Stone Tablets Replaced

A search of Exodus 34:

God wanted to replace the writing on the stone tablets that Moses had broken so He had Moses to cut two more tablets to bring upon Mount Sinai the following morning (Exodus 34:1,2). Moses was to present himself alone to God upon the mountaintop and was not to "...let any man be seen throughout all the mount; neither let the flocks nor herds feed before that mount" (Exodus 34:2,3).

Moses did as God commanded him (Exodus 34:4). "And the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation" (Exodus 34:5-7).

"And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped. And he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it is a [stubborn] people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance" (Exodus 34:8,9).

"And he said, Behold, I make a covenant: before all thy people I will do marvels, such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation: and all the people among which thou art shall see the work of the Lord: for it is a terrible thing that I will do with thee. Observe thou that which I command thee this day: behold, I drive out before thee the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite. Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee: But ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves: For thou shalt worship no other god: for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God: Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice unto their gods, and one call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice; And thou take of their daughters unto thy sons, and their daughters go a whoring after their gods, and make thy sons go a whoring after their gods. Thou shalt make thee no molten gods." (Exodus 34:10-17).

"The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, in the time of the month Abib: for in the month Abib thou camest out from Egypt. All that openeth the [womb] is mine; and every firstling among thy cattle, whether ox or sheep, that is male. But the firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb: and if thou redeem him not, then shalt thou break his neck. All the firstborn of thy sons thou shalt redeem. And none shall appear before me empty" (Exodus 34:18-20).

"Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest. And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year's end" (Exodus 34:21,22).

"[Three times] in the year shall all your menchildren appear before the Lord God, the God of Israel. For I will cast out the nations before thee, and enlarge thy borders: neither shall any man desire thy land, when thou shalt go up to appear before the Lord thy God [three times] in the year" (Exodus 34:23,24).

"Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leaven; neither shall the sacrifice of the feast of the passover be left unto the morning" (Exodus 34:25).

"The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring unto the house of the Lord thy God. Thou shalt not [boil] a kid in his mother's milk" (Exodus 34:26).

"And the Lord said unto Moses, Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel. And he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments" (Exodus 34:27,28).

Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the tables of testimony in his hand (Exodus 34:29). "And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come [near] him. And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him: and Moses talked with them. And afterward all the children of Israel came [near]: and he gave them in commandment all that the Lord had spoken with him in mount Sinai" (Exodus 34:30-32).

While Moses talked with the children of Israel, he place a vail over his face, "[b]ut when [he] went in before the Lord to speak with [H]im, he took the vail off, until he came out. And he came out , and spake unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded. And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone: and Moses put the vail upon his face again, until he went in to speak with [H]im (Exodus 34:33-35).

God Shows Grace and Mercy

God commanded Moses to depart from Sinai and take Israel to the land 'flowing with milk and honey' that He promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Exodus 33:1,3). God told Moses that an angel will be sent before them to "...drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite,...the Hittite,...the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite...; however, God will not be in the midst of them because they were a stubborn people. (Exodus 33:2,3). Also, God could choose to destroy them if He were in their midst (Exodus 33:3).

Israel mourned when Moses delivered word that God was not going to be in their midst "...and no man did put on him his ornaments. For the Lord had said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiffnecked people: I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee: therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee. And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by the mount Horeb" (Exodus 33:4,5,6).

Then, for the people who sought the Lord, Moses pitched a tabernacle--the Tabernacle of the congregation--far outside the camp (Exodus 33:7). "And it came to pass, when Moses went out unto the tabernacle, that all the people rose up, and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle. And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses. And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the peoople rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door" (Exodus 33:8-10).

"And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle" (Exodus 33:11). Moses interceded for the people to the Lord and said, "Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people. And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest" (Exodus 33:13,14).

Moses did not want to continue without God's presence and said to Him, "If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the race of the earth. And the Lord said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name" (Exodus 33:15-17).

"And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory. And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy. And he said, Thou canst not see my face; for there shall no man see me and live. And the Lord said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen" (Exodus 33:18-23).

God's Hand in the Matter: Initially, God was not going to be in the midst of Israel because of their stubborn ways, but Moses interceded which left God finding favor for him and the people; thus, God's presence was going with them.

Are you seeking God's grace and mercy today?

Golden Calf Made for Worship

While Moses was upon Mount Sinai, the children of Israel grew impatient waiting for him (Exodus 32:1). The children had no idea what happened to Moses so they had Aaron to make a false god for them (Exodus 32:1). Aaron made a calf for the people out of the gold from the earrings of the wives, sons and daughters amongst them (Exodus 32:2).

The real and omniscient God knew what the children of Israel did. God said to Moses, "Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves: They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt" (Exodus 32:7,8).

"And the Lord said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people: Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may [grow] hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation. And Moses besought the Lord his God, and said, Lord, why doth thy wrath [grow] hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand? Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever. And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people" (Exodus 32:9-14).

"And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written. And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables" (Exodus 32:15,16).

"And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses, There is a noise of war in the camp. And he said, It is not the voice of them that cry for being overcome: but the noise of them that sing do I hear. And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses' anger [grew] hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount. And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strawed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it." (Exodus 32:17-20).

