after the Israelites but before the Egyptians?

8. What was the two-pronged point of YHWH doing this? (14:31)

9. Yet right after this epic miracle, what do we again find the people doing (15:24)? What kind of solution does YHWH provide (15:25)? What wider implications might this have for similar situations? What broader interpretation does YHWH Himself provide here? (15:26)

10. Soon the people begin the same pattern again, forgetting YHWH’s provision so quickly. (16:3) When we complain, who are we always ultimately blaming? (16:7-8; 17:2) What practical outcome does YHWH seek from our recounting of what He has done in the past? (16:32)

11. What secondary purpose did YHWH say He had in the unexpected type of provision He brought? (16:4) What unusual instruction did He give for how to make use of His provision? (16:5, 19) Could anyone other than YHWH cause such a natural phenomenon to cease exactly one day every seven?

12. Did everyone pass the test? (16:20, 27) How patient was He with the people when they really did face life-threatening situations? (14:10-13; 16:8, 12; 17:5-6) At other times it seems His provision was more to spare Moshe than to humor the complainers. (17:2-4) Do you see any connection between verses 7 and 8 of chapter 17? Why or why not?
Nuweiba beach, the white mini-peninsula on the top left of the satellite photo below:
An ideal place to camp
Note the path through the mountains, where the Egyptian army could remain hidden until right upon the camp site, and the lack of an escape route
Companion Passage:
Judges 4:4-5:31
The Sidewalk
for Kids

If the same kind of thing occurred on the same day more than once, you might notice it, right?

Well, both of the Temples in Jerusalem were destroyed on the same day of the year. This showed that, as terrible as it was, YHWH was the One making the arrangements because His people hadn’t kept their part of the contract.

In this week’s portion we see another day that has the same kind of pattern, only not so sad this time.  

In Genesis 8:4, we see Noakh’s ark coming to rest—journey to physical freedom complete—on the 17th day of the 7th month. Remember that YHWH had just changed the 7th month to the 1st month for Israel, and 3 days after the Passover—the 17th of what is now the first month, but the same day still—we came out on the other side of the Red Sea, safe and sound with our pursuers dead.

But it doesn’t stop there. King Hizqiyahu rededicated the Temple after his predecessors had defiled it, on this same day. (2 Chron. 29:20) Freedom, again, to be obedient. Queen Esther risked her life to save the Jews and Haman was condemned. (Esther 5:1)  Threat removed. And, on the Feast of Firstfruits, which was three days and three nights after Passover that year, Yeshua walked out of the tomb, death conquered.

How likely is that? Patterns are what make us pay attention. They let us know that someone planned this. It wasn’t an accident.

The days YHWH gave His people to celebrate are called appointments, because He wants to meet with us on them, and not just once, but over and over. As we keep going through the Torah, we will learn more details about each of them. There is one that occurs not just every year, but every week. Which one is that?

But if you had a party—maybe for your birthday—and your friends ignored it, how would you feel? Or what if they came, but argued with each other endlessly about whether you had said the party was at 3:00 or 4:00? Or what if they came but all they did from start to finish was complain about how bad the cake tasted, how boring your games were, or how much better they could have done it? Do you think YHWH feels any different if we do this to His “parties”? Don’t you think He will enjoy them more if He knows everybody who comes, not just some of the guests, is enjoying them and, better still, thinking about the reason He threw the party? Because remembering the things He did—and is going to do—is meant to change our lives and make us better people.

That’s right; they each have something to do with not just what He has done in the past, but something He has promised to do that hasn’t yet been done. They’re still practices for a performance that is still to come. Scripture says that if you think this Exodus was great, you’ll really like the one that’s coming!

Isn’t that exciting? Doesn’t that make them more interesting? Some of them seem very strange to modern people and they ask us to do unusual things, but if we do them anyway, when the time comes when they are no longer rehearsals but the real thing, we will understand exactly what is going on and why. 

