Day 39: Exodus 28-29

Wow, so much slaughter and blood. For such a beautiful setting and beautiful garments, it must have been a mess when this was all finished.

I am going to take a break from writing on this blog while I travel to Africa tomorrow. I have my daily readings inside the front cover of my travel Bible and I plan to keep up. I just will be missing about 11 days on this website. Not sure anyone is reading....so I am probably talking to myself right here. HA!

I am looking forward to journaling quite a bit on this trip. I am so excited to see what God is going to do!!

Day 38: Exodus 25-27

What do these 3 chapters say to me? God's tabernacle and the ark of the covenant are special and specific. I am guessing that there was nothing else in the day that came close to the splendor of this place. I also think that God was very specific.....HE and only He defines who He is and how we can approach him. It is not left up to man. God makes the rules.

And as beautiful as this description is (as well as the temple which will be built later on), I just imagine that it is nothing compared to the place where we will get to be with God someday! Man, sometimes I just long for that day with such anticipation!!

Day 37: Exodus 22-24

I am curious about the "court" cases when the person who committed the crime must "appear before God." What was that like???

"as you harvest your crops, bring the very best of the first harvest to the house of the Lord." Am I giving God my best? What about my first?

The Israelites are so quick to answer: "We will do everything the Lord has commanded." I have moments like that right after God has shown himself to me in a really powerful way. But then what happens? I definitely can't be too critical of those Israelites...I have no room to talk!

Day 36: Exodus 19-21

Chapter 19 is a beautiful illustration of just how holy God is.

I find it interesting that we still think most of the 10 Commandments are worth following and some of them are laws in our land. However when it comes to coveting and Sabbath, our society really has somehow deemed these ideas outdated and not important.

Day 35: Exodus 16-18

Do you think God takes our complaints against other people personally? That seems to be the case in 16. Moses and Aaron were only following God's instructions and yet the people directed their anger towards 2 men. When our Christian leaders are following God's leading, I tend to think that God DOES take it personally when people don't follow them.

Do you think there will be some manna and quail at the marriage supper of the lamb?

Chapter 18 holds some very important advice about delegation and appointing Godly people to share in doing God's work.

Day 34: Exodus 13-15

It jumps out at me right away that the Israelites are dedicating their firstborn to God, when in the previous chapter the Egyptians all lost their first born. There is no blurred line between God's people and those who are not. Just like today.

I love Moses' words in 14:13-14 after the Israelites begin to panic. The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.

Day 33: Exodus 10-12

To continue from the other day, God gives another reason that he is hardening Pharaoh's heart...so you can tell your children and grandchildren...and so you will know that I am the LORD.

Can you imagine that it is pitch dark where ever the Egyptians are, but there is light as normal where the Israelites are?!? Weird.

After Moses tells Pharaoh about the first born sons dying, he leaves "burning with anger." He is probably pretty mad that this has gone on so long and that it was forced to come to something as drastic as children dying. My question is....can he really be mad at Pharaoh? Did Pharaoh really have any choice in this situation?

Day 32: Exodus 7-9

7:3 tells us exactly why God hardened Pharaoh's heart. "So I can multiply my miraculous signs and wonders in the land of Egypt."

I wonder how much we are like Pharaoh. When things are really bad, we are willing to do anything to make them better. We make promises to others and to God. But as soon as relief comes, something changes in our hearts. Maybe not immediately as it seemed to be in Egypt, but over time, we forget.

Did it ever surprise you that at some point, even though Pharaoh was being so stubborn, the Egyptians didn't reach their breaking point with all the miserable plagues and just take action on their own?

Day 31: Exodus 4-6

I want to remember these words from God when I am too timid to speak up and share my faith: "Who makes a person's mouth? Who decided whether people speak or do not speak? hear or do not hear? See or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord? Now, GO! I will be with you when you speak, and I will be. And I will instruct you with what to say."

I also notice that God used a tool that was unique to Moses to show his power to the Egyptians. Moses, being a shepherd, had a staff and this was what God wanted him to use as an "object lesson". What things are unique to me that I should be using to further God's purposes?

I guess the Israelites had to hit rock bottom (being severely abused by their Egyptian masters) before God could perform what he was about to perform....

Day 30: Exodus 1-3

You can't coast on your parents coattails. Jacob's family prospered because they were connected to Joseph who was admired and respected in Egypt. But just a generation or 2 later, no one really knew who Joseph was. What a reminder to me that life is fleeting and so is everything associated with it here on earth.

I love this line. "He looked down on the people of Israel and knew it was time to act." I can just picture God rolling up his sleeves!!

I think Moses might have been tracking with God when he heard the plan until he heard that the king of Egypt would not let the Israelites go unless a mighty hand forces him. Now it was going to be hard. We don't like hard.