29] Do the Scriptures teach us that morning and night can be synonymous?   

Consider Ruth 3:13-14 (KJV): Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning, that if he will perform unto thee the part of a kinsman, well; let him do the kinsman's part: but if he will not do the part of a kinsman to thee, then will I do the part of a kinsman to thee, as the LORD liveth: lie down until the morning. And she lay at his feet until the morning: and she rose up before one could know another.

Here we read that Ruth slept (laid down) until the morning. Then she rose up in the morning. Yet in the morning, it was still dark. 

Why?

Because the term: "before one could know another" simply meant it was still dark enough that two people standing or walking outside would not have been able to see or recognize one another. It was pitch black - night. We know that on any given day (24 hours), when it is dark, we call that period of time, night. 

Yet, here we read of a period of time, which is described as being dark enough that people could not recognize one another, and this period of time was called "morning."

Even in our modern vernacular today, we say it is 2:00 in the morning (2:00 am) and we know that time of/in the morning is still the nighttime. Morning nighttime is understandable.

By reading Ruth 3:13-14, we can easily understand that if Israel left while it was still dark, 1:00, 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning, they not only fulfilled the instruction to stay in your house until the morning but they would have left in the night.

Morning does not have to mean 6:00, 7:00 or 8:00 a.m.; the time after the sun has arisen.

Consider Mark 1:35: And in the morning, rising up a great while before day ….

Review Mark 16:2, Luke 24:1 and John 20:1. Putting the narratives together, we understand that Mary Magdalene came to the tomb in very early in the morning, while it was yet dark.

Now let us consider Exodus 14:20-24 And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel and it was a cloud and darkness to them but it gave light by night to these, so that the one came not near the other all the night. And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Eternal caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all night, and made the sea dry land and the waters were divided. And the Children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon dry ground and the waters were a wall unto them on their right and on their left. And the Egyptians pursued and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots and his horseman. And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the Eternal looked unto the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud and troubled the host of the Egyptians.

Do you notice what these scriptures communicate to us?

First, it was at night that the sea was divided and the Children of Israel went through the parted sea. Second, it was in the morning watch that the Eternal looked down on the Egyptians through the pillar of fire (verse 24). 

Exodus 13:21 informs us that God went before the Children of Israel, by night in a pillar of fire to give them light. Verse 22 reiterates … a pillar of fire by night …

Numbers 9:15 informs us again at evening there was as it were an appearance of fire until the morning.”

We see that the pillar of fire was manifest during the night. Evening (erev) here should once again have been translated night as Exodus 13:21, 22 confirm - the night.

Therefore by reading Exodus 14:20-24 we understand that the morning watch refers to a period of time, which occurred during the night.

We read that in the morning watch God looked through the pillar of fire, which was manifest during the night.

Again we read from the Word of God, the morning does not have to refer to a time of early sunlight and consequently, daytime. The morning does not have to only refer to the time of day after the sun is above the eastern horizon.

Morning can and does occur during the night. That same understanding has carried on to us today in that we say, its 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning.

Can we definitely prove that the morning watch occurred during the night? Let us continue!

Notice verses 25-27 And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily, so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the Eternal fighteth for them against the Egyptians. And the Eternal said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots and upon their horsemen. And Moses stretch forth his hand over the sea and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared and the Egyptians fled against it and the Eternal overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.

Notice verse 27 from the Interlinear Bible: And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and returned the sea at the dawn of morning to its usual flow…

When, according to the Scriptures did the sea return to its natural state?

Read Exodus 14:27 (Interlinear bible): at the dawn of morning. or as the King James Version state: when the morning appeared.

Other common translations indicate the phrase, at daybreak.

The sea returned to its natural state as the night, in which the Eternal looked out from the pillar of fire, was ending, giving way to the early morning sun before it rose over the eastern horizon. The activity occurred and finally at daybreak the parted water came together.

Again, we read that it was during the morning watch of darkness nighttime that the Eternal looked through the pillar of fire.

The Scriptures teach us that the morning does not have to mean the time of the early sunlight or the period between the sunrise and 12:00 noon.

The morning can and does occur in the night, during the dark.

Remember Mary Magdalene came to the tomb in the morning, while it was yet dark.

How can we deny the truth of the Word of God?

Consequently, the Israelites did not have to wait until the sun rose over the eastern horizon before they could leave their houses. For them to leave their house at 1:00, 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning would have been in compliance to the command the Eternal gave them.

If the children of Israel left Egypt at 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning, as it was the night, they not only fulfilled the instruction to stay in your house until the morning but they would have left in the night.

The Children of Israel left their house, fully clothe, staff in hand and in haste, that night, in the morning darkness of the 15^th day of the first month. They ate the Passover meal some 4 to 6 hours earlier.

As the Scriptures teach (Deuteronomy 16:1; Exodus 12:42): the Children of Israel left at night, and on the 15^th day (which begins at the night, after the at even of the 14^th) of the first month (Numbers 33:3).

There was no time to linger on the 14^th during the night and then during the day, while waiting for the night of the 15^th to arrive. The Egyptians were urgent upon the Children of Israel (Exodus 12:33) and the Children of Israel were thrust out of Egypt (Exodus 12:39) in haste.