In the very first chapter of Exodus, it says: "come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country"(Exodus 1:10). I found this a little bit...confusing. I cannot help but wonder why the Egyptians seem to think that the Hebrews would fight against them. why would they? By this point, this generation has pretty much all been born in Egypt, so why would they fight against the land, the country, they have all been born in and grown in? maybe the Egyptians knew how badly they treated the Hebrews. Still, it seems a bit...confusing to me why they are so quick to supreme that these people would fight against them and leave the country, when this country is all this generation has ever know. Another point where I was a bit confused, is the part later would Pharaoh's daughter finds Moses, and his sister asked if she should go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse him for her. my confusion, is that we are told that Moses' sister stood a distance away, so how could she be right there to be able to ask this question? Maybe she walked up, but it seems a little...impolite for a Hebrew slave to just walk up to the daughter of the Pharaoh. Also, when Pharaoh's daughter names him Moses because she drew him up from the water, and the footnote says that the name sounds like the Hebrew word for "draw out", I wonder how she knew that. It means that she must have known Hebrew, and that seems odd to me, that she would know the language of the slaves. I wonder if this was common. Did the Egyptians speak Hebrew, did the Hebrew speak Egyptian? Seems more like that the Hebrew would have to learn Egyptian. After all, why would they bother to learn the language of their slaves?
"the man said 'who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian? 'then Moses was afraid and thought 'what I did must have become known"(Exodus 2:14). When I read this, I thought about how hard it is when you think you're helping someone, but your really not. Or you do something to help someone, and they don't appreciate it at all or they don't see it as you helping. I don't think I've ever really had this happen(at least that I know of)but I'm sure at some point in all our lives, it will. Just like Moses. He killed that Egyptian to help, to save someone, but they did not see it as helping and he ended up having to flee Egypt into the desert. All for trying to help someone. However, I do also think it a tiny bit hypocritical that here was is, having Killed someone, and he's trying to stop two people from fighting? Yes, he was trying to help and I can understand, but still, bit hypocritical.
" 'and where is he?' he asked his daughters. 'why did you leave him invite him to have something to eat"(Exodus 2:20). This is what Reuel, a priest in the desert who had 7 daughters, whom Moses rescued from shepherds at a well and drew water for them and even watered their flock. This is after Moses flees Egypt. This made me smile because it's so a Dad thing to say: a man saved you? Invite him over to dinner!" especially a father with 7 daughters you know? Made me smile.
"there the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bus was on fire, it did not burn up"(Exodus 3:2). When I read this most-likely very well known verse, I thought about how God is not always subtle in trying to reach us. A lot of times He is, and we always have to be looking and thinking and feeling very carefully, so that we may be able to understand when He is trying to reach us. Yet often times, like in the burning bush, God is not subtle. He reaches you in such a way that there is NO WAY you can not know He is trying to reach you. Except for my Southern Hills Bookmark "Event"(for lack of a better word)I don't think I've ever had a super obvious, no way I could miss, moment of God trying to reach me. I hope someday to have a "burning bush" moment. I must confess, that just like Jamie Sullivan in A Walk To Remember(the movie)I've always wanted to witness a miracle. And having a burning bush moment with and from God, would DEFINETLY count as a miracle.
The verse in which it says that Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look at God, made me wonder if I would be afraid to look at God. I would looove to be able to at least for a few seconds, listen to His voice or see His face. Yet if given the amazing Blessing and Miracle to do so, would I too be afraid to look at His face? To look at a Being so perfect and Holy and good?
"but Moses said to God 'who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?' "(Exodus 3:11). I have heard lots of lectures from professors and sermons in church about this, how Moses gives every excuse to God to not go, to send someone else. While not saying that is not a valid point, I could not help but think when I read this verse, that this is a valid question on the part of Moses. Not saying that he shouldn't have trusted God, but it seems like a logical question to ask. By this point, he would have been long gone from Egypt for many years, on the run no less, living in the desert as a mere shepherd. He would not have felt adequate enough to do this mission that God has chosen for Him. We may...not look down on necessarily but...think that Moses should have responded with more Faith, more Trust, and not saying he shouldn't have, but if we were in that position, if we are being honest, would we not have done and/or said the same thing? Don't we do and say the same thing in our lives today? we feel like God is calling us to do something, and we don't feel good enough, or prepared enough, or old enough, or young enough, or strong enough, or educated enough or loud enough or outgoing enough, etc. to do it?
"...This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation."(Exodus 3:15). I'm sure that we are all familiar, or at least have heard of, the "I am who I am" response from God to Moses, when Moses asks Him what if the Israelites ask him His name. when I read this part of that response, I thought about how to me, God seemed to be saying that He wont change. That who He is, will never every change, from generation to generation, He will be the same God, He will be unchanged. He will be who He is. So different from out mindset today. we are encouraged to improve ourselves, even in our relationship with Him we are encouraged and strive to improve it, always strive to make ourselves better, make our lives better, and here is God saying: I wont change. I wont improve nor diminish, because there is nothing to improve on. Who He is always is and has been...perfect and perfectly good. I think I'm starting to understand what the word "Holy" truly signifies, other than being a religious word.
"but I know that the King of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty hand compels him"(Exodus 3:19). This verse struck me because I couldn't help but think about how often we ourselves are like the King of Egypt. Oftentimes, we are so unwilling to let something go, whether it be a person, an emotion, our comfort zone, a material possession, control, anger, etc. that we have to forced by a mighty hand to be compelled to do so. I know this sounds a little bit strange, but it's what I got out of this verse and what I thought. So maybe, we should not necessarily look down on the King of Egypt for being soo unwilling to let them go, until a might hand forces him to. After all, we often are unwilling to let a lot of things go.
"so I will stretch out my hand and strike the Egyptians with all the wonders that I will perform among them. after that, he will let you go"(Exodus 3:20). When I read this(including verse 19), I thought about how God knew the whole story. Here, we are foreshadowed about the upcoming 10 plagues. God already knew all that was going to happen. I know that I know this and believe it, but it's nice to be...reminded every so often. God knows the entire story. He still does.
"and I will make the Egyptians favorably disposed toward this people, so that when you leave you will not go empty handed"(Exodus 3:21). This verse made me think about how God knows and thinks and provides all of our needs. God knew that they would need food, supplies, water, etc. when they left Egypt, and He had it worked out. Pretty cool, I think :)
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