Parashat Bo

(Exodus 10:1 - 13:16)

His slaves: Those Hebrews still attached to Pharaoh when they should be moving to Goshen would now have their hearts hardened as well. There are many people like this today who remain loyalto their religiouscontext rather than looking at what YHWH’s word really says, without all of men’s decorations. YHWH is now turning up the heat. If they had not been unrepentant, YHWH would not need to take the plagues to the next level. It is not that their hearts are constantly inclined to evil, but they are counted as wicked because they simply fail to repent. They are the tares sown among the true seed (Mat. 13:36ff) that must be gathered out of the Kingdom so the righteous can shine. The wicked are not just out on their own, but are gathered into assemblies, as YHWH is calling out with the same message today: “Gather together as Israel, come out of Egypt, and celebrate My feasts!” Those who do leave and follow the call to become a community in the “place of the Word” will find safety in some kind of Goshen again, and that day can be soon if we hear the message. Keeping His feasts is one of the keys to accomplishing this. The Exodus thus comes in stages: When Moshe first returned, there was already a functioning body of elders, though the people were still scattered. Now they have gathered to Goshen, and are preparing for the full departure. Within him: or, very close to him. The purpose of judgment is to soften the heart. If one responds, He will have no reason to condemn. But Pharaoh refused to submit to the circumcising of his heart, so it became further concealed within the fat that kept growing over it.

Recount in the ears: impress it so deeply that it goes into his heart. This is an integral part of the observance of the Feast of Unleavened Bread today. Exerted Myself to do: or, dealt severely with, made a fool of the Egyptians, played with as a child (an insult to Pharaoh’s childishness), or, gleaned Egypt (picked up what was left after the harvest, so that whatever is left in Egypt is worthless, for everything of any value that was there is now in Israel’s possession; LXX: "in how many things I have mocked the Egyptians". These children would experience YHWH’s mercy, but they had to be told that He has another side as well—a side that destroys the children of Egypt. It was a fair warning for what He would do to Israel if they would turn away from His words like Pharaoh did. YHWH could have just snuffed Pharaoh out, but He is not lawless. He adheres to a legal process, using judgment to remove the authority from one’s own heart. He also gave them a dramatic epic to recount to their children so that they would never forget it. And indeed, here we are, nearly 3,500 years later, still remembering it, so that OUR children will know that YHWH is not far from us, and will continue to reject the ways of Egypt, for we are still in the process of leaving. The passages included in the t’fillin (phylacteries) bound on one’s head and arm go into greater detail about this command to teach our children diligently. (Ex. 13:1-16; Deut. 6:4-9; 11:13-21)

How long: literally, until when? Hebrews: literally, "crossers-over"; to have Him as your Elohim, you must be a "crosser-over". Humble yourself: Hirsch, "recognize your poverty". The term can also mean “be busy”, so He is also reminding Pharaoh that He is YHWH’s slave, and asking how he has the audacity to not submit to YHWH’s will. Humbling ourselves before Him includes being busy for Him, but at the right times; there are six days for that, but the seventh day He tells us to stop our busyness. We tend to be busy about Him only on the seventh day and busy for ourselves the other six days.

Locusts are one of the few insects that are clean (kosher), and they represent an army (Prov. 30:27, etc.)--a pure army--brought in judgment on an idolatrous land. But the Hebrew word for “locust” is based on the word for “many” (hence the swarm) or “increase”. The root word for “territory” means “a rope”, as in cordoning off a border. Hence, on a deeper level YHWH is saying He is “increasing Pharaoh’s rope”. This theme picks up again in v. 7. Tomorrow: He still gives Pharaoh time to repent. He is making war on Egypt, but constantly extends mercy, just as He does when He makes war on what holds us captive. He would rather that we surrender than die, and if we do, His purpose is fulfilled. Even small things can be great strongholds, and if we repent, everything can change.

Cover the eye: Aramaic Targum Onqelos explains that this means it would obscure the view of the sun. There are hieroglyphic drawings in Egypt representing Ra (the sun-god) as an eyeball. So again this is an attack on the chief deity of Egypt. It is also an attack on Isis, the goddess of life, and Min, the goddess of fertility and vegetation, the protector of crops. The crops thath are left are the wheat and the rye (or spelt), and Pharaoh has found hope in them that still somehow YHWH will not get the best of him. When locusts start out, the do not swarm, but when many of them are together and start to rub against each other’s back legs, they feel crowded and start flying. One swarm can eat a half billion pounds of food in a day! They have been known to be so carried about in a frenzy that they have traveled all the way from West Africa to the Caribbean, probably helped along by the wind. Everyone would be covered by them, so no one could help anyone else. YHWH is gleaning Egypt further (see v. 2), removing the blessings He had brought there with Yoseyf. He has tried to avoid it, but was forced to take His gift back.

Pharaoh thought that he himself and his fathers had descended from the sun-god Ra. So this was a direct insult to them—saying that the Elohim who was doing these things had been around longer than they and knew things they didn't. Neither...have seen: Rabbi Hirsch says such swarms are normally only found in Asia. If Pharaoh decided he wanted to check the records to determine whether Moshe was really so knowledgeable about his nation’s history, he might have come across the last time Egypt was without food and decide to seek out Yoseyf’s descendants, to see if they could help him again. Instead, he would find that those were the very people whom he had enslaved and whose Elohim was already working in opposition to him. He had no options left. Now Moshe is the one turning his back on Pharaoh; whereas previously he would have walked out backwards, always facing Pharaoh as he departed, he no longer shows such respect for his royal image.

Servants: probably Israelites doing their “civic duty”, thinking they still owed Pharaoh something, though he hated their people. A noose: YHWH gave Pharaoh enough rope to hang himself. A lost cause: literally, Don't you yet know that Egypt is vanishing (or slipping away)? Pharaoh's servants recognize that YHWH is indeed Israel’s Elohim; Pharaoh is not. Yet still they do not see Him as their own Elohim, but someone else’s, like the “worthless son” who asks at Passover, “Why do you do these things?” without including himself. Yet now Pharaoh's servants, seeing that someone could show disrespect for Pharaoh with impunity, begin to take presumptuous liberties with him as well, daring to tell him what he should do.

Now Pharaoh realizes he has no option but to be somewhat reasonable, but still he wants to set the conditions. Egypt’s modern counterpart, the Church, is willing to let us keep the Feasts, even using their buildings, as long as we do things their way and keep paying our tithes to them. But that would mean they were still enslaved. This was YHWH’s warning to Moshe that he needed to avoid “taking Egypt with him” when he left.

We will go: i.e., we will take everything and nold nothing back! We need to have with us whatever YHWH might ask of us, so we will not leave anything for Egypt’s use. Pharaoh had no choice anymore. "Joyful festival": based on the word for "revolution"--dancing around and around in circles. The festivals do form the cycle for the whole year. They could not celebrate it properly unless the whole community was present. It could not just be the "leaders" without the "flocks".

YHWH had better be with you: i.e.,, “Just try to leave ME!" I.e., I am out of your league! Pharaoh considered himself to be a god--Ra incarnate. He probably stood up and brought his face very close to Moshe's for added effect. I.e., You are in Ra’s presence! Until this point, Pharaoh was fairly civil; now he is full of venom. This empty threats he spat against the little ones of Israel would soon turn on him. The Hebrew word for "evil" is the same as the name of this Egyptian god, so it could read, "Watch out, because evil is before your face!" What Egypt sees as the very source of life is seen as wrongness in Hebrew. This is a summary of every teaching about the ways of the world. We have to have the right perspective. Before: or “parallel to”; i.e., your equal (another elohim), your evil counterpart. Moshe had buried the Egyptian in him in the sand forty years before, but did not give him a full burial, and now he was back and could destroy him if he was not careful. Our evil inclination reminds us of what we once were, trying to intimidate us. This type of obstacle rears its head, especially when one of YHWH’s festivals is coming up, but it has no real power to back up its words in comparison to YHWH. Your little ones: The battle is over the children. It would be of little benefit in the long run if the adults left Egypt, but the next generation was left under its influence.

