October 6 | Exodus 13:11-22

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DAILY READING

Exodus 13:11-22

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REFLECTION

Divine Guidance

by Judy Webb

Have you ever taken a long trip to a place unknown to you? Have you set out on an adventure that would take you places you never imagined going? Did you have an itinerary mapped out for when you arrived? Some exciting vacations are like this; traveling to places far away that were never more than a dream until now.

The Israelites were on such a journey, only it was far from a vacation. Following a promise of life in a land of milk and honey, freedom was the carrot dangled in front of them. There was to be strife on the journey, but what a journey! Filled with miracles and challenges, the Israelites wandered for forty years; this of their own doing. But this is the stuff only the best stories contain! Traveling to destinations unfamiliar and taking roads not on any map, there was confusion for certain and one could easily become disoriented, turned around, and just plain lost if God wasn’t leading you.

"Day by day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night." (Exodus 13:21)

But God was leading them, despite their grumbling and doubts, He led them in miraculous ways. And this provision for His people was a constant standing miracle. (Matthew Henry) The pillar of cloud served as a guide as they moved forward and wide enough to serve as a shield from the intense desert heat. God dwelt with his people in the cloud. Shekinah is the Hebrew word for this cloud, and it means dwell.

The pillar of fire provided proved light so they might travel by day and night. Day and night He watched over them. “He spread out a cloud as a covering, and a fire to give light at night.” (Psalm 105:39) One commentary said the pillars are another name for Angel of God.

God is good to us who are so undeserving of his love. Can you think of a time God interceded in such a big way that you knew for certain it was Him moving in your life? Have you ever felt His Divine Guidance?

PRAYER

God, give us a thankful heart, and give us eyes to recognize your movements in our lives. We know you are there for us, but sometimes we are blind. Open our eyes and hearts to know your love and to share it freely. Amen.

OCTOBER 5 | EXODUS 11:1-10

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DAILY READING

Exodus 11:1-10

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REFLECTION

One Last Chance...

by Kristin Schoeff

"There will be loud wailing throughout Egypt – worse than there has ever been or ever will be

again” (Ex. 11:6) This is Moses’ prediction of the anguish that the tenth and final plague would

bring on the people of Egypt: the death of every firstborn son in the land – the precious ones

who carried the future of their family line and upon whom rested their families’ fortunes and

hope.

What does it mean to have a hardened heart? Over and over through the early chapters of

Exodus, we read that Pharaoh hardened his heart and wouldn’t allow the Israelites to leave

Egypt to worship God. Nine plagues came against the land and people of Egypt before this final plague on the firstborn, but Pharaoh refused to humble himself and acknowledge the Lord.

And when the warning came of this final, devastating plague, in which Pharaoh would also

clearly see that the Lord made “a distinction between Egypt and Israel,” the Lord alerts Moses

that “Pharaoh will refuse to listen to you—so that my wonders may be multiplied in Egypt.”

(Ex. 11:9) And then verse 10 tells us that “the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart.” After so many

instances of Pharaoh choosing not to listen to the warnings of God through Moses and

stubbornly refusing to release the enslaved Israelites, now the Lord has released Pharaoh to his

own hardness.

In Chapter 9:15-16, the Lord sends Moses to Pharaoh with this message:

"…I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my

name might be proclaimed in all the earth."

In the midst of so much trouble and destruction, God had a big picture plan. Time and time

again, he reached out to Pharaoh and gave him a chance to do God’s will and release his

people. Still, God used Pharaoh’s stubbornness to accomplish his purposes.

And what is perhaps most amazing is that the ultimate liberation the Lord had planned for his

people since the beginning of time involved another first-born Son—his own—who would also

die so that those who would humble themselves and accept God’s plan would be delivered

“from the domain of darkness and transferred…to the kingdom of His beloved son.” (Colossians

1:13 NASB)

PRAYER

Lord, we thank you for your great and perfect plan to bring your people to freedom. May our.

hearts always be tender towards you, listening and responding to your voice.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

October 4 | Exodus 8:20-31

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DAILY READING

Exodus 8:20-31

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REFLECTION

There is No Match for God

by Katie Borden

Just the other day, I took a walk, and as it happens on walks, I was lost in thought. I didn’t even notice the little cloud of gnats hanging at eye (and hair… and mouth…) level until I walked straight into them . As I picked them off of my face and out of my hair later that evening, I thought back to my run-in with those “little jerks”, wondering if gnats hang in the air at precisely that height on purpose.

I share this anecdote with you a) so that you don’t feel so alone when you accidentally swallow a bunch of miniscule bugs, but more importantly b) so that we can imagine together just how intolerable these swarms of gnats and flies must have been for those living in the land of Egypt during Pharoah’s sparring match with the Lord God Almighty. Not only did these swarms create hardship for the people themselves, the text tells us that they ruined the land as well. These plagues destroyed land, livestock and eventually human life.

I commend these nine plagues (Ex.7-9) to your reading so you can more keenly feel the intensity of the dire situation building for both the Israelites and the Egyptians as each plague comes and goes. Additionally, these accounts taken as a whole also enlighten us with regard to what I believe was happening at a cosmic level. This is the first plague where we read that God is making a distinction between the land where the Israelites lived and the land where the Egyptians made their homes: “no swarms of flies will be there [in the Israelites’ land], so that you will know that I, the LORD, am in this land” (v. 22).

God is in that land.

God’s presence brings life, wholeness, and flourishing. We see these things evident in the land where God is present. But where Pharaoh opposes God and does not bow to his will and reign, the consequences are fierce. We see the effects of sin in the effects that Pharaoh's unwillingness to acknowledge God as LORD, as ruler of the cosmos, have on the creation. But throughout these plagues, our God is demonstrating his power over sin, and even (spoiler alert!) eventually death. The ultimate end of God’s power is to save his creation and his beloved creatures.

This action is repeated more fully and permanently through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus a few thousand years later. The road was not pain-free. Once again, a cosmic battle raged at that cross, a battle between the God of life and the forces of death. But once again–and for all time–our God was proved victorious and without equal. There is no Pharaoh–no force of sin, death, or the devil–who will withstand the power of our God. He has won the battle, and sits on the throne in heaven. The forces of sin may corrupt and kill for a time, but our God will emerge victorious. His way–the way of life and love and wholeness for all of creation–will endure. Praise be to God!

PRAYER

Thank you, all-powerful God, that your way wins in the end. By the power of the Holy Spirit, help us to put our hope in your victory, and empower us to live free in light of your victory through Jesus. Amen.