God has just warned the people not to disobey Him but they strike out from beside the springs of living water and set off for the Desert of Sin, like the disobedient children they were. The immediately begin to sin also, grumbling about Moses and their plight.
My son spent some time in this very desert on the Arabian Penninsula a few years back during his Army service. He brought back pictures of camels running on the sandy, rocky terrain with just a few sprigs of vegetation here and there. I asked him how in the world they survived there with so little to eat. That is exactly what the Hebrews are grousing about at the beginning of Exodus 16. They wonder how they will eat. So God promises to send them food every morning. The food is an object lesson about our dependence on God. The manna would come down like snowflakes every morning and they were to gather only enough to feed them and their family through each day, except on the sixth day, when they would gather enough for two days so they could rest and worship God the following day. That is what we are supposed to do also. We are supposed to work hard six days a week, then spend one day resting and thanking God for what He has provided for us all week. Everyone needs at least one day a week to do this, or we become cranky and disorganized.
God sent bread from heaven in the mornings and caused quail to fly into the camp of the Israelites every evening so they would have plenty to eat and a variety of food. Instructions for the manna were to take an omer (about 2 quarts) for each person in the family and none was to be kept until the next day or it would spoil. Of course, some of them tried to gather more than they needed and it did spoil. It had maggots and it stank, which made Moses mad at them. Some of them also tried to gather manna on the day of rest, but there was none.
The Hebrew word manna means “what is it?” because the people had never seen anything like it. It was white and tasted good, like honey. An omer was kept to commemorate God feeding his people in the desert. The saved jar of manna was later placed in the Ark of the Covenant and I believe we will see this Ark again after the rapture.
The Israelites weren't aware at that time they would be eating manna for the next 40 years. The Lord led them on a very circuitous path out of Egypt because He knew they needed to learn many lessons before reaching the land they would settle in. Their next trial would be a lack of water. Again they grumbled and moaned about being thirsty. They thought they were going to die of thirst. They were threatening to stone Moses. God tells him to use his miracle working staff again to bring water from a rock in the sight of the tribal elders. Jesus is the rock that Moses is to strike with his staff, symbolizing the scourging He would later receive from the descendants of the elders when He becomes Living Water.
Their first challenge from the inhabitants of the land came in the desert in the form of attacking Amalekites at Rephidim. Moses knew there was power in the staff God gave him, so he promised to stand on top of a hill with the staff raised to God during the battle. As long as Moses held the staff skyward, the Hebrews were winning the fight, but when his arms tired and the staff was lowered, the Amalekites got the upper hand. So his brothers, Aaron and Hur came alongside Moses to help him hold the staff up until the battle was won by the Hebrew Army. Joshua was the general commanding the fight for the Hebrews.
God instructed Moses to write an account of the battle so it could be remembered because He had plans to completely obliterate the Amalekites. Until recently, scholars scoffed at the mention of Amalekites in the Bible, saying no archaeological evidence of such a people had ever been found. There has now been found artifacts with the inscription of Amalek. Moses built an altar on the location of the battle to give the glory to God.
Moses was separated from his wife and family when he returned to Egypt to lead the Hebrews out. His father-in-law has heard of all the exploits and knows Moses is nearby, so he brings his wife and two sons out to him.
Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, was a priest, but probably worshiped many Gods. Upon hearing all the Lord did for the Israelites to bring them out of Egypt, he became a believer in the one true God. Jethro observed all that Moses was trying to do for his people. Being older and wiser, he advised Moses to appoint officials to serve under him and deal with the people in groups with Moses representing them to God. Moses took Jethro's advice and the system he set up is the model for our own system of courts and judges today. Then, like a good father-in-law, Jethro went home.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Exodus 13 - 15
If I don't get cracking on this blog, it's going to take me longer than the Israelites wandered in the wilderness on their way to the Promised Land and that's all I'm going to say about that!
In Chapter 13, God gives instructions to the Israelites through Moses about how they are to commemorate their deliverance from slavery in Egypt. He instructs them to dedicate their firstborn children and animals as belonging to God. Just as Jesus was the firstborn of God, God begins to weave the story of Jesus into the storyline of the Hebrew people.
The firstborn animals are sacrificed on an altar, but the firstborn children were to be redeemed, never sacrificed. This not only speaks of the sacrifice of Christ, but also the redemption He offers to us.
The month was Abib in Hebrew--roughly corresponding with late March and early April on our calendar. They were to mark the days with feasting, but could eat nothing with leavening, or yeast, in it for seven days. Leavening is compared to sin in the Bible, where later Jesus would tell them a little leaven leavens the whole lump. That is like sin. A little sin spreads in a sinister fashion until it has affected everything it touches. If you let leavening work too long in a food, it will spoil the food. God wanted His celebration to be pure and sinless, like His Son.
God didn't lead the Hebrews straight into the Promised Land because that would have sent them directly into battle with the Philistines who lived there. Although they were armed for battle, God didn't want them to become discouraged so soon and turn back to the perceived safety of Egypt. Therefore, God led them through the desert, appearing as a cloud in front of them during the days and as a pillar of fire during the nights to give them light so they could keep going.
Moses kept the promise his ancestors had made to Joseph, who had foreseen the exodus back to the Promised Land, and took his embalmed body with them when they left Egypt.
Chapter 14 gives us the exact location where the Israelites encamped by the Red Sea just prior to their crossing, as they were being pursued by Pharaoh, who had, once again, changed his mind about letting them go. Pharaoh mustered his chariots and army and came after them.
When the Hebrews saw the Egyptian Army coming after them, they were afraid and began to moan about ever leaving Egypt. Moses basically told them to buck up and shut up. God then told Moses to raise his staff over the Red Sea to divide the waters and allow the Israelis to cross on dry ground. Both the cloud pillar and the angel of God placed themselves between the Israelites and the approaching Egyptian Army. The Hebrews were never in any danger. The Lord sent a strong east wind to drive the sea back and dry the ground where it had been. The Hebrews crossed the Red Sea all that night.
God allowed Pharaoh and his army to follow the Hebrews into the dry sea bed but, when all the Hebrews were on the other side, He threw the Egyptian Army into confusion and made the wheels of their chariots come off, making it hard for the horses to keep pulling them. Just when the Egyptians realized they were fighting against God, Moses was told to stretch out his hand over the sea and bring the water back into the sea bed. The whole Egyptian Army drowned, along with their horses and chariots.
