Archives for 2024

Good morning,

Passover begins at sundown 22 April 2024. It is immediately followed by the Feast of Unleavened Bread, observed for seven days.

Today’s study requires us to open our Bibles and search the references about the Passover. It will open our eyes and help us connect to what Christ did on the cross for us.

Our devotionals will center Preparation for Passover, the fulfillment of Passover, and consequence of Passover.

You may see movies or other depictions of these events, but please make sure they line up with the Bible.

PASSOVER

Exodus 12:1-36

Preparation for Passover (12:1-20)

Passover by God (12:12-13)

¹² For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord.¹³ And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.

Feast of Unleavened Bread (12:14-20)

¹⁴ And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.¹⁵ Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.¹⁶ And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you.¹⁷ And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever.¹⁸ In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even.¹⁹ Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses: for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger, or born in the land.²⁰ Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning,

Passover begins at sundown 22 April 2024. It is immediately followed by the Feast of Unleavened Bread, observed for seven days.

Today’s study requires us to open our Bibles and search the references about the Passover. It will open our eyes and help us connect to what Christ did on the cross for us.

Our devotionals will center Preparation for Passover, the fulfillment of Passover, and consequence of Passover.

You may see movies or other depictions of these events, but please make sure they line up with the Bible.

PASSOVER

Exodus 12:1-36

Preparation for Passover (12:1-20)

New Year (12:1-2)

And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt saying,² This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.

Characteristics of the Lamb (12:3-5)

³ Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:⁴ And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.⁵ Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:

Killing the Lamb (12:6)

⁶ And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.

Blood of the Lamb (12:7)

⁷ And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.

Eating the Lamb (12:8-11)

⁸ And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.⁹ Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.¹⁰ And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire.¹¹ And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the Lord’s passover.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning,

Passover begins at sundown on 22 April 2022. It ends at sundown 23 April 2024. It is immediately followed by the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which ends on 30 April 2024. It lasts for seven days.

Our devotionals will center around the memorial of Passover, the feast of unleavened bread, the story of the Jewish Exodus, why Passover is relevant to Christians, and the blood.

This week’s study breaks down the 10 plagues, why God used them, and their importance.

Eighth Plague: Locusts (Exodus 10:1-7)

And the Lord said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might shew these my signs before him:² And that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son’s son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that ye may know how that I am the Lord.³ And Moses and Aaron came in unto Pharaoh, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews, How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me? let my people go, that they may serve me.⁴ Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, tomorrow will I bring the locusts into thy coast:  ⁵ And they shall cover the face of the earth, that one cannot be able to see the earth: and they shall eat the residue of that which is escaped, which remaineth unto you from the hail, and shall eat every tree which groweth for you out of the field:⁶ And they shall fill thy houses, and the houses of all thy servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians; which neither thy fathers, nor thy fathers’ fathers have seen, since the day that they were upon the earth unto this day. And he turned himself, and went out from Pharaoh.⁷ And Pharaoh’s servants said unto him, How long shall this man be a snare unto us? let the men go, that they may serve the Lord their God: knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed?

Before God brought the next plague, He told Moses that the Israelites would be able to tell their children of the things they had seen God do in Egypt and how it showed them God’s power. The eighth plague, locusts, again focused on Nut, Osiris, and Set. The later crops, wheat and rye, which had survived the hail, were now devoured by the swarms of locusts. There would be no harvest in Egypt that year.

Ninth Plague: Darkness (Exodus 10:21-23)

And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.²² And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days:²³ They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.

The ninth plague, darkness, was aimed at the sun god, Re, who was symbolized by Pharaoh himself. For three days, the land of Egypt was smothered with an unearthly darkness, but the homes of the Israelites had light.

Tenth Plague: Death of the first born (Exodus 11:1-10)

And the Lord said unto Moses, Yet will I bring one plague more upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt; afterwards he will let you go hence: when he shall let you go, he shall surely thrust you out hence altogether.² Speak now in the ears of the people, and let every man borrow of his neighbor, and every woman of her neighbor, jewels of silver and jewels of gold.³ And the Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants, and in the sight of the people.⁴ And Moses said, Thus saith the Lord, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt:⁵ And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the first born of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts.⁶ And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more.⁷ But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast: that ye may know how that the Lord doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.⁸ And all these thy servants shall come down unto me, and bow down themselves unto me, saying, Get thee out, and all the people that follow thee: and after that I will go out. And he went out from Pharaoh in a great anger.⁹ And the Lord said unto Moses, Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you; that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.¹⁰ And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh: and the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go out of his land.

