Moses and the plague
Most of us wish God would speak as plainly to us as he did to Moses. If God called from a burning bush, I'd know it was God. If God sent ten plagues to my enemies, I'd know it was God. If God led me by a pillars of fire and cloug, parted the Red Sea and killed my enemies who had also just given me all of their jewelry because they liked me . . . okay that's weird, but I'd know it was God.
The Israelites needed this kind of miracle. They'd been in a foreign land, forced to serve another master and God had become foreign to them. God, in a very powerful way, reintroduced himself. Pharoah, essentially had been their God. He used slave drivers and foremen. He made them work harder and harder. The more God worked, the harder Pharoah made them work--taking away their straw they used to make bricks. (I can identify. I taught High School English.) Their yoke under Pharoah was hard. I think it is important to note that when God comes, the first demand he makes of the Israelites is that they perform the Passover, and then they are to celebrate. How odd that the first demand of your God, whom you have not heard from in 400 years, is Celebrate!
So far this passover thing is looking great! I'd love to do nothing for a week except cook.
The main theme of today is unmistakeable. God is God. He is in control. He is the one who delivers from slavery. He sets us free. We are never to forget. In fact, he demands the first born of every womb and every first born son must be redeemed. All of this echoes back to Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac.
One other thing: It seems in every culture that the first born child is very important. That something is key to being first born. Typically inheritance and kingship is passed down to the first born, but it seems that God often uses the youngest child. Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, David, these are all youngest sons.
The Israelites needed this kind of miracle. They'd been in a foreign land, forced to serve another master and God had become foreign to them. God, in a very powerful way, reintroduced himself. Pharoah, essentially had been their God. He used slave drivers and foremen. He made them work harder and harder. The more God worked, the harder Pharoah made them work--taking away their straw they used to make bricks. (I can identify. I taught High School English.) Their yoke under Pharoah was hard. I think it is important to note that when God comes, the first demand he makes of the Israelites is that they perform the Passover, and then they are to celebrate. How odd that the first demand of your God, whom you have not heard from in 400 years, is Celebrate!
So far this passover thing is looking great! I'd love to do nothing for a week except cook.
The main theme of today is unmistakeable. God is God. He is in control. He is the one who delivers from slavery. He sets us free. We are never to forget. In fact, he demands the first born of every womb and every first born son must be redeemed. All of this echoes back to Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac.
One other thing: It seems in every culture that the first born child is very important. That something is key to being first born. Typically inheritance and kingship is passed down to the first born, but it seems that God often uses the youngest child. Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, David, these are all youngest sons.
posted by Leslie at 11:23 AM
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