Podcasts about with moses

Seasons of wandering and seasons of walking from God's ways can leave us in a place where we are no longer pursuing the original call God has on our lives. With Moses and Samson as examples, Laura and Debbie dig into God's Word to uncover the way to return and pursue again our calling.

With Moses gone into the mountains to see Yahweh, the Hebrews freak out that he isn't coming back and feel like insulting Yahweh by making a new god is the best option in this situation. They make some questionable choices in presentation, and when Moses returns furious, they trip over themselves making dumb excuses and end up in the middle of a bloodbath. They add to their problems when they attempt to force Yahweh to send them low-quality meat for dinner instead of tasty manna. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/talesfromsacredtexts/support

With Moses against Pharaoh, we have -as per Gary North- Dominion Religion versus Power Religion- This is a brief Bible study for Exodus 4-1-17, a preface for the Lord's Day sermon of November 15, 2020.

This week we tell the story of the Israelites entering the Promised Land, 40 years after their exodus from Egypt. With Moses gone, his assistant, Joshua, steps up to lead the people. It’s a story about spying, subterfuge, and another one of God's convoluted battle plans!Free text version is available at patreon.com/bsfhc. Please consider becoming a Patron there as well, to help us keep the podcast going and to get access to Patron-exclusive bonus content!Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/bsfhc)

In Stephen's historical narrative regarding Moses, he came to his Divine Commission at the Burning Bush.  Learn how the thorny bush is a picture of Israel! Stephen's message about Moses was powerfully applied to the Lord Jesus and Israel's rejection of Him when he got to verses 35 to 37.  Dr. John Phillips wrote that Stephen "skillfully dropped his brush and pallet and picked up his sword" as he brought home to the Council all he had been saying about Moses in light of Jesus!  With Moses, God honored the one Israel had rejected.  He sent them the very one they had rejected to be their ruler and deliverer.  His implication was that the Jews had done to Jesus what their forefathers did to Moses. It is often said, by Jewish people today and others, as well, that if Jesus was their Messiah, the leaders of Israel would have known and recognized Him.  However, that would not be consistent with her spiritual leaders throughout her history.  This was the point Stephen was making in Acts 7.  It was their typical response NOT to accept the men God sent to deliver them, as exemplified with Joseph and Moses - and how God's prophets were treated.  What they did to Jesus was exceedingly more serious, for in having rejected Him, they rejected the Great I AM of the Burning Bush - they only One Who provides spiritual deliverance!

You can help support this podcast by making a donation via PayPal.Thank you to everyone that has taken the time to leave a review, send me an email or send me a tweet. It has truly meant the world to me!Remember you can reach me on twitter @stevecarrera and on instagram @stevecarrera and you can email me stevegcarrera@gmail.com************************************************************************************************************************Highlights USA vs. Serbia 2008 Olympic SemiTwitter - @MerrillMosesFrom Pepperdine AthleticsMerrill Moses, a three-time Olympian and former All-American water polo player for the Waves, returned to Pepperdine in 2012 to join the coaching staff. He was promoted to the position of associate head coach prior to the 2017 season, and 2019 will be his eighthon the staff.As the interim co-head coach of the Waves in 2012, Moses helped Pepperdine to an 11-13 overall record. The team achieved a national ranking as high as #3 during the regular season.Upon the return of Dr. Terry Schroeder as head coach, Moses moved into the position of assistant coach in 2013. Moses played for Schroeder both with the Waves and the U.S. National Team.With Moses on staff, the Waves won the inaugural Golden Coast Conference Tournament title in 2016, and he tutored the Waves’ all-time leader in goalie saves, Zack Rhodes.Moses, a goalkeeper who helped lead Pepperdine to the 1997 NCAA championship and the United States to a silver medal at the 2008 Olympics, had been playing both professionally and with the U.S. squad for more than a decade before also turning his attention to coaching.“The most exciting part about this is coming back to my alma mater, and to be a part of trying to bring another national championship to Pepperdine,” said Moses at the time of his hiring. “I get the chance to work with a great staff and to work for years to come with Coach Schroeder.”Said Director of Athletics Dr. Steve Potts at Moses’ hiring: “I’m so thrilled that Merrill Moses is coming back to rejoin the Pepperdine family. His experience as an Olympian, a U.S. National Team member and a national champion will be inspiring to our student-athletes and they will learn so much from him.”Moses had given up water polo in 2004 and was working in the mortgage industry before getting a call to rejoin the U.S. squad in 2006. He went on to become the starting goalkeeper for the United States at both the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Olympics. In 2008, Moses was part of a team ranked ninth in the world, but the Americans got hot at the right time and made it all the way to the gold-medal game.Moses also helped the U.S. to gold medals at the 2007, 2011 and 2015 Pan American Games and he was part of eight top-five finishes in the FINA World League Super Finals, including a second-place result in 2008 and a third-place standing in 2003.He has played professionally in Croatia, Italy and Spain and with the New York Athletic Club (he was named MVP of the 2010 USAWP Men’s National Championships). Moses has worked as a coach at many of Terry Schroeder’s camps and has done private coaching in the past.A native of Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., who attended Peninsula High School, Moses played four seasons for the Waves between 1995-98. He earned All-American first team honors in 1997 and was on the second team in 1998 and honorable mention in 1996. He was also named All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation all four years, including the first team in 1997.Moses was named one of three tri-MVPs of the 1997 NCAA Championships after Pepperdine defeated USC, 8-7 in overtime, for the school’s first-ever NCAA title in the sport.Moses graduated from Pepperdine in 1999 with a degree in public relations. He was inducted into the Pepperdine Athletics Hall of Fame in 2013.He and his wife Laura have three children: Adrianna Nicole, Makenna Merrill and Brooklyn Ann.

