Succoth. The lessons of Succoth have to do with separation: from Egypt and to the Lord. In Succoth we learn that the uncleanness of the world has no place in our lives. We also find that we belong to the Lord, and that He must have the first place in everything!

 

 

vv.1-2 The Firstborn Given to Jehovah. Directly after the firstborn of the children of Israel were sheltered by the blood of the Passover lamb, the Lord instructed Moses that all the firstborn of people and cattle in Israel were to be hallowed or dedicated to Him. The details of why this was to be are given in vv.11-16, but the main point is simply this: since Jehovah had spared the firstborn from judgment, the firstborn belonged to Him. We have the parallel to this in 1 Cor. 6:19-20, the recognition of the Lord’s claims over us in redemption; “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

 

 

vv.3-10 The Feast of Unleavened Bread. Moses wanted Isreal to remember “this day”, as the day that everything changed. For the believer, the day they are sheltered by the blood begins the “rest of his time in the flesh” (1 Pet. 4:3). The feast of unleavened bread speaks of the holy, separate walk of the believer. It is the intelligent outflow of the appreciation of the Passover; “Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, etc.” In 1 Cor. 5:7-8 we are called on to fulfill the type of the feast of unleavened bread, just as Christ fulfilled the type of the Passover feast; “For also our passover, Christ, has been sacrificed; so that let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with leaven of malice and wickedness, but with unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” When we think of the cost to the Lord Jesus to put away our sins and deliver us from this present evil world, we find motivation to live a sanctified life for Him. This feast was mentioned first in ch.12, vv.15-17 when Israel was still in Egypt. Here we find that Israel was to keep this feast throughout the wilderness journey, and ongoing after they were settled in the land of Canaan. The moral effect produced in our lives as we consider what Christ has done for us should never fade. In fact, the number seven speaks of spiritual completeness. The feast was to be kept in the first month of the Jewish calendar, which was in the spring. The Passover was to be killed on the day prior to the Sabbath (between the two evenings), and then would follow a seven day feast, from that Sabbath to the next, completed with a feast on the second Sabbath. While the feast was going on, the Israelites were to explain the feast of unleavened bread to their children. So with Christian parents. When we take a path of separation from the evils of this world, our children will ask questions. We can explain that the Lord died to deliver us from this world, and that He wants us to walk separate from it.

 

 

vv.11-16 Consecration of the Firstborn. Returning to the issue of the firstborn, the Lord wanted Israel to remember that the firstborn belonged to Him. Every firstborn of cattle was to be presented to the Lord (Luke 2:22-24). Every firstborn of a man was to be “redeemed” with an offering. The “firstling of an ass” could not be presented to the Lord, because it was an unclean animal. Instead, the donkey was to be exchanged with a lamb, which could be presented to the Lord. This sets before us a type of substitutionary atonement. It is interesting that this scripture would link the firstborn of Israel with the firstborn of an unclean donkey – quite humbling! In our sinful, unclean condition, we are like the donkey: unacceptable as a sacrifice to God. We needed a lamb! If there was no substitute for the donkey, its neck was to be broken! It was inevitable that these things would bring up questions from the children, and the parents’ answer is given in vv.14-15. The firstborn was under the sentence of death, and the Lord passed over them. Now, in response to this, Israel was to recognize Jehovah’s claims. As Christians, we also must recognize the claims of Christ; “For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again” (2 Cor. 5:14-15).

 

vv.17-18 The Way of the Red Sea. There was a straightforward path from Egypt up the coast of the Mediterranean to Canaan called “the way of the land of the Philistines”. Why did God lead Israel on journey south and east to “the way of the wilderness of the Red Sea”? Eventually, the Children of Israel would have to face two enemies: the Philistines (representing the flesh in the land) and the Canaanites (spiritual wickedness in heavenly places). If they had seen “war” before really learning (1) what was in their own hearts and (2) what was in God’s heart (we have this in Deut. 8), it would have resulted in them giving up, and returning to bondage in Egypt; “for God said, That the people may not repent when they see conflict, and return to Egypt”. Therefore, God needed to lead Israel first in the path of the Red Sea, where they would see the fullness of God’s power on their behalf. Typically, this represents the believer coming to have deliverance from the power of sin and Satan. We cannot possess our Canaan (spiritual blessings) nor battle our Canaanites (spiritual wickedness in heavenly places) without passing through the Red Sea, and seeing God for us in delivering power. Israel also needed the experience of the wilderness where they would learn dependence on Jehovah. So with us, there is no shortcut for the spiritual education of the wilderness journey (Rom. 5:3-5)! The path that God chooses for us is usually not the path we would have chosen. It says that “the children of Israel went arrayed out of the land of Egypt”, which means they marched out in an orderly way. The word “harnessed” might convey the wrong idea that they left in their chains. It is the idea that they marched out in order. This was not a slave revolt like in the Roman Empire; God was deliberately bringing them out.

