I
have raised you up for this very purpose. (Exodus 9:16)
Did
you notice how the magicians matched Moses miracle
for miracle at the beginning? (Okay, I know Aaron's rod/snake ate
their snakes.) Even though the magicians could unleash some pretty amazing
stuff, once it’s out of the box, they can't put it back in. Pharaoh pleaded
with Moses: Pray to the Lord
to take the frogs away from me.
The
gnats were gnext. (See what I did there?) The magicians try but cannot produce.
Then with the flies is where things get really interesting. God makes a
distinction between the Egyptians and the Israelites. From this point on, the
plagues are specifically aimed at Pharaoh and his people.
Here's
our highlighted verse in its entirety: But
I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and
that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.
Do
you remember the words of Mordecai to his niece Esther? Who knows but that you have come to
royal position for such a time as this? (Esther 4:14)
The
further my walk takes me, the more I realize the importance of submitting my
will to God. Esther and Pharaoh were both raised up by God to save the Jewish
people and to bring him glory in the process. Esther submitted; Pharaoh did
not. How would his story be different if he had?
What
difference would it make if you honestly said, “Thy will be done”?
The plagues in Egypt have always confused me. I get the first one with the snakes and the staff of Moses swallowing the other snakes.
ReplyDeleteThen all the water in the land turning to blood. It says all the water, in the Nile, the streams, canals, ponds, and reservoirs, even in containers of wood and stone. It says Moses did this, but then the magicians did the same. How could the magicians do this if it was already blood? It did not sound like it had turned to blood and then instantly back into water so that the magicians could do the same thing. It had to have been at least long enough for the fish to die. Also, people had to dig for water by the sides of the Nile. So what water did the magicians turn into blood?
The frogs and gnats and flies were no problem for me.
Then the plague on the livestock: It was to be on all the Egyptian’s livestock in the field—on your horses, donkeys and camels and on your cattle, sheep and goats. And the next day the LORD did it: All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one animal belonging to the Israelites died. Ok, so all the livestock are dead …..
Then the soot becomes festering boils on the people and ANIMALS. Since all the livestock is dead, are we now talking about domesticated animals, i.e., dogs and cats? Or other wild animals?
Now comes the hail: Those officials of Pharaoh who feared the word of the LORD hurried to bring their slaves and their livestock inside. 21 But those who ignored the word of the LORD left their slaves and livestock in the field. If all the livestock were already killed, where did this livestock come from?
Has anyone been able to come up with answers for these questions? I know I must not be the only one who has read them and wondered. It just seems strange to me that the livestock can have all been killed over and over again.
Some possibilities: When the writer states "all" the livestock were killed in plague #5, that may have been hyperbole. It may not have literally meant all the livestock were killed, but that a large amount were killed.
DeleteIn plague #6, the animals got boils as did the people, but it doesn't actually mention livestock.
In plague #7, only the livestock out in the fields were killed. God was giving people a chance to respond to his warning. Those who took him seriously brought in their cattle and sheep. Those who did not lost them to the hail storm.
Also, the Bible doesn't define how much time has passed between plagues #5 and #6, or between #6 and #7.
This is concerning Exodus 4:24. (I can't seem to get into the comment area on that one.)
ReplyDelete24 At a lodging place on the way, the LORD met Moses[b] and was about to kill him. 25 But Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her son’s foreskin and touched Moses’ feet with it.[c] “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me,” she said. 26 So the LORD let him alone. (At that time she said “bridegroom of blood,” referring to circumcision.)
I must admit I found this very strange. First God tells Moses he is going to use him to free the Israelites, and the next thing you know he is about to kill him! Was this because his sons were not cumcumcised? He had 2 sons, but it sounds like only one son had this done to him at this point in time. Is very much known about this episode?
I addressed this in response to the same question posed by Connie on Day 18.
Deletewhy did the Israelites asked Pharaoh to let them go to worship the Lord, rather than leave Egypt for good, which was the main reason? Olga.
ReplyDeleteOlga, in short Moses lied to Pharaoh knowing Pharaoh would never let them go if he knew they weren't coming back. We have a problem with God's people lying, but as I addressed a few days ago, there are rules based ethics and people based ethics. In a rules based ethic lying is ALWAYS wrong. In a people based ethics, people are more important than rules and sometimes lying is necessary to save the lives of people.
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