Exodus 20

Exodus 20 brings about the Ten Commandments. I know I had to have learned the before 5th grade in school. We used to have religion during school growing up, but it stopped after 5th grade because of the whole church separate from state thing. After that, we only had a region class on weekends once we got to highschool. I never memorized them, though I feel I should have. I could probably stumble my way through them if someone asked me. 

I'm pretty sure I have heard homilies in Mass on all of the commandments at one time or another. I think the hardest to obey would be to not bear false witness. We gossip so easily these days, sometimes before we even realize it. I would say that none of them are least difficult to follow/understand. It takes daily work to follow God and to remember his commandments. It takes practice to follow them. 

The commandments have set a precedence in our man made laws we follow. It is illegal to kill and steal. Growing up, lots of stores were closed on Sunday (though we already discussed that was not the intended Sabbath day) because people were going to church. You can get in trouble for saying false things about people. 

Exodus 19

Sorry I didn't post this yesteryear. I sent it through my bible study group, but got hungry for French a toast and just forgot. 

In Chapter 19, God tells Moses that the people must wash and sanctify themselves before they see God. How would this work today? This is a good question to think about. We have so much more things that keep our minds busy today compared to Moses's time. So there would be a lot more things to break from before we met The Lord. He would want us to meet him with clear minds and not have anything else on out hearts.

So I would think no TV for a few days so we wouldn't have news reports, TV, commercials, etc stuck in our thoughts. Also we would need to put our phones, computers, iPads, etc down for a few days prior to completely give ourselves to him. 

Think about it, in the middle of a church service, you see people check their phones, answer a text, turn off an alarm, set an alarm, make a grocery list, or something else. People may start thinking about what they are doing after church, what's for lunch/dinner, what they saw on Facebook, what they saw on TV... All these things are stopping us from completely focusing on The Lord when it is his time at church. We allow our minds to become preoccupied with the world. So before we would meet him, I feel we would need to get away from all these things to cleanse our minds and spirits. Of course, we should be doing this every week before we go to church, because I was taught we are going to meet with God every time we go to Mass. I for one am guilty of being a mind drifter. I know I need to work on it. 

Exodus 18

Exodus 18:24 Moses followed the advice of his father-in-law and did all that he suggested.

After dealing with Pharaoh and the plaques, crossing the Red Sea, and having traveled thus far with the Isrqleites, Moses was probably tired and worn. He was not a young man. Jethro noticed this and gave Moses advice to help him and the people, by appointing judges to discern small arguments. Moses willingly heeded the advice. 

How many times does pride get in the way in our every day lives that we ignore wise counsel from others? In our culture in America I can give one gr eat example. New mothers are subjectd to so much pressure to be and do many things, and to get them done with a smile on, that if someone offers advice, our pride will snub them. We don't normally follow the old "it takes a village to raise a child" saying anymore and haven't for a few generations. 

I remember when I had my first born, I wants to try to figure things out for myself, so when my mother gave advice, I would ask her to stop. of course, to me, her advice sounded a whole lot more like criticism, like I wasn't doing a good enough job. Of course when my friends gave me similar advice, I listened and followed. I also think nowadays, there is such overwhelming "advice" when it comes to child-rearing, that it turns mothers against each other, friend against friend, and more into a competition of who does a better job. (You know, with the cloth vs disposable, breast vs formula, crib vs co sleep, etc). But again, a lot of the arguing falls back on pride, which is not a good thing. We just need to step back, listen to the advice, pray about what is best, and follow our instinct and what we feel God is wanting us to do. 

Lord, I thank you for giving me the mind and ability to make choices. I pray the choices I make are not prideful ones, but ones to give you glory. Amen. 

Exodus 17

Good morning eveyone. 

S: Exodus 17:7 The place was called Massah and American, because the Israelites quarreled ther and testd the Lord saying, "Is the Lord in our midst or not?" 

The Israelites would quarrel whenever something was wrong,but again they themselves didn't stop to pray to God. I agree with the post from yesterday that maybe if they had, instead of testing God, they may have received more than manna. And maybe in this chapter, they would have had more than a rock release water. 

It seems no matter how many signs God gives them the Israelites will turn their heart when something isn't going their way. They say that God will let them die, they should have just stayed slaves, instead of trusting in the fact that God will lead them to the land promised. 

