26..PASSING OUT PARADE

                                                         26...PASSING OUT PARADE
                                              Based on EX Chs. 11-13...Read more there.

The skirmishing between Moses & his brother Aaron & the Pharaoh is coming to an end. The first nine plagues, disastrous as they've been, have led only to a lot of shilly-shallying on the Pharaoh's part. His hardening of his heart tries YHWH's patience too far. Now the most disastrous of the 10 plagues, that of the death of the first-born will strike Egypt, but as with the preceding plagues, leaving the Hebrews untouched. Now the die is cast. By now the Egyptians are so glad to see the Hebrews leave their country that they shower them with gifts, perhaps to placate them, perhaps to placate the Hebrews' God, YHWH who is bringing all this grief on them! This occurs during the count-down to the momentous happening which comes to be known as Passover because the 'plague' of death passes over the homes of the Hebrews. During the countdown the Hebrews are to eat unleavened bread. This may be symbolic of having to be ready to leave in a hurry when the word is given, before their bread dough has time to rise. Unleavened bread certainly becomes part of the Passover tradition kept ever since. But the central feature of their leaving Egypt celebration is the killing & eating of a young male lamb or goat, the marking of their doorways with its blood - so the angel of death will know not to visit this house - & the eating of the animal roasted, either in their own household, or, in some circumstances, sharing an animal with a neighbour. It seems to be a kind of in-house sacrifice as distinct from a sacrifice in some temple. (There are temples to the various Egyptian gods, but the Hebrews are not going to reach the stage of having a temple to YHWH God for a long time yet.) The Passover meal is to be eaten 'with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, your staff in your hand, & eaten in a hurry' [12:11]. Ready to move out at a moment's notice. As the American 'minute-man' patriots had to be ready to move against the English in one minute if need be during their war of independence. The actual departure of the Hebrews from Egypt is dealt with quite summarily [13:17-22]. We're told [12:37] that 600,000 men, not counting their families, leave Egypt, though this is an improbably large figure. But it sounds impressive! They journey, taking Joseph's long embalmed body with them, from Goshen where they had lived up in the north east of the country, round the top of the Red Sea, & down on the other side, still part of Egypt but remote & across on the Sinai Peninsula. Their story tells us that YHWH God leads them by day as a pillar of cloud, & by night as a pillar of fire. The imagery of God as cloud & fire enters into both Hebrew &, later, Christian, mystical understandings & experiences of God. Note that on this stretch of the journey the Hebrews go round the Red Sea, but soon they will have to cross the other arm of the Red Sea via what is now commonly known as the Sea of Reeds. And that's another story... 27: Cutting To The Chase! 

(1) There are many confusions in the actual Biblical text due to the interweaving of differing traditions passed down by word of mouth long before the text we have was finalised centuries later. For example Ch.11 begins with Moses telling the Hebrews what's going to happen then switches to him angrily walking out on the Pharaoh! [11:8]. (2) None of this detracts from the Passover being  a momentous happening for the Hebrews & a pivotal one for Jewish faith & culture. Ever since, YHWH has above all been the God who 'brought His people out of Egypt'! What a story!

Question: Are we in a state of constant readiness to go into action for God whatever it is He needs of us?