To support the goal of reading the Exodus story, some of the daily readings are longer than typical for the GPS. We encourage you: have an extra cup of coffee, use your lunch break—find a way to hang in there and read this defining Biblical story.
The Daily Guide. grow. pray. study. from The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, United States "The confrontation began" for Monday, 29 August 2016
Exodus 5:1 (vii) After that, Moshe and Aharon came and said to Pharaoh, “Here is what Adonai, the God of Isra’el, says: ‘Let my people go, so that they can celebrate a festival in the desert to honor me.’” 2 But Pharaoh replied, “Who is Adonai, that I should obey when he says to let Isra’el go? I don’t know Adonai, and I also won’t let Isra’el go.” 3 They said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go three days’ journey into the desert, so that we can sacrifice to Adonai our God. Otherwise, he may strike us with a plague or with the sword.” 4 The king of Egypt answered them, “Moshe and Aharon, what do you mean by taking the people away from their work? Get back to your labor! 5 Look!” Pharaoh added, “the population of the land has grown, yet you are trying to have them stop working!”
6 That same day Pharaoh ordered the slavemasters and the people’s foremen, 7 “You are no longer to provide straw for the bricks the people are making, as you did before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8 But you will require them to produce the same quantity of bricks as before, don’t reduce it, because they’re lazing around. This is why they’re crying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ 9 Give these people harder work to do. That will keep them too busy to pay attention to speeches full of lies.”
5:19 When they said, “You are not to reduce your daily production quota of bricks,” the foremen of the people of Isra’el could see that they were in deep trouble.
20 As they were leaving Pharaoh, they encountered Moshe and Aharon standing by the road; 21 and they said to them, “May Adonai look at you and judge accordingly, because you have made us utterly abhorrent in the view of Pharaoh and his servants, and you have put a sword in their hands to kill us!” (Maftir) 22 Moshe returned to Adonai and said, “Adonai, why have you treated this people so terribly? What has been the value of sending me? 23 For ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has dealt terribly with this people! And you haven’t rescued your people at all!”
6 Adonai said to Moshe, “Now you will see what I am going to do to Pharaoh. With a mighty hand he will send them off; with force he will drive them from the land!”
7:(iv) 8 Adonai said to Moshe and Aharon, 9 “When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Perform a miracle,’ tell Aharon to take his staff and throw it down in front of Pharaoh, so that it can become a snake.” 10 Moshe and Aharon went in to Pharaoh and did this, as Adonai had ordered — Aharon threw down his staff in front of Pharaoh and his servants, and it turned into a snake. 11 But Pharaoh in turn called for the sages and sorcerers; and they too, the magicians of Egypt, did the same thing, making use of their secret arts. 12 Each one threw his staff down, and they turned into snakes. But Aharon’s staff swallowed up theirs. 13 Nevertheless, Pharaoh was made hardhearted; and he didn’t listen to them, as Adonai had said would happen.
14 Adonai said to Moshe, “Pharaoh is stubborn. He refuses to let the people go. 15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning when he goes out to the water. Stand on the riverbank to confront him, take in your hand the staff which was turned into a snake, 16 and say to him, ‘Adonai, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you to say: “Let my people go, so that they can worship me in the desert.” But until now you haven’t listened; 17 so Adonai says, “This will let you know that I am Adonai”: I will take the staff in my hand and strike the water in the river, and it will be turned into blood. 18 The fish in the river will die, the river will stink and the Egyptians won’t want to drink water from the river.’”
19 Adonai said to Moshe, “Say to Aharon, ‘Take your staff, reach out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, canals, ponds and all their reservoirs, so that they can turn into blood. There will be blood throughout the whole land of Egypt, even in the wooden buckets and stone jars.’” 20 Moshe and Aharon did exactly what Adonai had ordered. He raised the staff and, in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, struck the water in the river; and all the water in the river was turned into blood. 21 The fish in the river died, and the river stank so badly that the Egyptians couldn’t drink its water. There was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.
22 But the magicians of Egypt did the same with their secret arts, so that Pharaoh was made hardhearted and didn’t listen to them, as Adonai had said would happen. 23 Pharaoh just turned and went back to his palace, without taking any of this to heart. 24 All the Egyptians dug around the river for water to drink, because they couldn’t drink the river water.
25 Seven days after Adonai had struck the river, 26 (8:1) Adonai said to Moshe, “Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Here is what Adonai says: “Let my people go, so that they can worship me. 27 (8:2) If you refuse to let them go, I will strike all your territory with frogs. 28 (8:3) The river will swarm with frogs. They will go up, enter your palace and go into your bedroom, onto your bed. They will enter the houses of your servants and your people and go into your ovens and kneading bowls. 29 (8:4) The frogs will climb all over you, your people and your servants.”’”