People today can be just as fickle as the Israelites, and their hearts easily turned from God. They need visible proof to know God is there. But even then, as soon as something goes wrong, they blame God. 

Lord, I pray that you keep our hearts strong and turned to you even in the face of evil. Help us not to waiver in our beliefs, and allow us to show others your love. Amen. 

Exodus 16

Exodus 16:28 Then the Lord said to Moses, "How long will you reuse to keep my commandments and laws? Take note! The Lord has given you the sabbath. That is why on the sixth day he gives you food for two days. On the seventh day everyone is to stay home and no one is to go out."

God has given the people of Israel a test, to see if they listen to his instructions. Here it is to rest and keep the sabbath, which is one of our commandments. 

At the bottom of my pages in my bible, I have some footnotes. For this chapter, one foot or reads: "On the fifteenth day of the second month: just one full month after their departure from Egypt. They encamped in the desert of Sin on a Friday; th murmuring occurred on the sabbath, th arrival of quail th evening before Sunday, followed by six mornings of collecting manna before he next sabbath."

It is interesting the desert's name is Sin. Also, the description of the timeline has me to understand the sabbath as being Saturday at this point. Does your church consider the sabbath as being Saturday our Sunday today? 

http://www.ucg.org/booklet/sunset-sunset-gods-sabbath-rest/sabbath-beginning/which-day-sabbath/

Here is what I found on the matter. Interesting. 

Exodus 15

S: Exodus 15:22 ...After traveling for three days through the dessert without finding water, they arrived at Marah, where they could not drink the water, because it was too bittter.

O: this is the first bump in the road the Isreailtes come upon after crossing the Red Ses. And at first sign of trouble, the grumbling begins. Later it reads that the Lord tells them if they listen to the voice of God, and heed the commandments, He would not afflict them with the diseases he did the Eqyptians. For the Lord is their healer.

A: Is it human nature that at the first sign of trouble, everyone rebels against the leader? Maybe if the people had prayed directly to God, they would have had water earlier. Who knows. But when we come up against roadblocks in life, God wants us to call on him, to keep him at the forefront of our mind, to heed his commandments. 

K: Dear Lord, I pray that I look for you first when I come to a roadblock,instead of trying to set blame. You may have intentionally put the roadblock so I would seek you out. I pray I remember to look for you. Amen.

A song that came to mind as I was reading today's songs by the Israelites was Sing a New Song. It's a song we sing at church. Here is a YouTube video from someone's church

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sYIOmk88GuM

And here are the lyrics

http://gospelyrics.blogspot.com/2007/07/sing-new-song.html

The second verse sings how Yaweh's people dance for joy with glad tambourines. 

Exodus 14

Exodus 14:13-14 But Moses answered the people, "Fear not! Stand your ground, and you will see th victory the Lord will win for you today. These Egyptians whom you see today you will never see again. The Lord himself will fight for you; you have only to keep still."

The Isrealites were afraid of dying in the desert once they saw the Eqyptians coming after them. They told Mosesthey would have rather stay slaves in Eqypt than die in the desert. 

Fear is a great evil. Because of fear, people can fall away from God without a second guess. Because we are afraid of a certain outcome, we may choose the wrong road. Fear may make us loose faith in God, or doubt God. Think of times as we ar growing up when we come to a crossroad. For instance, out of fear of not fitting in, you do what the cool kids want (drink, do drugs, etc). For fear of not fitting in with friends or at work, we allow ourselves to fall into the gossip zone. How about fear of starting over convinces you not to move to a new city or move on in general? It's not like you did something purposefully in God, but you chose not to trust him.

We need to stand firm in God and trust that he will help us fight our battles. He did not leave us here on earth alone. In each of those situations, the outcome would have been scary had we chose to stand our ground with God,  but we was end up better off because we chose God. Dady after day, no matter what we do, God continues to choose us. He continues to stand by us, ready to fight for us. We need to remember to chose him and stand our ground. 

dear God, thank you for helping me fight the daily battles against the evils here on earth. I pray you continue to help me stand strong against fear because it can so easily control me. Thank you for being the. Amen. 

Exodus 13

S: Exodus 13:9, 16 It shall be as a sign on your hand and as a reminder on your forehead. 

