Day 6 ~ Watch it wiggle, see it jiggle...

Mom and Dad had dropped by the house Saturday evening to pick up some sunflower seeds that Grace and I harvested for Dad to supply his many birdfeeders. Mom asked why did God hardened the Pharoah's heart (Ex 4:21, 7:3, 9:12, 10:1, 10:20, 10:27, 11:12, 14:4, 14:8, 14:17). Did Pharoah not have free will? I didn't have an answer. But I've pondered it off and on today. Is free will a reality only after Christ creates the new covenant? It states in 9:16 "for this purpose I have raised you [Egyptians] up, that I may show My power in you." God has already shown his hand in intervening when his will was not done, especially in preserving the lineage of Christ. Is this another case. How does the theory of predestination play out here?

Distractions this evening are pleasant ones. I can hear my daughter and the neighbor girl singing as they jump on a trampoline. I think Lily is singing a Britney Spears song. I hope Grace doesn't know any Britney Spears songs. It reminds me of the other day in the car where the oft repeated words came from Grace's mouth: "Mom, pretend you're my mother and I am _______." Fill in the blank. The blank this time was "a really good, famous girl, who is really polite and nice, and I have a really bad sister." My reply was "what is your sister's name" to which she replied "Britney Spears." We've discussed in detail who doesn't make a good role model even if they are on TV and have a barbie doll made like them. Okay, suspicions confirmed - I hear Lily yelling "and, ladies and gentlemen, here is Britney Spears." Britney has free will. Let's continue on with someone who apparently has some Godly intervention where will is concerned.

• In the first verses of our reading today, God tells us why he hardened Pharoah's heart: Now the LORD said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh; for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his servants, that I may show these signs of Mine before him, and that you may tell in the hearing of your son and your son’s son the mighty things I have done in Egypt, and My signs which I have done among them, that you may know that I am the LORD.”
• Even in the face of Pharoah's sarcastic threats, the 8th plague, locusts, which were previously never this severe, and never would be again (10:14).
• Plague 9, darkness for three days. This doesn't seem that severe in light of the other 8 plagues.
• Touche' - when Pharoah says to Moses and Aaron that the next time they see his face they will die, Moses replies "you have spoken well. I will never see your face again." (10:29).
• Moses and the Hebrews had some status now in Egypt, which they used to their benefit as they collected riches in preparation for their journey.
• It isn't clear to me if Moses and Aaron do appear before Pharoah announcing the final plague - death of the firstborn of men and animals, except those of the Hebrews (with exceptions to those who don't cover their doorposts with blood, instructions forthcoming). But in 11:8, it says "he went out from Pharoah in great anger." Who is "he" - is it God? I checked three translations and none capitalized "he" like a reference to God. Was it the spirit of God who had caused the hardening of Pharoah's heart now leaving Pharoah? After Moses' reply in 10:29, I would think that Moses had not gone to Pharoah again.
• The beginning of a new calendar occurs in 12:1. The Israelites had 14 days (12:6) to prepare for their journey.
• The preparations show how they will leave in haste, and won't have time to wait for bread to rise, for example. Even after they leave Egypt after Passover (14th night), they can be cut off from Israel if they leaven their bread for the following 7 days. Thus the establishment of the feast of Passover. I guess that is one reason our communion bread has double significance: as a representation of the body of Christ (bread of life) and a throwback to the power of God and the feast of Passover because the bread is unleavened.
• Have you ever been to a Seder Supper. We've hosted them at CCC a couple of times, and in VBS this year we got a taste (literally) of some of the meaning. Get a good understanding of what a Messiac view of a seder supper is by visiting http://www.christianseder.com/. No foreigner could partake unless circumcised (12:48).
• From 70 in the family of Jacob who came to Egypt during the famine, the Hebrews had grown to 600,000 men on foot (excluding children, and assuming women and men not on foot). Probably well over a million people in 430 years (12:40). That was not a bad guess of 400 years in my blog a couple of days ago.
• Do not break the bones of the sacrificed animal - reference to Christ as a sacrifice not having any bones broken? (12:45)
• Sign on your hand and the frontlets between your eyes. I know that devout jews will wear a box with scripture on their head. Is that where this comes from? What is it that is done to the hands (13:9, 16).
• Yes, they fulfilled Joeph's request and took his bones with them.
• Led by Pillar of Fire by night and a Pillar of Cloud by day. No mistake of where to go.
• Pharoah suddenly realizes that they've lost their slave labor - go get 'em boys! They will be scared out there in the wilderness. Didn't take long for the Hebrews to shake in their sandles - looking back at 600 chariots - Hey Moses, weren't there enough cemetary plots in Egypt - you had to bring us out here to bury us?? I'd rather be a slave than dead.
• Looks like some handiwork by God altering the physical law with the cloud and pillar, allowing the east (perhaps a clue to the location of their crossing, along with the "coordinates" from 14:2) wind to blow and dry out the land under the sea. That rod has come in handy.
• Pharoah would have been killed. Wonder what the Egyptian record, or others of that time, recount?

