The Exodus - Pharaoh Says "GO"

Bible Study Lesson from Exodus 12:31-50

32 Take both your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and go, and bless me also.”

Exodus of Israel

33 The Egyptians urged the people, to send them out of the land in haste, for they said, “We will all be dead.”

34 So the people took their dough before it was leavened, with their kneading bowls bound up in the clothes on their shoulders.

35 Now the sons of Israel had done according to the word of Moses, for they had requested from the Egyptians articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing;

36 and the LORD had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have their request. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.

37 Now the sons of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, aside from children.

38 A mixed multitude also went up with them, along with flocks and herds, a very large number of livestock.

39 They baked the dough which they had brought out of Egypt into cakes of unleavened bread. For it had not become leavened, since they were driven out of Egypt and could not delay, nor had they prepared any provisions for themselves.

40 Now the time that the sons of Israel lived in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years.

41 And at the end of four hundred and thirty years, to the very day, all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt.

Ordinance of the Passover

42 It is a night to be observed for the LORD for having brought them out from the land of Egypt; this night is for the LORD, to be observed by all the sons of Israel throughout their generations.

43 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the ordinance of the Passover: no foreigner is to eat of it;

44 but every man’s slave purchased with money, after you have circumcised him, then he may eat of it.

45 A sojourner or a hired servant shall not eat of it.

46 It is to be eaten in a single house; you are not to bring forth any of the flesh outside of the house, nor are you to break any bone of it.

47 All the congregation of Israel are to celebrate this.

48 But if a stranger sojourns with you, and celebrates the Passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near to celebrate it; and he shall be like a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person may eat of it.

49 The same law shall apply to the native as to the stranger who sojourns among you.”

50 Then all the sons of Israel did so; they did just as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron.

Israel Leaves Egypt

How Many People?

The passage says about 600,000 men. The Hebrews did not normally count women and children so the numbers could have been much, much higher. On the other hand, the Israelites often used any "big" number to estimate crowds too large to count so, the exact numbers are virtually unknown.

One other point about the number of people in the Exodus. There may have been other people traveling with them, some Egyptians who witnessed the great miracles of God and wanted to be a part of the Hebrew's faith. Some were neither Egyptians or Israelites who also left Egypt. Some scholars put the numbers up as high as two million!

Faith

It takes faith for us to move from one city to another, even with a well thought plan but these people left their homes and their lives with very little provisions and not specific planning of what to do next. We will learn in future Bible study lessons about manna from heaven which the Israelites ate for forty years in the wilderness.

Oh, by the way - In my loose translation manna means food provided miraculously. In other words, when God asks us to do something for Him, He will always supply what's needed to finish the job.  

Love in Christ

- Bob

Exodus 6: 26-27, 7:1-13 - God Turns Aaron's Staff into a Snake