Exodus 17 – Hands Up! Winning!

All of the congregation of Israel set out on their journey from the Wilderness of Sin as commanded by the Lord and camped in Rephidim. There was no water for them to drink in Rephidim. The people contended with Moses, saying, “Give us water, that we may drink.” Moses’ response was, “Why do you contend with me? Why do you tempt the Lord?” The people were thirsty for water and they complained against Moses. The people asked Moses, “Why is it you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” I guess they forgot that it was God who actually parted the Red Sea and who led them with the pillar of cloud and pillar of fire. Moses was just the easy target for them, I guess! Contending with God was going to be a lost battle. So, Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me!” God told Moses to go before the people and to take some of the elders of Israel. God also told him to take the rod that he used to strike the river and go. He said that He would stand before him on the rock in Horeb and that Moses should strike the rock and water would come out of it, so that the people could drink. Moses was obedient and did as he was told in the sight of the elders. Moses called the name of the place Massah (trial, temptation) and Meribah (quarrel or strife) because of the people’s contention and they tempted the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?” Please note that “tempted” in this sense is basically saying they complained against God, which we know they did on many occasions. After seeing such miraculous wonders, how could they question God’s presence with them? Have you ever questioned God’s presence in your life at any point especially when you were under a spiritual attack?

Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. Moses told Joshua to choose some men and go out to fight with Amalek. He said that on the next day he would stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in his hand. Joshua did as instructed by Moses and went to fight with Amalek. Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. When Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed; when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. So, Hands Up! Winning! When your hands are up, they are automatically in a position of praise. Only throw your hands up in surrender if you are surrendering to God. satan will tempt you to throw your hands up to quit what God has ordained you to do or to surrender to him (small “s” intentionally used for satan). Make him mad and use those “Hands Up” in praise to The Lord, Our God! Moses’ hands became heavy. They (Aaron and Hur) put a stone under him and he sat upon it. They supported Moses’ hands, with one on one side and the other on the other side. Do you have such a support system? Are you a part of such a support system? His hands were steady until the sun went down. Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. The Lord told Moses to write this event for a memorial in the book and tell it to Joshua, that God would utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. During the time(s) when Moses’ hands were too heavy to hold up and Amalek was winning, I guess Joshua and the men with him wondered what was happening that they were losing.

Moses built an altar and called its name, The-Lord-Is-My-Banner. He said, “Because the Lord has sworn: the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”

Exodus 18 is the next stop on our journey.

To God Be The Glory!

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Exodus 16 – Got A Complaint Against God?

After leaving Elim, the children of Israel came to the Wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai. They arrived at the Wilderness of Sin on the 15th of the second month after departing Egypt. The entire congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron. The name, “Wilderness of Sin” is just the name of the region. “Sin” in this sense is not speaking of immoral behavior. However, it is ironic that the Israelites are continuing to sin by complaining while in the Wilderness of Sin. The children of Israel said, “Oh, that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” Here they go again, glorifying their time in Egyptian bondage because they are seemingly facing adversity in the wilderness! Didn’t God just provide them with twelve wells of water at Elim? Once again, how quickly they forgot! How quickly we forget as well when God grants us a victory, then we face uncertain times! Looking back at past victories should remind us of God’s track record. If He did it before, He can do it again! The Lord told Moses that He would rain bread from heaven for them. The people were to go out and gather a certain quota each day. God was testing them to see if they would walk in His law or not. On the sixth day, they were to gather twice as much as they gathered daily. So, Moses and Aaron told the children of Israel that at evening they shall know that the Lord brought them out of Egypt. After the ten plagues, the crossing of the Red Sea on dry land while the Egyptians drowned and the provision of water at Elim, it’s sad that Moses and Aaron had to keep reminding them it was the Lord who victoriously led them out of Egypt. How many times do we have to be reminded of the victories God has given us? They told the children of Israel that they would see the glory of the Lord the next morning because He heard their complaints against Him. Besides, who were they (Moses and Aaron) that they complained against them? They will know it’s the Lord giving them meat to eat in the evening and bread to the full in the morning. Moses repeated that the Lord heard their complaint against Him and who are they for the Israelites to complain against them (Moses and Aaron). He said to the people, “Your complaints are not against us but against the Lord.” So, the question is, “Got a complaint against God?” Have you ever had a complaint against God? Moses told Aaron to tell the congregation of the children of Israel, ‘Come near before the Lord, for He has heard your complaints.'” This is the third time in as many verses (7, 8, and 9) where it’s stated that the Lord heard their complaints. This is serious! Even with all of their complaints against Him, God still did not forsake them. Praise God for His patience! As Aaron spoke to them, they looked toward the wilderness and saw the glory of the Lord appearing in a cloud. The Lord told Moses that He heard the complaints of the children of Israel and told him to tell the Israelites that at twilight they shall eat meat and in the morning they shall be filled with bread. God said, “And you shall know that I am the Lord your God.'” Since God told Moses to tell them what He said, I’m guessing that the people only saw the glory of the Lord in the cloud, but did not hear Him speaking to Moses. Do you think that God hears your complaints against Him?