The Bible says not one of them survived, and indeed, all these many centuries later, explorers have found what they believe to be the remains of chariot wheels in the bottom of the Red Sea at the exact location where the Bible says this crossing took place.
The moaning and crying of the Hebrews soon turned to praise to God, and Moses wrote a song of praise concerning the crossing that is recorded in Exodus 15. Moses' sister, Miriam, also wrote a short song and led the women in dancing and making music with tambourines in praise to God. However, their singing and praising soon turned back into grumbling and complaining as their desert wanderings began.
At the end of Chapter 15, God gives the Hebrews a law. "Listen carefully to God and do what is right in his eyes. If you do this," He says, "I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you." I have found this law still holds true today. The Lord blesses all his children, and He also tests all of us. Moreover, there is a principle here that works the same in the human family. If we, as parents, have a pleasing child who does their best to obey us, and also a disobedient, unruly child, which one is going to be favored?
I know, for I was the unruly one in a family of twelve, whose younger sister was the obedient one--it's going to be the one who does what the parents want out of a pure heart that just wants to please them. My parents tried hard, and did, meet all of our legitimate needs, however, my "pleaser" siblings seemed to get most of their wants met, also. God works in the same fashion. God designed the human parent-child relationship to work in the same basic ways that His relationship to us works. Sometimes when I get to thinking about all the parallels there are in this area, my mind becomes bogged down because there is a myriad of things to think about.
In Chapter 13, God gives instructions to the Israelites through Moses about how they are to commemorate their deliverance from slavery in Egypt. He instructs them to dedicate their firstborn children and animals as belonging to God. Just as Jesus was the firstborn of God, God begins to weave the story of Jesus into the storyline of the Hebrew people.
The firstborn animals are sacrificed on an altar, but the firstborn children were to be redeemed, never sacrificed. This not only speaks of the sacrifice of Christ, but also the redemption He offers to us.
The month was Abib in Hebrew--roughly corresponding with late March and early April on our calendar. They were to mark the days with feasting, but could eat nothing with leavening, or yeast, in it for seven days. Leavening is compared to sin in the Bible, where later Jesus would tell them a little leaven leavens the whole lump. That is like sin. A little sin spreads in a sinister fashion until it has affected everything it touches. If you let leavening work too long in a food, it will spoil the food. God wanted His celebration to be pure and sinless, like His Son.
God didn't lead the Hebrews straight into the Promised Land because that would have sent them directly into battle with the Philistines who lived there. Although they were armed for battle, God didn't want them to become discouraged so soon and turn back to the perceived safety of Egypt. Therefore, God led them through the desert, appearing as a cloud in front of them during the days and as a pillar of fire during the nights to give them light so they could keep going.
Moses kept the promise his ancestors had made to Joseph, who had foreseen the exodus back to the Promised Land, and took his embalmed body with them when they left Egypt.
Chapter 14 gives us the exact location where the Israelites encamped by the Red Sea just prior to their crossing, as they were being pursued by Pharaoh, who had, once again, changed his mind about letting them go. Pharaoh mustered his chariots and army and came after them.
When the Hebrews saw the Egyptian Army coming after them, they were afraid and began to moan about ever leaving Egypt. Moses basically told them to buck up and shut up. God then told Moses to raise his staff over the Red Sea to divide the waters and allow the Israelis to cross on dry ground. Both the cloud pillar and the angel of God placed themselves between the Israelites and the approaching Egyptian Army. The Hebrews were never in any danger. The Lord sent a strong east wind to drive the sea back and dry the ground where it had been. The Hebrews crossed the Red Sea all that night.
God allowed Pharaoh and his army to follow the Hebrews into the dry sea bed but, when all the Hebrews were on the other side, He threw the Egyptian Army into confusion and made the wheels of their chariots come off, making it hard for the horses to keep pulling them. Just when the Egyptians realized they were fighting against God, Moses was told to stretch out his hand over the sea and bring the water back into the sea bed. The whole Egyptian Army drowned, along with their horses and chariots.
The Bible says not one of them survived, and indeed, all these many centuries later, explorers have found what they believe to be the remains of chariot wheels in the bottom of the Red Sea at the exact location where the Bible says this crossing took place.
The moaning and crying of the Hebrews soon turned to praise to God, and Moses wrote a song of praise concerning the crossing that is recorded in Exodus 15. Moses' sister, Miriam, also wrote a short song and led the women in dancing and making music with tambourines in praise to God. However, their singing and praising soon turned back into grumbling and complaining as their desert wanderings began.
At the end of Chapter 15, God gives the Hebrews a law. "Listen carefully to God and do what is right in his eyes. If you do this," He says, "I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you." I have found this law still holds true today. The Lord blesses all his children, and He also tests all of us. Moreover, there is a principle here that works the same in the human family. If we, as parents, have a pleasing child who does their best to obey us, and also a disobedient, unruly child, which one is going to be favored?
I know, for I was the unruly one in a family of twelve, whose younger sister was the obedient one--it's going to be the one who does what the parents want out of a pure heart that just wants to please them. My parents tried hard, and did, meet all of our legitimate needs, however, my "pleaser" siblings seemed to get most of their wants met, also. God works in the same fashion. God designed the human parent-child relationship to work in the same basic ways that His relationship to us works. Sometimes when I get to thinking about all the parallels there are in this area, my mind becomes bogged down because there is a myriad of things to think about.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Exodus 10 - 12
"How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me?" is what God then had Aaron and Moses ask of Pharaoh, and this is the question he asks all persistent unbelievers. Pharaoh's officials even urged him to let the Israelites go at that time, and he listened, somewhat. Pharaoh is still trying to bargain with God. He calls Moses and Aaron in to tell them the men can go, but the Hebrew women and children must stay in Egypt. So begins the plague of locusts.
Locusts are an insect similar to a grasshopper. Here in Wyoming, we know what grasshoppers are all about. They are about eating every blade of grass and shrub they can, and when that is gone, they begin to eat fence posts, houses, trees, etc. I have even seen them eat each other. They were so thick one year, one would squish them on the roads as the vehicles rolled over them, and then their relatives would descend on the dead bodies to snack. This is what God sent upon Egypt. This time it says Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses to pray for deliverance from the locusts. He did not want to think about it for a day--he wanted it immediately. As quickly as they were gone, he again changed his mind, refusing to let the people go.