The tenth and last plague, the death of the firstborn males, was a judgment on Isis, the protector of children. In this plague, God was teaching the Israelites a deep spiritual lesson that pointed to Christ. Unlike the other plagues, which the Israelites survived by virtue of their identity as God’s people, this plague required an act of faith by them. God commanded each family to take an unblemished male lamb and kill it. The blood of the lamb was to be smeared on the top and sides of their doorways, and the lamb was to be roasted and eaten that night. Any family that did not follow God’s instructions would suffer in the last plague. God described how He would send the destroyer through the land of Egypt, with orders to slay the firstborn male in every household, whether human or animal. The only protection was the blood of the lamb on the door. When the destroyer saw the blood, he would pass over that house and leave it untouched (Exodus 12:23). This is where the term Passover comes from. Passover is a memorial of that night in ancient Egypt when God delivered His people from bondage. First Corinthians 5:7 teaches that Jesus became our Passover when He died to deliver us from the bondage of sin. While the Israelites found God’s protection in their homes, every other home in the land of Egypt experienced God’s wrath as their loved ones died. This grievous event caused Pharaoh to finally release the Israelites.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning,

Passover begins at sundown on 22 April 2022. It ends at sundown 23 April 2024. It is immediately followed by the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which ends on 30 April 2024. It lasts for seven days.

Our devotionals will center around the memorial of Passover, the feast of unleavened bread, the story of the Jewish Exodus, why Passover is relevant to Christians, and the blood.

This week’s study breaks down the 10 plagues, why God used them, and their importance.

Fifth Plague: Disease/Death on Livestock (Exodus 9:1-7)                                                                                                              
Then the Lord said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh, and tell him, Thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me.  ² For if thou refuse to let them go, and wilt hold them still,³ Behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thy cattle which is in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the oxen, and upon the sheep: there shall be a very grievous murrain.⁴ And the Lord shall sever between the cattle of Israel and the cattle of Egypt: and there shall nothing die of all that is the children’s of Israel.⁵ And the Lord appointed a set time, saying, Tomorrow the Lord shall do this thing in the land.⁶ And the Lord did that thing on the morrow, and all the cattle of Egypt died: but of the cattle of the children of Israel died not one.⁷ And Pharaoh sent, and, behold, there was not one of the cattle of the Israelites dead. And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go.

The fifth plague, the death of livestock, was a judgment on the goddess Hathor and the god Apis, who were both depicted as cattle. As with the previous plague, God protected His people from the plague, while the cattle of the Egyptians died. God was steadily destroying the economy of Egypt, while showing His ability to protect and provide for those who obeyed Him. Pharaoh even sent investigators (Exodus 9:7) to find out if the Israelites were suffering along with the Egyptians, but the result was a hardening of his heart against the Israelites.

Sixth Plague: Boils (Exodus 9:8-12) 

And the Lord said unto Moses and unto Aaron, Take to you handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the heaven in the sight of Pharaoh.⁹ And it shall become small dust in all the land of Egypt, and shall be a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast, throughout all the land of Egypt.¹⁰ And they took ashes of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it up toward heaven; and it became a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast. ¹¹ And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boil was upon the magicians, and upon all the Egyptians.¹² And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had spoken unto Moses.

The sixth plague, boils, was a judgment against several gods over health and disease (Sekhmet, Sunu, and Isis). This time, the Bible says that the magicians “could not stand before Moses because of the boils.” Clearly, these religious leaders were powerless against the God of Israel.

Seventh Plague: Hail (Exodus 9:13-26) (READ 13, 18, 22-25)

And the Lord said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me. (9:13)

Behold, tomorrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof even until now. (9:18)

And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch forth thine hand toward heaven, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, upon man, and upon beast, and upon every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt.²³ And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven: and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground; and the Lord rained hail upon the land of Egypt.²⁴ So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous, such as there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation.²⁵ And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail smote every herb of the field, and brake every tree of the field.  (9:22-25)

Before God sent the last three plagues, Pharaoh was given a special message from God. These plagues would be more severe than the others, and they were designed to convince Pharaoh and all the people “that there is none like me in all the earth” (Exodus 9:14). Pharaoh was even told that he was placed in his position by God, so that God could show His power and declare His name through all the earth (Exodus 9:16). As an example of His grace, God warned Pharaoh to gather whatever cattle and crops remained from the previous plagues and shelter them from the coming storm. Some of Pharaoh’s servants heeded the warning (Exodus 9:20), while others did not. The seventh plague, hail, attacked Nut, the sky goddess; Osiris, the crop fertility god; and Set, the storm god. This hail was unlike any that had been seen before. It was accompanied by a fire which ran along the ground, and everything left out in the open was devastated by the hail and fire. Again, the children of Israel were miraculously protected, and no hail damaged anything in their lands.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning,

Passover begins at sundown on 22 April 2022. It ends at sundown 23 April 2024. It is immediately followed by the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which ends on 30 April 2024. It lasts for seven days.

Our devotionals will center around the memorial of Passover, the feast of unleavened bread, the story of the Jewish Exodus, why Passover is relevant to Christians, and the blood.

