CHRONOLOGY OF THE ISRAELITE EXODUS
(Exodus 12 to 16)
by
Keith Hunt
I have seen over the last number of decades a few pretty
fancy charts and outlines, from people trying to put together a
day by day CHRONOLOGY of the Israelites coming out of Egypt -
chapters of Exodus 12 through to 16.
Such "chronologists" have spent HOURS and hours figuring it
all out. Most of them have been from the Churches that DO observe
the Festivals of Leviticus 23. They somehow want to "fit" the
Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread, and some even Pentecost,
into this nice neat framework of dates and days, to give I guess,
more credence to those Festivals of the Lord.
It has been a complete WASTE of time for them. They would
have been better to have spent their time on other studies, than
this chronology stuff about the chapters of Exodus 12 to 16. They
have been day dreaming, and doing back flips and juggling tricks,
to make those events of Exodus 12 to 16 "fit in" with their
ideas, that to them will add weight to the observance of the
Festivals of God.
The FESTIVALS of the Lord DO NOT NEED SUCH jig-saw puzzles
of chronology to establish them as God's Festivals that should be
observed by His people today!!
Such chronologers have MISSED the simple points of Exodus 12
to 16.
Now, dear reader, you take out your Bible and read from
Exodus 12 through to 16:1.
Have you seen it? It is pretty simple!
Exodus 12 is the Passover ON the 14th of the month, the
first month. The Israelites reach the wilderness of Sin, ON the
15TH DAY of the SECOND MONTH!
WITHIN FOUR CHAPTERS we have covered ONE MONTH AND ONE DAY!!
Now, go back and read through once more, very carefully,
noting the places the Israelites pitched their tents, to stay a
while.
Exodus 12:37 - They left Rameses and pitched at Succoth,
which is just a Hebrew word for "booth" or "tent."
The next we are told is in chapter 13 and verse 20. They
moved from Succoth to Etham, by the edge of the wilderness.
Then it's chapter 14 and verse one. They are to encamp
before Pihahiroth, over against Baalzephon; by it they were to
camp over against the sea.
Pharaoh and his army are coming after them, is the rest of
chapter 14. The children of Israel do go through the Red sea by
NIGHT and in the morning watch, and when the morning is appearing
the Egyptians try to flee but are drowned in the Red sea.
We are at chapter 15. We have singing and praises for God
and His mighty power. Moses brings the Israelites through and out
of the Red sea, and to the wilderness of Shur - verse 22. They go
THREE DAYS JOURNEY in the wilderness - verse 22. They get to
Marah, verse 23. They had no water. They come to Elim and there
is water, and they camp, verse 27.
They pick up and come to "the wilderness of sin" which is
between Elim and Sinai - ON THE 15TH DAY OF THE **SECOND**
MONTH!!
It should be pretty easy and plain to see that FROM THE 14TH
OF THE FIRST MONTH (PASSOVER DAY) - CHAPTER 12; RIGHT TO CHAPTER
16:1 IS ONE WHOLE MONTH PLUS ONE DAY!
Now, it has to be either they stopped in those places way
MORE than ONE day, or there were OTHER places they pitched their
tents that we are NOT TOLD ABOUT. Then I suppose it could be
possible it was BOTH!
FURTHER PROOF
You want a little more to back up what we have just read?
Turn to Numbers 33 and you will find it.
Look at verse 3. Ah, it tells us clearly the Israelites
DEPARTED FROM RAMESES on the 15TH OF THE FIRST MONTH!
They moved from Rameses and pitch at Succoth - verse 5.
They departed from Succoth and pitched at Etham, on the edge
of the wilderness - verse 6.
They removed from Etham, and turned to Pihahiroth, and they
pitched at Migdol - verse 7.
They departed from Pihahiroth, and PASSED THROUGH THE MIDST
OF THE SEA INTO THE WILDERNESS, AND WENT THREE DAYS JOURNEY IN
THE WILDERNESS OF ETHAM AND PITCH AT MIRAH - verse 8.
They left Mirah and CAME UNTO ELIM, where there was water -
verse 9!
They moved from Elim and encamped by the Red sea - verse 10.
They removed from the Red sea and encamped in the wilderness
of Sin - verse 11.
NOW THAT HAS BROUGHT US BACK AGAIN TO EXODUS 16:1.
HOW SIMPLE IT IS! FROM THE PASSOVER ON THE 14TH DAY OF THE
FIRST MONTH, TO THE DAY THEY ARRIVE IN THE WILDERNESS OF SIN,
TOOK ONE WHOLE MONTH AND ONE DAY! They got to the wilderness of
Sin, on the 15th day of the SECOND month - Exodus 16:1.
We are told SO LITTLE, just about NOTHING, of the
"chronological" day times of this period of time - one month and
one day. We are told the Passover was on the 14th day of the
first month. We are told they left Rameses on the 15th day of the
first month. We are told they crossed the Red sea by night. We
are told they did a three day journey into the wilderness.
AND THAT IS IT FRIENDS!!
It is NOT POSSIBLE - it was NEVER INTENDED by the Lord - for
us to KNOW THE EXACT DAYS OF LENGTH THEY PITCHED THEIR TENTS AT
ANY ONE OF THE LOCATIONS MENTIONED.
If you want to say they only pitched at each location
mentioned to us, for only one night. Then ACCORDING TO NUMBERS
33, you get a total of SEVEN or EIGHT DAYS, to reaching the
wilderness of Sin! And that has to include a three days journey
into the wilderness mentioned to us. So you could extend it all
to 10 or 11 days, to reach the wilderness of Sin.
BUT IT'S NOT POSSIBLE to figure it that way, as we see
CLEARLY from Exodus 16:1 that it took the Israelites ONE MONTH
AND ONE DAY (from the 14th of the first month to the 15th of the
second month) to reach the wilderness of Sin!
THROW THE CHARTS AWAY, THROW THE DIAGRAMS AWAY FOLKS! It is
just not possible to figure the chronology of Exodus 12 through
to chapter 16:1.
AND FURTHER - IT DOES NOT MATTER - THE FESTIVALS OF THE LORD
ARE NOT ESTABLISHED UPON CHRONOLOGY!
...................
Written December 2007
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