Quails came up at evening and covered the camp. In the morning, dew laid all around the camp. When the dew lifted, on the surface of the wilderness was a small round substance, as fine as frost on the ground. When the Israelites saw it, they questioned what the substance was. Moses told them it was the bread the Lord was giving them to eat. He explained to them that they were supposed to only take enough according to their need, one omer for each person in their tent. An omer was an ancient Hebrew measure of grain that equals about two and one half US dry quarts. The Israelites did as they were told. Some gathered more and some gathered less according to the number in the family. As they measured the omers, those who gathered more had none left over and those who gathered less did not lack anything. Moses told them that none should be left until the morning. Of course, there were some who did not listen to Moses and left part until the next morning. There’s always some in the crowd who will be disobedient. The bread that was left bred worms and stank. Moses was angry with them. Some have to learn lessons the hard way. Every morning, they gathered the bread according to their need and when the sun was beaming hot, it melted. On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one. The rulers of the congregation went and told Moses. The people are doing what they were told, now the rulers seem to be clueless. Go figure! Moses told them, that is what the Lord instructed them to do. The next day was going to be the Sabbath to the Lord. They were to bake what they were going to bake, boil what they were going to boil that day and save for themselves all that remained for the next morning. They did it and the next morning, there were no worms in it nor did it stink. On the Sabbath, they were to eat what they had for the day, because they would not find any bread on that day. Six days, they gathered, but on the seventh day which is the Sabbath, there wouldn’t be any bread to gather. On the seventh day, some of the people went to gather bread and there wasn’t any. Again, some will be disobedient. It makes me wonder if those who went out on the seventh day were disobedient on the sixth day and gathered only one omer per person rather than two omers per person. If they were disobedient, I guess they were hungry on the Sabbath. The Lord said to Moses, “How long do you refuse to keep My commandments and My laws? God said that He gave them the Sabbath and He gave them two omers on the sixth day. They got bread for two days. On the Sabbath, no man was supposed leave his tent. So, the people rested on the seventh day. The people called the bread Manna. It was like white coriander seed and the taste was like wafers made with honey.

Moses told the people that the Lord commanded that they fill an omer with the bread to be kept for future generations. They would see that the Lord fed them with the manna in the wilderness when He brought them out of Egypt. Moses told them to put an omer of manna in a pot and lay it up before the Lord to be kept for their generations. As the Lord commanded Moses, Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept. For forty years, the children of Israel ate manna until they came to the inhabited land; until they came to the border of the land of Canaan.

An omer is one-tenth of an ephah, which is equivalent to a bushel.

Next week, we journey to Exodus 17.

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Exodus 15 – A Praise Team With Praise Dancers

Below are parts of the song broken down into sections.

Moses brought the children of Israel from the Red Sea out into the Wilderness of Shur. They were in the wilderness for three days and found no water. They came to a place called Marah, but they couldn’t drink the waters of Marah because they were bitter. Hence, the name Marah. The people complained against Moses, asking, “What shall we drink?” What happened to all of the praise singing and dancing? When we face uncertain situations, we must remember that God is still God and God is still good! Moses cried out to the Lord and the Lord showed him a tree. When Moses cast it into the waters, they became sweet. It was there that the Lord made a statute and an ordinance for them. It was there that the Lord tested them saying, “If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you.” Would you pass God’s test of listening to His voice by doing what is right in His sight, following His commandments and keeping His statutes?

