Questions for Thought
- Have you ever had a job you knew God wanted you to do, but you did not want to do it? What was your response?
- Why do people who know God’s power sometimes fail in obeying Him?
- How specific was God when he told Israel what to do in order to be delivered? Is He any less specific today?
In the last blog, Joseph died and he had made his people promise when God visited them they would take his bones with them as they left the land of Egypt. Well, the book of Exodus, the second book in the Old Testament, is the first book in the account of the nation of Israel leaving Egypt and going back to the land of Canaan which God had promised to Abraham and his seed several years prior. It was the same land Israel had left about 400 years earlier in order to go to Egypt for food.
In Chapter 1 of Exodus, we find the list of Israel’s children who came with him out of Canaan into Egypt. In verse 6 we read Joseph and all of his brothers died and their children became a great number of people filling the land of Egypt. A new king came to the throne who did not know Joseph and he was not happy to see such a large group of people in the nation. He decided to put them to work as servants and to make their lives difficult. He gave them the task of building cities for him but the harder he worked them, the more they grew in number. The king told the Hebrew midwives when a male child was born they were to kill him, but the midwives were afraid of God and they did not obey the king. Finally the king charged all of the Israelites if a male was born to them, they were to kill him.
This blog is concerned with God’s plan for one of those children who if the parents had obeyed the government would have been killed. According to Exodus 6:20, Amram and Jochebed were the parents of Moses and Aaron. In Exodus 2 we have the account of Moses’ birth. The parents knew they were supposed to cast all sons into the river as recoreded in Exodus 1:22, but Jochebed did not obey. Instead she hid Moses for three months but when she could not hide him any longer, she made an ark or a type of carrier for him out of bulrushes and sealed it with pitch which we would call tar today. She put it in the river by the reeds and Miriam, his sister, watched to see what would happen.
When Pharaoh’s daughter went down to the water to bathe, she saw the ark and had her servants go and get it. When she opened it and saw the baby, she knew it was one of the Hebrew’s children, but she had compassion on him and took him for her own. When Miriam saw what was happening, she went to Pharaoh’s daughter and asked if she would like for Miriam to find a Hebrew woman to be his nurse. Pharaoh’s daughter said yes, so Miriam, smart girl she was, went and got Jochebed to nurse the child and to get paid for doing so! Do you ever read an account in the Bible and wish the author had told you more about the topic? That is the way I feel about this one. Moses grew up between Exodus 2:10 and 2:11 but we are not given any information about his childhood. I have so many questions as you probably do too, but there are no answers provided in the Good Book. But if we go to the New Testament to Hebrews 11:24-25, we find when Moses was of age, he chose not to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter but instead to suffer with his people, the Israelites.
Back in Exodus 2 beginning in verse 11, we have an account of Moses seeing an Egyptian beating a Hebrew. Moses intervened and killed the Egyptian and hid his body in the sand. The next day, Moses saw two Hebrews fighting and he asked them why. One of them asked him who had made him a judge over them and if he intended to kill him as he had killed the Egyptian. Moses decided he needed to get out of there because when the king realized what had happened Moses would most likely be killed. Moses fled to the land of Midian and sat down at a well where the daughters of the priest of Midian were waiting to water their flocks. Shepherds were driving them away but Moses helped them water the flock. When they got home and told their father, Reuel, (also called Jethro) about Moses he told them to call him to the house to eat. Moses moved in and Reuel gave him Zipporah, one of his daughters, as a wife.
Meantime back in Egypt, the king died and the Israelites cried to God because of their bondage. God heard their cry and in Exodus 3, Moses was keeping Jethro’s flocks on Mount Horeb when the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the middle of a bush. Moses was amazed because the bush appeared to be on fire but it was not consumed so he turned to check it out. When God saw Moses was looking, He called to him from the midst of the bush and when Moses answered, God told him to remove his shoes because he was standing on holy ground. God introduced Himself to Moses as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Moses was afraid to look upon God. God told Moses He had heard the cry of Moses’ people concerning their affliction and He was come down to deliver them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them to the land of Canaan, the promised land. God told Moses He was sending him to do the job and bring the Israelites out of Egypt.
Beginning in verse 11 of Exodus 3 and going through Exodus 4:17, Moses offered excuses to God for not being the leader for Israel. First, Moses asked God who was he that he should go to Pharaoh and bring forth the children of Israel from Egypt. God assured him He would be with him and once they had come out of Egypt, they would worship right on the mountain where Moses stood. Then Moses asked God what he was supposed to say when the children of Israel would ask him God’s name. God told Moses he was to tell them “I AM” had sent him to them. Then Moses told God the people would not believe him. So God told Moses to cast his rod on the ground and when he did, it became a serpent. God told him to pick it up and when he did, it changed back to his rod. God also had Moses put his hand in his bosom and it came out leprous but when he put it in his bosom again it came out pure. God told Moses if the people would not believe those two signs, he was to take water out of the river and pour it upon dry land and it would become blood. At this point, Moses told God he was not a good speaker but he was slow of speech. God asked him who had made man’s mouth. God assured him He would be with his mouth and would teach him what to say. Finally Moses angered God with his last request that God send someone else. Instead, God told Moses to take along Aaron his brother to do the talking. God would talk to Moses and Moses would tell Aaron what to say.