8:1 (5) Adonai said to Moshe, “Say to Aharon, ‘Reach out your hand with your staff over the rivers, canals and ponds; and cause frogs to come up onto the land of Egypt.’” 2 (6) Aharon put out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. 3 (7) But the magicians did the same with their secret arts and brought up frogs onto the land of Egypt.
4 (8) Then Pharaoh summoned Moshe and Aharon and said, “Intercede with Adonai to take the frogs away from me and my people, and I will let the people go and sacrifice to Adonai.” 5 (9) Moshe said to Pharaoh, “Not only that, but you can have the honor of naming the time when I will pray for you, your servants and your people to be rid of the frogs, both yourselves and your homes, and that they stay only in the river.” 6 (10) He answered, “Tomorrow.” Moshe said, “It will be as you have said, and from this you will learn that Adonai our God has no equal. (v) 7 (11) The frogs will leave you and your homes, also your servants and your people; they will stay in the river only.” 8 (12) Moshe and Aharon left Pharaoh’s presence, and Moshe cried to Adonai about the frogs he had brought on Pharaoh. 9 (13) Adonai did as Moshe had asked — the frogs died in the houses, courtyards and fields; 10 (14) they gathered them in heaps till the land stank. 11 (15) But when Pharaoh saw that he had been given some relief, he made himself hardhearted and would not listen to them, just as Adonai had said would happen.
12 (16) Adonai said to Moshe, “Say to Aharon: ‘Reach out with your staff and strike the dust on the ground; it will become lice throughout all the land of Egypt.’” 13 (17) They did it — Aharon reached out his hand with his staff and struck the dust on the ground, and there were lice on people and animals; all the dust on the ground became lice throughout the whole land of Egypt. 14 (18) The magicians tried with their secret arts to produce lice, but they couldn’t. There were lice on people and animals. 15 (19) Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh was made hardhearted, so that he didn’t listen to them, just as Adonai had said would happen.
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Moses (80-year-old stuttering shepherd) reached Egypt, went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the LORD, Israel’s God, says: ‘Let my people go…” Moses didn’t say he demanded Israel’s freedom—he spoke on behalf of Israel’s God. Pharaoh’s response (Exodus 5:2) showed that the Egyptian king got it. He claimed to be divine, saw it as a contest with some other god, and couldn’t see why he should bow to another god’s will. He ordered more oppression of Hebrew workers, and shrugged off the first signs of God’s power at work.
• Some readers see this week’s story as showing God as harsh and arbitrary. But the story didn’t show God immediately meeting Pharaoh with the worst, most devastating plagues. The first plagues were more of an irritation, a warning, than a threat. Still Pharaoh quickly made it plain he had no interest in letting the Hebrews go. Have you ever known anyone like Pharaoh—someone who brushes off warnings about the ruinous path their life is on?
• The Egyptian religious experts (some translations call them “magicians”) matched the first signs Moses gave Pharaoh. Exodus didn’t say if they were just skilled illusionists, or if they drew on some kind of dark supernatural power. Either way, Pharaoh believed their power more than that of Moses’ God—it fit what he wanted to believe. What helps you avoid the trap of interpreting all evidence through the lens of what you wish were true?
Prayer: O God, thank you for approaching me in ways that give me room to think, to decide. But help me to think clearly, not to blind myself to signs that you are at work in my life. Amen.
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Insights from Donna Karlen
Donna Karlen serves in Communications at The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, creating and managing social media content.
Long about the time Pharaoh witnessed a frog or two hop out of the royal pan that his royal cooks baked the royal bread in for his royal lunch, the ruler of everything may have felt the regretful bite of an “if only.” If only I had listened to Moses and let his people go. If only I hadn’t enslaved them in the first place. If only frog legs really did taste like chicken. But, as we read on, Pharaoh became “stubborn again” after the amphibious invasion was over – or as the New Revised Standard Version translation puts it, “he hardened his heart.” And just like that it was game on again with God – and we all know who will win that battle (every battle, thankfully).
I’d like to think I’ve never “hardened my heart.” I’m a pretty caring, forgiving person – my wonderful dad used to call me a peacemaker. But I also don’t know that I’ve always “softened” my heart enough to be open to God’s call for my own journey in the wilderness of life. I am currently reading Intentional Living by John C. Maxwell. The author invites us to ask ourselves some questions so we can find our “why.” The first question is, “what do you cry about?” – what breaks your heart? While Moses initially was rather reluctant to answer God’s call to lead the Israelites to freedom, his heart broke when he saw an Egyptian beating one of his kinfolk. However, even before Moses finally got on board with his destiny, it was God’s heart that was breaking. And so God began working through Moses and his brother Aaron.