Males: In Egypt, it was only the men (and only those of noble position) who participated in worship, with the exception of some royalty. Yes, he'd lose some of his best laborers, but they were becoming a “pain” to him, and if they left their wives and children behind, they would probably not be too long in coming back.

Pharaoh had granted them a compromise; he seems to have given in a little. Why did they not accept his offer so they could at least go? Many would consider this to be wisdom, but Moshe responds with another plague, because YHWH does not want us to compromise with any but our brothers; we must not bargain away any of His commandments. We cannot truly do YHWH’s will if we have to cut deals; if we walk in the truth, He will care for the other details. None of Israel can be kept from this feast. If Egypt can hold onto our children, it will also hold us back, at least in part; our heartstrings will always be there. Communist leaders knew this principle, and Hitler knew that if he won the hearts of the youth, he could control their parents. Youth programs in churches operate the same way. That is why the Passover season is about teaching our children who they are and who YHWH is to THEM, so they will follow and be even more righteous than we have been, since now they can be born into the covenant without the pagan accoutrements we grew up with. This season is all about keeping our children. If they never go into bondage at all, that is the best deliverance!

So we see that his hand and his staff (or rod) were considered synonymous, because both of them are idioms for the Messiah. A staff also extends the strength of one’s hand. And the Hebrew word for staff also means “a tribe”. When as individuals we were shown mercy because of Yahshua’s blood, we had some degree of spiritual power, but when connected with a people, it is increased exponentially. Seeing Messiah in His proper context, we can advance much more quickly toward accomplishing His intentions. We are no longer on the outside looking in; the Scripture is now about us, not just someone in a foreign land many centuries ago. An east wind: could just as well be translated "an ancient spirit”; LXX: south wind. (There is evidence for some degree of polar directional shift during the encounter with the other heavenly body that passed by at that time.)

Goshen is now no longer being counted as part of “the whole land of Egypt”. The blessing that is always attached to those with a repentant heart has left along with them. Whatever is not Goshen will suffer more and more as we separate ourselves from it. Very massive: the swarm; or "intense", which is the preferred interpretation of Aramaic Targum Onqelos.

In Hebrew, this is ironic, because the word for locusts (arbeh) comes from the word rabbah (to increase), because when you see one, they are all there. But the thing that is called the increaser is actually decreasing Egypt’s food, power, confidence, and hope. If we remain in an Egyptian context, what seems to be increase to us will actually decrease us; the less there will be to us as Hebrews, for we will become its slave. Instead, use what you own take care of those around you, so that it will not own you. Only if your increase is about “us” and not about yourself can it truly be beneficial. Notice all the parallels with Genesis 1: wind or spirit, day and night, darkness, a ruin and desolation and no greenery. It symbolically shows that YHWH is creating something new --the nation of Israel--which reverses the curse that came upon creation. But Egypt is symbolic of all that opposes this revolution. The wheat that had appeared to be their only remaining food was now gone too. But imagine how much the food left in Goshen was worth to the Egyptians now. YHWH’s people needed gold to build the tabernacle’s furniture, and now they had a way to get it.

Against you: Perhaps he realized that when this happened to Egypt in the past, there had been a Yoseyf (Joseph) to ameliorate the effects of the famine, but now it had come home to roost because Yoseyf's people were the ones being refused a hearing; Pharaoh was persecuting the very people who had saved his land and made it great again! So to whom could he turn? YHWH's promise to Avraham still remains: "Those who curse you I will curse."

If the locusts were to remain in Egypt and deposit their larvae, all later harvests would also be doomed as well. (Hirsch) Your Elohim: Pharaoh finally realizes he’s done the wrong thing. He believes and has confessed his sin. Yet he still does not consider YHWH his own judge, because he was unwilling to submit to YHWH’s Torah and be His servant. So he has truly learned nothing from any of this. He had faith without works. Pharaoh thought things could get back to normal if only YHWH’s judgment was turned away—the common attitude in the Church, today’s “Egypt”. But he could no longer be lukewarm. YHWH wants us either hot or cold. There is a point (as the very end of the Bible tells us) at which one is written into the Book of the Wicked, and it becomes futile to try to turn back. He had made too many wrong choices, and now it was too late to repent. Yet just to prove YHWH’s point…

19. and YHWH turned it around to a very strong west wind, and it carried away the locusts, and blew them into the Sea of Reeds; not one locust remained within the borders of Egypt.

West wind: literally, "wind from the sea". If the locusts had remained, at least the Egyptians might have been able to cook them over all that dead wood, but now there were not even locusts left to eat, so Pharaoh himself would finally begin to become hungry as well.

21. Then YHWH told Moshe, "Extend your hand to the skies, so that darkness may come over the land of Egypt--a darkness one can feel!"

May come: Targum Onqelos adds, "after the darkness of night has departed"; i.e., this was an abnormal darkness. Pharaoh was not given a warning this time. A darkness one can feel: This gives us a clue to what this plague represents. It is about feelings. (See more below.)

Notice that Aharon is no longer acting on Moshe’s behalf. This is what YHWH wanted all along. It was never really Aharon’s job; YHWH had another position in mind for him. Moshe may have been emboldened when even the magicians said they could no longer stand before him. It is sad that it took the recognition of evil men to make Moshe confident, but all of this is still new even for Moshe, and he, too, is a student learning to walk in his calling. Darkness of gloom: or "thick darkness", which Josephus says was "without the least light", He says their breathing was also "hindered by the thickness of the air, and they died miserably, and under a terror lest they should be swallowed up by the dark cloud." Immanuel Velikovsky believed the reason the darkness was so palpable was that the earth passed through the tail of the comet and thus there was actually fine dust throughout the atmosphere, completely obscuring one’s view like a sandstorm or a blizzard. The LXX confirms this, saying, "darkness very black, even a storm".

Saw: or "considered his brother". The darkness one can feel is selfishness. No one loved his neighbor anymore. Every one of them was feeling sorry for himself, since everything they had owned had been destroyed. His same place: really the word for "underneath", which is used colloquially for one’s posterior, suggesting that no one got up from being seated. But this word for “underneath” is rooted in a word meaning “to depress”, paralleling this gloom; a "darkness one can feel" might also include psychological depression. Our emotions are meant to serve us, especially at this critical time in history when we do not have time to be overly emotional. We are commanded to be joyful, but that does not depend on one’s circumstances. If the Torah were about how we feel, we would be in big trouble, for we rarely feel like following all of it. Remaining depressed is also a selfish thing—possibly one reason bottom-dwellers like catfish are not kosher. The more we talk about it, the more it spreads to others, making it darker for them as well, unless they can truly do something to end our suffering. Usually when a people experiences a national tragedy, they pull together against a common foe. But now YHWH took away their unity as well, as He had done at Bavel. Depression can destroy even Israel if we allow it to. The way to dispelit is to find someone to serve. Dwellings: Heb., moshav--a seated assembly, or a place where they met together and shared their "light" with one another: they were living in community, and that is the difference between the two trees in the garden: one brings isolation (having all necessary knowledge within oneself), and that was the very effect it had on the Egyptians, whose lifestyle was diametrically opposed to Israel's. The other is the tree of life--which results from connection to one another and becoming a true composite body. The dry bones not only have to come together; they have to grow ligaments to connect them to each other, for the Second Adam's body to be complete and thriving. Life and light are also equated in Yochanan/John chapter 1, which is why there was light among Israel, symbolically speaking. The darkness is another direct slur on Ra, the sun god, who was powerless at this time. (Compare 12:12) The word for "saw" here is also a play on words, sounding very much like the name Ra in Hebrew. It was no longer hard to tell whose side anyone was on, as the light and darkness were in vivid contrast. Yahshua is called the "sun of righteousness", and he was not seen for three days.

