Category: Exodus

Exodus 14:10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were afraid and cried out to the LORD.
The fear of the Israelites is understandable here. In front of them is the Red Sea, solid and impenetrable. Behind them, cutting off the only exit they have, is the Egyptian army. Kudos to the Israelites for calling out to God in their fear. That’s exactly the right thing to do.
Exodus 14:11 They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die?…”
However, after they call on God, they turn on Moses in their fear. They ridicule him for taking them away from the safety and security of the known into the danger of the unknown. Fear makes us feel powerless. Anger feels incredibly powerful, so as much as I want to judge the Israelites for their behavior, I cannot—because I have acted exactly the same way in situations where I was afraid.
Exodus 14:12a “Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? …”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the reminder that it is so easy and so dangerous to judge others when we don’t walk in their shoes. Thank You for the blessing of the Israelites calling out to You in their fear. What a gift to know who to call on, especially in times of distress. Help us not to give in to anger when we are afraid, Lord. Help us to cling to You. Draw us closer. Amen.
Exodus 14:12b … “It would be better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”
Have a blessed day.

Exodus 13:17a When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter….
I like routine. I find it very comforting to know what to expect, to know there won’t be any unexpected surprises. After over 400 years in slavery, the Israelites in Egypt were fully ensconced in routine. They knew they weren’t free, but they also knew exactly what to expect from life, what was expected of them, where their food came from, what the punishments were if they stepped out of line, etc. It wasn’t freedom. I’m sure it wasn’t easy, but it was predictable, and comfort can definitely be found in predictability. 
Exodus 13:17b …For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.”
But God doesn’t want us to just be comfortable. He didn’t send His son so that our lives could merely be predictable. He wants us to know freedom in Him, and freedom in Him can be messy, scary, unpredictable, uncomfortable, complicated. Jesus, Help me.
Exodus 13:18 So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. So the Israelites went up out of Egypt ready for battle.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the reminder that You call us to so much more in life than just comfort and predictably. Thank You that even in the midst of the upheaval You are in control, You are guarding and guiding us, You are our shield and our very great reward. Help us not to be afraid, but even when we are afraid, help our faith and trust in You to always be greater than our fear. Draw us closer. Amen.
Exodus 13:21 By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light….
Have a blessed day.

Exodus 12:28 The Israelites did just what the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron.
Twice in this chapter, here and in Exodus 12:50, we see the Israelites acting in obedience. They were not forced into obedience, just as we are not. They are not automatons with no capacity for individual thought and decision. Just like us, the Israelites had free will. They could choose to obey or not. And their obedience here led them toward freedom after 430 years in captivity.
Exodus 12:31 During the night, Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Up! Leave my people, you and the Israelites! Go, worship the LORD as you have requested.”
Even Pharaoh, who hardened his own heart so many times. Whose decision for a hardened heart was reinforced many times through God so that ultimately, God would be recognized and glorified, even Pharaoh finally obeys God’s direction, allowing, urging, exhorting the Israelites to “Leave my people!” 
Exodus 12:50 All the Israelites did just what the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the ability to choose You. I cannot imagine the anguish we cause You when we wallow in bad choices. It must break Your heart to know that one right choice would bring us straight to Your heart. But You understand that forced obedience is not obedience and that it has to be our choice for it to be meaningful. Help us, Lord, to seek You, to choose You, daily. Draw us closer. Amen.
Exodus 12:51 And on that very day the LORD brought the Israelites out of Egypt….
Have a blessed day.

Exodus 11:1a Now the LORD said to Moses, “I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt….”
I have a dear friend who is a gifted artist. She recently shared a series of pictures of her latest commission in process. Just like with speed videos she’s shared in the past, I was fascinated to see the progression from the chaos of the background with light sketching in pencil to the beauty of the finished piece. Seeing the final pieces of God’s plan for the Israelites begin to come together in Exodus 11 reminds me of watching the gifted strokes of an artist. 
Exodus 11:1b “…After that, he will let you go from here, and when he does, he will drive you out completely.”
God has a vision before the first brushstrokes hit the page. Where the uninformed see chaos, God’s building a firm base for what is to come. He didn’t just want Pharaoh to allow His people out for brief worship. He wanted them freed. He didn’t want His people destitute after years of forced labor. He wanted them compensated. He didn’t just want the Egyptians to let them go. He wanted the Egyptians to recognize His sovereignty. God, the Master, has this under control.
Exodus 11:2 “Tell the people that men and women alike are to ask their neighbors for articles of silver and gold.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for Your master plan. Thank You that You can see the final picture before You even lift the brush, that You can bring beauty and order from chaos and turmoil. Thank You that we are Your works in progress, masterpieces all, and that what seems like a mess from here is really just part of the firm base You are building for our good and Your glory. Draw us closer. Amen.
Exodus 11:3 (The LORD made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and Moses himself was highly regarded in Egypt by Pharaoh’s officials and by the people.)
Have a blessed day.

