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בשׁלח Beshalach (‘when he sent’)
Exodus 13:17 – 17:16
1 Corinthians 10:2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
1 Corinthians 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
In this audio study we will concentrate on the meaning of the place of Israel’s last encampment on the border of Egypt just immediately before they crossed the Red Sea (literally, ‘the sea of the end‘).
This study is not a transcription of the audio. So there are things on the audio that are not here in this text and vice versa. On the Audio version of this study after we look at the meanings of place names covered here we then read through Exodus (Shemot) chapter 14 and 15 making comments and underlining how God is in control of this world and how He will be magnified in the eyes of the world during the second exodus. We briefly touch on Israel’s murmuring and the subsequent attack of Amalek.
We are living at the edge of seismic cataclysms that will destroy the world that we know and will destroy Edom’s power in the world. So the study of the Exodus is not just a study of the past judgements of God but a prophetic blueprint for what is coming.
The ‘Red’ Sea – Yam Suf – The Sea of the End
But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea: and the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt.
Exodus 13:18
וַיַּסֵּב אֱלֹהִים אֶת־הָעָם דֶּרֶךְ הַמִּדְבָּר יַמ־סוּף וַחֲמֻשִׁים עָלוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם׃
H5488 סוּף sûph soof
Probably of Egyptian origin; a reed, especially the papyrus: - flag. Red [sea], weed. Compare H5489.
H5489 סוּף sûph soof
For H5488 (by ellipsis of H3220); the Reed (Sea): - Red sea.
Strongs concordance is not a lot of use here as he entirely misses the point of the word suf, translated incorrectly as red. Yes it an mean reed but it also means ‘end’.
H5486 סוּף sûph soof
A primitive root; to snatch away, that is, terminate: - consume, have an end, perish, X be utterly.
Thus the Yam Suf literally means sea (Yam) of the End. It is where the old life ends. The life of bondage under Pharaoh who is a picture of Satan has come to an end. And a new life of discipleship in the desert (bamidbar) is about to begin.
Where Israel was encamped immediately before the red sea crossing…
Now we will look at the meanings of the place names as they are given to illustrate how Satan is able to keep us captive in His World of Enchantments on the edge of the ‘Sea of the end‘ (as will be explained shortly).
And they took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness.
Exodus 13:20
וַיִּסְעוּ מִסֻּכֹּת וַיַּחֲנוּ בְאֵתָם בִּקְצֵה הַמִּדְבָּר׃
Succoth
H5523 סכּת סכּות sûkkôth sûkkôth sook-kohth', sook-kohth'
Plural of H5521; booths; Succoth, the name of a place in Egypt and of three in Palestine: - Succoth.
The children of Israel leave Succoth which is still in Egypt but it’s name prefigures the Feast of Succoth, the seventh feast, where Israel dwells in ‘booths‘. This seventh feast is a picture of the seventh day, the Shabbat where we rest in the Lord. Succoth will be fulfilled during the Millennial reign of the Messiah which lasts for 1000 years. This is the seventh day of 1000 years which follows the 6000 years of work since the creation of Adam. One day is as a thousand years.
But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
2 Peter 3:8
Etham
Then Israel passes through to Etham which is also prefigures something…
H864 אתם 'êthâm ay-thawm'
Of Egyptian derivation; Etham, a place in the Desert: - Etham.
Etham, אתם, may be an Egyptian name but the letters spell the Hebrew verb ‘I will be perfect‘. Tam, תם, means ‘perfect‘ and it the word for death, ‘Mut’, מת or מות reversed.
Etham seems to represent the place where we are made perfect, or at least the beginning of that journey as we are about to cross the waters of baptism which represents death of our old life as Egyptian slaves to Pharaoh Satan and crossing over to the Wilderness to receive God’s Law and to learn how to walk with God day by day. Sadly it will require 40 years of wandering for Israel to die to self and learn to trust in the Lord with the simplicity of a child. And it is their literal children that later take the land of Canaan.
A few verses later in Exodus 14 we are told some other important place names that also shed much light on what this final place on Egypt’s border is all about.
Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp before Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baalzephon: before it shall ye encamp by the sea.
