Passover Tidbit No. 18

The Mixed Multitude

The account of Pesach has many pictures and lessons for all of us, Yehudiym or Goyee (Gentile). One of those often overlooked pictures is found in Shemoth (Exodus) chapter 12 verses 37 and 38. "And the Children of Yisrah-el’ journeyed from Rameses 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 רנ 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 Children of YHVH who left Egypt that day. But that is not correct. Many Egyptians, we don't know how many the TaNaKh does not say, left with the Moshe that day never to return to Egypt. And many Yisrah-el’ did not leave, but more on that tomorrow. We are not told how many Egyptians left because it does not matter. Once they had joined the people, they were no longer Goy. They were children of the Most High Elohiym, they were Yisrah-el’. Through the entire Book, B’ray-sheeth’ (Genesis) to Revelation we find that YHVH cannot mix. He will always make one like the other. So, in this group there were no Yisrah-el’ and Goyee, only people of YHVH.

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

We can think of transliterated names like Rahab, or Caleb, or Ruth or others including Elijah, also Goy from the nations joined to YHVH and people of Yisrah-el’. And just as leaving an empty plate for Elijah at the Pesach Seder, this is one more picture that YHVH welcomes all who choose to trust in Him, regardless of nationality or birth.

And with these Egyptians, as with Yisrah-el’, YHVH calls them out to leave the things they know, and trust in Him. This is not always a physical move but always a change in one’s spirit and beliefs, a change that happens in the heart. YHVH always asks that we leave the world’s wisdom, seen as Egypt in this account, and join Him. I think of Avraham', Lot, Ya’akov', Daniy-el’, Yo-safe' and of course Riv-kah (Rebekah). Riv-kah in B’ray-sheeth’ (Genesis) 24 verse 58 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). The exact picture of our eternal hope.

Countless events and words and pictures tell the believer that YHVH will never leave us where we are but will always move us to His side. We must be willing and ready to do that and not cling to the world. As with each of the people mentioned above, when we have the faith to let YHVH guide our lives, scary, amazing, unbelievable, frightening things happen, and remembering this is a big part of the Pesach.

Are you ready to go?

CB