Exodus 12:36, commentary and pictures

At Moses' direction the Israelites asked the Egyptians for silver and gold jewelry and clothing, and the Lord gave them such favor that the Egyptians handed over whatever was requested, so Israel despoiled them and went out enriched with great wealth. This took place in the night of urgency after the slaying of all Egypt's firstborn, when Pharaoh ordered their immediate departure and the Egyptians pressed them to hasten away with their unleavened dough upon their shoulders. In this enrichment God fulfilled His word spoken to Abraham four hundred years before, that his afflicted seed would be judged strangers no longer but would come out with great substance when the four hundred years were complete. The asking was a claim of just compensation for years of unpaid labor, which the Egyptians gladly paid to be rid of them, so Israel departed with wealth taken from its oppressors. God's purpose in thus bringing them out was to separate them from the world's customs and draw them near to Himself, that His goodness, mercy, justice, and love revealed in them would show the world His character.

Leaving Egypt Enriched

At Moses' direction Israel asked the Egyptians for jewels of silver and jewels of gold and clothing, and the Lord gave them favor in the sight of the Egyptians so that they lent whatever was required, and in this way they spoiled the Egyptians and left Egypt with great substance. This took place while Israel was ready for the journey and waiting to be told to go. It followed the midnight smiting of all the firstborn in Egypt from Pharaoh's heir to the captive in the dungeon and the firstborn of cattle, with a great cry because there was a death in every house. Then Pharaoh rose by night and called for Moses and Aaron to leave with the children of Israel to serve the Lord and to take flocks and herds, and the Egyptians urged the people to leave in haste for fear they were all dead men, while the people carried their dough before it was leavened in kneading-troughs bound in clothes upon their shoulders.

By then God's displays of power after the plagues had strengthened faith among the Israelites and struck fear into their oppressors. Israel had long dwelt round about Goshen, and the people had gathered in Goshen and made some preparations for sudden departure. God brought them out with power and mighty signs and wonders. At Moses' direction the request for goods claimed compensation for unpaid labor, and the Egyptians, eager to be rid of them, gave what was asked, so Israel departed with wealth taken from its oppressors.

Israel also left with all its own possessions, including flocks and herds that had never become Pharaoh's property. Jacob and his sons had brought their flocks and cattle in with them and had never sold them to Pharaoh. The people had become exceedingly numerous and their livestock had greatly increased, and God's judgments by plagues upon the Egyptians made them hasten His people out of Egypt with all that they possessed. The signs and wonders had convinced quite a number of Egyptians that the Hebrews' God was the only true God and that their own gods were without knowledge and had no power to save or destroy. They begged to come with their families into the houses of the Israelites on the fearful night when the angel would slay Egypt's firstborn, pledged from then on to choose Israel's God as their God, and decided to leave Egypt to worship Him, and Israel welcomed them and they went out together.

Promise Purpose and Memory

The enrichment on leaving Egypt fulfilled what God had told Abraham about four hundred years earlier, that his seed would be strangers in a land not theirs and would serve and be afflicted four hundred years, that God would judge that nation, and that afterward they would come out with great substance. The Israelites acted on Moses' word and asked for jewels of silver and gold and clothing, the Lord gave them favor so the Egyptians gave whatever they required, and in this way they spoiled Egypt and left with great substance. That same day of departure marked the completion of the foretold four hundred years. God pitied Israel in slavery in Egypt, broke their bondage, and set Moses at their head to lead them through the wilderness toward the promised land. He called His people out of Egypt to bring them to Sinai to hear proclaimed the law that had been given in Eden.

God's purpose in bringing them out was to separate them from the customs, habits, and practices of the world and bring them nearer to Himself to make known His will and manifest through them the principles of His kingdom in life and character. By beholding His goodness, mercy, justice, and love revealed in His people, and His law exemplified in their lives, the world was to have a representation of His character and to recognize the superiority of those who love, fear, and serve Him above every other people, and this same purpose still rests upon His people today. Yet few among them at that time were prepared to work together with God, especially in the training of their children. The parents themselves needed instruction and discipline, for as victims of lifelong slavery they were ignorant, untrained, and degraded, with little knowledge of God and little faith in Him, confused by false teaching and corrupted by long contact with heathenism, and God sought to lift them to a higher moral level by giving them knowledge of Himself.

The account belongs to the remembered story of deliverance rehearsed in the Passover service, with the lamb, unleavened bread, bitter herbs, sprinkled blood, death-dealing angel, and march from bondage. It was recounted to children as they journeyed to meet with God in His holy habitation, in solemn night assembly with girded loins, shoes on feet, staff in hand, and hasty meal. It was sung in the songs that had cheered the wilderness wandering, with God's commandments chanted, and bound up with the blessed influences of nature and kindly human association. In this way it stirred the imagination and impressed the heart, to fix forever the memory of many a child and youth in knowledge of God, fellowship with Him, and likeness to Him in character.

The deliverance from Egyptian bondage, together with opening the Red Sea before them and destroying their pursuing foes, is one of God's mighty works to be remembered with gratitude and firm trust that He will lead to victory through trials on the way to the heavenly Canaan. Forgetting that deliverance leads to accepting the false and cruel report of the unfaithful spies, feeling abused, mourning and lamenting over self, falling into desperation and distrust of God, and the sin of murmuring rebellion. His people must not be so ungrateful and forgetful as to repeat that sin, but must speak faith like Caleb and Joshua instead of discouragement.