28] The morning/night controversy   

This controversy, advanced by those who propose “the beginning of the 14^th Passover” theory suggests the following scenario:

The Exodus 12 Passover Lambs were killed at the beginning of the 14^th (after the sunset of the 13^th). The lambs were then eaten on the night of the 14^th. At midnight of the 14^th, God passed over Egypt. Then after the dark/night of the 14^th was over, and the morning-sun arose over the eastern horizon on the 14^th, the Children of Israel finally came out of their houses.

Continuing, during the morning of the 14^th, after they came out of their houses (which it is assumed were located all throughout Goshen), the Children of Israel burned the remains of the Passover meal. Once that was completed, as time progressed that day and the sun was in its full light, Moses gave orders to the children of Israel to organize within Goshen in order to walk into the city of Rameses. During the day portion of the 14^th, while the Children of Israel were continuing to assemble into Rameses from all around Goshen, they began to spoil the Egyptians, taking this or that piece of jewelry, gold, etc. Then finally, after some 18-24 hours later, after the Passover meal was eaten, after the sun had finally set on the 14^th, as the night of the 15^th commenced, they then left Rameses, beginning the Exodus from Egypt. The children of Israel left Rameses during the night of the 15^th, some 24 hours after eating the Passover meal.

Does this scenario sound logical in light of the Scriptures, which give clear indication that what Israel did, they did in haste and without hesitation?

Let us notice the two verses that are used to argue the morning/night controversy and let us learn what these Scriptures clearly teach.

Exodus 12:22 And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the basin; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning,

Continuing with verse 23, to understand the full impact of this directive. For The Eternal will pass through and smite the Egyptians; and when He seeth the blood upon the lintel and on the two side posts, The Eternal will pass over the door and will not suffer the destroyer to come into your house to smite you.

Now Deuteronomy 16:1 "Observe the month of Abib and keep the Passover unto the Eternal thy God; for in the month of Abib the Eternal thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night."

Here the Bible states stay in your houses until morning and Israel was brought forth out of Egypt by night.

From these two scriptures, most of the Churches of God have interpreted this to mean “the morning of the 14^th” and “the night of the 15^th,” some 12-18 hours apart.

But is that true? Was there an extended delay between the meal, the morning burning session and the departure?

First, let us start with Exodus 12:22-23. Exodus 12:22-23 is accurate; it states the facts.

Stay in your house until morning. Do not leave your house. If you do, if any of the firstborn Israelites go out of their houses that night, in which the Eternal passes over, they would be killed. The blood on the doorposts of the houses would protect the firstborn from death as long as they stayed in their houses. It was that simple. The destroyer would not come into their houses.

Israel ate the Passover meal in haste, with staff in hand, sandals on their feet, while in their houses, being ready to depart, just as the Eternal commanded (Exodus 12:11), just as the Scriptures state.

Israel ate the Passover meal at night (Exodus 12:8), and then at midnight the Eternal passed over and smote the Egyptians (Exodus 11:4-6; 12:29). Then Pharaoh rose up in the night (Exodus 12:30) after the Eternal had passed over. Sometime, no doubt very shortly after midnight, as Pharaoh arose in the night, Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron by night (Exodus 12:31).

Did Moses and Aaron leave their house that night and go to Pharaoh or did Moses stay indoors until morning?

From the Exodus 10:28-29 point of view, it seems to indicate that Moses did not even see Pharaoh any more. From this point of view, Moses and Aaron did not leave their house at night. However, if (as the Exodus 12:31 narrative seems to indicate, And he called for Moses and Aaron by night …) Moses and Aaron did go back to see Pharaoh, then they ignored the instruction that “and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning.” Could this be?

Now let us consider: if Moses and Aaron did see Pharaoh that night, they of course did not wait until the morning to leave their house. (This is true only if we narrowly interpret the Hebrew word for morning as being the time after the sun has risen over the eastern horizon. We will learn more shortly!)

If Moses and Aaron did leave their house that night, after midnight, it is logical then to understand that the command to stay in your houses until morning was now null and void, was now cancelled. Why?

Israel (the firstborn of) needed to stay indoors in order not to be affected by “the Eternal’s passing over,” in order not to be killed. Once the “passing over” took place, there was no reason for them to stay indoors. The instruction was no longer applicable. Death occurred; the judgment was fulfilled.

The Eternal had passed over and had smote the Egyptians. The damage was done and now there was no reason to stay indoors. The command would now be considered null and void since the purpose for the command (to protect the firstborn Israelites from death) had now been fulfilled. The Eternal had passed over! The firstborn were protected! It was now safe to go out of the house.

Therefore, it is very possible that Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh during the night of (after) The Eternal’s passing over, as Exodus 12:31 seems to indicate. They could have walked out of their house before the morning light, in the night darkness and in so doing would not have been disobedient to the directive.

Can the Scriptures help us understand that the morning does not have to only be the early hours just after the sun is risen over the eastern horizon? Can the morning occur before the light of the sun is cracking over the eastern horizon? Can the morning refer to the nighttime, while it is still dark?

We know that sometime after midnight (Exodus 11:4; 12:29-31); Moses got word from Pharaoh “go.”

Pharaoh said, Rise up and get you forth from among my people Exodus 12:31.

“The Egyptians were urgent upon the people that they might send them out in haste, for they said “we all be dead man” (Exodus 12:33).

Israel was “thrust out of Egypt and could not tarry” (Exodus 12:39).

After Moses received word, “to get out of here,” he then gave the command to the children of Israel, and the mass of people began their journey (from Rameses as we read in Exodus 12:37 and Numbers 33:3 and notice Genesis 47:11).

It easily could have been the early morning, 4:00 or 5:00 am, or at the time of the dawn, as the sun, although still below the eastern horizon, begun to illuminate the land of Egypt, when they began to leave.

Yet, if they left, at 1:00 in the morning or even 3:00 in the morning, it is logical to understand that the purpose for the instructions given in Exodus 12:22 had already been accomplished. One or three o'clock, in the morning would qualify as “morning time,” satisfying the command to stay in your houses until the morning while at the same time acknowledging what the Scriptures teach – that the Children of Israel left Egypt at night (Deuteronomy 16:1).