‏ Exodus 13:17-22

Summary for Exod 13:17-14:4: 13:17–14:4  ^a The Lord’s redemptive power was demonstrated as he brought Israel into a place where they were completely helpless and had to either rely on him for rescue or die. Although at the time it must have seemed completely foolish, Israel would thank God for the rest of its history for maneuvering them into such a spot (see Ps 106:7-12  ^b; cp. Isa 12:2-6  ^c).
Summary for Exod 13:17-18: 13:17-18  ^d faced with a battle: The Israelites had not yet seen God fight on their behalf. Even though they left Egypt like an army ready for battle (13:18  ^e; see also 12:51  ^f), it was only an appearance. Until they experienced the Lord as fighting for them (14:14  ^g) in the crossing of the sea, they were not ready to face enemies in the Promised Land.
13:18  ^h roundabout way: There is disagreement among scholars about the identification of some of the sites mentioned (13:20  ⁱ; 14:2  ^j), so there is little consensus about the precise route the Israelites took.

• Red Sea: Literally sea of reeds. The Red Sea proper is too far south. The Sea of Reeds was part of the Red Sea, probably located at the northern end of the Gulf of Suez.
13:19  ^k Joseph had recognized that God would not leave his people in Egypt indefinitely because he had promised Canaan to them (see Gen 50:24-25  ^l).
13:20  ^m The locations of Succoth and Etham are uncertain, although the reference to the edge of the wilderness suggests that they were in the region southeast of the Nile delta toward the Gulf of Suez.
13:21  ⁿ The pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire were to be the Israelites’ constant companions for the next forty years.

‏ Exodus 14

14:2  ^o The precise locations of Pi-hahiroth, Migdol, and Baal-zephon are unknown.

• the sea: See study note on 13:18.
14:4  ^p know that I am the Lord: This event was the climactic demonstration of the Lord’s character and power in the Exodus. Rescue for humans is by means of God’s self-revelation as he incarnates himself in our life and experience.

• as they were told: In this part of the book, the Israelites were obedient to God’s commands (12:35  ^q, 50  ^r). Unfortunately, this was not their continued pattern after the crossing.
Summary for Exod 14:5-14: 14:5-14  ^s Because there was no real repentance on the part of Pharaoh and his officials, once the immediate terror of their experience had worn off, their self-interest reasserted itself and they determined to recapture their slave labor.
Summary for Exod 14:6-7: 14:6-7  ^t chariot: At this point in history, the Egyptian light chariot was the ultimate weapon. Pulled by three horses, it was swift and highly maneuverable. Sometimes it was manned by only one person, but some ancient illustrations show a driver with a warrior. The reference to a commander may indicate such two-man teams. The greatest military power in the world of that day was being marshaled against the Hebrews.
14:9  ^u Even though today we don’t know exactly where these events took place (see study note on 14:2), there is no question that the narrator and his readers did. We need not conclude that this account is literary fantasy.
Summary for Exod 14:10-12: 14:10-12  ^v This complaint is the first occurrence of what was to become a sad refrain over the next forty years. Instead of believing that the God who had demonstrated his power so overwhelmingly could now save them, the Israelites turned on their rescuer. The cry of the unsurrendered heart is always, “Give me the security of slavery rather than the risk of faith.”
Summary for Exod 14:13-14: 14:13-14  ^w One person, at least, had learned the lesson of the plagues and applied it to this crisis of faith. Moses did not know what God would do, but in one of the great statements of faith in the Bible, Moses declared his confidence in God. It was not the Lord who would fail, but the Egyptians.
Summary for Exod 14:15-31: 14:15-31  ^x The escape through the Red Sea was the climactic moment of rescue.
14:17  ^y My great glory: The Hebrew word translated “glory” (kabod) connotes weightiness, significance, and reality. God demonstrated his authenticity while showing that all the political, military, and material glory of one of the greatest human cultures was only the thinnest of veils.
Summary for Exod 14:19-25: 14:19-25  ^z Whereas the Hebrews had been in a panic the night before, now the highly disciplined Egyptian army was thrown into disarray. They knew they were dealing with something far beyond their ability to comprehend or control.
14:22  ^aa As with the plagues, naturalistic explanations for this event are beside the point. A strong, steady wind blowing across a relatively shallow, contained body of water can change its depth dramatically, but that does not produce dry ground, with walls of water on each side. The Lord can intervene in nature and do with it as he wishes.
14:25  ^ab He twisted their chariot wheels: The ancient versions differ on the translation of this phrase. Perhaps there was deep sand where the water had been, and this broke the light wheels of the chariots. At any rate, the Egyptian charge through the sea failed, and they became terrified.

