Exodus 17:1 says, And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the LORD, and pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink.  The people of Israel journeyed out of the wilderness of Sin, which was evidently the name of a place,  We as followers of Christ journey out of a spiritual wilderness of sin when we accept Him as our Savior and Lord.  They set up in Rephidim, but there was no water to drink.  We today set up camp in this world, short of the promised land of Heaven, but at least we have the spiritual water to drink.  Just as God had promised the Israelites a land flowing with milk and honey, He has promised us everlasting life, no matter what happens in this world.  Verse two states, Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the LORD?  The people began to complain to Moses, demanding that he give them water to drink.  They still evidently did not understand that Moses was just God's  spokesman, or possibly they thought that Moses was there to get anything they demanded from God.  We need to understand that as followers of Christ we are not here to give people anything they demand, but are simply spokesmen of God, pointing them to Him.  Also, as His followers, we are not here to demand everything we want.  We simply need to put our faith in God without complaining.  Moses asked them why they were chiding, or complaining to him, and by doing so tempting the LORD.  We should never be guilty of tempting, or doubting, God.  Verse three adds,  And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?   The murmuring of the people of Israel got a little more personal.  They asked Moses why he, and once again not God, had led them out of Egypt if their cattle and they were to die of thirst in the wilderness.  They still lacked faith in God.  Some people today may respond to the gospel expecting everything in life to suddenly be right, but having not truly accepted Christ by faith.  If they do, they may come to us at the first time of trouble and complain that they are worse off than they were before.  Verse four states, And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me.  Moses at least knew to go to God for the answer.  Moses was still doing what God called him to do, and he was afraid he was going to get stoned for his trouble.  When the world seems to be closing in around us, if we are doing what God has called us to do, we should only cry out to Him for answers.  Sometimes, like Stephen, the answer may be that we get stoned, but we must never lose our faith in God.  Verse five declares, And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go.  God told Moses to take his rod and the elders of Israel and go before the people of Israel.  The first thing Moses had to do was act by faith in God, just as we must today.  Verse six adds, Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.  God told Moses when he got to the rock of Horeb that he was to hit the rock with the rod and God would bring water out of the rock.  Once more, their was nothing magical about the rod, but it represented God's presence with Moses.  When God works through us today, it is not because He has to, but because He chooses to.  Verse seven concludes, And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?  Moses named the place to indicate that it was a place where the people had tempted God, questioning whether God was with them or not.  As followers of Christ, we have to firmly claim the promise that wherever we are God is with us through the Holy Spirit.  We certainly do not need places in our lives named for our lack of faith and questioning God.

Exodus 16:28 says, And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?  Though it was really the people of Israel who were refusing to obey or doubting God, Moses was God's representative to them, so he was asked the question about refusing to obey God.  As Christians, we are God's representatives to the world today, and we need to pray that God doesn't ask us how long we will refuse to obey His commands, especially the command to carry the gospel into the world.  Verse twenty-nine states, See, for that the LORD hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.  God was referring to the keeping of the Sabbath in particular.  God had made provisions for the people to gather enough on the day before so that they could keep the Sabbath set aside for Him.  Since keeping one day, the Sabbath, set aside for God was always important, is it any less important that we keep one day, for us the Lord's Day, or Sunday, set aside for God?  I believe God still expects us to do this.  Verse thirty declares, So the people rested on the seventh day.  The people of Israel obeyed God and rested on the seventh day.   As stated above, we need a day set aside for God every week.  Verse thirty-one says, And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.  They called the bread Manna, and it was sweet tasting, like wafers made with honey.  God didn't just give them bread.  He gave them sweet tasting bread.  God will always give us more than we really deserve if we put our faith in Him.  Verse thirty-two states, And Moses said, This is the thing which the LORD commandeth, Fill an omer of it to be kept for your generations; that they may see the bread wherewith I have fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you forth from the land of Egypt.  Moses told the people to fill an omer with the bread to keep as a memorial to God.  Verse thirty-three adds, And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the LORD, to be kept for your generations.  Moses told Aaron to fill a pot with the manna to keep as a memorial to God for the generations to come.  If we have a memorial today, it is the empty cross, but most importantly, as followers of Christ, we have the Holy Spirit indwelling us.  Of course, we also observe the Lord's Supper as a memorial to Christ.  Verse thirty-four declares, As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept.  Aaron did as God had instructed Moses to do.  This was God's plan and not just Moses' idea.  We need to make sure that God is the source our plan today and that we are not just attempting to get our way by claiming that it is His plan.  Verse thirty-five continues, And the children of Israel did eat manna forty years, until they came to a land inhabited; they did eat manna, until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan.  God provided the manna for the people of Israel for forty years, until they got to the Promised Land.  Today, God will provide for us if we are followers of Christ until we get to the Promised Land which is Heaven.  Verse thirty-six concludes. Now an omer is the tenth part of an ephah.  This simply gives us the amount that an omer was.