My own heart breaks for children and teens who feel unloved and alone, and human trafficking makes me cry. I have written these two things on my heart and in my journal and pray for God to work through me to make a difference. I don’t know what that will look like. Maybe it means doing something I’m not comfortable with, and I’ll want to ask God to get someone else. And so I look to today’s GPS prayer:
O God… help me not to blind myself to signs that you are at work in my life. Amen
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Join us for worship today - click here for information on worship times and locations. If you are not in the Kansas City area, you can take part in our worship via live Web stream at rezonline.org.
Download a printable version of this week's GPS.
-------
6 That same day Pharaoh ordered the slavemasters and the people’s foremen, 7 “You are no longer to provide straw for the bricks the people are making, as you did before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8 But you will require them to produce the same quantity of bricks as before, don’t reduce it, because they’re lazing around. This is why they’re crying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ 9 Give these people harder work to do. That will keep them too busy to pay attention to speeches full of lies.”
5:19 When they said, “You are not to reduce your daily production quota of bricks,” the foremen of the people of Isra’el could see that they were in deep trouble.
20 As they were leaving Pharaoh, they encountered Moshe and Aharon standing by the road; 21 and they said to them, “May Adonai look at you and judge accordingly, because you have made us utterly abhorrent in the view of Pharaoh and his servants, and you have put a sword in their hands to kill us!” (Maftir) 22 Moshe returned to Adonai and said, “Adonai, why have you treated this people so terribly? What has been the value of sending me? 23 For ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has dealt terribly with this people! And you haven’t rescued your people at all!”
6 Adonai said to Moshe, “Now you will see what I am going to do to Pharaoh. With a mighty hand he will send them off; with force he will drive them from the land!”
7:(iv) 8 Adonai said to Moshe and Aharon, 9 “When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Perform a miracle,’ tell Aharon to take his staff and throw it down in front of Pharaoh, so that it can become a snake.” 10 Moshe and Aharon went in to Pharaoh and did this, as Adonai had ordered — Aharon threw down his staff in front of Pharaoh and his servants, and it turned into a snake. 11 But Pharaoh in turn called for the sages and sorcerers; and they too, the magicians of Egypt, did the same thing, making use of their secret arts. 12 Each one threw his staff down, and they turned into snakes. But Aharon’s staff swallowed up theirs. 13 Nevertheless, Pharaoh was made hardhearted; and he didn’t listen to them, as Adonai had said would happen.
14 Adonai said to Moshe, “Pharaoh is stubborn. He refuses to let the people go. 15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning when he goes out to the water. Stand on the riverbank to confront him, take in your hand the staff which was turned into a snake, 16 and say to him, ‘Adonai, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you to say: “Let my people go, so that they can worship me in the desert.” But until now you haven’t listened; 17 so Adonai says, “This will let you know that I am Adonai”: I will take the staff in my hand and strike the water in the river, and it will be turned into blood. 18 The fish in the river will die, the river will stink and the Egyptians won’t want to drink water from the river.’”
19 Adonai said to Moshe, “Say to Aharon, ‘Take your staff, reach out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, canals, ponds and all their reservoirs, so that they can turn into blood. There will be blood throughout the whole land of Egypt, even in the wooden buckets and stone jars.’” 20 Moshe and Aharon did exactly what Adonai had ordered. He raised the staff and, in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, struck the water in the river; and all the water in the river was turned into blood. 21 The fish in the river died, and the river stank so badly that the Egyptians couldn’t drink its water. There was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.
22 But the magicians of Egypt did the same with their secret arts, so that Pharaoh was made hardhearted and didn’t listen to them, as Adonai had said would happen. 23 Pharaoh just turned and went back to his palace, without taking any of this to heart. 24 All the Egyptians dug around the river for water to drink, because they couldn’t drink the river water.
25 Seven days after Adonai had struck the river, 26 (8:1) Adonai said to Moshe, “Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Here is what Adonai says: “Let my people go, so that they can worship me. 27 (8:2) If you refuse to let them go, I will strike all your territory with frogs. 28 (8:3) The river will swarm with frogs. They will go up, enter your palace and go into your bedroom, onto your bed. They will enter the houses of your servants and your people and go into your ovens and kneading bowls. 29 (8:4) The frogs will climb all over you, your people and your servants.”’”
8:1 (5) Adonai said to Moshe, “Say to Aharon, ‘Reach out your hand with your staff over the rivers, canals and ponds; and cause frogs to come up onto the land of Egypt.’” 2 (6) Aharon put out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. 3 (7) But the magicians did the same with their secret arts and brought up frogs onto the land of Egypt.