He finally says all the people can go. Yet he is still trying to save some face or hold onto some measure of honor. After all, his own livestock have all been destroyed because he left them out in the field when the "hail" fell. Little ones: LXX, "store". On the allegorical level, he is telling us we can take our students with us, and be satisfied with that. But what about the many flocks that belong to Israel, yet are still in the Church? Notice that he does not summon Aharon. He tries to isolate the one who is not doing the talking, possibly thinking he can handle one better than two.

Sacrifices: literally, slaughterings (with no sense of giving anythinhg up in Hebrew); these are detailed from chapter 20 onward. Moshe rises to the occasion and speaks to Phataoh with authority. He angers Pharaoh, but he is acting in the opposite way from when he angered YHWH with his hesitancy. Not only can he not hold onto what is theirs; he himself is required to contribute some of what is his own as well! He owes YHWH something too. If we try to hold onto something, we lose even more. (Mat. 10:39) This is a Torah principle, in which Moshe was walking before there was a Torah as such. When one sets a slave free, he is not permitted to send him out empty-handed, but must supply him liberally. (Deut. 15:12ff) This passage is even connected to remembering that we were slaves in Egypt.

I.e., "We don't know what we're going to need. He might ask us for everything, so how can we leave anything behind?" Pharaoh did not yet get the point that it was not Moshe's choice what he could or could not take. What YHWH wants, YHWH gets. Holding back is not only not our right; it is robbery. If we have to know ahead of time what will be required of us, we are not ready to serve YHWH. If you are not ready to count yourself as a complete loss, this is not the life for you. Service to YHWH is an adventure, not a preplanned holiday! We will find out how to serve when it is time to serve. YHWH did not teach them about burnt offerings or sacrifices until after they had left Egypt (Yirmeyahu 7:22), and until we leave our “Egypt", we are unable to learn properly how to serve Him. Gathering in Goshen is not enough; we have to go to the wilderness, literally the “place of the Word” and draw even nearer, serving Him as His Word requires, not using grace as an excuse. He has purchased us, whether we acknowledge this or not, and since our ancestors dedicated us to His covenant, it is our obligation. Perhaps they would even need to leave some of their own possessions behind in Egypt in order to carry the things the Egyptians had to give them, which YHWH wanted them to use in building the Tabernacle.

28. And Pharaoh told them, "Get away from me, and watch out for your own sake that you not take one more look at my face, because on the day you see my face, you will die."

29. So Moshe said, "Indeed, it will be as you say; I will never see your face again."

See your face: or, be in my presence. This clears up the apparent contradiction of the fact that he will again see Pharaoh, because this is the last time Moshe recognized any authority in Pharaoh. The next time they saw one another, it was Pharaoh who would be in Moshe’s presence!

CHAPTER 11

Up to this point Moshe had only told Pharaoh they would go into the wilderness; assumedly they would then come back, but YHWH wanted to take them further than that—to make them a separate nation, to fulfill His promises to their ancestors (though He did not cast His pearls before swine and tell Pharaoh this part). So Pharaoh would need to be motivated to release them from that commitment—and this is what this last strike was about. The term “drive” here is the one used of divorce in Hebrew. (Lev. 21:13; Num. 30:9, et al) There was another "elohim" vying for their hearts. Utterly: This sounds redundant, but in unpointed Hebrew (which is the original way it was written), this is spelled the same as “bride”. Thus it could just as well read, “as they send away a divorced bride”. This was exactly what YHWH wanted—for Pharaoh to renounce all authority over Israel. He was saying, in effect, “Get your hands off my woman!” We were no longer "married" to Egypt in any way, being released from all allegiance to him, no longer being part of his “great house”, leaving us free to be betrothed to YHWH, as would indeed be the scenario at Mt. Sinai. How much more does He want to give us that He will only tell us if we obey the light we already have? But the word for “utterly” can also mean “completely bring to an end”, and that is how the Aramaic translation Pseudo-Jonathan takes it: Pharaoh would experience total destruction when he sent Israel out.

Neighbor: an intimate term. This referred to either Egyptians whom they knew well, and may have even been friends. They had a purpose: to provide for the exodus of Israel. These neighbors also may have included other Israelites who still served Pharaoh. Those whom we have come to know well and who respect YHWH and those who follow His Torah, yet are afraid to fully commit to following for themselves will somehow again be the ones to provide for our exodus. We must receive from them—not steal, but take what they offer when YHWH gives us favor in their eyes. Articles: or vessels--in Scripture, often pictures of people as containers for an offering to YHWH. The vessels to come forth from Egypt even included some Egyptians, so this request was also an offer to them. Silver and gold were the metals worthy of use in building the items needed for the tabernacle. They were not for personal use, but national, so there need be no hesitancy to accept them. But the root word from which “articles” stems is again the word for “bride”, so these were to also be used as ornaments to adorn YHWH’s “bride” on the day of her betrothal!

Charm: favor, elegance, or acceptance; Aram., compassion. The “land” in the chapter consistently refers to the people of Egypt more than the territory. Thus, three groups of people are being spoken of here: the Egyptians, the Hebrews who were still attached to Pharaoh, and the obedient Israelites, who had moved back to Goshen to form a single community that would come to be known as Israel. The second group seemed to be well-meaning traditionalists, overseers who had indeed shown concern for the welfare of the rest of the Israelites (5:14-15), but did not see themselves as part of the group that was to leave to serve YHWH. This was the turning point for Moshe: he had not left Pharaoh’s presence, but now it was as if Pharaoh was the one standing in Moshe’s presence. The people may have admired him as well, but they at least feared him more than they feared Pharaoh now.

The midst of Egypt: Before He can dwell in the midst—the innermost center--of Israel (25:8), He goes intro the midst of Egypt. This means that His being among us is not always a blessing. If we are not pleasing to Him, His presence can bring death. He wants His camp to be clean (Deut. 23:14), a sweet-smelling place. If we invite Him into our midst, we must make sure we are a people He can dwell among. If we keep our camp like an Egyptian one, and He steps in the excrement we leave within it, the judgment will be severe and His presence will bring a curse as it did for Egypt.

When his son died, Pharaoh would finally feel what YHWH felt over Pharaoh's mishandling of His son, Israel. (Hirsch, cf. 4:22) Who sits: Aram., "the one who is ordained to sit..."; i.e., the crown prince. The highest it goes is Pharaoh’s son; if Pharaoh himself was a firstborn, he will not die yet, because YHWH needs him to survive a few more days for another purpose. Originally it was only Pharaoh’s son whose death was foretold (4:23), and even that could have been avoided had Pharaoh simply been obedient. Yet after all these strikes on Egypt which were meant to motivate him to relent, He was right back where He started. If a man had more than one wife, he could potentially lose several firstborn osns, because the one who opens the womb is counted as the firstborn. (13:2; 20:26) The slave-girl would seem to be innocent, but if she was still not joined to the Hebrews, her son would suffer this death. The Israelite overseers maintained their loyalty to Pharaoh despite all this evidence that his kingdom was crushed as if between two millstones. They were even more loyal to him than Pharaoh’s magicians and the Egyptians themselves, who were now doubting him. (10:7) Yeshayahu 47:1-3 attributes the same task of grinding at millstones to the deposed “virgin daughter of Bavel (Babylon)”. Thus Babylon is what connects part of Israel to Egypt. Babylon in Scripture is symbolic of an economic system that rules through a false promise of security. In our day it is also what keeps many who are truly Israel bound to the institutional church system, because they would have heavy financial loss if they left. They would soon be out of a job anyway; they had to make a clear decision to go down with Egypt or admit that they really belonged to Israel. There will soon be the same kind of choice for those still in the church: live as Israel or remain in the one-world religious system to perish with it.

7. "‘But for all the sons of Israel, not [even] a dog shall move its tongue, either from among man or beast, so that you may know that YHWH makes a [miraculous] distinction between Egypt and Israel.

