Monday, July 17, 2023

“God’s Plan for Israel” Part II

“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.”(Exodus 12:51)

For 3 days and nights the people of Egypt were in total darkness. The final plague brought on horror. After a night of being surrounded by death, the children of Israel burst out of Egypt. Does this sound familiar? Jesus died and in three days he burst out of the tomb. Salvation!!

God had some lessons Israel had to learn. The question becomes how to get from Egypt to Canaan? Obviously a straight line is the fastest way, but a straight line from bondage in Egypt will only result in bondage in Canaan.

God displays his wonders. First, by providing a cloud by day, and fire at night as a way to guide them. Second, he takes them to the sea. There is, in the mind of the children of Israel no escape.

Pharaoh was obviously angered beyond his normal level of angry. Pharaoh not only used his select troops, he used all of his troops. This is a very unusual military strategy. Sending everyone to meet an enemy, though it will certainly give numerical strength, it leaves your home base empty of any defense. Pharaoh was not going to bring Israel back, he intended to destroy Israel.

The children of Israel saw the huge military force Pharaoh had brought against them. They were frightened. I would have been. The children of Israel began to complain to Moses that they would be killed and it was all his fault.

Moses had faith in God. God created what we in the military call a Blocking Force. In the military it was a man created block, God brought a cloud of darkness to cover the Children of Israel’s movement. Moses raised his staff over the sea, and God parted the waters. This gave the children of Israel an escape. Just as God has given us all a path from Adam to Jesus.

“Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” (Matthew 7:14)

All night long Moses moved nearly a million people (numbers are up to you) across a divided sea. How far across is the sea. We don’t know. What we do know is that this was not just a path to safety for the children of Israel, but a deadly trap for Pharaoh.

Pharaoh’s armies chased after Moses and his flock. When the armies had entered into the divided sea, and after Moses and his flock were safely across. God brought the sea slamming closed. Destroying the Pharaoh’s best forces. Ending Egypt’s military threat to the Children of Israel.

Most importantly are lessons. Although God had brought 10 plagues on Egypt, not everyone was convinced it was the God of Abraham. Just like the pandemic with its grip on human weakness, people do not see anything but a virus. They moan and whine about their own personal failures and lack the faith that God will provide what they need.

God shut up the complaints of the people for a time, sadly, people are weak. They cling to God for their every want. A shiny new car or huge bank account. God gives you what you need, if you only believe. Everything I need has not been by my work, it was given by God’s grace. So, stop complaining.

“Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalms 46:10)

God’s Plan for Israel. Part I.

God’s battle plan begins with Adam and so far in this series it has been his plan up to the children of Israel. God’s plan is both simple and complex.

After the night of the Passover, Pharaoh was done with Israel. In anger, Pharaoh ordered the children of Israel to get out. This was an immediate change in Israeli life.

The children of Israel had spent 400 years as slaves to Egypt. They knew no other life. Now their life is in upheaval. Before the Passover they packed their stuff, had their shoes on, and their staff. On the morning after Passover they were leaving Egypt. But where were they going to go? What would they need to survive? What if?

It begins with the numbers of people that will travel. According to the Bible it is 600,000 (Six Hundred Thousand) men not including children. (Exodus 12:37). There are many calculations that can bring us to a general estimate. If we take one child per man, even as a low range estimate we have 1.2 million persons. Add another 600,000 women we would have a low range estimate of 1.8 million persons. Of course we can add another group of people that were not circumcised. This group can include Israeli, Egyptians, and every other Gentile. What we know is that at least 600,000 men began the journey.

Supplies for a group this size, there would need include food, water, live stock, and tools. God provided the food in terms of unleavened bread. A package of crackers will survive for several months. Yeast rolls will at best survive less than a week. Yeast, or other leavening agents can produce deadly results. But food is not the most important supply. A short term need is water. Without water you will die in hours.

They were not short supplies. In fact, the Egyptians had provided money in terms of jewels, gold, silver, and clothing. We may not think of it today, but things of value would be needed by everyone who traveled. When food or water becomes scarce, money becomes one way of trade with merchants or bandits along the way.

What was the goal? God’s short term goal is the promise of the land of Canaan. Moses’s goal was the promised land of Canaan. The children of Israel had multiple goals, including staying alive, not being killed by Egyptians, a better life, and for a few following God.

God teaches us what we need.

Part II is the difficulty.