So pay attention to the details. They all matter.
The Renewal of B'SHALAKH

YHWH deliberately made Pharaoh think that Israel was taking a wrong turn (Exodus 14:1-3) so that his heart would again be strengthened (14:4), emboldened to think he could actually recapture his lost slaves, for by now he was probably missing the fact that they used to have someone to do their work for them! If he had known that YHWH was doing this on purpose, he might have left well enough alone. The sea would have still opened up and let our ancestors across, for this was an appointment YHWH had with a certain frigid east wind (15:8) and probably the gravitation of another heavenly body, but Pharaoh could have kept his army alive for a more legitimate campaign sometime later.  

But YHWH wanted Egypt, and not just Israel, to honor Him because of what He could do.
In YHWH’s wisdom, He again kept some information hidden from the rulers in Yeshua’s day so that they would not understand the significance of what they were doing, because if they had understood it, they would not have done what they did to him (1 Cor. 2:7-8), and again YHWH would not have received the honor (Ex. 14:4) for His masterful plan that wove together the many various results of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil to form a way back to the Tree of Life. I am convinced that at least some of the “rulers” (archonton) spoken of here are ancient spiritual powers, for the word is related to “archaic” and Paul says this mystery was hidden from “before the ages” or even “before the worlds”, not just at the time Yeshua was on earth. Why would He have to hide it from human beings that long ago? Possibly because if we knew what was supposed to occur, we would find a way to mess it up. But if YHWH’s “arch”-enemies had understood the plan, they certainly would not have wanted to let events be orchestrated the way they did.

The prophets were each given bits and pieces of the encoded message which would be understood later, but the only one who was shown the whole plan was the one who had to carry it out, and even his own will could have stood in the way at several points along the way. (Mat. 4:1ff; Heb. 2:18) But he did not allow it to prevail, and thus was even able to use those times to help those of us who faced the same problem later. (Heb. 4:15)

For we do have our part to do. Just as Moshe was lovingly rebuked for telling the people to stay still and watch YHWH’s deliverance (yeshuah) take place (because YHWH wanted them to move forward—and still see YHWH’s deliverance, Ex. 14:13-16), likewise many recognize what YHWH has done through Yeshua (His means of deliverance indeed) but then deduce that he has done everything that needs to be done, and that we don't have to do anything at all except "believe" in some shapeless way. It sounds noble (as did Moshe’s announcement), because we want to give him the credit he is due. But the very next verse after the most famous ones about being “saved by grace through faith and even that being YHWH’s gift—not due to works, so that no one can boast” (Eph. 2:8-9) says, “because we are His workmanship, created in Messiah Yeshua for good works, so that you should walk in them” (2:10)—just like the path across the sea that we had to walk through in order to be delivered and to see YHWH’s deliverance.

Moshe had a special part to carry out in this deliverance, and Paul, a forerunner in the Renewed Covenant, said he had been called to “fill up what is [still] needed of the Messiah’s afflictions” as an “administrator of that mystery” spoken of above, “warning everyone human being and teaching every human being with every [type of] wisdom, so that we might present every person as fully-developed in the Messiah.” (Colossians 1:24-28) To achieve this he said he was given a special empowering (as Moshe’s rod was backed up by the east wind—which, interestingly also means “ancient spirit” in Hebrew, and the pillar of fire), but still he had to “agonize and struggle, making use of that energizing” (1:29), in order to “effect this great change” (as our ancestors had to break camp in a hurry and walk several miles across the parted sea bed in order to ensure that YHWH’s deliverance was effective). And of course, Yeshua left it to his trainees (passed on down to us) to spread the word about what he had done so that people all around the world could put YHWH’s deliverance into effect in their own lives. We are aided today by an unprecedented means—the Internet—as well as a lingua franca that has spread more widely than any other ever has, but still we must make use of it and in many cases, learn other languages to get the message out.