This week’s study breaks down the 10 plagues, why God used them, and their importance.

Ten Plagues

 Exodus 7-11

The Ten Plagues of Egypt—also known as the Ten Plagues, the Plagues of Egypt, or the Biblical Plagues—are described in Exodus 7—12. The plagues were ten disasters sent upon Egypt by God to convince Pharaoh to free the Israelite slaves from the bondage and oppression they had endured in Egypt for 400 years. When God sent Moses to deliver the children of Israel from bondage in Egypt, He promised to show His wonders as confirmation of Moses’ authority (Exodus 3:20). 

“And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go”.

This confirmation was to serve at least two purposes: to show the Israelites that the God of their fathers was alive and worthy of their worship (Exodus 6:6–8; 12:25–27) and to show the Egyptians that their gods were nothing (Exodus 7:5; 12:12; Numbers 33:4).

The Israelites had been enslaved in Egypt for about 400 years and in that time had lost faith in the God of their fathers. They believed He existed and worshiped Him, but they doubted that He could, or would, break the yoke of their bondage.

The Egyptians, like many pagan cultures, worshiped a wide variety of nature-gods and attributed to their powers the natural phenomena they saw in the world around them. There was a god of the sun, of the river, of childbirth, of crops, etc. Events like the annual flooding of the Nile, which fertilized their croplands, were evidences of their gods’ powers and good will.

When Moses approached Pharaoh, demanding that he let the people go, Pharaoh responded by saying, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go” (Exodus 5:2). Thus began the challenge to show whose God was more powerful.

Ten Plagues (Exodus 7-11)

3. Moses’ demand certified by miracle (5:23-7:12)
4. Pharaoh’s heart was hardened (7:13-14)
5. First plague: Blood (7:14-25)
6. Second plague: Frogs (8:1-15)
7. Third plague: Lice (8:16-19)
8. Fourth plague: Flies (8:20-32)
9. Fifth plague: Disease on Livestock (9:1-7)
10. Sixth plague: Boils (9:8-12)
11. Seventh plague: Hail (9:13-35
12. Eighth plague: Locusts (10:1-20)
13. Ninth plague: Darkness (10:21-29)                                                                             14. Death of the first born (11:1-10) 

God’s instructions to Moses and Aaron (Exodus 7:1-9)

And the Lord said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.² Thou shalt speak all that I command thee: and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he send the children of Israel out of his land.³ And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.⁴ But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments .And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them.⁶ And Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded them, so did they.⁷ And Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh.⁸ And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,⁹ When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Shew a miracle for you: then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent.

First Plague: Water turns to blood (Exodus 7:14-25) (READ 14-18)

And the Lord said unto Moses, Pharaoh’s heart is hardened, he refuseth to let the people go.¹⁵ Get thee unto Pharaoh in the morning; lo, he goeth out unto the water; and thou shalt stand by the river’s brink against he come; and the rod which was turned to a serpent shalt thou take in thine hand.¹⁶ And thou shalt say unto him, The Lord God of the Hebrews hath sent me unto thee, saying, Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness: and, behold, hitherto thou wouldest not hear.¹⁷ Thus saith the Lord, In this thou shalt know that I am the Lord: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood.¹⁸ And the fish that is in the river shall die, and the river shall stink; and the Egyptians shall loathe to drink of the water of the river.

The first plague, turning the Nile to blood, was a judgment against Apis, the god of the Nile, Isis, goddess of the Nile, and Khnum, guardian of the Nile. The Nile was also believed to be the bloodstream of Osiris, who was reborn each year when the river flooded. The river, which formed the basis of daily life and the national economy, was devastated, as millions of fish died in the river and the water was unusable. Pharaoh was told, “By this you will know that I am the LORD” (Exodus 7:17).

Second Plague: Frogs (Exodus 8:1-15) (READ 1-6)

And the Lord spake unto Moses, Go unto Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Let my people go, that they may serve me.² And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs:³ And the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which shall go up and come into thine house, and into thy bedchamber, and upon thy bed, and into the house of thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thine ovens, and into thy kneading troughs:⁴ And the frogs shall come up both on thee, and upon thy people, and upon all thy servants.⁵ And the Lord spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch forth thine hand with thy rod over the streams, over the rivers, and over the ponds, and cause frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt.⁶ And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt.

The second plague, bringing frogs from the Nile, was a judgment against Heqet, the frog-headed goddess of birth. Frogs were thought to be sacred and not to be killed. God had the frogs invade every part of the homes of the Egyptians, and when the frogs died, their stinking bodies were heaped up in offensive piles all through the land (Exodus 8:13–14).

Third Plague: Lice (Exodus 8:16-19)

And the Lord said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt.¹⁷ And they did so; for Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the earth, and it became lice in man, and in beast; all the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt.¹⁸ And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not: so there were lice upon man, and upon beast.¹⁹ Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had said.