 

 

v.19 Joseph’s Bones. Moses was careful to fulfill the commandment of Joseph concerning his bones. It is quite something to think that all through the wilderness on Israel’s journey, not only were the people accompanied by the pillar of cloud and the smitten rock, but also the bones of Joseph. It was an enduring reminder of the faith of their ancestors. In times of doubt, when Israel would tempt Jehovah with their murmurings, etc., the faithful could look at that coffin and be encouraged that years before Joseph was convinced of the surety of God’s promises; “God will be sure to visit you”! We too can look at the graves of our late brethren and realize that, though they are with Christ, they are still waiting for the same thing as us. We can follow their faith (Heb. 13:17). Believers that have died have the same hope as believers that remain, i.e. the coming of the Lord. But those bones were also a symbol of something else; Joseph’s ultimate separation from Egypt. His desire was to have his bones in Canaan rather than in a lavish Egyptian tomb. Carrying about the bones would remind us of 2 Cor. 4:10; “Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.” 

Pi-hahiroth. At Pi-hahiroth Israel experienced Jehovah’s deliverance from Egypt at the Red Sea. The lessons of Pi-hahiroth have to do with trusting the Lord for full deliverance, not only from judgment, but also from the power of the enemy. Often in the experience of a young Christian, God will place the believer in a difficult position where they learn the power of God. Moreover, if the Passover speaks of redemption by blood, then the Red Sea speaks of redemption by power, accomplished through the death and resurrection of Christ. Both are required for peace (Rom. 5:1).

 

 

vv.1-4 Pi-hahiroth. The Lord directed Israel to camp in a very particular place, “before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea: before Baal-Zephon”. It was the very worst place for a fleeing people to be found when pursued by an army. They would be locked in between two mountains with the sea in front of them. But God ordered this so that His power would be greatly displayed! Here the emphasis is really on the glory that Jehovah would get from the Egyptians, as His power in judgment was demonstrated over them. This is final chapter in the life of Pharaoh, in which Jehovah would accomplish the purpose for which He gave Pharaoh his power to begin with (Rom. 9:17). God exercised His sovereignty in hardening Pharaoh’s heart, although it came after Pharaoh hardened his own heart. Romans 9 explains how these vessels of wrath are incorporated into His purpose: “What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction” (Rom. 9:22).

 

 

vv.5-9 Pharaoh Peruses. Israel was still totally ignorant of is, but Pharaoh was amassing a huge army to recapture the Israelites. Pharaoh proved that even the Passover was not enough to deter his stubborn heart. He was the same after all! Pharaoh arises to pursue the Israelites whom he perceives as his property. So it is when a soul trusts in the shed blood of Christ. Satan puts forth his power to try and bring the soul back under his power by overwhelming them with doubts and fears. How sad it is when a soul has trusted in the blood but has not gotten the assurance of their salvation! God brings them to this point where they can look nowhere but to Christ for deliverance. They need to understand the power of God’s salvation not only from the penalty of sins, but from the power of sin.

 

 

vv.10-14 Two Reactions. Israel lifted up their eyes, but they didn’t lift them high enough! All they could see was the perusing army of Egyptians. If they could have seen the Lord above it all, they could have had peace. Their position was hopeless naturally. They were trapped, and it meant certain death. But that is where the Lord needed to bring them. This passage typically represents the struggle in the soul of one who has been delivered from the penalty of sins, but had not yet known deliverance from the power of sin. We have a parallel passage in Romans 7, where the undelivered-soul under law struggles within himself, having the desire to please God, and yet feels his helplessness. It produces two things: a realization of the two natures within himself, and also the hopelessness of his condition without a deliverer! “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Rom. 7:24). In Romans 7 we have a quickened soul (hence two natures, not one) but no power for deliverance. The power (the Spirit of God) comes in the following chapter, and then deliverance (Rom. 8:2). Here Israel cries out in fear and unbelief. They blame Moses for taking them out from Egypt, and wish to be back in Egypt as slaves. There is a particular awfulness of being in this state. The response of the people is wrong, because it was unbelief. Moses gives the correct response: “Fear not: stand still, and see the salvation of Jehovah”. Israel was going to see Jehovah fight for them, acting in supreme power on their behalf! This what we must do to have deliverance from the power of sin: stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. Many Christian try to use legal or human means to find deliverance from sin, but salvation is by grace through faith alone. It is not something we earn, but something Christ has accomplished that we simply appropriate.  The Lord would win the victory. “For the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.” Egypt would be defeated forever.  Later, we will see that Israel was to have war with Amalek (the flesh in the wilderness) from generation to generation, but the Egyptian army (Satan and his power) are defeated forever. This is the blessed truth we often call “deliverance from the law of sin”.