Exodus 16:13 says, And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host.  In the evening, the LORD provided quail for the Israelites to eat.  They were complaining about starving, and God provided even more than just the bare minimum for them to eat.  I believe that we should be more concerned about spiritual hunger than we should physical, because if we are spiritually close to God, then we won't allow physical hunger or concerns to cause us to murmur against God.  Verse fourteen states, And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground.  The ground was covered with dew in the morning, and when the dew disappeared, the ground was covered with small round things.  Verse fifteen sys, And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.  The people of Israel did not know what it was, so they called it manna.  Moses then told them that it was the bread rained down from heaven by God.  We may fail to recognize God's blessings at times because they do not look like what we are expecting.  This was not bread like the people of Israel were used to seeing, but since God provided it, I believe it was even better.  Verse sixteen adds, This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents.  Moses gave the people specific commands about gathering the bread.  They were to gather an omer for each person in the tent.  We today could learn from this.  God does not tell us that He will provide for our entire life's needs today, but that He will provide for our needs daily, so we should learn to be content with having our needs met daily.  Verse seventeen continues, And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less.  The people did more or less what God had told them to do through Moses.  Then verse eighteen conclude, And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating.  I believe that the fact that they attempted to comply with what God said was more important than the literal amount that they gathered.  Everyone had their needs met, and no more.  When we come to Christ, it is the fact that we come, and not how we come that matters.  Some people's faith may not be quite as strong as others, but if they come, they will both be spiritually filled.  Verse nineteen says, And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning.  Moses told them not to leave anything over until morning.  I believe that we too often worry about tomorrow and attempt to want to keep things stored up for tomorrow instead of being willing to just rely on God daily.  Verse twenty states, Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them.  Not all people listened to Moses then, and he was upset with them, and not all people listen to God today, even those who are followers of Christ.  Even as we say we think the second coming of Christ will be soon, we want a lifetime of physical security for ourselves.  Verse twenty-one adds, And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted.  What wasn't used melted away, but every person had their needs met.  What we don't use for God today will likewise melt away some day.  Verse twenty-two declares, And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses.  They gathered twice as much on the sixth day, so they could keep the Sabbath holy.  Verse twenty-three adds, And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.  Again, the people were given specific instructions for preparing the bread for the Sabbath.  We, as followers of Christ, celebrate the Lord's Day instead of the Sabbath, but do we keep it holy?  Verse twenty-four states, And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein.  The next morning, the Sabbath, the bread was still good.  God provided for them on the Sabboth if they followed His command the day before.  Verse twenty-five adds, And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the LORD: to day ye shall not find it in the field.  If the people had not prepared for the Sabbath the day before, they had no food that day.  We need to take the Lord's Day just as seriously.  Verse twenty-six continues, Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none. Then verse twenty-seven concluded, And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none.  Evidently, some people didn't listen to Moses and went out to gather the manna on the Sabbath, but there was none.  We today need to obey God's instructions by faith if we are to be the best that we can be spiritually.