The plan of God is solid but your purpose within that plan is fluid. it moves and changes. Honestly, it's up to you. We have to know that when God says that He wants to work WITH you, He really means it. He worked WITH Moses. He worked WITH Paul. Above anything else - He wants to work with His creation to achieve His plan.

The Audio to this sermon is at the bottom. Or if you prefer, there's a short video version here: The fundamental idea of righteousness is that of strict adherence to the law. Both Hebrew and Greek words contain the idea of conformity to a standard. God can be seen as righteous in two ways: Absolute Righteousness - he is as part of his divine nature infinitely righteous in and of himself. He can’t sin, he can’t lie, it’s just not who he is. Relative Righteousness - in the light of every violation of his divine and perfect righteousness he is seen to be the only true holy one. God’s righteousness is connected with his justice. He must do things the right way, which means as judge, he can only judge fairly. The following verses give us an idea of how he sets the standard for righteousness.   Faithfulness You are righteous, Lord, and your laws are right. (Psalm 119:137) The Lord is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does. (Psalm 145:17) You have kept your promise because you are righteous. (Nehemiah 9:8) Compassion I know that the Lord secures justice for the poor     and upholds the cause of the needy. (Psalm 140:12)   5 The Lord is gracious and righteous;     our God is full of compassion. 6 The Lord protects the unwary;     when I was brought low, he saved me. (Psalm 116:5-6)   Judgement Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness. (Psalm 96:13)   The concept of God’s righteousness is introduced early in the bible in Genesis 18 where Abraham appeals to God on behalf of Sodom:                 ‘Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?’ (23) If God destroyed both the wicked and the righteous without distinguishing them, then God would not be acting righteously or justly.                 Will not the Judge of all the earth do right? (25) By the end of the story, God not only showed himself to be righteous and just, but he also used the situation to shape Abraham into the righteous man he would need to be as father of a nation. With Moses, he set the standard of his own righteousness and demonstrated it to Egypt: Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. ‘This time I have sinned,’ he said to them. ‘The Lord is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong. (Exodus 9:27) We see the same idea in Daniel 9: The Lord did not hesitate to bring the disaster on us, for the Lord our God is righteous in everything he does; yet we have not obeyed him. (Daniel 9:14) And Ezra 9: LORD, the God of Israel, you are righteous! We are left this day as a remnant. Here we are before you in our guilt, though because of it not one of us can stand in your presence." (Ezra 9:15) Salvation   2 The Lord has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations. 3 He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. (Psalm 98:2-3)   After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. (Isaiah 53:11)   God is righteous in saving sinners, not just judging them. He could not just forgive them without righteous justice being done. The righteous requirements of the law had to be met. That’s why the verses in Isaiah 53 that predict the suffering of the messiah refer to him as the ‘righteous servant’. He had to bear our iniquities because God is righteous. It’s the only way we could be saved from the judgement we deserve. And a righteous God has to give us the judgement we deserve. Otherwise he would no longer be righteous.   We will deal with righteousness through faith in the next session, but the idea is based on God’s righteousness:   21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made...

