Monday, April 5, 2010

Exodus 10-13

Locusts
Pharoah seems a bit more willing to at least let the men go, but that was not enough, and the Lord brought locusts in.  Similarly, Pharoah repented, asked Moses to pray on his behalf, which Moses did, and the plague was lifted.  But again, like before, Pharoah hardened his heart again.

Darkness
So then God made the land dark for three days. This time Pharoah was willing to even let the women and children go, but then Moses requested livestock as well, and Pharoah said no.

Firstborn
God then gave explicit directions for the last plague.  He told Moses that he would kill every firstborn except for those houses that had the blood of a lamb on the doorpost.  The Israelites were to slaughter a lamb (year old male goats without defect), eat the meat, eat unlevened bread, and put the blood of the lamb on the doorpost.  That would be a sign for the angels to "pass over" that house, thus not killing the firstborn.  God also commanded them to celebrate this day for generations as a festival to the Lord - thus the significance of the Jewish Passover holiday today.

That night, at midnight, all the firstborns in Egypt died (except for those who had the blood of the lamb on the door).  There was great sadness and wailing.  Pharoah could stand it no longer, and told them to leave.  After 430 years, finally, the Israelites were free.

The Egyptians  gave a bunch of stuff for the Israelites to take on their journey.  The Lord proceeded to give the Israelites specific rules about the Passover (foreigner cannot eat of the meat, all Israelites must celebrate it, all males much be circumcised).

The Lord also asked the Israelites to consecrate to Him every firstborn.  He said that they should eat unleavened bread for 7 days in observance of Passover.

Crossing the Sea
God led the Israelites on a longer route toward the Red Sea.  God guided them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night so they could travel day or night.

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