The Story of Redemption - Day 22

Exodus 16-18

The people saw the powerful deliverance of God. And they still grumbled.

They people were hungry, so God rained down food (manna) so they would be nourished. Moses struck a rock so they would have something to drink. The rock is a picture of the Bible, our Living Word.

There is a battle with the Amalakites. The army won as long as Moses' arms were raised, so Aaron & Hur jumped in to help. Israel won that battle.

Moses' father-in-law comes for a visit and instructs Moses that he's going to burn out if he keeps running everything by himself. 

When we are overwhelmed by daily circumstances, it's easy to forget God's goodness and provision. It's important to keep a record of the blessings, so when hard times come (and they will) we will be prepared to remember. 

 The Story of Redemption, Volume 1 | Genesis - 2 Samuel by The Daily Grace Co.

The Story of Redemption - Day 21

  

Exodus 13-15

Life after Egypt would be different and in so many ways, it would require them to trust like never before.

Their worship faded to weariness as the people got farther and farther from Egypt. Slavery was all that most had ever known. They no longer had guaranteed food and shelter. They literally had to trust God for the water that they consumed. 

He showed Himself faithful again and again. The cloud by day and the fire by night was a constant, 24/7 reminder that He would protect them and that He was their Provider. 

God is just as close to us today as He was to them. He made a way for us to be justified when our sin separated us from God.

 

The Story of Redemption, Volume 1 | Genesis - 2 Samuel by The Daily Grace Co.

The Story of Redemption - Day 20

 

Exodus 10-12

Jesus is our door and deliverer. He is the Lamb.

The last three plagues. Locust. Darkness. Death.

Locusts destroyed anything that was left.

The darkness was "felt" for three days. Was this like the darkness that fell when Jesus was on the cross?(Matthew 15:33)

600K + people were ready to leave on a moment's notice. God had set them apart.

An animal had to be sacrificed. By this blood, they were saved. This is a direct foreshadowing fo Jesus' coming.

We should celebrate God's and His glory and meditate daily on His goodness to us. 

 The Story of Redemption, Volume 1 | Genesis - 2 Samuel by The Daily Grace Co.

This list was based on "Ten Plagues of Egypt: Things You Might Not Know" by Margaret Minnicks; November 2, 2020. HTTPS://BIT.LY/3AEBSKF

The Story of Redemption - Day 19

Exodus 7-9

God is our hope.

First Plague: Nile River Turned to Blood
Aaron touched the Nile with his staff. The water immediately turned to blood. All the fish died, and the water began to stink. The Egyptians were deprived of water and fish that were a major part of their diet. Pharaoh's heart became hardened.

Second Plague: Frogs

Aaron stretched out his staff over Egypt and frogs came up from the river and covered the entire land. They got in people's food, in clothing, etc. No one in Egypt escaped the frogs. Pharaoh agreed to let the people go if the frogs were taken away, but later “he hardened his heart” (Exodus 8:8–15).

Third Plague: Lice or Gnats

Aaron stretched out his rod and touched the ground. Then the dust became lice throughout all the land on people and animals. Pharaoh's heart was hardened.

Fourth Plague: Flies

Only the Egyptians were affected by the flies. This was the first plague that involved destruction as well as discomfort. Pharaoh gave the Hebrews permission to leave, but he told them they couldn't go very far. Pharaoh changed his mind and did not let them go at all.

Fifth Plague: Death of Cattle and Livestock

The Egyptians were given a chance to repent, but they didn't. Disease attacked the cattle and livestock and they died.  The death of cattle and livestock had severe consequences, causing an economic disaster that affected the food supply, transportation, military supplies, farming, and everything else. Pharaoh's heart remained hard.

Sixth Plague: Boils and Sores

Moses threw dust into the air. The dust caused painful boils and sores all over everyone, including Pharaoh. Even his personal physician could not cure him. God hardened Pharaoh's heart this time.

Seventh Plague: Hail

Large hail fell from the sky and turned to fire when it hit the ground. Some of the Egyptians' food supply was destroyed. The hail was so big and heavy that it struck down all the crops in the fields and shattered every tree.

 The Story of Redemption, Volume 1 | Genesis - 2 Samuel by The Daily Grace Co.

This list was based on "Ten Plagues of Egypt: Things You Might Not Know" by Margaret Minnicks; November 2, 2020. HTTPS://BIT.LY/3AEBSKF

 

The Story of Redemption - Day 18

Exodus 4-6

We can always trust the Lord because of Who He is.

Moses, in the desert, hid from certain punishment in Egypt for murdering someone. 

The story today begins not with the bold leader we know and love, but with a scared, tongue-tied Moses. He's hiding so far in the desert that the Lord gets his attention with a burning, non-consuming bush. God told him that he was the one who would lead His people from the oppression of Egypt, but Moses had nothing but excuses, explaining why he was not the man for the job. Fear blinded Moses to the plan God had perfectly laid out for him. 

"God is not looking for s to have it all together. He is looking for obedience and surrender. That is how God uses us to build His kingdom."

Reluctantly, Moses (along with his brother Aaron as his and His mouthpiece), headed back to Egypt and let the people know that he was the leader God wanted to lead them from their slavery. The people believed and worshipped. God had heard their cries and sent a deliverer.

"It is interesting to note that this worship precedes their deliverance. They did not worship because they had gotten what they wanted; they worshiped God for who He was and trusted that He could do what He had promised to do." Acts of worship do not depend on our circumstances but on God's goodness. 

Pharoah and his leaders were NOT in favor of their slave workforce leaving, so the next few chapters reveal that the people were even more oppressed and SO READY to be delivered. 

We don't have to be paralyzed with fear. We can rest in the Gospel, His strength, and not our own. 

