Moses held up his hand

Exodus 17: 8-16: “Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim. And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand. So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. And the LORD said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovahnissi: For he said, Because the LORD hath sworn that the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”

Even though the Lord is in complete control of our circumstances, Satan tries to attack us whenever he can. He is very keen to attack us after something good happens because he wants to take the joy of the good experience away from us. However, the Lord is able to use these experiences for our benefit, to give us a greater appreciation of His ability to keep us. The Lord miraculously  gave water when they had no right to expect water and Satan tried to take that wonderful experience away from them by bringing the Amalekites against them. However the Lord was in control of the situation and Moses was able to form a team with Joshua. Moses prayed when he lifted his hands in the air and Joshua fought and won the battle. The most important thing that we can learn from difficult times is to pray; not only do we need to fight against Satan but we have to pray as well. The only way we can have any real influence in the spiritual battle that we face from day to day is through prayer.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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Give us water

Exodus 17: 1-7: “And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the LORD, and pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink. Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the LORD? And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst? And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me. And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go. Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?”

The Lord provided for Israel but they had to keep moving as the desert wasn’t able to support all those people in the long term. This didn’t mean that the Lord was not able to support them where they were, He was just asking them to keep trusting Him as they moved into the unknown rather than just trusting Him in the same way every day. It didn’t take long before they were thirsty again because there didn’t seem to be any water. They were just like we are today and didn’t remember what the Lord had done for them in the recent past, they just complained instead. In this circumstance they were so angry that they were ready to execute Moses for delivering them from slavery. However, the Lord was in complete control and He was ready with the best solution to their problem. He told Moses to take his rod and go to the rock in Horeb. This was the same rod that Moses had pointed towards the water and the Lord had parted the sea so that they could walk through it on dry land and escape the, otherwise, invincible Egyptian army. The Lord promised that all Moses had to do was hit the rock with the rod and there would be enough water for all those people and their animals. The place was called after their grumbling and the fact that they tested the Lord.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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I have fed you in the wilderness

Exodus 16: 32-36: “And Moses said, This is the thing which the LORD commandeth, Fill an omer of it to be kept for your generations; that they may see the bread wherewith I have fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you forth from the land of Egypt. And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the LORD, to be kept for your generations. As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept. And the children of Israel did eat manna forty years, until they came to a land inhabited; they did eat manna, until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan. Now an omer is the tenth part of an ephah. 

The Lord fed Israel for forty years while they were nomads in the desert. There were about two million people and they had their animals as well, probably about ten million head of stock. The Lord provided all these people and all these animals with water in the desert as well. It is not surprising that the Lord asked them to keep some of the manna as an ongoing memorial, if they could remember a miracle of that magnitude then, surely, they would understand that nothing was too difficult for the Lord. If you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as your own personal Saviour then you can look back to an even greater miracle than that. This can help us to remember the words of Romans 8: 31-39 (“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”) The Lord Jesus Christ is the best possible Saviour and He only knows how to do good things.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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And they found none

Exodus 16: 22-31: “And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses. And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning. And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein. And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the LORD: to day ye shall not find it in the field. Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none. And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none. And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws? See, for that the LORD hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day. So the people rested on the seventh day. And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.”

There is only one true God and all the glory belongs to Him (see Is 42: 8, “I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.”) If we want to have any relationship with the Lord we must come on His terms rather than on our own terms. If the glory belongs to the Lord then He is the best. It is impossible to have two people who are the best in any field of endeavour. The Lord is the best because He made us and everything else in creation. He is the source of everything that is good in creation and if we want to have access to these good things then we can only get them from Him. Some of the Israelis decided that they would take the good food, that the Lord offered them, on their own terms rather than on His terms. However, the soon found out that there wasn’t any food for them on the Sabbath and they went hungry. All we have to do is accept the Lord on His terms and we will discover that He is sufficient in ever situation.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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This is the bread

Exodus 16: 13-21: “And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host. And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground. And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat. This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents. And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less. And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating. And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning. Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them. And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted.”

