25] In Haste   

The Hebrew word for haste is chippazown (pronounced khip-paw-zone). It means trepidation, hurried flight, hasty flight, haste.

Chippazown is derived from the root word chaphaz (pronounced khaw-faz).

Chaphaz means to start up suddenly, to hasten away, to fear (make) haste (away), to tremble.

The Hebrew word chippazown is only used three times in the Scriptures: Exodus 12:11, Deuteronomy 16:3 and Isaiah 52:12. In all three instances, the English word haste is used and the definition obtained from the narrative is that of hurriedly, hasty, a quick time element, quick movement.

Confirm Exodus 12:11 (haste) with that of Exodus 12:33. ”The Egyptians urged the people, to send them out of the land in haste, for they said, We shall all be dead.”

The English word haste as found here in Exodus 12:33 is translated from the Hebrew mawhar meaning suddenly, fluidly, or speedily. We will thoroughly address the expediency issue as we continue in the narrative.

Continuing the narrative, Exodus 12:12 (NIV). On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn — both men and animals—and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am The Eternal.

The lambs were sacrificed on the 14^th beyn ha arbayim. They were prepared, cooked and then during the night, the dark hours of the 15^th, the Passover lambs were eaten, “in haste,” with unleavened bread and bitter herbs as the Israelites were in their houses, the door side posts and top posts being sprinkled with the lamb's blood.

On this same night, the Israelites were poised with their cloaks tucked in, sandals on their feet and staffs in their hands, ready to leave in haste  On this same night God passed through the land of Egypt in order to kill the firstborn. This night was a very busy night. Most important to remember is, it was “that same night” in which the children of Israel were eating the Passover lamb, that God “passed over” Egypt.

Now Exodus 12:13. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.

This verse confirms God’s promise to protect His people (Exodus 11:7), if they painted the lamb's blood on the doorpost of the houses in which they were eating the lamb meal. This verse also confirms the last plague to affect the people of Egypt (Exodus 11:5-6).

As “that night,” in which the Israelites were eating the Passover lamb with unleavened bread, eating it in haste with their sandals on their feet, ready to go at a moments notice progressed and grew closer to the midnight hour (Exodus 11:4; Exodus 12:29), the tension mounted.

The children of Israel heard the screams and cries of the frightened Egyptians who were witnessing the horror of every first-born man, woman, and beast dying right before them.

For Egypt, this was a night of terror. For Israel it was a night to be much remembered, a night of departure.

Let us continue!

Now Exodus 12:14-17. This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Eternal— a lasting ordinance. For seven days you are to eat bread made without yeast. On the first day remove the yeast from your houses, for whoever eats anything with yeast in it from the first day through the seventh must be cut off from Israel. On the first day hold a sacred assembly, and another one on the seventh day. Do no work at all on these days, except to prepare food for everyone to eat—that is all you may do. “Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt. Celebrate this day as a lasting ordinance for the generations to come.

Let us read Exodus 12:14-17 from the New King James Version. Again, you are encouraged to read any Bible version you care to read. They all render the same course of events.

"So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to The Eternal throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses. For whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. On the first day there shall be a holy convocation, and on the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation for you. No manner of work shall be done on them; but that which everyone must eat - that only may be prepared by you. So you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this same day I will have brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as an everlasting ordinance."

What is “this day” of which we read? What “day” is being spoken of here?

These four verses explain to us that on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened, Israel left Egypt. The first day of Unleavened Bread is to be kept  (celebrated, commemorated) as a memorial feast, as an everlasting ordinance, a holy convocation, holy High Day, Feast Day, throughout your generations (vss. 14 & 17).

The first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread is the day, which commemorates the day The Eternal passed over Egypt to kill the first born, and His delivering Israel out of Egypt.

The Scriptures state God killed the first born “at night.” Here we obtain insight as to the sequence of events.

Notice as the Scriptures teach a night/morning/day/evening sequence, so Exodus 12 promotes the same sequence. After the evening of the 14^th, the end of the 14^th, is the beginning, the night of the 15^th.

“Observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread,” for on this same day I will have brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. 

The 15^th day of the first month is the First Day (of the seven-day in duration) of Feast of Unleavened Bread. From the Scriptures, we learned that the Feast of Unleavened Bread begins on the 15^th day of, and ends on the 21^st day (cf. Exodus 12:18) of the first month (called Abib or Nisan).

As the Scriptures clearly reveal to us: Exodus 12:17 (NIV). Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt. Celebrate this day as a lasting ordinance for the generations to come.

Once again, this Scripture informs us that Israel came out of Egypt on the 15^th of the first month, the First Day of Unleavened Bread. Israel left Egypt on a Feast Day.

Does the Bible teach us that Israel departed Egypt on the 15^th – the First Day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread? Let us allow the Bible teach us the truth and explain itself.

Let us read Numbers 33:1-5 (KJV):  These are the journeys of the Children of Israel, which went forth out of the land of Egypt with their armies under the hand of Moses and Aaron. And Moses wrote their goings out according to their journeys (segments) by the commandment of The Eternal: and these are their journeys according to their goings out. And they departed from Rameses in the first month on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the morrow after the passover the children of Israel went out with an high hand in the sight of the Egyptians. For the Egyptians buried all their firstborn, which The Eternal had smitten among them; upon their gods also The Eternal executed judgment. And the children of Israel departed from Rameses and pitched in Succoth.

Numbers 33:3-5 (NIV) reads as follows: The Israelites set out from Rameses on the fifteenth day of the first month, the day after the Passover. They marched out boldly in full view of all the Egyptians, who were burying all their firstborn. The Israelites left Rameses and camped at Succoth.

Compare Numbers 33:3 with Exodus 12:37, which states: "The Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Succoth. There were about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children." 

The first day of Israel's exodus journey began on the 15^th day of the first month. They were thrust out, in haste, as the Scriptures state, from Rameses. Rameses was the starting point. Rameses to Succoth was the first segment (journey) of their departure.

The Passover was sacrificed on the 14^th as the day was coming to an end. The morrow (after the Passover) naturally is the 15^th.

So then on the 15^th at night the Passover meal was consumed, with unleavened bread. Then continuing the narrative, Exodus 12:29 (KJV):  "And it came to pass, that at midnight the Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt..."

Compare this verse with Exodus 11:4-6, in which God foretold, explaining to Moses the events of the passing over, the 14^th/15^th of Abib. God mentions the time He will pass over (at about midnight), and the destruction, which will result from His passing over (the death of the firstborn).

Now Exodus 12:30 (KJV): And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead.

Exodus 12:31-33 (NIV): During the night Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, `Up! Leave my people, you and the Israelites! Go, worship the Eternal as you have requested. Take your flocks and herds, as you have said, and go. And also bless me. The Egyptians urged the people to hurry and leave the country. For otherwise, they said, we will all die!

Notice these verses carefully. We see the sequence of events unfold before our eyes. On the night the lamb was eaten (with unleavened bread), was on that same night (at midnight) God passed over Egypt. On that same night, the Israelites were told to leave the land NOW! The Egyptians were urgent upon people … sent out of the land in haste (Exodus 12:33 KJV).