BRAGADAYJAH 187

The Exodus of the Children of Israel And the Journey to Sinai. Seeing the death of his first-born, and all the first-born of his land, the Pharaoh could stand it no longer. The hand of God was too strong for him; and so now he was more than willing to let Israel go. He had seen all that the Lord had done, and no doubt feared that God’s next move might be to kill him, the Pharaoh himself, or worse; so he at last capitulated, and so began the Exodus out of Egypt. So then the Israelites began the journey; men, women, and children with such of their belongings as they could carry. The number of them was 600,000 men and a mixed multitude along with their cattle, their flocks and their herds. It must have been quite a sight. Before leaving, they had baked unleavened bread, as the whole Exodus was undertaken in a hurry with no time to prepare the leaven. They had no other food as they took to the wilderness; but after being in Egypt 430 years they were doubtless relieved to be getting away from the burdens the Egyptians had laid upon them. As they journeyed, the Lord instructed Moses to remind the people of the events of that great and memorable night; the night when the destroying angel of the Lord passed over Egypt, and killed all the first-born of the Egyptians, and delivered His people out of their bondage. They were to be reminded of the ordinance of the Passover to be kept only by those who through circumcision were the people of God. If a stranger was taken into an Israelite’s household, he was not allowed to partake of the Passover unless he was first circumcised.