Exodus 1-12

I've clearly slowed down with my reading. I actually read these chapters of Exodus back in April, but I obviously haven't blogged about them until now, and I haven't continued reading either. I assume anyone who reads A Coffee Date with God also keeps up with SS Jess, and I made mention there that once I got a full-time job at the beginning of May I basically stopped making time for myself and the things I enjoy. A big change in your day-to-day routine takes some getting used to. But my one goal for the month of June was to make time for me again. So before the month is over in a couple days, I'm getting my Bible reading back on track.

So here we are...

The Israelite midwives in Exodus 1 stood out to me. They defied Pharaoh when he commanded them to kill all the boy babies who they helped birth but to let the girl babies live. And they defied him because they loved God. And this chapter speaks even louder to me now because of recent events in America - gay marriage becoming legal nationwide.

This has obviously been a hot topic across the country for several years now, and it's well known that many Christians don't support gay marriage. As for me, I haven't gotten to the part in the Bible that addresses homosexuality, so I have yet to form a strong opinion either way. But what I do know is that I'll always stand strong by my convictions. And contrary to what many people seem to think nowadays, it is entirely possible to disagree with someone yet still show compassion. Anyway, I'm kinda going down a rabbit's hole, but I just appreciate the midwives standing up for their faith. Regardless of what Pharaoh, their government essentially, told them to do, they still stood by God and refused to act contrary to their beliefs. I'm hoping that by reading the Bible I'll be able to better stand by God regardless of what society is telling me I should do.

And then in Exodus...

We get to the point where God appears to Moses in the burning bush. What I'm not understanding is why God chose Moses instead of Aaron, his brother. Aaron is the one who was willing to speak up to Pharaoh and deliver God's message to the Egyptians. And I'm under the impression that Aaron was a good guy. So why Moses? He lacked confidence and basically told God that He didn't know what He was talking about. I don't know...maybe I'll get an answer later on, but right now I just don't see why Moses was chosen over Aaron. It almost seems like an extra, unnecessary step in the process.

And finally, the plagues....

The ten plagues of Egypt have always kinda fascinated me. It's just been one of the few stories of the Bible that I've always at least known on a basic level, and I've always been interested in it. But now, I understand the plagues even more, especially the plague of the firstborn and the importance of Passover to Jews. I've always known about Passover, but I never really knew why it was such a big deal. I have a handful of Jewish friends and acquaintances, and Passover is a big thing for them every year. But now that I've read about the plagues, I see why it's so important.

It represents the night that God spared His people from the final plague; He "passed over" their homes and didn't bring death to the firstborns of their households. The Passover was the night that finally lead to the Hebrews' Exodus from Egypt. I'm not Jewish, but that's still a big deal, y'all. And also, I might not be Jewish, but the Exodus is part of my holy book, too. It's part of history for Christianity, too. That Passover is a big moment for a lot of people, and it makes me feel good to finally understand it.

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Tell me about some experiences in your life when modern-day culture has challenged your beliefs. How did you handle it? How did you continue to stand with God?

Why do you think God chose Moses instead of Aaron to help Him free His people from Egypt?