Exodus 16:1 says, And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt.  The people of Israel were on their way to the Promised Land, but they were going through the wilderness first.  After we come to know Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we are on the way to our Promised Land, Heaven, but we will be in the wilderness of this world until we die or Christ returns.  Verse two states, And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness:  It didn't take long for the mummering to resume.  We too often murmur against God when things aren't going exactly as we feel they should.  Verse three adds, And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.  The people of Israel told Moses and Aaron that they were better off with plenty to eat as slaves in Egypt than they were dying of hunger in the wilderness.  God's chosen people had once again neglected to look to God for the meeting of their needs.  When we, as followers of Christ, neglect to look to God for answers to our needs, we too may be murmuring in the wilderness of sin.  Verse four declares, Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.  Though the people complained to Moses, God heard them.  God said He would rain down bread from Heaven, in a certain way, to see if the people would walk in His law.  We are not promised that God will give us everything we need for the ret of our life, but that if we put our faith in Him, He will give us our daily bread.  Verse five adds, And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.  On the sixth day, the people were to gather twice as much.  This was to keep the Sabbath Day holy.  We today observe the Lord's Day instead of the Sabbath, but do we really do enough to keep it holy unto the Lord.  Verse six says, And Moses and Aaron said unto all the children of Israel, At even, then ye shall know that the LORD hath brought you out from the land of Egypt:  Moses and Aaron told the people that they would soon see proof that God had brought them out of the land of Egypt, since they had evidently already forgotten all that God had done so far.  We should never forget what God did for us when Christ died for us on the cross, and we should never have to ask for further proof of our redemption.  Verse seven states, And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the LORD; for that he heareth your murmurings against the LORD: and what are we, that ye murmur against us?   Moses and Aaron told the people that they would see the glory of the LORD in the morning, and asked why they were murmuring against God and them.  If we are really living by faith in God, then there is never a need to murmur against Him or those He has called to do His work.  Verse eight adds, And Moses said, This shall be, when the LORD shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD.  Moses said that God was going to meet their needs, in His way and time, and that their murmuring was not against Moses and  Aaron, but against God.  If we today begin to murmur against preachers and teachers that God has put in position, then we are really murmuring against God.  Verse nine states, And Moses spake unto Aaron, Say unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, Come near before the LORD: for he hath heard your murmurings.  Like the people of Israel, if we want our needs met, instead of murmuring against God, we need to come close to Him.  Verse ten declares, And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud.  While Aaron was speaking to the people, they looked toward the wilderness and the glory of the LORD appeared in a cloud.  I believe that the only way we are really going to see the glory of the LORD is if we look ahead in faith, and not by looking back in doubt.  The glory of the LORD did not appear looking back toward Egypt, but looking ahead to the wilderness, which may have seemed rather bleak by comparison.  Verse eleven proclaims, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  Then verse twelve adds, I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God.  God again told Moses that He had heard the murmurings of the people of Israel and that He would meet their needs so that they could see His glory.  When God meets our needs today, we should always be quick to give Him the glory.

Exodus 15:20  says, And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.  Miriam, referred to as Aarons sister, began to play music and lead the women to play music as well.  Music and singing have always been a part of worshipping God, though some people today believe that music has no place in the church.  Verse twenty-one states, And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.  Miriam told the women to sing to the LORD as well because of His great triumph over the Egyptians.  All Christians, both women and men, should sing praises to God today, especially when the evil of the world seems to be winning.  Verse twenty-two declares, So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.  Moses lead the people of Israel three days into the wilderness from the Red Sea, and they had found no water.  They were going where God was leading them, but it seemed that He was not providing for them.  They had not only the people but the cattle to be concerned about.  Even if we look around and it seems that conditions in life are hopeless, if we are following God's leadership, we do not need to be concerned.  God will always provide for our needs.  Verse twenty-three says, And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah.  When the people got to water at Marah, they could not drink it because it was bitter.  To find water that they could not drink would have probably seemed even worse.  I believe that this would be like our finding what looks like an answer to a problem today, relying on our own ability and not God's guidance, and realizing that what we thought was the answer wouldn't work.  Verse twenty-four adds, And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?  It didn't take the people of Israel long to begin to murmur and question Moses.  After their deliverance from Egypt by the power of God, we would think it would take more than three days for them to begin to doubt Moses, and more importantly, God.  We should never murmur against and doubt God, and we certainly should not do so almost immediately after experiencing His work in our lives.  Verse twenty-five declares, And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them,  Moses cried out to the LORD, and He answered.  We really don't have any record of Moses calling out to God in the three days that they had traveled.  If we constantly seek God's guidance, we might not have to call out to Him in distress.  Verse twenty-six adds, And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.  Moses was called on to put his faith in God, and I believe this applied to all the people of Israel.  If we, as followers of Christ, want to be victorious in the world today, then we must put our faith in God no matter what.  Verse twenty-seven concludes, And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters.  God, through Moses, lead the people to a place with plenty of water.  Christ today provides us with plenty of spiritual water to sustain us in life, if we will only keep our faith in Him.  We should never have a reason to murmur aginst or doubt God.