Then they came to Elim. There were twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees. They camped there by the waters. The children of Israel were complaining. Now, Just Look At God!

Next week, we journey onto Exodus 16.

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Exodus 14 – Stand Still And Walk

The Lord told Moses to tell the children of Israel that they should camp by the sea; they should turn and camp before Pi Hahiroth, between Midgol and the sea, opposite Baal Zephon. Pharaoh would think the children of Israel are wandering around the land confused and that they are boxed in by the wilderness. Has God ever directed you in such a way that your enemies assumed that you were clueless as to how to handle their antics? The Lord said that He would harden Pharaoh’s heart so that he would pursue the Israelites. God is doing this so that He will gain honor over Pharaoh and his army and the Egyptians will know that He is the Lord. In other words, God was letting the Egyptians know that He is in control of this situation. Verse 4 ends with the words, “And they did so.” Of course, the different commentaries indicate that this means that the Israelites camped where they were instructed in obedience to God. I also like to think that since this verse was talking about the Egyptians realizing that God is the Lord, that “And they did so” could refer to Pharaoh and his army eventually realizing Who God is and how powerful He is. When Pharaoh was told that the Israelites had fled, his heart and the hearts of his servants turned against them. They regretted letting the people go from serving them. Wow! How quickly they forgot all of the plagues, especially that 10th plague! Pharaoh got his chariot and people ready to go after the Israelites. He also took 600 choice chariots, and other chariots in Egypt with captains over them all. The Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart and he pursued the children of Israel after they boldly left Egypt. Remember, that God is sovereign and His hardening Pharaoh’s heart is just God knowing the stubbornness of his heart, so God just allowed him to sink deeper and deeper into it. The Egyptians – Pharaoh, his horses and chariots, his horsemen and army – pursued the Israelites and caught up with them while they were camped by the sea beside Pi Hahiroth, before Baal Zephon. When the Israelites saw the Egyptians coming after them, they were very afraid and cried out to the Lord. They also complained to Moses saying things like, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness?” They also asked Moses why he dealt with them in such a way to bring them out of Egypt. Wow! How quickly the Israelites also forgot the plagues in Egypt that did not affect them! The children of Israel also claimed that they told Moses to leave them alone and let them serve the Egyptians. How quickly they forgot also, all of the times they cried out for God to deliver them from their affliction and bondage! They even said that they would have been better off serving the Egyptians than dying in the wilderness. Have you ever remembered “the good old days” with a twisted mindset because you were facing potential adversity as you progressed in God’s deliverance? Moses told the people not to be afraid. They should stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, which He was going to do for them that day. He even told them that they would not see the Egyptians again forever. Moses also told them that the Lord would fight for them. All they had to do was hold their peace. Can you think of a situation in your life in which you held your peace and God fought for you? The Lord asked Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward.” There’s no mention of Moses praying to the Lord in between Verse 14, where Moses tells the people that the Lord will fight for them and to hold their peace and Verse 15, where the Lord asks Moses why is he crying to Him. So, I googled. One source suggests that Moses’ heart was so engaged with God, that God who knows everything understood Moses’ sighs, desires, etc. So, when we say, “God knows my heart”, that statement is more true than we can ever imagine. Christianity.com said, “Moses’ silent prayers of faith prevailed more with God than Israel’s loud outcries of fear.” God does hear our silent prayers. God knew how Moses felt when the Israelites were expressing their anger towards him for bringing them into the wilderness to die; so they thought. God told Moses to lift up his rod, stretch out his hand over the sea and divide it. The children of Israel will walk on dry ground in the midst of the sea. This time God said that he will harden the hearts of the Egyptians and they will follow the Israelites. God already knew the Egyptians’ hearts. God again said that He would gain honor over Pharaoh, his army, his chariots and his horsemen. The Egyptians would know that He is the Lord when He gains this honor.

The Angel of God who went before the camp of Israel moved from in front of them to behind them. The pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them. It came between the Israelites’ camp and the Egyptians’ camp. It was a cloud and darkness to one and gave light by night to the other, so that the one didn’t come near the other all that night. Moses stretched out his hand over the sea and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all night making the sea dry land in the divided waters. The Israelites walked on dry land with walls of water on both sides of them. The Egyptians went after them, including Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen.

