Also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone; and bless me also.
At midnight the destroyer struck every firstborn in Egypt from Pharaoh's heir to the captive and the cattle, raising a great cry in houses left with the dead, while every Hebrew house marked with the lamb's blood was passed over and none inside was slain. Pharaoh rose by night and summoned Moses and Aaron, ordering them and all Israel to rise up and leave his people and go serve the Lord as they had asked. He at last yielded their flocks and herds which he had pressed them to leave behind, though the animals were their own and had never been sold to Egypt. With his proud boast that he did not know the Lord broken by the desolation of his land, he bowed with his counselors before God's servants and begged them to bless him also, acknowledging Jehovah's power in hope their blessing would shield him from further plague. His officers and all the people joined in urging Israel to be gone in haste, fearing they were dead men and Egypt would become a vast burial ground, so Israel went out by night ready in companies with girded loins and unleavened dough upon their shoulders, receiving silver and gold and clothing through the favor God gave them.
The Midnight Release
At midnight the destroyer struck every firstborn in Egypt, from the heir on Pharaoh's throne to the captive in the dungeon, with the firstborn of cattle also smitten, and a great cry arose because there was not a house without the dead. Every Hebrew house marked with the lamb's blood on the doorposts was passed over, and not one Israelite who remained inside was slain. The blood put outside was the token that marked God's people, proving faith by works, and any Israelite found that night in an Egyptian house would have fallen with the Egyptians.
Pharaoh rose that night with his servants and all the Egyptians, and called for Moses and Aaron by night. He ordered them and the children of Israel to rise up and get forth from among his people and go serve the Lord as they had said. By this message the Hebrews went out from Egypt as an independent nation.
He at last granted full permission to take flocks and herds as Israel had requested. He had before urged them to go quickly and leave the animals behind, but now yielded, for the animals belonged to Israel, who had never sold them to the Egyptians. His urging them to leave with flocks and herds acknowledged Israel's God and reflected the recognition of Jehovah's power wrought by the deliverance.
He added the plea, bless me also. Compelled to acknowledge Jehovah's power, he thought a blessing from God's servants would protect him from the further effects of the dreadful plague. Humbled by the death of Egypt's firstborn, he asked Moses and Aaron to bless him as they went.
His haughty pride was humbled, and he submitted to God's will only after all Egypt was desolated. He remembered his proud boast that he did not know the Lord and would not let Israel go. In haste he went with his counselors and rulers to Goshen and bowed before Moses and Aaron. The whole land bore evidence to the power of Him who rules in the heavens.
The king's officers and the people united with him in pressing Israel to be sent out of the land in haste. They implored the Israelites to be gone, saying they were all dead men. The release was given in horror and haste, for they feared that unless God's curse was removed the whole land would become a vast burial-ground.
Israel had obeyed God and stood ready for the journey, waiting for the rebellious king and his great men to bid them go. They were already assembled and organized into companies under appointed leaders. The royal command sent them out by night in haste with girded loins, shoes on feet, and staff in hand, eating the lamb with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. They carried their dough before it was leavened, with kneading-troughs bound in clothes upon their shoulders, and through favor given by the Lord received silver and gold and clothing from the Egyptians. Released that night, they set out before morning for the promised land.
The verse belongs to the first Passover and the departure from bondage, when all were commanded to separate themselves and their children from the Egyptians, gather into their own houses, and keep the Passover as a lasting ordinance to tell their children how God preserved them. The paschal meal of lamb, unleavened bread, bitter herbs, sprinkled blood, death-dealing angel, and march out of Egypt was afterward rehearsed in solemn night assembly at Jerusalem, in solemn silence as a meeting with God in His holy habitation, bound up with the blessed influences of nature and kindly human association. Those rites were appointed to stir the imagination, impress the heart, and fix the memory forever in child and youth, and the deliverance is still celebrated at Passover.
The departure ended Israel's dwelling in Goshen and the country round about it. There Joseph had settled his father and brethren in the best part of Egypt, a place of good, well-watered pastures where as shepherds they could worship God without disturbance from idolatrous ceremonies. God brought His people out thence with power and mighty signs and wonders. After lifelong slavery some had cried to God for deliverance, while many were content to remain in bondage and reluctant to leave.
Power Remembered and Applied
The verse marks the moment after the midnight death of the firstborn when Pharaoh consented to let Israel rise up and start the journey out of Egyptian bondage as an independent nation to serve the Lord as they had said. The plagues had been sent because Pharaoh persisted in refusing to let Israel go, and the deliverance included the spoiling of Egypt. God in pity broke the yoke of their bondage and placed Moses at their head to lead them through the wilderness to the promised land. Christ Himself, enshrouded in the pillar of fire, was their leader and gave them instruction through Moses. After consenting, hardness of heart came upon Pharaoh and he pursued them, giving evidence of Satan's power over human minds that choose him as their leader.