With Moses, the Israelites had lost sight of their vision of God and became focused on the giants before them. Their sin was a result of their small view of God. They saw Him as unable. The Lord now tells Joshua that He’s already given them the promise of the land before them, although it was not yet in their possession. We too must accept God’s promises by faith. Unbelief leads to focusing on our circumstances instead of God. The promise of entering God’s rest still stands, but you will fail to enter in if it’s not accepted by faith or we don’t persevere by faith. The work of Christ has been finished on the cross--will you persevere by faith to enter into this rest? What is the extent of your vision of what God will do in and through you? Your church? Your family? Will you stretch your vision? Or will you lose sight of the vision by looking at your circumstances and the giants? Take your eyes off of yourself and your giants. See the possibilities of grace available. The fear of man led the Israelites to unbelief, but no man can stand in opposition to God. With God, we are fully equipped to stand against anyone. God gave us the promise of His presence with us. There is no greater assurance than the presence of God. Our confidence must be in God’s power and presence, not in our own ability. What power do you base your confidence in? The same faith in God that leads to confidence, leads to obedience to God’s commands. We are told to meditate on the law of God. This is a means of grace through which God transforms us. Allow God’s resources to be applied to your needs. Look to God for the fulfillment of the vision--this is the only way fruit will be produced in your life.