The third plague, lice, was a judgment on Set, the god of the desert. Unlike the previous plagues, the magicians were unable to duplicate this one and declared to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God” (Exodus 8:19).

Fourth Plague: Flies (Exodus 8:20-32) (READ 20-24)

And the Lord said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh; lo, he cometh forth to the water; and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Let my people go, that they may serve me.²¹ Else, if thou wilt not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thy houses: and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground whereon they are.

²² And I will sever in that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there; to the end thou mayest know that I am the Lord in the midst of the earth.²³ And I will put a division between my people and thy people: tomorrow shall this sign be.²⁴ And the Lord did so; and there came a grievous swarm of flies into the house of Pharaoh, and into his servants’ houses, and into all the land of Egypt: the land was corrupted by reason of the swarm of flies.

The fourth plague, flies, was a judgment on Uatchit, the fly god. In this plague, God clearly distinguished between the Israelites and the Egyptians, as no swarms of flies bothered the areas where the Israelites lived (Exodus 8:21–24).

Fifth Plague: Disease/Death on Livestock (Exodus 9:1-7)                                                                                                              
Then the Lord said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh, and tell him, Thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me.  ² For if thou refuse to let them go, and wilt hold them still,³ Behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thy cattle which is in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the oxen, and upon the sheep: there shall be a very grievous murrain.⁴ And the Lord shall sever between the cattle of Israel and the cattle of Egypt: and there shall nothing die of all that is the children’s of Israel.⁵ And the Lord appointed a set time, saying, Tomorrow the Lord shall do this thing in the land.⁶ And the Lord did that thing on the morrow, and all the cattle of Egypt died: but of the cattle of the children of Israel died not one.⁷ And Pharaoh sent, and, behold, there was not one of the cattle of the Israelites dead. And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go.

The fifth plague, the death of livestock, was a judgment on the goddess Hathor and the god Apis, who were both depicted as cattle. As with the previous plague, God protected His people from the plague, while the cattle of the Egyptians died. God was steadily destroying the economy of Egypt, while showing His ability to protect and provide for those who obeyed Him. Pharaoh even sent investigators (Exodus 9:7) to find out if the Israelites were suffering along with the Egyptians, but the result was a hardening of his heart against the Israelites.

Sixth Plague: Boils (Exodus 9:8-12) 

And the Lord said unto Moses and unto Aaron, Take to you handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the heaven in the sight of Pharaoh.⁹ And it shall become small dust in all the land of Egypt, and shall be a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast, throughout all the land of Egypt.¹⁰ And they took ashes of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it up toward heaven; and it became a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast. ¹¹ And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boil was upon the magicians, and upon all the Egyptians.¹² And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had spoken unto Moses.

The sixth plague, boils, was a judgment against several gods over health and disease (Sekhmet, Sunu, and Isis). This time, the Bible says that the magicians “could not stand before Moses because of the boils.” Clearly, these religious leaders were powerless against the God of Israel.

Seventh Plague: Hail (Exodus 9:13-26) (READ 13, 18, 22-25)

And the Lord said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me. (9:13)

Behold, tomorrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof even until now. (9:18)

And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch forth thine hand toward heaven, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, upon man, and upon beast, and upon every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt.²³ And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven: and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground; and the Lord rained hail upon the land of Egypt.²⁴ So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous, such as there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation.²⁵ And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail smote every herb of the field, and brake every tree of the field.  (9:22-25)

Before God sent the last three plagues, Pharaoh was given a special message from God. These plagues would be more severe than the others, and they were designed to convince Pharaoh and all the people “that there is none like me in all the earth” (Exodus 9:14). Pharaoh was even told that he was placed in his position by God, so that God could show His power and declare His name through all the earth (Exodus 9:16). As an example of His grace, God warned Pharaoh to gather whatever cattle and crops remained from the previous plagues and shelter them from the coming storm. Some of Pharaoh’s servants heeded the warning (Exodus 9:20), while others did not. The seventh plague, hail, attacked Nut, the sky goddess; Osiris, the crop fertility god; and Set, the storm god. This hail was unlike any that had been seen before. It was accompanied by a fire which ran along the ground, and everything left out in the open was devastated by the hail and fire. Again, the children of Israel were miraculously protected, and no hail damaged anything in their lands.

