Good morning! Or, to adapt from The Truman Show, good afternoon, good evening, or good night!
I found a couple of things interesting in today's reading. We read about a few more of the plagues that descended on Egypt because of Pharoah's refusal to allow the Israelites to leave. What interested me is that it mentions specifically that after the hail the barley and flax crops were utterly destroyed, but the wheat and spelt were not. So evidently it was not God's intention to utterly destroy the Egyptian people. They had lost much, very much, to be sure, but at least they wouldn't collectively starve to death. One thing I was confused about is that when the plague on the livestock occurred, it obliterated the horses, donkeys, camels, cattle, sheep and goats, yet when the plague on the firstborn comes along, this included the firstborn of the cattle. Perhaps enough time had passed that they had purchased more cattle, either from the Israelites, whose livestock were spared, or from others. Anyway, that's beside the point.
The other thing I found interesting is that Moses was highly regarded in Egypt, according to Exodus 11:3. Here's the man who comes and foretells all these awful plagues that come upon the people, and yet he is highly regarded, (by everyone except Pharoah, of course). I suppose this may be because many of the people recognize the power of the Hebrew God already by this time and recognize Moses as God's spokesman, or because everything Moses said has come to pass and therefore he is a prophet (or at least truthful), or possibly simply because God willed it that way. We know that the Egyptians were favourably disposed to the Israelites because that was God's will, as it said in Exodus 3:21-22 "And I will make the Egyptians favorably disposed toward this people, so that when you leave you will not go empty-handed. Every woman is to ask her neighbor and any woman living in her house for articles of silver and gold and for clothing, which you will put on your sons and daughters. And so you will plunder the Egyptians." (emphasis mine) This clarifies something that I've wondered before when reading about the Israelites wandering in the desert. I sometimes vaguely wondered where the silver and gold came from that they used first for the golden calf and later for the ark of the covenant. Since they were slaves in Egypt, it seemed they shouldn't have a lot of that kind of stuff. Suddenly it makes much more sense!
In Matthew, we read about the sheep being separated from the goats and it makes it quite clear that part of what we are commanded to do as God's people is to give. Give whatever we can to whomever is in need. Not just giving things I'm not using anymore because my house is becoming cluttered and it's annoying me, but making a "heart-titude adjustment" to see those in need of an act of service that I would often not notice but am capable of providing. The things in this passage are simple things. Things we may overlook. We don't have to go on a missions trip, or move to a third-world country. There are opportunities to do these things all around us.
Have a great day! Or, afternoon, evening or night.
Tomorrow's passage: Exodus 12-13; Matthew 26:1-35.
17 comments:
That IS curious about the livestock. I didn't catch that. Hmmm, interesting. You don't get the impression that there's really a whole lot of time in between each plague ~ I think in one place it mentions a week in between two of them ~ so yeah, you'd think there wouldn't have been enough time for the Egyptians to raise/purchase a whole lot more in between the livestock plague and the hail.
Unless the "all the livestock" in 9:6 is a relative term and that not literally every single one was destroyed, but that it was by far the vast majority. Enough to be able to say that virtually all had been destroyed.
We see that happening in other places where Israel destroys a pagan nation, but then later we find out there's still a remnant left. So maybe here, too, it's not a literal, complete and utter decimation, but complete enough that there isn't enough left to be worth much.
I also was confused with the livestock thing. Interesting thoughts! The Matthew passage really hit me today, that I need to give more and to do it joyfully.
I'm also doing a study in James, and we just recently read that giving to those who have no way to ever repay you, is true religion. That really caught my attention. So often our motives ruin what deeds we do. The receiver may still appreciate it, but God knows our heart and our true feelings behind what we do. I fear I give to myself way too often, and not enough to others. A joyful giving...the kind where you don't regret it, or want anything in return!
I love Luke 14:12-14 on that exact subject:
Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
It's almost like He's encouraging us to AVOID inviting the people whom we know will feel like they need to reciprocate and that being repaid here on earth is a bad thing! And certainly, next to eternal repayment, it really isn't that great at all.
I didn't catch that livestock thing either. Interesting. I did notice the side note about the wheat and spelt surviving and thought that was an indicator too that God never intended to starve them to death. My heart ached for Pharaoh's officials who no doubt believed that God would do exactly as He said he would. Were any of them there when Moses made the announcement that the first born son would die? Did any of the rush home knowing that this would be the last day of their son's life? But it was Pharaoh's decision to make and even with all of the advice from his officials, he had the final say. Just like in our own life, our decisions about things are our own and no one can make them for us-even if they can see things more clearly than we can.
It would be interested to see if one could dig up some historical information about how long after the plagues Pharaoh remained in power. It doesn't specifically say that he drowned with his army in ch. 14, but I imagine if he didn't, his countrymen may have wanted to oust him pretty badly!!!
This site seems to think he did not die in the Red Sea and then he ruled for another 22 years.
http://www.bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Library.sr/CT/BQA/k/102/Did-Pharaoh-of-Exodus-Drown-in-Red-Sea-Exodus-1428.htm
Can you imagine the iron grip he must have had then; for his people to not rise up against him and overthrow him after all he made them endure?! I guess we really have no concept of what living under that kind of rule meant. I think only of elected officials and how something far less significant than the 10 plagues and the annihilation of the armed forces would have seen them thrown out of office and probably tried for treason!!
I was surprised how long it was too. I also found this site
http://www.believersweb.org/view.cfm?ID=1069
that believes it was at least 50 days for all the plagues but that would not have been long enough to have first born cattle. I would guess that maybe they did acquire livestock from the Israelites or some other cross-border shopping. ;)
Interesting information, ladies! I never wondered about Pharoah, just assuming he drowned in the Red Sea.
Wait, I just read chapter 14 and a number of verses in the beginning (the clearest would be v. 6) specifically indicate that Pharaoh, himself, lead his own army in pursuit of the Israelites. And then at the end of the chapter, it says the entire army was destroyed and that no one survived. It seems to me that "Hard Heart Pharaoh" may have been destroyed here after all.
Lots of interesting thoughts here today ladies!
This story also demonstrates just how far-reaching our sinful decisions/actions can be - especially to people who are "innocent", at least of that particular sin.
Pharoah's choice caused misery for the entire nation of Egypt.
Most of our sins will not impact THAT many people, but the simple fact of the matter is that no one is an island. Our decisions do not only affect ourselves as individuals. And sin has major consequences.
Just curious - did the Egyptians have the option of participating in the Passover in order to spare their firstborns?
Also - in some passages it specifically states that certain plagues did not affect the Israelites, but in other passages that specification is not there. Did the Israelites escape all the plagues or just some of them?
I wondered about that too, Tammy.
Ex. 11:4-5 indicate not a single first-born Egyptian would be spared and that's confirmed in 12:29.
It doesn't appear they were given an option to save themselves and God specifically says He's doing it to make a clear distinction between the Egyptians and His chosen people.
I found this very detailed Bible Archaelogy site that has a ton of fascinating information in it.
http://www.truthnet.org/biblicalarcheology/5/Exodusarcheology.htm
It discusses the Pharaoh issue and whether or not he drowned in the Red Sea.
Looks like there's still no definitive answer!
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