Foundational Truths: The Bible is God’s self-revelation.God is the Eternal, Sovereign Creator; all that He creates is good.Man is a responsible agent, held to a moral standard.Sin originates within a person, separating us from God.God declares one righteous by faith alone, apart from works.The glory of God is the centerpiece and goal of all existence.God’s glory is maximally realized in the promised, coming Kingdom.A prevalent theme in the Scriptures is that of “inheritance,” where, in the Old Testament, the Lord is looking to give a promised piece of land to the smallest of all the peoples in the world, Israel. In the New Testament, an inheritance is promised to those believers who persevere in holding fast to Christ, being understood as a reward to be earned by faithfulness and good deeds in accordance with the Word of God. YHWH, the Creator, the God of the Bible, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, is a giver.While Israel’s inheritance is earthly in nature, the inheritance offered to the Church is one that is heavenly. In both instances, each people group has been sufficiently provided for, extravagantly blessed, and has before them a life which they are to steward according to what they have been given. The Lord God has eliminated all excuses for one not receiving the inheritance offered to them, refusing to violate the free-will of each person. In the end, the things of this world, personal apathy and slothfulness, and neglect or misuse of the plenteous resources that have been supplied will be the only reasons that one will not inherit what has been offered. YHWH desires His children to have success. Regardless if the focus is on Israel or the Church, He desires them to take possession of the inheritance that awaits each of them.The word “inheritance” is used in the Old Testament over 230 times and occurs in the New Testament around 35 times. This concept is significant in Scripture, for with it comes the conversation of “heirs” (Isa 65:9; Rom 8:17), “sons” and “firstborn sons” (Exod 4:22; Matt 5:45), “rewards” (2 Sam 22:21; Matt 6:6), “ruling and reigning” (Isa 24:23; 32:1; 2 Tim 2:12; Rev 5:10; 22:5), judgment (1 Cor 3:11-15; 2 Cor 5:10), and being partners (partakers, companions) with Christ (Heb 1:9; 3:14). Reading Deuteronomy, the words “possess” and “possession” are used 66 times, with the Hebrew word “yerusha” meaning “to take possession, to be an heir, to inherit” (Deut 1:8, 21, 39; 2:5, 9, 12, 19, 24, 31, for example). In Deuteronomy, this word is interchangeable with “inheritance”.In Scripture, there are actually two types of inheritance regarding both the Israelites and the believer in Christ.The first type of inheritance is unconditional in nature, being something that the Christian receives at the moment that one believes in Jesus Christ. This inheritance is what is understood as “eternal life” in the Scriptures (John 3:16; 5:24; Gal 4:7). For Israel, this inheritance is YHWH Himself, as found in Psalms 16:5 and 119:57. Both are immediate for each respective group when faith is exercised (Gen 15:6; John 3:16).The second inheritance is conditional in nature, meaning that obeying by faith (“walking by faith”) is the requirement to receiving it. This can be seen in Colossians 2:6 which says, “as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.” “Receiving” is the unconditional inheritance, while the conditional inheritance requires the believer to “walk in Him.” For the Israelites, the conditional inheritance is their resting in the land that was promised to them. Numbers 14:28-30 shows the Lord’s perspective on the failure of the first generation to trust His promises and to move forward in possessing the Promised Land. “As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will surely do to you; your corpses will fall in this wilderness, even all your numbered men, according to your complete number from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled against Me. Surely you shall not come into the land in which I swore to settle you, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.”Caleb and Joshua remained faithful to the Lord’s Word in this trying situation. Therefore, they are granted inheritance of the land. Those who walked in unbelief died in the wilderness.This Jewish understanding of the kingdom and the inheritance being earthly in nature is seen also in Acts 1:6 where the disciples ask Jesus if it was at this time that the Lord would be restoring the kingdom to Israel. The intentional use of “restoring” tells us that the Jewish mindset ofthese early Christians was that of Israel’s former glory when David and Solomon reigned upon the throne of Israel.This chart from James S. Hollandsworth may prove helpful. As with any passage of Scripture that we are looking to interpret, context determines the meaning.Another summary passage that explains both inheritances can be seen in Romans 8:16-17. It reads, “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.”Notice the emphasized portions. The Spirit of God testifies that believers are children of God. This is a fact that requires nothing of us but believing in the Person and Work of Jesus Christ. The logical conclusion that the Apostle Paul draws is that IF we are children of God, then we ARE heirs of God. To be one is to automatically be the other. There are no contingencies in this matter. To be justified is to be God’s child, and to be God’s child is to be an “heir of God.” This is most important because it reflects the exact type of relationship that was put forth in the Old Testament when it spoke of YHWH being the inheritance (or portion) of the Israelites (Deut 18:2; Josh 18:7; Psa 16:5; 119:57; Lam 3:24). Thechildren of Israel did nothing to receive YHWH as their inheritance (portion), it is simply because of His love for them (Deut 7:7-8).However, the second part of Romans 8:17 entails the second inheritance. If we are automatically “heirs of God” we also have the opportunity to be “fellow heirs with Christ,” but such a designation comes with a requirement, namely that of suffering with Christ, or experiencing suffering because we are holding fast to Him and His Word. When speaking of the second inheritance there will always be a contingent factor present, which is