Week 40, Day 5: Pharaoh’s end

Today’s Reading:  Exodus 14:1-31

Some thoughts from the reading…

When will some people learn?  We have seen in our Proverbs study verses that speak of how a fool will not receive instruction.  Although he is struck repeatedly he refuses to learn (Prov 17:10).  Pharaoh seems to fall into this category.  He has received sign after sign.  Repeatedly he has been shown through his suffering that he must yield to God’s will.  But now he regrets having sent Israel away and goes off to pursue them. 

God uses this occation as another time to demonstrate His power.  Moses instructs Israel that God will fight for them while they keep silent.  They will not have to do anything, God will do it all.  And if there was any doubt that Pharaoh should have come to his senses earlier, you would think that a pillar of fire standing between your camp and Israel’s camp would reinforce that there is a power here that you cannot overcome. 

Israel’s passing through the red sea is nothing but a miracle.  No matter how peopel might want to explain it away.  I think it is neat to note that they passed through on dry ground.  Where a sea had been you would expect a great deal of mud.  But God provided an easy pathway for them to journey through.

Question:  Have you ever known of someone who it did not matter what you said to them or what happened, they simply would not believe or obey God?

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Week 40, Day 2: The Last Plague

Today’s Reading:  Exodus 11:1-10

Some thoughts from the reading…

Chapter 11 is very short, only 10 verses.  And yet it announces the end of Israel’s stay as slaves in Egypt.  I think the way things are stated in chapter 11 are a little confusing.  Verse 8 tells us that Moses went out from Pharaoh in hot anger.  This statement concludes the dialogue Moses had with Pharaoh at the end of chapter 10.  Pharaoh had warned Moses that he would die if he were to come before Pharaoh again.  We are told a few details at the beginning of chapter 11 that appear to be mentioned here but are not necessarily part of the final dialogue between Pharaoh and Moses.  The details about speaking in the hearing of the people (vs 2)  appears to  be what Moses was told to do when he was instructed about the last plague.  Moses tells Pharaoh at their final meeting about the last plague and then departs in anger.

It is amazing to consider the distinction God showed between Israel and Egypt.  With several of the signs we are told explicitly that Israel was not affected by the signs at all.  The Egyptians alone were suffering because of these signs.  Can you imagine how the Egyptian people would have marveled at this.  All of these things are happening to them and not a single thing happens to the Israelites?  No flies (8:22), no cattle dying (9:6), no boils (9:11), no hail (9:26),  no darkness (10:23) and no death of the firstborn (12:13).  How could anyone doubt or question that Israel was God’s people and that these signs were directed toward Egypt?  No one could.

Question:  Why do you think that Moses was greatly esteemed in the land of Egypt?

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Week 40, Day 1: Pharaoh Tries to Negotiate

Today’s Reading:  Exodus 10:1-29

Some thoughts from the reading…

In chapter 10 Pharaoh seems to be finally coming around to admitting he will have to let Israel go to worship Jehovah.  But he still wants to not give in to everything that is required.  We see a back and forth where Pharaoh tries to say that Israel can go but only part of the people can go (vs 10).  Then he tries to say that they can go but they cannot take all of their flocks with them (vs 24).  Pharaoh is still thinking that he is in a position to negotiate with what God has commanded.  At the very beginning when Moses came to Pharaoh he had said who is Jehovah that I should listen to Him (5:2)?  Now Pharaoh has begun to recognize that he has to listen to what Jehovah says but he is still stubbornly trying to only give in to part of what is commanded.  God knew that Pharaoh would have to be compelled to let Israel go and now we are told that God has hardened Pharaoh’s heart so that He could perfomr these signs (vs 1-2).  God would make a mockery of the Egyptians and they would know that He is Jehovah. 

Any time that someone raises their will up against what God has commanded or directed to be done they will not prosper.  No matter who they are, king or just a lowly servant, we must all be able to see from the signs performed in Egypt that God must be honored and His will must be obeyed.  So many times man wants to get puffed up and resist what God says to do.  We want to go our own direction.  To ourselves we might not say who is the Lord that we ought to listen to Him but we might think along the lines of “well I don’t want to do that”.  Either way the result is the same – we set ourselves in opposition to God’s will.  Humble yourselves before God.  Yield yourself to Him.  We are blessed that God is patient with us and has not taught us in the same manner that He taught Pharaoh.

Question:  What does it take for you to see that you are wrong?  Pharaoh seems to finally be coming around but will not yet let go completely.  What has to happen before you will say, “I’m wrong?”

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Week 39, Day 5:

Today’s Reading:  Exodus 9:1-35

Some thoughts from the reading…

The signs that God has Moses perform in Egypt intensify in chapter 9.  Three more signs are given to Pharaoh.  The livestock in the field are killed, the boils on man and beast, and the great hailstorm.  Some confusion is generated from what is said in the first sign.  This severe pestilence killed “all the livestock of Egypt”.  And yet later in this chapter we see it mentioned that those Egyptians out in the field with their livestock were killed by the hailstorm.  Some have pointed to this as a contradiction.  How can all livestock have died and yet there are still some to be killed by the hail?  Let me make some suggestions to explain why this is not a contradiction.  1st – the pestilence was going to kill all the livestock “which are in the field”.  This could indicate that those livestock NOT in the field would be spared from the pestilence.  Just like in verse 19, where the livestock not “brought home” would be killed by the hail.  Only the livestock out in the field were killed by the livestock.  So not every single last livestock was killed but ALL of those who were out in the field were.  I think this is the most reasonable explanation.  2nd – The time from the pestilence until the hail storm is not mentioned.   Could it not be that the Egyptians acquired more livestock from the Israelites after their’s had been killed?  Those who jump to saying there is a contradiction here have not considered that clearly there are logical explanations that can be given. 

