1.Exodus 13:17-18, “When Pharaoh let the people go, G-d did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For G-d said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” So G-d led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of Egypt ready for battle.”
First question, why did G-d send them this direction? When they saw the Egyptians pursuing them and had no way out they were terrified. Second, If G-d did not want the Israelites to face war and want to return to Egypt why did He harden Pharaoh’s heart causing him to pursue them? They basically ended up saying they wanted to return to Egypt in Exodus 14:11-12.
The text says, “And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for Myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the L-rd.” (Ex. 14:4). Three times in this one chapter we are told that G-d hardened Pharaoh’s heart (Ex. 14:4, 8, 17).
The Torah explains this motivation of “I will gain glory for Myself.” The defeat of the Egyptian army at the Sea would become an eternal reminder of G-d’s power. “The Egyptians will know that I am the L-rd.” Egypt may come to realize that there is a force more powerful than chariots, armies and military might. G-d was interested in increasing the Israelites faith. He wanted them to trust Him, to turn to Him.
Any great undertaking comes with fear. Often we fear failure. Sometimes we even fear success. Are we worthy of it? Can we sustain it? We long for the security of the familiar, the life we have always known. We are afraid of the unknown, the uncharted territory. And the journey itself exposes our vulnerability. Even the greatest people have felt fear. Courage is not fearlessness. Faith in G-d is feeling the fear of something new He is calling us to but doing it anyway.
2. Is there a connection between manna that G-d gave the people during their 40 year journey and the Sabbath?
As we look at the connection between manna and the Sabbath, remember the people had been slaves for hundreds of years.
In chapter 16 we come to the giving of manna by G-d as a daily provision to the children of Israel. This provision would continue until they entered the Land almost 40 years later. What is interesting, interwoven in this giving of manna is the first commandment of the Sabbath.
So our question is what is the connection, what do they have to do with each other? First we read in Exodus 16:22-26 that on the sixth day the people were to gather double so that there would be manna for the Sabbath. In earlier verses we were told on all other days to only gather enough for that day. If they gathered more than they needed for the day it would rot and they would not be able to eat it. In fact, in Exodus 16:29-30 the people were instructed to NOT go out even looking for it on Shabbat but to stay in their place. They were to rest on the seventh day.
Let’s look deeper into the connection between the two. In a way, G-d was starting at the beginning in speaking to the people about trust and obedience. He wanted them to trust in Him to provide for them and to obey His directions. This was not easy for them.
In Exodus 16:27 we read where some went out on the Sabbath looking for manna even though they were told not to. It was hard to trust G-d and it still is for us. G-d was asking the people to trust Him for their provision. He was teaching them that He is the source of everything. He was saying to them and to us, “I was, I am, I will be.” He has not and will not change. Proverbs 3:5, Psalms 56:3-4, Psalms 13:5, Psalms 40:4, John 14:27. G-d is our provider. Our problem begins when we see ourselves as responsible, it is up to us.
Sometimes when we get to the end of ourselves we might cry out to G-d to save us after we have tried everything else. At that point He is our last resort. However, a deeper faith is to believe and know that everything we have is really from Him. The success of our “going out” is really still Him. But it is important for us to remember even in our successes we are simply vessels being used by G-d. They are His successes.
The Sabbath tells us the same thing. It is a day when we trust G-d to be our provider, our sole provider. We are no longer slaves.
Take a minute and think about this situation. What if you had absolutely no food to eat and G-d told you He would provide for you. G-d explained that you were to go out in your front yard and gather exactly enough food for that day – no more no less. You were not to gather for the next day even though you saw more food in your front yard. What would you do? Would you go and gather just enough to feed your family for the day? Or would you try to gather enough for the week. It would certainly take faith to follow those instructions.
In our lives today G-d expects us to go out and “gather” and provide for our family but do it according to His plan. He has blessed us with the seventh day or the Sabbath when we can rest and learn from Him about how we should live our lives. It is not a day for work or worry about how much we have or need. G-d has an order for our lives.
3.Do a little research on who the Amalekites were. G-d gave the Israelites different directions on how to respond to Egypt and how to respond to the Amalekites. Why? Would you consider the Amalekites evil? Why? How can we decern what is evil? What do we do when we encounter evil?
Who was Amalek?
Genesis 36:15-16, “These were the chiefs among Esau’s descendants: The sons of Eliphaz the firstborn of Esau: Chiefs Teman, Omar, Zepho, Kenaz,Korah,[a]Gatam and Amalek. These were the chiefs descended from Eliphaz in Edom; they were grandsons of Adah.”
- In the Bible, God commanded Israel to destroy the Amalekites and all of their animals. However, Saul, Israel’s first king, disobeyed God and spared the best of the Amalekites’ livestock.
- Exodus 17:8-16: Describes the initial defeat of the Amalekites and God’s promise to blot out the memory of Amalek.
- Deuteronomy 25:17-19: Discusses Israel’s obligation to blot out the memory of Amalek.
- 1 Samuel 15:3: God commands Saul to attack the Amalekites and kill everyone and everything.
- 1 Samuel 15: Saul attacked the Amalekites, took Agag alive, and destroyed the rest of the people. However, Saul and his army spared Agag and the best of the Amalekites’ livestock.
The children of Israel were commanded not to hate Egypt, but never to forget Amalek. Why the difference? The simplest answer is to recall the Rabbis’ statement in The Ethics of the Fathers: “If love depends on a specific cause, when the cause ends, so does the love. If love does not depend on a specific cause, then it never ends.”
The same applies to hate. When hate depends on a specific cause, it ends once the cause disappears. Causeless, baseless hate lasts forever.
The Egyptians oppressed the Israelites because, in Pharaoh’s words, “The Israelites are becoming too numerous and strong for us” (Ex. 1:9). Their hate, in other words, came from fear. It was not irrational. The Amalekites, however, were not being threatened by the Israelites. They attacked a people who were “weary and worn out,” specifically those who were “lagging behind.” In short: The Egyptians feared the Israelites because they were strong. The Amalekites attacked the Israelites because they were weak. The Amalekites attacked just because they could. They didn’t need a reason. In my opinion this is an example of evil.
It is easy at times of peace to forget the evil that lies just beneath the surface of the human heart. Most people now believe that collective evil is as extinct as the Amalekites. Evil was then, not now. This is of course false. Evil will exist until the Messiah returns to reign.
I heard a speaker say that before Hitler came to power there were 18,000 pastors in Germany. Three thousand supported Hitler, three thousand were against Hitler and 12,000 were indifferent and said it didn’t pertain to them. If the 12,000 had stood up and vote against Hitler he might never have been voted into power but they didn’t. So when he was elected he killed the 3,000 pastors that were openly against him. He then went after the 12,000 indifferent ones.
This example is telling us, when we have the opportunity to stand against evil we must stand. First we must ask G-d for direction in each situation on what we should do in confronting evil. Whenever He gives us the opportunity we must not be afraid to speak openly against evil actions. We must speak before we are rendered unable to speak.
Important verses for us to remember is: I John 4:1-6, “ Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from G-d, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of G-d: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from G-d, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from G-d. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
4 You, dear children, are from G-d and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 5 They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from G-d, and whoever knows G-d listens to us; but whoever is not from G-d does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.”