Pastor Billington's Blog

Exodus 13

The Levites become the fulfillment of the firstborn requirement.

Numbers 3:11-13 (WEB) “The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Behold, I have taken the Levites from amongst the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn who open the womb amongst the children of Israel; and the Levites shall be mine, for all the firstborn are mine. On the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I made holy to me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and animal. They shall be mine. I am the LORD.’ “

Exodus 13:14 says, “It shall be, when your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is this?’ that you shall tell him…” This passage reminds us that parents need to be actively involved in the spiritual training of their children. Too often we let others fulfill that role, and in addition to neglecting the command of God, we miss out on the wonderful blessing of being a part of our children’s spiritual growth and maturity. And beyond that, it’s a reminder that we have a responsibility to pass on spiritual truth from one generation to another, regardless of whether or not they’re our biological children!

Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (WEB) “And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”

There is little doubt that the Israelites journey took them by the Red Sea (which is the unanimous understanding of the phrase everywhere it is used in the Bible). They didn’t go by the normal highway which would take them along the Mediterranean. God miraculously led them, and they were faithful to bring Joseph’s remains with them.

Thought for the day: Just as God provided guidance for His people by leading them with the pillars of fire and cloud, so he guides us by giving us His Word!

Psalm 119:105 (WEB) “Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path.”

Exodus 12

The Passover is still celebrated to this day. It commemorates God’s miraculous acts and the salvation of His people. However, there was an initial requirement for the protection of their firstborn. Blood. It takes the blood of a perfect sacrifice to save them from death. It points ahead to Jesus Christ as the Passover lamb who will be sacrificed for our salvation!

1 Corinthians 5:7 (WEB) “Purge out the old yeast, that you may be a new lump, even as you are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, has been sacrificed in our place.”

1 Peter 1:18-19 (WEB) “knowing that you were redeemed, not with corruptible things like silver or gold, from the useless way of life handed down from your fathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb without blemish or spot, the blood of Christ”

Revelation 5:6 (WEB) “I saw in the middle of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the middle of the elders, a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.”

Thought for the day: The Passover was sacred. Not only were there strict instructions regarding how to keep it, not everyone was supposed to participate. You had to be a participant in the congregation (12:48). Does this speak to our understanding of communion?

1 Corinthians 1:16-17 (WEB) “The cup of blessing which we bless, isn’t it a sharing of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, isn’t it a sharing of the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf of bread, we, who are many, are one body; for we all partake of the one loaf of bread.”

Exodus 11

The Egyptian people understand that something miraculous is going on. My guess is they’re a little scared! They are more than willing to provide resources to the Israelites, just as God predicted.

Exodus 3:21-22 (WEB) “I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, and it will happen that when you go, you shall not go empty-handed. But every woman shall ask of her neighbor, and of her who visits her house, jewels of silver, jewels of gold, and clothing.”

Once again, this final miracle is to show God’s glory, but is it more than that? There is a reckoning coming for the death of the Hebrew children. It’s brutal, but we’ll see that even the Israelites won’t necessarily be saved from it.

Thought for the day: People are supposed to see God’s glory in/through us too, and it should cause them to react!

Matthew 5:16 (WEB) “Even so, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

Exodus 10

Pharoah continues his pattern. He starts out being repentant but then recants. At first, it’s because the Israelites want to take their children with them, and then it’s because they want to take their herds.

Pharoah’s response in verse 28 almost seems over-the-top. Has he simply reached his limit? Or is there more to it? There’s a good chance that Moses tells him about the death of the firstborn here, and we have the recap in chapter 11. That would explain his outburst, and Moses’ response: “You have spoken well. I will see your face again no more.”

Thought for the day: It’s quite the spiritual image: darkness all around, but not with those that know the Lord!

Isaiah 9:2 (WEB) “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. The light has shined on those who lived in the land of the shadow of death.”

Exodus 9

God continues to lay waste to the Egyptian gods and goddesses. There are several that are represented by cows, including Hathor, the goddess of protection. Sekhment is the goddess of the plague, and Nut is the sky goddess. God reveals that He is the own who controls their food and health, and that He protects those that are His own. He also allows Moses to tell Pharoah that there is no way out at this point. They have enslaved and looked down on the Hebrew people, even to the point of making them kill their children. The Egyptians are going to learn to fear the one true God!