So Moses went to his father-in-law and asked him to allow Moses to return to his people in Egypt. Moses took his wife and sons and went back to Egypt where God performed a series of miracles through him in order to convince the ruling Pharaoh to let the Israelites leave Egypt. Moses first met with the Israelites and told them of his mission. He showed the signs God had given him and the people believed the Lord had visited them and looked upon their afflictions and they worshipped God.
When Moses and Aaron first approached Pharaoh and told him the Lord God of Israel had said to let His people go, Pharaoh asked who was the Lord that he should obey His voice and he refused to let the people go. In addition, on that same day, Pharaoh told his taskmasters to stop giving the Israelite workers straw to use in making their bricks but instead to require them to go gather their own straw and to still require them to make the same number of bricks. Of course, they could not keep up the required pace so their leaders were beaten. When they went to Pharaoh about this treatment, he told them they were idle and that was why they were asking for time to go to the wilderness and worship their God. The leaders then blamed Moses and Aaron for causing them such problems. In the hour of adversity, these men who had worshipped God earlier because of their coming freedom were now condemning their rescuers.
Moses asked God why He had sent him seeing all the evil Pharaoh was doing to the people. God told Moses he would see what God had planned for Pharaoh. God said Pharaoh would let them go and would actually drive the Israelites out of his land. God told Moses to go back to the Israelites and tell them God had heard their groaning and had remembered His covenant with their fathers to give them the land of Canaan. Moses told the people, but they were so upset about their treatment and bondage they didn’t listen to him. God then sent Moses back to Pharaoh but again Moses wanted to argue with God. He asked God how would Pharaoh listen to him when even the Israelites would not listen to him. God told Moses He had made him a god to Pharaoh and Aaron would be Moses’ prophet. God said when Moses spoke to Pharaoh, God would harden Pharaoh’s heart so God’s hand could be upon Egypt and the Egyptians would know God was the Lord.
So begins the series of plagues sent by God upon the Egyptians. When Moses and Aaron next went to Pharaoh, they showed him a miracle in casting that rod of Moses’ before him where it became a serpent. Pharaoh’s sorcerers and magicians did the same with their enchantments, but Moses’ rod swallowed up their rods. God hardened Pharaoh’s heart and he refused to let the people go just like God said would happen.
God told Moses to go back to Pharaoh the next morning as he was going into the water. He told Moses to again tell Pharaoh the Lord God of the Hebrews had sent Moses to tell Pharaoh God said to let My people go so they can serve me in the wilderness, but Pharaoh had refused so God would now turn the water to blood. Moses did as God said and after telling Pharaoh what was happening, Moses told Aaron to stretch out his hand with the rod over the waters. He did so and in the first plague, the waters were turned to blood. The fish died and the river stunk and the people could not drink of the water. The magicians were able to do the same and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened so he would not let the people go.
After seven days, God spoke to Moses again and told him to go see Pharaoh and tell him to let His people go so they could serve Him. This time when Pharaoh refused, God was going to send the second plague in which He would smite the land with frogs. Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did as God commanded. When Pharaoh refused to let them go, Moses told Aaron to stretch forth the rod over the streams and rivers and ponds and when he did so, frogs came up and covered the land. The magicians were able to bring up frogs too. Pharaoh called for Moses and told him to pray to the Lord to take away the frogs and he would let the people go and do sacrifice. Moses told Pharaoh the frogs would be gone the next day and when they were Pharaoh hardened his heart and would not let the people leave.
For the third plague, God told Moses to have Aaron stretch the rod forth over the land and the dust would become lice. He did and when the magicians tried to do the same, they were not able to do so. They told Pharaoh this was the finger of God but Pharaoh hardened his heart and would not let the people go.
Next, the Lord told Moses to go and tell Pharaoh if he did not let the people go, there would be swarms of flies everywhere but beginning with this plague, the children in the land of Goshen, the Israelites, would not suffer the plague. The flies, the fourth plague, came and they were in Pharaoh and his servant’s houses and the land was destroyed by the swarms of flies. Once more Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and told them to go do sacrifice to their God there in Egypt. Moses told him that would not work but they had to go three day’s journey into the wilderness as God had commanded. Pharaoh told them he would let them go but not to go too far and to pray for him. Of course, when the flies disappeared, Pharaoh again changed his mind and would not let the people go.
