Day 39
Exodus 1:1-3:22
(1 | 2 | 3)
Towards the end of Genesis when the nation of Israel (Jacob and his family) head to Egypt, it is already a fairly large group; Jacob's eleven sons, their wives and their children number seventy in total. Joseph, the twelfth son, and his family are already established in Egypt, but still add to the number of Israelites in Egypt. By the time the first generation of Israelites in Egypt have died, the number of them has increased massively. So when a new Pharaoh comes to power, he's afraid of them. He's unaware of Joseph and everything he did for Egypt. What he is aware of is the number of foreigners living in his land, and the fact that their number just keeps increasing. He's afraid they do not have any loyalty to their host nation.
So Pharaoh's solution is to oppress the Israelites and force them into slave labour. Despite the harsh treatment the people of Israel receive, they increase even more rapidly than before. As the number of Israelites increases, so too does the Egyptians' fear of them, and the harshness with which the Israelites are treated. So Pharaoh orders the Hebrew midwives to kill any new-born boys, but allow the girls to live. The God-fearing midwives claim the Hebrew women give birth too quickly for them to get their hands on the babies, so they can't kill them. The Pharaoh issues a public order that any baby boy must be cast in the Nile. (Presumably, this is just meant to mean Israeli boys, not the Egyptian boys.)
Anyway, one day a Levite couple have a baby boy. The mother cares for him for three months before she can hide him no longer. She puts him in a basket in amongst some reeds on the Nile. The Pharaoh's daughter finds him and, with the help of the boy's sister (who just happens to be lingering), finds the boy's mother and pays her to raise him for her. When the boy, whom she names Moses, is old enough, he is taken as the daughter's own son.
As an adult, Moses kills an Egyptian in retaliation to physical assault on an Israelite. The story quickly spreads, and Moses is forced to flee to Midian. While there, Moses marries a woman named Zipporah, and the two have a son named Gershom.
Eventually, Pharaoh dies. The LORD hears the cries of his oppressed people, and seizes the moment to start fulfilling the promise he made that he would rescue the Israelites from servitude in a foreign land. He instructs Moses to first go the elders of Israel, and then to the Pharaoh himself to ask that the Israelites be let free. God promises that the Egyptian people will be open to this, and even give them money and clothing. He also promises, though, that the Pharaoh will be thoroughly opposed to the option. Further, he promises to perform signs and wonders in amongst the Egyptians to persuade Pharaoh to let them go.
Matthew 26:1-30
(26:1-30)
Jesus predicts his betrayal, crucifixion and death will occur over the passover. However, the chief priests are adamant don't want to have Jesus killed yet; if he's killed during passover, there would be uproar from the people.
While in Bethany, a woman pours a ridiculously expensive amount of perfume on Jesus, bathing him in it. The disciples are furious, saying that money could've been given to the poor. Jesus counters by saying that the poor will always be around - you can always find people to give money to. He, however, would only be on Earth a finite amount of time. In any case, she's performing, probably unwittingly a very important role; she's washing his body in preparation for burial.
Judas Iscariot agrees to betray Jesus after receiving a payment of thirty silver coins from the chief priests. Then, at supper, Jesus reveals that one of the twelve will betray him. Jesus confirms to Judas that he knows it will, in fact, be him who betrays Jesus. Despite this, they carry on. Jesus breaks the bread and passes round the wine in the first incident of what would eventually become the sacrament of Holy Communion.
Psalm 19:1-6
(19:1-6)
In this passage, David sings of the majesty of God. He sings about the incredible nature of God's creation. It's a good thing to do sometimes - just take a step back and look at the beauty of what it is God's created.
Exodus 1:1-3:22
(1 | 2 | 3)
Towards the end of Genesis when the nation of Israel (Jacob and his family) head to Egypt, it is already a fairly large group; Jacob's eleven sons, their wives and their children number seventy in total. Joseph, the twelfth son, and his family are already established in Egypt, but still add to the number of Israelites in Egypt. By the time the first generation of Israelites in Egypt have died, the number of them has increased massively. So when a new Pharaoh comes to power, he's afraid of them. He's unaware of Joseph and everything he did for Egypt. What he is aware of is the number of foreigners living in his land, and the fact that their number just keeps increasing. He's afraid they do not have any loyalty to their host nation.
So Pharaoh's solution is to oppress the Israelites and force them into slave labour. Despite the harsh treatment the people of Israel receive, they increase even more rapidly than before. As the number of Israelites increases, so too does the Egyptians' fear of them, and the harshness with which the Israelites are treated. So Pharaoh orders the Hebrew midwives to kill any new-born boys, but allow the girls to live. The God-fearing midwives claim the Hebrew women give birth too quickly for them to get their hands on the babies, so they can't kill them. The Pharaoh issues a public order that any baby boy must be cast in the Nile. (Presumably, this is just meant to mean Israeli boys, not the Egyptian boys.)
Anyway, one day a Levite couple have a baby boy. The mother cares for him for three months before she can hide him no longer. She puts him in a basket in amongst some reeds on the Nile. The Pharaoh's daughter finds him and, with the help of the boy's sister (who just happens to be lingering), finds the boy's mother and pays her to raise him for her. When the boy, whom she names Moses, is old enough, he is taken as the daughter's own son.
As an adult, Moses kills an Egyptian in retaliation to physical assault on an Israelite. The story quickly spreads, and Moses is forced to flee to Midian. While there, Moses marries a woman named Zipporah, and the two have a son named Gershom.
Eventually, Pharaoh dies. The LORD hears the cries of his oppressed people, and seizes the moment to start fulfilling the promise he made that he would rescue the Israelites from servitude in a foreign land. He instructs Moses to first go the elders of Israel, and then to the Pharaoh himself to ask that the Israelites be let free. God promises that the Egyptian people will be open to this, and even give them money and clothing. He also promises, though, that the Pharaoh will be thoroughly opposed to the option. Further, he promises to perform signs and wonders in amongst the Egyptians to persuade Pharaoh to let them go.
Matthew 26:1-30
(26:1-30)
Jesus predicts his betrayal, crucifixion and death will occur over the passover. However, the chief priests are adamant don't want to have Jesus killed yet; if he's killed during passover, there would be uproar from the people.
While in Bethany, a woman pours a ridiculously expensive amount of perfume on Jesus, bathing him in it. The disciples are furious, saying that money could've been given to the poor. Jesus counters by saying that the poor will always be around - you can always find people to give money to. He, however, would only be on Earth a finite amount of time. In any case, she's performing, probably unwittingly a very important role; she's washing his body in preparation for burial.
Judas Iscariot agrees to betray Jesus after receiving a payment of thirty silver coins from the chief priests. Then, at supper, Jesus reveals that one of the twelve will betray him. Jesus confirms to Judas that he knows it will, in fact, be him who betrays Jesus. Despite this, they carry on. Jesus breaks the bread and passes round the wine in the first incident of what would eventually become the sacrament of Holy Communion.
Psalm 19:1-6
(19:1-6)
In this passage, David sings of the majesty of God. He sings about the incredible nature of God's creation. It's a good thing to do sometimes - just take a step back and look at the beauty of what it is God's created.
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