4 (8) Then Pharaoh summoned Moshe and Aharon and said, “Intercede with Adonai to take the frogs away from me and my people, and I will let the people go and sacrifice to Adonai.” 5 (9) Moshe said to Pharaoh, “Not only that, but you can have the honor of naming the time when I will pray for you, your servants and your people to be rid of the frogs, both yourselves and your homes, and that they stay only in the river.” 6 (10) He answered, “Tomorrow.” Moshe said, “It will be as you have said, and from this you will learn that Adonai our God has no equal. (v) 7 (11) The frogs will leave you and your homes, also your servants and your people; they will stay in the river only.” 8 (12) Moshe and Aharon left Pharaoh’s presence, and Moshe cried to Adonai about the frogs he had brought on Pharaoh. 9 (13) Adonai did as Moshe had asked — the frogs died in the houses, courtyards and fields; 10 (14) they gathered them in heaps till the land stank. 11 (15) But when Pharaoh saw that he had been given some relief, he made himself hardhearted and would not listen to them, just as Adonai had said would happen.
12 (16) Adonai said to Moshe, “Say to Aharon: ‘Reach out with your staff and strike the dust on the ground; it will become lice throughout all the land of Egypt.’” 13 (17) They did it — Aharon reached out his hand with his staff and struck the dust on the ground, and there were lice on people and animals; all the dust on the ground became lice throughout the whole land of Egypt. 14 (18) The magicians tried with their secret arts to produce lice, but they couldn’t. There were lice on people and animals. 15 (19) Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh was made hardhearted, so that he didn’t listen to them, just as Adonai had said would happen.
-------
Moses (80-year-old stuttering shepherd) reached Egypt, went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the LORD, Israel’s God, says: ‘Let my people go…” Moses didn’t say he demanded Israel’s freedom—he spoke on behalf of Israel’s God. Pharaoh’s response (Exodus 5:2) showed that the Egyptian king got it. He claimed to be divine, saw it as a contest with some other god, and couldn’t see why he should bow to another god’s will. He ordered more oppression of Hebrew workers, and shrugged off the first signs of God’s power at work.
• Some readers see this week’s story as showing God as harsh and arbitrary. But the story didn’t show God immediately meeting Pharaoh with the worst, most devastating plagues. The first plagues were more of an irritation, a warning, than a threat. Still Pharaoh quickly made it plain he had no interest in letting the Hebrews go. Have you ever known anyone like Pharaoh—someone who brushes off warnings about the ruinous path their life is on?
• The Egyptian religious experts (some translations call them “magicians”) matched the first signs Moses gave Pharaoh. Exodus didn’t say if they were just skilled illusionists, or if they drew on some kind of dark supernatural power. Either way, Pharaoh believed their power more than that of Moses’ God—it fit what he wanted to believe. What helps you avoid the trap of interpreting all evidence through the lens of what you wish were true?
Prayer: O God, thank you for approaching me in ways that give me room to think, to decide. But help me to think clearly, not to blind myself to signs that you are at work in my life. Amen.
-------
Insights from Donna Karlen
Donna Karlen serves in Communications at The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, creating and managing social media content.Long about the time Pharaoh witnessed a frog or two hop out of the royal pan that his royal cooks baked the royal bread in for his royal lunch, the ruler of everything may have felt the regretful bite of an “if only.” If only I had listened to Moses and let his people go. If only I hadn’t enslaved them in the first place. If only frog legs really did taste like chicken. But, as we read on, Pharaoh became “stubborn again” after the amphibious invasion was over – or as the New Revised Standard Version translation puts it, “he hardened his heart.” And just like that it was game on again with God – and we all know who will win that battle (every battle, thankfully).
I’d like to think I’ve never “hardened my heart.” I’m a pretty caring, forgiving person – my wonderful dad used to call me a peacemaker. But I also don’t know that I’ve always “softened” my heart enough to be open to God’s call for my own journey in the wilderness of life. I am currently reading Intentional Living by John C. Maxwell. The author invites us to ask ourselves some questions so we can find our “why.” The first question is, “what do you cry about?” – what breaks your heart? While Moses initially was rather reluctant to answer God’s call to lead the Israelites to freedom, his heart broke when he saw an Egyptian beating one of his kinfolk. However, even before Moses finally got on board with his destiny, it was God’s heart that was breaking. And so God began working through Moses and his brother Aaron.
My own heart breaks for children and teens who feel unloved and alone, and human trafficking makes me cry. I have written these two things on my heart and in my journal and pray for God to work through me to make a difference. I don’t know what that will look like. Maybe it means doing something I’m not comfortable with, and I’ll want to ask God to get someone else. And so I look to today’s GPS prayer:
O God… help me not to blind myself to signs that you are at work in my life. Amen
-------
Join us for worship today - click here for information on worship times and locations. If you are not in the Kansas City area, you can take part in our worship via live Web stream at rezonline.org.
Download a printable version of this week's GPS.
-------
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