seen in the phrase “if indeed we suffer with Him.” The reason for this is found in the emphasized words “so that.” Being glorified with Christ is the culmination of our salvation. Having suffered with Christ, we are qualified to be glorified “with Him,” IF we have suffered for His Name’s sake.When we talk about or read through passages in the New Testament that exhort the church to obedience, walking by faith, and good works, we are not simply subscribing to a “this-is-what-we-ought-to-do” existence that is without meaning or significance. Embracing the commands of Scripture and living out the New Life that Christ makes possible has monumental value in eternity to come, bringing greater degrees of glory to God! The more a saint lives this New Life in obedience, the more that God’s Word is promoted as trustworthy and sure, the more that He is glorified in the obedience of His children!For our purposes in the chronological approach of God’s Word, we look to Israel’s historical example regarding the second inheritance.With the failure of the first generation to trust YHWH in moving forward in inheriting the land, the opportunity was postponed (Num 14:28-33). After wandering for 40 years, the book of Deuteronomy finds Moses and the children of Israel standing on the edge of the Promised Land. This is the 2nd generation, for all that were 20-years-old and older had passed away due to their rebellion (Num 14:29). Only Moses was left to die before the 2nd generation of Israelites could crossover into the land to possess it (Num 20:9-12). Moses’ charge throughout the book of Deuteronomy is that they remain faithful, knowing the Word of God as revealed in the Law and doing all that it commanded them. Some passages to elaborate on the specifics would be helpful.Deuteronomy 1:8. The command is to go in and “possess” (inherit) the land that was promised to them.Deuteronomy 4:37-40. What motivates the faithfulness and blessing of God toward Israel is His love! Not only does He fight for Israel, but He has promised an inheritance to them, being the Land of Canaan. They are told in v.39 to “take it to your heart” that YHWH is the only true God and that by keeping His statutes and commandments, they would live long in the land, prospering there, even unto the times of their children.Deuteronomy 6:1-3. This passage occurs right before the Shema[2] setting the stage for what Israel was about to receive. The people would be taught doctrine and were expected to implement it in their daily lives. This was meant to leave a legacy, directing the family structure and lifestyle into successive generations that fostered a culture of obedience to YHWH, with the entire nation walking in fellowship with Him. The emphasis is found again in v.3 on the importance of listening to what Moses was teaching them and to apply it. Doing so would bring blessing.As mentioned in previous lessons, these historical events in Israel’s life are vivid pictures of the spiritual realities of the Christian life.With the death of Moses (Deut 34:5) comes the command for Joshua to assume command in leading the Lord’s people. The exhortations of the Lord toward Joshua hold some valuable secondary applications for us today in regards to receiving the inheritance.[3]Joshua 1:1-9. The command is given to Joshua to lead the people in crossing over the Jordan River (1:2). YHWH understands that this is a difficult assignment, and the people of Israel have just come off hearing Moses reiterate to them the failure of their fathers in inheriting the land forty years prior when the opportunity was given to them. For Israel, Moses was a symbol of leadership and stability. With Moses’ passing comes a void to be filled but also a new era; one which finds the second generation learning from their predecessors’ mistakes and trusting the Lord in moving forward.Three times in the passage YHWH encourages Joshua, telling him to “be strong and courageous” (1:6,7,9). Two of those times, the fact that YHWH is with him is communicated to reinforce the command (1:6,9), while the exhortation in 1:7 is one that calls for the keeping of the Law so that he will prosper in the land. The application for the Christian is that the Lord our God is always with us, even more so in the Church Age because the Holy Spirit indwells the believer in Christ (John 14:17; 2 Cor 1:22; Eph 1:13-14). We have no need to fear, since the Spirit that we received is not a spirit of fear (2 Tim 1:7). Too often fear has crippled the believer, shutting his or her mouth, and stifling the flames that would otherwise compel us to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. These things need not be so because God is with us. Therefore, let us be strong and courageous so that we can move forward in sound obedience.The inheritance before Joshua is specified in 1:4, noting the boundaries of south, north, east, and west. This is the same designation of land as seen in Genesis 15:18-21. What God had promised years before was coming to fruition in Joshua’s time.Undoubtedly, the most familiar exhortation in this passage comes from 1:7 where YHWH tells Joshua to “be careful to do according to the law” exactly what it says to do. In taking the land, Israel was to be a beacon of righteousness to the pagan nations around her (Deut 4:6-8). This beacon can only shine forth if Israel is walking in fellowship with YHWH. So it is with the Christian today. While we are not saved by obedience, our salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone gives way to a new way of living before the world. This is the New Life, walking in love, operating in joy, confident at every turn because our hope is reserved in heaven, not earth. Such living causes us to inherit the wondrous riches and positions of ruling and reigning alongside Christ (Rev 20:4). Our lives on earth are a time of stewardship. How will you spend it? Jesus states, “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done.” Are we ready?[1] James S. Hollandsworth, “Two Inheritances,” at http://kingdompreparation.com/2014/09/two-inheritances, accessed 10 April 2018.[2] Shema means “Hear, O Israel.”[3] Secondary application is how one who is not part of the originally-intended audience should respond to a command or moral teaching.

