In this message we shall continue to consider the exodus of God’s people from Egypt. In the previous message we saw that Pharaoh and the Egyptians were subdued by God; then they drove the children of Israel out of Egypt (12:29-33; 11:1). The children of Israel had no time to leaven their bread (12:34, 39), but, according to God’s commandment, they plundered the Egyptians of their silver, gold, and raiment (12:35-36; 3:21-22; 11:2-3). Furthermore, we saw that the children of Israel came forth from Egypt with their children and their flocks and herds (12:37-38, 31-32). Their dwelling in the Gentile land had lasted for a period of four hundred thirty years (12:40-41). The night of their exodus was a night of observation (12:42). Finally, when they made their exodus from Egypt, the children of Israel had become the armies of the Lord (12:41, 51). Hence, in the words of 13:18, they came out of Egypt in martial array.
In this message we shall cover four additional points, all found in chapter thirteen. In contrast to the material covered in the foregoing message, these points are related to spiritual matters.
It may seem that chapter thirteen is an insertion between chapters twelve and fourteen and that chapter fourteen should be the direct continuation of chapter twelve. In a sense, this may be correct. However, from the standpoint of spiritual experience, chapter thirteen is not an insertion; it is a definite continuation of chapter twelve.
All the points in chapter thirteen relate to spiritual experience on the positive side. For example, 13:2 speaks of the sanctification of the firstborn. Certainly this signifies a particular aspect of the spiritual experience of God’s people in coming out of Egypt. It indicates that the purpose of our exodus from the world is to be sanctified to the Lord.
In 13:3-10 we read of a day of memorial held in the month of Abib. At the time of this memorial, the children of Israel were not to eat leavened bread. The day the children of Israel came out from Egypt was to be a day of unleavened bread and a day of memorial. According to 13:3, it was the eating of unleavened bread that was the memorial, the remembrance. The way to remember the exodus was to purge out all leaven. Hence, there are three things that go together: the day of remembrance, the unleavened bread, and the month of Abib.
In 13:19 we read that “Moses took the bones of Joseph with him,” for Joseph had charged the children of Israel, saying, “God will surely visit you; and ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you.” It is significant that this detail is not mentioned either in chapter twelve or in chapter fourteen, but immediately after a verse that tells us how God led the people through the way of the wilderness (v. 18). As we shall see, God led them in a way contrary to what we would expect according to the natural concept. We would expect Him to take the short way, but instead He took a roundabout way. Furthermore, in the verses immediately following the record concerning Joseph’s bones, we are told that the Lord went before the children of Israel by day in a pillar of cloud and by night in a pillar of fire. Therefore, as we consider this chapter in the light of spiritual experience, we need to put together the matter of Joseph’s bones with the way of God’s leading.
Viewing this chapter as a whole, we see that it begins with sanctification and ends with the Lord’s presence as the guide for His people. How marvelous! Let us now look at this wonderful chapter in detail.