Exodus – Page 10 – Be Still…

Exodus 10:1-29 – Never Again

Have you ever said to someone, “I never want to see you again!” That usually comes from a place of anger, desperation, or frustration. Pharaoh was clearly put out with Moses and Aaron. He must have figured that if he didn’t see them again the destruction of his land would end. That is only true in that the land would not be touched again. We hear that it was already destroyed, so there was nothing left to ruin.

But God wasn’t done. We’ll have to wait and see what is coming next. But for today, we have two more plagues of destruction. God sent more pests. Locusts this time would devour all signs of life on the vegetation of the land. It must have looked like a warzone with leafless trees and no vegetation providing color or life. And then came the darkness. Like no darkness we have ever seen, other than perhaps in the middle of a forest with no city lights to brighten the horizon.

Exodus 9:1-35 – This is Getting Old

Read Exodus 9:1-35

Today’s reading covers three more of the plague stories. Rather than read each separately, at this point it seems we understand what’s happening. God wants some attention. He also wants his people to be free from bondage. Moses and Aaron are the messengers he is empowering for the job. Pharaoh is the one he is toying with to keep the story going.

When you think of what has transpired so far, we have the water turning to blood, frogs, gnats, and flies. Today we have the plague affecting livestock, boils, and hail. This is all pretty nasty stuff. Thankfully, he is sparing his people in Goshen. And, Pharaoh’s magicians are not able to keep up with God anymore.

Exodus 8:16-32 – What’s the Buzz?

Read Exodus 8:16-32

It’s the warm season in Mexico now, and it seems like the bugs want to get in from the heat as well. Do you all know that buzzing you hear when a fly or mosquito is close by your ear? Well, I’ve heard that lately as I lay in bed trying to fall asleep. I seem to be a bug magnet and will often swat and the “invisible” pests in the dark. I can’t imagine having a swarm of them as in today’s reading. In general, I am not a fan of bugs. God’s sense of humor is clear in that we live in Mexico now where the bugs all seem so much bigger and more in love with me than ever before.

But for the people in Egypt, these pests were nasty. First gnats and then flies. What struck me is that the magicians couldn’t replicate the gnats, and it never said whether they tried flies or not. I loved how they told Pharaoh that the gnats were the “finger of God.” But Pharoah didn’t listen. God’s hardening was still at work. Interesting that the magicians recognized God at least.

Exodus 8:1-15 – Ribbit

Read Exodus 8:1-15

Here we go again. This time is frogs. God continues to work through Moses to free his people from their bondage. And, once again, the magicians follow suit. These plagues are not pleasant experiences for anyone in Egypt. Can you imagine frogs everywhere, jumping around, making noise, leaving their own mark? It wasn’t an enjoyable thing to be sure.

Here we see God clean up after himself (and the magicians). Part of his miracle was killing off all the frogs that had infested their lives. The Egyptian magicians weren’t found doing the same activity of riddance. We also see Pharaoh frustrated. He even called for Moses and Aaron and told them to remove these frogs.

Exodus 7:14-25 – Make God Known

Read Exodus 7:14-25

This is not my favorite reading I must admit. I am not a fan of blood or needles. I can’t even imagine not having water to drink. I drink a lot of water. If I had seen this up close and personal I would have been amazed at the miracle, even if I was totally woozy from seeing that much blood.

I understand that God was hardening Pharoah’s heart, he said he would. But what about these magicians. Who gave them permission to do the same thing. Talk about stealing God’s thunder. But then I stopped and thought, God may have used them to solidify the hardening.