Exodus 14:2
דַּבֵּר אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיָשֻׁבוּ וְיַחֲנוּ לִפְנֵי פִּי הַחִירֹת בֵּין מִגְדֹּל וּבֵין הַיָּם לִפְנֵי בַּעַל צְפֹן נִכְחֹו תַחֲנוּ עַל־הַיָּם׃
Pihahiroth
H6367פּי החרת pı̂y hachirôth pee hah-khee-roth'
From H6310 and the feminine plural of a noun (from the same root as H2356), with the article interposed; mouth of the gorges; Pi-ha-Chiroth, a place in Egypt. (Found in Num_14:19 without the “pi”.): - Pi-hahiroth. [In Num. H14 : H19 without Pi-.]
- H6310פּה peh
From H6284; the mouth (as the means of blowing), whether literally or figuratively (particularly speech); specifically edge, portion or side; adverbially (with preposition) according to: – accord (-ing as, -ing to), after, appointment, assent, collar, command (-ment), X eat, edge, end, entry, + file, hole, X in, mind, mouth, part, portion, X (should) say (-ing), sentence, skirt, sound, speech, X spoken, talk, tenor, X to, + two-edged, wish, word. - H2356 חר חור chôr chôr khore, khore
The same as H2352; a cavity, socket, den: – cave, hole.
‘Pihahiroth‘ literally means ‘mouth hole‘.
This is a picture of the female place of birth. For Israel is about to be born out of the womb of Egypt if you like. But ‘Pihahiroth‘ also is represents the location of spiritual and physical fornication which Egypt represents in general. You will remember that idolatry is a big part of Israel’s trouble through the ages, including;
- Rachel (Teraphim), Gen 31:34
- the sons of Jacob, Gen 35:2,10
- Israel in Egypt, Ezek 23:3
- Israel at Mount Sinai with the golden calf.
- Israel during the judges
- Israel during the kings
- Israel in it’s rebellion to Yeshua
- the church with it’s pagan mixing through Rome’s Catholic idolatry.
I will explain what this means in context in more detail after we look at the next two place names because all of these names combined give us a much better understanding of what we are being told here by the Lord יהוה.
Migdol
H4024 מגדּל מגדּול migdôl
Probably of Egyptian origin; Migdol, a place in Egypt: - Migdol, tower.
‘Migdol‘ is another place on the border of Egypt and the red sea (sea of the end) means tower in Hebrew. And it is the Hebrew that is important here. Migdol means ‘tower‘.
A tower can be a good thing, the Lord is a strong Tower from the enemy.
Psalms 18:2; 61:3; 144:2; Proverbs 18:10. And it is certainly here at the edge of the red sea where the Lord protects Israel from Egypt (Mitzraim) as a pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night. He stands literally as a tower against the enemy. So ‘Migdol’ can represent this towering protection.
Also Israel will soon receive the Torah at mount Sinai after crossing over the ‘sea of the end’. And so Israel will be betrothed to God. In the song of Songs the bride is likened to a tower, Song of Solomon 4:4, 7:4. So ‘Migdol’ represents the bride. There was also a tower in the midst of the vineyard, Isaiah 5:2; Matthew 21:33. The Vineyard is a picture of Israel. The Tower is again a picture of the bride of the Messiah within Israel as seen in the Song of Songs.
TOWER & REBELLION
But there is also a negative sense of the word ‘tower’ due to Israel’s idolatry which occurred in Egypt and then at Mount Sinai with the Golden Calf and on throughout her history. This idolatry is in both the House of Judah and Israel. And it is here until this day. It will take the events of the final tribulation to separate Israel from the uncleanness of idolatry and false worship. Vineyards can be abused and lead to drukenness as happened to Noah which led to the curse upon Cannaan Ham’s son, the progenitor of the Canaanites, the epitome of idolaters.
The tower of Babel was the beginning of idolatry and rebellion after the flood, Gen 11:4. Last days Babylon will attempt to complete the rebellion begun at the tower of Babel years ago.
The vineyard is associated with the tower in Matthew 21:33 and we know that the stealing of Naboath’s vineyard by Jezebel is a picture of the corruption of Israel through idolatry, read 1 Kiings 21:1 through to the end of the chapter.
Baalzephon
H1189 בּעל צפון ba‛al tsephôn
From H1168 and H6828 (in the sense of cold) (according to others as Egyptian form of Typhon, the destroyer); Baal of winter; Baal Tsephon, a place in Egypt: - Baal-zephon.