Once YHWH had delivered our ancestors and they got to the other side of the sea, “Israel saw the great work which YHWH had wrought on the Egyptians, and the people feared YHWH; and they believed in YHWH, and in His servant Moshe.” (Exodus 14:30-31) Similarly, Yeshua said, “This is the work of YHWH: that you believe on him whom He has sent.” (Yochanan 6:29) And he prayed, “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true Elohim, and Yeshua the Messiah, whom You have sent.” (Yoch. 17:3) Thus, when his talmidim were fearful because he had told them what was coming, he told them, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. You trust in YHWH; trust in me too.” (Yoch. 14:1) As with Moshe, so with Yeshua, the “prophet like Moshe”: trusting the one YHWH has sent does not diminish at all from our belief that YHWH is ultimately the One working. This is not idolatry, as some imagine, but only putting to use the means YHWH has given us to connect with Him and tap into His resources.

Over and over Moshe reiterated that YHWH was the One who had “brought you out” from the slavery in Egypt (Ex. 13:3; 16:6, etc.) into a place of great freedom, a very special calling, and then—once they asked for it—great provision which they merely needed to go gather (chapter 16).

Kefa carries this over into the Renewed Covenant: “You [who believe and are not disobedient] are a chosen race, a royal order of priests, a nation in a separate category, a people kept back as His own possession, so that you may divulge the excellent virtues of the One who has called you out of darkness into His incomprehensible light.” (1 Peter 2:9)

Maybe this is one big reason Yeshua’s congregation is specifically known as the “called-out community”. He has delivered us from many much more universally-experienced kinds of slavery—to sin and death (Yochanan 8:34; Romans 6:16), fear (Romans 8:15), or decay and corruption (Rom. 8:21)--just by virtue of the fact that we obeyed these things, sometimes against our will, but we were powerless (Romans 5:6) to escape them until YHWH gave us the means, through His “ancient spirit” that can now come into our spirits and thus transform our souls and even bodies (Romans 8:11) from within. (Romans 12:2)

When Israel got to the other side of the sea, Moshe led them all in a song of praise to YHWH. Only once again in all of Scripture do we see the “song of Moshe” referred to specifically: those who have “gotten victory” over one who in Jewish lore is often likened to Pharaoh, the counterfeit Messiah, known in the apocalypse of Yochanan only as “the beast”. (Revelation 15:3) How did they gain the victory? By refusing to worship or identify themselves with the beast, and usually at the cost of their own lives. (Rev. 2:10; 12:11) “Dying in YHWH” (Rev. 14:13) is often likened to crossing over a raging river—or a sea (both of which parted so the crossing was much easier than expected).

And the consequence of not crossing over, out of our former slaveries, is continued slavery and eventual death, and not just physically. So be what it means to be a “Hebrew”, and cross over out of whatever holds you in bondage, because with the deliverance YHWH has provided through Yeshua, anyone who remains a slave is one by his own choice. Why would you make such a choice? (cf. Exodus 16:3!)

Who Carries 
the Most Weight?​

While Moshe is still “standing still” to watch what YHWH might do, YHWH tells him, “I will bring Myself honor through Pharaoh.” (Ex. 14:17) I think this translation does not do justice to what He is saying. “L'kavdah” is from kaved, which means weight or importance. He was going to show Himself to be –the “Heavyweight” here—even “heavier” than Pharaoh, who, we are told, had “made his heart heavy” (same word)—that is, too important in his own eyes, where his own heart carried the most weight. (8:15, 32; 9:34) But YHWH actually carried the most weight, and intended to make that clear to whatever Egyptians remained back at home, no longer having an army to guard them, and to anyone who heard this story from then on.

There are some very interesting descriptions here of what was going on. First, the cloud obscured the Egyptians’ view but gave light to Israel. (14:20) Then 14:24 says YHWH looked down on the Egyptians from the pillar of fire and cloud and made them very uncomfortable (possibly with a lot of noise, as fire sometimes does when it flares up; maybe they even saw a face in the fire!), confusing them and causing damage to their chariot-wheels. This just before the sea “returned to normal” (its “reliable, regular, permanent flow”, 14:27).

The song in chapter 15 tells us that that strong east wind (14:21) that made the ground dry and stood the water up like walls for Israel’s whole journey across (14:29) must have been a cold wind. Since the earth itself could have had at least a partial pole shift due to the larger forces YHWH used to cause these effects (for He had at His disposal a planetary-scale interaction like we see in the haftarah at Judges 5:20, a similar but possibly smaller-scale event), it may have been like what we normally think of as a north wind, coming suddenly from the pole and then turning westward soon enough to retain its temperature, blowing all night—long enough to make the water there freeze (15:8).  

