EXODUS 3 – 15
We start with Moses, seeing the burning bush as he’s tending flock. God called to Moses from the bush and said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” He tells Moses to go to Pharoah and request that his people be freed from slavery, so they can go to the land of milk and honey. Moses wasn’t sure of himself, so God told him to use Aaron as well, and to perform 3 signs. (Turn his staff to a snake, turn his hand leprous and back again, and turn the water in the Nile to blood)
Pharoah would not let the Israelites go, and even made the work of the men more difficult by having them go gather their own straw to make bricks. The Israelites became angered at Moses and Aaron for bringing this upon them. Pharoah didn’t believe the signs were of God because his sorcerers could perform them too. So God sent ten plagues upon the land of Egypt. 1. All the water turned to blood 2. Frogs covered the land 3. the dust became Gnats 4. Flies were everywhere but Goshen, covering people and land 5. All of Pharoah’s livestock died, but not the Israelites 6. Boils covered the men and animals 7. Egypt experienced the worst hailstorm ever, that killed all livestock and people out in it 8. Locusts covered everything, and killed the plants and trees of the earth left unharmed by the hail 9. Darkness for 3 days except for the Israelites 10. Every Firstborn son of Egypt will die.
Passover instructions were given out and followed, and the Exodus began. Moses took Joseph’s bones, so he could bury him in his homeland. God led them with a pillar of cloud during the day, and a pillar of fire at night. When Pharoah changed his mind and went after the Israelites with his army, the pillar moved from in front, to the back and in between the Egyptians. When they came to the Red Sea, Moses stretched out his staff and the waters parted. The Israelites walked across on dry land, with water to their left and right. When the Egyptians tried to cross, the waters swept over them and killed them. Moses led the Israelites from the Red Sea into the desert, where they traveled for 3 days without finding good water. Moses cried out to God, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. Moses picked up the wood and threw it into the water and it turned sweet. Our God is a God who heals. He took no pleasure in the diseases on the Egyptians, and he promises not to afflict us with them if we just listen and obey. How hard that is to do sometimes, when we’re unsure which fork in the road to take.
I counted three times, I think, where “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob” in chapter 3 alone. When Moses asks who shall I tell them has sent me, God answers in verse 14 of chapter 3. “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: “I AM” has sent me to you.” Yahweh is derived from this, and it indicates action. God is present and active in our lives, just as He was for Israel.
