In this case it is not about packing clothes or toiletries or even maps and checking reservations…Moses must take to Pharaoh God’s command to “let my people go”. It will be a dangerous task, filled with frustrations but with Arron at his side Moses sets out to convince the Pharaoh and prepare him for the eventual outcome of this battle of words and signs. To cover chapters six through twelve in full would challenge even the most avid blog reader. I do recommend that you take the time to read these chapters  to gain a thorough understanding of the story. I have listed below a brief scripture guide for each chapter…These are from William Henry’s commentary, Study Light.org. I will also include a short summary of each chapter.

6-God renews his promise. (1-9) Moses and Aaron again sent to Pharaoh. (10-13) The parentage of Moses and Aaron. (14-30)

7-Moses and Aaron encouraged. (1-7) The rods turned into serpents, Pharaoh’s heart is hardened. (8-13) The river is turned into blood, The distress of the Egyptians. (14-25)

8-The plague of frogs. (1-15) The plague of lice. (16-19) The plague of flies. (20-32)

9-The murrain of beasts. (1-7) The plague of boils and blains. (8-12) The plague of hail threatened. (13-21) The plague of hail inflicted. (22-35)

10-The plague of locusts threatened, Pharaoh, moved by his servants, inclines to let the Israelites go. (1-11) The plague of locusts. (12-20) The plague of thick darkness. (21-29)

11-God’s last instructions to Moses respecting Pharaoh and the Egyptians. (1-3) The death of the first-born threatened. (4-10)

12-The beginning of the year changed, The passover instituted. (1-20) The people instructed how to observe the passover. (21-28) The death of the first-born of the Egyptians The Israelites urged to leave the land of Egypt. (29-36) The Israelites’ first journey to Succoth. (37-42) Ordinance respecting the passover. (43-51)

In chapter six God tells Moses and Aaron that he will lead the Israelites out of Egypt to a promised land. Both of these men were from the tribe of Levi. Moses had augured that they would need a sign of some kind to impress the Pharaoh and in chapter 7 they have it in Aaron’s staff which turned into a snake. Impressive…but the Pharaoh’s  folks did the same with their staffs. Here again God wins out…While each of the Pharaoh’s folks staffs did turn into snakes …Aaron’s snake swallowed each of theirs. Still the Pharaoh was unmoved. God then told Moses and Aaron to meet the Pharaoh as he went down to the water in the morning. Pharaoh was told again to let the people go…Arron then struck the water of the Nile with his staff and it turned to blood. Because the Nile was a main tributary all the rivers, creeks and streams do likewise. There were eight plagues yet to come as God had harden the Pharaohs heart. While all of this may seem redundant it is in this manner that I wish to impress upon you the steadfast faith of Moses and Arron, along with the indisputable fact, that God was unrelenting in his desire to free his people. Remember also that the Jews there at that time also suffered with these plagues. Pharaoh continued to be hard hearted and turned a deaf ear to the commands of God as told to him by Moses and Aaron. God was unrelenting and continued those plagues. A plague of frogs was next and Pharaoh begged for relief but then hardened his heart. The LORD sent gnats and then flies. The LORD sent a plague of locusts and this time Pharaoh begged for relief but then his heart was hardened. The LORD sent darkness for three days. The LORD said that he would send one more plague, and then Pharaoh would let the Israelites go: all the firstborn Egyptians would die. 

Of course the book of Exodus doesn’t end at chapter 12, like all road trips it is just the beginning. There are a few points in chapter 12 that are worth noting. When the God becomes involved all things are made new. As God moves to take his people from Pharaoh to a promise of a better place and life, it was on this night the Feast of The Passover would be instituted. God appointed that, on the night wherein they were to go out of Egypt, each family should kill a lamb, or that two or three families, if small, should kill one lamb. This lamb was to be eaten in the manner here directed, and the blood to be sprinkled on the door-posts, to mark the houses of the Israelites from those of the Egyptians. We know that as the Angel passed over the people of Israel were spared from this last act of God. This Passover celebration was to be kept every year, both as a remembrance of Israel’s preservation and deliverance out of Egypt their safety and deliverance were not a reward of their own righteousness, but the gift of mercy. We seem to forget that it is best that we come to God’s terms, for he will never come to ours. It is best we stop here and look forward to another day to revisit this  book of Exodus. It is at this point that Pharaoh tells them to leave and the yoke of the Pharaoh is broken from their necks. They now began their long road trip. It will be a long and perilous journey….but remember this and I wish I had said it first…. It is not so much the journey but rather what happens along the way. This ragged bunch of people who had been demonized, abused and used for the Pharaohs labour needs will become a nation and will with God’s blessings cross over to the promised land. After all these years much of their faith and Jewish customs that defined them as God’s people being suppressed they will learn again as God instructs Moses and Aaron to prepare his people that they might be worthy of the blessings to come. Thus begins their forty year journey.

Thank you and God bless you for staying through this series. 

Life is Good

jk