This is a song, but I don’t think it was only poetic; it was describing the way things appeared to those involved, not knowing the science we get from the narrative. But remember where the pillar of fire was positioned—between the two nations (14:19). What would fire do to frozen water? It would start thawing it—not all at once, so that the Egyptians in their haste would not notice the initial dripping, but this turned the “dry path” into a muddy one, making both the horses and the wheels skid before the critical point where the ice was melted enough to pour down on them as liquid again. There was wind involved too (15:10), possibly accompanying that noisy flareup or even caused by it, much like the microcosm of a solar wind. The earth also swallowed them (15:11)—possibly an earthquake with a fissure as another factor in destabilizing the chariots and making the sea rush back.

But the blowing of that final wind (ruaH) can also be read as having been done “with Your spirit”, for if we study out the uses of this term throughout Scripture, this term ruaH often speaks of YHWH’s intense, effective personal involvement with, in, or through His people. Hebrew uses physical terms to also speak of similar effects in what we think of as the “spiritual” realm, though maybe they are not so separate as we Western-minded folks think. The bottom line is that whatever mechanics He used, YHWH was intervening personally for His people, jealously guarding His own from all who threatened them, and continuing to provide for them in unpredictable ways (chapters 16 and 17) that showed He was indeed “heavier” than any natural force or lack of resources.  

And that has not changed. So when He says to stop standing still and step out into what looks impassable, expect to see His deliverance yet again. (14:13-15)

Beyond Our Reach,
but Not His

It appeared that YHWH had backed us into a corner, and our natural human reactions came out before we thought about the ramifications of what we had just been through. We should have reasoned that if YHWH had brought us this far, He would not abandon us now, and that He had not run out of “outstretched arm” to solve our dilemmas. (Isa. 59:1) Instead, we panicked. Yes, we cried out to YHWH, but we blamed Moshe, though he was following YHWH’s instructions! We only saw two possible outcomes, neither of them good. But YHWH wanted to show us His deliverance (yeshuah). Yes, Moshe got it slightly wrong about standing still; he was new at this too. But he was right that we could see YHWH’s yeshuah. (Ex. 14:13) 

He gave us a way to cross over, thus becoming literal Hebrews: a strong east wind (ruakh qedem, which can also mean “ancient spirit”; you may be able to get many insights from that). The rod was probably mainly a theatrical effect, used on cue when YHWH had worked out the timing. It was significant for being consistently present on many occasions when YHWH worked, but it wasn’t a magic wand. I think the wind also had a lot of help from a huge resource we rarely see today, though some are predicting that we may see something similar again soon, and reading the book of Revelation, I don’t doubt it; something has to shift the earth’s and moon’s orbits back into their original 360-day year and 30-day month.

You see, after reading the records of many ancient cultures—usually chalked up to being mere myths—and utilizing modern computer-generated models, some scientists (Donald Patten, Ron Hatch, and Loren Steinhauer) deduced that Mars used to have an orbit that crossed earth’s and its year was exactly twice the length of earth’s, so that at regular intervals (every 54 and 108 years) it came very close to earth and caused both gravitational and electro-magnetic effects on our planet, (See Patten’s Mars-Earth Wars and Catastrophism and the Old Testament.) The peripheral effects could have precipitated many of the plagues preceding the Exodus, and the gravitational force at the nearest point—sometimes strong enough to cause magma tides under earth's crust, buildling mountain ranges in its wake—could have easily stood the water up perpendicular to its usual “reliable mode” (14:27).

Then, when the freezing of the water (15:8) had allowed Israel to cross, the pillar of fire (between us and the Egyptians, per 14:20) came behind us and started melting the ice, unnoticed by the Egyptians until they were already in the path of its thawed waters. 

