Category: BIBLE/SCRIPTURE

EXODUS 4:7​​​​​​​​​​​1​​​​​​​​​​​

Sometimes when things go badly for an authoritarian they don’t admit it but just turn their backs and sulk! That is exactly what Pharaoh did, he hardened his heart, turned his back, and went home to sulk! The magicians, on the other hand, weren’t quite so impressive, so all they had going for them was their magic tricks. When they felt defeated, they lost their brains and tried to prove their power by turning the rest of the pure water into blood. Those Egyptians magicians, so eager to outdo Moses and Aaron they intensified the plague on their own country.

The really good thing that come out of all this is that this time it is not recorded that Moses got angry.​ So we don’t think he did.​​​​ Evidently, because the Lord had told him this would happen, he just accepted the Pharaoh’s rejection. It seems that is when the Egyptians had to learn to dig wells. They dug all around the Nile for drinking water because the Nile was no longer friendly to them. Seven days later the Lord sent Moses back to Pharaoh to tell him, The Lord said, “Let my people go that they may worship me.”

And this time Pharaoh was told, if you refuse your whole country will be plagued with frogs. The Nile shall swarm with frogs, and they shall come up and enter your palace, your bed  chamber, and your bed, the houses of your courtiers, and your people and your ovens and your kneading bowls.​​ And can you even guess what god​​​​ this plague was attacking? Why, it was the frog headed lady god named Hekt! And then to stretch your imagination, Hekt was thought to assist in childbirth. That points to the possibility that this plague may be a second instance of retribution for the killing of the Hebrew male newborns.

We may not be quite so enamored with frogs, but the Egyptians were. Each September, after the summer flooding by the Nile River, frogs would become very numerous in the small bodies of water left from the flooding. The Egyptians loved to hear the croaking of all of these frogs. It meant that the gods had done their duty and given the Egyptians enough water for a very fruitful next year.​​​​​

The Egyptians believed the frog was the symbol of the life-giving power-goddess, Hekt. ​​​She was the goddess who oversaw the women, the mid-wives, who helped women have babies. She was thought to blow the breath of life into the nostrils of the new babies. Her husband, Khnum, was the god who made the bodies of babies on the potter’s wheel from the dust of the ground. Hekt was represented in paintings as a woman with the head of a frog. She was so important that she is pictured in one place as helping the god Anubis rebuild the body of Osiris after the god Seth had killed him. 

So when the One True God ​​​​​gave Moses and Aaron the power to bring forth frogs by the millions, He was showing His power over Hekt. Scripture tells us: They served their own gods ​​but did not fear the Most High God​​​​ and were carried away into destruction. Why don’t people learn the lessons of the past? Why would they give their allegiance to a god made up in their own minds, and reject the One True God. Yet, the world likes to tell us what we know about God is too far-fetched. So in answer to their rejection they make up their own gods.

Actually there are TEN top gods that people today worship.

When we define the term “false god” it is someone or something that is highly revered, followed devoutly, sacrificed for, and looked to for meaning in life and deliverance from problems, there seems to be a list of the top ten.

10 – Education. Education is the answer to every woe in society and we spend ​​​​thousands of dollars we may not have to obtain an education we may never use.

9 – Beauty. Attractive people are sought after. Not-so attractive people are not. We would all be amazed if we learned how much money is spent on cosmetic surgeries, cosmetics and hair products all to look beautiful to be with the “in” crowd.

8 – Comfort.  We loooove to take it easy!

7 – Substances.  A little or a lot, and the lot is growing. All to take away our cares or be in the “in” crowd.

6 – Family. Yes, families are wonderful. God made them. But do we put them above our pursuit to learn more about and to worship God?

5 – Religion.​​​​​ Believe it or not! Some people trust in God – other’s trust in religion. But it is at least in the middle of the list.

4 – Science. Remember, scientists know more about creation than God does!

3 – Sex. I am old enough to remember when proper people never talked about sex, religion or politics. Now sex is an open topic and you can shout your personal habits from the rooftops without repercussions. Now only religion and politics are forbidden.

2 – Money.  That’s a pretty important god. We forget that God said, “Money is the root of evil.”

1 – Self. Why what’s more important than me? People are inherently self-centered and self-focused.

So, maybe we should be less critical​​​ when we look at other society’s false gods and look back at ourselves. Is God first in our lives, or not? Remember, the Egyptians did not put themselves first. First they worshipped their false gods! Is it ignorance or arrogance on their part, on our part? Or is the one true God too powerful and too independent for the world to accept and follow?

⇛ continue reading Exodus – Part 21
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Moses was eighty years old and Aaron was eighty three when they did as the Lord said and make their demand on Pharaoh. The Lord told them when Pharaoh speaks to you show them your miracle of turning your rod into a serpent. Pharaoh setting out to prove he was superior called his wise men and sorcerers, and they followed suit and did the same thing.