For all the sons: or "toward/against all..." Move its tongue: literally, sharpen its tongue. (Compare Y’hoshua 10:21 and Iyov/Job 5:15-16.) LXX: "snarl with his tongue, either at man or beast"; Aram., "do any harm with his tongue by barking". Jewish tradition says that because the dogs remained quiet at this time, YHWH gave them the gift of being able to sense the angel of death, and the same tradition is extant in Mexico (another nation that places much emphasis on death). Personal anecdotes seem to uphold this idea. But the dogs may have kept silent because they would not even sense the death angel among those who had gathered as Israel. Anubis, the Egyptian god of mummification was half-dog (or jackal), half-man, supposedly assisted in the rites by which the dead were admitted to the underworld by testifying on behalf of the one who had died. It is depicted as guarding the tombs of Pharaohs. (See reproduction above.) But Israel does not need Anubis to speak for us. This is the season when we examine what is in our mouths. (13:7-9) Do we have the mouth of an Israelite or the mouth of a dog? Once Moshe had his own words in his mouth instead of YHWH’s (Num. 20:10ff), and he suffered great consequences. Is it worse to have a dog’s mouth, or to eat from a dog’s mouth? Dogs eat blood, which is a picture of life, so eating blood is a picture of partaking of your own life. The consequence is to be cut off from Israel (Lev. 7:26ff), which the rabbis say means one’s children will die before he does, so that he has no heir. YHWH puts gossip and clouding an issue by listening to it without putting a stop to it in the same category as eating blood (Lev. 17:10; Psalms 12:1-3; 34:12-13), for we consume the life of the one abot whom we are whispering. If we wag our tobgues against fellow Israelites, we are worse than these dogs. Even Egypt is to see that there is a difference between us and their people. They need to recognize that they have been deceived and held captive by Pharaoh—or by their own fears, desires, or successes. What do they see in us that is different? Yahshua said that the distinction they are meant to see is in how we care for one another—not a soft and fluffy love, but a visible commitment to one another to the extent that we know we can depend on one another. Part of this “distinction” was also to show Egypt that their god of death had no power to protect their firstborn, while He could protect His. (4:22) Man or beast: symbolic of the redeemed and the redeemable; elsewhere in Scripture, dogs are seen as symbolic of the unredeemable, just as Pharaoh had proven to be. Compare Psalm 22:16, 20, where the psalmist prays for deliverance from the power of a dog. This is a psalm Yahshua quoted while dying, so on that level it has a special reference to haSatan. The word for “distinction” here means something that Egypt could not imitate—the typical term for “wonders” beyond man’s reach. This is also a name by which Yahshua is referred to (Judg. 13:18; Yesh. 9:6) Israel was poor and downtrodden, while Egypt was powerful, but like the many stories of a prince being willing to give up a great military alliance to marry a commoner whom he loved, YHWH was willing to part with Egypt in order to redeem Israel. (Yeshayahu/Isa. 43:3) He does not have the same kind of covenant with any other people. (Yirm. 31:31) YHWH did not make such a distinction between Jews and the “Gentiles” (northern-kingdom Israelites who had mixed with the nations, Hos. 7:8) who were returning to Him, because they were now part of Israel as well. (Acts 15:8-9)

Who are at your feet: possibly an idiom for “those who follow you”. Why was Moshe angry? Because Pharaoh’s lak of repentance meant thousands of innocent children would die needlessly. It could have all been easily avoided. Moshe is becoming bolder than his nature used to allow. Now he is not afraid to “get in Pharaoh’s face”. Christians all think they are greater than Moshe (the Torah), but those who have come out have had to lower ourselves before YHWH’s word. He is a picture of what YHWH can do in a man. A few weeks ago he was nervous, but he is no longer that kind of man. He has been through enough to build his confidence in YHWH, and having His word in our mouths is the greatest source of confidence. If we can grasp what it really says rather than what we want it to say, we can be as full of faith as he. It does not matter whether we can do what He asks; He will do it through us if we not only have His word but let it have us. Even if we memorize it thoroughly, if we are not actually doing it, it hasnot yet gotten hold of us. We have to grasp it first, but we want it to grab back so it is not merely a part of us, but we are a part of it. When we find our lives in the Torah and it defines who we are, we cannot help but be confident. To be known by the word is to partake of eternity.

Egypt will remain Egypt until it is destroyed, so we should not expect it to change. The only change we can make is to decrease its population by leaving and taking others out with us.

YHWH preferred that we would leave on our own—a word, to the wise, being sufficient—for who wants a wife who was forced to marry him? But since Pharaoh would never just let us go, YHWH had to push him to the point that he would be eager for us to go and actually force us out.

CHAPTER 12

In the land of Egypt: This is the first time YHWH is said to have spoken in Egypt since the plagues began. The first time it was only to Moshe, who had initially only said he was there to give the slaves a rest. But it became a showdown between YHWH and Pharaoh, which kept escalating as Pharaoh refused to recognize that YHWH was greater than he, thinking he could ignore YHWH’s many reiterations of the same command. But now, after nine plagues had not curbed his arrogance at all; the few times he did acknowledge YHWH, he did not follow through. So the cup of Egypt’s sin has become full, and a plague more serious than merely strange weather and frogs in one’s orifices needed to be used. Despite all YHWH did, Egypt did not hear Him. Shouldn’t the fact that the people recognize Moshe as great count for something? Yet they do not see the wonders as from YHWH, but from a man—just like Christianity—so the plague will fall on them as well. Seventy times seven is still a finite number, albeit large, and the number of times one can get away with the same thing will eventually reach its limit.

The first command given to the corporate people of Israel was "change your calendar". Egypt was based on the sun; their calendar would be based on the moon in direct contrast. They no longer have anything to do with the sun. "There is nothing new under the sun" (Ecclesiastes), but the moon is renewed twelve times a year! YHWH can thus still "do a new thing". (The terms "moon" and "renewing" are the same in Hebrew.) The moon is said to be "born again". Interestingly, Nakdimon (Nicodemus) visited Yahshua at night, when the moon is visible, and learned from this vivid picture of rebirth. For you: This was only for Israel, to set her apart further as a light to the world. The calendar stayed the same for the rest of creation, and indeed the civil calendar of Israel still begins in what is now the seventh month of the religious calendar. Yet the command was given while we were still in exile. He established even before removing us from captivity that we belong to Him, not to Pharaoh. So the fact that we are again in exile now does not mean we cannot keep His appointments on their proper days. But the Hebrew word for year really means “reduplication”, so the last sentence could be read, [This renewal] will be the first of the renewals that will be repeated. Yeshayahu 27:12-13 and Yirmeyahu 23:7-8 tell us that the Exodus will indeed be repeated on an even grander scale.

For each ancestral house: literally, "For a house of fathers". This is the purpose of the sacrificed Lamb, Yahshua—to build a house of living stones for his Father to indwell. The Lamb was not to be from Egypt or imported from anywhere else, just as Yahshua was from among the flock of Israel. Anyone under the authority of a particular patriarch—the man to whom they were responsible—would eat it under his supervision. On the parallel date of the other calendar (the 10th of the other first month, six months later) is another covering over. Thus at the “same day” we recognize our shortcomings, we find the remedy to keep our household from experiencing death, just like at Yom Kippur. But just because the Passover Lamb has been chosen, this does not mean we get to skip Yom Kippur! We still have to work through the self-examination and change our priorities as well as our performance. And it is done every year, not just once. Likewise, we choose Yahshua’s example of Torah-keeping not just once, but every time a new facet of it comes to light. His being offered for us is not a “lucky charm” that means we need to do nothing more, but an enlistment in the process of discipline--a commitment to become what he was. We need to learn from the “master archer” how to stop missing the target and not leave it to him to do it all.

“Household” has nothing to do with the size of the building, and possibly not even with DNA, especially today. It has to do with agreement—just as we now say, “If you live under my roof, you will follow my rules.” Smaller families were to share one lamb so the life of the animal would not be taken and then some of the meat wasted, because they could not take it with them. Conversely, if the family was a large one, they would each eat less lamb and bake more matzah.