This is not an everyday event; that’s what makes it a sign (oth) and a wonder (mofeth, per Deut. 6:22). But “miracle” (fele) in Hebrew doesn’t mean something contrary to the laws of nature, but rather something beyond our understanding or out of our reach. He works within the laws He Himself set up; He just has more resources than we usually see Him use! Remember, it is both a theological and scientific error to assume that “all things continue as they have since the beginning of creation” (2 Kefa/Peter 3:4). That is called the scoffers’ view. The wise path, then, is to recognize that there have been some differences throughout history in the way things worked, at least temporarily.

In retrospect we may figure out the mechanics YHWH used, but at the time, it is “out of our reach”, but not out of YHWH’s—and that is the main point. He has all He needs “up His sleeve”. He told Moshe “I will be whatever I need to be” (Ex. 3:14), and that is still true.  

So when you are between a rock and a hard place, or a sea and an army, trust Him in advance, and somehow (probably in the way you least expect) you will get to see His yeshuah!

Walk in the Path 
He Has Made for You

Israel is “the people [YHWH] redeemed” (Ex. 15:13) and the ones He has “purchased as a possession”. (15:16) He called her out of bondage with a purpose: to be not just free but His special treasure, “a royal priesthood, a set-apart nation”. (19:5-6) Kefa echoes this, adding “so you can show forth the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9) How awesome! Let it sink in. Then consider, doesn’t it sound like the Exodus?

This forms the background for the otherwise-mystifying words of Paul, which are controversial when we forget their con-text: “Those He knew in advance, He fore-ordained to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, so he can be the firstborn among many siblings. But those He foreordained, He also called, and whomever He called, He also justified; but in addition, those He justified, He glorified.” (Romans 8:29-30) Past tense; it is already done. We just have to walk in it, like the path through the sea. N.T. Wright stresses that this glorification is not just in the afterlife, but a present-day calling to reflect “His marvelous light” into this world, as His special ambassadors.

Whom He primarily “foreknew” and “foreordained” was Israel, the broader “son” He promised to never forsake, despite the wanderings-away He knew he would take. (Deut. 31:16) If we are part of this specially-chosen people (and even if we don’t have Yaaqov’s DNA, we can still join and become His own), we have one of the highest-ranking positions in the universe. Paradox-ically, it involves great self-sacrifice, as it did for the priests and the one who blazed the trail for us. (Heb. 6:20) Israel’s mentality also had to be re-shaped from that of being slaves to that of being sons through hard lessons. But amid the songs that initiate the Sabbath we are reminded, “Blessed is the man whom You discipline, O Yah, and prod with Your instruction [Torah], to give him rest from the days of trouble, until the pit is dug for the wicked!” (Psalm 94:12-13) No wonder the opening liturgy says the Sabbath is a reminder of the Exodus! 

As He gave us rest, part of our high calling is to “prepare Him a resting-place” on earth. (15:2) It began in microcosm in the place He was taking us--“His earthly thoroughfare”, in the words of a song from the 1970 Billy Graham film, His Land. From there it’s meant to spread: 

“Zion wasn’t meant to point away to ‘heaven’; it was the place where earth and heaven came together…That’s why holiness is important, not because God is a killjoy, but because we are called to be fully human in a way most of us have scarcely begun to imagine. We ourselves are to be places where heaven and earth come together, which means that, as we pray for God’s rule to become a reality ‘on earth as in heaven’, we must… daily live out that reality in our own recalcitrant bodies.” (N.T. Wright, Into the Heart of Romans, p. 102)

As He told Moshe, YHWH doesn’t want us to just stand and watch; we have to get involved--pulling up our tent pegs to be ready to move when He moves. (14:15) We are “created…for good works, which YHWH ordained beforehand, so that we should walk in them.” (Eph. 2:10) He has prepared and put everything in place, and He has also put us in the right place at the right time. We need to train our minds to assume that since He is in charge, things are not all wrong, even if they look that way--though a sea seems to stand in our way. The conditions are right for what He’s made us to be: those in whom His image is restored, called to something higher than browbeaten drudgery.  