Eighth Plague: Locusts (Exodus 10:1-7)

And the Lord said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might shew these my signs before him:² And that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son’s son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that ye may know how that I am the Lord.³ And Moses and Aaron came in unto Pharaoh, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews, How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me? let my people go, that they may serve me.⁴ Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, tomorrow will I bring the locusts into thy coast:  ⁵ And they shall cover the face of the earth, that one cannot be able to see the earth: and they shall eat the residue of that which is escaped, which remaineth unto you from the hail, and shall eat every tree which groweth for you out of the field:⁶ And they shall fill thy houses, and the houses of all thy servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians; which neither thy fathers, nor thy fathers’ fathers have seen, since the day that they were upon the earth unto this day. And he turned himself, and went out from Pharaoh.⁷ And Pharaoh’s servants said unto him, How long shall this man be a snare unto us? let the men go, that they may serve the Lord their God: knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed?

Before God brought the next plague, He told Moses that the Israelites would be able to tell their children of the things they had seen God do in Egypt and how it showed them God’s power. The eighth plague, locusts, again focused on Nut, Osiris, and Set. The later crops, wheat and rye, which had survived the hail, were now devoured by the swarms of locusts. There would be no harvest in Egypt that year.

Ninth Plague: Darkness (Exodus 10:21-23)

And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.²² And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days:²³ They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.

The ninth plague, darkness, was aimed at the sun god, Re, who was symbolized by Pharaoh himself. For three days, the land of Egypt was smothered with an unearthly darkness, but the homes of the Israelites had light.

Tenth Plague: Death of the first born (Exodus 11:1-10)

And the Lord said unto Moses, Yet will I bring one plague more upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt; afterwards he will let you go hence: when he shall let you go, he shall surely thrust you out hence altogether.² Speak now in the ears of the people, and let every man borrow of his neighbor, and every woman of her neighbor, jewels of silver and jewels of gold.³ And the Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants, and in the sight of the people.⁴ And Moses said, Thus saith the Lord, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt:⁵ And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the first born of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts.⁶ And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more.⁷ But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast: that ye may know how that the Lord doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.⁸ And all these thy servants shall come down unto me, and bow down themselves unto me, saying, Get thee out, and all the people that follow thee: and after that I will go out. And he went out from Pharaoh in a great anger.⁹ And the Lord said unto Moses, Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you; that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.¹⁰ And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh: and the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go out of his land.

The tenth and last plague, the death of the firstborn males, was a judgment on Isis, the protector of children. In this plague, God was teaching the Israelites a deep spiritual lesson that pointed to Christ. Unlike the other plagues, which the Israelites survived by virtue of their identity as God’s people, this plague required an act of faith by them. God commanded each family to take an unblemished male lamb and kill it. The blood of the lamb was to be smeared on the top and sides of their doorways, and the lamb was to be roasted and eaten that night. Any family that did not follow God’s instructions would suffer in the last plague. God described how He would send the destroyer through the land of Egypt, with orders to slay the firstborn male in every household, whether human or animal. The only protection was the blood of the lamb on the door. When the destroyer saw the blood, he would pass over that house and leave it untouched (Exodus 12:23). This is where the term Passover comes from. Passover is a memorial of that night in ancient Egypt when God delivered His people from bondage. First Corinthians 5:7 teaches that Jesus became our Passover when He died to deliver us from the bondage of sin. While the Israelites found God’s protection in their homes, every other home in the land of Egypt experienced God’s wrath as their loved ones died. This grievous event caused Pharaoh to finally release the Israelites.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning,

Passover begins at sundown on 22 April 2022. It ends at sundown 23 April 2024. It is immediately followed by the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which ends on 30 April 2024. It lasts for seven days.

Our devotionals will center around the memorial of Passover, the feast of unleavened bread, the story of the Jewish Exodus, why Passover is relevant to Christians, and the blood.

This week’s study breaks down the 10 plagues, why God used them, and their importance.

First Plague: Water turns to blood (Exodus 7:14-25) (READ 14-18)

And the Lord said unto Moses, Pharaoh’s heart is hardened, he refuseth to let the people go.¹⁵ Get thee unto Pharaoh in the morning; lo, he goeth out unto the water; and thou shalt stand by the river’s brink against he come; and the rod which was turned to a serpent shalt thou take in thine hand.¹⁶ And thou shalt say unto him, The Lord God of the Hebrews hath sent me unto thee, saying, Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness: and, behold, hitherto thou wouldest not hear.¹⁷ Thus saith the Lord, In this thou shalt know that I am the Lord: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood.¹⁸ And the fish that is in the river shall die, and the river shall stink; and the Egyptians shall loathe to drink of the water of the river.

The first plague, turning the Nile to blood, was a judgment against Apis, the god of the Nile, Isis, goddess of the Nile, and Khnum, guardian of the Nile. The Nile was also believed to be the bloodstream of Osiris, who was reborn each year when the river flooded. The river, which formed the basis of daily life and the national economy, was devastated, as millions of fish died in the river and the water was unusable. Pharaoh was told, “By this you will know that I am the LORD” (Exodus 7:17).