Perfect: or complete, having nothing missing and no additional parts that should not be there—for it symbolizes ourselves. We must not present to YHWH anything less than our best--or added accoutrements He does not want—and not just the best that we are now, but the best we can be. We do not offer something old and worn out, but something fresh, and every part of ourselves, reserving nothing for self. We are made to be perfect, yet we cannot realize this until we get the “leaven” out of our lives. This lamb is in no way lame, even though the root word for “Passover” means “lame”—for that which is lame in us must be killed off. An individual might never become perfect as we think of it, but each can bring the whole community to completeness. And perfection according to Torah is not necessarily lack of sin, but following the remedy it prescribes when we do sin, for we learn and grow from these as well. Each household had to know how to judge what was acceptable to YHWH.

Watch over it: guard it carefully and observe it, to be sure there were no defects. The children undoubtedly gave it a name, clean it well, and it would become like a pet, giving us another occaion to teach the children that we kill it not because we are angry at it. It becomes part of the household, because that is what YHWH is really asking for—that household. It comes to represent us. Yahshua was "observed" or inspected by everyone from the day of the "triumphal entry" until Passover: the P'rushim (Pharisees) quit asking him questions; Pontius Pilate found no fault in him and washed his hands of any liability; and the crucifying soldier declared him to be necessarily the Son of YHWH. The whole congregation: One person literally kills each, but it is a corporate act, for the other households are there as witnesses, and this means they take full responsibility to be sure it is done properly. How can we be a corporate witness if we are a house divided? Psalm 22 says he was surrounded by dogs (an idiom for Gentiles), lions (the symbol of Judah), and bulls (a symbol of Ephraim or the northern Kingdom--showing that everyone was present to kill him, and no one group in particular can be blamed for His murder. "Between the evenings": the word for "evening" is based on "mixture" or "transition", so it is done between the time we can first notice the decline of daylight and the time daylight transitions into night. This is as the 14th of the month is fading into the 15th. By the time of the second Temple, it was offered between the first and second evening oblation, which translates to the ninth hour (3:00 p.m.), which is exactly when Yahshua was slain on Passover. Why the 14th? The way to write the number 14 in Hebrew is with the letters yod and dalet, which spell the word for “hand”. Indeed, YHWH had said He would stretch out His hand over Egypt (3:19) and lay His hand on it (7:4). The Passover lamb was thus to be kept until the fullness of YHWH’s hand (Messiah) comes. Yahshua, thus, is the one who strikes Egypt down.

As when Moshe’s wife touched the blood of circumcision to her son’s two legs and the “lintel” of his genitals, it would form the letter heth, the first letter in the Hebrew word for “life”—in stark contrast to the death the messenger was bringing and the whole emphasis on death that pervaded Egypt. While Christianity puts the same overemphasis on being prepared for death, Moshe commanded us to write the words of the Torah on our doorposts, because the commandment would be "life" to us (Deut. 32:47). The Torah is about what we do while we are alive, because “the dead cannot praise YHWH”. (Psalm 115:17) But the word heth actually means “sin”! The second letter, yodh, which is related to the word “hand” also needs to be there. If we let sin remain, we will die (Rom. 6:23), but if we apply our hand to it—do something about it, there can be life again. Sin is not just a moral violation; we could sin by giving a gift if it is not the best we can give, or sin by telling the truth if it damages someone. We must not look so much at the act as at the purpose. Sin is in any way falling short of the standard, whether it is against YHWH or not; one can be morally very upright and yet steeped in sin, as in celebrating Easter rather than Passover, though done with great sincerity.

Bitter herbs: possibly "bitter things", or simply "bitterness". The word for "flesh" is basar. It can mean "meat", and because the locating of meat for consumption is glad news for hungry people, the word basar also came to mean "good news". It is the Hebrew equivalent of the word "gospel”. We could also alternately translate "the life of the flesh is in the blood" (Lev. 17”14) as "blood is the soul of the gospel". The glad news is about the blood of Yahshua. One reason blood is not to be eaten is that it is what makes atonement for the soul (Lev. 17:11). His Body needs his blood in order to live spiritually. The word for "blood" is dam, and occasionally this also refers to wine. This can explain why Yahshua said that unless we eat his flesh (the gospel) and drink his blood (the Passover wine that symbolizes what his blood means to us), we have no life in us. (Yochanan 6:53)

Raw: Aramaic, lightly roasted—possibly what today is known as “rare”. It was not to be boiled, because YHWH had promised Noach that the world would not be destroyed by a flood again; next time it will be by fire. (Yochanan the Immerser said Yahshua would baptize with fire, not water.) YHWH gives only one option, for it is not about personal tastes but about unity. No matter if it has carcinogens, or one’s constitution cannot handle it; these are not excuses. Its entrails: The intestines were wrapped around the head and it was called the "crowned sacrifice"; Yahshua, who is himself called "our Passover" (1 Corinthians 5:7) , had a crown of thorns woven for him. The whole animal was to be consumed. We don’t just give YHWH our head or our knees, but all of us. The entrails are what the flesh contains. In Hebrew “flesh” is the root word for “gospel” (since finding meat is indeed glad news). Though Yahshua is the Head, the gospel we partake of has to have some content as well, and it is this: “If you love Me, keep My commandments”.

If left until later, it could be profaned into a mere snack after having been set apart to a particular purpose. This same rule was later applied to the offerings at the sanctuary of which onlookers could partake. If Yahshua’s sacrifice is taken out of its proper context, it is demeaned in the same way. Tomorrow is a new adventure altogether, so we must not remain stuck in yesterday, as full of YHWH’s intervention as it may have been.

Your belt tied: literally, "your hips bound", since loose flowing robes would hinder quick movement if not secured tightly first. Paul links this with truth in Eph. 6, because if we have the facts secured, we cannot be fooled. Shoes on your feet: prepared, as seen in its connection to spreading the glad news. (Yeshayahu 52:7; Eph. 6) Staff in hand: They may have had to dig their shepherds’ staffs out of storage, since they had not used them in so long. A shepherd’s staff often had events from one’s life carved on it, so this would remind them of who they really were. They were not to live as slaves anymore. What all of these things had in common was that they meant we were ready to travel. Ina hurry: We could not get stuck having to leave before the meal was finished, so we could not take our time and enjoy it. We have to be ready to change, even if we are not told where we are going. We never know which step will define the next 40 years for us, so we must prepare before the door closes. We cannot put things off until the next cycle, for there may not be one for us. Redemption comes when we bring it, as YHWH shows us how to carry out each step. Passover: literally, "skipping-over"; the reason for this will be seen in v. 13. The Passover is not the feast itself, but the sacrifice of this particular lamb, done in a particular way as specified here. Not just any blood would do, especially not from unclean animals; specifications of every aspect are given. Josephus adds that Moshe got the Hebrews ready for their departure by sorting them according to their tribes.

Cross: or pass through, the word for “Hebrew”, so YHWH Himself became a Hebrew here! Aram., "reveal Myself in..." Gods: Aram., "abominations". Pseudo-Jonathan takes it as YHWH having melted or shattered every one of Egypt’s idols. The last of the gods of Egypt was Pharaoh's own son, the next "incarnation of Ra", so to speak. Egypt had to be shown that YHWH had no equal, and those who stay attached to anything that is not Him will experience death. He also humiliated this, the greatest world power of the day, before killing them.

The houses where you are: no longer "your houses", because they are ready to leave. The first stop in the Exodus, however, was the house. They had to be gathered into the primary administrative unit of Israel first. Blood was the first plague, and the last is avoided by means of blood. Skip over: Aramaic, "spare". Plague: the word in Hebrew includes the sense of it being a mortal blow.

Festival: the word means “moving in a circle”. Generations is from a word for “gyration”. As the gyration of a top keeps it upright when spinning, or a ceiling fan must be balanced to spin properly, remembrance of the feast of unleavened bread keeps our “circle” in balance. Keeping it in season connects us to the other generations. But once we lost track of the right season, soon the “fan” spun so wildly that it was turned off altogether for our ancestors, but we can reclaim it. Perpetually: not “until it is replaced by a feast to Ishtar (Easter)”.

