- On behalf of God, Moses and Aaron request of Pharaoh that he let the Israelites go so that they can hold a festival to God. Maybe my problem is I know the end of the story as I read the beginning, but it kind of confuses me that their request is so limited when we know that God's plan was to free them permanently from their Egyptian bondage. If Pharaoh had said "Yes, go ahead" would they have gone only temporarily and then returned to Egypt? Maybe that's beside the point since God knew that would never happen and that events would build to something much greater.
- Some questions pop into my head about the plagues: If all water was turned to blood, including in buckets at people's homes, then how did digging near the Nile bring about fresh water for the people to drink? How could the magicians duplicate turning water to blood or bringing frogs out of water? I think I have to set aside scientific reasoning and remember God was acting supernaturally, and, in the case of the magicians, allowing Satan a certain level of authority. So he allowed there to be fresh water when they dug along the Nile while all other water was turned to blood. And he allowed the magicians to duplicate some of the plagues through the devil's power.
- In Exodus 8:22, the plague of the flies, God shows his control of events by not allowing the plague to affect the Israelites in Goshen. This apparently means they had to put up with some of the plagues, such as the blood, frogs, and gnats. I don't know that I've noticed that before.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Thoughts Regarding the Showdown with Pharaoh
Various thoughts from today's reading:
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While listening to Focus on the Family, they had a speaker who creates the series "That The World May Know"(www.faithlessons.net). It was so incredibly interesting. I would love to watch this whole series. He was pointing out how much of the detail of God's word we miss.
ReplyDeleteIn the Egyptian culture, Pharaoh was considered "god". Each and everyone of the plagues not only showed God power but specifically targeted their gods (example: they worshiped the sun god Ra, the sun was darkened. They worshiped the Nile for the way that it brought life and sustained Egypt, it was turned to blood)
I think it is so easy to take scripture at face value and miss all the amazing nuances that God has put in there! :)
Thank you! I did not realize that. I looked in the Concordia Bible's notes and it talks about the Egyptians worshipping frogs and cows, so those plagues were lessons to the Egyptians. They also might have believed that the gods lived in wood and stone, so when the water in wood and stone buckets turned to blood it was a lesson to them.
ReplyDeleteIn today's reading, Exodus 12:12 God says "I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn--both men and animals--and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt." The Concordia note says "The gods would be shown to be powerless to deliver from the impending slaughter, and many animals sacred to the gods would be killed."
Yeah, and it was also mentioned that shepherding and the slaughter of sheep (or most animals) for that matter was detestable to the Egyptians. When pharaoh offers that the Israelites can just sacrifice in Egypt, Moses reminds him that it involves animal slaughter and would be offensive and risk retribution by the Egyptians. Exodus 8:25-26 says:
ReplyDeleteThen Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God here in the land.”
But Moses said, “That would not be right. The sacrifices we offer the LORD our God would be detestable to the Egyptians. And if we offer sacrifices that are detestable in their eyes, will they not stone us?
So asking the Israelite to sacrifice a sheep/goat and put the blood over their door was also asking them to step out in faith. Trusting that God would protect them even if they did something so detestable to the Egyptians. I think many times God does that same thing in our own lives. He intends to save and protect us, but sometimes he want to first see us step out in faith showing that we trust Him.
I also thought it was interesting that God then told Moses to have the people ask neighbors for silver and gold. (Ex. 11:3) So, after Pharaoh told Moses and Aaron to leave with all the Israelites, they asked neighbors for silver, gold and clothing. They plundered the Egyptians because the LORD had made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the Israelites. (Ex. 12:29-36) So, instead of being stoned for their sacrifices they were sent away with gifts into a new land!
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