The Significance of the Mixed Multitude

When I was a kid watching my favorite movie, Charleton Heston climbed the thundering mountain and delivered the Ten Commandments to the Hebrews. Now that I am digging up the Hebraic Roots of Christianity I find myself reading the Scriptures much more carefully. Who actually received those awesome Commandments from God Himself, given to Moses at Mount Sinai? When Pharaoh finally granted Moses permission to lead the Hebrews out of Egypt, a "mixed multitude" made that trip. This mixed multitude was not just the tribes of Israel, but included anyone who wanted to join up with them --Gentiles, Egyptians, slaves from many countries conquered by the Egyptians -- a true kaleidoscope of people: "Whoa Moses, I've been watching what your God has been doing to the Egyptians with all those plagues....your God is greater than the gods of Pharaoh, I'm going with YOU man, I know a winner when I see one !" (well, okay, that's just my weird paraphrase, but it works ) These sojourners did not join the expedition as people groups, nations, or Ethnic groups - "Okay all you slaves from Timbuktu, let's take a vote, all in favor of joining the Hebrews signify by a raising of hands", they joined as individuals. All individuals who had a heart to take part in this great exit -- Hebrews and the rest of the "mixed multitude" -- made up what is later called in Exodus chapter 12 "all the congregation of Israel". When they received the Ten Commandments, they became one physical nation under one constitution - God's Torah. This motley group of individuals and families that departed Egypt were on the ground floor of God's nation-building. The Exodus number would have been between one and two million individuals; Non-Hebrew exited Egypt and walked the wilderness with Hebrew and made up the Commonwealth of Yisrael. When they stopped to make camp, the Scriptures tell us that they broke up into sections according to Hebrew tribe. We are not told that there were sections separate for Gentiles to segregate them from the Hebrews. All were welcome. All were led by God and received His loving instruction -- His Torah. His Ten Commandments, including the commandment to observe His set-apart Sabbath, were given to the mixed-multitude Commonwealth of Yisrael and I submit that they are valid for the mixed multitude that seeks to follow Him today. Or, as the Master Himself said in John 10:27 - "My sheep hear my voice and they follow me."