The Lord promised that they would have meat and bread and they did. How on earth can you give bread meat to two million people in the middle of the desert? There is no earthly way of doing this but the Lord is able to provide, even this much for this many people. Manna simply means, “What is this?” When the people woke up in the morning there was food on the ground, it looked like frost but it was edible. However, some of the people didn’t trust the Lord and kept some extra manna for the next day but it had already rotted and was useless. The people had to get up in the morning to take the bread otherwise it melted in the heat of the sun and they went hungry. This was not just about bread, it was about teaching them to trust the Lord for their daily need.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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Then ye shall know

Exodus 16: 1-12: “And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt. And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness: And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger. Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no. And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily. And Moses and Aaron said unto all the children of Israel, At even, then ye shall know that the LORD hath brought you out from the land of Egypt: And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the LORD; for that he heareth your murmurings against the LORD: and what are we, that ye murmur against us? And Moses said, This shall be, when the LORD shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD. And Moses spake unto Aaron, Say unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, Come near before the LORD: for he hath heard your murmurings. And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God.”

The Passover occurred on the fourteenth day of the first month and they came to the wilderness of Sin on the fifteenth day of the second month. This means that the escape from Egypt, the crossing of the Red Sea and their experience of no water took just over a month. By this time they were well into the desert and safely away from Egypt. The Lord had kept the promise that He made to Moses and Moses was back in the same area where he saw the Lord in the burning bush. Israel started to complain again. They were given water but now they wanted food. The Lord promised to give them food, He provided manna, which lasted until they entered the Promised Land, and also He told them that He would give them meat in the desert. Nothing is too hard for the Lord. (compare Gen 18: 14, “Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.”)

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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None of these diseases

Exodus 15: 22-27: “So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water. And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah. And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them, And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee. And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters.”

Moses met the Lord while he was in the wilderness and the Lord promised him that they would meet again in the same place (Ex 3: 12, “And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.”) Now that they were finally and completely delivered from Egypt, and any menace that the Egyptians might pose for them, the Lord kept the last part of that promise and brought them back to the same mountain where He had met with Moses at first. In order to do this Moses had to travel three days into the desert. Now, when they came into the desert they were in a position to trust the Lord. He knew that they were in the desert and He took them there so He knew that they needed water. When the came to some water they found that the water was bitter. Esau was bitter when he discovered that Isaac had stolen his birthright (Gen 27: 34, “And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father.”) and the Israelis had to eat the Passover meal with bitter herbs(Ex 12: 8, “And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.”). Bitterness is associated with losing God’s blessing or waiting for the blessing to be delivered. Esau despised his birthright and the blessing that came with it (Gen 25: 34, “Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.”) On the other hand, the Israelis had spent many years waiting for the Lord and they ate the Passover meal with bitter herbs to remind themselves of the bitterness of their slavery, while they waited for the Lord to take them to the Promised Land. However, the people didn’t get the message and they complained rather than waiting on the Lord. If they were willing to wait they would not feel the plagues that God rained on the Egyptians but if they weren’t willing to trust the Lord and wait for His timing then they would suffer the plagues and the bitterness of losing the Promised Land.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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He hath triumphed gloriously

Exodus 15: 1-21: “Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him. The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name. Pharaoh’s chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea. The depths have covered them: they sank into the bottom as a stone. Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy. And in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee: thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble. And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright as an heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea. The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them. Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them: they sank as lead in the mighty waters. Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them. Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation. The people shall hear, and be afraid: sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Palestina. Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them; all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away. Fear and dread shall fall upon them; by the greatness of thine arm they shall be as still as a stone; till thy people pass over, O LORD, till the people pass over, which thou hast purchased. Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O LORD, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established. The LORD shall reign for ever and ever. For the horse of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and the LORD brought again the waters of the sea upon them; but the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea. And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.”

Israel had just witnessed the greatest miracle they had ever seen to that date. This was an even greater miracle than any of the miracles associated with the ten plagues and their deliverance. When this miracle was finished there was only  one thing for them to do and that was to praise the Lord and thank Him for saving them from certain death. Everyone who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ is in the same situation. We were helpless and hopeless, heading for hell but the Lord Jesus Christ gave up His life to save us. We should spend our time praising Him and rejoicing in His goodness rather than thinking about ourselves.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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The people feared the Lord

Exodus 14: 21-31: “And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians, And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians. And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen. And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them. But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore. And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses.”

