Instruments! Music! These are how you express yourself in worship! It's loud and energetic and a celebration. You gotta blow the horn to mark the feast. Probably so everyone starts at the same time.
It is God who brought the people out of Egypt. No one else. Not any of those gods Israel had allowed into their homes. False gods. Gods who they had never even heard of when they were celebrating the most awesome exodus in their history. Why begin to trust them now? God hardened Pharaoh's heart. Israel bailed, and God closed the waters on the pursuing Egyptians.
It says in verse 12 that God "gave them over to their stubborn hearts." I wonder if this is how he "hardened" Pharoah's heart? Much ado is made about God controlling Pharoah, resulting in his refusal to allow Israel to leave, thus bringing the plagues upon him and his own people. Perhaps Pharoah was already a stubborn mule about all this, and God simply gave him over to his nature. His stubbornness. I'm not saying that's what happened, and I don't know Hebrew, but it makes sense to me, and God would do that. It sounds like God is a God that would throw up His hands and say, "Fine, have it your way."
And those who turn away from God would have their punishment last forever? That's a real long time. It doesn't say what that punishment is, but forever sounds like its unending to me.
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