"And Moses said unto Aaron, What did this people unto thee, that thou has brought so great a sin upon them? And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord [grow] hot: thou knowest the people, that they are set on mischief" (Exodus 32:21,22). Then Aaron explained to Moses the events which led to the making of the golden calf for the people (Exodus 32:23,24).

"And when Moses saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies" (Exodus 32:25):)

"Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the Lord's side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. And he said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour. And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men. For Moses had said, Consecrate yourselves to day to the Lord, even every man upon his son, and upon his brother; that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day" (Exodus 32:29).

"And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the Lord; [perhaps] I shall make an atonement for your sin. And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou has written. And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book. Therefore now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee; behold, mine Angel shall go before thee: nevertheless in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them. And the Lord plagued the people because they made the calf, which Aaron made" (Exodus 32:30-35).

Testimony Written in Stone

In chapters 25 thru 31 in the book of Exodus, you will find God's talk with Moses on Mount Sinai. God spoke about matters concerning the ark of the testimony; the tabernacle; the altar; the holy garments and the priests. At the 'end of communing', God "...gave unto Moses...two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God" (Exodus 31:18).

Israel Enters Covenant with God

Search God's Holy Word in Exodus chapters 20 thru 24.

Moses had written down all the commandments and judgments spoken by the Lord and read them to the children of Israel (Exodus 24:4,7). The children of Israel agreed to be obedient to God and entered into a covenant relationship with Him (Exodus 24:7,8). Moses took blood from sacrifices to God "...and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words" (Exodus 24:8).

God had Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu and seventy of the elders to come to Him to worship 'afar off' (Exodus 24:1). "And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness. And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink" (Exodus 24:10,11).

God also had Moses to come up to Him into the mount and said "...I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them" (Exodus 24:12). "And Moses went up into the mount, and a cloud covered the mount" (Exodus 24:15).

"And the glory of the Lord abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud And the sight of the glory of the Lord was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel." (Exodus 24:16-17).

"And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights" (Exodus 24:18).

'God's Commandments' Revisited

Please search Exodus 20 and visit the blog entry entitled "God's Commandments" dated for February 3, 2010 for today's reading.

Israel Sanctified for God

Following is a search of Exodus 19:

On the same day of the third month of their exodus out of Egypt, the children of Israel camped in front of the mountain in the Wilderness of Sinai (Exodus 19:1,2). "And Moses went up unto God, and the Lord called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel; Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself. Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people : for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel" (Exodus 19:3-6).

"And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the Lord commanded him. And all the people answered together, and said, All that the Lord hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the Lord" (Exodus 19:7-8).

God wanted the children of Israel to hear Him when He spoke to Moses so they would believe Moses forever (Exodus 19:9). God was coming in a thick cloud and instructed Moses to sanctify the people and 'let them wash their clothes' in preparation for the visit (Exodus 19:9,10). Moses was given two days to ready the people "...for the third day the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai" (Exodus 19:11).

Boundaries were also set for the people to heed or suffer death (Exodus 19:12). They were not allowed to go "...up into the mount, or touch the border of it...[t]here shall not an hand touch it...whether it be beast or man..." (Exodus 19:12,13).

Following through on God's instructions, Moses "...sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes" (Exodus 19:14).

"And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the [lower] part of the mount. And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly" (Exodus 19:16-18).

"And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and [grew] louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice. And the Lord came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the Lord called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up. And the Lord said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto the Lord to gaze, and many of them perish. And let the priests also, which come near to the Lord, sanctify themselves, lest the Lord break forth upon them" (Exodus 19:22).

"And Moses said unto the Lord, The people cannot come up to mount Sinai: for thou chargedst us, saying, Set bounds about the mount, and sanctify it. And the Lord said unto him, Away, get thee down, and thou shalt come up, thou, and Aaron with thee: but let not the priests and the people break through to come up unto the Lord, lest he break forth upon them. So Moses went down unto the people, and spake unto them" (Exodus 19:23-25).

God's Hand in the Matter: Israel agreed to obey God's voice and His covenant; therefore, they were set apart from all other people as a 'peculiar treasure' to the Lord. God wanted to be heard by the people so Moses would be believed forever.

Jethro Visits Moses

Following is a search Exodus 18. Verses 8-27 are word for word from the King James version of the bible.

When Jethro, priest of Midian, heard of what God had done for his son-in-law Moses and all the children of Israel, he took Moses' wife, Zipporah, and Moses' sons, Gershom and Eliezer, and visited Moses' encampment at the mount of God (Exodus 18:1-5).

Moses greeted Jethro with a bow and a kiss when his family arrived (Exodus 18:7). Then, Moses and Jethro inquired of one anothers' welfare and went into the tent (Exodus 18:7).

"And Moses told his father in law all that the Lord had done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, and all the travail that had come upon them by the way, and how the Lord delivered them" (Exodus 18:8).

"And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the Lord had done to Israel, whom he had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians. And Jethro said, Blessed be the Lord, who hath delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh, who hath delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them. And Jethro, Moses' father in law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses' father in law before God." (Exodus 18:9-12).