• The Lord is fighting for them: Certainly by this time everyone in Egypt was aware of the special relationship between the Lord and his people.
14:31  ^ac Finally, the people of Israel were moved to put their faith in the Lord: Sadly, it was very short-lived (see 15:24  ^ad; 16:3  ^ae).

• To be the Lord’s servant is a position of high honor (see Isa 42:1-4  ^af; Matt 12:18  ^ag).

‏ Exodus 15

Summary for Exod 15:1-18: 15:1-18  ^ah Scholars believe this song of rescue to be one of the oldest preserved examples of the Hebrew language, attesting to its importance in Israel’s thought and faith. It is divided into three stanzas: 15:1-5  ^ai, 6-12  ^aj, 13-18  ^ak. The first stanza rejoices in the Lord’s personal rescue of Moses and his people (note the recurrence of the first-person pronouns). The second exults in the great contrast between the Lord and the Egyptians. The third stanza reflects on what these events would mean for the future.
Summary for Exod 15:1-5: 15:1-5  ^al God’s salvation and rescue had implications for personal faith. 15:1  ^am Moses and the people: In this triumphant moment there was no division between them; they sang as one.

• I will sing: The highly personal declarations of the first two verses emphasize the personal nature of God’s relation to humans. He is not an impersonal force, but relates to us as one person relates to another. The songs of thanks and hymns of praise in the Bible characteristically give the reason for the thanks or praise early in the piece (see Ps 95:1-3  ^an; 96:1-4  ^ao). The reason for the song is that the Lord ... has triumphed gloriously. The community’s faith in God through the dark night had been dramatically vindicated.
15:2  ^ap This statement is quoted in two other places, Ps 118:14  ^aq and Isa 12:2  ^ar, which shows its importance. The “God of your father” (Exod 3:6  ^as) had become my God. The Israelites now knew God for themselves and not just as a historical memory.
15:3  ^at The Lord is a warrior: He will aggressively defend his own. He is not an oppressor, nor does he fight for the love of violence. But when his people are helpless before the enemy, whether external or internal, they can know that Yahweh, “He Who Is,” is their defender (Isa 59:15-19  ^au; 63:1-6  ^av; Rev 11:17-18  ^aw). Regarding the name Yahweh, see study note on Exod 3:15.
Summary for Exod 15:6-12: 15:6-12  ^ax The personal tone continues as the Lord is referred to as you and is contrasted dramatically with them (15:7  ^ay). All that the enemy intended (15:9  ^az) was brought to nothing (15:10  ^ba) before the mighty power of God. 15:6  ^bb Your right hand: This was typically a warrior’s sword arm.
15:8  ^bc blast (literally nostrils): In other contexts, the same word may be translated “anger.” The hot breath from God’s nose is an image of God’s anger.

• your breath: The Hebrew word translated as “breath” (ruakh) is the same one translated as “wind” in 14:21  ^bd and as “Spirit” in Gen 1:2  ^be. Nature is not God, but God is everywhere at work in nature.
Summary for Exod 15:9-10: 15:9-10  ^bf Compared to the Creator’s plans, all the plans of even the most powerful humans are nothing (see Ps 2:2-5  ^bg). They are like dust that can be blown away with one puff of his breath (see Isa 40:15-17  ^bh).
15:11  ^bi The gods of the pagan nations are not in the same category as the Lord. They do not deserve to be called holy (see study note on 3:5).
Summary for Exod 15:13-18: 15:13-18  ^bj The people God has redeemed have confidence for the future. In light of what the Lord had done in rescuing Israel from his enemies, there was no question that he would be able to carry through on his promise to take them safely into the Promised Land. 15:13  ^bk In light of God’s unfailing love and his might, there is no reason to doubt that he will be able to keep his promises. “Unfailing love” is a translation of the Hebrew word khesed, which speaks of the undeserved kindness and loyalty of a superior to an inferior. It is the most frequent descriptor of God’s character in the Old Testament (see Ps 136  ^bl). If God had such a character but did not have the might to carry out his good intentions toward his people, his character would be of little value to us. The good news is that he has both a loving character and all power.