In the morning watch, the Lord looked down at the Egyptian army through the pillar of fire and cloud and He troubled them. He took off their chariot wheels, so they had difficulty driving them. The Egyptians said, “Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians.” God has gained honor over Pharaoh. Also, “And they did so” from Verse 4 (my thoughts) – the Egyptians realized that God is in control and that He is the Lord. God told Moses to stretch out his hand over the sea so that the waters would come back upon the Egyptians, their chariots and horsemen. Moses did as he was told and stretched out his hand. When the morning came, the sea returned to its depth while the Egyptians were trying to flee. The Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. The waters covered the chariots, the horsemen and all of Pharaoh’s army that went after the Israelites. Not one of them survived, but the Israelites walked on dry land in the midst of the sea with walls of water on both sides.

The Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians. Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. They saw the Lord’s great work He did in Egypt. So the Israelites feared the Lord and believed Him and His servant, Moses.

Next Week – Exodus 15

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Exodus 13 – Don’t Forget To Remember

God told Moses to consecrate all of the firstborn to Him. He said whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, whether of man or beast, they belong to Him. So does that include the females if they are the firstborn? Yes, I googled. Most sources concur that this only applied to the firstborn males that opened the womb. So if the firstborn was a female, and a son was born afterwards, the rule did not apply to that son. The reason being that the firstborn son in this case didn’t open the womb. Now, what did it mean for the firstborn to be consecrated to the Lord? For humans, this meant that the firstborn male would be sanctified for the Lord’s service. For clean animals, like sheep, this meant they would be sacrificed to the Lord. For unclean animals, like the firstborn of a donkey, a clean animal could be sacrificed.

Moses told the people to remember the day in which they were brought out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. It was by the strength of the hand of the Lord, they were brought out of Egypt. Therefore, no leavened bread shall be eaten. He said that they left in the month of Abib. Previously, I wrote that the name of the month was Nisan according to Google sources. So, I googled again to compare Nisan to Abib. According to neverthirsty.org, “The month of Abib is now the month Nisan in the current Jewish calendar.” He told them that when God takes them to the Promised Land – the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites and the Jebusites – which He swore to their fathers He would give them, they shall keep this service in this month. The Promised Land is a land flowing with milk and honey. For seven days they should eat unleavened bread. On the seventh day, they should have a feast to the Lord. They shouldn’t have leavened bread anywhere near them or their quarters. They should explain to their children that they hold this feast because of what the Lord did for them when they left Egypt. To keep the Lord’s law in their mouth, a sign for them to remember was to be put on their hand and a memorial between their eyes. This would remind them of how God brought them out of Egypt with His strong hand. The children of Israel were to keep this ordinance in its season every year. Does your family have traditions that you follow and the history of why you do so has been explained to you? Does your church (faith/religion) have such traditions?

Verses 11 – 15 elaborate on God’s instruction in Verse 2 regarding the consecration of the firstborn. Moses told the people that when the Lord takes them to the Promised Land (as mentioned previously, but this time he only said “the land of the Canaanites”), that the firstborn of the animals that opens the womb, the males belong to the Lord (clean animals). Every firstborn of a donkey (unclean animal) shall be redeemed with a lamb. If they do not redeem it, they should break its neck. The firstborn of man among the people, they should redeem. When their children ask about this practice of setting aside the firstborn, they again shall say it was by the strength of the Lord’s hand that they were brought out of bondage in Egypt. They should remember to tell their children that Pharaoh was stubborn about letting them go, so the Lord killed all of the firstborns in Egypt, of both man and beast. Therefore, the firstborn males that open the womb of the animals are sacrificed to the Lord, but the firstborn of man should be redeemed (for the Lord’s service). Again, so that they didn’t forget to remember, a sign shall be on their hand and as frontlets between their eyes because it was by the strength of the Lord’s hand they were brought out of Egypt. Is there an event in your life that you should not forget to remember how God delivered you?

When Pharaoh did let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, even though that way was near. God said that the people might change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt. So, He led them around by way of the wilderness of the Red Sea. The children of Israel left Egypt in orderly ranks. Do you trust God enough for Him to take you a roundabout way to your destiny?

Moses took Joseph’s bones with him just as promised due to the solemn oath placed on the children of Israel. They journeyed from Succoth and camped in Etham as the edge of the wilderness. So that they could travel both day and night, the Lord led them by a pillar of cloud during the day and by a pillar of fire to give them light during the night. He did not take either away from before the people.

