Ex 8: 1-12

The next plague to be brought upon Pharoah and the people of Egypt is the plague of frogs. I don't know about anybody else but I am not a fan of lizards, snakes and reptiles. Frogs don't place well with me either. When I see the little lizards when I am down in FL, it doesn't bother me too much because of the their size and their timidity. Still, I know that some species of frogs are dangerous given that they also have poisons which I am also still not to fond of. Still in the case of the frogs, God brought them out the Nile and in turn, the socerers were also able to replicate the deed. Pharoah pleaded with Moses to remove this plague which he did and told him that he would let his people go but reneged upon his word even after Moses complied. The frogs died and were swept into an area where the stench was awesome. With the plague gone, Pharoah's heart grew hardened and he went back on his word. The period of time between the first and second plague was 7 days.

How often is my heart hardened even when God has done great things? I should be more generous, extend my heart and hand more but still I don't. I pray for a more patient, giving and caring heart...  Prayers for my friend Deb and her daughter who were in a car crash yesterday in Franklin, TN. Glad to hear that they were ok even though the car wasn't . Also continued prayers for the family that lost their home the other day and for Donna who is still hurting.  Am happy that I was able to rearrange my schedule to see GG now that he will be home for CNY and have dinner with the family.

Praise for today: Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me! Ps: 66: 20

Ex 7:14 - 25

The first plague is brought upon Egypt in the form of blood. Moses was instructed by God to go Pharoah in the morning when he goes to the bank of the Nile. With the staff of God in hand, the Lord instructs Moses to challenge the hardened heart of Pharoah to let his people go. The first sign would be the Nile's waters and every water that is drawn from it is turned to blood. The fish in the Nile will die, the river will stink, and the water will be undrinkable. The Lord then instructed Moses to carry this out over all the waters of Egypt - streams, canals, ponds and reservoirs.With Pharoah rejecting this sign and returning to the palace, the Egyptians had to dig along the Nile because they couldn't drink the waters of the river.

What was interesting in this plague was that the Egyptian magicians were able to replicate this with their own form of black arts (22). But here the main source of life in the area was now gone, from the Nile flowed life and sustained life, yet still Pharoah could not see past himself.

Over all good day and praying for the same today. Still prayers for Donna as she struggles to get better and for the family near my s-i-l whose house was burned last night. Praises for all of their lives that were spared but the recovery will be devastating and laborious.

Praise for today: You are good, and what you do is good; teach me your decrees. Ps. 119: 68

Ex 6:28 - 7:13

The time has come when Moses and Aaron would carry forth the task set before them. Despite the continued hesitation by Moses, they would go before Pharoah and demand that the Israelites be freed. The Lord warns them that this would not be an easy task and that this would take time and effort on both their parts before the desired ends would be achieved. This would be a tale for the ages and thus each party - Moses, Aaron, the Israelites (and their leaders) as well as the Egyptians (and Pharoah) would truly know and see the mighty works of God and would live to tell it. This is now the time for miracles and for God to be God. With the final charge before them, Moses and Aaron would do as the Lord commanded them - Moses at 80 and Aaron at 83 when they spoke to Pharoah. The first miracle was the staff becoming a snake and consuming the staffs of Pharoah's wise men and socerers. This marked the hardening of the heart of Pharoah and his not listening to them, just as the Lord had said.

It's hard not to read this and think of the 10 Commandments movie. What is also awesome about this was seeing the Dead Seas scrolls over the holiday week in NYC and actually seeing the 10 Commandments from Deut.

The week so far has been shaping up decently and hopefully, like the weather, will remain relatively calm. Prayers for GG who I won't see for a while and also for David and Irene as they live each day for Him.

Praise for today: And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it. Ex 7:5

Ex 6: 1 -27

This section actually begins at the end of Ch 5 with Moses asking the Lord about the calamity brought upon his people and the wrath that Pharoah has given them. The Lord's response to Moses gives him an idea of what is to come (v 1). He also said to Moses that He will deliver on his promise to remember his covenant with their forefathers and free them from slavery to take them as His own. Also deliverance meant God bringing them to a land that was promised to them. Unfortunately, when Moses delivered this message to the Israelites it fell on deaf ears due their discouragement and their current situation. The interchange between God and Moses/Aaron remained one of doubt and fear as Moses continued to see himself as inadequate. The family record on Moses and Aaron was geared more toward his tribe, the Levites  - clan by clan. The importance was to show that they were being brought out by the Lord out of Egypt by their divisions (12 tribes).