Of course, God knew this would happen. But what we are not told here is Aaron actually performed that act and Pharaoh’s magicians only used illusion. And then, if you remember the story, Aaron’s serpent ate the magicians serpents. Though magicians can impress many people, God is proving that a magicians sleight of hand cannot compete with God’s true miracles. And what happened with ​​​​​​that little demonstration? Why Pharaoh stiffened his heart. God said to Moses “Pharaoh is stubborn,  he refuses to let the people go.”

We know Pharaoh went to the Nile every morning. We don’t know if he went to bathe or if he went to worship Hapi, the river God. The Egyptians believed it was Hapi who oversaw the annual flooding of the Nile which would deposit fertile soil on its banks. At this point it is interesting to note that the events preceding each of the  first nine plagues follow a pattern.

The first nine plagues are divided into groups of three. Before the first, fourth, and seventh plague, which are blood, insects and hail,  Moses is instructed to go in the morning​​ and place himself where Pharaoh will be.

Before the second, fifth and eighth plagues, which are frogs, pestilence and locusts, Moses is instructed to go to Pharaoh’s palace. But it is Aaron who performs these plagues.

The third, sixth and tenth plagues  strike without any warning.   These plagues are lice, boils, and darkness.

All these plagues were not random. Great thought was put into how they were executed. When Moses went to the water, which was the Nile, he was to say, “God sent me to say, Let my people go, because you have paid no heed. God will demonstrate who He is”.

He will strike the water in the Nile with the rod, and it will be turned to blood. It is supposition that the first plague​​​​ may be retribution for the killing of all newborn Hebrew males who had to be thrown in the Nile. With this one act of turning the Nile into blood all the fish in the Nile were killed, the Nile would stink and could not be consumed. But it wasn’t just the Nile that would turn to blood. The rivers, the canals, the ponds, all the bodies of water, and the water in vessels would all turn to blood.

But in order for this to happen Aaron had to hold his rod over all those waters. Of course that was impossible so there was a small amount of uncontaminated water left for the Egyptian Magicians to turn to blood when they replicated this trick. And how much sense did it make for the Egyptians magicians to destroy the small amount of pure water they had left? There was blood throughout the land of Egypt.

We know there are always skeptics that question whether God really did what we are told he did. So one of the logical explanations for the Nile being fouled was viewing he plague as an extreme intensification of natural phenomena. The explanation given for the first plague is that a period of heavy rainfall caused the river to become so full of purple bacteria and eroded red sediment that it appeared blood-like.

The purple bacteria that washed down into the river disturbed the oxygen balance and killed the fish, which in turn produced a foul stench. But let’s face it. Whatever your explanation, a miracle from God or a miraculous natural event. They are both miracles from God. I choose to believe it was God’s miracle​​​ and a sign to both the Hebrews and the Egyptians, and even to us, concerning God’s power.

⇛ continue reading Exodus – Part 20
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Exodus 7:5

We remember there were three reasons why the ten plagues were inflicted on the Egyptians.

• The first of course was to make the Egyptians let God’s people go.
• The second was to punish Pharaoh and the Egyptians.
• And the third was to force people to realize God is the only real god.

If we know human nature and we look back at history, we can be certain that not every Egyptian treated the Israelites with disdain. But they were going to be punished with all the bad guys, none the less. It seems unfair that even if you had friends among the government’s enemies and you did not agree with your  governments decisions to be cruel, you were still not exempt from the punishment.

This is what is called collective guilt.​​​​ Collective guilt shares its definition with Collective responsibility,  and it refers to responsibilities of  organizations, groups, societies and nations.  It’s when a group or a perceived group  puts up with, or turns a blind eye to actions  that aren’t ones that you’ve actively partaken in. In the particulate case of the treatment of the Hebrews in Egypt, everyone was blamed for Pharaoh’s actions,  the same way United States citizens would  be condemned for our administrations decisions.

As an example, we can look at the  results on our military by a stroke of a pen by an authority in government. Understanding Collective Guilt and/or Collective Responsibility helps us to  understand why the plagues affected all of Egypt and not just the government of the Egyptians. God said, “and the Egyptians shall know that​ I am the Lord,  when I stretch out my hand over Egypt and bring out the Israelites from their midst”.

It is very interesting to note  the plagues were not against the Egyptians but against the Egyptian gods.