O: God wants to Isrealites to remember that he brought them out of Egypt with a strong hand. It is mentioned twice about them having a sign on the hand a reminder or pendant on their forehead, so that they may always remembered God is with them. 

A: Different people wear different signs to remember things. Some people get permanent tattoos in rememberance of a loved one. Married couples wear a ring as a symbol and to remind them of their vows. Some people wear crucifix or medallion to remind them of God. Here, God is asking us to put his word on our forehead, at the front of our thought process, that we might keep from letting evil desires come into our mind. He wants us to always have his word at the forefront of our thoughts to help prevent us from sin. 

K: Lord, I pray to always keep you in my mind and on my hands to prevent my mind and hands from allowing desires into my mind and my hands to act on them. Help me keep you in my thoughts to prevent me from sin, Amen. 

Exodus 12

Wow. Exodus chapter 12 has such a dark, ominous tone. God instructed every family to procure a lamb, to shed its blood, and not break any of its bones. These lambs were a "prophetic type of Christ, immolated to free men from the bondage of sin" according to the footnotes in my bible. 

There wasn't a single verse to SOAK on because the entire passage was so full of imagery to me. I have lays loved reading books that I could sink into and see myself in the scenery. This chapter did the same. I could see myself there, watching the hysteria of the Eqyptians waking up to find dead children, hearing their cries. I could see the Isrealites leaving th city with all their belongings. 

As far as the discussion question today, over the last year or so, whenever money was really tight and we were starting to worry, God provided. Something always happened and a check was in the mail. Whether it was a refund from overpaid medical bills, or an inheritance (from my father in law passed), the unexpected money was definitely a gift from God. 

Exodus 11

Good morning! I must say it is so nice to be able to put a picture to a face now. Thank you all for sharing.

S: Exodus 11:5 Every first born in this land shall die. From the first born of Pharaoh on the throne to the first born of the slave girl at the handmill, as well as all th first born of the animals. 

O: There are no more warnings for Egypt. God means business now, and will show his great opener by taking the lives of all the first born children of Egypt. In Genesis, God asked Abraham to sacrifice his own first born Issac to show God his love. Later on, God sacrifices his son Jesus to show us how much he loves us. But here, this is no sacrifice. God is punishing the Egyptians to show them he is ruler and to show his people his true might. Of course as we continue to read in a few chapters, they easily forget...

A: just like the Israelites, we easily forget God's abilities and power. We did not get to see them first hand like they did, but we know what he can do and we still choose to ignore or "forget" until we need something. 

K: God, help me keep you at the forefront of my life, that everything I do is for you and not me. Help me not to easily forget. Amen.

Discussion: this may sound cheesy, but I can see God pursing me daily through my kids. I see their eyes watching me, learning, copying what I do. These are gentle reminders that I need to focus my life on God and show my children how I follow God, so that they can too. The copycat children reminders strike me well when they repeat a not so nice thing I have said, give the same mean look, or put their hands on their hips. God has a funny way of showing us parents that we need to stop rushing and focus on our children before they are too old to want to be focused on. 

Exodus 10

Good morning and happy Friday! 

Exodus 10:1-2 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh, for I have made him and his servants obdurate in order that I may perform the signs of mine among them and that you may recount to your son and grandson how ruthlessly I dealt with the Egyptians and what signs I wrought among them, so that you may know I am the Lord."

O: God used these signs not only to show Pharaoh and the Egyptians his power but to remind Moses and have him and his descendents nerve forget what God can do.

A: it has been many generations since the 10 plagues happened, and many people have forgotten or doubt. Scientists have even proven the plagues happened, yet people doubt God's power. If He wants to remind us today about his strength, I wonr what it would take to turn people's hearts back to him. 

K: Lord, I pray that the believers continue to believe without having to be shown, and that non believers will continue to look for you in their lives because it means they are looking for something. I pray that our actions can help others to wonder and plant a seed in those who are obdurate to your works. Amen. 

Exodus 9

Good morning! I think today's discussion question is similar to yesterday, at least my answer is anyway. One of the areas I need to let go and give to God is our financial situation. It is definitely out of pride. For such a long time, I prided myself with how well I managed our accounts. They are wrill fine, but I let the fear creep in about possible emergencies and what ifs after the baby is born. I need to remember fear is the work of the devil and God will provide if I give it over to him.  