We know that “the wages of sin is death” (Rom 6: 23) and we know that Pharaoh had many opportunities to know that the Lord is the Lord but chose to sin and reject the Lord instead. Pharaoh had chosen a course of action and the Lord kept him to the choice that he had made. The wind blew all night and in the morning there was a dry pathway right through the middle of the sea. The Egyptians were behind and the mountains were on either side so they had to go through the dry pathway in front of them and they did. When the Egyptians followed Israel in their chariots they discovered that their wheels didn’t travel so well in the seabed and they struggled to go forward. When all Israel had passed through the sea then Moses stretched out his rod again and the sea returned drowning the entire Egyptian army. Before long some of the soldiers’ bodies washed up on the sea shore. The Lord achieved three things by this miracle. The first was to give Israel more confidence in what the Lord could do. The second was to allow the Israelis to travel free from fear that the Egyptians might chase them. This was also a warning to the nations of Canaan so that they could see the Lord’s power and accept that He is the Lord, another example of the Lord’s grace.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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That they go forward

Exodus 14: 15-20: “And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them: And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.”

Too often in our Christians lives we spend time praying and begging the Lord to do something for us when we should be willing to move ahead. Moses obeyed the Lord and delivered Israel from Egypt but now he was worried that something might happen to them. Why would the Lord go to all the trouble of delivering Israel from Egypt and taking the lives of Egypt’s firstborn if He was just going to allow them to perish in the desert. The Lord told Israel where to go because He led them by day and by night to this very place. There was only a small problem, quite a large sea was in the way. This was no “Sea of Reeds” that could be crossed without too much trouble. This was a large body water but there was security on the other side. It was time for Moses to do something rather than just stand there and cry out to the Lord. If they were willing to see the salvation of the Lord they had to actually move towards the water and see what the Lord would do. However, they would need a full day for the approximately two million people with all their animals to cross over this obstacle so the Lord protected them from Egypt during the night. The pillar gave Israel protection and comfort while it left the Egyptians in darkness. This was also another warning to Egypt because they had already been through some darkness that led to death. All Moses had to do was to use his staff to make the way forward possible. We too can see the Lord work if we are willing to trust Him and move forward.

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Stand still and see

Exodus 14: 10-14: “And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD. And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness. And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.”

This section contains a landmark verse from the Bible, “Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord”. Sometimes we have to understand that the situation is outside our ability and we cannot control what is happening. This is the time when we learn to accept that the Lord is the Lord and submit to Him. This is the time when the Lord will work. The Lord specialises in doing the impossible. This was an impossible situation for Israel but it was the time when the Lord came into His own. Moses, guided by the Lord, had led Israel into a long valley that fronted on to the sea. The Egyptians were behind and the sea was in front. They could not climb out of the valley and they could not go back because the Egyptians were there. It seemed as though they would all be drowned in the sea or killed by the Egyptians. The Israeli slaves were scared and complained that they were about to die. Moses did the best things and prayed. The Lord told everyone not to worry and let Him do what He does best. They wouldn’t have to fight but the Lord would do everything that was required to set them free.

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He shall follow after them

Exodus 4: 1-9: “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp before Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baalzephon: before it shall ye encamp by the sea. For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in. And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, that he shall follow after them; and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD. And they did so. And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us? And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him: And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them. And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with an high hand. But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, before Baalzephon.”

The Lord took Israel towards a place where they would find it hard to escape from Pharaoh because He had further plans before He was finished with Egypt. The Lord’s plan was still exactly the same as it had always been, He was going to show Egypt that He is the Lord. There are two ways that people can learn that the Lord is the Lord. The first way is for them to submit to the Lord while there is time to make and eternal difference but the other way is to wait until you see Him and realise Who He really is. At that time it is too late (see Phil 2: 9-11, “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”). The choice is fairly simple, everyone will kneel before the Lord Jesus Christ and accept that He is the Lord. However, some will do this and rejoice because they have everlasting life while others will do this with great regret because it will be too late for them to choose everlasting life. You can only make this choice now, later may be too late and they you will be filled with regret for eternity.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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The people repent when they see war

Exodus 13: 17-22: “And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt: But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea: and the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt. And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him: for he had straitly sworn the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you; and ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you. And they took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness. nd the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.”

