Where did the supplies come from?  Likely from traders along the wayLamp - eternal flame - the light of God always present Be ready - parable of the bridesmaidsBe faithful - talents parable Psalm 31:1-18 - Again, read the whole if possible.  Rock and fortress, support and protection and refuge.  I visualize someone holding onto a rock in a raging river Proverbs 8:1-11 - How is wisdom calling out t...  Read More

Try to read these laws and commands in light of the Ten Commandments.  How do each of these relate to the originals?24:9-11 - All of them saw God?  I honestly don't remember reading this before.  Always something new to findGod is worthy of beauty and the details here Still in the "future" sectionFig tree - object lesson in so manyy ways in the GospelsSpeaks here of how it is always "go time" for ...  Read More

Eye for an eye - limiting of vengeance or equal punishment?  Can be read both waysHow did Moses remember / write all this?Consistency - Both liberals and conservatives with the lawWhat is the intent of the law?  Ordering of a disordered world.  Holiness, purity, and obedienceSabbath - how do you practice this? Future section of MatthewDesolating sacrilege - lots of theories.  Heart of it is when t...  Read More

Theological word for a moment like this is a theophanyDeep sense of the holiness and purity of YHWHAre there 9 or 10 commandments?  Is "No other God" and "idols" part of the same commandment?First 4 commandments - God and us, Other 6 commandments - Us togetherCommandment 5 - Murder or kill? Still in angry Jesus mode - Woes and curses upon those Jesus sees as hypocrites.  But we need to also be wil...  Read More

Holding up of Moses' arms - analogy of how we can't do it on our ownJethro - telling the same to Moses.  Too much for one person to do.  And Moses listens!  Sinai - here we go!   Debates - still trying to trick Jesus.  Jesus' response of love God / love neighbor is like the sermon on the mount - it simplifies but makes it harder!  More stories of trying to trip Jesus upLast first / first last / se...  Read More

This is really coming to the end of the first main part of Exodus.  After this we move into the formation of the Israelite nation (even though they won't be in the land for a LONG time)Miriam's song - Maybe this is more original than the one of Moses.  Often fragments tend to be more authenticThis section begins the if/then of much of the rest of the Torah - if you obey, then you will be blessed, ...  Read More

Pillars - the ongoing presence of God with the peopleHardening Pharaoh's heart - again, is this for sure God spoke this or a later interpretation of why Pharaoh keeps doing what he doesIsraelites' reaction to the Egyptians returning?  Fear.  They have been conditioned to this - they haven't seen the full power and ongoing presence of God.  Understandable that they would react this wayLove this lin...  Read More

First part of this feels like a bit of a later addition.  Steps out of the narrativeThe deaths of the firstborn - heartbreaking.  Not to be celebrated.  Why couldn't there have been a different way?Huge numbers - 600,000 men not including women and children430 years they were in Egypt.  Generations.  And at the end, again a step out of the narrative - laws being to be introduced Healing of the bli...  Read More

The beginnings of the Passover.  It is hard to take this story because it is the innocents who are being punished for the Pharaoh's stubbornness.  But unfortunately isn't that how life always is?  The powerful don't face the same sufferings... Parable now to illustrate what Jesus just said in the previous verse.  Last first, first last.  The story now begins to shift towards Jerusalem - on the way...  Read More

Did God harden Pharaoh's heart or is that just an interpretation to try to explain why he was so hard headed?How do we see modern parallels to the Pharaoh and his responses and actions? Children again - and the disciples not getting it (again).  But...how do we do the same?How do you experience wealth and possessions getting in the way of discipleship?Was Jesus' command to the rich man a blanket c...  Read More

Moses - when it got hard, he wanted to give up.  Again pretty human.  Watch for his growth through the story though6:3 - "I did not make myself known to them" - feels like an acknoweldgment that the form of faith was still not fully there for the Hebrew people.  God was still (and is still) speakingGenealogy - notice that we learn the parents of Moses hereIs the "hardening" an interpretation of "w...  Read More

Moses - so human.  Resisting the call, giving excuses, as all of us have done and still do.  Moses lies to Jethro, his father-in-law about why he wants to go back to Egypt4:24 - I feel like there's a story or something that got lost in the communication here of why this happensThe oppression of the Hebrews - a story as old as time and continues to repeat itself to the modern day What does a child'...  Read More