Monthly Archives: May 2024

EXODUS 6 GOD’S PROMISE OF DELIVERANCE

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May 5

EXODUS 6

But the Lord said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.”

2 God spoke to Moses and said to him, “I am the Lord. 3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty,but by my name the Lord I did not make myself known to them. 4 I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they lived as sojourners. 5 Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel whom the Egyptians hold as slaves, and I have remembered my covenant. 6 Say therefore to the people of Israel, ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. 7 I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptian.

                                                                      – Exodus 6:1-7

EXODUS 6 GOD’S PROMISE OF DELIVERANCE

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When Moses cried to God for the burdens that the Israelites were going through

The Lord heard him and shared with him what he was going to do to Pharaoh

God reiterated to Moses his promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob

And because he has heard the people’s cry, he will deliver them soon

The Lord promised to be their God and he will be their people

He will redeem them with outstretched arm and with miracles.

It is amazing how patient God is to Moses when he confronts him about the burdens of the Israelites, as if God doesn’t know that already. We humans are very limited with our knowledge and we don’t see everything, but God is Omniscient and Omnipotent. How loving God was that he didn’t take offense with the groans of Moses and the Israelites. Instead, he assured them of what he was going to do to Pharaoh and the promise of deliverance from this tyrant. God hears our cries but he doesn’t always rescue us in our time frame. He allows suffering to grow our dependence on him and to strengthen our faith. He wants us to go down on our knees until we let him have all the power and glory.

REFLECTION

  • Share how God has delivered you from some of the adversities you went through.

EXODUS 5 BLAMES, GROANS & IMPATIENCE

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May 4

EXODUS 5

19 The foremen of the people of Israel saw that they were in trouble when they said, “You shall by no means reduce your number of bricks, your daily task each day.” 20 They met Moses and Aaron, who were waiting for them, as they came out from Pharaoh; 21 and they said to them, “The Lord look on you and judge, because you have made us stink in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.”22 Then Moses turned to the Lord and said, “O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me? 23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not delivered your people at all.”

                                                                        – Exodus 5:19-23

EXODUS 5 BLAMES, GROANS & IMPATIENCE

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When Pharaoh ordered to take the straw away and give them more work

The Israelites met with Aaron and Moses and blamed them for asking Pharaoh

If they didn’t ask the king to let them go, they would have had the same burdens

So, Moses came to God and groaned and showed his impatience at their predicament.

We hear a lot of groaning, blaming and impatience in this account. The Israelites blamed Moses for asking Pharaoh to let them go to worship the Lord in the mountains. If he had not done so, the straws would have been supplied and they could have continued to work with the loads of task given to them already. They felt they were punished for something they didn’t deserve to get any more than the burdens they already have. Removing the straw supplies which they now have to supply themselves and produce the same amounts of bricks they were making was more abuse and cruelty.

It is human nature to find someone or something to blame for situations that make us suffer. We are by nature selfish and we are prone to make things comfortable for ourselves. Naturally, when we are challenged with more adversities, we try to make sense of it. We want to be in control of the situation so that we can say to ourselves that we are okay and we did well. Instead of groaning or being impatient, couldn’t we run to the throne of God instead and wait for his wisdom and ask for endurance?

REFLECTION

  • What instigated Moses to accuse God of doing evil to the Israelites in v.23?

EXODUS 5 MORE INJUSTICE FOR THE ISRAELITES

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May 3

EXODUS 5

10 So the taskmasters and the foremen of the people went out and said to the people, “Thus says Pharaoh, ‘I will not give you straw. 11 Go and get your straw yourselves wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced in the least.’” 12 So the people were scattered throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. 13 The taskmasters were urgent, saying, “Complete your work, your daily task each day, as when there was straw.” 14 And the foremen of the people of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten and were asked, “Why have you not done all your task of making bricks today and yesterday, as in the past?”15 Then the foremen of the people of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, “Why do you treat your servants like this? 16 No straw is given to your servants, yet they say to us, ‘Make bricks!’ And behold, your servants are beaten; but the fault is in your own people.” 17 But he said, “You are idle, you are idle; that is why you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.’ 18 Go now and work. No straw will be given you, but you must still deliver the same number of bricks.”  – Exodus 5:10-18

EXODUS 5 MORE INJUSTICE FOR THE ISRAELITES

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

After Moses asked Pharaoh to let the Israelites worship God

Pharaoh ordered his taskmasters to give them more work

The Israelites have to get their own straw to make bricks

Their foremen were beaten up and told that they were idle.

