Silly Egyptians

Every time I read Exodus I am amazed at how hard Pharaoh tried to hold onto the Isrealites. All through the 10 plagues and then even pursuing them into the desert and finally into the Red Sea. I guess it is kind of like us holding onto our old ways - that is our sin, our pride and our will to be in control of our own lives. We say to God, "Okay - You are Lord and Savior." We turn our lives over to God, but then we keep taking our lives back! The power struggle with God has got to stop. Our own desire's, our favorite sin's, our own self interests must finally be thrown into the sea, never to return again.

Exodus 15:1-2 Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD:

"I will sing to the LORD, for he is highly exalted.
The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea.
The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.
He is my God, and I will praise him....
(from New International Version)

Amen

Overkill (the animals)

I have read the last few days' readings of the Daily Bible on the plagues of Egypt. I have a question for anyone who might read this. Read the account of the 10 plagues in Exodus. At one point God uses a plague which kills all of Egypt's animals. The NIV used the word all. The horses, the livestock, the sheep and the goats. Then a couple of plagues later God sends a hailstorm. The text says that the Israelites and the God fearing Egyptians took their slaves and their livestock in from the fields, those that were left out were killed. I started to wonder where the Egyptians got the replacement livestock. Finally, the last plague killed all the firstborn. Including the firstborn of the animals. That is 3 killings of the animals.

Was there a long time between each plague? Did the first one not really mean all? How were there enough horses left for Pharoah to muster his chariots and army to chase the Israelites at the Red Sea?

In the next couple of days I hope to investigate this, but meanwhile I thought I'd post the question in case any one else has any thougts.

God Sings!?!

God invented us in His image and we sing, so I guess I should not be too surprised to read that God himself sings! Zephaniah 3:17 is my 2nd memory verse and it has become one of my favorites:

• The LORD your God is with you. He is Mighty to Save. He takes great delight in you. He quiets you with His love. He will rejoice over you with singing.

This verse, on its own sounds like a great personal promise, and I hope I can take it that way. I am not sure. Looking at it, in its context, it is part of a prophecy regarding the restoration of Israel. Read Zephaniah 3:10-20. I will need to do some research regarding this. Is this in reference to the restoration of Jerusalem that took place after WW II or is the final restoration prophesied in the end times. It looks to me to be in reference to the end times Jerusalem.

In the mean time I hold to the thought that when I am doing Jesus will, when I am abiding in His presence - He is delighted with me! He calms me! He sings over me!

The Daily Bible reading for January 22-23 is the first part of Exodus: Moses - I am part way through the plagues. The calling of Moses at the burning bush has been forever planted in my mind through a sermon I saw by Louie Giglio at the NAAC convention a few years back. God's name is I AM. That is the verb: to be in its present tense. I think it is cool that God simply identifies Himself as the God WHO IS! There is no other God! Everything that happens is part of HIS plan and HIS will. I sometimes stress because I want to see things happen in 'my' ministry that don't ever seem to come to be. But as Rick Warren pointed out in the intro of Purpose Driven Life - It is not about me! It is not about my ministry! It is about Him and whatever he is working in and through me and those around me. God put Moses in the land of Midian, tending sheep for 40 years before he called him to lead the people out of Israel. I'll just have to be content with tending the sheep I have until God chooses to use me otherwise.

Psalms 86:5 T

You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you.

I memorized this 1st scripture a while ago, but this morning I read the full Psalms 86. I took some time to personalize it in prayer...

Today's reading from the Daily Bible was the last part of Genesis - Israel's blessing of his 12 sons. As I read it I wondered about a couple of things. I am not sure if the specifics of some of the blessings are verified later in the Bible. For example, it made a point of Israel's placing Joseph's younger son Ephraim ahead of the older son Manasseh. I guess you would have to study the ancient Israel history to see if Ephraim became dominant compared to Manasseh. The obvious prophetic blessing was the blessing given to his son Judah:
Gen 49:8-12
"Judah, your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; your father's sons will bow down to you. You are a lion's cub, O Judah; you return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness--who dares to rouse him? The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his. He will tether his donkey to a vine, his colt to the choicest branch; he will wash his garments in wine,
his robes in the blood of grapes. His eyes will be darker than wine, his teeth whiter than milk.
(from New International Version)

The portions I have made red are prophetic of Jesus himself. Verse 8 could refer to the lineage of kings which descended from Judah - beginning with David, but Verse 10 states that the sceptor will not depart until He comes... and the obedience of the nations is His... This is the second coming I wait for.