"And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening. And when Moses' father in law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning unto even? And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to enquire of God: When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws" (Exodus 18:13-16).

"And Moses' father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good. Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that this is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone. Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God: And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do. Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:
And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee. If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace" (Exodus 18:17-23).

"So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he had said. And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought unto Moses, but eery small matter they judged themselves. And Moses let his father in law depart; and he went his way into his own land" (Exodus 18:24-27).

Amalek Fights Israel

This search of the scriptures is from Exodus 17:8-16.

In Rephadim, Amalek fought against Israel. Moses had Joshua to select men for the fight, then, the following day Moses would "...stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in [his] hand" (Exodus 17:9,10).

"Moses, Aaron, and Hur went...to the top of the hill...[a]nd it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed" (Exodus 17:10,11). "But Moses' hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun" (Exodus 17:12).

"And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword" (Exodus 17:13).

"And the Lord said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven" (Exodus 17:14).

"And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovahnissi: For he said, Because the Lord hath sworn that the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation" (Exodus 17:15,16).

Water Provided from the Rock

This search of the scriptures is from Exodus 17:1-7.

Rephidim was the next location to encamp for the congregation of Israel. Because there was no water in Rephidim, Israel became angry with Moses, so angry, they were almost ready to stone him. Israel asked whether they were brought out of Egypt to be killed with thirst. They even asked whether God was with them or not.

Moses cried out unto the Lord and asked Him what he should do. "And the Lord said unto Moses, Go on before the people and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go. Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord saying, Is the Lord among us, or not" (Exodus 17:5-7)?

God's Hand in the Matter: Israel tempted the Lord, but He did not forsake them--God provided Israel with water from the rock.

God Provides Manna from Heaven

For a more specific search, turn to Exodus 16.

On the fifteenth day of the second month from their departure out of Egypt, the congregation of Israel found themselves at the Wilderness of Sin which was located between Elim and Sinai (Exodus 16:1). The entire congregation complained against Moses and Aaron because they were suffering from hunger and said that they were brought into the wilderness to be killed with hunger (Exodus 16:3).

In searching the scriptures in Exodus 16, it was revealed that God heard the murmurs of the assembly and gave Moses specific instructions to deliver to the people to test them to see whether they would walk in His law or not. At the same time, God wanted the people to know that He is their God.

God would rain bread from heaven for the people and the law was that they were to gather a certain amount each day except on the sixth day when they were to double the amount gathered. The double portion gathered on the sixth day was to feed them through the seventh day or Sabbath so they would not have to gather on that day.

Some of the people disobeyed and went to gather on the Sabbath, but found no bread. Moses was responsible for the people and their disobedience was the same as if he had disobeyed. God asked Moses, "How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws? See, for that the Lord hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place the seventh day. So the people rested on the seventh day" (Exodus 16:28-30).

Manna was the name given by the house of Israel for the bread rained from heaven. Manna was "...like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey" (Exodus 16:31).

"And Moses said, This is the thing which the Lord commandeth, Fill an omer of it to be kept for your generations; that they may see the bread wherewith I have fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you forth from the land of Egypt. And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the Lord, to be kept for your generations. As the Lord commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept." (Exodus 16:32-34).

"And the children of Israel did eat manna forty years, until they came to a land inhabited; they did eat manna, until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan" (Exodus 16:35).

"Now an omer is the tenth part of an ephah" (Exodus 16:36).

God's Hand in the Matter: With specific commandments to follow, the assembly of people were provided food by God. Murmurs became quietened as the people followed God's law. The people knew the Lord as their God.

Journey into the Wilderness of Shur

This search of the scriptures comes from Exodus 15:22-27.

After leaving the Red Sea, Moses led Israel on the next leg of their journey into the Wilderness of Shur. Three days into the wilderness and they found no water (Exodus 15:22). Israel came to a place called Marah because of its bitter waters; therefore, they were unable to drink of the waters (Exodus 15:23). "And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? And he cried unto the Lord; and the Lord shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them, And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee" (Exodus 15:24-26).

"And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water,and [seventy] palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters" (Exodus 15:27).

God's Hand in the Matter: The healing God clearly lets the people know what is expected of them to avoid the diseases that were placed upon the Egyptians.

Singing unto the Lord

God's triumph at the Red Sea moved Moses and the children of Israel to sing. Following is the word for word account from Exodus 15:1-21 in the King James version of the bible:

1) Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the Lord, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.

2) The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him.

3) The Lord is a man of war: the Lord is his name.

4) Pharaoh's chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea.

5) The depths have covered them: they sank into the bottom as a stone.

6) Thy right hand, O Lord, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O Lord, hath dashed in pieces the enemy.

7) And in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee: thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them to stubble.

8) And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright as an heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea.

9) The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.

10) Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them: they sank as lead in the mighty waters.

11) Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?

12) Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them.

13) Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation.

14) The people shall hear, and be afraid: sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Palestina.

15) Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them; all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away.

16) Fear and dread shall fall upon them; by the greatness of thine arm they shall be as still as a stone; till thy people pass over, O Lord, till the people pass over, which thou hast purchased.

17) Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O Lord, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O Lord which thy hands have established.