The Israelites didn’t know that the Lord made Pharaoh’s heart hardened. Only Moses and Aaron knew this, so it is only understandable that they would ask Moses why there’s more abuse done to them. Because the king didn’t know the Lord, he was dubious about their practice to worship their God in the mountains. Instead of believing them, he suspected they were trying to use that excuse to be idle.

When we don’t know God, we will automatically live in the lies that the world system propagates. The world’s system is about control and power and subjugation. So, the king only did what he knew best, to add more burden to the Israelites and terrorize them.

REFLECTION

  • What should Christians do when injustice is done to them?

EXODUS 5 PHARAOH’S HARDENED HEART

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May 2

EXODUS 5

Afterward Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.’” 2 But Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and moreover, I will not let Israel go.” 3 Then they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword.” 4 But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people away from their work? Get back to your burdens.” 5 And Pharaoh said, “Behold, the people of the land are now many, and you make them rest from their burdens!” 6 The same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their foremen, 7 “You shall no longer give the people straw to make bricks, as in the past; let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8 But the number of bricks that they made in the past you shall impose on them, you shall by no means reduce it, for they are idle. Therefore they cry, ‘Let us go and offer sacrifice to our God.’ 9 Let heavier work be laid on the men that they may labor at it and pay no regard to lying words.”

                                                                   – Exodus 5:1-9

EXODUS 5 PHARAOH’S HARDENED HEART

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When Aaron and Moses approached Pharaoh to ask for permission

They asked him if they could allow the Israelites to worship their God

Pharaoh’s anger was kindled when the people will stop working hard

So, he ordered his taskmasters not to give them straw to make bricks.

Moses and Aaron followed the instruction of the Lord to go to Pharaoh and release the Israelites so they could worship their God. As the Lord told Moses, he will make his heart hardened. Pharaoh dismissed the importance of the people to worship their God in the wilderness. He didn’t care about their God. He only cared about them not stopping their work so that he could have his way. Even our hearts are ruled by God. He can always do what he wants with it.

REFLECTION

  • What do you think Moses was thinking when Pharaoh responded with a “no?”

EXODUS 4 AARON AND MOSES MEETS WITH THE ISRAELITES

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May 1

EXODUS 4

24 At a lodging place on the way the Lord met him and sought to put him to death. 25 Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son’s foreskin and touched Moses’feet with it and said, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!” 26 So he let him alone. It was then that she said, “A bridegroom of blood,” because of the circumcision.27 The Lord said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” So he went and met him at the mountain of God and kissed him. 28 And Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord with which he had sent him to speak, and all the signs that he had commanded him to do. 29 Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the people of Israel. 30 Aaron spoke all the words that the Lord had spoken to Moses and did the signs in the sight of the people. 31 And the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had visited the people of Israel and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped.   – Exodus 4:24-31

EXODUS 4 AARON AND MOSES MEETS WITH THE ISRAELITES

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

At a lodging place on his way to Egypt, God wanted to put Moses to death

He hasn’t obeyed the covenant promise of his son’s circumcision

His wife Zipporah had to circumcise her own son which she loathed

Then Moses proceeded to meet his brother Aaron at the mountain of God

He told Aaron what was God’s directive to him and to his brother

They gathered the Israelite elders and relayed God’s message to them.

In this account we can be surprised by verse 24. God wanted to put Moses to death. One can wonder why he would want this when he initially chose him to deliver his people. Is it because of his false humility that he cannot do the task? Is it Moses’ constant justification that he isn’t cut to do what he wanted him to do? Verse 25 gives us a clue of why God’s wrath was kindled. He hasn’t even circumcised his son. It was a requirement of God from his people to have all male circumcised. Interestingly, his wife Zipporah did the circumcision ritual which was supposed to be done by Moses himself. In verse 26, we are given a clue that she must have left Moses on his own to meet his brother because he was going to deliver God’s people. The Israelites believed after seeing the miracles.

REFLECTION

  • Why do you think God chose Moses who lacked faith and always resisting?