January 12, 2025
Exodus 12:31-51
“The Great Escape”
Service Overview: Exodus 12:31-51 captures Israel’s long-awaited deliverance as Pharaoh finally releases them. This pivotal moment marks the fulfillment of God’s promises and the beginning of their journey to freedom.
Memory Verse for the Week:
He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. (Psalm 23:3)
Background & Technical Insights:
- In Exod 12:38 the text says, “An ethnically diverse crowd also went up with them.” This means that many who were not descendants from Abraham or Israel joined the Israelites as they left Egypt (Stuart, Exodus, 303). (Tony Merida, Exalting Jesus in Exodus, 73)
- 12:37 This brief statement about the number of Israelites who leave Egypt has prompted much discussion. If “six hundred thousand” refers to men of military age, as most commentators assume, then the total population of Israelites was probably in the region of two million. (T. Desmond Alexander, Exodus, 106)
- The exodus took place 480 years before the fourth year of Solomon’s reign (1 Kings 6:1), which was the year 966 BC. That means that the date of the exodus was 1446 BC and that Jacob’s descendants had been in Egypt since 1876 BC. Both Genesis 15:13 and Acts 7:6 give “four hundred years,” which is a round figure, but Galatians 3:17 specifies “430 years.” Most conservative biblical scholars accept 1446 BC as the date of the exodus. (Warren Wiersbe, Be Delivered: Exodus, 71)
- 31–32 How Pharaoh “summons” Moses and Aaron is unknown. Whether the king retracts his rash oath never to see these two men again (10:28) and recalls them one more time or uses ambassadors to convene his unconditional release cannot be determined— the verb is used in both senses. If it were the latter, however, then it is a striking fulfillment of 11:8. (Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., Exodus (The Expositor’s Bible Commentary), Kindle Edition, 4284)
- The word the Bible uses to describe these parting gifts is a military term: “plundered.” This shows that the exodus was a victory for God’s people. Similarly, the book of Numbers says that the Israelites “marched out boldly in full view of all the Egyptians, who were burying all their firstborn, whom the LORD had struck down among them; for the LORD had brought judgment on their gods” (33:3b, 4). The Israelites did not leave empty-handed. Though they had lived in Egypt as slaves, they left as conquerors, carrying the spoils of God’s victory. (Phillip Graham Ryken, Preaching the Word: Exodus, 351)
What does the deliverance of the Israelites showcase about the Lord’s work among people?
- His providence: faithfulness in fulfilling His promises.
(vv. 40-41)
There are three promises in particular that are fulfilled in Israel’s getting out of Egypt. First, we see the fulfillment of Genesis 15:14. God promised that the people would be rich upon leaving the land… Second, the promise that they would be a great, multiplying nation had been fulfilled (Gen 12:2)… Third, the nations were being blessed through the seed of Abraham (Gen 12:2). (Tony Merida, Exalting Jesus in Exodus, 72-73)
God’s providence is His constant care for and His absolute rule over all His creation for His own glory and the good of His people. (Jerry Bridges, Trusting God, 25
- His protection and provision: in providing for the journey.
(vv. 35-36, 42)
The Israelites . . . asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold and for clothing. This fulfills God’s earlier instructions (3:22; 11:2). The Israelites are now suitably rewarded for their many years of service to the Egyptians. (T. Desmond Alexander, Exodus, 106)
[God] will never cease to help us until we cease to need. (C.H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, Commentary for Psalm 4:1)
- His grace: in providing a means to include.
(vv. 38, 44, 48-49)
The concern of these regulations is not: Whom must we keep out of the feast? Rather it is: Who may we welcome in? (Christopher J.H. Wright, The Story of God Bible Commentary: Exodus, 254)
In this we have a blessed foreshadowing of Grace reaching out to the Gentiles, who though by nature were “aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise”, are now, by grace “no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints and of the household of God” (Eph. 2:12, 19).—a statement which manifestly looks back to Exodus 12. (Arthur Pink, Gleanings in Exodus, Location 3128)
The promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:3, of being a blessing to “all peoples on earth,” receives another fulfillment in this swarm of foreigners who are impressed enough by God’s power to leave Egypt with Israel after all the plagues have been performed. Another aspect of God’s display of his power is so that the Egyptians can, if they only would, be evangelized (7: 5; 8: 10, 19; 9: 14, 16, 29– 30; 14: 4, 18). (Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., Exodus, Location 4352)
Conclusion… How does all this challenge us as God’s people in Jesus?
- As it calls us to embrace our covenant identity in Christ.
(Rom. 8:17; 1 Cor. 6:19-20; 2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 2:20; Eph. 2:19; Col. 3:3-4; 1 Peter 2:9)
Just as the Passover shaped the identity of the Israelites, so the Lord’s Supper shapes our identity as Christians. We not only remember the story of the cross and resurrection. We enact it in the breaking of bread and the pouring of wine, and in this sense we participate in it. It becomes our story and our identity, our living reality. (Tim Chester, Exodus for You, 96)
Nowhere is God so near to man as in Jesus Christ; and nowhere is Christ so familiarly represented to us, as in this holy sacrament. (Richard Baxter, Quoted by Packer, Puritan Idea of Communion with God, 116)
- As it calls us to trust in God’s promises for us.