Then the sky turned dark and it says that Egypt was plunged into pitch-blackness for three days, except in the Land of Goshen where the Hebrews lived. People could not even go about it was so dark, so Pharaoh again relents a little. This time he said all the people could leave, but they were to leave their livestock there. God said, "No deal," and Pharaoh threatened Moses and Aaron's lives. Therefore, God had to take drastic measures.
God never brings calamity on us without warning. Moses warned Pharaoh that God was about to kill all the firstborn children and livestock in Egypt. God already knew Pharaoh would not listen to Moses in spite of all the plagues that had come upon him.
God then gave instructions for the “Passover” to the Israelites. They were to sacrifice yearling sheep or goats that had no defects according to how many people there were in the household. The blood of the animals was to be painted over their doorposts and they were to roast and eat the meat standing up, ready to be on the march.
The blood was a sign to the Angel of the Lord that the household believed in Him to save them. The Angel would "pass over" the house and not kill the firstborn. Then God instructed the Hebrews to commemorate the event later as the Feast of the Unleavened Bread. They were not to eat any raised bread or even have any yeast in their houses for seven days prior. Yeast is likened in the Bible to sin. "A little leaven leavens the whole lump," just like a little sin creeps into all areas of our lives.
So Moses relayed the instructions on to all the Hebrews, who followed them to the letter. That night, all the firstborn children and animals in Egypt, except those protected by blood on the doorposts, were killed. The Bible says there was loud wailing in Egypt, for there was not a house without someone dead.
Some people say, "How could a loving God do such a thing?" Well, we all have to die sometime. These children were better off because they would have lived Godless lives, died eventually and went to Hell. Instead, God took them to heaven. That is where all innocent children go if they die before they reach the age of knowing. Sometimes God has to do drastic things to get us to listen and acknowledge Him as God.
That very night, Pharaoh told Moses and Aaron to leave Egypt and take all their people and all their possessions. And he asked them to pray for him.
Hurriedly, the Hebrews gathered their things and prepared to march. God even caused the Egyptians to load them down with gold and silver and clothing on their way out. There was more than a half-million men alone in the Hebrew contingent as they left Egypt. How the tribes had multiplied in 430 years of living in isolation in Egypt. As they were on their way out, God gave them further instructions on how they were to memorialize the event for centuries to come.
Locusts are an insect similar to a grasshopper. Here in Wyoming, we know what grasshoppers are all about. They are about eating every blade of grass and shrub they can, and when that is gone, they begin to eat fence posts, houses, trees, etc. I have even seen them eat each other. They were so thick one year, one would squish them on the roads as the vehicles rolled over them, and then their relatives would descend on the dead bodies to snack. This is what God sent upon Egypt. This time it says Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses to pray for deliverance from the locusts. He did not want to think about it for a day--he wanted it immediately. As quickly as they were gone, he again changed his mind, refusing to let the people go.
Then the sky turned dark and it says that Egypt was plunged into pitch-blackness for three days, except in the Land of Goshen where the Hebrews lived. People could not even go about it was so dark, so Pharaoh again relents a little. This time he said all the people could leave, but they were to leave their livestock there. God said, "No deal," and Pharaoh threatened Moses and Aaron's lives. Therefore, God had to take drastic measures.
God never brings calamity on us without warning. Moses warned Pharaoh that God was about to kill all the firstborn children and livestock in Egypt. God already knew Pharaoh would not listen to Moses in spite of all the plagues that had come upon him.
God then gave instructions for the “Passover” to the Israelites. They were to sacrifice yearling sheep or goats that had no defects according to how many people there were in the household. The blood of the animals was to be painted over their doorposts and they were to roast and eat the meat standing up, ready to be on the march.
The blood was a sign to the Angel of the Lord that the household believed in Him to save them. The Angel would "pass over" the house and not kill the firstborn. Then God instructed the Hebrews to commemorate the event later as the Feast of the Unleavened Bread. They were not to eat any raised bread or even have any yeast in their houses for seven days prior. Yeast is likened in the Bible to sin. "A little leaven leavens the whole lump," just like a little sin creeps into all areas of our lives.
So Moses relayed the instructions on to all the Hebrews, who followed them to the letter. That night, all the firstborn children and animals in Egypt, except those protected by blood on the doorposts, were killed. The Bible says there was loud wailing in Egypt, for there was not a house without someone dead.
Some people say, "How could a loving God do such a thing?" Well, we all have to die sometime. These children were better off because they would have lived Godless lives, died eventually and went to Hell. Instead, God took them to heaven. That is where all innocent children go if they die before they reach the age of knowing. Sometimes God has to do drastic things to get us to listen and acknowledge Him as God.
That very night, Pharaoh told Moses and Aaron to leave Egypt and take all their people and all their possessions. And he asked them to pray for him.
Hurriedly, the Hebrews gathered their things and prepared to march. God even caused the Egyptians to load them down with gold and silver and clothing on their way out. There was more than a half-million men alone in the Hebrew contingent as they left Egypt. How the tribes had multiplied in 430 years of living in isolation in Egypt. As they were on their way out, God gave them further instructions on how they were to memorialize the event for centuries to come.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Exodus 7 - 9
When we left Moses in Chapter 6, he was arguing with God about being the one to lead Israel out of Egypt. When we take back up in Chapter 7, Moses is still arguing with God about that. One would think...but God is patient. Moses protests that Pharaoh will not listen to him because of his faltering speech. Finally, God convinces him to go along with his brother, Aaron, even telling Moses that he will be like God to Pharaoh, meaning he would represent God himself, and would have much power. It says Moses was 80 years old and Aaron was 83, but they lived longer those days.
Therefore, the wars of the miracles and plagues began when Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh to demand the release of the slaves. Aaron throws down his staff and it becomes a snake, but Pharaoh's magicians are able to duplicate the miracle, however, Aaron's snake quickly swallows up the snakes that come from the magicians' staffs. As God predicted, Pharaoh hardened his heart and refused to let the people go.
Then God instructs Moses to meet Pharaoh the next morning at the Nile River when he goes to bathe. Moses is to ask for the people's release again and, when Pharaoh refuses, he is to strike the Nile with his staff and it will turn to blood, killing all the fish and making the water unsanitary. Again, Satan gave the magicians the ability to duplicate the plague, so Pharaoh didn't believe that Moses' power came from God.