The Lord dealt graciously with Israel when they came out of slavery. Even though the Lord had promised them the Promised Land many years before He didn’t take them there by the shortest route available because they would have had to pass through the land of the Philistines. The Philistines were a fierce and warlike nation with giants. The Lord knew that Israel would be afraid of these warlike people and the giants and they would probably want to go straight back to Egypt as soon as they saw them so He told them to towards the east rather than north east along the coast. The Lord also knew that deserts are hot in the day and cold at night so He guided Israel by a cloud during the day to give them shade and relief from the burning heat, and a large fire by night, to give them warmth and a sense of security at night. There was one final duty and that was to bring Joseph’s bones back to his homeland. He was an important man in Egypt when he was alive and had been embalmed and mummified there but Joseph knew that he belonged in the Promised Land so he made his descendants promise that they would bring his bones back to the Promised Land.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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Thou shalt redeem with a lamb

Exodus 13: 11-16: “And it shall be when the LORD shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites, as he sware unto thee and to thy fathers, and shall give it thee, That thou shalt set apart unto the LORD all that openeth the matrix, and every firstling that cometh of a beast which thou hast; the males shall be the LORD’S. And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his neck: and all the firstborn of man among thy children shalt thou redeem. And it shall be when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What is this? that thou shalt say unto him, By strength of hand the LORD brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage: And it came to pass, when Pharaoh would hardly let us go, that the LORD slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man, and the firstborn of beast: therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all that openeth the matrix, being males; but all the firstborn of my children I redeem. And it shall be for a token upon thine hand, and for frontlets between thine eyes: for by strength of hand the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt.”

The most basic aspect of having a relationship with the Lord is having an attitude of gratitude. Before this the Lord had taken Israel from slavery but that was not to be the end of the story. They were going to the Land that the Lord had promised to Abraham over four hundred years before this day. However, the Lord had chosen them because He loved them and they were to remember that as long as they lived. When we are grateful for something it will change our actions as well. Israel is the Lord’s firstborn and they were to remember that with gratitude by giving the Lord the firstborn back. This applied to people and animals. An ass was a beast of burden so it was not to be offered as a sacrifice but a lamb could be given as a substitute for lambs had been used before as a substitute for the firstborn of Israel when their blood was used to cover the door of the homes that were safe from the angel of death. This was not just a duty to be performed, it was also something that would trigger questions from their children and this would lead to an opportunity to explain the Lord’s goodness to their children as well. However, it was important for them to understand that they were not to sacrifice the firstborn of their own children but the child had to be redeemed and a substitute sacrificed.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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All the firstborn

Exodus 13: 1-10: “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine. And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out from this place: there shall no leavened bread be eaten. This day came ye out in the month Abib. And it shall be when the LORD shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee, a land flowing with milk and honey, that thou shalt keep this service in this month. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to the LORD. Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days; and there shall no leavened bread be seen with thee, neither shall there be leaven seen with thee in all thy quarters. And thou shalt shew thy son in that day, saying, This is done because of that which the LORD did unto me when I came forth out of Egypt. And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that the LORD’S law may be in thy mouth: for with a strong hand hath the LORD brought thee out of Egypt. Thou shalt therefore keep this ordinance in his season from year to year.”

Israel was the Lord’s firstborn and the Lord saved them from slavery. However, Israel needed to understand that they had an obligation to the Lord as well. They were not chosen because they were better or bigger than anyone else but because the Lord loved them (see Deut 7: 7, 8, “The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.” However, the Lord required that they offer Him something in return for their freedom. The Lord required their firstborn in return for the fact that He saved their firstborn from the angel of death. Their firstborn were to be given to the Lord as living sacrifices rather than as dead sacrifices. Every year they were called upon to have a memorial feast to celebrate and praise the Lord because He saved them from slavery. When they came to their new land, the Promised Land, they were to remember that they had been slaves and the Lord gave them everything they owned. They were not just to remember this once a year but every day as they prayed and thanked the Lord.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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The selfsame day

Exodus 12: 43-51: “And the LORD said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the ordinance of the passover: There shall no stranger eat thereof: But every man’s servant that is bought for money, when thou hast circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof. A foreigner and an hired servant shall not eat thereof. In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth ought of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof. All the congregation of Israel shall keep it. And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof. One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you. Thus did all the children of Israel; as the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they. And it came to pass the selfsame day, that the LORD did bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their armies.”