Exodus 9:12 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said to Moses.
The wording of Exodus 9:12 is troubling to me. As I was reading commentary, I paid close attention to why God would harden Pharaoh’s heart, what He was hoping to gain. The best answer I could gather was that already six times before, Pharaoh hardens his own heart and that here, God is just reinforcing the path Pharaoh has already chosen. And I think Exodus 9:16 gives us the answer to why that would be a desired course of action for God.
Exodus 9:15 For by now I [the LORD] could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with a plague that would have wiped you off the earth.
Ultimately, God wants us to choose Him. He wants us to recognize His love, mercy, power, sovereignty. He wants us to realize that we are His deeply loved children. He gives us life, and He gives us an invitation to choose Him, to fellowship with Him, to have a deep and abiding relationship with Him. But He will never force us. He lets us choose. 
Exodus 9:16 But I have spared you for this very purpose, that I might show you My power and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the opportunity to choose You and to shine Your light. Thank You for Your deep love of Your children and for not giving up on us, no matter how stubborn we are. Draw us closer. Amen.
Exodus 9:34 When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had stopped, he sinned again: he and his officials hardened their hearts.
Have a blessed day.

Exodus 8:8 Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Pray to the LORD to take the frogs away from me and my people, and I will let your people go to offer sacrifices to the LORD.”
As I first read through Exodus 8 this morning, I thought how similar my attitude sometimes is to Pharaoh, bargaining that if whatever is plaguing me would only stop, I would live as God wanted. And while there was certainly some of that in my relationship with my Savior when I was younger, I realized with clarity that that is absolutely no longer the case. At this point in my life, I strive in all things to grow closer to God. I’m not always as successful as I’d like, but that goal is always present.
Exodus 8:15 But when Pharaoh saw there was relief, he hardened his heart and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said.
My church did a series of weekly devotions during November. Many if them urged us to pay attention to certain details of our walk with Christ, not judging, just noticing. I’ve noticed through that experience and through my walk through Genesis and Exodus thus far that I’m still trying to take the reigns, to maintain control. That propensity still leads me to anger, fear, and bitterness. Jesus, Help me.
Exodus 8:19b …But Pharaoh’s heart was hard and he would not listen, just as the LORD had said.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder that I have grown in my walk with you, that I am not the same person I once was. Thank You for seeing my heart, for understanding my motivation—a deep desire to grow closer to You. Help me to give You my propensity for trying to take control. Help me to give up anger, fear, and bitterness, so that I can wrap myself fully in Your peace. Draw me closer. Amen.
Exodus 8:32 But this time also Pharaoh hardened his heart and would not let the people go.
Have a blessed day.

Exodus 7:6 Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD commanded them.
I am struck in this chapter by Moses’s obedience. After all of his excuses in chapter 6, repeatedly in chapter 7, he and Aaron do as the LORD commanded. 
Exodus 7:7 Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke with Pharaoh.
Lord, Thank You for the love and mercy You show repeatedly to Your people. I am seeing, again and again, that You can, will, and do use the most unlikely (and sometimes unwilling) characters. I know You, Lord. I love You. Help me to cling to You. Use me in Your kingdom work.
Exodus 7:10 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the LORD commanded.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for Your continued pursuit of Your loved ones, for Your ability to redeem and use even the deeply flawed. I know my flaws, Lord. And I know You are greater. Help me, Lord. Draw me closer. Amen.
Exodus 7:20 Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD commanded….
Have a blessed day. 

Exodus 6:1a Then the LORD said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh….”
At this point in the semester, I am mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted, and that exhaustion weighs heavily. It’s cyclic. I can pretty much count on being tapped out at this point each year. By now it seems like I would be able to lift my eyes from the overwhelming exhaustion and focus them on my precious Savior, but just like Moses, my gaze seems stuck on my stressors and obstacles instead of my mighty God.
Exodus 6:1b “…Because of my mighty hand he will let them go….”
I always try to find the message God has for me in scripture, and I truly think He is calling me yet again to focus on Him, trust Him, keep my eyes on Him. And classic Beth, classic Moses, instead of seeing my error and correcting it (Sorry, God. I’m focusing on my problems instead of You. Thank You for the refocus), I’m still stuck in this cycle of “I can’t. I’m not strong enough. The obstacles are too formidable.” Jesus, Help me break this cycle.
Exodus 6:1c “…because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, this scripture, this refocus. You are bigger than any struggle, stronger than any challenge. You have already won the war for my soul, and I know that because of You, I am more than a conqueror. Forgive me for failing to claim my victorious life in You. Help me to shift my focus from my exhaustion to my precious Savior. You are enough. Your power is sufficient. You’ve got me. Draw me closer. Amen.
Exodus 6:29 …He said to him, “I am the LORD. Tell Pharaoh king of Egypt everything I tell you.”
Have a blessed day.