Israel's deliverance led many among the heathen to recognize the God of Israel as the supreme ruler. Many Egyptians were led by the signs and wonders to acknowledge that the God of the Hebrews was the only true God and that their own gods were without knowledge and had no power to save or destroy. On that fearful night they entreated shelter in Israelite houses, pledged to choose the God of Israel as their God, and decided to leave Egypt and go with Israel to worship Him, and the Israelites welcomed them. Pharaoh himself in urging Moses and Aaron to go and in asking them to bless him also was compelled to acknowledge Jehovah's power.
God's bringing Israel forth from Egypt is the pattern for His purpose for His people today. He purposes to manifest through them the principles of His kingdom in life and character, to separate them from the customs, habits, and practices of the world, and to bring them nearer to Himself that He may make known to them His will. Through His church He would give the world a representation of His character in His goodness, mercy, justice, and love, and exemplify the law of God in the life so that even the world will recognize the superiority of those who love and fear and serve God above every other people. The verse marks God's mighty deliverance of Israel, whom He chose to be His people, from Egyptian bondage, wrought so that the whole land saw and felt the scourging of God and bore evidence to the power of Him who rules in the heavens, to lead His people in all future ages to magnify His power and to look to Him as the supreme Ruler. That deliverance led Israel toward the Red Sea, where God protected them from Pharaoh's pursuing army and brought them safely through. The Lord called His people out of Egypt to bring them to Sinai to hear the proclamation of the law first given in Eden, where God Himself proclaimed the Ten Commandments with His own voice in awful grandeur, demonstrating their fundamental importance and His majesty and authority as Ruler of the world to impress the sacredness of His law and the importance of obedience, revealing its importance as the faith once delivered to the saints by Christ the Redeemer speaking from Sinai.
That mighty work in delivering Israel from bondage, opening the Red Sea before them, and destroying their pursuing foes was given to be remembered with gratitude and to sustain firm faith and trust in God for victory on the way to the heavenly Canaan. Forgetting it breeds distrust of God, mourning and lamenting over self, speaking words of discouragement, and desperation under trial. Repeating that murmuring forgetfulness when trials come is ungrateful rebellion to be shunned. Israel left after lifelong slavery with little knowledge of God and little faith, and God sought to raise them morally by teaching them to know Him. That same pity means He is not indifferent to the suffering of oppressed people now but calls those who bear His name to lift them from ignorance and degradation.
At midnight the destroyer struck every firstborn in Egypt from Pharaoh's heir to the captive and the cattle, raising a great cry in houses left with the dead, while every Hebrew house marked with the lamb's blood was passed over and none inside was slain.
Pharaoh rose by night and summoned Moses and Aaron, ordering them and all Israel to rise up and leave his people and go serve the Lord as they had asked.
He at last yielded their flocks and herds which he had pressed them to leave behind, though the animals were their own and had never been sold to Egypt.
With his proud boast that he did not know the Lord broken by the desolation of his land, he bowed with his counselors before God's servants and begged them to bless him also, acknowledging Jehovah's power in hope their blessing would shield him from further plague.
His officers and all the people joined in urging Israel to be gone in haste, fearing they were dead men and Egypt would become a vast burial ground, so Israel went out by night ready in companies with girded loins and unleavened dough upon their shoulders, receiving silver and gold and clothing through the favor God gave them.
The Midnight Release
At midnight the destroyer struck every firstborn in Egypt, from the heir on Pharaoh's throne to the captive in the dungeon, with the firstborn of cattle also smitten, and a great cry arose because there was not a house without the dead. Every Hebrew house marked with the lamb's blood on the doorposts was passed over, and not one Israelite who remained inside was slain. The blood put outside was the token that marked God's people, proving faith by works, and any Israelite found that night in an Egyptian house would have fallen with the Egyptians.
Pharaoh rose that night with his servants and all the Egyptians, and called for Moses and Aaron by night. He ordered them and the children of Israel to rise up and get forth from among his people and go serve the Lord as they had said. By this message the Hebrews went out from Egypt as an independent nation.
He at last granted full permission to take flocks and herds as Israel had requested. He had before urged them to go quickly and leave the animals behind, but now yielded, for the animals belonged to Israel, who had never sold them to the Egyptians. His urging them to leave with flocks and herds acknowledged Israel's God and reflected the recognition of Jehovah's power wrought by the deliverance.
He added the plea, bless me also. Compelled to acknowledge Jehovah's power, he thought a blessing from God's servants would protect him from the further effects of the dreadful plague. Humbled by the death of Egypt's firstborn, he asked Moses and Aaron to bless him as they went.
His haughty pride was humbled, and he submitted to God's will only after all Egypt was desolated. He remembered his proud boast that he did not know the Lord and would not let Israel go. In haste he went with his counselors and rulers to Goshen and bowed before Moses and Aaron. The whole land bore evidence to the power of Him who rules in the heavens.