Exodus 15:1 says, Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.  Moses and the people of Israel sang praises to God for His deliverance.  We today should praise God the same way if we have accepted Christ as our Savior and Lord, individually and collectively.  Verse two states, The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him.  Just as with the Israelites God is our salvation, and the only way to salvation.  He is also our source of strength.  Verse three adds, The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.  When it comes to defeating evil, God does go to war for us.  Verse four continues, Pharaoh’s chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea.  The people of Israel and Moses had just witnessed God's power to deliver, and when we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord, we witness the same thing.  Verse five states, The depths have covered them: they sank into the bottom as a stone.  This is just a continuation of recalling God's deliverance.  Verse six declares, Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand,  Thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy.  Just like with the plagues of Egypt, we should always remember the power of God.  Verse seven says, And in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee: thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble.  When God sends His judgment, we are like stubble, or powerless, to stand before Him.  Verse eight adds, And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright as an heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea.  The people or Israel and Moses were continuing to declare the overpowering power of God from what they had just witnessed.  Verse nine says, The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.  Just as the Egyptians and Pharaoh sought to destroy the Egyptians, there are many, many people who are attempting to destroy Christians today.  Verse ten states, Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them: they sank as lead in the mighty waters.  God destroyed the mighty Egyptian army with water and wind, so we should never doubt His ability to defeat any enemy we face today.  Verse eleven asks, Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?  This is a question we should all ask today, and the answer now as it was then is no one.  God is indeed glorious in His holiness.  Verse twelve says, Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them.  I believe this was just another way of stating that the seas swallowed the Egyptians.  Verse thirteen proclaims, Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation.  The people of Israel acknowledged that God's mercy was what saved them, just as it is by His mercy we are saved today.  Verse fourteen adds, The people shall hear, and be afraid: sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Palestina.  The Israelites also acknowledge that God would give them victory over others who heard about His power.  Not everyone that we encounter today is going to be afraid of or respect God, but we can still be sure that He is and always will be victorious over the world.  Verse fifteen adds,Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them; all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away.  The people of Israel were still proclaiming their faith in God giving them the victory over all those around them.  Yet, they would too soon start to complain.  We know that we have victory through our faith in Christ, yet we too often complain about our situation.  Verse sixteen continues, Fear and dread shall fall upon them; by the greatness of thine arm they shall be as still as a stone; till thy people pass over, O LORD, till the people pass over, which thou hast purchased.  We should make that same claim today.  God has insured us victory if we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Verse seventeen states, Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O LORD, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established.  Just like with the Israelites then,  God has a place prepared for us today and He will bring us safely to it, if not in our lifetime on earth, then in the everlasting life that we have through our faith in Christ.  Verse eighteen says,The LORD shall reign for ever and ever.  This has not changed and will not change.  God always has and always will be the ruler of the universe.  Verse nineteen concludes, For the horse of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and the LORD brought again the waters of the sea upon them; but the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea.  Much of the faith of the people of Israel was based on what they had seen God do, and when they didn't see His mighty works, they began to doubt, as we will see.  We must put our faith in God even when we do not see physical evidence that He is at work in a particular situation.

Exodus 14:23 says,  And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.  All of the Pharaoh's horses, chariots and horsemen went into the middle of the sea in pursuit of the Israelites.  Pharaoh was determined to get them back and show that he was greater than God.  Had he not felt this way, he certainly would have acknowledged God's superiority by now.  People today will fight to the very end to keep from acknowledging God, because they refuse to believe in His superiority over all else.  Verse twenty-four states, And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians,  In the morning, God looked down through the pillar of fire and the cloud and troubled the Egyptians.  Things that keep us from seeing clearly are not an obstacle to God.  God can always see clearly through all the things that may cause us confusion, and if we do not look to Him for guidance, we may remain in our confusion.  Verse twenty-five adds, And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians.  God caused the wheels to fall off the chariots of the Egyptians, and they began to say that they should flee because God fought for the Israelites.  It is always good for people to realize when God is behind someone that they may be against.  Verse twenty-six declares, And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.  God told Moses to stretch out his hands so that the waters would close up on the Egyptians.  Once more, God didn't need Moses to do this to cause it to happen, just as He doesn't really need us today to accomplish His will.  God did this for this for the benefit of the Israelites and Moses, to show them that He was the cause off what happened, just as He allows us today to serve Him for the benefit of those around us and for ourselves.  Verse twenty-seven states, And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.  When Moses did what God told him to do, the Egyptians attempted to flee, but the sea closed in over them.  Those who want to say that the sea really didn't part and that the Israelites simply went through a marshy area now have to acknowledge that if that is the case that God drowned an army in a marsh that the Israelites could walk through.  We might wonder why God did not simply allow the Egyptians to escape, but there comes a point in life where redemption is no longer possible.  Verse twenty-eight adds, And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them.  All those who were chasing the Israelites died in the sea.  God will still deliver us from all our enemies today, if not in this life, then in the one to come.  Like the Israelites, we may be tempted to grumble and complain, but if we truly put our faith in God, then we will not.  Verse twenty-nine continues, But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.  The people of Israel continued to walk through the sea, which like a like a wall of water on both sides.  No matter what is all around us, if we keep our faith in God, He will lead us through whatever we face.  Verse thirty proclaims, Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore.  Just as God delivered the Israelites from the Egyptians, He delivers us from the penalty of sin today if we put our faith in Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Verse thirty one adds, And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses.  The people of Israel saw the work of God and feared Him and His servant Moses.  When people see what can only be explained as the work of God today, they should stand in awe of Him.

