Bible in a Year January 19: Exodus 5:10 – 8:15

 

January 19: Exodus 5:10 – 8:15

Imagine you are an Israelite slave. You work long hours in the sun making bricks for Egyptian buildings. It’s a hot, dirty, backbreaking job. While the foremen are also Israelites, they are under immense pressure to perform and were probably selected for their overbearing personalities.

But hope arrives in the form of Moses and Aaron, who say they have been sent by God to free the slaves. Hallelujah! I imagine all of Israel prayed for their meeting with Pharaoh and the women started packing.

Yet the only results they see is additional work – not only do they make the bricks, they have to collect the straw that makes them stronger. With no relief in the daily quota! Surely they had doubts about Moses and Aaron, and most likely Moses and Aaron had doubts, too.

God reminds the two men who he is and that he will keep his promises. But the pain keeps coming for the Israelites. Just like the Egyptians, all the water they had access to turned to blood. In addition to work, they had to dig wells for water to drink and perhaps even to use for their bricks for at least a week. Then the frogs…they awoke in the morning to frogs on their beds, covering the floors, in their pots and pans, in their food. Everywhere they looked there were frogs.

A promise was made, but life just got harder. Some days it is really hard to understand what God is up to – back then and today.

By the way – did you see what Pharaoh said when they asked when he would like to get rid of the frogs? TOMORROW! One more day with those smelly, jumping creatures? What was he thinking? But hmmm, how many times have I said, “Tomorrow” when I had the opportunity to make life better today – to start exercising, eat healthier food, or do something that would impact me and my family for the long term? What ‘frogs’ are you putting up with for one more day?

TOMORROW’S TEXT: Exodus 8:16 – 11:10