May 15 Exodus 1-2

Exodus is the second book in the Exodus is the second book in the Old Testament, and continues the history of the Israelites. Brief overview of the end of Genesis. Joseph was sold as a slave to Ishmaelites who took Joseph to Egypt. Joseph became second in command during the fruitful then famine years. He reunites with his family, and they all settle in Egypt. The story continues In Exodus.

Verses 1-7 starts off with a little genealogy. The Jewish tradition is very big into genealogy - tracing your family tree. I know many have taken up this hobby tracing their family roots - but this is serious business for the Jewish faith. We learn that Jacob and his 12 sons have moved to Egypt, their generation has died, and the Israelites have been fruitful, strong, and the land was filled with them. The Israelites on being fruitful and multiplying - this was a commandment of God with Adam and Eve - be fruitful and multiply. So, they were obeying the will of God.

Verses 8-11 A new king is ruler and he doesn't know the story of Joseph. Historians aren't quite sure who this new king is. Joseph died around 1806 b.c., and this may be around 250 years later. The Israelites became friendly with the Hyksos, and the new king may have feared these two nations would be stronger than his nation (from NET Bible). The new king comes up with a plan on how to address this problem. Slavery. The intent was to crush the Israelite nation.

Verses 12-14 The more the Israelites were oppressed in slavery - the more they multiplied. We know that tough times strengthen us. This is what God was doing - strengthening the Israelites.

Verses 15-22 The king of Egypt comes up with a new plan. He meet with the midwives and tells them to kill all newborn boys - but allow the girls to live. The midwives feared God and ignored the King's request. Fearing God - I like to think of it as out of obedience and respect - following God's command. Since the midwives didn't follow the King's orders, God blessed them, the people continued to multiply. When asked why the midwives didn't kill newborn boys - they stated that the Hebrew women were strong and the babies were already born when they arrived. The question needs to be asked - did the midwives lie, and is it ok to lie? It IS possible the babies were born before the midwives arrived, so they could have been telling the truth. And God's law is higher than man's law. The midwives gave logical explanation without going into God's law.

The Pharoah commands that newborn boys be thrown into the river but girls can live.

Chapter 2 The birth of Moses

Verses 1-4 Moses' father is from the tribe of Levi. A little background here :-). Moses is born and his mother saw he was healthy, and hides him for 3 months. When he became too big to hide, she made a basket for him and put the baby in the basket along the edge of the Nile. How many of us would do the same? Do anything to protect our child. Moses' Mother tells Moses' sister to watch over the baby to see what happens to him.

Verses 5-10 Pharoah's daughter finds the baby in the Nile as she is bathing, and has compassion for Moses. His sister suggests that she find a woman to nurse the baby and Pharoah's daughter agrees to this. So, Moses stays with his family until he was weaned. He may have been 2-3 years old at this time. Oh how heartbreaking it would have been to give him up but they did. Oh yes - Pharoah's daughter paid Moses' mother for taking care of him.

Moses is named Moses which means because I drew him from the water, and he becomes the Pharoah's daughter's son.

I found this in my studies - from an early Christian theologian named Origen and he came up with this allegory of the story of Moses' birth. Anyway -is an interesting interpretation of this passage of scripture.

·        Pharaoh represents the devil

·        The male and female Hebrew children represent the animal and rational aspects of the soul

·        The devil wants to kill the rational character of man, but keep alive his animal character

·        The two midwives are the Old and New Testaments

·        Pharaoh wants to corrupt the midwives so that the rational character of man will be destroyed

·        Because the midwives were faithful, God builds houses of prayer all over the earth

·        Pharaoh's daughter represents the church, and gives refuge to Moses - who represents the law

·        The waters of the Nile represent the waters of baptism

·        When we come to the waters of baptism and take the law into our heart - the royal palaces - then the law grows up into spiritual maturity

Verses 12-13 Moses has grown up and become a man. One day he observes an Egyptian beating up one his his own - a Hebrew. So Moses looks to see if anyone is watching and kills the Egyptian.  I have always wondered although he lived with the Pharoah's daughter - what kind of relationship did he have with his family and his people? OK I side tracked here - but I'm still curious. Moses took matters into his own hands - thought no one was looking and killed a man.