 

 

vv.15-18 A Way Through the Sea. We gather from v.15 that Moses has cried out to the Lord between v.14 and v.15. The Lord directs them to move forward. Israel was to “stand still” and yet “go forward”. So for the Christian, there is something for us to do, but it cannot be done in a legal attitude as if the outcome depended on us. Salvation is of the Lord! Moses was to lift the staff (a picture of God’s judicial power) over the sea (waters speak of death), and divide those waters (a picture of separation, or death) so that Israel could pass through on dry ground (life through death). The passage through the sea would be on one hand salvation to Israel, and on the other hand destruction to the Egyptians when they followed. The Lord would have His way with the Egyptians, and would glorify Himself in judgment over them. The Lord’s death has made the ground dry for us! The rod of Jehovah’s wrath fell on Christ in the place of death; that sea which was the barrier trapping us in the land of Egypt, preventing us from drawing near to God. The barrier opens, and the people march through death into life, set free, and reconciled to God!

 

 

 

vv.19-20 The Cloud. The cloud now takes on a dual function, to provide light for Israel and to protect them from the army of the Egyptians. The cloud, which was really a physical representation of “the Angel of God”, had led them to the sea, but now it moves around to the back, between Israel and the Egyptians. The Lord was now taking up the cause of Israel in a special way;  “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). The cloud “lit up the night” for Israel, and was a “darkness” to the Egyptians. This was going to be a complete deliverance, and so God did not allow the two camps to make contact all night! 

 

 

vv.21-22 The Sea Opens. Jehovah made a way through the seemingly impossible situation (Mark 10:27). Israel will face a similar situation in a future time (Zech. 14:4-5). The waters were blown back by a strong east wind, and Israel went through on dry ground. The Egyptians assay to follow, and drown. “Through death” (Red Sea, walls on each side, making a valley) the Lord has destroyed “him that had (but no longer has) the power of death, that is the devil” (Pharaoh). Death itself becomes the way to life. Coming up out of the water into a new land, Israel represents a believer brought into a new standing before God (“in Christ”). Understanding this gives perfect peace. The waters of judgment never touched us, because the storm broke on Christ.

 

 

vv.23-29 The Egyptians Drown. It would seem that Israel was all night in crossing the sea, and by morning the Egyptians were now down in the passage and Israel was on the opposite bank. Where Moses led Israel by faith, the Egyptians assayed to do, and were drowned (Heb. 1:29). It is a path only possible for faith. Before the Egyptians drowned, Jehovah first “embarrassed” them by taking off their chariot wheels, so that they dragged along heavily. The Egyptians realized something amazing; that Jehovah was fighting on Israel’s behalf. “The Egyptians said, Let us flee before Israel, for Jehovah is fighting for them against the Egyptians!” They started to flee, but it was too late. Moses was to reach out his hand (no staff needed), and God would allow the waters to return to their natural state, covering the Egyptians. How horrible it would have been for those men in the sea! It says “the Egyptians fled against it”, indicating that there was some struggle, but the Egyptians were no match. “Jehovah overturned the Egyptians into the midst of the sea.” The victory was complete and final; “there remained not even one of them”. In Psalm 136:15 we find that Pharaoh was among them when this took place. But the same waters which brought death and overthrew the mighty armies of Egypt were a protection to Israel; “a wall to them on their right hand and on their left”.

 

 

vv.30-31 Conclusion. The deliverance at the Red Sea really completed the work that Jehovah had begun much earlier. The Passover was not enough to completely free Israel from Pharaoh’s power. It wasn’t until Israel had experienced redemption by blood and redemption by power that they could sing the song of deliverance (ch. 15). Here they see the power of God’s salvation; “Israel saw the great power with which Jehovah had wrought against the Egyptians; and the people feared Jehovah, and believed in Jehovah, and in Moses his bondman”. Typically the deliverance at the Red Sea represents the death and resurrection of Christ for the believer; i.e. a passage down into the depths and up again into a new standing. This is what we have in Rom. 4:25 – 5:1; “Jesus our Lord… Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God…” It is in the enjoyment of this new standing that we can “joy in God” (Rom. 5:11).