The Time Of Their Sojourning. Series

Exodus 12:41-42.

The Time of Their Sojourning.

41And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, on the fifteenth of Nisan even the same day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt.

42It is a night to be much observed unto the LORD for bringing them out from the land of Egypt: this is that night of the LORD to be observed of all the children of Israel in their generations.

Moreover, it came to pass at the end of four hundred and thirty years, which was the fifteenth of Nisan, that all the hosts of the Lord left the land of Egypt. It was 430 years to the day, after they had entered the land of Egypt, that the armies of the Lord came out from Egypt in excellent order, as if in a military formation. It seems inevitable that they all came out the same day, which was very remarkable that such a large number could be gathered together, and march out of the land on the same day. Moreover, it is pretty plain that it was in the daytime, for they were not to stir out of their houses till morning. Then they had what remained of the Passover to burn and many other things to do, some of which they could not do. So, they did not go by night or stealth but openly at noon. So the Jews represent the Lord speaking after this manner, "If I bring out Israel by night, the Egyptians will say, now he does his work after the manner of thieves; but behold, I will bring them out during the day, and when the sun, is the hottest. The words will bear rendering, "in the strength, or body of the day" when the sun is at its height, as it is at noon.

It is a night to be much observed unto the Lord, or "a night of observations" (t), in which many things are to be observed to the honor and glory of God, as done by him, wherein his power, wisdom, goodness, truth, and faithfulness, are displayed; partly by the destruction of the Egyptian firstborn, and particularly for bringing them, the children of Israel: out from the land of Egypt: with the leave, and even pressing importunity of the Egyptians, and with so much wealth and riches, having found great favor in their sight, which was from the Lord:

This is that night of the Lord to be observed by all the children of Israel in their generations unto the coming of the Messiah, for the reasons given above; and the same night is worthy the remembrance of all the spiritual Israel of God, of all true believers in Christ; for that very night after Christ had ate the Passover with his disciples, he was betrayed by one of them; and to perpetuate the memory of this, and of his sufferings and death, an ordinance is appointed to be observed until his second coming, see 1 Corinthians 11:23, and the ancient Jews themselves have had some notion of the appearance of the Messiah at this time; for they not only expect his coming at the time of the passover, and speak of their redemption by him in the month of Nisan, as before observed on Exodus 12:14, but of this very night, among the four observable things in it, the fourth they say is, Moses shall go out of the midst of the wilderness, and the King Messiah out of Rome; so it is said in the Jerusalem Targum on the place.

It is the Lord's Passover (Exodus 12:11). After Pharaoh refuses to see Moses again, Jehovah comes more distinctly into history in his people's last judgment and deliverance. Three significant events crowd now into a single night, the Passover, the slaying of the firstborn, and the march out. Consider now the Passover.

I. ITS A NECESSITY.

1. Israel must be separated from Egypt. This idea of separation runs through all Hebrew history from the time of Abraham to this hour. However, to a large extent, Israel had now become merged into the Egyptian race, catching the plagues of its idolatry and sins. Great separating acts necessary - e.g., as in some of the earlier visitations, the tenth, the Passover, the Exodus, and the Red Sea.

2. To this end, Israel must be atoned afresh with God. The tenth plague was a miracle of pure judgment: an atonement necessary for Israel to escape the penalty of its sin. That atonement was the Passover.

II. ITS DESIGNATIONS.

They were these: "A pass-over unto Jehovah: a sacrificial-slaying of pass-over unto Jehovah:" "The sacrifice of the feast of the Passover," 12:11, 27; 34:25. Here we have four unique ideas.