Verse 14-15 BUT someone was watching Moses when he killed the man, because the next day when Moses asks 2 Egyptians why they are fighting - the ask him if he will kill them. Moses becomes afraid when he realizes he was seen killing a man.  When Pharoah hears about it he wants to kill Moses, so Moses flees to Mdian. Moses was 40 when this happened.

May 15,2011 just catching up

I haven't written anything in a very long time, mainly because I began working full time late last year and found it more and more difficult to commit to writing daily in my blog.  And I haven't been studying the bible like I should. Thank goodness God is faithful and forgiving, and loves us unconditionally.

I have also had some health issues - my thyroid levels got low, and my medication needed changed. I also  began taking vitamins. Both of these changes have helped a lot!  Our bodies are complex and when one little gland doesn't work right it throws the whole body off. I became a little depressed, didn't do much except work and housework. Unfortunately the changes were so gradual I don't notice how bad it is until I get a medical check up. Now I have more energy, and a more positive outlook on life. Whew, hope I stay this way!

Today is Sunday. It is not a pretty spring day here in Indiana. It has been drizzling since last night and it is almost 6 pm. Last Sunday, Mother's Day, my daughter helped build me 2 more square foot gardens!   Yesterday, Saturday, I had some top soil delivered for the new gardens. The dirt is now in the boxes but it has been drizzling all day long, so I will have to wait for another day to plant tomatoes. I think this is lesson in patience. My little gardens are small but I get much pleasure tending them. I have two gardens that are 3 by 4 feet in diameter, and one garden is 3 by 3 feet. The 3 by 3 foot garden will be for rhubarb, and the other two are vegetable gardens. In the one garden I have lettuce, peas, radishes, and carrots planted. Carrots are slow growing and I haven't seen them peak through the ground yet, but the others are growing nicely. The new one will have mostly tomatoes. Its been a very cool spring here in Indiana - even the farmers are behind planting corn.

I added pictures of my twin granddaughters! Wow - what an answer to prayer!  They are 7 months old now, as healthy as can be, and perfect in every way! They are soooo cute! And they know it :-).  As you can imagine though, they are a lot of work. When I come home from babysitting them along with their brother and sister, I'm exhausted. I don't know how my son and daughter in law do it, but they do :-). I have two other grandchildren - two boys ages 4 and 8. These are the good years raising children I think. Past the baby stage not yet teens. Still love to visit Grandma's house :-). As a parent we don't notice day by day how fast our children grow and change, and as a Grandparent, I cherish each moment I spend with all my grandchildren because I know how fast they grow up!

I bought a Nook Color reader device New Year's Eve. I have enjoyed reading books this way. I have three versions of the bible on my nook, and I have to say the Bible and Cook Books - its easier to read the old fashioned pick up a book and read that way. You can create notes and highlight in books so that is plus. However - reading books LOVE IT! Many books on my nook I have gotten through free downloads.  One good resource is called vessel project, and they list free Christian books you can download. You can download and read on your computer too without a nook.  I have enjoyed reading these books. I have also learned just cause a book is free, it doesn't mean its worth reading. I have tried new authors, different venues than I would ordinarily read. Some of them are good, some I delete after reading a few pages. Its like tv, garbage in garbage out. If there is a lot of swearing and sex - delete!  Maybe those books have violence in them too, I just never get that far. What I really like about the Nook is I can download books from the library, and when the three weeks are up, they just go away. No more late fees!

OK - when am I going to get back on the bible study bandwagon??? My 3 year bible study guideline - Exodus - started yesterday. I will do some double duty and catch up. We will read Exodus 1-13 by May 27th, then pick up in Acts on the 28th in Acts 12:25 through the month of June.