• The first plague, which was water turned to blood, was against the gods attached to the Nile River.
• The second plague of frogs was against  the frog god and goddess.
• The third plague of lice was against the earth god.
• The fourth plague of flies and insects was against the god of flies and/or the beetle god.
• The fifth plague of diseased cattle were  against the gods associated with bulls and cows.
• The sixth plague of boils was against the gods of healing.
• The seventh plague of hail was against the gods of the sky and atmosphere.
• The eighth plague of locusts was against t​​he gods who protected against locusts and human disease.
• The ninth plague of darkness was against the sun god and the moon god.
• The tenth plague of death of all firstborn males was against all the gods of Egypt, including Pharaoh.  It was also a response to the mass killing of the Hebrew sons.

These plagues and everything else in  this portion of Scripture,  and of course in all Scripture is to disassociate God from nature, and to make it clear  God is outside of nature and rules over it. The plagues are all directed against the  nature gods of Egypt. They are to demonstrate the fact​​​​ that there is One True God who created nature and rules over it. It seems to come naturally for people to worship nature.

One aspect of Nature worship is nothing more than a religion based on the veneration  of natural phenomena. For example – celestial objects such as  the sun, moon, and stars,  and terrestrial objects such as water and fire. They are willing to believe stars, rain and animals are natural objects or forces that  influence their lives and therefore they worship nature to appease the gods so their lives can be easier.

It’s easier for them to believe there is a high god as the lord in heaven who has withdrawn from the immediate details of the governing of the world. This hidden or idle god​​​​​​​ is one who has delegated all work on earth to nature spirits which are the forces or personifications  of the forces of nature. And then there are those who worship all creation such as animals, bugs and whatever, but they do not recognize, accept or worship the Creator.

Much to our dismay, it is understandable that human being would worship nature. In this world it is all we see and know, it is everything to us. But nature is amoral, and therefore unworthy of worship. But God is preoccupied with good and evil  and justice. Nature is occupied by blind forces and the law of survival of the fittest. That is why Scripture is all about God.

The Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 1:2​​​7 “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools… Who change the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.”

For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections. Our Creator God proved He was and is the one true god to all the Egyptians as well as to his own people the Hebrews. 

⇛ continue reading Exodus – Part 19
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Exodus 6:26

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “bring forth the Israelites from the land of Egypt, troop by troop.”

Anyone who has been in the military should recognize the command bring them forth ‘troop by troop’. This is a military command and the Lord uses it to emphasize the force with which God will deliver the Israelites from Egyptian bondage. Moses was to speak to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt with full authority.

This is the point at which Moses reverts to his same ole whine of, “I am of impeded speech”, as if this will allow God to not expect him to speak to the King of Egypt.

God’s reply was, “See, I place you in the role of God to Pharaoh, with your brother as your prophet.” Or more clearly translated he says, “Your brother is your spokesperson”.

Saying Moses is standing in God’s stead becomes a real problem when we remember that Pharaoh and his people believe Pharaoh is a god. Next the Lord told Moses, “I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, that I may multiply My signs and marvels in the land of Egypt”.

Now because Moses knows that God will harden Pharaoh’s heart Moses does not have to chastise himself for Pharaoh’s lack of cooperation. We are now at the point where we will see the plagues God enacts. And since we all remember at least most of them, it seems a good spot to get a better understanding of them. There are actually three major purposes for the Ten Plagues.  The first and most obvious reason is to force Pharaoh and the Egyptians to “Let God’s people go”!

The second reason for the plagues is to punish Pharaoh and the Egyptians for the terrible suffering they inflicted on the Israelites for over 400 years. We know the length of time they were in captivity because of the complete genealogy of the family.

Abraham left Haran, because of the promise of God at the age of 75.
Before he turned 85, God told Abraham his descendant’s will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and they will be servants there and be afflicted for 400 years.
At the age of 85 Abraham took Hagar as his wife and she conceived Ishmael.
At age 86, Ismael, Abraham’s first son is born. His second son Isaac is born when Abraham is 100.
When Abraham is 105 years Ishmael mocked Isaac.Then when Abraham is 140 years old Isaac married Rebekah.
Abraham was 160 when Esau and Jacob were born. Isaac was 60.
Abraham then died at the young age of 175. Jacob was 15 years old.
When Isaac was 151 years and Jacob was 91, Joseph is born.
Isaac died at 180 years old, Jacob is 120 and Joseph is 29.
Jacob dies at 147 years and Joseph is 56. Joseph dies at age 110.
Moses is born 64 years after Joseph dies.
When Moses is 80 he and his brother Aaron speak to Pharaoh which begins the exodus from Egypt.
All this adds up to the fact that they were in captivity In Egypt for four hundred and thirty years.

We know God is a God of Justice. Yes, He allowed His people to be captive for four hundred and thirty years because of disobedience, but now is the time for justice. It’s then we get to the third reason for the plagues; it was to demonstrate to the Israelites and to the Egyptians that God, not the gods of Egypt including Pharaoh, is the real God.