After a lull of seven days, God again instructs Moses to go to Pharaoh and threaten him with a plague of frogs. Frogs were worshipped in ancient Egypt, sort of as cattle are today in India, so Pharaoh had no fear of frogs. The plague of frogs commenced. There were frogs everywhere--in their beds, ovens, and dishes and wherever they could see. Pharaoh's magicians also called up frogs, which only compounded the problem. Isn't that the way sin works? Satan adds to our folly at all times.
Pharaoh gets tired of the frogs quickly, and asks Aaron and Moses to pray to their God to take them away. Apparently, his magicians couldn't reverse this plague. Here Pharaoh does a strange thing, though. Moses told him to set a time for the frogs to go away, so there would be no question of who caused the plague to cease, and Pharaoh says, "Tomorrow." Isn't that just like us? We want the consequences of our sin to go away, but we want to coddle the sin for just one more day. We don't want to quit drinking; we only want to slow down, etc. The frogs have another parallel with our sin. They stank. Twenty-four hours after Moses prayed, the frogs began to die in the houses and the courtyards and fields. They piled them up and they smelled bad. As soon as the frogs were gone, however, Pharaoh again changes his mind about letting the Israelites go, just as God said he would.
Then they called up gnats out of the dust of the ground, and Egypt is a dry, dusty place. This plague the magicians weren't able to duplicate. Even they had to admit this was the finger of God. God was really ratcheting up the pressure on Pharaoh and wanted him to know only He could cause these miracles.
Have you ever been attacked by a swarm of gnats? I have. They get up your nose, in your ears and eyes and sometimes you suck them in when you take a breath. It can drive one mad shortly. I have seen horses and dogs go almost insane from gnats bothering them. They burrow down in their ears and chew on them until they are just a mass of scabs.
Pharaoh bowed his neck and refused to ask for relief from the gnats, so God sent Aaron and Moses to threaten to add swarms of flies to the gnat problem. God would keep the flies away from the Land of Goshen, where all the Israelites lived, though, and this would be Pharaoh's proof that God had brought the flies to plague Egypt. After the land was ruined by the flies, Pharaoh finally is wearying of all the plagues and relents somewhat. He tells them they can go sacrifice to their God, if they do not to go out of Egypt. Isn't that just like sin? It tries to hold us, once it has entrapped us. "Ok, you can go to church, but then come back to your old way of life the other six days a week," it whispers. What a lie.
However, Moses insists they must go at least a three-day journey to make their sacrifices because their animal killing would be detestable to their Egyptian neighbors, who would then call for their deaths. Therefore, Pharaoh consents to their journey into the desert and asks them to pray for relief from the flies. When the flies subside, so does Pharaoh’s promise. Again, he changes his mind, and declines to let the Hebrews leave.
Then God strikes Egypt in the pocketbook. He tells Moses to threaten the livestock, cattle, sheep, goats, horses, camels and donkeys. This was their livelihoods. The animals provided food, clothing, and many forms of commerce, just as they do today. However, the livestock of the Hebrews are exempted. Pharaoh stiffened his neck and the Lord struck. Every animal belonging to the Egyptians died, but not one of the Hebrew's animals succumbed to this plague. Pharaoh just became belligerent at this point, said through gritted teeth, I imagine, "I will not let the slaves go!"
Then God sent a plague of boils on all the Egyptians. Have you ever had even just one boil? I have. They are painful and nasty. You just wish they would go away. They were so bad; the magicians couldn't even stand before Moses and Aaron to try to make the plague go away. Still, Pharaoh kept on in his stubbornness.
While the people were still sore with boils, God sent a huge hailstorm on Egypt. Before doing so, He reminds Pharaoh that He could have just killed them all before this point. Even that reasoning has no effect on this king of Egypt. Some of the Egyptians, by this time, were believers in the God of Israel. They hurried to bring their families, slaves and animals under shelter.
Moses stands before all Egypt with his staff outstretched toward the sky and the thunder rolls, lightening flashes all around him and the worst storm in Egypt's history begins--except in the Land of Goshen.
At this point, Pharaoh has a moment of true repentance, though short-lived. That is just like us. We get a head knowledge of God, but it hasn't traveled the 12 or so inches to our hearts. He states, "This time I have sinned. The Lord is in the right and I and my people are in the wrong."
Though his pseudo-repentance didn't fool Moses or God, Moses stopped the storm so that Pharaoh would know the Lord is God. Sure enough, as soon as the storm stopped, Pharaoh changes his mind again.
Therefore, the wars of the miracles and plagues began when Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh to demand the release of the slaves. Aaron throws down his staff and it becomes a snake, but Pharaoh's magicians are able to duplicate the miracle, however, Aaron's snake quickly swallows up the snakes that come from the magicians' staffs. As God predicted, Pharaoh hardened his heart and refused to let the people go.
Then God instructs Moses to meet Pharaoh the next morning at the Nile River when he goes to bathe. Moses is to ask for the people's release again and, when Pharaoh refuses, he is to strike the Nile with his staff and it will turn to blood, killing all the fish and making the water unsanitary. Again, Satan gave the magicians the ability to duplicate the plague, so Pharaoh didn't believe that Moses' power came from God.
After a lull of seven days, God again instructs Moses to go to Pharaoh and threaten him with a plague of frogs. Frogs were worshipped in ancient Egypt, sort of as cattle are today in India, so Pharaoh had no fear of frogs. The plague of frogs commenced. There were frogs everywhere--in their beds, ovens, and dishes and wherever they could see. Pharaoh's magicians also called up frogs, which only compounded the problem. Isn't that the way sin works? Satan adds to our folly at all times.
Pharaoh gets tired of the frogs quickly, and asks Aaron and Moses to pray to their God to take them away. Apparently, his magicians couldn't reverse this plague. Here Pharaoh does a strange thing, though. Moses told him to set a time for the frogs to go away, so there would be no question of who caused the plague to cease, and Pharaoh says, "Tomorrow." Isn't that just like us? We want the consequences of our sin to go away, but we want to coddle the sin for just one more day. We don't want to quit drinking; we only want to slow down, etc. The frogs have another parallel with our sin. They stank. Twenty-four hours after Moses prayed, the frogs began to die in the houses and the courtyards and fields. They piled them up and they smelled bad. As soon as the frogs were gone, however, Pharaoh again changes his mind about letting the Israelites go, just as God said he would.
