Exodus 13:1-22
Setting Apart the Oldest Sons
The Lord said to Moses, “Set apart for me the first boy born in every family. The oldest son of every Israelite mother belongs to me. Every male animal born first to its mother also belongs to me.”
Then Moses said to the people, “Remember this day. It’s the day you came out of Egypt. That’s the land where you were slaves. The Lord used his mighty hand to bring you out of Egypt. Don’t eat anything with yeast in it. You are leaving today. It’s the month of Aviv. The Lord will bring you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites and Jebusites. He promised your people of long ago that he would give that land to you. It’s a land that has plenty of milk and honey. When you get there, celebrate this holy day in this month. For seven days eat bread made without yeast. On the seventh day hold a feast to honor the Lord. Eat bread made without yeast during those seven days. Nothing with yeast in it should be found among you. No yeast should be seen anywhere inside your borders. On that day talk to your child. Say, ‘I’m doing this because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ When you celebrate this holy day, it will be like a mark on your hand. It will be like a reminder on your forehead. This law of the Lord must be on your lips. The Lord used his mighty hand to bring you out of Egypt. Obey this law at the appointed time year after year.
“The Lord will bring you into the land of Canaan. He will give it to you, just as he promised he would. He gave his word to you and your people of long ago. After you arrive in the land, give to the Lord the oldest son of every mother. Every male animal born first to its mother among your livestock belongs to the Lord. By sacrificing a lamb, buy back every male donkey born first to its mother. But if you don’t buy the donkey back, break its neck. Buy back every oldest son.
“In days to come, your child will ask you, ‘What does this mean?’ Say to them, ‘The Lord used his mighty hand to bring us out of Egypt. That’s the land where we were slaves. Pharaoh was stubborn. He refused to let us go. So the Lord killed every oldest son in Egypt. He also killed all those born first among the people and animals. That’s why I sacrifice to the Lord every male animal born first. And that’s why I buy back each of my oldest sons for the Lord.’ This holy day will be like a mark on your hand. It will be like a sign on your forehead. It will remind you that the Lord used his mighty hand to bring us out of Egypt.”
Israel Goes Through the Red Sea
Pharaoh let the people go. The shortest road from Goshen to Canaan went through the Philistine country. But God didn’t lead them that way. God said, “If they have to go into battle, they might change their minds. They might return to Egypt.” So God led the people toward the Red Sea by taking them on a road through the desert. The Israelites were ready for battle when they went up out of Egypt.
Moses took the bones of Joseph along with him. Joseph had made the Israelites give their word to do this. He had said, “God will surely come to help you. When he does, you must carry my bones up from this place with you.” (Genesis 50:25)
The people left Sukkoth. They camped at Etham on the edge of the desert. By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud. It guided them on their way. At night he led them with a pillar of fire. It gave them light. So they could travel by day or at night. The pillar of cloud didn’t leave its place in front of the people during the day. And the pillar of fire didn’t leave its place at night.
Exodus 14:1-31
Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, “Tell the people of Israel to turn back. Have them camp near Pi Hahiroth between Migdol and the Red Sea. They must camp by the sea, right across from Baal Zephon. Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are wandering around the land. They don’t know which way to go. The desert is all around them.’ I will make Pharaoh stubborn. He will chase them. But I will gain glory for myself because of what will happen to Pharaoh and his whole army. And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” So the Israelites camped by the Red Sea.
The king of Egypt was told that the people had escaped. Then Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them. They said, “What have we done? We’ve let the people of Israel go! We’ve lost our slaves and all the work they used to do for us!” So he had his chariot made ready. He took his army with him. He took 600 of the best chariots in Egypt. He also took along all the other chariots. Officers were in charge of all of them. The Lord made Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, stubborn. So he chased the Israelites as they were marching out boldly. The Egyptians went after the Israelites. All Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen and troops chased them. They caught up with the Israelites as they camped by the sea. The Israelites were near Pi Hahiroth, across from Baal Zephon.
As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked back. There were the Egyptians marching after them! The Israelites were terrified. They cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, “Why did you bring us to the desert to die? Weren’t there any graves in Egypt? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? We told you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone. Let us serve the Egyptians.’ It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die here in the desert!”
Moses answered the people. He said, “Don’t be afraid. Stand firm. You will see how the Lord will save you today. Do you see those Egyptians? You will never see them again. The Lord will fight for you. Just be still.”
Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people of Israel to move on. Hold out your walking stick. Reach out your hand over the Red Sea to divide the water. Then the people can go through the sea on dry ground. I will make the Egyptians stubborn. They will go in after the Israelites. I will gain glory for myself because of what will happen to Pharaoh, his army, chariots and horsemen. The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord. I will gain glory because of what will happen to Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen.”
The angel of God had been traveling in front of Israel’s army. Now he moved back and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved away from in front of them. Now it stood behind them. It came between the armies of Egypt and Israel. All through the night the cloud brought darkness to one side and light to the other. Neither army went near the other all night long.
Then Moses reached out his hand over the Red Sea. All that night the Lord pushed the sea back with a strong east wind. He turned the sea into dry land. The waters were divided. The people of Israel went through the sea on dry ground. There was a wall of water on their right side and on their left.
The Egyptians chased them. All Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea. Near the end of the night the Lord looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud. He saw the Egyptian army and threw it into a panic. He jammed the wheels of their chariots. That made the chariots hard to drive. The Egyptians said, “Let’s get away from the Israelites! The Lord is fighting for Israel against Egypt.”
Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, “Reach out your hand over the sea. The waters will flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.” So Moses reached out his hand over the sea. At sunrise the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians tried to run away from the sea. But the Lord swept them into it. The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen. It covered the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the people of Israel into the sea. Not one of the Egyptians was left.
But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground. There was a wall of water on their right side and on their left. That day the Lord saved Israel from the power of Egypt. The Israelites saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore. The Israelites saw the amazing power the Lord showed against the Egyptians. So the Israelites had great respect for the Lord and put their trust in him. They also put their trust in his servant Moses.