(Joshua 21:45; Psalm 145:13; Prov. 3:5-6; Isaiah 41:10; 2 Cor. 1:20; Heb. 10:23; 2 Peter 3:9)
What everyone in the world is obsessed with, God makes a distant second. He’ll give you what you need to live on if you need Him in order to live. (David Powlison, Worry – Pursuing a Better Path to Peace, 21)
There is many a believer who forsakes God, but there is never a believer whom God forsakes. (Bob LaForge, Contemplating the Almighty, 120)
- As it calls us to embrace the grace that seeks to include.
(Isaiah 56:6-7; Matthew 28:19; John 1:12; Acts 10:34-35; Galatians 3:28; Revelation 7:9)
When love is felt, the message is heard. (Jim Vaus, Quoted by Curtis C. Thomas, Practical Wisdom for Pastors, 65)
The heart that is opened to receive the grace of Christ will learn to welcome all those whom Christ Himself has welcomed. (Sinclair Ferguson, Grow in Grace, 89)
What a wonderful Savior we have. It wasn’t lovely people for whose sake He died; it was for ungodly people, for His enemies. It was for law breakers that He suffered. He loved us, says (the Apostle) Paul, in spite of how unlovely we were. Just as He loved us, Paul insists we are to love one another. (Jay Adams, Christian Living in the Home, 41)
We are not to be a terminus point for the gospel, but rather a way station in its progress to the ends of the earth. God intends that everyone who has embraced the gospel become a part of the great enterprise of spreading the gospel. (Jerry Bridges, The Gospel for Real Life, 186)
Gospel Connection…
Through faithfulness, protection, and grace, God delivered Israel, and in Jesus, He delivers us and invites all to experience new life in Him.
(Mat. 11:28-30; John 14:6; Rom. 6:23; 8:1-2; 2 Cor. 5:21; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 2:24)
The promises of Genesis 3:15 were secured. And in the midst of what seems like a harsh judgment, we should remember John 3:16: God loved the world by protecting His coming Son, the seed of the woman, so that everyone who would believe in Him might not perish but have everlasting life. (Tony Merida, Exalting Jesus in Exodus, 72)
Spiritual Challenge Questions…
Reflect on these questions in your time with the Lord this week, or discuss with a Christian family member or Life Group.
- What stands out to you most about God’s providence, protection, or provision in this account of the Exodus? Why?
- What does God’s fulfillment of His promises to Abraham after 430 years teach us about trusting His timing?
- How can remembering God’s past faithfulness help us face challenges in the present?
- How did God demonstrate both His protection and provision for the Israelites as they left Egypt? What are ways you’ve experienced God’s protection and provision in your own life?
- What do the instructions about including non-Israelites in the Passover reveal about God’s heart for people? How does this foreshadow the inclusive nature of the gospel? What does this teach us about the mission of God’s people today?
Quotes to note…
In Exodus we see the beginning of the fulfillment of this promise that the nations would be blessed through the seed of Abraham. Ultimately, this was fulfilled through the coming of Christ (Gal 3:16). By faith in Christ the nations are made “sons of Abraham” ( Gal 3:7-9). As Christians we must share in this passion to see the nations worship the true God, making disciples of all nations (Matt 28:16-20). (Tony Merida, Exalting Jesus in Exodus, 73)
When we enter into the “in Christ” existence we become one with those who are in Christ. Eternal life is received individually, but it is lived out in community. And the community battles sin in the body by confronting sinners and by requiring spiritual accountability. (Ajith Fernando, The Supremacy of Christ, 183)
The festivals do more than merely help Israel to remember a past act. They are re-enactments of the story. People are not simply observers, but participants. So they incorporate future generations into the people of God. (Tim Chester, Exodus for You, 95)
Pharaoh’s little concession speech stands as a warning to anyone who chooses to resist God’s will. For all his hardness of heart — all the times he told God no and all the times he said yes but never followed through — Pharaoh gained nothing. In the end he had to accept everything on God’s terms anyway. So why not give in to God in the first place? It is much better not to resist his claim on your life but simply to accept his plan and his purpose. (Phillip Graham Ryken, Preaching the Word: Exodus, 349)
What we can say with certainty is that there was no real repentance on the part of the king. He gave no recognition of any personal responsibility — he wanted the blessing without the liability, the shame, or the consequences. He simply desired the plagues to be gone. We know this to be the case, because once the immediate shock following the final plague had subsided, the Egyptian king pursued the Hebrews in order to destroy them. (John D. Currid, A Study Commentary on Exodus, Vol 1, 257)
In America most Christians think of salvation in individual terms. Evangelicals often talk about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Christianity is about what God has done for me. However, we also believe in the communion of saints, which means that we all have something in common. In salvation God has joined us together with Jesus Christ. (Phillip Graham Ryken, Preaching the Word: Exodus, 359)
We should remember the severity and mercy of God. We are all like Pharaoh. We all deserve this kind of judgment. Some think they will never be judged. They think that they can spend their life as a little Pharaoh, piling up pyramids full of stuff, chasing fame, and refusing to bow down to the true God. Sadly, they will end up much like Pharaoh unless they look to God alone for mercy. Are you turning to the Substitute, Jesus Christ, that you might receive His mercy? (Tony Merida, Exalting Jesus in Exodus, 72)