18) The Lord shall reign for ever and ever.

19) For the horse of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and the Lord brought again the waters of the sea upon them; but the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea.

20) And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.

21) And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.



The Lord is my strength and my song! Is He yours?

Journey through the Red Sea

For more in your search, turn to God's Holy Word in Exodus 14:14-31.

The children of Israel were safe in the hands of the Lord as Moses assuredly said, "The Lord shall fight for you and ye shall hold your peace" (Exodus 14:14). In addition to God's protection, the angel of God was present for the people (Exodus 14:19). God in the pillar of the cloud and the angel of God were in front of the people's camp then moved to the back to separate their camp from the Egyptians' camp (Exodus 14:20). God's pillar of the cloud appeared 'a cloud and darkness' on the Egyptians' side of the camp and 'gave light' on Moses' side (Exodus 14:20).

Moses followed God's instructions and "...stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided" (Exodus 14:16,21). The children of Israel walked upon the dry land between walls formed by the water (Exodus 14:22). "And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen" (Exodus 14:23). In their pursuit, the Egyptians became troubled because "...in the morning watch, the Lord looked unto [them] through the pillar of fire and of the cloud...[a]nd took off their chariot wheels, that they [drove] them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the Lord fighteth for them against the Egyptians" (Exodus 14:24,25).

It was too late for the Egyptians to flee. God told Moses to "...[s]tretch out [his] hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen" (Exodus 14:26). Moses followed God's orders "...and the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea" (Exodus 14:27). None of the Egyptians remained (Exodus 14:28).

While the Egyptians were inundated, the children of Israel journeyed on with the water divided for them. "Thus the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore. And Israel saw that great work which the Lord did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the Lord and believed the Lord, and his servant Moses" (Exodus 14:30,31).

God's Hand in the Matter: God's miracles abound to save the children of Israel. Previously speaking through fear, the children had commented that it would be better for them to have stayed and served the Egyptians (Exodus 14:12). Now, having witnessed God's hand upon the Egyptians, Israel "...feared the Lord, and believed the Lord, and his servant Moses" (Exodus 14:31).

Encamped by the Sea

Please turn to your bible for more on Exodus 14:1-14. There is so much more to be gained from God's Holy Word.

God had Moses to have the children of Israel to turn on their journey and set up camp by the sea at the location "...before Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baalzephon..." (Exodus 14:1,2). "For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in. And I will harden Pharaoh's heart that he shall follow after them; and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord. And they did so" (Exodus 14:3,4).

Pharaoh king of Egypt and his servants questioned the decision to let the children of Israel go out of Egypt. They asked, "Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us" (Exodus 14:5)?

Nothwithstanding, the Pharaoh, with his heart hardened by the Lord, pursued the children of Israel with "...all [his] horses and chariots...and his horsemen, and his army..." (Exodus 14:8,9).

When the children of Israel saw the Egyptians marching after them, they were very afraid and 'cried out unto the Lord.' (Exodus 14:10). The children also questioned Moses, "Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us to carry us forth out of Egypt" (Exodus 14:11)?

It surfaced that the children of Israel had resisted Moses in Egypt. They asked, "Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness" (Exodus 14:12).

"And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The Lord shall fight for you, and ye hsall hold your peace" (Exodus 14:13,14).

God's Hand in the Matter: All-knowing; all-loving God spoke through Moses to guide the people to a safe encampment by the sea for events to come.

Children Reminded of God's 'Strong Hand'

For more detail, search Exodus 13.

"And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine" (Exodus 13:1,2).

Moses reminded the children of Israel of God's 'strength of hand' that brought them out of the bondage in Egypt during the month of Abib. Moses said, "...[T]here shall no leavened bread be eaten" (Exodus 13:3,4). "Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to the Lord. Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days; and there shall no leavened bread be seen with thee, neither shall there be leaven seen with thee in all thy quarters" (Exodus 13:6,7).

Even when the children arrive at God's promised land, "...a land flowing with milk and honey...", they were to keep the ordinance in the month of Abib every year (Exodus 13:5,10).

"And thou shalt shew thy son in that day, saying, This is done because of that which the Lord did unto me when I came forth out of Egypt. And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that the Lord's law may be in thy mouth: for with a strong hand hath the Lord brought thee out of Egypt" (Exodus 13:8,9).

"And it shall be when the Lord shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites, as he sware unto thee and to thy fathers, and shall give it thee, That thou shalt set apart unto the Lord all that openeth the [womb], and every firstling that cometh of a beast which thou hast; the males shall be the Lord's. And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his neck: and all the firstborn of many among thy children shalt thou redeem. And it shall be when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What is this? that thou shalt say unto him, By strength of hand the Lord brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage: And it came to pass, when Pharaoh would hardly let us go, that the Lord slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man, and the firstborn of beast: therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all that openeth the [womb], being males; but all the firstborn of my children I redeem. And it shall be for a token upon thine hand, and for frontlets between thine eyes: for by strength of hand the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt" (Exodus 13:11-16).

"And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest [perhaps] the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt: But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea: and the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt" (Exodus 13:17,18).

"And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him: for he had straitly sworn the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you; and ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you" (Exodus 13:19).

