EXODUS 16
Ah, the manna chapter. I love this story. It’s one of my favorite stories in the Bible. I’m not exactly sure what it is that appeals to me so much, but I’m simply taken with it. I love the description in verse 17 of gathering the manna. God had apportioned an omer of manna for each person — but it’s not like there were any omer measuring cups! So, the text simply says that some gathered too much and some gathered too little, but in the end, everyone had their allotted omer.
EXODUS 14
There is something in this chapter that I like very much: "Moses answered the people, 'Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.'" (vs 13-14)
Photo © shutterstock.com/Nomad Soul
From long ago, I've known your name
and prize it— though you won't speak Mine.
(I held your breath till you became.)
From long ago, I've known your name
and that you'd leave me. All the same,
I'll love you past the thin red line:
From long ago, I've known your name
and prize it— though you won't speak Mine.
*Triolet: A poetic form consisting of 8 lines, where the 1st, 4th, and 7th lines repeat, and the 2nd and 8th lines do as well. The rhyme scheme is simple: ABaAabAB, capital letters representing the repeated lines.
EXODUS 12
No, seriously. The Judge doesn't judge.
Okay, at least get one paragraph in before you write me off just based on the title of this post. What do I mean by God doesn’t judge? Check out these verses from Exodus 12: "On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn — both men and animals — and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt." (vs 12-13)
EXODUS 11
Let’s face it. This chapter is problematic for God. On the surface, it doesn’t make Him look very good, does it? What can you say about a God that goes around killing children? (Oh, I wish I had a little more time to write about death today, but I’m sure it will come in time. It’s a large Bible... )
In the past, I have hea
EXODUS 10
I know I’ve read the stories of the plagues in detail at least a dozen times in my adult life. But as I write these daily blogs, I am once again struck by Pharaoh’s audacity. Once again, in chapter 10, it’s his officials who are trying to talk some sense into him: "Pharaoh’s officials said to him, 'How long will this man be a snare to us? Let the people go, so that they may worship the Lord their God. Do you not yet realize that Egypt is ruined?'" (vs 7)
EXODUS 7
And so we arrive at the beginning of The Plagues. This has to be one of the most famous events of the Bible — a fearful accounting of "what God can do to you if you won’t listen to Him," as it has been most commonly portrayed. But I think we might find something else going on behind the scenes if we look closely.
Photo © Unsplash/Abigail Keenan
a rainbow always appears
where the storm
meets the sun
a defiant reminder
that
pain can be beautiful
heartache can shine
suffering can glisten
sorrow can be radiant
grief can be stunning
after all
there'd be no rainbow
if there was no storm
and in this world there's never a storm without one
that's how we know
we're never alone
when we face
the howling winds
for
a rainbow always appears
where the storm
meets the Son
EXODUS 4
I could have titled this post: God kicks butt at Twister.
"Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape." That funny little proverb could describe God in this chapter of Exodus. He has come on a mission to enlist Moses — the man who became His great friend — to go down to Egypt and bring the Israelites out of slavery. However, it appears that Moses isn’t going to go without a fight.
EXODUS 2
So, when was the last time you worried about anything? Think God is too unconcerned with you to worry about the details of your life? Think He is too small and impotent to work out your circumstances? Consider this verse from today’s reading: "Pharaoh’s daughter said, 'Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you.'" (vs 9)
EXODUS 1
I was so intrigued by this statement in the first chapter of Exodus: "Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power in Egypt." (vs 8) This astonished me! Certainly, some time had passed in Egypt, but a new king came to power who did not know about Joseph? This was the man who had single-handedly come up with the plan to rescue Egypt (and all the surrounding nations) from famine. How could anyone forget about Joseph?!
Photo © Unsplash/Tim Marshall
A year
in close(d) quarters
must feel like forever.
What if you saved your life but lost
your mind?
Cinquain: A short, usually unrhymed poem consisting of twenty-two syllables distributed as 2, 4, 6, 8, 2, in five lines.