Foundational Truths: The Bible is God’s self-revelation.God is the Eternal, Sovereign Creator; all that He creates is good.Man is a responsible agent, held to a moral standard.Sin originates within a person, separating us from God.God declares one righteous by faith alone, apart from works.With each plague, YHWH shows His outstanding power, rendering the many gods of Egypt impotent in the sight of the Egyptians. It is only when Moses beseeches the Lord that the plagues are averted. YHWH has also made a distinction between the Egyptians and the Israelites, setting His people apart as a testimony unto Pharaoh.In filtering through the gods of Egypt, including their histories and relationships, along with the often-vulgar representations that are offered, one gets a sick sense of a pantheon of mythical debauchery, destruction, and sexual perversion that only gives a greater brilliance to who YHWH is as the Self-existent, eternal, and sovereign Creator.Exodus 9:1-7. This is the fifth plague. The call to “Let My people go, that they may serve Me” is a direct assault against the rulership of Pharaoh. The Israelites served him, not YHWH. This call from Moses, in essence, is calling upon Pharaoh to give up a segment of his authority to YHWH.This “pestilence” upon the cattle of Egypt is a “very severe plague,” with the Hebrew verb and participle being an unusual rendering. It is a hapax legomenon, meaning that it is the only time that it is used in the Old Testament. The distinction between Israel and Egypt is also reinforced (8:22; 9:4). Despite the devastation, Pharaoh does not relent.Verse 3 is important, seeing that the plague was upon the livestock of the Egyptians “which are in the field.” Missing this detail could create problems when looking at 9:9, 10 when boils break out on every man “and beast,” or with the command to “bring your livestock and whatever you have in the field to safety” in order to avoid being pelted to death by hail (9:19). How do we resolve this? First, the “beast” mentioned in 9:9, 10 could refer to something other than livestock. Also, with the detail of being “in the field” (9:3), we must not assume that all of the animalswere “in the field,” but there were also some “in the stables,” or “in the pen.” The text does not give us permission to assume that those animals “in the field” are the totality of all that there was.There are two gods being attacked. The first is Hathor, depicted as a woman with the head of a cow (because she absorbed Bat, who was an ancient cow goddess), and it was believed that her udders supplied the substance of the Milky Way galaxy. She is considered the goddess of joy, motherhood, and feminine love. The second god is Mnevis, who is also known as Nemur, manifesting himself in a literal “sacred” bull of Egypt.Pharaoh sends a personal inquiry about the livestock of the Israelites.Exodus 9:8-17. The sixth plague has Moses using “ashes from a furnace” (9:8, NKJV) which brought about boils on the men and beasts through all of the land of Egypt. This is the same word that is used for the “boils” in Job 2:7. The magicians cannot replicate this (9:11).In this section, two things stand out. First, there is no relief from the boils. At no time does Moses pray for relief, nor are we told that the boils “go away.” Second, YHWH reveals that He could do much worse to the Egyptians but that they were still “able to stand” only for the purpose of YHWH demonstrating His power against them and proclaiming His Name (9:16). Exodus 9:17 is revealing! Pharaoh’s self-exaltation (pride) persists despite the repeated commands to let the Israelites go. If God is hardening Pharaoh’s heart (9:12), how can God hold Pharaoh personally responsible for this as is seen in 9:17? (See “How Should We Understand the Hardening of Pharaoh’s Heart?”)This plague strikes four gods at once. The first is Isis, a goddess of marriage, magic, and medicine. The second is Sekhmet, the goddess of plagues and healing. The third is Sunu, the god of pestilence, which may seem like a misapplication here, but the word “sunu” means “doctor” in Egyptian and is written with an arrowlike symbol which one would use tolance a boil.[1] The last god is Imhotep, who was once a man that served as the second king of Egypt’s third dynasty, but was deified as a god afterhis death. He became known as a god of medicine. None of these gods, in whom they trusted, could help the Egyptians. Exodus 9:18-35. The seventh plague involves hail large enough, or plentiful enough, to kill men and livestock. Having covered the “where did the livestock come from?” question earlier, we notice that Moses records the responses of some of the Egyptians. For those who revered YHWH (and rightly so seeing what has happened so far), their servants and livestock were told to take shelter (9:20). Those who ignored this left their servants and livestock in the field (9:21) where they died.Goshen, which is located in the Delta region and would be the most likely place for a storm like this to occur, was completely spared (9:26). While those outside of Goshen were dying from the hail, peace was found among the Israelites, demonstrating the “set-apartness” of Israel.In 9:27, Pharaoh’s response is different than ever before. He cries out, “I have sinned this time.” He identifies YHWH as righteous and he and his people as wicked. Clarity and sobriety