Then they called up gnats out of the dust of the ground, and Egypt is a dry, dusty place. This plague the magicians weren't able to duplicate. Even they had to admit this was the finger of God. God was really ratcheting up the pressure on Pharaoh and wanted him to know only He could cause these miracles.
Have you ever been attacked by a swarm of gnats? I have. They get up your nose, in your ears and eyes and sometimes you suck them in when you take a breath. It can drive one mad shortly. I have seen horses and dogs go almost insane from gnats bothering them. They burrow down in their ears and chew on them until they are just a mass of scabs.
Pharaoh bowed his neck and refused to ask for relief from the gnats, so God sent Aaron and Moses to threaten to add swarms of flies to the gnat problem. God would keep the flies away from the Land of Goshen, where all the Israelites lived, though, and this would be Pharaoh's proof that God had brought the flies to plague Egypt. After the land was ruined by the flies, Pharaoh finally is wearying of all the plagues and relents somewhat. He tells them they can go sacrifice to their God, if they do not to go out of Egypt. Isn't that just like sin? It tries to hold us, once it has entrapped us. "Ok, you can go to church, but then come back to your old way of life the other six days a week," it whispers. What a lie.
However, Moses insists they must go at least a three-day journey to make their sacrifices because their animal killing would be detestable to their Egyptian neighbors, who would then call for their deaths. Therefore, Pharaoh consents to their journey into the desert and asks them to pray for relief from the flies. When the flies subside, so does Pharaoh’s promise. Again, he changes his mind, and declines to let the Hebrews leave.
Then God strikes Egypt in the pocketbook. He tells Moses to threaten the livestock, cattle, sheep, goats, horses, camels and donkeys. This was their livelihoods. The animals provided food, clothing, and many forms of commerce, just as they do today. However, the livestock of the Hebrews are exempted. Pharaoh stiffened his neck and the Lord struck. Every animal belonging to the Egyptians died, but not one of the Hebrew's animals succumbed to this plague. Pharaoh just became belligerent at this point, said through gritted teeth, I imagine, "I will not let the slaves go!"
Then God sent a plague of boils on all the Egyptians. Have you ever had even just one boil? I have. They are painful and nasty. You just wish they would go away. They were so bad; the magicians couldn't even stand before Moses and Aaron to try to make the plague go away. Still, Pharaoh kept on in his stubbornness.
While the people were still sore with boils, God sent a huge hailstorm on Egypt. Before doing so, He reminds Pharaoh that He could have just killed them all before this point. Even that reasoning has no effect on this king of Egypt. Some of the Egyptians, by this time, were believers in the God of Israel. They hurried to bring their families, slaves and animals under shelter.
Moses stands before all Egypt with his staff outstretched toward the sky and the thunder rolls, lightening flashes all around him and the worst storm in Egypt's history begins--except in the Land of Goshen.
At this point, Pharaoh has a moment of true repentance, though short-lived. That is just like us. We get a head knowledge of God, but it hasn't traveled the 12 or so inches to our hearts. He states, "This time I have sinned. The Lord is in the right and I and my people are in the wrong."
Though his pseudo-repentance didn't fool Moses or God, Moses stopped the storm so that Pharaoh would know the Lord is God. Sure enough, as soon as the storm stopped, Pharaoh changes his mind again.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Exodus 4 - 6
Moses really didn't want to go back to Egypt to face his past and embrace what God was asking him to do. He was arguing with God about it, so God started showing him the power available to him from above. Moses throws down his walking stick and it becomes a snake in an instant, scaring Moses so badly, he runs from it. Then God tells him to grab hold of it, which Moses does, and it turns back to a stick. God gives Moses two other examples of miracles God has enabled him to perform in order to make the people know he has been sent by God to lead them.
Then he starts in saying he is not an eloquent talker and he thinks that will disqualify him from the task, but God reminds him who gave him speech in the first place. Moses still resists and God becomes angry, but His anger is tempered with grace, as it always is, and He tells Moses to take his brother, Aaron, who is well spoken. In fact, God has already spoken to Aaron, and Aaron is on his way out to the desert to meet Moses. Moses is still tentative about going to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, but he goes back to his father-in-law to ask his leave to go "visit" his family. No mention is made of what God had commissioned him to do. Jethro gave his blessing, so Moses loaded up his wife and sons on a donkey and set out.
Apparently, God had spoken with Moses about circumcising his sons but Moses had never done it. It had to be done before they joined the Israelite tribes, or they would not be accepted, so God got very angry with Moses and was about to kill him. Also apparent from the text, Moses' wife, Zipporah, didn't agree with the circumcision ritual, but to save her husband’s life, she quickly took a knife and did the surgeries, but she was mad about it, calling Moses a “bloody husband,” while throwing the foreskins at his feet.
Aaron and Moses meet along the trail at the very same mountain where Moses saw the burning bush, Mt. Horeb, which they now called The Mountain of God. (My son has been to this mountain!) Here Moses told Aaron what their task was to be and they both returned to Egypt, where Moses, indeed, had Aaron do the talking to the elders while he performed all the miracles God had given him to cause them to believe them. The Hebrews were very touched when they learned that God knew of their misery and was concerned for them after all, so they worshipped Him.
Chapter 5 begins the saga of Moses and Aaron speaking to Pharaoh and asking permission for the Israelis to leave Egypt and Pharaoh refusing. Pharaoh did not know the God of whom they spoke, so he had no regard for Him. He gave orders for the Hebrews to be oppressed even more. The leaders of the Hebrews appeal personally to Pharaoh, and are rebuffed. They blame Moses and Aaron for getting them in trouble with Pharaoh. Therefore, Moses goes back to God and complains of the treatment they received.
God reminds Moses of the covenant He made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to give them the land of Canaan, and of his intention to keep that covenant. He tells Moses to get back to Pharaoh and demand the release of the Hebrews. Moses again argues with God, reminding Him of his speech impairment. So God calls Aaron to meet with them and commissions them both to go lead the people out of slavery in Egypt.
There follows a short genealogy of Moses and Aaron’s family to show they were from the tribe of Levi, and chosen by God to be priests and leaders of Israel.