The king's officers and the people united with him in pressing Israel to be sent out of the land in haste. They implored the Israelites to be gone, saying they were all dead men. The release was given in horror and haste, for they feared that unless God's curse was removed the whole land would become a vast burial-ground.
Israel had obeyed God and stood ready for the journey, waiting for the rebellious king and his great men to bid them go. They were already assembled and organized into companies under appointed leaders. The royal command sent them out by night in haste with girded loins, shoes on feet, and staff in hand, eating the lamb with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. They carried their dough before it was leavened, with kneading-troughs bound in clothes upon their shoulders, and through favor given by the Lord received silver and gold and clothing from the Egyptians. Released that night, they set out before morning for the promised land.
The verse belongs to the first Passover and the departure from bondage, when all were commanded to separate themselves and their children from the Egyptians, gather into their own houses, and keep the Passover as a lasting ordinance to tell their children how God preserved them. The paschal meal of lamb, unleavened bread, bitter herbs, sprinkled blood, death-dealing angel, and march out of Egypt was afterward rehearsed in solemn night assembly at Jerusalem, in solemn silence as a meeting with God in His holy habitation, bound up with the blessed influences of nature and kindly human association. Those rites were appointed to stir the imagination, impress the heart, and fix the memory forever in child and youth, and the deliverance is still celebrated at Passover.
The departure ended Israel's dwelling in Goshen and the country round about it. There Joseph had settled his father and brethren in the best part of Egypt, a place of good, well-watered pastures where as shepherds they could worship God without disturbance from idolatrous ceremonies. God brought His people out thence with power and mighty signs and wonders. After lifelong slavery some had cried to God for deliverance, while many were content to remain in bondage and reluctant to leave.
Power Remembered and Applied
The verse marks the moment after the midnight death of the firstborn when Pharaoh consented to let Israel rise up and start the journey out of Egyptian bondage as an independent nation to serve the Lord as they had said. The plagues had been sent because Pharaoh persisted in refusing to let Israel go, and the deliverance included the spoiling of Egypt. God in pity broke the yoke of their bondage and placed Moses at their head to lead them through the wilderness to the promised land. Christ Himself, enshrouded in the pillar of fire, was their leader and gave them instruction through Moses. After consenting, hardness of heart came upon Pharaoh and he pursued them, giving evidence of Satan's power over human minds that choose him as their leader.
Israel's deliverance led many among the heathen to recognize the God of Israel as the supreme ruler. Many Egyptians were led by the signs and wonders to acknowledge that the God of the Hebrews was the only true God and that their own gods were without knowledge and had no power to save or destroy. On that fearful night they entreated shelter in Israelite houses, pledged to choose the God of Israel as their God, and decided to leave Egypt and go with Israel to worship Him, and the Israelites welcomed them. Pharaoh himself in urging Moses and Aaron to go and in asking them to bless him also was compelled to acknowledge Jehovah's power.
God's bringing Israel forth from Egypt is the pattern for His purpose for His people today. He purposes to manifest through them the principles of His kingdom in life and character, to separate them from the customs, habits, and practices of the world, and to bring them nearer to Himself that He may make known to them His will. Through His church He would give the world a representation of His character in His goodness, mercy, justice, and love, and exemplify the law of God in the life so that even the world will recognize the superiority of those who love and fear and serve God above every other people. The verse marks God's mighty deliverance of Israel, whom He chose to be His people, from Egyptian bondage, wrought so that the whole land saw and felt the scourging of God and bore evidence to the power of Him who rules in the heavens, to lead His people in all future ages to magnify His power and to look to Him as the supreme Ruler. That deliverance led Israel toward the Red Sea, where God protected them from Pharaoh's pursuing army and brought them safely through. The Lord called His people out of Egypt to bring them to Sinai to hear the proclamation of the law first given in Eden, where God Himself proclaimed the Ten Commandments with His own voice in awful grandeur, demonstrating their fundamental importance and His majesty and authority as Ruler of the world to impress the sacredness of His law and the importance of obedience, revealing its importance as the faith once delivered to the saints by Christ the Redeemer speaking from Sinai.
That mighty work in delivering Israel from bondage, opening the Red Sea before them, and destroying their pursuing foes was given to be remembered with gratitude and to sustain firm faith and trust in God for victory on the way to the heavenly Canaan. Forgetting it breeds distrust of God, mourning and lamenting over self, speaking words of discouragement, and desperation under trial. Repeating that murmuring forgetfulness when trials come is ungrateful rebellion to be shunned. Israel left after lifelong slavery with little knowledge of God and little faith, and God sought to raise them morally by teaching them to know Him. That same pity means He is not indifferent to the suffering of oppressed people now but calls those who bear His name to lift them from ignorance and degradation.