Passover Tidbit No. 15

The Mixed Multitude   

The account of Pesach has many pictures and lessons for all of us, Yehudiym or Goy (Gentile). One of those sometimes overlooked is found in Shemoth (Exodus) chapter 12 verses 37 and 38. "And the Children or Yisrah-el’ journeyed from Ramses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, besides children. And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle"

The term translated as "mixed multitude" is the phrase ay-reb' rab ערנ  נר and it means ... well ... it means exactly that, a braided together, or mixed, or mongrel, abundance of people.

We sometimes have the idea from our flannel graphs, or movies, that it was only the House of Yisrah-el’ who left Egypt that day. But that is not correct. Many gentiles, we don't know how many, the Bible does not say, left with the Moshe that day never to return to Egypt. We are not told how many because it does not matter. Once they had joined the people, they were no longer Egyptians. They were children of the Most High. And so it is with us. Through the entire Book, both testaments, we find that YHVH cannot mix, He must make one like the other, think Yechezq-el’ (Ezekiel) 37 the two sticks of Yisrah-el’ and Yahuda with all their companions become one, or  Sha-ul' (Paul) in Romans 11 the wild and natural Olive tree become one  Mal-akiy’ 4 the hearts of the father turned to the heart of the children and the children to the fathers, Husha (Hosea) 1 in the place where I called them not my children I will call them my children and many other examples, He will always make one like the other. So, in this group there were no Goy and Yehudiym, only people of YHVH. Trekking through the desert. 

These were Gentiles who joined themselves to the Children of the Elohiym of Yisrah-el’. Perhaps they had seen the previous miracles of Yahauh and were convinced the Elohiym of Yisrah-el’, was Adonoai. Perhaps the witness of some House of Yisrah-el’ had converted them over the years. Perhaps they too were in bondage to the govenment and took the opportunity to leave. We are not told how many, or their reasons for leaving with the Children, but we are told they left with Moshe and the Children and became "the people.”

We can think of Raw-hab' (Rahab), or Kaw-labe' (Caleb), or Rooth (Ruth) or others including Ay-lee-yaw'-hoo (Elijah), who are also Goy joined to the Elohiym and people of Yisrah-el’. And just as leaving an empty plate for Ay-lee-yaw'-hoo at the Pesach Seder, this is one more picture that YHVH welcomes all who choose to trust in Him, Yisrah-el’ or Goy.

Sha-ul (Paul) in 1 Corinthians 10 gives valuable instruction to those alive at the end of days, he tells us, or at least he tells the people living at the end of days, and that may be us, to look to the Exodus generation as examples.  We are to pay attention to them lest we think we stand and shall fall. This generation at the exodus begins before the Death Angel passed over and ends poorly in the desert 38 years later. 

This group included many who were previously gentiles but willingly joined themselves to the Elohiym of Yisrah-el’'. So if you still need a reason to celebrate the Pesach here is another, Shu-al the Second Testament profit and writer of most of the books in the Second Testament believes that without studying this group of people Yisrah-el’ and Goy, we will think we are good, but will fall at the end. 

And with these Egyptians, as with Yisrah-el’, Elohiym calls them out to leave the things they know, and trust in Him. Some Christians act as though they have invited God to join them and have cleaned up the spare room for Him in their lives. Not so. YHVH always asks that we leave the world and join Him. We are to leave (our) Egypt and follow after Him. I think of Avraham', Lot, Ya-akov’', Daniy-el’', Yo-safe' and of course Riv-kah. Riv-kah in B’ray-sheth’ (Genesis) 24 answers the most important question each of us will ever face, and she answers correctly. When ask by the Spirit if "she will go with this man?" she responds, "I will go", and then she went, all the way to the wedding supper with the Son at the Fathers house, being led by the Spirit (in the person of the servant Eleazer).

But as we find out later hearing the call is no substitute for true obedience.  This group heard the call and made the trip only to be found wanting.  They thought because the followed, that meant they obeyed.  Of course, not two days into the journey and constantly throughout the next 38 years they proved their hearts were not really following YHVH and they perished in the desert as a result. 

 When Shau’al told us to look here, at these people, he was not telling us to do what they did, but to learn from them as the same things will happen to us if we don’t take care to prevent it.  It is no mistake they did not celebrate the Feasts during their time in the desert, but as soon as their children entered the Promised Land the first thing they did was to be circumcised and celebrate the Pesach.  It seems all though Scripture the mirror to the heart of the people is wrapped up in the Feasts.  When they celebrate things are good and YHVH is in the midst of their lives, when they don’t He is absent and things are predictably bad. 

Countless events and words and pictures tell the believer that YHVH will never leave us where we are, and will always move us to His side, but we are not obligated to go we can always stay in Egypt. As with each of the people mentioned above, when we have the faith to let YHVH guide our lives, scary, amazing, unbelievable, fabulous, frightening things happen, and remembering this is a big part of the Pesach.  We may believe our hearts are good even though we are not obedient to His call, but He knows.  Will you go with this man?  Will you follow His instructions? Will you enter the Promised Land with Him? Or will you not obey and perish in the desert with all your worldly wisdom and excuses why you would not follow His instructions?

Are you ready to go?

CB