Note that we are not just commanded to not eat leaven, but to actually eat unleavened bread. Yahshua calls himself the bread that came down from heaven (Yochanan 6:51-56), and equates his body with the bread of Passover. He alone was without sin, and we must "consume" his flesh (which is true food, he says)--have a definite part in him, not just cease from sinning. But in Hebrew "flesh" and "good news" are the same--so what he said was that we must "consume his glad news". (See note on 23:14.) Gen. 1:27 says Adam, before Chavvah was separated out from him, was created male and female. The root meanings of these words, though, are “marked (or striped) and pierced”, which was true for Yahshua (Zech. 12:10; Yesh. ) and is particular true of matzah; thus, it is in many ways a picture of Him. Cut off from Israel: Some interpret this as meaning he must be executed, others that he will die of natural causes, or simply be cast out of the congregation, but the rabbis say that it means one will outlive all his children, so that he will have no posterity by which to be remembered. Note that finding leaven in one’s home after the feast begins, as often takes place, is not a cause for being cut off, but is forbidden because this removes any temptation to partake of leaven. Israel is the reason we keep Torah, and the leaven is a picture of the selfishness that will get us cut off from the neighbors we are to love as ourselves.

I.e., the only permissible labor is that which has to do with the preparation of adequate food for feasting. Targum Neofiti extends the analogy to any vital need, but this is a specific way in which the festival’s high days are different from a weekly Sabbath, on which we are not to light a fire, and therefore cannot cook. A holy gathering: the festivals cannot be celebrated alone, because only as we gather can we depict the reconstructed Temple built of living stones and the Body of Messiah with its many members. A holy gathering: This festival cannot be observed alone!

Observe: Pseudo-Jonathan, watch the loaves lest they become leavened. Same: literally, bound-together. This day is one for binding together all the tribes of Israel. But “brought” is in the past tense; why do we still commemorate it? Because “what has been is what will be”; YHWH brings deliverance every year to some degree, within us.

19. "For seven days no leaven shall be found in your houses, because anyone eating anything that is leavened, that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a sojourner or a native of the land.

Cut off from the congregation: exposed to any and every threat, where there are no guarantees of safety. And there is no covenant anywhere else. At the very least, when we violate the commands, we have holes in our spiritual armor. Psalm 73:21 says that when one’s heart is grieved, he becomes like a beast. “Grieved” is literally “sour”, the root word in Hebrew for “leavened bread”. This season is one for dealing with the selfishness in ourselves before it become full-grown into sin. (Yaaqov/James 1:15) The command is repeated because we cannot afford to forget.

Eating unleavened bread is just as important as not eating leaven, for eating unleavened bread symbolizes partaking of an undefiled community, and while we can keep the negative commands (“Thou shalt not…”) in isolation, we cannot keep the positive ones whithout someone to direct them toward.

22. "Then take a bound bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood that is in the threshold-basin, and apply some of the blood in the basin to the lintel and the two doorposts, and none of you shall go out from the entrance to his house until morning.

Hyssop makes a natural “paintbrush” because it both receives and releases a liquid readily. If done a day too late, the firstborn son would die. No command can be allowed to slip our minds; it must be made a priority, even if only a small detail.

24. "Now you must guard this matter as a prescribed task for yourself and for your sons into perpetuity.

25. "And this is how it will be: When you have come into the Land which YHWH will give you as He promised, then you shall preserve this ritual.

The sacrifice itself is not to be done until outside the Land or even in one’s own home there (Deut. 16:5ff). It was first done again when Y’hoshua brought the nation across the Yarden. (Y’hoshua 5:10-11) but the initial trip to the promised Land was meant to take less than a year anyway.

27. “‘It is the slaughter of a Passover to YHWH, who bypassed the houses of the descendants of Israel in Egypt, when He struck down the Egyptians, but rescued our households.'" Then the people bowed their heads and prostrated themselves in worship.

This commemoration is all about treaching our children. Do they see in us as radical a change as from slaves to freemen? Our lives speak as loudly as our words.

We cannot do things our own way and expect to be delivered.

There are three categories of people here, as there were in chapter 11, but those grinding at the mill were replaced by those in the dungeon. They may have been imprisoned when their livelihood, grain, was all destroyed by the “hail” and locusts, and they were no longer useful to Pharaoh. Why couldn’t they just rejoin Israel? Because they had a financial stake in Egypt, they chose not to try to get out until it was too late to do so. Now they had no choice. At some point it will not matter why you are not attached to Israel, but to Egypt, but only that you are. Judgment comes when we least expect it, and some such deadlines pass in our lives every day. We must be certain not to miss them! Passover was a time for some firstborn to die and some to survive. This is a picture of killing off any evil thought that enters our mind before it can develop into an act, and allowing others to thrive. We are told to bind the Torah between our eyes—at the seat of our thoughts—as a filter to sort which should go any further. We should have His messenger of death within us to nip rebellion or worry in the bud. The firstborn were actually marked for death or life at the time Israel chose to paint the blood on the doorposts.

31. And he called for Moshe and Aharon by night, and said, "Get up, and get out from among my people, both you and the descendants of Israel. And go serve YHWH, according to what you said.

32. "Take both your flocks and herds, as you have said, and go! And let me be blessed also!"

Blessed: He now even sees it as a blessing that they leave. But since the Hebrew word means to bend the knee, he is still asking them to bow to him. He still maintains the delusion that they will eventually come back, and he can deal with them then. His stubbornness mean his whole country’s ruin. How much easier it would have been on him to simply capitulate to YHWH’s word.

Josephus says the Egyptians supposed that when the Israelites were gone, they would be freed from their miseries. Neofiti I: “If they delay here one more hour, we will all be dead!”

Given enough advance planning time, we usually “leaven” YHWH’s directives. Thus, unleavened bread is one aspect of the hurriedness (v. 11). Modern bakers say bread begins to be naturally leavened by the yeast in the air after only 18 minutes, so it must be baked quickly as well. They bound up the bowls to keep the airborne leaven from getting into their remaining dough. At this season, leaven is a picture of sin--especially pride, which makes us appear to be more than we really are.

This could be seen as back-pay for all their years of forced labor.

YHWH gave them leverage through the plagues, so that the Egyptians were ready to give them anything just to get them out of there—probably much to their surprise. Despoiled: stripped. But the word can also mean rescued! This wealth would later be melted down or unraveled to make the holy implements for the Dwelling-place of YHWH. They would not use them in their pagan form, but rework them into a usable format. But they also did brig salvation to Egypt, because the Egyptians had indeed sent them out, and not empty-handed, and so were keeping the Torah. This allowed the land itself to survive, unlike the total destruction at S’dom and Ghamorrah.

Raamses means "child of the sun". Today many of Israel's descendants are in transition from worship on the Day of the Sun to the festival of Sukkoth, which symbolizes the Messianic Kingdom, the choice toward which we have set our face instead of the paganism from which we came out. Sukkoth was out of their way, but they went there to retrieve the bones of Yoseyf. (13:19-20) Sukkoth means “temporary shelters”, and indeed it was only a place to store Yoseyf’s body until it could be taken back to his homeland. Sukkoth was also the name of the last place Yaaqov had camped before reentering the Land. (Gen. 33; two different places are being described) So it is fitting that the last resting place of his son(s) had this name as well. He had built a place at the other Sukkoth for his flocks to rest, and it is fitting that they leave a place named after many Pharaohs and one of Egypt’s elohim to the place where flocks can rest.

"Mixed multitude": From words meaning "a great many interwoven together like the woof of a garment"; Aram., "many aliens". Egypt was the most cosmopolitan place in the world in that day. The Israelites had been enslaved, yet they remained a distinct people. Many of the Egyptians and other peoples they had enslaved also joined the Israelites in the Exodus, since many of them had recognized YHWH's hand in the "great acts of judgment". YHWH accepts the sacrifice of a lamb in exchange for a firstborn donkey, whose neck would otherwise need to be broken. (34:20) But He never accepts the breaking of a dog’s neck in the same way. (Yeshayahu 66:3) Thus a dog symbolizes the unredeemable Pharaoh. These other Egyptians, obedient to the command to sacrifice the lamb, could be redeemed, though they must become part of Israel to be able to leave. But many Israelites later proved to still have Egypt mixed with Israel in their hearts.

