September 30, 2025
Welcome to Torah Tuesday! Where every Tuesday we take a scripture from Torah and explain its relevance today.
Today we are looking at an interesting scripture, Exodus 12:38 –
“A mixed multitude also went up with them, and very much livestock, both flocks and herds.”
To give reference, the Israelites have just been through 430 years of captivity and experienced the plagues and Passover in Egypt. They have put the blood of the lamb over the doorpost of their homes and bypassed death in order to have life with Yahweh, wherever He may take them. In today’s language: they got saved. This particular verse tells us that there was a “mixed multitude” of people that left Egypt with them. The Hebrew word for “mixed” here is the word, “ereb” – which literally means mixture or a woof, as in an interwoven knitted material. According to this verse, it was not just native-born Israelites that left Egypt that night, but a mixture of people all following Yahweh. This is the fun part: this is where we, as Gentiles (those that live outside of Israel), come in! The Bible is not clear who exactly these people were, but we can assume there were other slaves from different nations living in Egypt and possibly some sojourners that happened to be in Egypt to experience the plagues – talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time!
In verses 48-49 of the same chapter, we see Yah giving the stipulations for Passover. He says,
“If a stranger shall sojourn with you and would keep the Passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised. Then he may come near and keep it; he shall be as a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person shall eat of it. There shall be one law for the native and for the stranger who sojourns among you.”
Here we see the “grafting in” of Gentiles all the way back in Exodus. IF a foreigner called Yah their God and were circumcised (showing the sign of the covenant), then they were as a native-born and there was one law between them and the natives. In Yah’s mercy, He allows a way for Gentiles to be a part of His covenant people.
The best examples of “old testament” Gentiles being grafted in are Rahab and Ruth. Rahab, a prostitute from Jericho (Joshua 6), and Ruth, a Moabite, both adopt God’s ways and follow Him, being grafted into the direct linage of Yeshua himself. Not to mention our patriarch, Abraham, who was born a Chaldean – a literal worshipper of the stars and moon – being called out from where he was and brought into God’s family by faith.
So the “mixed multitude” way back in Exodus is one of our first indications that God’s plan is for ALL who believe Him, adopt His ways and walk out their faith in Him through obedience to His word and promises.
Lavah Ministries 