Exodus 9:16 (WEB) “but indeed for this cause I have made you stand: to show you my power, and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth”

We also see that some people are already beginning to get the message.

Exodus 9:20 (WEB) “Those who feared the LORD’s word amongst the servants of Pharaoh made their servants and their livestock flee into the houses.”

Thought for the day: We should be thankful that God promises to care for and protect us. That doesn’t mean we’ll never experience trouble. But it does mean that we are His forever!

John 10:27-29 (WEB) “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give eternal life to them. They will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father who has given them to me is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of my Father’s hand.”

Exodus 8

How do you show the difference between miracles and magic? You do something magic can’t duplicate, and you make it do something completely unnatural: “I will set apart in that day the land of Goshen.”

Pharoah does what so many do. He’s willing to lie to get concessions, but then he goes back on his promise. Does he harden his heart, or does God, or is it a combination of both? We know that God does (7:3), and it states here repeatedly that Pharoah does. It could be that Pharoah hardened his heart, and God in His sovereignty allowed it, effectively hardening Pharoah’s heart. But it seems to be more than that:

Romans 9:17-18 (WEB) “For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, ‘For this very purpose I caused you to be raised up, that I might show in you my power, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.’ So then, he has mercy on whom he desires, and he hardens whom he desires.”

Pharoah was a petulant king. I’m sure that he hardened his own heart. But, when he was wavering, God hardened his heart for him. After all, God had a purpose behind it all!

Thought for the day: Unlike Pharoah, we should make sure that we are truthful and honest in our dealings.

Matthew 5:37 (WEB) “But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No.’ Whatever is more than these is of the evil one.”

Exodus 7

Exodus 7:5 (WEB)“The Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD when I stretch out my hand on Egypt, and bring the children of Israel out from amongst them.“

Perhaps we should understand this to mean ‘the one and only Lord.’ After all, one of the points of God’s miraculous acts was to prove His sovereignty.

Exodus 12:12 (WEB)“I will execute judgements against all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD.”

The Nile was supposed to be the bloodstream of Osiris. Apis was depicted as a sacred bull. Sekhmet was the goddess of medicine. Nut was the sky goddess; Set, the storm god; and Ra was the sun god. It’s possible that, by each of the plagues, God is showing His power and authority over specific realms that the Egyptians had assigned to different gods. That would also explain why God hardens Pharaoh’s heart (7:3). He has a point to prove!

Thought for the day: The Egyptian priests were able to mimic some of the signs. That should be a reminder to us that we need to be discerning about what we believe and who we listen to.

Matthew 24:24 (WEB) “For false christs and false prophets will arise, and they will show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the chosen ones.”

Exodus 6

This comes right after Moses cries out to God to find out why his people are experiencing so much trouble. God uses the opportunity to remind Moses that He is “I am,” He is “Lord,” and that He is “God Almighty.” He is sovereign, He is Savior, and He is eternal and all-powerful. He has a plan, and Moses is supposed to be His prophet. Moses still balks however, and God reminds him that Aaron will be his mouthpiece. The genealogy shows how Moses and Aaron are in the lineage of the promise, as well as foreshadowing the future priestly line.

Exodus 6:26-27 (WEB) “These are that Aaron and Moses to whom the LORD said, ‘Bring out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their armies.’ These are those who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring out the children of Israel from Egypt. These are that Moses and Aaron.”

Thought for the day: Sometimes we need a reminder of who God is in order to fully trust Him.

Job 42:1-6 (WEB) “Then Job answered the LORD: ‘I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be restrained. You asked, “Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?” therefore I have uttered that which I didn’t understand, things too wonderful for me, which I didn’t know. You said, “Listen, now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you will answer me.” I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you. Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.’ “

Exodus 5

How quickly the people go from worship (4:31), to fear and anger. They were just told that God had remembered them. It’s quite likely that Moses revealed (through Aaron) that God was going to deliver them from bondage. They were probably excited about the chance to worship God, but they instead received additional work and were accused of laziness. They get upset with Moses, and Moses gets upset with God!

The key word here is expectations. We get into trouble when we expect things to happen, or things to happen in a particular way, and then they don’t. It can make us angry! But things happen, good and bad, and God uses all those things to work in our lives. And His promises always come to pass, but not necessarily according to our timing.

Thought for the day: When things don’t go the way we want, do we get mad, or do we trust?

Isaiah 55:8 (WEB) ” ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways,’ says the LORD.”