Author: cackywalker@yahoo.com

When word reached the king of Egypt that the Israelites had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds. “What have we done, letting all those Israelite slaves get away?” they asked. So Pharaoh harnessed his chariot and called up his troops. He took with him 600 of Egypt’s best chariots, along with the rest of the chariots of Egypt, each with its commander. The Lord had hardened the heart of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, so he chased after the people of Israel, who had left with raised fists in defiance. (vv. 5-9, NLT)

As Pharaoh approached the people of Israel looked up and panicked when they saw the Egyptians overtaking them. They cried out to the Lord and they said to Moses, “Why did you bring us our here to die in the wilderness? Weren’t there enough graves for us in Egypt? wjy did you make us leave Egypt?” (vv. 10-11, NLT)

But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” (vv. 13-14) NLT

Then the Lord gave these instructions to Moses: “Order the Israelites to turn back and camp by Pi-hahiroth between Midgol and the sea. Then Pharaoh will think ‘The Israelites are confused. They are trapped in the wilderness.” And once again, I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will chase after you. I have planned this in order to display My glory through Pharaoh and his whole army. After this the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord!” So the Israelites camped there as they were told. (vv. 1-4, NLT)

When Pharaoh finally let the people go, God did not lead them along the main road that runs through the Philistine territory, even though that was the shortest route to the Promised Land. God said, “If the people are faced with a battle, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” So God led them in a round about way through the wilderness toward the Red Sea. Thus the Israelites left Egypt like an army ready for battle.

Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the sons of Israel swear to do this. He said, “God will certainly come to help you. When He does, you must take my bones with you from this place.”

The Israelites left Succoth and camped at Etham on the edge of the wilderness. The Lord went ahead of them. He guided them during the day with a pillar of cloud, and he provide light as night as a pillar of fire. This allowed them to travel by day or by night. And the Lord did not removed the pillar of cloud or pillar of fire from its place i front of the people. (vv. 17-22, NLT)

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Dedicate to Me every firstborn among the Israelites. The first offspring to be born, of both humans an animals, belongs to Me.”

So Moses said to the people, “This is a day to remember forever-the day you left Egypt, the place of your slavery. today the Lord has brought you out by the power of His mighty hand. (Remember, eat not food containing yeast.) On this day, in early spring, in the day of Abib, you have been set free. You must celebrate this event in this month each year after the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, Hitites, Amorites, Hivites, and Jebusites. (He swore to your ancestors that He would give you this land-a land flowing with milk and honey.) For seven days, the bread you eat must be made without yeast. Then on the seventh day, celebrate a feast to the Lord. Eat bread without any yeast during those seven days or any yeast at all found within the borders of your land during this time. (vv 1-7, NLT).

Pharaoh send for Moses and Aaron during the night. “Get out! he ordered. “Leave my people-and take all the rest of the Israelites with you! Go and worship the Lord as you have requested. Take your flocks and herds as you have said, and be gone. Go, but bless me as you leave.” All the Egyptians urged the people of Israel to get out of the land as quickly as possible, for they thought, “We all will die!” (vv. 31-33, NLT)

The Lord caused the Egyptians to look favorably on the Israelites, and they gave the Israelites whatever they asked for. So they stripped the Egyptians of their wealth!

That night the people of Israel left Rameses and started for Succoth. There were about 600,000 men, plus all the women and children. (vv. 36-37, NLT)

The people of Israel had lived in Egypt for 430 years. In fact, it was on the last day of the 430th year that all the Lord’s forces left the land. On this night the Lord kept His promise to bring His people out of Egypt. So this night belongs to Him, and it must be commemorated every year by all Israelites, from generation to generation. (vv. 40-42, NLT)

“These are your instructions for eating this meal: Be fully dressed, wearing your sandals, and carry your walking stick in your hand. Eat the meal with urgency, for this is the Lord’s Passover. On that night I will pass through the land of Egypt and strike down every firstborn son and first born male animal in the land of Egypt. I will execute judgement against all the gods in Egypt, for I am the Lord! But the blood on your doorposts will serve as a sign, marking the houses where you are staying. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. This plague of death will not touch you when I strike the land of Egypt.” (vv. 11-13, NLT)

So the people of Israel did just as the Lord had commanded through Moses and Aaron. And that night at midnight, the Lord struck down all the firstborn sons in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sat on his throne, to the first born son of the prisoner in the dungeon. Even the firstborn of their livestock were killed. Pharaoh and all his officials and all the people of Egypt woke up during the night, and loud wailing was heard throughout the land of Egypt. There was not a single house where someone had not died. (vv. 28-30, NLT)

Moses announced to Pharaoh, “This is what the Lord says: At midnight tonight I will pass through the heart of Egypt. All the firstborn sons will die in every family in Egypt, from the oldest son of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, to the oldest son of of his lowest servant girls who grinds the flour. Even the firstborn of all the livestock will die. Then a loud wail will rise throughout the land of Egypt, a wail like no one has heard before or will ever hear again. But among the Israelites it will be so peaceful that not even a dog will bark. Then you will know that the Lord makes a distinction between the Egyptians and the Israelites. All the officials of Egypt will run to me and fall to the ground before me. ‘Please leave!’ then will beg. “Hurry! And tak all your followers with you.’ Only then will I go!” Then, burning with anger, Moses left Pharaoh.