Then he starts in saying he is not an eloquent talker and he thinks that will disqualify him from the task, but God reminds him who gave him speech in the first place. Moses still resists and God becomes angry, but His anger is tempered with grace, as it always is, and He tells Moses to take his brother, Aaron, who is well spoken. In fact, God has already spoken to Aaron, and Aaron is on his way out to the desert to meet Moses. Moses is still tentative about going to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, but he goes back to his father-in-law to ask his leave to go "visit" his family. No mention is made of what God had commissioned him to do. Jethro gave his blessing, so Moses loaded up his wife and sons on a donkey and set out.
Apparently, God had spoken with Moses about circumcising his sons but Moses had never done it. It had to be done before they joined the Israelite tribes, or they would not be accepted, so God got very angry with Moses and was about to kill him. Also apparent from the text, Moses' wife, Zipporah, didn't agree with the circumcision ritual, but to save her husband’s life, she quickly took a knife and did the surgeries, but she was mad about it, calling Moses a “bloody husband,” while throwing the foreskins at his feet.
Aaron and Moses meet along the trail at the very same mountain where Moses saw the burning bush, Mt. Horeb, which they now called The Mountain of God. (My son has been to this mountain!) Here Moses told Aaron what their task was to be and they both returned to Egypt, where Moses, indeed, had Aaron do the talking to the elders while he performed all the miracles God had given him to cause them to believe them. The Hebrews were very touched when they learned that God knew of their misery and was concerned for them after all, so they worshipped Him.
Chapter 5 begins the saga of Moses and Aaron speaking to Pharaoh and asking permission for the Israelis to leave Egypt and Pharaoh refusing. Pharaoh did not know the God of whom they spoke, so he had no regard for Him. He gave orders for the Hebrews to be oppressed even more. The leaders of the Hebrews appeal personally to Pharaoh, and are rebuffed. They blame Moses and Aaron for getting them in trouble with Pharaoh. Therefore, Moses goes back to God and complains of the treatment they received.
God reminds Moses of the covenant He made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to give them the land of Canaan, and of his intention to keep that covenant. He tells Moses to get back to Pharaoh and demand the release of the Hebrews. Moses again argues with God, reminding Him of his speech impairment. So God calls Aaron to meet with them and commissions them both to go lead the people out of slavery in Egypt.
There follows a short genealogy of Moses and Aaron’s family to show they were from the tribe of Levi, and chosen by God to be priests and leaders of Israel.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Exodus 1 - 3
Finally, I'm leaving Genesis and I feel like I'm moving away from an old friend. Don't worry, old friend, God willing, I'll be back.
Now begins the story of how the Israelites came to leave Egypt to return to the Promised Land. First, Moses, the author, gives an accounting of his ancestors, who came to Egypt with Jacob during the famine to live. He states there were seventy in all, including Joseph.
Joseph, his father and all his brothers die while living in Egypt, but not before producing many, many offspring. In fact, Exodus 1:7 says they soon filled the land. An ominous statement next says a new king came to the throne of Egypt who didn't know of Joseph or how he had saved his nation from starvation. He was frightened by the size and strength of the Israelite clan living among them, so he gave orders for their oppression and the Hebrews became slaves. However, God was for the Israelites and multiplied them even more, so Pharaoh gave bloody orders for the midwives to kill all the Hebrew boy babies as soon as they were born. The midwives had more regard for God than they did for Pharaoh, though, and disregarded his orders.
Fearing the king a little, they gave a slight misrepresentation when he asked them why they did not obey his orders and told him the Hebrew women had their babies so quickly, they could not be killed as they were born. Then Pharaoh gave orders that all the newborn Israelite boys must be drowned in the Nile.
In chapter 2, Moses gives an account of his own birth and early childhood. He tells us his parents were from the tribe of Levi, the tribe that would later become the priests in Israel. His mother kept him hidden for three months, then made a special waterproof ark for him when he could no longer be hidden. Her heart must have been in torment thinking what would happen to her baby, but she knew she must place him into the river. His sister, also, must have been distressed, because she watched and followed the basket to see what would happen to it.
It just so happened (remember, there are no accidents with God) that Pharaoh's daughter was bathing in the river nearby. Seeing the special little basket in the reeds, she asked that it be brought to her. Moses' helpless cries got to her, and she deducted he must be a Hebrew baby, but she had pity on him. Again, it just so happened, the baby's sister was standing nearby and offered to find a Hebrew nursemaid for him and she just happened to know a mother whose breasts were full--Moses' own mother. Imagine that.
So Pharaoh's daughter paid Moses’ mother to nurse her own baby, how great is that? In addition, she gets to keep him until he is weaned, at which time he was given back to Pharaoh's daughter to be raised as her own son. This early training in the palace of the king would serve Moses well later, when he would be called upon to go before the king to ask for the people's release from slavery.
Pharaoh's daughter must have told Moses of his Hebrew heritage, or his own family inculcated that in him in the two to three years they kept him, because Exodus 2:11 says, when he was grown up he went to visit his people, the Israelites. Upon seeing an Israeli mistreated by his Egyptian taskmaster, Moses takes action and kills the Egyptian, burying him in the sand so no one would find out.
However, as the Bible says later, "you can be sure your sins will find you out." The next day Moses tried to stop two Hebrews who were fighting with each other, however, the culprit brought up Moses' guilt in the murder of the Egyptian. Verse 14 says Moses became frightened, and with good cause, because Pharaoh ordered Moses arrested and killed when he heard of it, so Moses fled to the desert. Here he was in for another forty years of preparation for leading the Israelites out of Egypt.
Moses was just a noble character from the start, it seems. Verse 26 says the daughters of the priest of Midian came every day to draw water from a well for their father's animals, but other shepherds were in the habit of driving them away from the life-giving water. Moses stopped by the well to rest and refresh himself and put a stop to this monkey business when the girls came for water, even helping them draw water.
When the priest of Midian heard what Moses had done, he sent for him to come to his home for a meal. Like the homeless bum who might "camp out on your couch and never leave," Moses had found his home in the wilderness, later marrying one of the priest's daughters. Her name was Zipporah.
Meanwhile, back in Egypt, the Israelites were still under a heavy burden... Their cries went up to God, who remembered his promise to their ancestors. Actually, God had never forgotten it; he was working on a solution, preparing Moses to lead his people by teaching him to herd a bunch of sheep (rather the same).
In Chapter 3, we have the burning bush incident. Moses is strolling along in the Sinai Desert behind the flocks when a bush bursts into flames before his eyes, however, it was not consumed by the fire, it just continued to burn. This caught Moses' attention and he went closer to investigate. As he nears, God speaks to Moses from the bush and told him not to come any closer. Moses is instructed to remove his sandals because he is in holy territory before God.