The children of Israel journeyed from Succoth to Etham where they set up camp 'in the edge of the wilderness' (Exodus 13:20).

"And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people" (Exodus 13:21,22).

God's Hand in the Matter: The strength of God's hand is mentioned throughout this chapter. The children of Israel were reminded that God had used His 'strong hand' in releasing them from the oppressive living conditions in Egypt.

God's 'strong hand' had given way to His loving hand when He led the children on their journey. God took the long way around to their destination to avoid a war in the Philistines' land in order to keep the children from returning to Egypt.

'This is the Ordinance of the Passover'

Let's search Exodus 12:37-50.

The day which marked the children of Israel's four hundred thirty years in Egypt was the same day the children left the land (Exodus 12:41). Six hundred thousand men plus children traveled from Rameses to Succoth on foot along with 'a mixed multitude' and "...flocks, and herds, even very much cattle" (Exodus 12:37,38).

"And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought forth out of Egypt, for it was not leavened; because they were thrust out of Egypt, and could not tarry, neither had they prepared for themselves any victual" (Exodus 12:39).

"It is a night to be much observed unto the Lord for bringing them out from the land of Egypt: this is that night of the Lord to be observed of all the children of Israel in their generations" (Exodus 12:42).

The following words of the Lord are word for word from verses 43-49 in the King James version of the bible:

"And the Lord said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the ordinance of the passover: There shall no stranger eat thereof: But every man's servant that is bought for money, when thou hast circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof. A foreigner and an hired servant shall not eat thereof. In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth ought of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof. All the congregation of Israel shall keep it. And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof. One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you."

"Thus did all the children of Israel; as the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they" (Exodus 12:50).

Be Gone and Bless Me

Let's search Exodus 12:21-36.

Moses delivered the message from the Lord to the elders of Israel concerning the instructions for the passover and explained, "For the Lord will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood [of the lamb] upon the [upper door posts], and on the two side posts, the Lord will pass over the door, and will not [allow] the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you" (Exodus 12:21,23).

In following Moses' words from God, the children of Israel would not suffer from the death of their firstborn. The elders were also told that the instructions were an ordinance to them and their sons to be observed forever. They were to take the observance into the promised land of the Lord (Exodus 12:24,25). A day would come when their children would ask, "What mean ye by this service? That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the Lord's passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped. And the children of Israel went away, and did as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they" (Exodus 12:26,27,28).

God followed through with what He said He would do:

"And it came to pass, that at midnight the Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle" (Exodus 12:29).

"And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead. And he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve the Lord, as ye have said. Also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone; and bless me also. And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste; for they said, We be all dead men." (Exodus 12:30-33).

"And the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneadingtroughs being bound up in their clothes upon their shoulders. And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: And the Lord gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians" (Exodus 12:34-36).

'It is the Lord's Passover'

This blog entry is word for word from Exodus 12:1-20 in the King James version of the bible.

1) And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying,

2) This month shall be unto you the beginning of the months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.

3) Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:

4) And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.

5) Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:

6) And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.

7) And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.

8) And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.

9) Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.

10) And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire.

11) And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the Lord's passover.

12) For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord.

13) And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.

14) And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.

15) Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.

16) And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall abe done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you.

17) And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever.

18) In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even.

19) Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses: for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger, or born in the land.

20) Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread.

Plague Warning

Let's search Exodus 11.

God said to Moses, "Yet will I bring one plague more upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt; afterwards he will let you go hence: when he shall let you go, he shall surely thrust you out hence altogether" (Exodus 11:1).

"Speak now in the ears of the people, and let every man borrow of his neighbour, and every woman of her neighbour, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold" (Exodus 11:2).

"And the Lord gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh's servants, and in the sight of the people" (Exodus 11:3).

Moses delivered the Lord's word to Pharaoh that all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die which included the firstborn of beasts (Exodus 11:5). "And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more" (Exodus 11:6). The children of Israel would be protected" (Exodus 11:7).

After telling the Pharaoh of what was to come, Moses must have thought the Pharaoh would release the children of Israel because he left the Pharaoh's presence very angry (Exodus 11:8).

"And the Lord said unto Moses, Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you; that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt" (Exodus 11:9).

"And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh: and the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go out of his land" (Exodus 11:10).

God's Hand in the Matter: God sent word that the children of Israel would be protected from the plague involving the death of the firstborn. Pharaoh was warned, but his pride and hardened heart left him oblivious to all the destruction that had taken place and was to come.

Still No Go

Let's search Exodus 10.

Even after all that had been inflicted upon the land of Egypt and its people, the Pharaoh still had not humbled himself before the Lord. The signs had come from the Lord to show that He is the Lord (Exodus 10:2).

God sent Moses and Aaron to Pharaoh again with words: "Thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews, How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me? let my people go, that they may serve me" (Exodus 10:3). If the people were not released this time, God warned Pharaoh that He would send locusts upon the earth to eat the residue in Egypt left from the hail and any tree that grew in the field (Exodus 10:4,5). "And they shall fill thy houses, and the houses of all thy servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians; which neither thy fathers, nor thy fathers' fathers have seen, since the day that they were upon the earth unto this day. And he turned himself, and went out from Pharaoh" (Exodus 10:6).

