The Exodus from Our Sins; Our Coming to Christ..
And so God chooses Moses to lead His people. The babe that was left in a basket on the river so that Pharao’s daughter would find him and raise him as one of her own. But Moses, a Hebrew, sees how the Egyptians abused his native man and killed an Egyptian in revenge. He flees for his safety north to the land of Madian, marries and has two sons. Then God calls him through the burning bush to return to Egypt, with the help of his brother Aaron, to convince Pharao to let the Israelites leave Egypt and God’s promise that they would be freed from bondage.
But neither the Israelites nor Pharao would listen to Moses and Aaron who God appointed as his spokesperson.
And Moses told all this to the children of Israel; but they did not hearken to him, for anguish of spirit, and most painful work.
And Pharao was hardened, and he did not hearken to them, as the Lord had commanded.
Pharaos, kings, presidents, owners, managers, supervisors, and me—all human beings have egos, self-will and free will to keep our hearts hardened and our paths in life separate from God.
And the Lord said to Moses: Behold I have appointed thee the God of Pharao: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet. Very interesting that God appointed one human being over another in His kingdom. I did not know or realize this.
I also did not know or realize that Aaron, not Moses, actually motioned and turned the rod into a serpent and the water into blood.
And Pharao called the wise men and the magicians: and they also by Egyptian enchantments and certain secrets did in like manner. Interesting that magic could match some of God’s physical abilities way back when.
But no magician can change our human hearts like God. Yes, entertain, distract, fill our minds with thoughts but not change our heart, change our life, change our divine destiny like Jesus can.
God knows we will not listen to Him at times in our lives, sometime with minor consequences, sometimes with tragic consequences.
So God becomes progressively louder in our lives…
Frogs, frogs, frogs and our promises, promises, promises to change…
And Pharao seeing that rest was given, hardened his own heart, and did not hear them, as the Lord had commanded.
“Rest was given. The frogs to remain only in rivers. We got short term relief and we renege on our promises to change. Oh, it is not that bad.
Then there was the plague of sciniphs—gnats and flies. Sciniphs is an interesting word in that it is not in the modern dictionary. Seems we have forgotten, over many centuries, what was very real back then.
The magicians could not bring forth sciniphs in like manor and told Pharao that “this is the finger of God.”
Did Pharao believe? Nope.
Pharao to Moses—“I will let you go to sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness: but go no further: pray for me.”
God relieved Egypt of the flies but Pharao’s heart was still hardened, so that neither this time would he let the people go. Is this a children’s bedtime fairytale that ends badly?
And then there were murrain for all the animals of the Egyptians but not the Israelites.
Boils and blains; then hail and only in the land of Gessen, where the children of Israel were, the hail fell not.
When the hail ceased, Pharao increased his sin. How many times do we do this? Get away with something so we do more of it. Especially with addictions or hurts, hang-ups and habits—they are progressive and the question is to what extent will they progress and how can we stop them? Death is certain, sometimes quicker than need be, sometimes slower than desired when we find that spiritual solution to life.
Pharao remains obdurate—unmoved by persuasion, pity, or tender feelings; stubborn; unyielding; stubbornly resistant to moral influence; persistently impenitent: an obdurate sinner.
And finally, at the end of this day’s reading in the Old Testament. the Lord hardened Pharao’s heart and he would not let them go. And Pharao said to Moses” Get thee from me, and beware thou see not my face any more: in what day soever thou shalt come in my sight, thou shalt die. Moses answered: So shall it be as thou hast spoke, I will not see thy face any more.
Am I just a hopeless obdurate sinner trying to do good works in hopes that Jesus will come into my heart and change me?
Day 21: Reading The Bible with a TROML Perspective; The Exodus from Our Sins; Our Coming to Christ…
Read and inspired by the Old Testament, The Book of Exodus Chapters 6-10
Bible Notes:
This Book of Exodus is so called from the Greek word exodus, which means going out.
It recounts the persecution of the Jews in Egypt, the call of Moses, the ten plagues, the Jewish departure from Egypt, and the giving of the Mosaic Law on Mount Sinai.
The Book of Exodus closes with the consecration of the Tabernacle.
Exodus Chapter 6: God promises deliverance to the Israelites; God appoints Moses and Aaron; Genealogy of Moses and Aaron; Moses predicts that Pharao will not hear him.
And Moses told all this to the children of Israel; but they did not hearken to him, for anguish of spirit, and most painful work.
Aaron the Levite is thy brother (C4).
Genealogy of Moses and Aaron—their houses; the sons of; are the kindreds; the families of; the names of; the years of; the heads of the Levitical families…
Kindred—a person’s relatives collectively; kinfolk; kin; a group of persons related to another; family, tribe, or clan; relationship by birth or descent, or sometimes by marriage; kinship; natural relationship; affinity.