Then God introduces Himself to Moses, and Moses hides his face in fear. God tells him of His plan to rescue the Israelites from Egypt and send them back to Canaan, the Promised Land. When God breaks the news to Moses that he is to lead them, Moses actually begins arguing with God. This seems silly as we read Exodus, but if you think about it, you and I have likely argued with God many times; I know I have.
God reassures the frightened Moses that He would be with him, but Moses is still not done arguing. He asks God who he should say sent him to lead them when they question his authority, as they had done after the murder incident. Moreover, God tells him simply to say I AM sent him. Then he goes on to say, "Tell them...the God of Abraham...Isaac...and Jacob--has sent me to you." Then God tells Moses of the opposition he will face from the king of Egypt. He tells him there will be heavy pressure and many miracles, but that his mission will be very successful, with the Egyptians sending Israel away with great wealth at the end of the struggle.
God knows the end from the beginning. If you will just go through the battle with Him and be obedient to Him, he will give you a great blessing when it is finally over.
Now begins the story of how the Israelites came to leave Egypt to return to the Promised Land. First, Moses, the author, gives an accounting of his ancestors, who came to Egypt with Jacob during the famine to live. He states there were seventy in all, including Joseph.
Joseph, his father and all his brothers die while living in Egypt, but not before producing many, many offspring. In fact, Exodus 1:7 says they soon filled the land. An ominous statement next says a new king came to the throne of Egypt who didn't know of Joseph or how he had saved his nation from starvation. He was frightened by the size and strength of the Israelite clan living among them, so he gave orders for their oppression and the Hebrews became slaves. However, God was for the Israelites and multiplied them even more, so Pharaoh gave bloody orders for the midwives to kill all the Hebrew boy babies as soon as they were born. The midwives had more regard for God than they did for Pharaoh, though, and disregarded his orders.
Fearing the king a little, they gave a slight misrepresentation when he asked them why they did not obey his orders and told him the Hebrew women had their babies so quickly, they could not be killed as they were born. Then Pharaoh gave orders that all the newborn Israelite boys must be drowned in the Nile.
In chapter 2, Moses gives an account of his own birth and early childhood. He tells us his parents were from the tribe of Levi, the tribe that would later become the priests in Israel. His mother kept him hidden for three months, then made a special waterproof ark for him when he could no longer be hidden. Her heart must have been in torment thinking what would happen to her baby, but she knew she must place him into the river. His sister, also, must have been distressed, because she watched and followed the basket to see what would happen to it.
It just so happened (remember, there are no accidents with God) that Pharaoh's daughter was bathing in the river nearby. Seeing the special little basket in the reeds, she asked that it be brought to her. Moses' helpless cries got to her, and she deducted he must be a Hebrew baby, but she had pity on him. Again, it just so happened, the baby's sister was standing nearby and offered to find a Hebrew nursemaid for him and she just happened to know a mother whose breasts were full--Moses' own mother. Imagine that.
So Pharaoh's daughter paid Moses’ mother to nurse her own baby, how great is that? In addition, she gets to keep him until he is weaned, at which time he was given back to Pharaoh's daughter to be raised as her own son. This early training in the palace of the king would serve Moses well later, when he would be called upon to go before the king to ask for the people's release from slavery.
Pharaoh's daughter must have told Moses of his Hebrew heritage, or his own family inculcated that in him in the two to three years they kept him, because Exodus 2:11 says, when he was grown up he went to visit his people, the Israelites. Upon seeing an Israeli mistreated by his Egyptian taskmaster, Moses takes action and kills the Egyptian, burying him in the sand so no one would find out.
However, as the Bible says later, "you can be sure your sins will find you out." The next day Moses tried to stop two Hebrews who were fighting with each other, however, the culprit brought up Moses' guilt in the murder of the Egyptian. Verse 14 says Moses became frightened, and with good cause, because Pharaoh ordered Moses arrested and killed when he heard of it, so Moses fled to the desert. Here he was in for another forty years of preparation for leading the Israelites out of Egypt.
Moses was just a noble character from the start, it seems. Verse 26 says the daughters of the priest of Midian came every day to draw water from a well for their father's animals, but other shepherds were in the habit of driving them away from the life-giving water. Moses stopped by the well to rest and refresh himself and put a stop to this monkey business when the girls came for water, even helping them draw water.
When the priest of Midian heard what Moses had done, he sent for him to come to his home for a meal. Like the homeless bum who might "camp out on your couch and never leave," Moses had found his home in the wilderness, later marrying one of the priest's daughters. Her name was Zipporah.
Meanwhile, back in Egypt, the Israelites were still under a heavy burden... Their cries went up to God, who remembered his promise to their ancestors. Actually, God had never forgotten it; he was working on a solution, preparing Moses to lead his people by teaching him to herd a bunch of sheep (rather the same).
In Chapter 3, we have the burning bush incident. Moses is strolling along in the Sinai Desert behind the flocks when a bush bursts into flames before his eyes, however, it was not consumed by the fire, it just continued to burn. This caught Moses' attention and he went closer to investigate. As he nears, God speaks to Moses from the bush and told him not to come any closer. Moses is instructed to remove his sandals because he is in holy territory before God.
Then God introduces Himself to Moses, and Moses hides his face in fear. God tells him of His plan to rescue the Israelites from Egypt and send them back to Canaan, the Promised Land. When God breaks the news to Moses that he is to lead them, Moses actually begins arguing with God. This seems silly as we read Exodus, but if you think about it, you and I have likely argued with God many times; I know I have.
God reassures the frightened Moses that He would be with him, but Moses is still not done arguing. He asks God who he should say sent him to lead them when they question his authority, as they had done after the murder incident. Moreover, God tells him simply to say I AM sent him. Then he goes on to say, "Tell them...the God of Abraham...Isaac...and Jacob--has sent me to you." Then God tells Moses of the opposition he will face from the king of Egypt. He tells him there will be heavy pressure and many miracles, but that his mission will be very successful, with the Egyptians sending Israel away with great wealth at the end of the struggle.
God knows the end from the beginning. If you will just go through the battle with Him and be obedient to Him, he will give you a great blessing when it is finally over.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Genesis 49 - 50
So this is getting more like the monthly dose! I had to return to work full-time, plus putting on about 3,000 miles a month for my job, so it's hard to find the time. On the positive, I'm almost through Genesis, so here goes. I will persevere.
