Expulsion or Redemption, Re-examining the story of the Exodus

We re-read the story of the Exodus from Egypt and ask: why was there an apparent need for trickery? If God told Moshe that He knows Pharaoh will refuse Moshe's request, why does God command Moshe to offer the pretense to Pharaoh of going on a three- day desert journey? What was God's plan in getting the Israelites out of Egypt? And what is gained by having the Israelites forced out of Egypt in the middle of the night? Our study leads us to explore the mindset of Bnei Yisrael, in addition to that of Pharaoh.