Exodus 11-20

Exodus 11: Moses tells Pharaoh about Jehovah’s plan to get rid of firstborn of Egypt, including cattle.

Exodus 12: Jehovah lays it down for Aaron and Moses: On the tenth of a month unspecified to be the beginning of the year, a perfect year old sheep or goat male is set aside for each of the houses of Israel. On the fourteenth, at evening, kill it in front of the congregation. Then, smear that blood from the kill on the sideposts and lentils of the homes that are to eat of the lamb and unleavened bread. Do not boil the lamb. Roast it whole over fire. If there are any leftovers, incinerate them. No shoes, no pants, no staff in hand, no Passover. When the above happens, Jehovah will smite as specified above (Ex 11). Then, for seven days annually, eat unleavened bread. In fact, take the leaven out of the house on the first day of the event. Jehovah sees blood, passes over Hebrew homes. Do not work on the celebration days bookending this week. To be clear, Jehovah reiterates that from the fourteenth to the twenty-first, this bread issue is important. The firstborn killing comes to pass, and the Israelites ask for treasure on their way out of Egypt, and the Egyptians are plenty happy to be rid of this plague Jehovah has brought upon Egypt. Pharaoh appears to have relented here, and the Israelites are told to get going quickly. 600,000 men not counting children depart from Rameses to Succoth (Another Goshen town in the Eastern Nile delta). 430 years the Hebrews spent in Egypt. There are very specific rules regarding who may or may not participate in Passover, much of it related to circumcision.

Exodus 13: Easily the most bizarre chapter in the bible so far, and that’s saying something. All firstborn males are Jehovah’s. Maybe not the Hebrews. Maybe so. Jehovah says one thing to Moses, then He says another, maybe in an attempt at clarity. The bread thing is reiterated again, and is damned clear. The consecration of firstborn looks like it might be troublesome, because there are instructions to kill off any beasts that weren’t offered initially, and so forth. After the confusing order regarding flock and/or man to serve as what appears to be a constant reminder of Passover, Jehovah guides the Israelites to the Red Sea, and it is a 24-hour operation. The Hebrews are led through the wilderness by day with a pillar of cloud, and at night, by a pillar of fire. The previously unnamed Passover month is stated to be Abib.

Exodus 14: Jehovah instructs Moses to turn back to encamp before Pihahiroth (maybe modern-day Arsinoe, Egypt?), between Migdol and the sea, but before Baalzephon. The Hebrews are a little apprehensive about this situation of apparent death in the dessert, but Jehovah tells Moses to cast the godstick above the waters of the Red Sea, and to gain escape from Pharaoh, now pursuing the Hebrews. The treatment of the pillar of cloud and pillar of fire is an odd one here, as the night of the sea parting, the pillar of fire is placed between the Israelites and Egyptians. (Not at the head of the Israelites’ encampment, as during the first parts of the journey) But the sea is parted at night by a great East wind, the Hebrews make their journey, Jehovah forces the wheels off Pharaoh’s 600 chariots, and a great many Egyptians are thwarted in their attempt to return Israel to servitude.

Exodus 15: Song time. Miriam the prophetess, sister of Aaron, gathers the women for a song that sounds a lot like modern-day soccer taunts between nations. The Israelites went to the wilderness of Shur for three days, finding nothing to drink at Marah. Jehovah advises to dunk a certain tree in those waters, which makes the bitter water sweet. On to Elim, with its twelve springs and seventy palms.

Exodus 16: The Hebrews murmur against Aaron and Moses. Jehovah instructs Moses that the Hebrews will be provided for, despite the general err of their ways. Quails descend on the camp at evening, and at morning, there is a honey-tasting Manna to be had in the fields. This entire passage could use quite a bit of clarification. But for forty years, the Hebrews got manna in the desert. More specific instructions are given about the seventh day being one in which no manna could be taken, but on the bright side, it was the only period for which manna could be collected in said abundance without spoiling.

Exodus 17: Moses tells Joshua to gather troops after tapping a rock at Rephidim with the godstick for water. Amalek is the foe, and Moses, Aaron, and Hur climb a hill to watch the battle. When Moses holds up his hands, the Hebrews win the battles. So Aaron and Hur hold up Moses’ hands long enough for Israel to prevail. Jehovah mentions to Moses that it might be important to write some of this stuff down in a book.

Exodus 18: Moses meets with his father-in-law Jethro, who advises that Moses start delegating some authority over the people, as Moses is quite a bit overworked, and not handling things too well. Moses, with Jethro’s help, delegates authority to assistant judges to interpret and pass judgment regarding ethics and law. First example of local delegation of the Hebrew authority.

Exodus 19: Three months into their exile from Egypt, Moses meets Jehovah at Mount Sinai, where he receives contradictory instructions about the preparation in three days for Jehovah’s address of the Hebrews. The clothes should be clean, and they should stay away from women and Mt. Sinai during this time. Or not.

Exodus 20: At Mt. Sinai, Jehovah shares with Moses some law: 1) No other gods before Jehovah; 2) No graven images or idols, with a thick emphasis on Jehovah’s jealousy; 3) No taking Jehovah’s name in vain; 4) Remember to keep the Sabbath holy. Much emphasis here; 5) Honor mom and dad; 6) Don’t kill; 7) Don’t adulterize; 8) Don’t steal; 9) Don’t lie; 10) Don’t covet. There are some further emphases placed on how Jehovah feels about the idolatry thing, and specific rules about not modifying rock with tools when building an altar proper for sacrifice.