Israel knows he is near death, so he gathers his twelve sons to pronounce a blessing over each one. Over his firstborn, Reuben, however, he more or less pronounces a curse. Seems Reuben had been caught having relations with one of Israel's concubines. Cowardly Jacob neither did nor said anything about it at the time, but he lets Reuben know he did not get away with sin while he is on his deathbed. Simeon and Levi also garnered a curse from their father. He still had not forgotten when they made his name an anathema in Sechem.
Judah, who was evil in his youth, but who had totally repented, gains his father's blessing. Israel pronounces that Judah will be the father of a perpetual king over Israel, referring to Christ, who would come from the lineage of Judah. Israel uses poetry in his blessing ritual with his sons and he referrs to Judah as a lion. This same poetic language would later be used to refer to the coming Messiah.
Zebulun gets a mild blessing as Israel pronounces that he will live by the sea, which history says he did. Issachar gets an ominous message that says his descendants will become slaves. Dan is likened to a snake.
Gad's future is said by Israel to hold much war, Asher is said to behold riches and dine sumptously, and Naphtali is likened to a graceful deer.
Not surprisingly, Israel dwells on Joseph as he pronounces his blessing, and calls him a prince among his brothers. He acknowledges that God has been with Joseph and will continue to be.
Benjamin is last and gets only a short pronouncement which seems to say he will be a successful warrior.
Then Jacob gives his last request and that is that he be buried beside Leah, his first wife, in the family burial plot back in Canaan where Abraham, Sarah and Isaac are buried. It strikes me as a little out of character for Jacob to want to be buried beside Leah instead of Rachael, whom he loved so dearly. Again, he stresses that Abraham bought the field and burial plot from the Hittites. When he was all done with these prounouncements and requests, he breathed his last.
Jacob's death caused Joseph to become very emotional. He called for the Egyptian embalmers to embalm his father so he could be carried back to Canaan for burial without his body decomposing. There was a 70 day mourning period, after which Joseph approached Pharaoh to ask permission to leave to return his father's body to Mamre. Although Joseph was Prime Minister of Egypt, he still considered himself a servant to Pharaoh and submitted himself to him.
Pharaoh thought highly of Joseph and sent a large contingent of important people with him for the funeral.
Following the burial of their father, Joseph's brothers again become fearful of what he might do to them now that their father was gone. They sent a message to him saying their father requested their forgiveness before his death, and they also asked meekly for forgiveness. This grieved Joseph, I think, because he had already spoke and demonstrated his forgiveness over them. But in complete fulfillment of the dream God had sent Joseph when he was a boy, his brothers came and prostrated themselves in front of him and pronounced themselves his slaves. Joseph reminds them that, even though they meant to do him harm, God meant the whole episode for their good, and he promised to provide for them and their families.
They remained in Egypt where Joseph lived to the age of 110 and was a great-grandfather. Before he died, he expressed his faith that God would return the twelve tribes to The Promised Land and made his brothers promise to take his body with them when they returned to be buried in the cave at Mamre with his ancestors. His body was also embalmed and placed in a coffin there in Egypt, where it stayed for a long time until the Exodus, which is where we will go next.
Israel knows he is near death, so he gathers his twelve sons to pronounce a blessing over each one. Over his firstborn, Reuben, however, he more or less pronounces a curse. Seems Reuben had been caught having relations with one of Israel's concubines. Cowardly Jacob neither did nor said anything about it at the time, but he lets Reuben know he did not get away with sin while he is on his deathbed. Simeon and Levi also garnered a curse from their father. He still had not forgotten when they made his name an anathema in Sechem.
Judah, who was evil in his youth, but who had totally repented, gains his father's blessing. Israel pronounces that Judah will be the father of a perpetual king over Israel, referring to Christ, who would come from the lineage of Judah. Israel uses poetry in his blessing ritual with his sons and he referrs to Judah as a lion. This same poetic language would later be used to refer to the coming Messiah.
Zebulun gets a mild blessing as Israel pronounces that he will live by the sea, which history says he did. Issachar gets an ominous message that says his descendants will become slaves. Dan is likened to a snake.
Gad's future is said by Israel to hold much war, Asher is said to behold riches and dine sumptously, and Naphtali is likened to a graceful deer.
Not surprisingly, Israel dwells on Joseph as he pronounces his blessing, and calls him a prince among his brothers. He acknowledges that God has been with Joseph and will continue to be.
Benjamin is last and gets only a short pronouncement which seems to say he will be a successful warrior.
Then Jacob gives his last request and that is that he be buried beside Leah, his first wife, in the family burial plot back in Canaan where Abraham, Sarah and Isaac are buried. It strikes me as a little out of character for Jacob to want to be buried beside Leah instead of Rachael, whom he loved so dearly. Again, he stresses that Abraham bought the field and burial plot from the Hittites. When he was all done with these prounouncements and requests, he breathed his last.
Jacob's death caused Joseph to become very emotional. He called for the Egyptian embalmers to embalm his father so he could be carried back to Canaan for burial without his body decomposing. There was a 70 day mourning period, after which Joseph approached Pharaoh to ask permission to leave to return his father's body to Mamre. Although Joseph was Prime Minister of Egypt, he still considered himself a servant to Pharaoh and submitted himself to him.
Pharaoh thought highly of Joseph and sent a large contingent of important people with him for the funeral.
Following the burial of their father, Joseph's brothers again become fearful of what he might do to them now that their father was gone. They sent a message to him saying their father requested their forgiveness before his death, and they also asked meekly for forgiveness. This grieved Joseph, I think, because he had already spoke and demonstrated his forgiveness over them. But in complete fulfillment of the dream God had sent Joseph when he was a boy, his brothers came and prostrated themselves in front of him and pronounced themselves his slaves. Joseph reminds them that, even though they meant to do him harm, God meant the whole episode for their good, and he promised to provide for them and their families.
They remained in Egypt where Joseph lived to the age of 110 and was a great-grandfather. Before he died, he expressed his faith that God would return the twelve tribes to The Promised Land and made his brothers promise to take his body with them when they returned to be buried in the cave at Mamre with his ancestors. His body was also embalmed and placed in a coffin there in Egypt, where it stayed for a long time until the Exodus, which is where we will go next.
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