Hello, this is Father Paul and I'm glad we're taking this journey together to read the Bible
in a year.
Yesterday we heard about the end of the ten plagues and how in the process of preparation
for the tenth plague, God institutes the Passover and tells Moses and Aaron to tell the people
about the Passover lamb and about the sprinkling of the blood of the lamb on their lintels
and doorposts and how the destroyer would pass over and to keep this feast as a memorial,
as an ordinance for all generations.
And we also heard that after the tenth plague Pharaoh finally relented and called Moses
and Aaron asking them to take the Israelites and leave and even he asked them to bless
him before they leave.
So God liberates the people and frees them from bondage after spending 430 years in Egypt
they're finally allowed to leave.
Today we're going to hear about how after the Israelites leave Pharaoh changes his mind
and he tries to bring them back in only to encounter God and God stops him and at the
Red Sea the Israelites miraculously pass through and Pharaoh and his armies are destroyed.
And this incident is celebrated every day in the midnight praises in the first canticle.
Exodus 15 is the first canticle and we commemorate how God freed the Israelites and destroyed
Pharaoh and his armies.
Alright, let's begin.
Today's reading is from Exodus 13, 14 and 15.
Chapter 13
Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Consecrate to me all the firstborn.
Whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and beast, it is mine.
And Moses said to the people, Remember this day in which you went out of Egypt, out of
the house of bondage, for by strength of hand the Lord brought you out of this place.
No leavened bread shall be eaten.
On this day you are going out, in the month Abib.
And it shall be when the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites
and the Amorites and the Hevites and the Jebusites, which He swore to your fathers to give you
a land flowing with milk and honey, that you shall keep the service in this month.
Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast
to the Lord.
Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days, and no leavened bread shall be seen among
you, nor shall leaven be seen among you in all your quarters.
And you shall tell your son in that day, saying, This is done because of what the Lord did
for me when I came up from Egypt.
It shall be as a sign to you on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that
the Lord's law may be in your mouth, for with a strong hand the Lord has brought you
out of Egypt.
You shall therefore keep this ordinance in its season from year to year.
And it shall be when the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as He swore to
you and your fathers, and gives it to you, that you shall set apart to the Lord all that
open the womb, that is every firstborn that comes from an animal which you have, the males
shall be the Lord's.
But every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with the lamb, and if you will not
redeem it, then you shall break its neck.
And all the firstborn of men among your sons you shall redeem.
So it shall be when your son asks you in time to come saying, What is this?
That you shall say to him, By strength of hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, out
of the house of bondage.
And it came to pass when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go, that the Lord killed
all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of
beast.
Therefore, I sacrifice to the Lord all males that open the womb.
But all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.
It shall be as a sign on your hand and as frontlets between your eyes, for by strength
of hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt.
Then it came to pass when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them
by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near.
For God said, Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war and return to
Egypt.
So God led the people around by way of the wilderness of the Red Sea.
And the children of Israel went up in orderly ranks out of the land of Egypt.
And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had placed the children of Israel under
solemn oath, saying, God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from
here with you.
So they took their journey from Sukkot and camped in Etam at the edge of the wilderness.
And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night
in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night.
He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before
the people.
Chapter 14 Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Speak
to the children of Israel, that they turn and camp before Pi Hachiroth, between Megdol
and the sea, opposite Baal Zephon.
You shall camp before it by the sea.
For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are bewildered by the land.
The wilderness has closed them in.
Then I will harden Pharaoh's heart, so that he will pursue them, and I will gain honor
over Pharaoh and over all his army, that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord.
And they did so.
Now it was told the king of Egypt that the people had fled, and the heart of Pharaoh
and his servants were turned against the people, and he said, Why have we done this, that we
have let Israel go from serving us?
So he made ready his chariot and took his people with him.
Also he took six hundred choice chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt with captains
over every one of them.
And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the children
of Israel, and the children of Israel went out with boldness.
So the Egyptians pursued them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and
his army, and overtook them camping by the sea beside Pi Hachiroth, before Baal Zephon.
And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the
Egyptians marched after them.
So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord.
Then they said to Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away
to die in the wilderness?
Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt?
Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the
Egyptians?
For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in
the wilderness.
And Moses said to the people, Do not be afraid, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord,
which he will accomplish for you today.
For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever.
The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.
And the Lord said to Moses, Why do you cry to me?
Tell the children of Israel to go forward, but lift up your rod and stretch out your
hand over the sea and divide it.
And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.
And I indeed will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them.
So I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, his chariots and his horsemen.
Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gained honor for myself
over Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen.
And the angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them.
And a pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them.
So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel.
Thus it was a cloud and darkness to the one, and it gave light by night to the other, so
that the one did not come near the other all that night.
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord caused the sea to go back
by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters
were divided.
So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters
were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.
And the Egyptians pursued and went after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh's
horses, his chariots and his horsemen.
Now it came to pass in the morning watch that the Lord looked down upon the army of the
Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud, and He troubled the army of the Egyptians,
and He took off their chariot wheels, so that they drove them with difficulty.
And the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the Lord fights for them
against the Egyptians.
Then the Lord said to Moses, Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the waters may come
back upon the Egyptians on their chariots and on their horsemen.
And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and when the morning appeared, the sea
returned to its full depth, while the Egyptians were fleeing into it.
So the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.
Then the waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all the army of Pharaoh that
came into the sea after them.
Not so much as one of them remained.
But the children of Israel had walked on dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters
were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.
So the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the
Egyptians dead on the seashore.
Thus Israel saw the great work which the Lord had done in Egypt.
So the people feared the Lord and believed the Lord and His servant Moses.
Chapter 15 Then Moses and the children of Israel sang
this song to the Lord and spoke saying, I will sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed
gloriously.
The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea.
The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation.
He is my God and I will praise Him, my Father's God and I will exalt Him.
The Lord is a man of war, the Lord is His name.
Moses' chariots and His army He has cast into the sea, His chosen captains also are
drowned in the Red Sea.
The depths have covered them, they sank to the bottom as a stone.
Your right hand, O Lord, has become glorious in power.
Your right hand, O Lord, has dashed the enemy in pieces.
And in the greatness of Your excellence You have overthrown those who rose against You.
You sent forth Your wrath, it consumed them like stubble.
And with the blast of Your nostrils the waters were gathered together.
The floods stood upright like a heap.
The depth congealed in the heart of the sea.
The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil.
My desire shall be satisfied on them.
I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.
You blew with Your wind, the sea covered them.
They sank like lead in the mighty waters.
Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods?
Who is like You, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?
You stretched out Your right hand, the earth swallowed them.
You in Your mercy have let forth the people whom You have redeemed.
You have guided them in Your strength to Your holy habitation.
The people will hear and be afraid.
Sorrow will take hold of the inhabitants of Philistia.
Then the chiefs of Edom will be dismayed.
The mighty men of Moab, trembling, will take hold of them.
All the inhabitants of Canaan will melt away.
Fear and dread will fall on them.
By the greatness of Your arm, they will be as still as a stone.
Till Your people pass over, O Lord, till Your people pass over, whom You have purchased,
You will bring them in and plant them in the mountain of Your inheritance.
In the place, O Lord, which You have made for Your own dwelling, the sanctuary, O Lord,
which Your hands have established, the Lord shall reign forever and ever.
For the horses of Pharaoh went with his chariots and his horsemen into the sea, and the Lord
brought back the waters of the sea upon them, but the children of Israel went on dry land
in the midst of the sea.
Then Miriam, the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took the timbrel in her hand, and all
the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances, and Miriam answered them,
Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously.
The horse and its rider he has thrown into the sea.
So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea.
Then they went out into the wilderness of Shur, and they went three days in the wilderness
and found no water.
Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter.
Therefore the name of it was called Marah, and the people complained against Moses, saying,
What shall we drink?
So he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree.
When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet.
There he made a statute and an ordinance for them, and there he tested them and said, If
you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in his sight,
give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases
on you which I have brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord who heals you.
Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees, so
they camped there by the waters.
I hope you enjoyed today's reading as much as I did, and I look forward to seeing you
again tomorrow to continue on our journey.
God bless you and have a great day.