The Passover was for Israel and not for the Egyptians. While it is true that any Egyptian could have followed the procedures and been covered by the blood when the angel of death passed over, it is highly unlikely. Because Israelis were “covered by the blood” and allowed to keep their firstborn alive, it was important that they remember this event for as long as they survived as a nation. The Lord, miraculously, brought this nation into existence and they would be indebted to the Lord for this miracle forever. However, strangers were not part of the miracle and they had no indebtedness so they were not to eat the meal celebrating the Passover. Because Israel had to leave in a hurry they didn’t have time to share their meal with others but had to eat quickly in their own homes so that they could leave with full stomaches and not perish with hunger as they fled. This meant that the salvation was individual and only those in the households protected by the blood were saved. This was why each family was to remember this personally, consequential on their personal salvation. Because the meal had to be eaten quickly, they didn’t have time to break the bones so they were to remember that, even though the Lord allowed them to spend many years as slaves, they came out in a hurry when the Lord decided the time was right, for His own purpose. However, household servants were considered as part of the family so they were able to eat the Passover meal too. Remember, before Isaac was born, that Eliezer of Damascus was Abraham’s heir (see Gen 15: 2, “And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?”). They came out on the very day that the Lord promised.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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At midnight

Exodus 12: 29-36: “And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle. And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead. And he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve the LORD, as ye have said. Also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone; and bless me also. And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste; for they said, We be all dead men. And the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneadingtroughs being bound up in their clothes upon their shoulders. And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians.”

The Lord may delay in grace but eventually this grace will run out. This is what happened to the Egyptians. The Lord gave them many warnings but eventually the Lord gave them what they chose. The Lord always behaves with integrity because He gives us exactly what we choose. The Lord gave Egypt plenty of time to confirm the fact that they had chosen to reject Him and finally He gave them what they chose. It is interesting to note that Pharaoh didn’t die, which would have happened if he had been the firstborn son of his father. When the time finally came the Egyptians let Israel go and they gave them great riches, just as the Lord had promised more than four hundred years before. The Lord saved His firstborn at the expense of Israel’s firstborn and they had to leave in a hurry, this always happens when the Lord finally acts, after the day of grace is finished.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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When your children shall say unto you

Exodus 12: 21-28: “Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the passover. And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning. For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you. And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever. And it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the land which the LORD will give you, according as he hath promised, that ye shall keep this service. And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service? That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the LORD’S passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped. And the children of Israel went away, and did as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they.”

This section reminds us of the words the Lord spoke to Noah after he came out of the ark (see Gen 9: 4-6, “But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat. And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man’s brother will I require the life of man. Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.”). The Lord going to take the lives of some  of the Egyptians to show them that He is the Lord and give them a last chance to accept His absolute authority. However, the Israelis had to understand that their lives were being protected by the same Lord and they had to offer Him a sacrifice in their own place. The entire history of Israel, as a nation, makes sense if we remember that they were formed by the Lord’s grace through a sacrifice. Every thing the Lord asked of them was based on the fact that He had saved them and made them through a sacrifice. They were called upon to remember the Lord’s grace through this sacrifice on yearly basis so that their children would never forget the price that was paid to deliver them from slavery. If we remember that we, too, have been saved by a sacrifice and regularly remind our children of the importance of that sacrifice then they will want to enjoy the benefits of that sacrifice as well.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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The beginning of months

Exodus 12: 1-20: “And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you. Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof. And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire. And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD’S passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever. Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel. And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you. And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever. In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even. Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses: for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger, or born in the land. Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread.”

In the last section, the Lord demonstrated to the Egyptians that He is the Lord and in completer control of their nation. Now, it is time for the Lord to prepare Israel to be a nation. Until this stage they had no national identity; they had been members of one family and then they were slaves. However, the Lord gave them a new beginning. The Passover was the day in which the Lord finally gave Egypt the consequences of choosing not to know Him as the Lord but it was also the first day for the new nation. In order to be ready they had to prepare themselves. While the Lord was taking Egypt’s firstborn, Israel was told to prepare a substitute by preparing a sacrificial lamb in the place of their own firstborn. This process required some time to make sure that the lamb they chose was appropriate to offer to the Lord. They were also to use the blood to paint around their doors so that the angel would see that blood had already been shed in that household and he didn’t have to go in there himself. They ate bread without yeast because bread with yeast takes time to prepare and they would not be able to take time when they were given permission to go. The Lord wants anyone who follows Him to be totally committed and have to wait to make sure that everything else is right before they start (compare Luke 9: 57-62, “And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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All the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die

Exodus 11: 4-10: “And Moses said, Thus saith the LORD, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt: And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts. And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more. But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast: that ye may know how that the LORD doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel. And all these thy servants shall come down unto me, and bow down themselves unto me, saying, Get thee out, and all the people that follow thee: and after that I will go out. And he went out from Pharaoh in a great anger. And the LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you; that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt. And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh: and the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go out of his land.”