EXO14:15 says, And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:  God asked Moses why he was crying out to, or I believe we could say doubting, Him.  God may ask us the same question at times.  When God calls us to do something, we don't need to question nor complaint to Him.  God told Moses to tell the people of Israel to go forward, and so must we when God tells us to go today.  Verse sixteen adds, But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.  God instructed Moses to lift his rod and stretch his hand out over the sea and the people of Israel would walk through on dry ground.  Some people today want to say that the people of Israel really didn't pass through the sea, but escaped through the marsh land.  This is not what God's word teaches us, since it declares the sea would part and they would pass through on dry, not even muddy, ground.  Verse seventeen adds, And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.  God additionally told Moses that Pharaoh would follow him, but that God would honor Himself by what would happen to Pharaoh and his army.  God had given Pharaoh plenty of opportunities to believe in Him and His power, and he continually refused to, so he was about to reap the rewards of his continued disobedience.  I personally don't believe that God was going to do this just to show His power, just as He doesn't send anyone to hell just to show His power.  Just like Pharaoh, every person is given an opportunity to follow God, but when he or she won't, then God will judge that person for his or her sins.  God cannot overlook sin, so we either accept forgiveness through faith in Christ, or we pay the penalty.  Verse eighteen continues, And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.  God said all of Egypt would know that He was God, because of what He was going to do to Pharaoh and his army.  God did not say that they would accept Him as their God, but that they would know that He was God.  There are people today who believe that there is a God, but they do not accept Him as their personal Savior.  Verse nineteen declares, And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:  The angel of the LORD which had been going ahead of the people of Israel moved behind them, as did the pillar of cloud.  This was not to lead them back, but to stand between the people and Pharaoh.  The pillar of cloud was a visual sign of the presence of God.  Today, we need to realize that God protects us from any harm coming to us from where we were when living a sinful life, and we need to never turn back to where we were before we accepted Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Verse twenty states, And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.  The pillar of cloud was darkness to the Egyptians, but was a light to the people of Israel.  Today, Jesus is the dividing point between people.  We either accept Him as a light to our lives, or we continue to live in the darkness of sin.  Verse twenty-one states, And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.  When Moses stretched forth hs rod, God parted the sea.  We sometimes hear of Moses parting the sea, but he didn't do it.  God parted the sea.  He didn't really need Moses to stretch out the rod, but this was just a sign of Moses belief and obedience to God.  We should never take credit for what God does in the world today, and we should never need signs of His presence.  Verse twenty-two declares, And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.  The people of Israel passed through on dry ground with a wall of water on each side, which hardly describes a marsh.  When we find ourselves in a seemingly unwinnable situation, like the people of Israel, we too often complain instead of believing that God will provide the answer.  We need to always simply live by faith in God, no matter our situation.