• sacred home: God has chosen his people and gathered them to himself in order to dwell in their midst (see also Exod 15:17  ^bm).
Summary for Exod 15:14-15: 15:14-15  ^bn Philistia, Edom, Moab, and Canaan are the four peoples that would most feel the hand of God’s judgment as he dispossessed them to give the land to the people of Israel. What God had done to Egypt would have been common news throughout that part of the world (see Rahab’s report in Josh 2:9-11  ^bo, where the same imagery as in Exod 15:15  ^bp, to melt away, is used).
15:17  ^bq your own mountain: Deities were believed to have their residence on mountains. Thus Canaan is figuratively portrayed as God’s residence.
Summary for Exod 15:19-21: 15:19-21  ^br Miriam led the women in praise. In many ancient societies, men and women performed ceremonies separately. Women had special roles in ritual praise and lamentation.
Summary for Exod 15:22-17:7: 15:22–18:27  ^bs On the journey from the sea to Sinai, God continued his providential care for the people’s needs. In the events of rescue, he primarily revealed his power. Here he revealed that he cares about his people’s basic needs.
Summary for Exod 15:22-27: 15:22-27  ^bt First at Marah and then at Elim, God provided water for the people.

• The precise location of the desert of Shur (15:22  ^bu) is unknown.
15:23  ^bv The water was probably heavily alkaline, as is typical in the Sinai Desert.
15:24  ^bw Instead of reflecting on the lessons of faith so recently experienced, the people lost heart and began to complain, as we often do under adverse circumstances. If this complaining becomes a pattern, disaster can befall us in the ultimate test, as it did the Israelites (see Num 14  ^bx; Ps 95:7-11  ^by; Heb 3:7-11  ^bz).
15:25  ^ca See 2 Kgs 2:19-22  ^cb for a similar incident.
15:26  ^cc The connection between obedience to God’s commands and health is not arbitrary. God made the body, and our bodies will last longer if we follow the Creator’s guidelines. Since this statement was made in the context of a need for water, it might indicate that the Egyptians had been drinking polluted water.

‏ Exodus 16

Summary for Exod 16:1-36: 16:1-36  ^cd God demonstrated care for his people by providing manna and quail as food for them.
16:2  ^ce complained: The people were developing a pattern of faithlessness manifested in complaining.
16:3  ^cf all the bread we wanted: The Israelites had been oppressed slaves in Egypt! One of the great dangers of complaining is that it blinds us to reality. Faith is grateful for what is, and believes the best is yet to come. Complaining focuses on what is wrong with the present and glorifies an unreal past.
Summary for Exod 16:4-5: 16:4-5  ^cg These are the Lord’s instructions for gathering the food that he would provide in the wilderness. Enough was provided for each day, with a double amount provided on the sixth day so that the people would not have to gather any on the Sabbath (see 16:21-30  ^ch). The Israelites thus observed the Sabbath even before it was codified in the Decalogue. We instinctively resist a style of life in which it is necessary to depend on God each day to supply our needs. We wish to have supplies in advance so that we can feel independent. God was training the people for a life of faith (cp. Matt 6:11  ^ci).
16:7  ^cj The Hebrew word translated glory connotes weightiness, substance, and reality. It is not the flimsy, ephemeral quality we often associate with the English term glory. It is more the idea of royal grandeur.
16:15  ^ck The Hebrew man hu’ (What is it?) came to be the name of the miraculous food (“manna,” see 16:31  ^cl). For forty years, the people ate what is it? Jesus referred to himself as the fulfillment of the meaning of this miracle. He was the “true bread from heaven” that gives life (John 6:32-35  ^cm, 48  ^cn, 51  ^co, 63  ^cp).
Summary for Exod 16:19-20: 16:19-20  ^cq Regarding these instructions, see study note on 16:4-5.
Summary for Exod 16:21-30: 16:21-30  ^cr Although the Sabbath was a day set apart for the Lord (16:23  ^cs), it was also the Lord’s gift to his people (16:29  ^ct). Rest and worship are not meant to be an obligation, but a privilege. However, given the human determination to meet our needs in our own way, rest and worship are given as commands (16:28  ^cu).
Summary for Exod 16:32-36: 16:32-36  ^cv The container of manna was to be preserved as a reminder of God’s providential care for his people. He is powerful and deeply caring. Not only can he supply our needs, he wants to do so.
16:35  ^cw until they arrived at the land: God’s care for us is normally demonstrated in ordinary ways, as it would usually be for Israel after they arrived in Canaan (see Josh 5:10-12  ^cx). That care is just as real as when it comes in extraordinary ways, as it did while Israel was in the wilderness.

