I love this reading in Exodus about Moses and the Israelites. It's such an amazing story of deliverance. God was essentially telling these people, "Listen, do this thing that seems crazy, and people will try to hurt you, and it will seem like they're going to win. But I promise that I'll win." So here they are, standing in between the ultimate enemy and the SEA. There is NO WAY out except God. And he comes through.
What would I do? Would I let fear and confusion win? Would I hear God and "Stand firm" to "see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today." ?
This is just an awesome reminder. God will PART SEAS for us. Can you imagine anything more impossible???
I am reminded (as I often am while reading scripture) of a praise song - "God will make a way where there seems to be no way..." And also a verse that we recently read, Mark 9:23 - "Everything is possible for him who believes."
I also love the description of God's presence: "By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light." What a present, undeniable visual reminder. He is WITH us!
It's so hard for me to connect these OT stories to reality for me. I have read them and heard them for so long, they have become these sort of Hollywood movie clips in my imagination. I just can not fathom, what it must have been like to see such crazy miracles. The plagues on Pharaoh and Egypt, the bloody nile, the parting of the sea, God's presence as a pillar of fire.
My faith is challenged by these stories, and in that challenge I can feel the Lord strengthening the foundation of my faith.
I'm loving the re-reading or Exodus. I recently did a study on Exodus so the deepening of these particular lessons feels unusually rich. We have been reading it at the breakfast table out loud and hearing my almost 4 year old's take on this story has also brought a new perspective and assurance that the faith like a child really is something to long for. The other day when we read of the Israelites grumbling about Moses making their plight worse she said "well it is just how it is...they will just have to find more straw somewhere else and do their work but it's ok because God is good and he'll find them straw" My first thought was...wow sucks to be an israelite...not that God is Good... Such a powerful story.
sometimes God sets things up so that he can revisit them in the future. He sets things up like blood sacrifices so that we can understand the gravity of what Christ did on the cross.
Going off of what Emery Jo said, check out Mark 8:14-21
7 comments:
I love this reading in Exodus about Moses and the Israelites. It's such an amazing story of deliverance. God was essentially telling these people, "Listen, do this thing that seems crazy, and people will try to hurt you, and it will seem like they're going to win. But I promise that I'll win." So here they are, standing in between the ultimate enemy and the SEA. There is NO WAY out except God. And he comes through.
What would I do? Would I let fear and confusion win? Would I hear God and "Stand firm" to "see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today." ?
This is just an awesome reminder. God will PART SEAS for us. Can you imagine anything more impossible???
I am reminded (as I often am while reading scripture) of a praise song - "God will make a way where there seems to be no way..." And also a verse that we recently read, Mark 9:23 - "Everything is possible for him who believes."
I also love the description of God's presence: "By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light." What a present, undeniable visual reminder. He is WITH us!
I'm confused about why God so strongly told the Israelites not to eat anything with yeast. What was the importance of yeast?
It's so hard for me to connect these OT stories to reality for me. I have read them and heard them for so long, they have become these sort of Hollywood movie clips in my imagination. I just can not fathom, what it must have been like to see such crazy miracles. The plagues on Pharaoh and Egypt, the bloody nile, the parting of the sea, God's presence as a pillar of fire.
My faith is challenged by these stories, and in that challenge I can feel the Lord strengthening the foundation of my faith.
I'm loving the re-reading or Exodus. I recently did a study on Exodus so the deepening of these particular lessons feels unusually rich. We have been reading it at the breakfast table out loud and hearing my almost 4 year old's take on this story has also brought a new perspective and assurance that the faith like a child really is something to long for. The other day when we read of the Israelites grumbling about Moses making their plight worse she said "well it is just how it is...they will just have to find more straw somewhere else and do their work but it's ok because God is good and he'll find them straw"
My first thought was...wow sucks to be an israelite...not that God is Good...
Such a powerful story.
Emily-- interesting note in my study bible:
"yeast was often used as a symbol of sin."
My favorite:
"The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still."
The Israelites were marching out armed for battle, but only God would bring victory-- no matter how 'prepared' they were.
sometimes God sets things up so that he can revisit them in the future. He sets things up like blood sacrifices so that we can understand the gravity of what Christ did on the cross.
Going off of what Emery Jo said, check out Mark 8:14-21
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