We may even become His conduit for miracles if we obey His voice even when it sounds preposterous, as Moshe did—this time at least. (17:5-6) The rod itself had no innate power; without it the waters of the Red Sea would probably have still split because of the other forces YHWH had set in motion at creation to converge at this moment, like the haftarah in which “the stars in their courses”—in the paths they normally took at that time (see Patten for details on what this was)—"fought against Sisera”. (Judges 5:20) But waving the rod on cue highlighted the fact that it was YHWH working, and not just a coincidence. And it served as a beacon of hope to Y’hoshua and the rest of those fighting Amaleq (17:11) when they looked up and were reminded that the Elohim Who had used that rod many times before was paying attention to their situation in the midst of battle, for as Michael Card sings, “Only the warrior who hopes can be brave.” Such theatrics may be the emotional boost we sometimes need as motivation to push on through the battle so the people He set free can stay free. This is the kind of adventure He creates!

More exciting still is that “the principle of the spirit of life in Messiah Yeshua has set me free from the principle of sin and death.” (Romans 8:2) Even now. We can even be above disease, if we follow His instructions closely. (Ex. 15:26) Then our 12 tribes will be springs (15:27), an oasis to bring the water of YHWH’s words (Eph. 5:26) where all else is dead, making all 70 nations into trees of life with healing in their leaves. (Rev. 22:2, based on Ezek. 47:12) 

Reluctant Warriors

In choosing the route for the Exodus, “Elohim did not lead them by way of the Philistines, though it was shorter, lest, when they see war, the people regret [leaving] and turn back to Egypt.” (Exodus 13:17)

They would still soon learn that “YHWH is a warrior” (15:3)—but only when He has to be. “With the crooked, You prove Yourself [able to] tie them in knots.” (Psalm 18:26/27 in Heb.) He can outmaneuver the wicked, but that does not mean He wants to be like them. He may use such occasions to gain honor (Heb., “weightiness”) in the eyes of those who don’t know Him (14:3), but though He did so in a dramatic, unforgettable way, He is not boastful. In those who saw it, it inspired awe and trust (14:31), even celebration of the immense relief from arrogant oppressors (Ex. 15)—but not a perverse triumphalism.

That was what YHWH condemned in Babylon, though He used it as an instrument to chastise His people; He punished them too, because they enjoyed being the destroyers. (Jeremiah 50:10-11) In contrast, the Passover seder includes elements of sympathy for the losses the Egyptians had to experience in the process of our liberation. YHWH only did it because He loves us. (15:13) He considered the sacrificing of Egypt a necessary evil, regrettably our only way out. (Isa. 43:3) As Pantano & Salisbury sang 50 years ago, “Freedom is never cheap just because it’s free; some prices are so high they’re only paid in blood.”

When he was about to pay that very price for our freedom, Yeshua summed it up as “Those who take up the sword will die by the sword.” (Mat. 26:52) If that is our rule for living, the sword has two edges and can just as easily turn back on us; the criterion by which we judge is meted out against us too. (Mat. 7:2)

We are citizens of the Kingdom where peace is the rule (Isaiah 11:1-10), but in this world that will only be possible when the Deceiver has no more access to humans, who will then finally get to fulfill our calling as stewards and caretakers of the earth. (Revelation 20:2-3) While still in our exile we sometimes have to, incidentally (as a lesser of two evils), arm ourselves. HaSatan has hell to pay (literally!) for making it necessary for peace-loving people to fight and kill—or lay down our lives in the face of corrupt power, so a deeper power (that of overcoming evil with good) can be preserved and released. 

 Thanks to the one who paid in blood, that is not the end of the story, and ultimately, not a hair of our heads will end up having been harmed (Luke 21:18)—just like the shoot that grew out of the stump of David’s apparently-dead dynasty (Isaiah 11:1), and just like the clearly-doomed Israel that nonetheless came out on the other side of the sea unscathed, while the powerful Egyptians had not a single survivor. (14:28)

Not that we deserved it; we started complaining not even a week later. (15:22-23) But YHWH fought that battle for us, and maybe, if we give Him space, He’ll do so again and we won’t have to take up arms. 

