Day 44
Exodus 13:1-14:31
(13 | 14)
The passage starts with God laying claim to every firstborn male - whether human or animal. Moses explains that every firstborn male must be redeemed before the LORD because of what God did in Egypt; every firstborn male throughout Egypt was struck down as he passed through Egypt. It was because of this that Pharaoh finally allowed the Israelites to leave. Moses gives the Israelites an outline of how they are to commemorate their coming out of Egypt every year.
When God leads the Israelites out of Egypt and towards the Promised Land, he doesn't taken them through the Philistine country - the traditional and fastest route - because he knows they might turn back to Egypt if they face war. Which is, presumably, a distinct possibility travelling through Philistine country. Instead, God takes them a slightly longer route up towards the Red Sea. Moses takes Joseph's bones with him, as Joseph had made the sons of Israel promise to do.
God guides the Israelites through the desert as a pillar of cloud in the day, and as a pillar of fire at night; this way they could travel day or not. After a short while (the passage is not clear how many days passed), God gets Moses to tell the Israelites to turn back and set up camp at Pi Hahiroth. The idea is to get Pharaoh to come after the Israelites so that the LORD can prove his power once and for all to the Egyptians.
It's at this stage (which makes me think the Israelites can't have been travelling for too long) that Pharaoh finally twigs on to what the Israelites are doing. Pharaoh realises that he has essentially set his entire slave labour force free. He sets out after the Israelites with a massive force of officers. When the Israelites first see what is going on, they're understandably terrified. Moses tells the people to stand firm; the LORD will deliver them. The LORD then tells Moses to take his people across the sea. The main problem with the plan is the fact that the body of water in question is fairly large. However, God tells Moses to hold his staff over the water. Over that night, God sends a strong wind to blow back the water to leave dry land for the Israelites to walk on.
I find that bit particularly cool. I've always just had it in my had that Moses held his staff out and the waters just parted instantly. The fact that God did it gradually overnight and kept the Israelites and Egyptians apart while he did it somehow makes it cooler. Anyway...
The Israelites get to the other side and turn round to see that the Egyptians had tried to follow only to be met by the sea suddenly closing in on them. It's at this point that the Israelites realised how powerful God is. As a result of this, they began to fear and trust the LORD. The also put their trust in Moses.
Matthew 27:45-66
(27:45-66)
Jesus offers himself as a sacrifice for our sins. When he was crucified, he took upon himself our sins. As a result of that, for a period, he was cut off from the Father. It's for that reason that Jesus cries out "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Someone in the crowd offers him some wine vinegar while the rest of the crowd taunt him, and ask if Elijah, to whom they think he is calling, will come to save him.
Later, Jesus cries out with his final breath and dies. At that exact moment, several things happen. First of all, a powerful earthquake seems to strike. This causes the second event; the ground and several tombs are torn open, allowing the bodies of many holy people to rise back to life.
Most significantly, the curtain of the temple was completely ripped in half. This is significant because the curtain surrounded the innermost sanctum of the temple - the place where the Holy of Holies resided, the place where the Spirit of God lived. The curtain being torn in half meant two things. First of all, it meant that everyone had access to the Spirit of God; previously only the High Priest had been allowed to enter, and only once a year. Secondly, it meant that the Spirit could get out! Previously, the Spirit of God rested only God's anointed - his prophets and the kings of Israel. Now the Spirit could interract freely with everyone. This interraction is explored more fully in the events of the first Pentecost in Acts 2.
A disciple of Jesus, a man from Arimathea named Joseph, goes to Pilate and asks for Jesus' body. He wraps Jesus' body in cloth, places it inside a tomb he'd had cut out of the stone, and rolled a big stone in the way of the entrance. The Pharisees, meanwhile, remembered that Jesus had said he would rise again after three days. The Pharisees fear that Jesus' disciples would try to further the perceived deception by stealing the body and claiming Jesus had risen. So they ask for the tomb to be placed under guard until after the third day. Pilate grants the request, and the tomb is made secure.
Proverbs 4:20-27
(4:20-27)
Solomon urges the reader to heed his words; to find and accept wisdom and to reject the ways of the wicked. He also urges us to guard our hearts and to watch our tongues; he urges us to not allow perverse words or corrupt talk out of our mouths. Finally, he urges us to remain only on the good paths, and to steer clear of the paths of the wicked.