 The Story of Redemption, Volume 1 | Genesis - 2 Samuel by The Daily Grace Co

Encountering God - Bible Study

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“Our knowledge and understanding of the Word counts for little if it doesn’t express itself through corresponding action. Filling up on knowledge may give us a sense of righteousness, but it hasn’t done its job if it doesn’t bloom into immediate action.”

~Kelly Minter, Encountering God - Cultivating Habits of Faith Through the Spiritual Disciplines, p.29

https://onlinestudy.lifeway.com/v/encounteringgodobs

The Story of Redemption - Day 17

 

Genre: Law, Historical Narrative

Author / Date Written: Moses - c. 1440-1400 BC

Themes: Deliverance from Slavery, Rebellion Against God, Covenant Faithfulness

Key Words: Covenant, Faithfulness, Provision

Key Verse: Exodus 20:2

Genesis 1-3

The book opens with the story of the jealousy/fear of the Egyptians and Pharoah allowing baby boys to be slaughtered. But as we know, there is no plan that man can concoct that can keep God's will from being accomplished. The midwives feared God and would not allow the baby boys to be killed. A miraculous escape plan was hatched to protect the infant son of two members of the tribe of Levi. She hid her baby boy for as long as she could. The Scriptures tell the rest of the story better than I could.

3 And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink.
4 And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him.
5 And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river's side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.
6 And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children.
7 Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?
8 And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child's mother.
9 And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the women took the child, and nursed it.
10 And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.

Only God could direct these extraordinary events to happen. 

The Story of Redemption, Volume 1 | Genesis - 2 Samuel by The Daily Grace Co.

The Story of Redemption - Day 16

Genesis 47-50

Through all of the disasters, God had a great plan from the beginning.

 Jacob's family (70+ people) relocated to Goshen. It was the best part of the Egyptian land. The family was fruitful and multiplied. Jacob lived there for 17 years. Before his death, he asked Joseph to bury him in the land of his fathers. 

Jacob adopted Joseph's sons Ephraim & Manasseh, replacing Reuben as his firstborn, likely because of his previous sin with Bilhah. He blessed them, giving his younger son the first blessing. 

"We cannot help but be amazed at how God had chosen this ordinary and dysfunctional family to be His people."  Realizing this, we understand that God can use us to accomplish his purposes. 'God's plan will always prevail. His plan is good. He is waiting and ready to redeem." 

 The Story of Redemption, Volume 1 | Genesis - 2 Samuel by The Daily Grace Co.

The Story of Redemption - Day 15

Genesis 43-46

Simeon is left in prison in Egypt and the brothers must return with Benjamin to get more provisions. Jacob is hesitant, but Reuben promised that Benjamin would be safe. Jacob sent double payment (Joseph had put their money back in their bags when they left) and sent them on their way, reluctantly. Simeon has been in prison in Egypt this whole time. (I wonder if he thought they weren't coming back for him?)

"Joseph's brothers returned to Egypt, and the plot deepens as Joseph (after several "tests" of his brothers**) reveals his identity to his unsuspecting brothers. Joseph wept as he told his brothers who he was. Yet right in the midst of confessing his identity, he declares that through his brothers sold him into slavery, God had a plan all along."

The brothers leave with lots of supplies, return home,  get Jacob, and the entire family (70 people) relocates to Egypt (Goshen).  One thing to remember, God doesn't concoct a plan when things go wrong. He is not reactive. His plans and purposes will be accomplished. 

**my addition to the quote

The Story of Redemption, Volume 1 | Genesis - 2 Samuel by The Daily Grace Co.

The Story of Redemption - Day 14

Genesis 40-42

God will work every part of our lives and every chapter of our stories for our good and His glory.

We see Joseph still in prison, interpreting the dreams of the butler (cupbearer) and the baker. Joseph asked the butler to remember him and try to help him get out of prison. It wasn't until Pharoah had some strange dreams about skinny/fat cows and skinny/fat ears of corn, two years later, that the butler remembered his promise to Joseph.

Joseph was very careful in Fenesis 40:8 and 41:16 to let everyone know that God was the One who gave him the interpretation of the dreams. 

"Joseph endured unjust suffering and trials throughout his life, but his suffering points us to the One who has suffered in our place. For our good and His glory. 

Joseph was made the second most powerful man in the land of Egypt. From prisoner to vice president in one day. 

When the famine finally strikes, Joseph's brothers come to Egypt to get food. They didn't recognize him, but he knew who they were immediately. Simeon is kept in prison until they return with Benjamin. The brothers argue that this is punishment for what they did to Joseph all those years ago. 

"Joseph's story reminds us that our Faithful God will not forsake us and that we can trust His plan, even when it does not make sense in our finite minds."

The Story of Redemption, Volume 1 | Genesis - 2 Samuel by The Daily Grace Co.

The Story of Redemption - Day 13

 Genesis 37-39

This section of Scripture introduces us to Jacob's beloved son Joseph and the rest of the book of Genesis is about the story of his life.

Jacob plays favorites and presents Joseph with his Coat of Many Colors. His older brothers are understandably jealous. "This account provides additional evidence that the brokenness of this family abounds."

The story of Judah and Tamar is tucked into chapter 38 - BUT GRACE!

Jospeh and Potiphar's wife - Joseph's character would not allow him to betray his master's trust. He ran. She screamed. Potiphar was angry, but was it with Josephy? He was put in the king's prison but should have been put to death. 

God's steadfast love is His covenant faithfulness, mercy, and kindness. It never fails and never ends. (Romans 8:28)

"Through all of Joseph's life, through all of Tamar's life, and yes, through all of our lives -- God is with us. Even in hardship, or undeserved suffering, we can trust that the Lord will never leave us. He will never fail His own."

The Story of Redemption, Volume 1 | Genesis - 2 Samuel by The Daily Grace Co.