 Not every time (17:8-16), but maybe more often than we think possible. On more than a few occasions Israel won battles without striking a blow (2 Kings 7:6-7; 2 Chron. 32:21-22), by the enemy’s own hand turned against itself (Judges 7:22; 2 Chron. 20:22-24), or with just the power of praise (2 Chron. 20:21). “The battle does not belong to the strong” (Eccles. 9:11) but to YHWH (1 Shmu’el 17:47; 2 Chron. 20:15).

If He calls us to be His instrument of wrath (as He would when the children who escaped Egypt grew up and reached Canaan), we can be sure His cause is just and those we must kill did something worthy of it. Just don’t assume this is always how He will do things. Better if those who prefer the way of the sword cancel out other evildoers than that those who aim higher assume this is the only way out and leave YHWH no room to use other means. (Rom. 12:19) 

 Better still, He says “I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that [he] turn from his way and live.” (Ezekiel 33:11) That’s what He really wants.

Links to Another Time and Better Prospects

How could our ancestors be so ungrateful as to ask Moshe why he even brought us out of Egypt? (14:11) They’d become sarcastic, for indeed there were a lot of graves in Egypt. That’s what the pyramids were, after all! But how did they forget the slavery so quickly? By that psychological complex that convinces folks that what is familiar, no matter how bad, is safer than uncertainty? 

 But then there was YHWH…

They had traveled in haste, day and night (13:21), so they could make good time. They camped three times before crossing the Sea (12:37; 13:20; 14:2), so they don’t appear to have traveled all night, just into the night, then took only short rests. Having left the morning of the 15th of Aviv, they probably only arrived at the Red Sea and Moshe lifted his rod over it at the end of the 17th, but that was the beginning of the deliverance, as the strong east wind (also an “ancient spirit” in Hebrew) began to blow.

That wind--poetically the blast of YHWH’s own nostrils! (Ex. 15:8)--must have been a cold one, for it froze the water in its upright position. (15:8) The physics involved have Israel going through first over what turns out, by recent discoveries, to be the shallowest part of the Red Sea’s east branch--even having a grade mild enough to exceed requirements for wheelchair ramps! (L. Moeller) It was fully exposed at that time. (14:29) When the pillar of fire came behind them, ahead of the Egyptians, and started to melt the ice (apparently without the Egyptians noticing), so that the dry path became slushy as the trickle started, making the Egyptian chariots skid and get stuck in the mud (14:25), then the full meltage brought a deluge upon the Egyptians who had already arrived all the way into the sea. (14:27).

Why would the date of their arrival be important? The 17th of Aviv is a day when YHWH accomplished many other great things: Noah’s ark came to rest (Gen. 8:4), it appears that on this day Israel first ate the fruit of Canaan and Y’hoshua was instructed by the Captain of YHWH’s hosts about the strategy for defeating Jericho (Joshua 5:10-15), Hizqiyahu cleansed the Temple and resumed the offerings (2 Chron. 2:17-20), Haman was exposed and killed (Esther 3:12; 5:1), and Yeshua was resurrected, 3 days and 3 nights after the Passover.  Allan Wilson summarizes this day as one of complete victory over our enemies, resulting in a new beginning.

This date may also play a special part in our own future deliverance. The Septuagint (LXX), considered by many to be translated from a text earlier than the Masoretic used most widely today, is indeed closer to the Dead Sea Scrolls, the oldest known Hebrew manuscripts still extant. The LXX version of Jeremiah 31:8 (38:8 in the LXX) says we will make our journey back to the Promised Land at the feast of Passover!

Yet the first stop was Sukkoth—the name of the feast on the opposite side of the Solar System from Passover (that is, exactly six months later). Recall that the 1st and 7th months were switched on our calendar at the first Passover (Ex. 12:2), so there seems to be an intimate connection between the old 15th of the first month and the new one. (This explains Genesis 8:4 above.) 