Another observation: I think that in chapter9 we begin to see some indicators that Moses is beginning to “develop” into a leader.  Earlier we had seen his hesitance to go to Egypt and speek to Pharaoh.  Aaron was given to him to aid him and remove his excuse for not going.  So far we have seen that when a sign was performed that Aaron was the one told to do some action to bring about the sign (strike the dust (8:16), stretch out his hand over the rivers (8:5)(7:14), and take his staff and throw it down (7:9).  But in chapter 9 God says “let Moses” throw the soot into the sky to bring about the boils (9:8) and Moses is told to “stretch out” his hand toward the sky to bring the hail (9:22).  Again, I think that what we are witnessing is the developing of Moses into a spiritual leader.  It makes me think of what Paul said in Philip 3:12-16 & 4:13.  Paul speaks about pressing on toward the prize of the upward call of God.  And he says that I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.  I may not be who I want to be – yet.  But with God’s help I will be who I ought to be.  Let us be shaped by God to be the people He desires.

Question:  When someone says that there is a contradiction in the scriptures how should you handle it?  How do you investigate it to find out the answers?

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Week 39, Day 4: The signs continue

Today’s Reading:  Exodus 8:1-32

Some thoughts from the reading…

God continues to “convince” Pharaoh that he needs to heed His commands by sending additional signs.  We refer to the signs as plagues because of how they afflicted Egypt.  These were not only miraculous events brought about but were also designed to inflict some level of annoyance to Pharaoh and his people.  Alright, you want to be stubborn, here is something to help you think about what you have decided to do.  Frogs everywhere.  In your bed, in your ovens, in your kneading bowls, in your houses and on you.  Lice or gnats all over everything.  Flies all over everything.  It would be enough to drive you crazy.  If you have every stepped into a swarm of little gnats and had them all in your face, you can imagine how annoying and frustrating it would be to not be able to get away from them. 

We see again that the magicians were able to imitate the sign of the frogs.  But when it came to the gnats the magicians were not able to repeat this.  They have now been convinced this is the work of God.   Slowly but surely the Egyptians are beginning to yield and admit that they must submit to God.  Pharaoh begins to go back and forth.  He begins to try to bargain to let Israel worship God but wants to negotiate what they will be allowed to do. 

Question:  What signs would have to be performed before we would obey God’s command?  Can you think of a time where you had a hard time accepting or doing a command from God because you believed differently or grew up thinking something different.  What did it take before you yielded to God’s will?

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Week 39, Day 3: God begins His signs

Today’s Reading:  Exodus 7:1-25

Some thoughts from the reading…

God begins to multiply His signs and wonders in Egypt.  Pharaoh has been told to let Israel go and now begins the signs that He does to compel him to drive them out of his land.  Pharaoh will stubbornly want to keep Israel as slaves but God will afflict Egypt and force him to finally “drive them out”.  It will be a complete change in Pharaoh.  He will go from wanting to keep them and thinking who is Jehovah that he should listen to his voice to finally bending his will because of all the signs and wonders performed.

The first sign is the staff thrown down and turned into a serpent.  It is remarkable to see that the magicians of Egypt did likewise also.  I imagine they were the David Copperfields of the day.  Trickery and cunning deceit has been around for a long time.  The second sign all the water being turned into blood.  Again the magicians repeat this to some extent.  Notice that in both cases the magicians were still out done.  Aaron’s serpent consumed their serpents and the magicians could not reverse the water turned into blood.  They could imitate these signs but they could not outdo or overcome the signs.  And still Pharaoh’s heart was stubborn and hard.  He went away unconcerned about any of this.

God allows seven days to pass.  Seven days to think about these things, relent and obey.  Seven days of struggling to get water for the Egyptians.  We will see the power of God through these miracles.

Question:  Is God’s will ever going to be overcome?  Does God ever change His mind about what He is planning to do to a nation or people?

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Week 39, Day 1: Israel’s labor increases

Today’s Reading:  Exodus 5:1-23

Some thoughts from the reading…

We missed last week’s posts, but we will continue witht he posts from where we last left off instead of skipping any chapters.

Moses goes back to Egypt.  Remember that the last time he was in Egypt he had fled for his life.  Granted a different Pharaoh is now ruling but I imagine there was still a lot of anxiety about returning and especially to go before the king and demand he release God’s people.  Pharaoh’s response is about what you would expect.  “Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice?”  He then concludes that if the people have enough time to think about going out to worship their God then they must not be busy enough.  He commands that they must now gather the straw for making their bricks themselves. 

The people are grieved because their labors have been increased greatly.  As you would expect the people blame Moses and Aaron.  This is interesting since Moses and Aaron had gone to the people and spoken to them before going to Pharaoh (4:29-30).  The people knew Moses and Aaron were sent from God to deliver them but because things did not happen in a way that made their deliverance easy, they grumbled.  I still see lessons here for us to realize that God will keep His promises.  How He chooses to fulfill them or when He decides is the right time is not for us to question.  Nor should we despair when things don’t happen when we think they should.  Wait for the Lord.  Trust that He will take care of you.  He cares and He will not forsake you.

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