"And Pharaoh's servants said unto him, How long shall this man be a snare unto us? let the men go, that they may serve the Lord their God: knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed" (Exodus 10:7)?

"And Moses and Aaron were brought again unto Pharaoh: and he said unto them, Go, serve the Lord your God: but who are they that shall go? And Moses said, We will go with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will we go; for we must hold a feast unto the Lord" (Exodus 10:8,9).

"And he said unto them, Let the Lord be so with you, as I will let you go, and your little ones: look to it; for evil is before you. Not so: go now ye that are men, and serve the Lord; for that ye did desire. And they were driven out from Pharaoh's presence" (Exodus 10:10,11).

Moses followed God's command to bring the locusts upon the land (Exodus 10:12,13). The following morning "...the east wind brought the locusts" (Exodus 10:13). "And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the coasts of Egypt: very grievous were they; before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such. For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left: and there remained not any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the field, through all the land of Egypt" (Exodus 10:14,15).

"Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste; and he said, I have sinned against the Lord your God, and against you. Now therefore forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once, and [ask] the Lord your God, that he may take away from me this death only" (Exodus 10:16,17).

"And he went out from Pharaoh, and [asked] the Lord. And the Lord turned a mighty strong west wind, which took away the locusts, and cast them into the Red sea; there remained not one locust in all the coasts of Egypt. But the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go" (Exodus 10:18-20).

"And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt. And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days: They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings" (Exodus 10:21-23).

"And Pharaoh called unto Moses, and said, Go ye, serve the Lord; only let your flocks and your herds be stayed: let your little ones also go with you. And Moses said, Thou must give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice unto the Lord our God. Our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not an hoof be left behind; for thereof must we take to serve the Lord our God; and we know not with what we must serve the Lord, until we come thither. But the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let them go" (Exodus 10:24-27).

"And Pharaoh said unto him, Get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more; for in that day thou seest my face thou shalt die. And Moses said, Thou hast spoken well, I will see thy face again no more" (Exodus 10:28,29).

God's Hand in the Matter: God continued to protect the children of Israel from the signs and wonders brought upon Egypt. God continued to give Pharaoh the opportunity to humble himself and let the children go. With all considered, God had not forsaken anyone--He wanted the children to worship Him; He wanted the Pharaoh to know He is Lord.

Loving God and Hard-Hearted Pharaoh

For your search, turn to Exodus 9.

A pattern between a loving God and a hardened Pharaoh had developed: God spoke His command through Moses to let His people go; the Pharaoh refused to let the people go; God sent signs and wonders through Moses and Aaron; the Pharaoh deceptively agreed to let the people go; the signs and wonders stop; then, Pharaoh hardened his heart and refused to let the people go; and the pattern started again. The difference came in the severity of the signs and wonders God used to show who He is to the Pharaoh and to the Egyptians in order to free His people.

Chapter 9 began with God warning the king of Egypt that if he refused to let the people go, God would send a plague upon Egypt's animals. (Exodus 9:3). A time was set and God followed through with His warning--"...all the cattle of Egypt died: but of the cattle of the children of Israel died not one" (Exodus 9:5,6). The king of Egypt still had a hardened heart and did not let the people go (Exodus 9:7).

Then, the Lord sent forth boils upon man and beast through handfuls of ashes from the furnace sprinkled toward heaven by Moses and Aaron in Pharaoh's sight (Exodus 9:8,9). With his heart still hardened, the Pharaoh disregarded God's orders (Exodus 9:12).

Once again, God worked through Moses to speak to Pharaoh. "...Thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me. For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth. For now I will stretch out my hand, that I might smite thee and thy people with pestilence; and thou shalt be cut off from the earth: (Exodus 9:13-15).

God revealed Pharaoh's purpose: "And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power, and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth. As yet exaltest thou thyself against my people, that thou wilt not let them go" (Exodus 9:16-17)?

The Pharaoh was warned: "Behold, to morrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof even until now. Send therefore now, and gather thy cattle, and all that thou hast in the field; for upon every man and beast which shall be found in the field, and shall not be brought home, the hail shall come down upon them, and they shall die" (Exodus 9:18,19).

"He that feared the word of the Lord among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his cattle flee into the houses: And he that regarded not the word of the Lord left his servants and his cattle in the field" (Exodus 9:20,21).

God had Moses to stretch forth his hand toward heaven (Exodus 9:22,23). This action brought forth hail, thunder and fire from God upon the land of Egypt (Exodus 9:23). "So there was hail, and fire mingled with hail, very grievous, such as there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail smote every herb of the field, and brake every tree of the field" (Exodus 9:24,25). God protected the children of Israel and sent no hail to their land of Goshen (Exodus 9:26).

With stronger and more convincing words, Pharaoh "...sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned this time: the Lord is righteous, and I and my people are wicked. [Ask] the Lord (for it is enough) that there be no more mighty thunderings and hail; and I will let you go, and ye shall stay no longer" (Exodus 9:28).

"And Moses said unto him, As soon as I am gone out of the city, I will spread abroad my hands unto the Lord; and the thunder shall cease, neither shall there be any more hail; that thou mayest know how that the earth is the Lord's. But as for thee and thy servants, I know that ye will not yet fear the Lord God" (Exodus 9:29,30).

