The Exodus — Bible — Andrew Forrest

Exodus 12:37-42

37 And the people of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children. 38 A mixed multitude also went up with them, and very much livestock, both flocks and herds. 39 And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough that they had brought out of Egypt, for it was not leavened, because they were thrust out of Egypt and could not wait, nor had they prepared any provisions for themselves. 40 The time that the people of Israel lived in Egypt was 430 years. 41 At the end of 430 years, on that very day, all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt. 42 It was a night of watching by the Lord, to bring them out of the land of Egypt; so this same night is a night of watching kept to the Lord by all the people of Israel throughout their generations.

I love the note in v. 38 that “a mixed multitude also went up with them.” To me, this detail is a mark of the Lord’s desire to save all people—here you have non-Hebrews who have joined themselves to God’s people. It’s a beautiful forerunner of what will happen with Jesus—how people from every nation, tribe, people, and tongue will be drawn to Him (Revelation 7:9).