Now the Lord had told Moses earlier, “Pharaoh will not listen to you, but then I will do even more mighty miracles in the land of Egypt.” Moses and Aaron performed these miracles in Pharaoh’s presence, but the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he wouldn’t let the Israelites leave the country. (vv. 4-10, NLT)

Then the Lord said to Moses,”Lift your hand toward heaven, and the land of Egypt will be covered with darkness so thick you can feel it.” So Moses lifted his hand to the sky, and a deep darkness covered the entire land of Egypt for three days. During all that time, the people could not see each other and no one moved. But there was light as usual where the people of Israel lived.

Finally, Pharaoh called for Moses. “Go and worship your Lord,’ he said. “But leave your flocks and herds here. You many even take your little ones with you.”

“No,” Moses said, “you must provide us with animals for sacrifices and burn offerings to the Lord our God. All our livestock must go with us, too; not a hoof can be left behind. We must choose our sacrifices to the Lord our God from among these animals. And we won’t know where we are to worship the Lord until we get there.”

Bu the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart once more, and he would not let them go. “Get out of here!” Pharaoh shouted to Moses. “I’m warning you. Never come back to see me again! The day you see my face, you will die!”

“Very well,” Moses replied. “I will never see your face again.” (vv. 21-29, NLT)

So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews says:”How long will your refuse to submit to Me? Let My people go, sow they can worship Me. If you refuse, Watch out! For tomorrow I will bring a swarm of locusts on your country. They will cover the ground so that you won’t be able to see the ground. They will devour what little is left of your crops after the hailstorm, including all the trees growing in the fields. They will overrun your palaces and the homes of your officials and all the houses in Egypt. Never in the history of Egypt have your ancestors seen a plague like this one!'” (vv. 3-6, NLT)

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Raise your hand over the land of Egypt to bring on the locusts. Let the cover the land and devour every plant that survived the hailstorm.”

So Moses raised his staff over Egypt, and the Lord caused an east wind to blow over the land al that day through the night. When morning arrived, the east wind had brought the locusts. And the locusts swarmed over the whole land of Egypt, settling in dense swarms from one end of the country to the other. It was the worst locust plague in Egyptian history, and there has never been another one like it. For the locusts covered the whole country and darkened the land. They devoured every plant in the fields and all of the fruit on the trees that had survived the hailstorm. Not a single leaf was left on the trees and plants through the land of Egypt.

Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron. “I have sinned against the Lord our God and against you,” he professed. “Forgive my sin, just this one, and plead with the Lord you God to take away this death from me.”

So Moses left Pharaoh’s court and pleaded with the Lord. The Lord responded by shifting the wind, and the strong west wind blew the locust in to the Red Sea. Not a single locust remained in all the land of Egypt. but the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart again, so he refused to let his people go. (vv. 12-20, NLT)

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh. Tell him,’This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews , says: Let My people go, so they can worship Me. If you don’t I will send more plagues on you and your officials and your people. Then you will know that there is no one like Me in all the earth. By now I could have lifted My hand and struck and an your people with a plague to wipe you off the face of the earth. But I have spared you for a purpose-that I may show My power and to spread My fame throughout the earth. But you still lord it over My people and refuse to let them go. So tomorrow at time I will send a hailstorm more devastating than any in all the history of Egypt. Quick! Oder your livestock and servants to come in from the fields to find shelter. They will die when the hail falls.;” (vv. 13-19, NLT)

So Moses lifted up his staff toward the sky, and the Lord set thunder and hail, and the lightning flashed toward the earth. The Lord sent a tremendous hailstorm agains all the land of Egypt. Never in all history of Egypt had there been storm like that, with such devastating hail and continuous lightning. It left all of Egypt in ruins. The hail struck down everything in the open field-people, animals, and plants alike. Even the trees were destroyed. The only place without hail was the region of Goshen, where the people of Israel lived. (vv. 23-26, NLT)

So Moses left Pharaoh’s court and went out of the city. When he lifted up his hand to the Lord, the thunder and hail stopped, and the downpour ceased. But when Pharaoh saw that rain, hail, and thunder had stopped, he and his officials sinned again, and Pharaoh again became stubborn. Because his heart was hard, Pharaoh refused to let the people leave, just as the Lord had predicted through Moses. (vv. 33-35, NLT)