Second Plague: Frogs (Exodus 8:1-15) (READ 1-6)

And the Lord spake unto Moses, Go unto Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Let my people go, that they may serve me.² And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs:³ And the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which shall go up and come into thine house, and into thy bedchamber, and upon thy bed, and into the house of thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thine ovens, and into thy kneading troughs:⁴ And the frogs shall come up both on thee, and upon thy people, and upon all thy servants.⁵ And the Lord spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch forth thine hand with thy rod over the streams, over the rivers, and over the ponds, and cause frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt.⁶ And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt.

The second plague, bringing frogs from the Nile, was a judgment against Heqet, the frog-headed goddess of birth. Frogs were thought to be sacred and not to be killed. God had the frogs invade every part of the homes of the Egyptians, and when the frogs died, their stinking bodies were heaped up in offensive piles all through the land (Exodus 8:13–14).

Third Plague: Lice (Exodus 8:16-19)

And the Lord said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt.¹⁷ And they did so; for Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the earth, and it became lice in man, and in beast; all the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt.¹⁸ And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not: so there were lice upon man, and upon beast.¹⁹ Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had said.

The third plague, lice, was a judgment on Set, the god of the desert. Unlike the previous plagues, the magicians were unable to duplicate this one and declared to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God” (Exodus 8:19).

Fourth Plague: Flies (Exodus 8:20-32) (READ 20-24)

And the Lord said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh; lo, he cometh forth to the water; and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Let my people go, that they may serve me.²¹ Else, if thou wilt not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thy houses: and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground whereon they are.

²² And I will sever in that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there; to the end thou mayest know that I am the Lord in the midst of the earth.²³ And I will put a division between my people and thy people: tomorrow shall this sign be.²⁴ And the Lord did so; and there came a grievous swarm of flies into the house of Pharaoh, and into his servants’ houses, and into all the land of Egypt: the land was corrupted by reason of the swarm of flies.

The fourth plague, flies, was a judgment on Uatchit, the fly god. In this plague, God clearly distinguished between the Israelites and the Egyptians, as no swarms of flies bothered the areas where the Israelites lived (Exodus 8:21–24).

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning,

Passover begins at sundown on 22 April 2022. It ends at sundown 23 April 2024. It is immediately followed by the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which ends on 30 April 2024. It lasts for seven days.

Our devotionals will center around the memorial of Passover, the feast of unleavened bread, the story of the Jewish Exodus, why Passover is relevant to Christians, and the blood.

This week’s study breaks down the 10 plagues, why God used them, and their importance.

Ten Plagues

 Exodus 7-11

The Ten Plagues of Egypt—also known as the Ten Plagues, the Plagues of Egypt, or the Biblical Plagues—are described in Exodus 7—12. The plagues were ten disasters sent upon Egypt by God to convince Pharaoh to free the Israelite slaves from the bondage and oppression they had endured in Egypt for 400 years. When God sent Moses to deliver the children of Israel from bondage in Egypt, He promised to show His wonders as confirmation of Moses’ authority (Exodus 3:20). 

“And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go”.

This confirmation was to serve at least two purposes: to show the Israelites that the God of their fathers was alive and worthy of their worship (Exodus 6:6–8; 12:25–27) and to show the Egyptians that their gods were nothing (Exodus 7:5; 12:12; Numbers 33:4).

The Israelites had been enslaved in Egypt for about 400 years and in that time had lost faith in the God of their fathers. They believed He existed and worshiped Him, but they doubted that He could, or would, break the yoke of their bondage.

The Egyptians, like many pagan cultures, worshiped a wide variety of nature-gods and attributed to their powers the natural phenomena they saw in the world around them. There was a god of the sun, of the river, of childbirth, of crops, etc. Events like the annual flooding of the Nile, which fertilized their croplands, were evidences of their gods’ powers and good will.

When Moses approached Pharaoh, demanding that he let the people go, Pharaoh responded by saying, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go” (Exodus 5:2). Thus began the challenge to show whose God was more powerful.

Ten Plagues (Exodus 7-11)

3. Moses’ demand certified by miracle (5:23-7:12)
4. Pharaoh’s heart was hardened (7:13-14)
5. First plague: Blood (7:14-25)
6. Second plague: Frogs (8:1-15)
7. Third plague: Lice (8:16-19)
8. Fourth plague: Flies (8:20-32)
9. Fifth plague: Disease on Livestock (9:1-7)
10. Sixth plague: Boils (9:8-12)
11. Seventh plague: Hail (9:13-35
12. Eighth plague: Locusts (10:1-20)
13. Ninth plague: Darkness (10:21-29)                                                                                         14. Death of the first born (11:1-10) 

God’s instructions to Moses and Aaron (Exodus 7:1-9)

And the Lord said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.² Thou shalt speak all that I command thee: and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he send the children of Israel out of his land.³ And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.⁴ But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments .And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them.⁶ And Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded them, so did they.⁷ And Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh.⁸ And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,⁹ When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Shew a miracle for you: then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning,

The shedding of blood has been essential to the atonement for man’s sin. The shedding of blood is directly tied to our salvation. Jesus shed His perfect, precious blood to pay our sin debt. 

