Day 5 - Exodus 1:1 - 15:18

In today's section, we read about:

The birth and early adult life of Moses at a time when the Israelites were being oppressed
God's call to Moses
Pharaoh's hard-hearted response to the signs of God's power
The 10 miraculous signs of God's power (plagues)
The first Passover
The Israelites leave Egypt and miraculously walk through the Red Sea

Some thoughts that struck me:

This entire section is all about God. Irrespective of how colourful the people and the events are, the over-riding impression is that this is a story of a God who remembers his covenant promise, who keeps his promise and in doing so will make his name known to what was then the most powerful and advanced nation on earth.

All the events are in accordance with God's plan. He foretold in Gen 15:13 that they would be oppressed for 400 years but that He would lead them out. These events are therefore not haphazard or chance, but programmed, planned and for a purpose - to make God's name and glory known.

The events described are unparallelled, and because they are so out of the ordinary, there is a tendency to either disregard them or downplay them. However, the Israelites are instructed to remember this every year and instruct their children. As I was reading this, I was inordinately grateful that I had to sit through the Passover meal every year, and sing the mah nishtana (which I bitterly resented), so that it now seems obvious that these amazing events really did take place.

God knows we need to be reminded of this, and I was struck about the painstaking repetition about the instructions for the Passover meal and dedication of the firstborn sons in chapters 12 and 13. It is so important, it has to be drummed in by repetition, not least because it is not in our natures to remember the goodness of God. I like the phrase in 13:9 and 13:16 "This festival (9) / ceremony (16) will be like a mark branded on your hand or your forehead. It is a reminder that the power of the Lord’s mighty hand brought us out of Egypt." It should be burned into our consciousness that we have been brought out of slavery by God.

I was struck by the imagery of being bought by God, which is something I had associated with the terminology of the New Testament, "until your people pass by, O LORD / until the people you purchased pass by" (15:16).

Moses starts hesitantly and God bears with him, giving him signs to show the elders and even agreeing to let Aaron speak. However, when Moses asks God to send someone else, God gets angry (4:13). Little by little, Moses increases in his acceptance of his role and the references to Aaron speaking or carrying the instructions get fewer.

Pharaoh's responses are very understandable and very human. He starts of disdainful and dismissive before the plagues start. He then seeks to disprove they are anything special, and gets the magicians to try to replicate them, and when they can't he tries to reach accommodations until it is too late. The thing about John Newton was not that he felt the need for God when he was at sea in a storm, but that he honoured his commitment to God afterwards. Pharaoh here, on the other hand, says "I know you are God, but please let me go back to how I was before". It doesn't work like that. He is either God of all or not God at all.

The response of the elders is interesting. They were convinced quite quickly and worshipped God (4:31). But were they supportive of Moses when things initially got tough (ch 5)? The people were in turns complaining, terrified, and then filled with awe and put their faith in God. The comparison with a steadfast God who was working things out, "exactly as he had predicted to Moses" is stark.

When Moses sets out, he has to put himself right in accordance with the requirements of the covenant - he has to be circumcised. Would God really have killed him if he hadn't (4:24)?

God calls Israel his firstborn son (4:21). What an amazing thing it is that the God of the universe regards this cantankerous rabble as his own firstborn son! Interestingly, ch 13 makes clear that the firstborn sons belong to God and must be freely given to him. A final thought is that firstborn does not imply that he is the only son. Adoption into the family (purchased by God) is also part of God's plan.

The last thing that struck me as a left home was the irony of reading about being brought out of forced labour and slavery on the day I go back to work after a week's holiday!