- H1168 בּעל ba‛al bah’-al
The same as H1167; Baal, a Phoenician deity: – Baal, [plural] Baalim. - Rory’s note: – ‘Zephon’, צפון means ‘hidden‘ and in Hebrew and it’s associated with the North (it is also the word for north in Hebrew).
H6828 צפן צפון tsâphôn tsâphôn tsaw-fone’, tsaw-fone’
From H6845; properly hidden, that is, dark; used only of the north as a quarter (gloomy and unknown): – north (-ern, side, -ward, wind).
‘Baalzephon’ means ‘husband/Baal, that is Hidden‘ or ‘Baal of the Hidden/North‘. In the sense of the God of Israel having a protective hand upon the children of Israel, Baal Zephon has a positive meaning. God is protecting and hiding Israel, even with darkness, Ex 14:20, even as a husband holds his bride.
But again Baal Zephon has a negative meaning also in the sense of Baal worship. Remember that Baal Zephon is still in the land of Egypt. It may be the edge of Egypt but it is still in Egypt.
Entangled
So in Exodus 14:2, Israel is encamped at “Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baalzephon“. This is still in Egypt and in the next verse Pharaoh believes he has them trapped.
3 For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in. 4 And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, that he shall follow after them; and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD. And they did so.
Exodus 14:3-4
וְאָמַר פַּרְעֹה לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל נְבֻכִים הֵם בָּאָרֶץ סָגַר עֲלֵיהֶם הַמִּדְבָּר׃
וְחִזַּקְתִּי אֶת־לֵב־פַּרְעֹה וְרָדַף אַחֲרֵיהֶם וְאִכָּבְדָה בְּפַרְעֹה וּבְכָל־חֵילֹו וְיָדְעוּ מִצְרַיִם כִּי־אֲנִי יְהוָה וַיַּעֲשׂוּ־כֵן׃
H943 בּוּך bûk book
A primitive root; to involve (literally or figuratively): - be entangled (perplexed).
We too can come out of the world as believers, but we can be ensnared in it’s system and it’s lusts. The New Testament has much to say about being entangled in the world. Pharaoh’s Egypt and the Israelite encampment in “Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baalzephon” is a picture of us not fully out of the world, not truly dead to the world, but ‘entangled‘! Here are some appropriate verses from the New Testament about being entangled
in the world and the bondage which Egypt represents…
Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
Galatians 5:1
For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
2 Peter 2:20
No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.
2 Timothy 2:4
Conclusion
The ‘yam Suf‘, incorrectly translated as the ‘red sea’ represents the end of the line, the end of the former life in Egypt.
Collectively the names in Exodus 14:2, “Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baalzephon” form a picture of Egypt’s strong inclination towards idolatry. This is a place of entangling.
The following may seem a little graphic and I apologize for this but the word of God is incredibly direct.
‘Pihahiroth‘, literally the ‘mouth of the Hole‘, represents the female side of idolatry but it also represents the means of ‘birth‘ in the positive sense.
‘Migdol‘ has both a female and male aspect to it. In the female sense it represents the bride who is a tower. The tower can also represent the place of rebellion as in the tower of Babel. In this aspect Migdol represents more the phalic nature of the unbroken male ego and will.
In this negative sense ‘Pihahiroth‘ and ‘Migdol‘ represent the female and male organs in rebellion producing children of fornication. But in the positive sense they represent the union that produces good offspring.
We see both aspects within the children of Israel, there are Israelites that follow the Lord and there are others that follow Baal.
And so we come to the final word ‘Baalzephon’ which can represents the hidden mystery religion of Baal worship that has many aspects that are similar to our Lord יהוה
but in practice it is pure idolatry and fornication. On the other hand Baal Zephon can represent the true husband of Israel that hides Israel under his protective wing.
So all these place names have a duel meaning. Collectively they represent the last trap or strong hold at the end of the line of Egypt’s reach and Pharaoh’s grasp. They represent ‘Vanity Fair‘ in the ‘Pilgrim’s progress’, a place of entrapment and entangling through diversions and entertainments and illicit sex and idol worship. On the positive side they represent the New birth as they are the exit door from Egypt into the wilderness where Israel receives God’s Law or word and is later discipled and fitted for warfare in the following generation (once they have died to self).
Baptism through the red sea is a picture of the end of this life and the beginning of a new life of faith in the Lord and ultimately the Messiah Yeshua to whom the Torah points to.
And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
1 Corinthians 10:2
For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12:13
God bless.