The Passover, instituted by God, is a picture of salvation for Israel. When they applied the blood, God passed over their house. Right after that they were freed from their Egyptian enslavement.

This week we look at the progressive mistreatment of the Hebrew slaves and preparation for deliverance of the Hebrew slaves. 

C. The Israelites delivered from Egyptian bondage (5:1-15:21) 

1. Moses demands the release of the Israelites (5:1-4) (READ)

“And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.² And Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go.³ And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days’ journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the Lord our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.⁴ And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens.”

 “Let my people go…” used 8 times

 2. Pharaoh’s answer: Hebrews denied straw with which to make bricks (5:5-23) 

 3. God confirms His promise to Moses (5:23-6:30) (READ 6:1-8)

Then the Lord said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land.2 And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the Lord:3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name Jehovah was I not known to them.4 And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers.5 And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant.6 Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments:7 And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.8 And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the Lord.”

Notice that 13 times I am or I will is used to make sure Moses understands that it GOD that is going to make this deliverance happen.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning,

The shedding of blood has been essential to the atonement for man’s sin. The shedding of blood is directly tied to our salvation. Jesus shed His perfect, precious blood to pay our sin debt. 

The Passover, instituted by God, is a picture of salvation for Israel. When they applied the blood, God passed over their house. Right after that they were freed from their Egyptian enslavement.

This week we look at the progressive mistreatment of the Hebrew slaves and preparation for deliverance of the Hebrew slaves. 

B. Preparation for deliverance of Hebrew slaves (2:1-4:31)

1. Moses born and saved from destruction (2:1-10) (READ)

“And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi.² And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.³ And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river’s brink.⁴ And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him.⁵ And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river’s side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.⁶ And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews’ children.⁷ Then said his sister to Pharaoh’s daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?⁸ And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child’s mother.⁹ And Pharaoh’s daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the women took the child, and nursed it.¹⁰ And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.”

2. Moses kills an Egyptian and forsakes Egypt (2:11-14) 

3. Moses in the land of Midian (2:15-22) 

4. God takes knowledge of Israel’s sad plight (2:23-25) 

“And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.²⁴ And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.²⁵ And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.”

5. God calls Moses at a burning bush (3:1-4:17) (READ 3:1-10)

“Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.² And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.³ And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.⁴ And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.⁵ And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.⁶ Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.⁷ And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;⁸ And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.⁹ Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.¹⁰ Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.”

6. Moses agrees to go back to Egypt (4:18-20) 

“And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father in law, and said unto him, Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren which are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace.¹⁹ And the Lord said unto Moses in Midian, Go, return into Egypt: for all the men are dead which sought thy life.²⁰ And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt: and Moses took the rod of God in his hand.”

7. The Hebrews believe Moses and accept his leadership (4:27-31) 

“And the Lord said to Aaron, Go into the wilderness to meet Moses. And he went, and met him in the mount of God, and kissed him.²⁸ And Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord who had sent him, and all the signs which he had commanded him.²⁹ And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel:³⁰ And Aaron spake all the words which the Lord had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people.³¹ And the people believed: and when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped.”

God’s plan was Moses.

When he was born, he should have been killed. God spared him. His mother puts him in an ark and allows it to float past Pharaoh’s daughter. She retrieves the ark, sees it is one of the Hebrew children, has compassion on him, and raises him as her own child.

Then Moses realizes his true heritage and tries to help his brethren. He kills an Egyptian and flees to Midian. He was forty years old. He spends the next forty years as a sheep herder on the back side of the desert. One day he sees a burning bush and goes to investigate. There he meets with God who sends him back to Egypt to be His spokesman. Moses fights with God, but eventually he relents and goes. He goes back and after some convincing, the people believe him.

Who would ever think up a plan like this?

Only God! God was in charge of every aspect of the plan. Moses executed the plan in accordance with God’s desire.

Will Pharaoh let the children of Israel go? No!

God has a plan for each of our lives. Whether we follow God’s plan is up to us. We have been given a free will to obey God’s word or reject it. Obedience leads us to the plan God has for us. Disobedience leads us away from God’s plan.

Choose wisely.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001, chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning,

The shedding of blood has been essential to the atonement for man’s sin. The shedding of blood is directly tied to our salvation. Jesus shed His perfect, precious blood to pay our sin debt. 

The Passover, instituted by God, is a picture of salvation for Israel. When they applied the blood, God passed over their house. Right after that they were freed from their Egyptian enslavement.

This week we look at the progressive mistreatment of the Hebrew slaves and preparation for deliverance of the Hebrew slaves. 