S: Exodus 9:16 But this is why I have spared you: to show you my power and to make my name resound throughout the earth.

O/A: there are so many disasters that happen all over the world, and I know people who have survived some that end up saying, "Why did God let me survive and op not so-and -so." Maybe this verse is the answer. Maybe God needed that person to see his power of what he can do through other's help. It sent "their time" because God had bigger plans for them. Of course in this passage it wasn't the Eqyptians time yet because they hadn't fully seen the power of God, and how it could turn someone's heart. And I think these plagues were just as much for the Israelites to see and remember God's power as it was for the Egyptians. 

This is what popped in y head as I was writing my thoughts this morning:

Blessings-Laura Story

HTTPS://m.youtube/watch?v=4mmgV6mPvb0

Exodus 7-8

I overslept yesterday, which to me is pretty lousy but it happens. It made me miss bible study and my coffee before my kids woke up. Double lousy. Anywho, what I took from chapter 7 is that it was Aaron's staff that actually did the work of God, not Moses's staff. I didn't realize that before. I remember Moses asking God for help speaking, I just maybe forgot about Aaron helping with the actual tasks.

In Exodus 8, God used frogs, gnats and flies to implore Pharaoh to let the Israelites go, and still Pharaoh did not listen. I know I very much dislike walking into a swarm of gnats. I couldn't imagine them filling my house. Blech. At first God did not use big destructive forces to show his power. Rather he used small creatures. I feel when God is trying to get our attention, he often starts with small things he shows us in our hearts. Like a child who drops one cheerio at a time onto the floor to get attention before dropping the entire bowl,  God often plants small seeds in our hearts first. If we continue to ignore or refute him, it could possibly turn into something bigger to get our attention.

One of the areas of my life that seems small that I should turn back over to God is our financial situation. We are certainly not struggling, but I know with a third baby on the way, things will be a lot tighter. Instead of trying to handle it all on my own, I need to turn it back to God and let him show me the way. I will pray for this today. 

Exodus 6

I hope everyone had a great weekend. I worked on Saturday, in hopes to build up time for maternity leave later on (so I can have enough paid leave hours to not have to pay my own insurance). So my weekend feels short. My little boys is walking all over the house.

Exodus 6:5 And now I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, who the Egyptioans are treating as slaves, I am mindful of my covenant. 

O: God is always listening, and always hears his peoples' cry. How will answer their cry when and how he sees best. 

A: god's timing may make us question is he is really listening, but he is. Sometimes he doesn't feel it is time for him to step in. Maybe our trial is something we are to learn from. And maybe the answer he will give is not the one we want, but he will answer. 

K: Dear Lord, I pray you continue to hear your peoples' cry, that we still remember to call out to you in good and bad times. And I pray that those crying out know you are there and will answer them according to your will. amen. 

Exodus 5

What a great week! Though it has been quiet cold, it has been pretty. At least where I live. I am so glad to be a part of this bible study and be reading through the bible with you.

S: Exodus 5:2 Pharaoh answered, " Who is the Lord, that I should heed his plea to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord; even if I did, I would not let Israel go."

O. As we will see, Pharaoh keeps the same attitude even as Moses shows God's power, as this is God's will. But God keeps Moses in Egypt trying to convince Pharaoh and show him who God is.

A: there are so many people in the world with the same attitude as Pharaoh. It can be overwhelming as we try to show them who God is. There are so many ways to do this without saying a word. The best is by just living a Christ filled life and showing Christ's love through our actions. It may take years or even a lifetime before a non-believer comes around. But we should never give up hope.

K: Lord, thank you for sending us Jesus so we may be freed from sin. Give us courage as we continue your battle on earth of living Christ filled lives, so that we may show others the way to you. Amen. 

Discussion: There have been times when things go wrong even though I felt I was doing everything right. I did question God just as Moses did. But I have come to realize that sometimes we must go through trial times to really see what God is trying to do. It may not be as black and white as we would like. Just keep persevering in the direction God is leading, and we will see. 

Exodus 4

Good morning. How cold is it where y'all are? It was 10 when I woke up at 4 with a windchill of 1. I know it's colder where some of you are, so I'm not complaining. Yet. :) We are not used to cold temperatures like this being from south Louisiana. 