 From Sukkoth, Yosef’s bones were collected and brought along (Ex. 13:19). Think of the dry bones in Ezekiel 37, also brought out of their graves. This is a prophecy, acted out by the patriarch, of his descendants who had “died” to the covenant, yet whom YHWH promised to regather and bring back. (Hos. 10:9-11) A resurrection indeed!

Isaiah 11:11ff only specifies that a tongue of the Egyptian Sea and Euphrates River will need to divide as the Red Sea and later the Jordan did, so maybe, through catastrophic events like those that separated them, the continents will un-drift back together by that time, and we’ll be able to walk back home (not in haste—Isa. 52:12) from any part of the earth! 

Sounds fantastic, but don’t put anything past YHWH!

“Contradiction” 
Just Means a Window 
into a Bigger Reality 

YHWH knew what was coming, so He set up a strange rendezvous. The “golden occasion” of a land bridge exposed by a strong wind would have been wasted if Israel had not obeyed and made the “wrong turn” (14:2-3)—or had Moshe thought he knew the route better and said, “That makes no sense!” 

 None of the traditional crossing sites that assume Mt. Sinai was in the peninsula only later named that by Emperor Constantine’s mother (rather than in Arabia, as Paul informs us it was in Galatians 4:25) would have required the epic drama to get this millions-strong multitude across. (See Patterns of Evidence’s video production “Journey to Mt. Sinai” for details.) And our ancestors would probably actually have been re-enslaved or killed in revenge for the plagues if we’d stayed on the easier-to traverse route.

So if you are convinced that YHWH is directing you to take a “wrong turn” that doesn’t seem logical to your natural mind and looks like a dead end, but you just can’t shake it, He may be setting you up for an epic deliverance that again disrupts the status quo more than any humanly-fomented revolution ever could—but actually solves problems rather than just throwing people from the frying pan into the fire.

This works on the conceptual level too. Here we yet again revisit YHWH’s “strengthening of Pharaoh’s heart” (14:4, 8). But we can look at the paradox from a different angle this time, because what strikes us at first as a contradiction is usually what gets us to broaden the scope of our thinking and discover the bigger reality that unites ideas we thought were oxymoronic. 

 To our surprise there’s a part of YHWH that loves excitement as much as we do, or more, since He has none of the corruption that in us turns it sour or selfish so easily. He has a triumphant attitude, insisting that He will gain honor over Pharaoh. (14:4, 17-18) That word for honor in Hebrew is kaved, which, as we saw last week, means “weightiness”. 

He wants to show off what He can do, not for ego’s sake, but so we’ll see what He is actually capable of—that He is “heavier” than the most formidable challenge, so if He can do that, how much more can we trust Him in the “lighter” challenges we encounter each day? They’re that much easier for Him to conquer, and as we do our small part of moving forward in faith and lift whatever “rod” He places in our hands (14:15-16), it adds just enough flair that others will notice that He is doing something significant.  

This lets us experience the roller-coaster ride as an adventure rather than a threat, so we can shriek from delight instead of from terror, since we know He’s “got this”. Because of that, even pain, though initially rooted in our rebellion, can still be woven into His redemptive tapestry as part of the plot that makes His story go so much deeper into our hearts than the shallower narratives that we’re used to.
This story is so deep it’s still celebrated 3,500 years later, and remains as exciting as ever.  

But what’s even more profound (“deep” in Latin—but in English it’s a particular type of deep) is that Yosef’s bones were taken along (13:19). Why is that so special? Because he was more than just bones; Yosef had been embalmed (Gen. 50:26) so there is probably still extant DNA by which we could be tested to prove we are his descendants, if it ever becomes necessary, as one “ticket back home”—since another reason it’s especially riveting for us is that we may get to be the generation that experiences an Exodus that supersedes this one, as He brings His people back not from just one but many places that have again left them debilitated. (Isa. 27:13) We might not believe it if He hadn’t said so! (Jer. 16:14-15)

We’ll be telling of that adventure for a thousand years after, so though it will undoubtedly bring us many close calls, don’t mar it by grumbling this time around; do a tikkun (reparation) for our ancestors’ short-sighted complaints. For those who do choose to overcome, He has manna waiting again! (Rev. 2:17)