When Moses first came to Pharaoh to ask him to set Israel free from their slavery, he told Pharaoh that Israel was the Lord’s firstborn. (Ex 4: 22, 23, “And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn: And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn.”) If Pharaoh refused to respect the Lord’s firstborn then the Lord would refuse to respect Egypt’s firstborn. Pharaoh was seen as the supreme god of the Egyptians and his son was the next supreme god. The Lord demonstrated that, at last, He was superior to all the gods of the Egyptians and even the future gods of the Egyptians. This also showed that, in the Lord’s sight, Pharaoh had the same status as his most humble servants and even the animals. No one can impress the Lord by any earthly measure, after all, He created the earth and everything in it. Pharaoh had absolute authority in Egypt and that authority was based on the fact that he was a god. The greatest superpower of that time was still subject to the Lord and her ruler was unable to rebel against Him without endangering his own future. None of the great pyramids could give Pharaoh the everlasting life that he longed for.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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One more plague

Exodus 11: 1-3: “And the LORD said unto Moses, Yet will I bring one plague more upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt; afterwards he will let you go hence: when he shall let you go, he shall surely thrust you out hence altogether. Speak now in the ears of the people, and let every man borrow of his neighbour, and every woman of her neighbour, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold. And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants, and in the sight of the people.”

The Egyptians had enslaved the Israelis for many years. During that entire time they had worked for no pay, now the Lord was making sure that they would receive their back pay before they headed out as free people. A nation could not begin its life without any resources, soon they would build the tabernacle and they would need substantial wealth to do what was required. It is true that they still had their animals but these would have been very difficult to sell in the desert and they still needed them to establish their new nation in the Promised Land. When the Lord made His promise to Abraham about the slavery and the deliverance He also promised them great substance (Gen 15: 13, 14, “And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.”) The Lord knows the future and He is the only One Who can make promises four hundred years into the future with confidence. Moses’ reputation as the adopted son of Pharaoh’s daughter was still powerful in Egypt and the fact that he had been able to call on the Lord to make the plagues and the stop them was very high and the Egyptians were willing to let the Israelis have much of the wealth.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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That there may be darkness over the land

Exodus 10: 21-29: “And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt. And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days: They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings. And Pharaoh called unto Moses, and said, Go ye, serve the LORD; only let your flocks and your herds be stayed: let your little ones also go with you. And Moses said, Thou must give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice unto the LORD our God. Our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not an hoof be left behind; for thereof must we take to serve the LORD our God; and we know not with what we must serve the LORD, until we come thither. But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let them go. And Pharaoh said unto him, Get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more; for in that day thou seest my face thou shalt die. And Moses said, Thou hast spoken well, I will see thy face again no more.”

While Pharaoh himself was the greatest of the Egyptians gods, Amon-Ra, the sun god was the next god after that. The Egyptians understood that the sun was the source of life on a day to day basis. While the Bible teaches us that the Lord first brought life into existence it also teaches us that ongoing life comes from the sun for God created light then He made the land and then he made the plants on the first three days. Animals eat plants and plants collect energy  from the sun and store that energy as food. Light is also essential for life in another way because people need to see what they are doing and where they are going and that is impossible in complete darkness. This darkness was so great that they couldn’t even get light from a candle or a lamp. However, the Israelis had light in their houses. The darkness was so deep that the Egyptians just had to stay in bed. The Lord showed that He is greater than even the greatest Egyptians gods. Pharaoh was in darkness and couldn’t come to Moses so Moses went to Pharaoh and told him that he could take the people out into the desert but they couldn’t take their animals. Pharaoh sought to punish Moses by refusing to see him anymore but the Lord was going to punish Pharaoh by denying him further access to Moses, his only source of contact with the Lord. He was now ready to receive the final consequence of his choice to reject the Lord.

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