"And the flax and the barley was smitten: for the barley was in the ear, and the flax was bolled. But the wheat and the rie were not smitten: for they were not grown up" (Exodus 9:31,32).

"And Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh, and spread abroad his hands unto the Lord: and the thunders and hail ceased, and the rain was not poured upon the earth. And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants. And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, neither would he let the children of Israel go; as the Lord had spoken by Moses" (Exodus 9:33-35).

God's Hand in the Matter: God protected the children of Israel from the signs and wonders set upon the land. None of the children's cattle were killed by the plague. The hail avoided the children in the land of Goshen.

God revealed Pharaoh's purpose which was to show God's power in him to declare God's name throughout all the earth.

More Signs and Wonders

For your search, turn to Exodus 8.

God continued to work through Moses and Aaron to try and get the Pharaoh to let the people go to the wilderness to worship. At the beginning of this chapter, God sent His words to the Pharaoh through Moses, "Thus saith the Lord, Let my people go, that they may serve me" (Exodus 8:1). Pharaoh was also warned that if he refused to follow God's command his land would be stricken with an abundance of frogs "...which shall go up and come into [Pharaoh's] house, go into [his] bedchamber, and upon [his] bed, and into the house of [his] servants, and upon [his] people, and into [his] ovens, and into [his] kneadingtroughs" (Exodus 8:2,3) [.] The frogs shall also "...come up both on [the Pharaoh] and upon [his] people, and upon all [his] servants" (Exodus 8:4).

Although he was warned, the Pharaoh did not obey. Aaron was given the words by Moses to "...[s]tretch forth [his] hand with [his] rod over the streams, over the rivers, and over the ponds, and cause frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt" (Exodus 8:5). Aaron followed God's words sent through Moses "...and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt" (Exodus 8:6). The magicians were also at work and brought frogs upon the land (Exodus 8:7).

The Pharaoh had enough of the frogs. He went to Moses and said for him to ask the Lord to "...take away the frogs from me, and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may do sacrifice unto the Lord" (Exodus 8:8). It was agreed that Moses would ask the Lord on the following day (Exodus 8:9,10). Moses said to Pharaoh king of Egypt "...that [he may] know that there is none like unto the Lord our God. And the frogs shall depart from [you], and from [your] houses, and from [your] people; [the frogs] shall remain in the river only" (Exodus 8:10,11). Finally, the miracles had worked for the king of Egypt to release the people, or, so it was thought: when the Pharaoh saw there was relief from the frogs, his heart hardened and he refused to free the children of Israel (Exodus 8:15).

God sent Moses to have Aaron stretch out his rod so that the dust of the land will turn to lice (Exodus 8:16). Again, Aaron followed God's command "...and smote the dust of the earth, and it became lice in man, and in beast; all the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt" (Exodus 8:17). The magician's tried to work their magic this time "...to bring forth lice, but they could not..." (Exodus 8:18). "Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God..." (Exodus 8:19). The magicians recognized the real work of a real God.

The remaining verses of 20-32 are word for word from the King James Version of the Bible:

20) And the Lord said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh; lo, he cometh forth to the water; and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Let my people go, that they may serve me.

21) Else, if thou wilt not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thy houses: and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground whereon they are.

22) And I will sever in that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there; to the end thou mayest know that I am the Lord in the midst of the earth.

23) And I will put a division between my people and thy people: to morrow shall this sign be.

24) And the Lord did so; and there came a grievous swarm of flies into the house of Pharaoh, and into his servants' houses, and into all the land of Egypt: the land was corrupted by reason of the swarm of flies.

25) And Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron, and said, Go ye, sacrifice to your God in the land.

26) And Moses said, It is not meet so to do; for we shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to the Lord our God: lo, shall we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, and will they not stone us?

27) We will go three days; journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to the Lord our God, as he shall command us.

28) And Pharaoh said, I will let you go, that ye may sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness; only ye shall not go very far away; intreat for me.

29) And Moses said, Behold, I go out from thee, and I will intreat the Lord that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, to morrow: but let not Pharaoh deal deceitfully any more in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the Lord.

30) And Moses went out from Pharaoh, and intreated the Lord.

31) And the Lord did according to the word of Moses; and he removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; there remained not one.

32) And Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also, neither would he let the people go.

God's Hand in the Matter: God is working through Moses and Aaron to free the children of Israel for worship in the wilderness. At the same time, God is working to bring the Pharaoh and the Egyptians to know who He is. He is the true God. You can see this at work in the miracles as well as in the words in Exodus 7:5; and Exodus 8:10,22.

Words of God: "And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord..." (Exodus 7:5).

"...to the end thou mayest know that I am the Lord in the midst of the earth" (Exodus 8:22).

Words of Moses: "...that thou mayest know that there is none like unto the Lord our God" (Exodus 8:10).

One final point, the magicians became convinced of God's work (Exodus 8:19).

Signs and Wonders

For your search, turn to Exodus 7.