We continue on to Exodus 14 next week.

To God Be The Glory!

Exodus 11 – The Worst Is Yet To Come!

The Lord told Moses that He was going to bring one more plague on Pharaoh and Egypt. After this plague, Pharaoh will let them go, driving them out of Egypt altogether. Moses was to tell the children of Israel to ask their Egyptian neighbors for articles of silver and gold. God gave the Israelites favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moses was very great in Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants and the people. Moses’ fame in Egypt probably ticked off Pharaoh too. Look at how God elevated Moses in Egypt, whereas, in the beginning Moses was using every excuse possible to not be the “chosen one” for this call to lead the people out of Egypt. Has God ever elevated you in a particular situation even though you initially were hesitant to accept the assignment?

In Verses 4 – 8, Moses is still in Pharaoh’s presence. If you remember at the end of Chapter 10, Moses and Pharaoh had words in which Pharaoh told Moses that he wouldn’t see his face anymore and threatened that on the day that Moses saw his face, Moses would die. Moses agreed that he would never see Pharaoh’s face again. So, how is it that in Verses 4 – 8 that Moses is in Pharaoh’s presence? One of my Study Bibles suggested that Verses 1 -3 should be in parenthesis because these scriptures are informing the readers about a revelation that God gave Moses earlier (Exodus 3:21-22) and Verses 4 – 8 are the “continuance” of the meeting at the end of Chapter 10.

Verses 4 – 8 Summary – Moses told Pharaoh that the Lord said that about midnight, He will go out into the midst of Egypt. All of the firstborn in the land of Egypt will die, from Pharaoh’s house to the house of the female servant behind the handmill. All of the firstborn of the animals would die also. After these deaths, there will be a great cry throughout Egypt, such as never been before and will never be like it again. This death plague would not affect the children of Israel, not even a dog would bark at them or their beasts. A Google source referenced that the Egyptians used guard dogs to keep the slaves in line and to stop any attempts to escape. God did this to differentiate between the Egyptians and Israel. Moses told Pharaoh that his servants will come and bow down to him, saying, “Get out, and all the people who follow you!” It is after that, Moses and the Israelites would leave. The end of Verse 8 says that Moses left Pharaoh’s presence with great anger. Moses was “hot” and that “being slow of speech” concern had not been a factor for quite a while.

Did the death of the firstborn include daughters if the firstborn was a female? If not, what if the father was a “Girls’ Dad” only? So, I would think this would affect those households as well. The next question is, “Why Pharaoh didn’t die in this plague?” A couple of Google source suggestions – 1) Pharaoh was not the firstborn of his father. It was not necessary that the reigning Pharaoh be the firstborn, but just to be a son. 2) God spared Pharaoh’s life so that he would let the people go. Regardless, we will see as we continue our journey, Pharaoh lives to suffer the awful plague of losing his firstborn.

After Moses left Pharaoh, God told Moses that Pharaoh still will not listen, so that His wonders will be multiplied in the land of Egypt.

Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh. The Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart and he didn’t let the children of Israel leave Egypt.

We head off to Exodus 12 for our next stop.

To God Be The Glory!

Exodus 10 – Who Is In Control?

The Eighth Plague: Locusts God told Moses to go back to Pharaoh. He said that He had hardened Pharaoh’s heart and the hearts of his servants, so that He may show Pharaoh His signs. Also, these things were done so Moses would tell his sons and grandsons about the mighty things that God did in Egypt. These signs would also show them the Lord is Who He says He is. So, once again, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “Thus says the Lord God of the Hebrews: ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, that they may serve Me.’ This time if Pharaoh refused, the next day, the Lord would bring locusts into the land. The locusts would be so thick that no one would be able to see the earth. They would eat the residue of what was left from the hail. They would also eat every tree out in the field. The locusts would be in everybody’s houses in such a way that had never been seen by their fathers and grandfathers to that day. Then they left Pharaoh. Pharaoh’s servants asked him, “How long shall this man be a snare to us?” They told Pharaoh to let them go, so that they could serve the Lord their God. The servants pleaded with him asking, “Do you not yet know that Egypt is destroyed?” So, Moses and Aaron were brought before Pharaoh again, and he said, “Go, serve the Lord your God. Who are the ones going? Moses told him the young, the old, their sons and daughters along with their flocks and herds so they could hold a feast to the Lord. Pharaoh told them that the Lord had better be with them when he let them go and to beware because evil is ahead of them. Most Google sources indicate that Pharaoh was accusing them of evil intentions against him, since they wanted to take everybody with them. I found that a number of different versions of the Bible basically read that way as well. Some sources indicate that Pharaoh was mocking them, saying that their God better be with them if he let them go, which he never will. In other words, Pharaoh was saying, “Let everybody go? It’s not going to happen!” Who is in control? Certainly, it isn’t Pharaoh, but he just isn’t getting it! Pharaoh said that the men could go and serve the Lord, since that is what they desired. How did Pharaoh interpret “young and old, sons and daughters” to just be the men? Pharaoh, then, had Moses and Aaron kicked out of his presence.