My husband is laughing his head off inside at something on TV. I'm on the front porch and I see Jeff Foxworthy through the window. Redneck humor, don't tell me you, too, haven't chuckled at their schtick.

• The depths congealed (15:8) - kind of like walking between two jello walls of water, that's why I chose the jello commercial lyrics for my title today.
• The Hebrews have got a little [short-lived] faith - watch out you who live in Canaan, here we come! (15:14).
• Bitter waters - diligently heed - are you paying attention, Moses - this will be his downfall (15:26).
• More names of the Lord: the Lord who heals you (15:26); The Lord is my Banner (16:15)
• The Lord will provide - don't complain to Moses! Ask and the Lord will provide! There are some restrictions you need to follow, however!
• How many recipes do you have for quail and manna?
• What is the "testimony" (16:34) that Aaron took the "sample" of manna in front of?
• Forty years in the wilderness. Was God allowing them to raise up a generation of first-born that were to be dedicated to him?
• Omer = 1/10 an ephah. Glad we got that cleared up.
• The rod comes in handy again - more water, defeat the Amalekites.
• Moses is reunited with his wife and sons after 40+ years when his father-in-law, who proves to be one to give wise counsel, joins him in the wilderness. Hence the Hebrew judicial system, with Moses as the supreme court. He advises Moses to teach them the laws (and believe me, there are many to come, just in the next few chapters...slavery, animals, personal property, personal injury.)
• Okay, when did we back up 40 years? At chapter 18, when Jethro comes to Moses when he is at the Mt. of the Lord (presumable Mt. Sinai, where he received the law in the 3rd month). Or, is it in chapter 19 (stated as being in the third month after the exodus). Did Moses struggle with this judging issue for 40 years, or only a few months? When did Jethro show up with Moses' wife and sons - it seems more likely within the first year - it wouldn't have taken 40 years for the word to travel.
• All the Lord has spoken, we will do, the people told Moses. Do until when? We go to sleep? (19:8).
• Review the 10 commandments - Exodus 20. Honestly, if I start commenting on the 10 commandments, I'll never get through this 90 days.
• Don't use tools to make a stone altar (20:25). Also, God doesn't want to see your privates, so use the steps when you walk up to the altar (or invent some underclothing).
• If only the slavemasters in our history would have stuck more closely to Chapter 21, many families would not have been separated. Not that I'm in any way saying slavery is okay.

Jeff's moved on to Larry the Cable Guy now, and is wiping tears from his eyes.

• What does 21:22 say about when a child in it's mothers' womb is viable/unviable, as in the abortion debate.
• Boy, I hope my master knocks my tooth out! (21:27).
• I guess this stuff is much simpler than our own penal code.
• You shall not permit a sorceress to live (22:19). Sorry Hermoine.
• How do you afflict a widow or fatherless child? (22:22)

Looks like we're getting into the part where we'll be tempted to quit or speed read with all the rules that seem so hard for us. Remember, God know how fickle the Hebrews were. They needed some specifics, and God was more than happy to provide them. Hang in there! We can do it.