[And He Walks With Me] Exodus 13
1-16 God instructed Moses and the Israelites to commemorate the exodus in two ways. First, he commanded that they hold an annual, week-long celebration during the first month of their year. This celebration was to be marked by the removal of all yeast from both their diets and their homes such that nothing leavened may be found among you, and no yeast may be found among you in all your territory. This, of course, served as a reminder of the unleavened bread they prepared and baked because there was no time for the yeast to work when the Pharaoh finally decided to let them go. Second, he commanded them to present to the Lord every firstborn male of the womb, including human and male. This was a tangible reminder of the final plague which God used to grant their freedom from Egypt. Unlike the Passover feast, which happened once per year, however, this was to be a reminder throughout the year as people were constantly having children. Moreover, these two reminders were designed to be passed down from generation to generation, and as the people celebrated them, they would cause each subsequent generation to ask, What does this mean? This would create an opportunity to share the story of what God did for Israel.
17-22 God did not lead them along the road to the land of the Philistines because he realized that, while shorter and easier to travel this way, it was also heavily fortified by the Egyptians. Thus, by following this road, they would inevitably encounter the Egyptian army. Instead, he led them south and east toward the Red Sea along the road of the wilderness, stopped at Succoth, and eventually camped at Etham on the edge of the wilderness. Succoth is the last waypoint of the exodus which modern scholars can identify with certainty. Consequently, there is significant debate concerning the location of Etham and the route of the exodus after the stop at Succoth. Some place it on the west side of the Gulf of Suez toward its northern end. Others place it near the Bitter Lakes northwest of the Gulf of Suez. Still others place it on the west side of the Gulf of Aqaba, near its southern end. In fact, only two things are truly clear at this point. First, from the outset, Israel was going what seemed to be the wrong direction, and even before the sea appeared to the east, people must have wondered what was going on. God will often lead us in what seems to be the wrong direction. Generally, this is designed to (a) showcase faith (i.e., Will his people follow even when it makes no sense?) and (b) create an opportunity for his glory (i.e., How will he get his people back on track?) Second, Etham was at the edge of civilization. Behind Israel now was all of the cultivated, settled portion of Egypt. Before them was miles upon miles of desert. God often leads his people to the wilderness before he delivers them to the promised land.
18 At the heart of the debate over the route of the exodus is the Hebrew phrase generally translated “Red Sea,” yām (יַם – H3220) sûp̄ (סוּף – H5488). The term sûp̄ means “reeds” and is the same term used to describe where Moses was placed in the basket in Exodus 2:3. Many scholars believe the phrase was intended to identify a body of water surrounded by abundant reeds. However, when the Hebrew Scriptures were later translated into Greek for the Septuagint, yām sûp̄ became ten eruthran thalassan (τὴν ἐρυθρὰν θάλασσαν), which referred elsewhere to the Gulf of Aqaba (Number 21:4) or the Gulf of Suez (Numbers 33:10-11). Modern scholars, therefore, debate whether the phrase was intended to refer to one of these gulfs, the Red Sea itself, or one of the lakes north of the Gulf of Suez.[74]
20-21 Various ANE cultures have similar accounts of their gods acting via columns of fire. In each case, the flame represented the presence and guidance of God.[75] The timing of these mythological accounts is interesting. For instance, one Egyptian version describes the god Amon going before the armies of Egypt as a “torch” and is dated to c. 1280 BCE.[76] If the exodus occurred during the 15th century BCE, then the Egyptian story may have been a retcon of the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night which led Israel out of Egypt. Alternatively, if the exodus occurred during the 13th century BCE, about the time this account appeared, then God may have chosen this form to leverage this popular notion of what the presence and direction of God should look like. In either case, the significance of this tangible manifestation of God’s presence was clear: God was with Israel rather than Egypt.
[74] Keener and Zondervan 2016, Exodus 13:18
[75] Keener and Zondervan 2016, Exodus 13:21
[76] Keener and Zondervan 2016, Exodus 13:21