The Lord told Moses to stretch out his hand over the land of Egypt so that the locusts would come and eat every herb of the land that was left by the hail. Moses stretched out his rod over Egypt, and the Lord sent an east wind on the land all that day and night. When the morning came, the east wind brought the locusts. They were everywhere throughout the land. It was so severe that there was never anything like it previously nor would there be anything like it afterwards. The locusts covered the face of the land so much so that the land was darkened. There was nothing green on the trees or plants throughout Egypt.

Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste. He admitted that he had sinned against the Lord God and against them. Then Pharaoh tells them to forgive his sin only this once and entreat the Lord that He would take away this death only from him. Pharaoh, in his arrogance, is asking for forgiveness this one time of his sin. Even in his request for Moses to talk to the Lord on his behalf, it’s all about him, not the Egyptians. Moses left and entreated the Lord. The Lord sent a very strong west wind that took the locusts away and blew them into the Red Sea. There wasn’t one locust left in Egypt. The Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart and he didn’t let the people go.

The Ninth Plague – Darkness

The Lord told Moses to stretch out his hand toward heaven so that darkness would be over the land of Egypt. The darkness was so thick that it could be felt. I noticed this time, God didn’t send Moses and Aaron to Pharaoh first. Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven and there was thick darkness over the land of Egypt for three days. They did not see one another nor leave where they were for three days. This is not simply that lights didn’t come on when a switch was flipped as we can so easily do today. This means there were not any light producing items such as lanterns, candles, the ability to start a fire to light a wick or to even cook. However, the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.

Side note – Several years ago, I went through a haunted house (Don’t judge me) and I was the one to lead our group. As we walked through the house, the darkness was so thick, I couldn’t see anything. All I felt was the little boy behind me holding onto my shirt and the things on the floor made to feel like rat tails. The little boy’s parents didn’t want to go in, so they let him go in with my family. As I was walking with my arm outstretched to feel my way through the darkness, someone blocked my way. When I came to a stop, those behind me asked, “Why are you stopping?” I explained that someone was blocking the way, but I couldn’t see him. My hand was pushing up against the man’s chest. When I threatened to knee him in the groin, he moved and we continued through the house. As I navigated through the rest of the house, when I saw the light, I got a little confused about the direction to go in because I had been in the dark for so long. All that those behind me had to do, was hold onto the person in front of them. The lesson I learned from that was when God helps you navigate through the darkness (storms of life), don’t let the devil cause confusion when you’re in the light. I know it’s the devil, because God is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33). Just because you overcome some dark periods in life, continue to allow God to lead you when you’re in the light. Satan is still plotting and planning to take you into another place of darkness.

Then Pharaoh called Moses and told him to go serve the Lord, but let the flocks and herd stay. He was even willing to let the children go with him. Who is in control? Certainly, it isn’t Pharaoh! He still isn’t getting it. Moses explained that they needed to make sacrifices and burnt offerings to the Lord. So, the livestock was going, not a hoof was going to be left behind. They didn’t know all they would need to serve the Lord until they got there. The Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart and he would not let them go. Pharaoh, in anger, told them to get away from him! He told them to take heed to themselves and see his face no more. He further threatened that in the day that Moses saw his face, that he would surely die. Moses responded, “You have spoken well. I will never see your face again.”

God is in control! God is in control! God is in control!

To God Be The Glory!

We stop at Exodus 11 next.