‏ Exodus 17

17:1  ^cy from place to place: With a large and diverse group, travel was undoubtedly slow and arduous. It is also possible that God was using this time to demonstrate his care by miraculously providing for their needs before bringing them to Mount Sinai and offering his covenant to them.
17:2  ^cz testing the Lord is explained in 17:7  ^da. They doubted that God was really with them or cared for them, and they demanded that he prove his presence and care. God invites a test based on faith (“I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief,” Mark 9:24  ^db), but he abhors a test based on doubt (i.e., I don’t believe, and I think God should prove himself to me, as in John 6:30  ^dc). The test based on doubt makes us the judge and God the defendant.
17:3  ^dd Regarding a similar complaint, see study note on 16:3.
17:6  ^de Mount Sinai: See study note on 3:1.

• water gushed out: Note the similar provision in Num 20:11  ^df (see also Ps 78:15-16  ^dg; 105:41  ^dh; 114:8  ^di; Isa 48:21  ^dj).
Summary for Exod 17:8-16: 17:8-16  ^dk Israel was enabled to defeat the Amalekites only by God’s blessing and providential care. 17:8  ^dl Amalek was Esau’s grandson (Gen 36:11-12  ^dm). His descendants were nomadic, though loosely based in the land of Edom. They seem to have supported themselves by raiding more settled peoples.
Summary for Exod 17:9-13: 17:9-13  ^dn This victory was a gift from God, as the description here makes clear. The determining factor was God’s blessing, as indicated by Moses’ upraised hands. This principle was illustrated again and again in the conquest of the land of Canaan. Without God’s blessing, Israel could do nothing (see Num 14:42-45  ^do; Josh 7:10-12  ^dp). 17:9  ^dq Joshua was Moses’ trusted assistant (33:11  ^dr) who would eventually become his successor (Deut 31:7-8  ^ds). This early experience was important training for leading the people later in the conquest of the land. The Hebrew name Joshua, which means “savior,” is equivalent to the Greek name Jesus (see also study note on Heb 4:8).
Summary for Exod 17:14-16: 17:14-16  ^dt By their unprovoked attack on the people through whom God was extending his blessing, the Amalekites incurred the unending wrath of God. God’s hand can be extended in blessing, or it can be extended in curse. Those who reject the hand of blessing experience the curse (see 1 Sam 15  ^du).
17:15  ^dv This banner was a battle flag. In Isa 5:26  ^dw, God lifted up a banner to call the nations to war against Israel. In Isa 11:10  ^dx, 12  ^dy, the Messiah would be the banner calling the nations to bring his people home.
17:16  ^dz They have raised their fist against the Lord’s throne, so now: The NLT sees the fist raised against the Lord’s throne as Amalek’s aggression against the Lord and his people. The alternate interpretation sees a reference to Moses’ own hands that were lifted to the Lord in prayer (17:15  ^ea).

‏ Exodus 18

Summary for Exod 18:1-12: 18:1-12  ^eb Moses had apparently sent his wife and children back from Egypt at some point to stay with his father-in-law. In the intense confrontation with Pharaoh, Moses might have been afraid for their lives. Jethro now came to meet Moses and the Israelites, bringing Moses’ family with him (18:2-6  ^ec). In the context of the visit, Moses gave him a report, and Jethro was brought to faith through the testimony of the Lord’s work.
18:7  ^ed bowed low and kissed him. They asked about each other’s welfare: These were all typical customs of greeting in that society.
Summary for Exod 18:13-27: 18:13-27  ^ee Jethro’s wise advice is a further example of God’s providence, although it was not given in a miraculous way. Jethro introduced Moses to a style of leadership that involved delegation of authority. It appears that Moses had been following an Egyptian style of leadership that was heavily hierarchical and based on circumstances. No Egyptian law code has yet been discovered. It appears that all authority flowed downward from the pharaoh, who ruled by fiat. Jethro proposed a structure of delegation that would make Moses’ life easier.
Summary for Exod 18:13-16: 18:13-16  ^ef Moses had set himself up in place of Pharaoh, making himself indispensable to the people.
Summary for Exod 18:17-18: 18:17-18  ^eg Such a leader-centered approach is not good for either the leader or the people (see also 18:23  ^eh).
Summary for Exod 18:19-22: 18:19-22  ^ei Moses needed to distinguish between his teaching function, in which he received and declared God’s decrees and instructions (18:19-20  ^ej), and his administrative function, in which he applied all of those decrees and instructions (18:21-22  ^ek).

‏ Exodus 19:1

Summary for Exod 19:1-9: 19:1-9  ^el God prepared his people to receive the covenant by first reminding them of the past and of what they had learned about him (19:4  ^em). He then made promises concerning the future, which were contingent upon obedience (19:5-6  ^en). The final result was their promise to obey what the Lord has commanded (19:8  ^eo). 19:1  ^ep Exactly two months after the Israelites left Egypt: It was now the fifteenth day of the third month.