A. Progressive mistreatment of the Hebrew slaves (1:1-22)  

1. The tribes of Israel identified (1:1-7)  

“ And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.”

2. Pharaoh (King of Egypt) who knew not Joseph (1:8) (READ)

“Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.”

3. Growth of Hebrew population (1:9-10) (READ)

“And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we:10 Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land.”

4. Harsh treatment of Hebrew slaves in Egypt (1:11-14) (READ)

“Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses.12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.13 And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigor:14 And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigor.”

5. Plan to destroy the Hebrews (1:15-22) (READ)

“And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah:16 And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.17 But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.18 And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men children alive?19 And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them.20 Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.21 And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses.22 And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.”

Joseph has died. Israel is growing in numbers and in strength. A new king comes to power who did not know Joseph or his legacy. The Egyptians were afraid of Israel. The new king commanded that the midwives kill all the males at birth. That did not work.

The new king makes them his slaves. Forced labor. He will work them to death. They just become stronger. 

Man’s plan never overrides the plan of God. God’s plan was to judge Egypt for their cruelty to Israel. In the eyes of the Israelites of that time, it seemed God had forgotten them. He had not.

This happens to us. We expect instant results from God. We are looking for our concept of what God’s plan for our lives should be. Not His plan. This causes us to think God has forgotten us. He has not forgotten us. He sees everything, knows everything, and is powerful enough to change anything He desires. 

He sees the big picture. 

The question is, Will we trust Him? Think about that question this week?

B. Preparation for deliverance of Hebrew slaves (2:1-4:31)

1. Moses born and saved from destruction (2:1-10) (READ)

“And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi.² And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.³ And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river’s brink.⁴ And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him.⁵ And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river’s side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.⁶ And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews’ children.⁷ Then said his sister to Pharaoh’s daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?⁸ And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child’s mother.⁹ And Pharaoh’s daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the women took the child, and nursed it.¹⁰ And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.”

2. Moses kills an Egyptian and forsakes Egypt (2:11-14) 

3. Moses in the land of Midian (2:15-22) 

4. God takes knowledge of Israel’s sad plight (2:23-25) 

“And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.²⁴ And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.²⁵ And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.”

5. God calls Moses at a burning bush (3:1-4:17) (READ 3:1-10)

“Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.² And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.³ And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.⁴ And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.⁵ And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.⁶ Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.⁷ And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;⁸ And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.⁹ Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.¹⁰ Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.”

6. Moses agrees to go back to Egypt (4:18-20) 

“And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father in law, and said unto him, Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren which are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace.¹⁹ And the Lord said unto Moses in Midian, Go, return into Egypt: for all the men are dead which sought thy life.²⁰ And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt: and Moses took the rod of God in his hand.”

7. The Hebrews believe Moses and accept his leadership (4:27-31) 

“And the Lord said to Aaron, Go into the wilderness to meet Moses. And he went, and met him in the mount of God, and kissed him.²⁸ And Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord who had sent him, and all the signs which he had commanded him.²⁹ And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel:³⁰ And Aaron spake all the words which the Lord had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people.³¹ And the people believed: and when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped.”

God’s plan was Moses.

When he was born, he should have been killed. God spared him. His mother puts him in an ark and allows it to float past Pharaoh’s daughter. She retrieves the ark, sees it is one of the Hebrew children, has compassion on him, and raises him as her own child.

Then Moses realizes his true heritage and tries to help his brethren. He kills an Egyptian and flees to Midian. He was forty years old. He spends the next forty years as a sheep herder on the back side of the desert. One day he sees a burning bush and goes to investigate. There he meets with God who sends him back to Egypt to be His spokesman. Moses fights with God, but eventually he relents and goes. He goes back and after some convincing, the people believe him.

Who would ever think up a plan like this?

Only God! God was in charge of every aspect of the plan. Moses executed the plan in accordance with God’s desire.

Will Pharaoh let the children of Israel go? No!

God has a plan for each of our lives. Whether we follow God’s plan is up to us. We have been given a free will to obey God’s word or reject it. Obedience leads us to the plan God has for us. Disobedience leads us away from God’s plan.

Choose wisely.

C. The Israelites delivered from Egyptian bondage (5:1-15:21) 

1. Moses demands the release of the Israelites (5:1-4) (READ)

“And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.² And Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go.³ And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days’ journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the Lord our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.⁴ And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens.”

 “Let my people go…” used 8 times

 2. Pharaoh’s answer: Hebrews denied straw with which to make bricks (5:5-23) 

 3. God confirms His promise to Moses (5:23-6:30) (READ 6:1-8)

Then the Lord said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land.2 And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the Lord:3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name Jehovah was I not known to them.4 And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers.5 And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant.6 Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments:7 And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.8 And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the Lord.”

Notice that 13 times I am or I will is used to make sure Moses understands that it is GOD that is going to make this deliverance happen.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com