Observation: When Israel has left Egypt, these are the first conversations. The Lord declares a time for the firstborn to be consecrated to him. As an assembly, they then complete the seven days of the Passover that began on the night when the firstborn of Egypt were killed. Next, Moses reviews what the meaning and purpose of the consecration of the firstborn is about. Finally, they go and make camp in a specific spot, which will be the place Pharaoh will attack them and they will cross the Red Sea to safety.
In other words, upon leaving Egypt, Israel didn't dash to a place by the Red Sea, fearing pursuit from Pharaoh, get trapped and need an escape. Instead, they finished a festival prescribed by the Lord, took an action to dedicate themselves to the Lord, and made camp. It was truly Pharaoh's next action - attempting to make war against them and kill them all - that ultimately put a sea between Israel and Egypt and truly pushed them away forever.
Application: I have often had this thought ... Why was it okay for Moses to lie as part of the Lord's plan? Moses tells Pharaoh that the reason Israel wants to leave is to worship the Lord - not to escape slavery - and that to this ends they must take all their people AND all their livestock. When he says this, we know that the real mission here is 'delivery from slavery', aka escape. So Moses is lying ... right? And lying is a sin ... right? And the Lord hates sin ... right? So how could the Lord make sin part of the exodus plan?
Well here is the answer. He doesn't lie! What he says is true. The people left Egypt to worship the Lord. In real time they received this instruction, that the worship was to be conducted in this new manner called Passover. They did this in a relaxed and worshipful manner, over seven days. They then had to consecrate the first born of all their livestock - from food to work animals - which was something they didn't know they would need when they left Egypt. Recovering from these acts, Pharaoh attacks with the intent to kill them all, and it is this act that actually drives them away and releases them from slavery.
We see that Moses did not lie. Israel left and conducted a week of worship of the Lord. They did so in a new way, which is why they couldn't explain it to Pharaoh. They did so in a place that wasn't revealed to them until they were on their way, led by the Lord himself, so they could not have told Pharaoh their destination. They were suddenly handed new actions to do related to their livestock, so it was clearly necessary to take them.
It is pointless to wonder what would have happened if Pharaoh had done nothing, because the Lord was in charge of both what Moses said, and how Pharaoh acted, so he had this worked out. This is just another of those elements in the bible where, on the surface there are questions, but upon inspection there is total agreement and alignment.
Prayer: Abba, my daddy, you are so wonderful and so interesting, and you have blessed me by both giving your word to all mankind, and giving me a mind to understand at least some of it by your Holy Spirit. Thank you for this day. May we glorify you and your wonderful ways and plans, this day and every day. Amen.
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