Sunday, July 16, 2023

“The Last and Greatest Plague”

“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.” (Exodus 11:1)

Things have changed for the Pharaoh. His Servants and Egyptian people were looking more toward Moses than they did toward Pharaoh.

God proclaims that about midnight God will go out into Egypt and he will kill the first born of everything, even the 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.” (Exodus 11:6-7)

Exodus 12 starts with a recipe on how to make a Passover meal.

Unblemished lamb or goat of the first year.
Reserve the blood of the lamb and paint it on the side and upper posts.
Roast with fire to include the head and legs, don’t boil it.
Eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.

Exodus 12 then tells the children of Israel how to be ready.

“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.”(Exodus 12:10-11)

“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.” (Exodus 12:14)

Next up the Children of Egypt leave….

“Politics of Pharaoh”

“And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.” (Exodus 5:2)

God had given Moses a plan. God already knew what Pharaoh would do.

Technically I could just skip the whole plague thing. But God had a message for us all.

For Moses to even see Pharaoh was unusual. Pharaoh’s seldom to talk to shepherds. The last Pharaoh to do that was with Joseph. Both of them were dead. The Pharaoh, whose daughter had taken Moses out of the reeds, was dead. There is no doubt that the current Pharaoh knew Moses. He would delight in causing more pain for Moses.

When Moses asked Pharaoh to let the people go for three days to worship God, Pharaoh basically said, “Go back to work, and to make things worse, get your own straw to make bricks.” (Exodus 5:4-19)

The Children of Israel complained to Pharaoh. Pharaoh ignored them. They Children of Israel then complained to Moses. Moses was confused. Moses thought he could just ask Pharaoh, and God would just make it happen. (Exodus 5:20-23)

Pharaoh considered himself a living God. He was a bit full of himself.

When Moses complained to God, God answered in straight terms, “And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them.” (Exodus 7:5)

The following is a paraphrase of the Plagues Sent to Egypt (Exodus Chapters 7-10)

Aaron cast his rod down in front of Pharaoh and it became a Serpent. Pharaoh’s sorcerers did the same. Aaron’s serpents ate the Pharaoh’s serpents.

The Pharaoh said, NO!

Moses: God turned the river into blood, killed the fish, and made things stink. Let my people go.

Pharaoh’s Sorcerers: Pfft…we can do that.

Pharaoh: NO!

Moses: Let my people go, or I’ll send Frogs.

Pharaoh’s Sorcerers: We can make Frogs too!

Pharaoh: Hey, Moses, can you ask God to get rid of these Frogs?

Moses: Yes, the LORD will get rid of them for you. Frogs gone. Let my people go.

Pharaoh: Can’t hear you.

Moses: Let my people go, or I’ll send Lice to infest everything.

Pharaoh’s Sorcerers: Whoa! We don’t do Lice

Pharaoh: NO! Ouch what bit me?

Pharaoh’s Sorcerers: This is God at work dude.

Pharaoh: I’m not listening.

Moses: Let my people go, or else God will bring Flies to infest the Egyptians. Oh, and the Flies will not bother the Children of Israel in Goshen.

Pharaoh: Look, these Flies are nasty. I’ll tell you what, get rid of the Flies and you can go, but not too far.

Moses: Ok, but no take backs. God removed the Flies.

Pharaoh: I changed my mind. No one leaves.

Moses: Let my people go. If not God will kill most of your cattle, oxen, sheep, donkeys and camels. Except the ones belonging to the Children of Israel.

Pharaoh: NO!!

Moses: Most of your livestock are dead, except the ones of the Children of Israel. Let my people go.

Pharaoh: I ain’t listening.

Pharaoh’s Sorcerers: These boils are painful.

Moses: Let my people go. If you don’t there will be all of the plagues sent to you and tomorrow there will be hail. I would take your cattle inside if I were you.

Pharaoh’s Servants: We are putting our cattle in the house.

Pharaoh: OK…I have sinned and all my people are wicked. Stop all this hail, rain, and thunder. I will let your people go.

Pharaoh: I lied…they can’t go.

Moses: Let my people go, or tomorrow Locusts will eat everything that survived the Hail.

Pharaoh’s Servants: Pharaoh, dude this place is ruined.

Pharaoh: Moses, I’m sorry please forgive me, I will let our people go.

Pharaoh: I changed my mind. No your people can not go.

Pharaoh: Hey!! Who turned out the lights? Moses, get out of here. If I see you again I will kill you.

Stay Tuned for the most frightening of all Plagues.