God allowed much suffering before he kept his promise.  But we always have to remember trusting God includes trusting God’s timing.   Patience is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit as seen in Galatians 5:22 God clearly is pleased when we exhibit patience.  

We are told in Psalm 37:7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him for God is good to those who wait for Him. But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength.

So remember when your patience is nearing its end that God operates according to His perfect schedule, not ours. We must always remember our timing is never God’s timing, and God’s timing is never early and it’s never late. Patience comes when we learn to trust God.

⇛ continue reading Exodus – Part 18
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Exodus 6:23

Following along in Exodus we are in the middle of the genealogy of Moses. We know that Moses’ and Aaron’s parents were Amram their father, and Jochebed was their mother.   To make it more confusing in the family tree their mother was Moses’ and Aaron’s great aunt. Yes, Amram married his father’s sister! Since there was no law against marrying your aunt, at this time, the law against marrying a blood relative didn’t come until after they left Egypt. 

We know God created Adam, the first man; and Eve, the mother of all the living. And they were to be fruitful and multiply. So, of course children from that family grew up and paired up and had many, many children. It was not a problem because the gene pool had not yet been contaminated so there were no adverse conditions created that now come with inter marriage. No harmful genetic traits had emerged at this point that could have been expressed in the children of closely related partners.

They seemed to appear after the flood of Noah. Solar and cosmic radiation, chemical and viral mutagens, and DNA replication errors, led to the multiplication of genetic disorders.  God protected His people by instituting strict laws against incestuous marriages in the eighteenth chapter of Leviticus.   They actually came when Moses was given the law about 2,500 years after Adam and Eve.  Going back to the genealogy of that family we would expect to see Moses’s children listed next, but we don’t.

The first son Moses and Zipporah had was Gershom. At the time of his birth Moses declared, “I have become a foreigner in a foreign land”. He named him Gershom which means “sojourner there.”

The birth of Gershom seemed to be a sign for Moses that he had done the right thing by fleeing from Egypt. Moses and Zipporah then had a second son and named him Elezer, which means “God is my helper”.  He is the son who Zipporah circumcised.

To go back to this episode, we are told, Moses who was about to lead a circumcised people out of Egypt was so busy he forgot to circumcise his own son. That is why Zipporah completed that task and told Moses “You are a bridegroom of blood to me.”

It could appear that Moses was so busy leading the Hebrews out of Egypt and with the work of the Israelites that he didn’t have time to nurture his own two sons. In fact only one son, Eliezer is mentioned twice in the Torah, or the Pentateuch as we know it., and then he is only mentioned as Moses’ son. We can only guess why those two sons seem to be neglected in this passage of Scripture unlike the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Aaron, it’s easy to assume Moses was much too busy with the Hebrews to pay much attention to his own two sons. The genealogy then continues with the son of Korah, whose name was Eleazar and he had a son named Phinehas.

The reasons for keeping or checking our own family’s genealogy pales in comparison to that of the Hebrews. Family lists and genealogies are a prominent part of the Old Testament books. These genealogies were obviously important to Israel, and the Jews kept meticulous records.
One reason family history was important to Israel is that it proved one’s identity as a Jew, a partaker of the blessings of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and part of the people chosen by God. If a person was not a Jew, he or she could not truly be a Jewish citizen and participate in all of the aspects of Jewish life and culture.

Family history was also important due to where one lived. Each of the Jewish tribes had received a land inheritance in Israel. For a person to inherit land 
in a particular tribal area required evidence that he was descended from that particular tribe. Genealogies were essential to proving whether a Jewish male could serve in the Levitical priesthood. Priests could only be from the tribe of Levi and descendants of Aaron, the brother of Moses. If a man could not prove this connection, he was unable to serve as a priest. A family’s history could also show an affiliation with people of significance.

Today, people delight in finding proof that their ancestors are famous people, such as John Adams or Wyatt Earp. In the same way a Jew descended from someone like Moses or Gideon was considered to possess a significant blessing.
Genealogies emphasized the importance of the family unit in Jewish culture. Traditional Jewish culture emphasized marriage between a man and a woman who were responsible for raising children and continuing the legacy of their family with the next generation. The Jews took seriously their responsibility to continue the line that would bring honor to the family name.

Finally, the genealogies of the Jews were important in tracing the line of the Messiah. The Old Testament made it clear that the Messiah would be the Son of David so records of family history were vital. Matthew and Luke both include genealogies of Jesus in their Gospels to show Jesus’ connection to David. Matthew’s Gospel, written for Jews, traces Jesus’ genealogy to Abraham. Luke’s Gospel, written for Gentiles, traces Jesus’ genealogy all the way back to Adam.

⇛ continue reading Exodus – Part 17
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