For the fifth plague, God told Moses to go to Pharaoh and tell him to let His people go to serve him and if he refused, the hand of the Lord would be on the cattle and other animals. Pharaoh refused and the next day all of the cattle of the Egyptians died but none of those cattle of the Israelites were harmed. Again his heart was hardened and Pharaoh would not let them go.
So for the sixth plague, God had Moses sprinkle ashes toward the heaven in the sight of Pharaoh. The ashes became as small dust in the land causing a boil to break forth upon both man and beast. God hardened Pharaoh’s heart and he again refused to let the people go.
The seventh plague brought hail upon the land. The hail had fire mixed in with it and it fell upon man, beast, trees, and plants. Pharaoh called for Moses and admitted he had sinned. He asked Moses to pray to the Lord there be no more thundering and hail and he would let the people go. When Pharaoh saw the plague was ceased, he hardened his heart and would not let the people go.
The Lord told Moses to go ask Pharaoh how long he was going to refuse to humble himself and let the people go. Moses was to tell Pharaoh if he refused this time, there would be locusts covering the face of the earth the next day. Pharaoh’s servants begged him to let the people go so the plagues would stop. Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and told them to go on and serve their God but only the men could go. They could not take the children. Of course, this was not satisfactory, so Moses stretched out his rod over the land of Egypt and the eighth plague, locusts came and covered the whole land. The locusts were everywhere and so thick the land was darkened. They ate everything the hail had left. Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and told them he had sinned against their God and them. He asked them to forgive him this sin and to pray to God to take away this death from him. God sent a mighty strong west wind and took the locusts away and hardened Pharaoh’s heart so he did not let the people go.
The Lord told Moses to stretch his hand out toward heaven so there would be darkness over the land, so for the ninth plague, God sent three days of a darkness that could be felt. The people could not see each other in Egypt but those in Goshen, the Israelites, had their usual light. Pharaoh called Moses to him and said for the people including the children to go on and do sacrifice but they could not take their animals. Of course, that would not work as they needed animals for the sacrifice. When Moses would not agree to go without the animals, God again hardened Pharaoh’s heart and he would not let them go. In addition, Pharaoh told Moses to get away from him and not to see his face again for the next time Moses saw Pharaoh, Moses would die. Moses told him he had spoken well and Moses would not see his face again.
Finally, the Lord told Moses He one more plague to bring upon Pharaoh and after that plague, number ten, Pharaoh would let them go. The plague was to be the death of the firstborn of every man and beast in Egypt. Moses was to tell the Israelites to ask their neighbors for jewels of silver and gold. God was very specific in instructing the Israelites as to how they were to put up a lamb on the 10th day of the month and then on on the 14th day of what was to be the first month of their year, they were to prepare a lamb to eat whose blood they were to put on the side posts and the upper door post of each of the houses where it was eaten. God was very specific in Exodus 12 in telling them how to put the blood on the posts. He was very specific in telling them how to be clothed for eating the lamb. They were to eat the lamb fully clothed and ready to leave. It was to be called the Lord’s Passover because He was going to smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt but when He saw the blood, He would pass over the Israelites and not destroy them. In addition, this Passover would become a memorial for them and they were to remember it each year.
On the appointed day, at midnight, the Lord killed all of the firstborn in the land of Egypt both man and animal, but the Israelites were not touched as they had obeyed the command to place the blood on the posts. Pharaoh got up in the night and called for Moses and Aaron. He told them to take everything and leave. The children of Israel did so taking with them all of the borrowed jewels and clothes. There were about 600,000 men plus their families along with many cattle and animals. The 430 years of living in Egypt were finished and now God’s people were free. God led them out of the land and as promised years before, they took the bones of Joseph with them. God went before them in a pillar of a cloud in the day and in a pillar of fire by night.
God warned Moses He was about to harden Pharaoh’s heart one more time and Pharaoh’s army would be coming after them, but they had no worries because God was going to bring one last harm to Pharaoh. Sure enough Pharaoh thought about what he had lost in letting the slaves go and he gathered his chariots and horsemen and went after them. When Israel saw the approaching Egyptians, they lost faith and cried out to God. They asked Moses why he had brought them out to die in the wilderness. Moses told them to fear not and to hold their peace and they would see the salvation of the Lord. God told Moses to lift up his rod and stretch his hand over the sea and divide it so the children of Israel could go over on dry ground through the middle of the sea. Moses did so and the Israelites passed over to the other side. The angel of God went behind the Israelites providing light to them and darkness to the Egyptians. The Egyptians pursued the Israelites right into the sea and as soon as Israel had crossed, Moses stretched out his hand and the waters came back together. God had removed the chariot wheels and the Egyptians said God was fighting for Israel. As the waters came back together, the Egyptians were covered completely and God’s people were completely safe.
Now that Israel was on her way to claim the land promised many years before by God, one would think they would be a happy people. Not so. In the next blog, we will look at some of the many complaints Israel made.
Christian Women's Responsibility in Sharing God's Word 