Jan. 19 - Exodus 11-13

Okay....I want to start this off by saying this last week has been challenging for me.

A year or so back I was reading an article and the author described his grown son as a "God Fearing Man".  I was fascinated by that.  I asked myself, "Am I God fearing?"  And the answer was, not really.  I only knew of a all loving, all forgiving God.  I didn't really understand what "God fearing" meant.  This topic has been a growing point in my faith walk these last 6 months.  So even thought I am better understanding what "God fearing" means, I still have struggled through the last few chapters.  Here is what my mind is telling me....

God is EVERYTHING......can't he just change the people's heart in a way that leads them towards him.  Why so much pain and suffering?  These are still his children??  Killing of children, causing physical pain, and bugs.....Why?  It just seems like games?!

My answer:
God had to challenge the Pharaoh and his people.  It was the only way that they were going to stop worshipping the false gods and understand that He was Lord.  The knowledge of his existence alone was not enough.  In order for them to truly know he was Lord he needed to test their will.

As a mother it was shocking to read the order God made to kill the Egyptians first born children.  The second part of Exodus 12:30 was hard to read:  there was loud wailing in Egypt, for there was not a house without someone dead.  It made me feel sick.  I had a hard time with it.  What if there was a believer in the bunch?  Why did they have to lose their first born?  Maybe there were Egyptians that believed in the Lord but feared the Pharaoh.  Why did so many have to die b/c of Pharaoh's hardened heart?

I found comfort in reading vs. 38.  It was discussing the Israelites leaving Egypt.  It said Many other people went up with them.  The Egyptians that believed that God was Lord followed his instructions for Passover and joined the Israelites out of Egypt.  

Now there were two visualizations that I found fascinating.
#1  There were 600,000 men.  That was just the MEN.  So if you count the women and children that is a million and a half Israelites being freed from slavery.
#2  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.  (13:21)

What an amazing site that must have been.  

A million people following a cloud.  Cool!