And Amran took to wife Jochabed his aunt by the father’s side: and she bore him Aaron and Moses.
Moses marries Sephora (one of seven daughters of Jethro, the priest of Madian) and she bore him two sons Gersam and Elizer (C2).
Exodus Chapter 7: Moses and Aaron appear before Pharao; Rods become serpents; The waters of Egypt turn into blood.
And the Lord said to Moses: Behold I have appointed thee the God of Pharao: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.
Moses 80 years old; Aaron 83 when they spoke to Pharao.
And Aaron took the rod before Pharao, and his servants, and it was turned into a serpent.
And Pharao called the wise men and the magicians: and they also by Egyptian enchantments and certain secrets did in like manner.
Aaron’s rod devoured their rods.
And Pharao’s heart was hardened, and he did not hearken to them, as the Lord had commanded.
The Lord God of Hebrews sent me to thee, saying: Let my people go to sacrifice to me in the desert: and hitherto thou wouldst not hear.
The Lord also said to Moses: Say to Aaron, take thy rod, and stretch forth thy hand… turned into blood, fishes die; waters corrupted; and Egyptians shall be afflicted.
And the magicians of the Egyptians with their enchantments did in like manner’
Pharao’s heart was hardened; neither did he hear them; neither did he set his heart to it this time also.
And seven days were fully ended, after that the Lord struck the river.
Exodus Chapter 8: Frogs cover Egypt; The frogs die; Plague of sciniphs; Plague of flies.
And the magicians also by their enchantments did in like manner…
Pharao: Pray ye to the Lord to take away the frogs from me and from my people; and I will let the people go to sacrifice to the Lord.
And the Lord did according to the word of Moses.
And the frogs shall depart from thee.
And (frogs) shall remain only in rivers
And the land was corrupted
And Pharao seeing that rest was given, hardened his own heart, and did not hear them, as the Lord had commanded.
Lord to Moses to Aaron stretch forth thy rod, and strike the dust of the earth: that there may be sciniphs in all the land of Egypt.
Sciniphs—gnats and flies (interesting word that is not in the Bible)]
The magicians could not bring forth sciniphs in like manor and told Pharao that “this is the finger of God.”
Pharao to Moses—“I will let you go to sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness: but go no further: pray for me.”
God relieved Egypt of the flies but Pharao’s heart was still hardened, so that neither this time would he let the people go. Is this a children’s bedtime fairytale that ends badly?
Exodus Chapter 9: Murrain among the animals; Plague of boils and blains; Plague of hail; The hail ceases.
Murrain—Veterinary Pathology. Any of various diseases of cattle, as anthrax, foot-and-mouth disease, and Texas fever; Obsolete. a plague or pestilence.
Boils with swelling blains.
Boil—a painful, circumscribed inflammation of the skin or a hair follicle, having a dead, suppurating inner core: usually caused by a staphylococcal infection.
Blain—an inflammatory swelling or sore.
Hail. Lightning running on the ground.
Only in the land of Gessen, where the children of Israel were, the hail fell not.
Pharao to Moses: I have sinned this time also; the Lord is just: I and my people are wicked.
That thou mayst know that the earth is the Lord’s.
When the hail ceased, Pharao increased his sin.
Exodus Chapter 10: Threat of a plague of locusts; Pharao offers to let the men go; Plague of locusts; The Lord takes away the locusts; Plague of darkness; Pharao says the Israelites may go without their flocks and herds; Pharao remains obdurate.
Go in to Pharao; for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants: that I may work these my signs in him.
And you may know that I am the Lord.
Pharao’s servants to Pharao” How long shall we endure this scandal? Dost thou not see that Egypt is undone?
For it is the solemnity of the Lord our God
Solemnity—the state or character of being solemn; earnestness; gravity; impressiveness: the solemnity of a state funeral; Often, solemnities. a solemn observance, ceremonial proceeding, or special formality: the solemnities of Easter; Law. a formality that renders an act or document valid.
But go ye men only
Locusts
And may there be darkness upon the land of Egypt, so thick that it may be felt.
Go without their flocks and herds.
Thou shalt give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings to the Lord our God.
For they are necessary for the servants of the Lord our God.
Pharao remains obdurate.
Obdurate—unmoved by persuasion, pity, or tender feelings; stubborn; unyielding; stubbornly resistant to moral influence; persistently impenitent: an obdurate sinner.
And the Lord hardened Pharao’s heart and he would not let them go. And Pharao said to Moses” Get thee from me, and beware thou see not my face any more: in what day soever thou shalt come in my sight, thou shalt die. Moses answered: So shall it be as thou hast spoke, I will not see thy face any more.
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