Exodus 13:1-14:31
(13 | 14)
The passage starts with God laying claim to every firstborn male - whether human or animal. Moses explains that every firstborn male must be redeemed before the LORD because of what God did in Egypt; every firstborn male throughout Egypt was struck down as he passed through Egypt. It was because of this that Pharaoh finally allowed the Israelites to leave. Moses gives the Israelites an outline of how they are to commemorate their coming out of Egypt every year.
When God leads the Israelites out of Egypt and towards the Promised Land, he doesn't taken them through the Philistine country - the traditional and fastest route - because he knows they might turn back to Egypt if they face war. Which is, presumably, a distinct possibility travelling through Philistine country. Instead, God takes them a slightly longer route up towards the Red Sea. Moses takes Joseph's bones with him, as Joseph had made the sons of Israel promise to do.
God guides the Israelites through the desert as a pillar of cloud in the day, and as a pillar of fire at night; this way they could travel day or not. After a short while (the passage is not clear how many days passed), God gets Moses to tell the Israelites to turn back and set up camp at Pi Hahiroth. The idea is to get Pharaoh to come after the Israelites so that the LORD can prove his power once and for all to the Egyptians.
It's at this stage (which makes me think the Israelites can't have been travelling for too long) that Pharaoh finally twigs on to what the Israelites are doing. Pharaoh realises that he has essentially set his entire slave labour force free. He sets out after the Israelites with a massive force of officers. When the Israelites first see what is going on, they're understandably terrified. Moses tells the people to stand firm; the LORD will deliver them. The LORD then tells Moses to take his people across the sea. The main problem with the plan is the fact that the body of water in question is fairly large. However, God tells Moses to hold his staff over the water. Over that night, God sends a strong wind to blow back the water to leave dry land for the Israelites to walk on.
I find that bit particularly cool. I've always just had it in my had that Moses held his staff out and the waters just parted instantly. The fact that God did it gradually overnight and kept the Israelites and Egyptians apart while he did it somehow makes it cooler. Anyway...
The Israelites get to the other side and turn round to see that the Egyptians had tried to follow only to be met by the sea suddenly closing in on them. It's at this point that the Israelites realised how powerful God is. As a result of this, they began to fear and trust the LORD. The also put their trust in Moses.
Matthew 27:45-66
(27:45-66)
Jesus offers himself as a sacrifice for our sins. When he was crucified, he took upon himself our sins. As a result of that, for a period, he was cut off from the Father. It's for that reason that Jesus cries out "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Someone in the crowd offers him some wine vinegar while the rest of the crowd taunt him, and ask if Elijah, to whom they think he is calling, will come to save him.
Later, Jesus cries out with his final breath and dies. At that exact moment, several things happen. First of all, a powerful earthquake seems to strike. This causes the second event; the ground and several tombs are torn open, allowing the bodies of many holy people to rise back to life.
Most significantly, the curtain of the temple was completely ripped in half. This is significant because the curtain surrounded the innermost sanctum of the temple - the place where the Holy of Holies resided, the place where the Spirit of God lived. The curtain being torn in half meant two things. First of all, it meant that everyone had access to the Spirit of God; previously only the High Priest had been allowed to enter, and only once a year. Secondly, it meant that the Spirit could get out! Previously, the Spirit of God rested only God's anointed - his prophets and the kings of Israel. Now the Spirit could interract freely with everyone. This interraction is explored more fully in the events of the first Pentecost in Acts 2.
A disciple of Jesus, a man from Arimathea named Joseph, goes to Pilate and asks for Jesus' body. He wraps Jesus' body in cloth, places it inside a tomb he'd had cut out of the stone, and rolled a big stone in the way of the entrance. The Pharisees, meanwhile, remembered that Jesus had said he would rise again after three days. The Pharisees fear that Jesus' disciples would try to further the perceived deception by stealing the body and claiming Jesus had risen. So they ask for the tomb to be placed under guard until after the third day. Pilate grants the request, and the tomb is made secure.
Proverbs 4:20-27
(4:20-27)
Solomon urges the reader to heed his words; to find and accept wisdom and to reject the ways of the wicked. He also urges us to guard our hearts and to watch our tongues; he urges us to not allow perverse words or corrupt talk out of our mouths. Finally, he urges us to remain only on the good paths, and to steer clear of the paths of the wicked.
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