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Periods.
The 400 yrs.
The 430 yrs.
10
From call, promise and covenant of Abraham to the
marriage of Hagar.
1
From marriage of Hagar to birth of Ishmael.
14
From birth of Ishmael to birth of Isaac.
5
From birth of Isaac to his being weaned and becoming
the seed at the casting out of Ishmael.
185
185
From the weaning of Isaac, to the going down into
-------
Egypt.
215
From the going down into Egypt to the Exodus, to
215
215
make up the 400 years of Gen. 15: 13 and the
430 years of Exod. 12: 40, 41.
-------
-------
430
400
This computation is taken from Anstey's The Romance of Biblical Chronology, but
there are several ways in which the problem has been settled which we will not produce
here.
If we were dealing especially with chronology, several other features would need to be
considered, but for the moment we learn from Exod. 12: 40, 41 that in spite of all the
resistance put up by Pharaoh, "at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the
self same day" Israel were delivered. What is of importance to us is to realize that
Habakkuk who was baffled because no answer seemed to come to his prayers, and no
intervention to the crying wrongs that were his burden, uses the same words "at the end",
for the Lord spoke to him, saying:
"The vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie:
though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry" (Hab. 2: 1-3).
We return to the time note at the opening of Exod. 12::
"This month shall be UNTO YOU the beginning of months: it shall be the first month
of the year to YOU."
The stress on the words "to you" indicate some radical change that was being made.
The first month of the Jewish year was originally Tisri corresponding with our October,
and the Jews still keep their New Year at this date in spite of the insistence of change and
the time of their redemption. God begins with Redemption; the believer begins a new
life when Christ is seen as his "Passover" (I Cor. 5: 7).
The Lamb without blemish.
"A lamb", "The lamb", "Your lamb", such is the progression in verses 3, 4 and 5, as
they speak of the shadow and type of the Lamb of God.
"The whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it" (Exod. 12: 6).
So even then the type with its many lambs, merges into the one great Passover Lamb
of God.