They were so glad to be leaving Egypt that they did not think of what they would need later. They could not even takle leftover lamb for sandwiches! He had not told them when they would leave, but only to be ready. They did not know how to prepare, which was a blessing, since it taught them to trust YHWH rather than analyzing Him. He told them which things they would certainly need—a staff, sandals, and a belt. But they did not know what part of the wilderness they would be going to. In the same way, Yahshua told his disciples not to even take along a bag to put money in (Mark 6:8), because they would not learn as much about trusting YHWH if they had their own security in place.

Literally "30 years and 400 years". Because how few generations there are between Yaaqov and Moshe, it seems necessary for this time frame to include not just the time of slavery, but to have begun either when Yoseyf brought his family into Egypt. It may even include their “sojournings" before they came to Egypt, which began at birth for all of them, since the family did not settle down in Kanaan until after all of his sons were born, and even then they still lived as "aliens and strangers" in the Land, though it had been deeded to them. The segmentation into 30 and 400 may represent a distinction between the years before they came to Egypt and the years they spent there, since YHWH had only told Avraham his descendants would be in a foreign land for 400 years. Linguistically, it is not certain whether this would include the years Yaaqov spent in Paddan-Aram after some of his children had been born. But many estimate that the duration of the stay in Egypt itself was 210 years to the day (v. 41) from Gen. 14:15, since "sojournings" refers not to the locale, but to the way of life. (Hirsch) Möller estimates that there were 260 years from the time Yaaqov entered Egypt until treh Exodus, beginning the count of 430 years at the time Avraham was told to offer Yitzhaq on Mt. Moryah. By our chronology, Yaaqov came to Egypt in 1760 B.C.E., so the years in Egypt would be approximately 324 years, since 1 Kings 6:1 tells us Shlomo began to build the Temple 480 years after the Exodus, and this was in his fourth year, approximately 956 B.C.E. So 300 years seems a reasonable estimate of the number of years the sojournings were actually in Egypt, taking the different chronologies into account.

On this same day: i.e., to the very day. Armies: LXX, "forces".

43. Then YHWH told Moshe and Aharon, "This is the prescribed limit for Passover: No son of unrecognition may eat of it.

Son of unrecognition: one having no association with the house of Israel at all. This is why we do not invite guests and turn Passover into a bug social event. The Aramaic targum Pseudo-Jonathan clarifies that this is not just an ordinary stranger, but an Israelite who becomes apostasized, i.e., who once was part of the community, but has deliberately disassociated himself from it. (Compare 1 Cor. 5:11; Heb. 6:4ff) It is an abstract noun, and always denotes what is an antithesis to Israel--paganism, rather than the pagan person. (Hirsch)

Servant ... bought with silver: i.e., a slave. Former slaves were expected to own slaves, but requires that they become part of the household rather than being out in the yard “with the dogs”. Some of these slaves might have even been Egyptian, and it would be fitting that the tables should turn and Israel could take captive and override what had once captivated us.

Sojourner: one who could stay among Israel without converting religiously, as long as he gave up idolatry and lived by the humane laws given to Noach. (Hirsch) The term comes from “sitting”—i.e., he is someone who is only staying for a while—a “tourist” in contrast with the “newcomer” of v. 48 who intends to become part of us and has some inclination toward Torah. But in one sense he was holding back from being a full member of the community, and was somewhat of an observer still. Hired servant: one who only serves the house of Israel in order to make a living. Many pastors are in this category. They are not part of the people, but are told what to preach because they are paid to do so.

Meat: literally, flesh. Though the legs of the two men crucified beside Yahshua were broken to speed their death before the Passover Shabbaton, Yahshua had already died, so he fulfilled this requirement of having no bones broken as well. (Yochanan/John 19:36) One house: The "meat" or deeper teaching for the mature (Heb. 5:14) is not to be taken outside the spiritual Temple made of living stones, lest "the pearls be cast before swine". Targum Pseudo-Jonathan adds, not even to send gifts to one another. This meal is not even eaten with those of other households of Israel.

Prepare it: or carry it out. We have to be all together and of one heart and mind to do it right.

Not just the newcomer himself must be circumcised, but his sons and anyone under his authority.

One instruction: Heb., a united torah--directive, teaching, specifically the five books of Moshe. This also applies to any in our day who are not literal descendants of Israel but have committed themselves to the community of Israel; there are no second-class citizens once one joins the household. Yehudah should not expect less from other Israelites. That is a double standard.

They did not choose by consensus, by what was easiest, or by what made the most sense. The very acts of carrying out YHWH’s orders as He gave them will remove chains of captivity from us, too.

CHAPTER 13

2. "Set apart for Me every firstborn, the opener of any womb, among the descendants of Israel; whether human or animal, it shall be Mine."

A man could have more than one firstborn son if one had several wives. Human: literally, Adam—not mortals in general, but the one who was in the image of Elohim, the original man, who was complete, encompassing both male and female. Animal: or beast. The word for firstborn is also used for “firstfruits” in Hebrew. So in addition to the literal meaning, this is a picture of offering to YHWH the first of our thoughts, whether they are like Adam’s or like those of an animal. What were Adam’s first thoughts? They related to YHWH’s first command to tend (or serve) and keep (or build a hedge around) the Garden of Eden (a pocture of the Kingdom to come). We need to fence off our thoughts before they become words and ask whether they are serving the Kingdom or are animal-like. The former are easier to give to YHWH. We are glad when He “catches” us thinking this kind of thoughts. What are an animal’s thoughts? They primarily have to do with its belly—i.e., survival: “What is in it for me?” Rarely do we find kindness in an animal, except in raising its young, and that is also a survival instinct. This is not necessarily opposed to Torah; we need it to some extent. Staying alive is a way to keep serving the Kingdom. But some animal thoughts we would not want anyone to hear. But YHWH gave Adam dominion over the beasts, and the fact that these two phrases are juxtaposed here as well reminds us that though we will have animals thoughts, Adam (the thoughts of keeping the Kingdom set-apart) must supersede them. A clue to how to deal with our animal thoughts is right in the next verse:

Remember: This is how to start making Adam’s thoughts supersede the beast’s. We need to remember what YHWH has done for both all of Israel as a whole and you in particular. YHWH did not tell Moshe what to say to Israel this time. He gave Moshe a responsibility, so Moshe had to give a longer explanation to be sure they would understand properly. At first he does not seem to even be on the same subject, but throughout the chapter we will see many connections between this remembering (or marking for priority recall) and the setting apart of the firstborn.

Month of Aviv: literally, "the moon of the greening of the ear of barley". Aviv has also come to mean "springtime" today, and the city of Tel Aviv is named for the concept of the new nation of Israel "springing" up from something very ancient, since a tel is the ruined remains of an ancient city. Josephus says the Egyptians called the month "Pharmuth", and the Greeks in his day knew it as Xanthicus.

This service: the festival. This is the same term as what Adam was told to do in tending the Garden—literally, serve it. Passover therefore relates to the Garden of Eden, and therefore, the Kingdom, which is the “back door” by which we can get back into Eden though the “front door” is heavily guarded. That He will give us the Land does not mean we don’t still have to work or fight for it. That it is a gift does not mean that we have a right to it, for it is given to those who will use it properly. Otherwise, it would be like giving a child a power tool; he or others would get hurt. It would take these Israelites 40 years to be mature enough for this gift. This is a serious matter, and may it not take us so long to be ready for what YHWH wants to give us.

7. "Unleavened bread must be eaten for the seven days, and no leavened bread shall be seen for you, nor may any yeast that belongs to you be seen within the borders of any of your territories.

