In a change of pace, I listened to the selection via audio book, The Word of Promise Audio Bible while out doing school pick up and drop off. I still had to read the passage to take my notes, but it was a really nice change of pace to hear the Bible read dramatically. I am hoping to make it a regular part of my routine. When I was skimming though selecting sections of scripture, I thought, “oh 15 chapters of Exodus where they cover the birth of Moses and the exodus from Egypt won’t be so bad to read, totally doable”. It was an easy selection to read, but I didn’t think of ALL THE DETAILS that exist in those 15 chapters. It’s a lot!
One thing that stood out was the number of times Pharaoh tricked/lied to Moses saying get rid of the plague and your people can leave but hardened his heart, refusing to let the Israelites leave. Most days I feel like Moses, not eloquent but doubting and awkward, but God still worked through his plan by providing Aaron as a mouthpiece. I wonder how much more powerful his story would have been if Moses had the courage to obey the Lord and push through his insecurities?
“God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ And he said, ‘Say this to the people of Israel: “The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.” This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.” Exodus 3:14-15
Passage:
Exodus 1:1-15:21
Discovered:
- Jacob’s descendants continued to multiply in Egypt
- Egypt & Pharaoh grew afraid of their numbers, afraid they would join their enemies and revolt against them. So they enslaved them, and put them to work building storehouses and in the fields.
- Pharaoh told the Hebrew midwives to kill all baby boys born, but they refused, saying the Hebrew women would give birth without them. –> They were blessed with families as a result of their fear of God.
- Pharaoh then commanded that all the Hebrew baby boys be thrown into the Nile.
- A women put her baby in a basket and put it in the Nile. Pharaoh’s daughter saw it & rescued him, claiming him as her son, naming him Moses. Miram, his sister fetched her mother for Pharaoh’s daughter to nurse the baby since she was watching over the baby.
- As an adult, Moses saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew and killed him, hiding it.
- Moses settled with Jethro & marries his daughter Zipporah
- God heard the Israelites groaning and appeared to Moses in the form of a burning bush, sayin gMoses would deliver them out of Egypt and to the promised land.
- Moses fears that he will not believed and is given signs: staff into serpent, leperous hand and water into blood . . . God also sent Aaron to speak for Moses. No excuses.
- Moses takes his family to Egypt and appears with Aaron before Pharaoh to let people go worship in the desert. Pharaoh says no and punishes them by making the work harder. Israelites become angry at Moses – doubt his promise of deliverance.
- Moses and Aaron perform the signs of the staff but it is replicated and so Pharaoh’s heart hardened.
- 1st plague: all water turned into blood, magicians matched, so Pharaoh’s heart hardened.
- 2nd plague: Frogs everywhere, magicians matched. Pharaoh promised so Moses removed then Pharaoh lied.
- 3rd plague: dust into gnats, magicians couldn’t repeat, Pharaoh’s heart hardened.
- 4th plague: Flies, Pharaoh promised but his heart was hardened – did not let go
- 5th plague: Egyptian livestock die. Pharaoh’s heart hardened-did not let people go
- 6th plague: Boils on everyone – Pharaoh’s heart hardened – did not let people go
- 7th plague: Hail & fire – destroyed everything left outside – Pharaoh deceived them to stop it.
- 8th plague: Locusts, Pharaoh deceived again
- 9th: Darkness for three days – light for Israelites in Goshen
- Passover = kill a lamb, brush its blood on doorposts, eat it roasted with bitter herbs & unleavened bread to prevent loss of firstborn.
- 10th: firstborn died – Pharaoh let them go and they took everything including riches from Egyptians.
- Pharaoh changed his mind and went after them. Moses parted the Red Sea so they could escape. Egyptian army drowned.
Help me to remember:
those who obey the Lord are rewarded and blessed, and that the Lord keeps his promises.
Lord, I ask that . . .
my heart is open to you in my obedience. You have laid out my path and it is greater than I can imagine and all it takes to receive it is my obedience and a relationship with you.
Heavenly Father, I am thankful for . . .
your promises fulfilled and the reflection of your character through that.