cannot be overestimated when crisis hits. Pharaoh calls on Moses to intercede and he gives his word to let the people go. Moses intercedes “that you may know that the earth is YHWH’s” (9:29). As before, Pharaoh hardens his heart.This plague attacks the goddess Nut (or in some cases Mut), the goddess of the sky from whom all goodness for growth came from.Exodus 10:1-6. The overthrow of Egypt would be a teaching tool for the Israelites, leaving a generational legacy. We need to be reminded often about who YHWH is and what He has done. This introduces us to the eighth plague, the plague of locusts, devouring all that remained.While Pharaoh considered letting Israel go, he sought to put stipulations upon their leave, not obeying YHWH fully, and ultimately not letting them go to worship Him.Exodus 10:12-20. Pharaoh’s refusal to obey brings the locusts, covering everything in sight, even making it impossible to see the ground that they were walking on. Locusts can be in egg form for up to twenty yearsbefore they hatch and they can eat as much as their own body weight in a day. A swarm of desert locusts can span 460 square miles and contain between 40 to 80 million locusts. A swarm this size could eat 423 million pounds of plants every day![2]This god is Seth, the god of storms, wars, and chaos. He is mainly associated with the serpent, but is also sometimes depicted as a dog-like creature, or a beast with cloven hooves, a pointy tail, and red hair.As before, Pharaoh acknowledges his sin (10:16) and asks Moses to intercede. The locusts are completely removed, but YHWH hardens Pharaoh’s heart to keep him from letting the Israelites go.Exodus 10:21-29. The ninth plague is darkness, “a darkness which may be felt” (10:21) which lasted for three straight days. In this time, no one moved, one could not see the other. But in Goshen, light abounded!Once again, Pharaoh would let the Israelites go, but they must leave their flocks and herds behind (10:24), probably resulting from the loss of livestock that Egypt had experienced. Without them, sacrifices could not be made, and YHWH could not be worshiped. With Moses’ emphatic explanation, he is cast out of Pharaoh’s presence (10:28).The ninth god under fire is Ra, being the most well-known of the gods. He was believed to be over the sun and the creator of the world. He takes on many forms in Egyptian art but is almost always depicted as having a disk above his head representing the sun. He is believed to be “self-created” out of a primordial soup. Over this three-day span, he is shown to be useless, impotent, and silent.Exodus 11:1-7. This final plague brings the death of the firstborn. Sin has consequences and leaders speak for their nations. When a leader speaks and acts in sin, the leader and the people pay for the sin committed. YHWH states that the Israelites plundered the Egyptians, taking all of their silver and gold (11:3). A distinction is made between the grief of Egypt and the silence of Israel. One in sin, one at rest.The final god that YHWH strikes down is Pharaoh himself. He was believed to be the son of Ra and was considered the greatest of all the gods. The death of his offspring shows the helplessness of his power.Exodus 12:1-13. To commemorate the release of the Israelites, YHWH resets their calendar (12:2) so that they would remember this event forever in what is known as the Feast of Passover. A lamb was to be selected and prepared. It had to be a male, young, and without blemish (12:5). Upon roasting and eating it along with bitter herbs (12:8), and being in a position of preparedness in order to leave at a moment’s notice (12:11), the doors of their houses were to be prepared with the blood from the lamb. The doorposts and the lentil were to have blood upon them. In doing this, death would “pass over” them (12:13).Those who operated in unbelief died. Those who believed, who applied the blood as instructed, lived.We see YHWH as the Judge, but also as the Deliverer. He alone judges because He alone sets the standard. He alone delivers because He alone provides the means of pardon!Taking the Bible as the progressive revelation that it is, YHWH has been crystal-clear about the specifics surrounding salvation.He alone will provide the solution and guarantee the victory (Gen 3:15).He legally recognizes one as “righteous” simply by believing His Word (Gen 15:6).He alone provides the sacrifice necessary (Lamb-Gen 22:8).Death passes over all who have applied the blood (Ex 12:13).In light of Jesus becoming our Lamb and paying for our sins, we apply the blood by faith, fully assured that death has passed over us and that we have been set free!    [1] http://www.touregypt.net/historicalessays/lifeinegypt10.htm. Accessed 19 February 2018.[2] https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/group/locusts/, Accessed on 21 February 2018.

The 5th book of the bible is a series of flashbacks, flashforwards and a pause. With Moses as narrator/ author, the book records the Israelites on the verge of entering the Promised Land while Moses stands before them to review all of God's laws. He wants them to have courage as they prepare to fight for the land they've been promised. Listen live or later. This is not a test, its the real thing.  Support the Costa Rica Mission Trip at  http://joshuaexpeditions.org  T245 

With Moses, the last word is a word of grace.