S: Exodus 4:11 Who gives one man speech and makes another dumb? Or who gives sight to one and makes another blind? Is it not I the Lord?

O: Moses had pleaded again with God, making the excuse that he was not good at speaking, out of fear of facing Pharaoh. God quickly reminds him it is God who allows us to speak or see.

A: My mother told us quite often growing up to be grateful for what God has given us, and this included the ability to walk, talk, and see. It isn't usually until you are around someone who cannot do one of those that you realize how blessed you are. That's not to say that other person isn't blessed in some other way. We are all given specific gifts and talents for God's purpose. Let us not forget our blessings. 

K: Lord, I am grateful for all that you have bestowed on my family and myself. Thank you for my talents and abilities and let me use them according to your will. Amen. 

Exodus 3

S: Exodus 3:11 But Moses said to God, " Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of Egypt?"

O: Moses had committed murder and was wanted by Pharaoh already, plus he knew he was born to the Hebrew slaves. It is easy to see how he could question God's choosing him for this mission. 

A: How many times have we felt God tugging at our hearts and we say "but who am I to help?" I know I have. When I pass up the people on the corner asking for money, and I say to myself, "How can I help when I can barely get by? Why aren't the richer people helping?" I should have offered something, because it was God who put me there at that moment to see them calling out. Or at work when people are bad talking someone out of jealousy. I sit by because who am I to say something and rock the boat? I am a Christian, God's worker, and if I don't, who will? 

There are lots of situations like these that we face everyday where God is calling out to us and we don't hear or try to ignore. But we need to not be afraid to listen and do God's will in our everyday life. No giving money to that person every time you pass them may not be the best answer, but if we pray about what God is asking of us, he will show us the way. And just like he told Moses, he will be there with us. 

K: Dear Lord, please help me listen with my heart when you call out to me. Here me to believe that you are going to be with me so to shake my fear. May your will be done in me. Amen. 

Exodus 2

Good morng! I am so glad to have read so many responses yesterday and that our group has great participation! It is encouraging. I did think more on yesterday's question and I guess we face issues almost daily in our world where we are faced with God's law verses man's law. At one job I had, I ran a 5 day test in which I started samples on one day and had to read results 5 days later. Some company tried to bring in samples on Tuesday which meant I would have to read them on Sunday. After praying, I finally got the courage to talk to my boss and he had the company switch days so I didn't have to work on Sunday and could make it to church. 

S: Exodus 2:10 When the child grew, she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, who adopted him as her son...

O: Moses's mother has so much courage and faith to attempt to hide her son first of all, then send him down a river in hopes he could live. Then after being allowed to nurse him, she gave him to another man to raise him. I think that took the most courage. To watch someone else raise your child. Use have been heart wrenching, but as it says in verse 2, she saw he was a godly child. She knew good would come of him. 

A: I don't know if I could have the courage to give up my child like that. But I have never been in a circumstance where they were facing death. The women out there who have given their children up for adoption so their child could have a better future have so much courage! 

K: dear Lord, if I am ever called to turn my children over to something better, please give me the strength to do so. Give me the faith you have Moses's mother to know my child will be safe. Amen

For today's question, in my job I often get to see two sides of things. For instance, there was a murre trial a while back in which a man murdered two guys. If you would have seen the suspect's picture on the news, you would have been like most of the people here and automatically said "Look at him! He's crazy scary! Of course he is guilty!" But through efforts of coworkers, we learned this suspect was only trying to defend himself because the victims were picking on him because of the way he looked. Once I learned that, I felt sorry for the guy. Yes he did commit murder, but it wasn't entirely his fault. You can't always judge a book by its cover. 

Exodus 1

Good morning! I am so excited to continue our bible study journey!

S: Exodus 1:17 The midwives , however, feared God; they did not do as the king of Egypt had ordered them, but let the boys live.

O: These midwives were told by the king to kill all the boys born to the Hebrew women. Because the midwives knew the Hebrew nation belonged to God, and they feared God more than the king, they did not harm the baby boys. That is powerful faith and courage of the midwives. 

A: I wish I could think of a time that I had to choose between man's law and God's law. At the moment I. can't think of one. I will continue to ponder on this today, and hopefully provide some insight into my life this evening. 

K: I pray to be as courageous In the name of God as these midwives were.