God made Moses a god to the Pharaoh with Aaron as his prophet (Exodus 7:1). God told them, "Thou shalt speak all that I command thee: and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he send the children of Israel out of his land" (Exodus 7:2).

God continued, "And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt" (Exodus 7:3).

"But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments" (Exodus 7:4).

"And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them" (Exodus 7:5).

"And Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded them, so did they" (Exodus 7:6).

God prepared Moses and Aaron for events to come which included miracles to be performed followed by refusal to let the people go by a Pharaoh with a hardened heart. All will lead to the Lord's hand stretched forth to free the people.

The first miracle revealed in this chapter is that of Aaron casting his rod before the Pharaoh with it turning into a serpent (Exodus 7:10). This miracle seemed to be no big deal to the Pharaoh because he called the magicians of Egypt who did the same thing (Exodus 7:11). In the end, "...Aaron's rods swallowed up their rods" (Exodus 7:12).

For the next miracle, God had Moses to stand by the river as the Pharaoh came by "...and the rod which was turned to a serpent shalt thou take in thine hand" (Exodus 7:15).

"And thou shalt say unto him, The Lord God of the Hebrews hath sent me unto thee, saying, Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness: and, behold, hitherto thou wouldest not hear" (Exodus 7:16).

"Thus saith the Lord, In this thou shalt know that I am the Lord: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood" (Exodus 7:17).

"And the fish that is in the river shall die, and the river shall stink; and the Egyptians shall lothe to drink of the water of the river" (Exodus 7:18).

"And the Lord spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their rivers, and upon their ponds, and upon all their pools of water, that they may become blood; and that there may be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood, and in vessels of stone" (Exodus 7:19).

"And Moses and Aaron did so, as the Lord commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood" (Exodus 7:20).

"And the fish that was in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt" (Exodus 7:21).

Again, the magicians did the same thing (Exodus 7:22).

"And Pharaoh turned and went into his house, neither did he set his heart to this also" (Exodus 7:23).

"And all the Egyptians digged round about the river for water to drink; for they could not drink of the water of the river" (Exodus 7:24).

"And seven days were fulfilled after that the Lord had smitten the river" (Exodus 7:25).

God's Hand in the Matter: God's hand is shown at work through His miracles in this chapter. There will be more revealed as He works to let His people free.

Personal note: As with all magicians, there was sleight-of-hand involved with the evil work of the magicians in this chapter. There is no sleight-of-hand by God. When His hand is in the matter, it is real. Real power performed by a real God! We must always steer clear of Satan's deception.

God Remembers the Children of Israel

For more detail, search Exodus 6.


God had not forgotten the children of Israel. He told Moses to tell them, "I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgements"
(Exodus 6:6):


"And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians" (Exodus 6:7).

"And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the Lord" (Exodus 6:8).

Moses delivered the Lord's message to the children of Israel, but they did not listen to him because of their "...anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage" (Exodus 6:9). God then commanded Moses to go to the Pharaoh and tell him to "...let the children of Israel go out of his land" (Exodus 6:11).

Moses' confidence was down because the children of Israel did not listen to him and he explained this to God and asked Him how the Pharaoh would listen to him (Exodus 6:12). Again, including Aaron, God gave him and Moses "...a charge unto the children of Israel, and unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt" (Exodus 6:13).

Exodus 6:14-25 included a list of the children of Israel who Moses and Aaron were to bring out of the land of Egypt 'according to their armies' (Exodus 6:26).

"And it came to pass on the day when the Lord spake unto Moses in the land of Egypt" (Exodus 6:28),


"That the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, I am the Lord: speak thou unto Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say unto thee" (Exodus 6:29).

Moses' confidence was still shaken and he continued to question God how the Pharaoh would listen to him (Exodus 6:30).

Moses and Aaron Visit Pharaoh

For more detail, search Exodus 5.

Moses and Aaron went to the Pharaoh after talking to the children of Israel and said to him, "Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness" (Exodus 5:1). "And Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go" (Exodus 5:2). "And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the Lord our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword" (Exodus 5:3).

Pharaoh felt that since the children of Israel wanted to sacrifice to God they did not have enough work to do; therefore, he increased their workload by having them to collect their own straw for making bricks and expected the same output from them (Exodus 5:7,8). There were taskmasters and their officers overseeing the work. "And the taskmasters hasted them, saying, Fulfil your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw" (Exodus 5:13).

Two days passed and the expected output was not delivered by the people. As a result, the officers were beaten and demanded to answer why the task was not fulfilled (Exodus 5:14). In turn, the officers went to the Pharaoh and asked him why he dealt with them as his servants (Exodus 5:15). The officers explained, "There is no straw given unto they servants, and they say to us Make brick: and, behold, thy servants are beaten; but the fault is in thine own people" (Exodus 5:16).

"But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the Lord" (Exodus 5:17).

"Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks" (Exodus 5:18).

"And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case, after it was said, Ye shall not minish ought from your bricks of your daily task" (Exodus 5:19).

"And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh" (Exodus 5:20):

"And they said unto them, The Lord look upon you, and judge: because ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us" (Exodus 5:21).

"And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me" (Exodus 5:22)?

"For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in they name, he hath done evil to this people: neither hast thou delivered thy people at all" (Exodus 5:23).