How often we don't see and stand upon the promises of God and merely wallow in our current situation wondering when God will deliver. I guess our advantage is seeing God's whole canon and resting upon the finished work of Christ upon the cross. Without the pain, there is no gain.Still good weekend with all of the Christmas decorations being reorganized and put away. The tree is out of the house and now getting ready for CNY - the year of the dragon. Looking forward to this weekend already with Monday honoring Dr. King but also a GFC board meeting on Sunday.

Praise for today: And I will bring you to the land that I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob, I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord. Ex 6:8

Ex 5

The encounter that Moses and Aaron with Pharoah had hoped for did not go as Moses and Aaron had planned. Pharoah was not about the let his meal ticket go without a fight and the fact that they wanted to take the Israelites away didn't sit well with him. He felt he was a god so why should another God take his people away? The fact that there was hope in the hearts of the Israelites made them have a different attitude about work and thus Pharoah made their lives miserable. Bricks without straw - forced them to work twice as hard and were beaten for the shortcomings. With no concession as far as what they were expected to do and their backs to the wall, the Israelite leaders confronted Moses and Aaron and blamed them for their plight as they feared for their lives. Moses, in turn, went to the Lord and complained to Him how lousy the situation was.

As Ringo Starr used to sing, "ya know it don't come easy" - and neither will this task be. The character and personality of Moses and Aaron will now be tested as never before. No one wants to lose what brought them to the dance and Pharaoh was no exception. Cheap labor became an entitlement to Pharoah and he didn't want to let that go easily, not unlike the entitlements and "country club living" that has gripped and destroyed the economies of Greece and Italy today.

Long but productive day yesterday. Will head home tonight and will take down the outside lights given the warm temps slated for tomorrow in the morning - hope to get a walk in early. Maybe we'll get a chance to see WarHorse as well.

Praise for today: Your ways, O God, are holy What god is so great as our God? Ps 77:13

Ex 4:18-31

The stage is now set for Moses to return to Egypt. Moses, after receiving his father-n-law Jethro's blessing to go, hears from the Lord and obeys. With the wife and sons in tow and his staff of God he heads off to Egypt. Already God is prepping Moses about what is to come: he will meet with Pharaoh and perform his "wonders" but God will harden Pharoah's heart so that he will not let his people go. God will give Pharoah the ultimatum of letting his people (firstborn) go or have his own firstborn son die. The interesting encounter is between Zipporah and the rest of the family. Since Moses's own son was not circumsized, she took it upon herself and used a flint knife to do the deed and spare him from God's wrath. The next meeting is between Moses and Aaron at Horeb, the mountain of God, where the plan is now revealed to Aaron. Together they then reveal the plan to the elders of the Israelites and realized that God did not abandoned them and has sent these two to deliver them from their misery. They bowed down and worshipped.

Productive day at work and I got my 2 mile walk in before the "fixed" treadmill went down later that day. I guess I will bike it today for a while. Still concerned about my BP which has been elevated recently. Trying to take care of that as well as trying to cut down on eating... Life long struggles.

Praise for today: Be exalted, O God , above the heavens, and let your glory be over all of the earth. Ps 108:5

Ex 4: 1-17

The conversation and charge from God to Moses continues. God is empowering Moses with signs that will show the world who and what God is yet there is still hesitancy. Maybe count it towards awe, or perhaps the past life that caused him to be banished from the place of his upbringing, Perhaps his sense of sin and inadequacy has taken over, still he wants the mantle passed from him and thus God is angered and allows Aaron into the picture. It was Moses that God wanted from the outset not Aaron but allowed him to go with him for "moral support". The staff would be the source of his signs.

Long day at work with some frustration and aggravation. It is always a downer when others do not have any sense of urgency or procedure that are in place. Still, we muddle through. I need prayers for more patience and less impulsive behaviors when I get frustrated. I do notice this in other areas - driving and sometimes dealing with people. Still, I ask God for a calmer and wiser heart.

Praise for today: Your name, O Lord, endures forever, your renown, O Lord, through all generations. For the Lord will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants. Ps 135: 13-14