In any of your territories: This means it cannot be sold to non-Israelites within our land, then bought back, as is the practice of some. All inhabitants of the Land, whether they believe in YHWH or not, are still required by Torah to rid themselves of leaven during this time. The fact is, there should not be people living in the Land who have not agreed to its laws. The command to eat unleavened bread seems to take precedence even over the command not to eat leavened bread. Leavening is symbolic in this season of sin, especially pride, which puffs us up as we try to make ourselves appear to be more than we really are—or any evil that spreads and permeates throughout the community of Israel. Unleavened bread is therefore a picture of undefiled community. These seven days are about returning to the Garden where Adam had fellowship with YHWH unmarred by sin.

Did for me: or, did to me. He not only spared us and delivered us, but also claimed us as His own. He pushed us out of Egypt, since now that we were the only ones left with livestock which could be traded at the premium price of all the gold in Egypt, we had no financial motivation to leave. But He did not allow this “bread” time to leaven either.

Directive: Heb., torah. In Deut. 6:8 and 11:18 we are told to bind them on our hands and make them like frontlets between our eyes. For this reason, this passage (1-10) and verses 11-16 are two of the four passages put inside traditional t’fillin (bound on head and hands while praying). Between our eyes is this place seen to be the seat of those thoughts that can be like Adam’s or like an animal’s. The mind is the “womb” from which firstborn thoughts come forth. Our hands are that with which we work.

Year to year: literally "from days to days"; Aramaic, "from season to season". Yahshua, whom we are instructed to follow, kept the feast at the right time.

12. "you shall devote unto YHWH everything that opens the womb, and every first offspring of any beast that is yours; the males are YHWH's.

Devote: literally, "cause to cross over", i.e., “hand over”. At first He calls us to set it apart for Him, giving us time to get used to the idea, but the time will come when He actually demands it of us. The firstborn had the place of the priest in the home, but YHWH later substituted the Levites for each of these firstborn. (Numbers 3:12) Males: related to the word for “remember” (v. 3). The root words of “male” and “female” (Gen. 1:27) mean "marked" and "pierced"—an apt description of a piece of matzah, eaten during this season. But these words also describe the one who, on a later Passover, did what was necessary to restore the full image of Elohim that Adam lost (Yesh./Isa. 53; Zech. 12:10), thus rescuing Israel again on the same day of the year—a national salvation that includes the preliminary calling of individuals, but focuses, as with Moshe, on the calling out of an entire people. He was also in a special sense called the “firstborn”. (Col. 1:15, 18; Heb. 12:23) Adam wasthe name for our ancestor before he was divided into male and female, so his first thoughts must have been both male and female—that is, general, free-flowing thoughts and those “caught” and channeled into ideas that can be fruitful, as a woman’s egg “restricts” man’s seed but thus makes it productive. We must “capture” whatever is going on “between our eyes” and bring them into submission (2 Corinthians 10:5). Is it an idea that should be manifested by our tongues? Before it can be profitable, we must offer it to YHWH.

Yahshua’s mother obeyed this command. (Luk. 2:23). Donkey: not an animal for food like those in v. 12, but for transport of possessions, representing peaceful prosperity, in contrast to the horse. Thus man, his food, and his possessions are made holy to YHWH. (Hirsch) Redeem: or ransom. The donkey is an unclean animal, and, like human beings, must be redeemed in order to be acceptable to Him. YHWH will not accept it on His altar, but a lamb can be offered in exchange for allowing ot to live on and be useful as a beas of burden. The Hebrew word for donkey comes from the word for “heap”, representing the mass of humanity, i.e., the whole world. (In Gen. 22, Avraham left the donkey behind when he ascended Mt. Moryah, because he was going to a set-apart place.) Are our thoughts about serving the world or serving the Kingdom, whose king is called a “lamb”. Thinking thoughts of “we” and “ours” is what redeems us from the thoughts of “me” and “mine”. Snap off its neck: You may not have the use of it, if you will not redeem it, because it belongs to YHWH. Yeshayahu 66:3 says that for those who choose their own paths,“whoever sacrifices a flock animal [is as one who] breaks a dog’s neck.” This shows that not every unclean animal can be redeemed with a lamb (i.e., not every person on earth is meant to be redeemed by Yahshua). Some are counted as wholly wicked (like Pharaoh), beyond the possibility of redemption. (See note on 11:7 and Paul’s argument in Rom. 9:15-18.) Once the Kingdom arrives physically, those in the yet-undetermined category must choose to be part of Israel, or be left outside (Mat. 8:12; 22:13; 25:30), where the dogs belong. (Rev. 22:15) Israel is counted righteous, but when its sons left the covenant, they, too, needed to be redeemed. YHWH calls Israel His firstborn, so He in this sense had an “obligation” to redeem them. And the donkey represents those who are in the category of “sinners”—those in neither the Book of the Righteous nor the Book of the Wicked yet. They can be redeemed, but if not, they will go the way of the wicked, though they may not have had the same evil intentions, for they are still not up to YHWH’s standard.

15. "‘And it is because Pharaoh became obstinate about [not] sending us away, and YHWH slew every firstborn in the land of Egypt--from the firstborn of man to the firstborn of beast--this is why I slaughter unto YHWH every male that opens the womb, and I redeem every firstborn of my sons.'

This is why: YHWH called Israel His firstborn. (4:22-23) Because He was giving one firstborn in exchange for another (Yeshayahu 43:4), we are called to do the same. Also, it was because of the firstborn of the only woman Yaaqov truly considered his wife that Israel had come to be in Egypt. Every male: whatever remembrances flow into our minds must be redeemed. This is differentr from a donkey being redeemed with a lamb. YHWH wants to free our minds from the Egyptian way, now that He has brought us out. How? Numbers 3:46ff tells us the price to redeem the firstborn is 5 sheqels. Since a half-sheqel is the price for the redemption of one soul (30:13-21), five sheqels symbolizes ten persons, which is idiomatic for a congregation. Kingdom thoughts have to be in the context of a community. That is how we redeem the firstborn—with thoughts of the fellows we are to love as ourselves. Serving them trains us to serve in the Garden.

This: the offering of the firstborn to YHWH. Phylacteries: literally "something bound on" as a reminder. Today such boxes strapped onto forearm or forehead are known as tefillin. On your hand: to symbolize and remind us that everything we put our hand to is to be done for Him and to enhance His Kingdom. (1 Cor. 10:31) Being committed to kingdom works also empowers us to bring our thoughts into captivity. As we commit our works to YHWH, o ur thoughts will be established. (Prov. 16:3) As Yahshua’s brother Yaaqov emphasized, YHWH;s community is about both faith and works. Only when we commit both our minds and hands to Torah can redemption come. If we put the Kingdom first in our minds, it will be first in our works. YHWH is a kind taskmaster who wants what is best for us, but only He knows what that is. When we ask for bread, He will not give us a snake. (The Torah and living as a single community are both symbolized by bread in Scripture.) The Kingdom is “not for you or me, but for us”. The blessing of being individually brought back into covenant was restored just after Yahshua came, but today His emphasis is national redemption—the restoration to being His “people” (or nation, a single entity). Between your eyes: where they cannot be forgotten, because we are reminded so that we will pass it on. One of the overt reasons for placing them “on the head opposite the brain” (voiced when putting them on) is the intention“that the soul that is in my brain, along with my other senses and potentials, may all be subjugated to His service”. YHWH wants us to consecrate to Him the first of our thoughts, inviting Him to partake of them just as the firstborn of the animals was offered to YHWH through the physical act of giving it to the priests and Levites to eat. And who would offer garbage to a King? "Distinguishing mark" is used for several different features of their practice (cf. V. 9 also), but they all relate to the fact that He had brought them out of Egypt. The sign, in a way, is that they no longer worship the sun. Those who do, turn their backs to the Temple of YHWH, and He will have no pity on them. (Y'chezq'el/Ezek. 8:14-18) The Sabbath is also called such a sign (Ex. 31:13), and also stands in contrast to those who honor the day of the sun.