Exodus 12: 1- 7, 12-13   1 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, 2 “This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. 3 Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb [ a ] for his family, one for each household. 4 5 The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. 6 Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the people of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight. 7 Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the door frames of the houses where they eat the lambs. 12 “On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn—both men and animals—and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD. 13 The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destruct...

Exodus 17: 1-6 The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. So they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses replied, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the LORD to the test?” But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?” Then Moses cried out to the LORD, “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.” The LORD answered Moses, “Go out in front of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Is...

This summer has just been splendid. Others say it's been too hot. It has been hot...and dry but I'm okay with that. I might not be if I were a farmer, or working in a hot factory but I'm not either so I've enjoyed the sunny, hot days. And there have been few clouds, at least few rain clouds.  We've been able to enjoy the bright, clear sunshine and sky during the day.   And we've been able to witness the many iterations of the moon this year. The sky has been very very clear and just beautiful. We've seen the moon slivers slice through the night sky. (Similar to this photo) And we've seen spectacular full moons . (Similar to this photo) This morning I was blessed to see the full moon hiding behind the clouds against the horizon just before the sun came up behind me. I was walking my dog heading west. The sky was filled with puffy gray clouds, patches of deep blue sky and the full moon tucked just behind the clouds. It was wonderful to see the dark sky...

Unfortunately, I've gotten behind.  I usually have a post ready so that when I write one today, it is actually going to post tomorrow.  But I've gotten behind.  I wasn't feeling well last week so I didn't spend enough time with God, I guess.  I don't have thoughts to write down.  Y ou can probably tell that from the last several posts.  I am sorry about that.  Truly I am.  It is a pity when I don't take the time to think my thoughts of God through to how does it apply to me, or how should I use this thought, or why do I have this thought. Today the passage the I wrote down (I only wrote one today) is Matthew 11:29. I didn't write the entire passage that most people quote " Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."   I only wrote the second line...

I'm reading my Daily Bible.  It is the Bible in chronological order in 365 daily readings. Now I am to the section on the Laws of Moses.  I like the way this particular Bible puts them together in some organized format, meaning for example that all the laws having to do with blasphemy are together (Deut 5:11, Ex 22:58a, Lev 24:10 - 16, 23).  I'm guessing that the rest of the "big ten" as I call the 10 commandments will put together like this.  This format gives a more complete picture of each of the commandments. One that I want to think about now has to do with the commandment that we hear repeated as " You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain ...."  This is the King James Version which I think in this case is not explicit enough.  The New International Version says, " You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name."  Deut 5:11 has the commandment.  Exodus r...

Exodus 34: 29b, 35 ......he [Moses] was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD........ 35 they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the LORD. Moses went up Mount Sinai to see God.  Each time he did this, his face became radiant, so much so that he had to cover it with a veil when he returned because the Israelites were afraid.   Lesson 1: When we meet God, we are changed.  Each time we meet God, we change more and more.  God uses our time with Him to change us to meet His purposes.  And because God is good, we will be changed for the better each time.  Lesson 2: The change process may be difficult.  When God changes us, people become afraid.  Have you noticed that some family and friends try whatever they can to prevent us from meeting with God, from allowing God to change us?   Becoming what God wants us to become can result in ...

NIV version Exodus 5:2 says: Pharaoh said, "Who is the LORD, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD and I will not let Israel go." This statement is part of a discussion between Pharaoh of Egypt and Moses when Moses was trying to talk Pharaoh into letting the Israelites leave Egypt.  We can almost read the sarcasm and arrogance in the Pharaoh's voice. Pharaoh simply could not believe that Moses would think that Pharaoh, a god in the eyes of his empire, would/could listen to the God of Moses and the Israelites.  After all, why should he listen to this God who was so insignificant that Pharaoh didn't even know who He was? Oftentimes we choose to ask the same arrogant question.  Who is the Lord and why should I obey Him? The simplest answer is that the Lord, our God, is the creator/sustainer/master of absolutely everything and we should obey because He is master.  We should obey because He can, because He is, because He asks us to, because He...