Exodus 14:1 says, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  Then verse two adds, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp before Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baalzephon: before it shall ye encamp by the sea.  God told Moses to have the people of Israel to camp in Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, against Baalzephon.  These were pretty detailed instructions, and we can be just as certain that God will let us know where He want us today.  We may not have the detailed instructions, but I believe that we will know when we are where God wants us to be.  Verse three states, For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in.  God said that they were to go there so that Pharaoh would think they were trapped.  Sometimes, what God tells us to do may not seem reasonable, but we need to simply trust Him and do what He tells us to do.  Verse four continues, And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, that he shall follow after them; and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD. And they did so.  God said He would harden Pharaoh's heart so that Pharaoh would chase after the people of Israel so that God would be honored by Pharaoh, but I don't believe that God ever causes anyone to reject Him, and that God just knew how Pharaoh would react.  If God causes people to reject His will so that He might be honored by what happens to them, then He is not an all loving God.  The people of Israel did as God instructed them to do.  Verse five declares,  And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?  Not only Pharaoh, but his servants as well, questioned why hey had let the people of Israel go.  They had evidently forgotten all the plagues that God had sent on them.  Some people today will not acknowledge God, no matter how much evidence He sends of His existence.  Verse six adds, And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him:  Pharaoh got in his chariot and took his people to chase after the people of Israel.  Verse seven continues, And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them.  Pharaoh basically took his whole army to chase the people of Israel.  If we are ever feeling overwhelmed by life today, we just need to remember that the people of Israel were certainly out numbered during the Exodus, but since God was with them it didn't matter.  Verse eight declares, And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with an high hand. Then verse nine adds, But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, before Baalzephon.  Pharaoh and his army caught up with the children of Israel where they were camped.  God had led the people of Israel there, and He was still with them.  As long as we are where God wants us, we need never worry about being overpowered by the world.  The ultimate victory is ours through our faith in Christ, just as the people of Israel's victory was assured by God then.  Verse ten states, And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD.  When the people of Israel saw the Egyptians coming, they were afraid and called out to God.  They had also evidently forgotten what God had done, and saw the army of Egypt instead of remembering the power of God.  When we seem to be surrounded by evil, we need to look to God and not at the evil all around us.  Verse eleven adds,  And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?  The people of Israel began to complain to Moses, asking if there were not enough places to be buried in Egypt so he had brought them to where they were to die.  We don't need to be afraid and complain if we are where God leads us, but simply need to keep our focus on Him.  Verse twelve continues, Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.  The people of Israel told Moses that they had told him to leave them alone because it was better to be  servant in Egypt than to die in the wilderness.  We must never have the attitude that we are better off giving in to sin than standing firm for Christ, even if it seems to put us in a dangerous situation.  Verse thirteen declares,  And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.  Moses told the people not to worry, that after this they would see the Egyptians no more.  When we stand firm for God, we do not have to worry about the world overpowering us spiritually.  Verse fourteen adds, The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.  Moses said God would fight for them and that they should remain at peace.  We should likewise live at peace in the world today when we are following God's direction for our life.

Exodus 13:11 says, And it shall be when the LORD shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites, as he sware unto thee and to thy fathers, and shall give it thee,  God did not say if He brought the Israelites into Caanan, but when He did.  God does not say if He brings us into our heavenly home if we follow Christ, but when He does.  This promise had been made to Abraham, and it was a long time in being fulfilled, but it was always a certainty, because God had made the promise.  Verse twelve states, That thou shalt set apart unto the LORD all that openeth the matrix, and every firstling that cometh of a beast which thou hast; the males shall be the LORD’s.  All the first born males of the animals were to be set aside for God.  Verse thirteen adds, And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his neck: and all the firstborn of man among thy children shalt thou redeem.  There was  provision to redeem an ass by sacrificing a lamb instead, but if it wasn't redeemed it was to be destroyed.  The first born baby boy of the family could likewise be redeemed.  We are redeemed by the death of Christ on the cross, but if we don't accept His gift of salvation, we will still suffer spiritual death.  Verse fourteen continues, And it shall be when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What is this? that thou shalt say unto him, By strength of hand the LORD brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage:  God again told them to teach their children about the meaning of the feast, just as we today are to teach our children about the meaning of Christ's death on the cross.  Verse fifteen declares, And it came to pass, when Pharaoh would hardly let us go, that the LORD slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man, and the firstborn of beast: therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all that openeth the matrix, being males; but all the firstborn of my children I redeem.  This was the explanation of why the people of Israel celebrated the Passover.  It was not just some meaningless ceremony, but was based on God's saving grace to the people of Israel, just as our worship of God should not be just some meaningless ritual.  Verse sixteen states, And it shall be for a token upon thine hand, and for frontlets between thine eyes: for by strength of hand the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt.  This was to be something that they constantly remembered, not just something that came up once a year.  We should constantly remember what God has done for us through His gift of salvation, and not just when we are at church.  Verse seventeen declares,, And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt:  God lead them peacefully through the land without going through the land of the Philistines, which would have been shorter, so that thy would not be tempted to return to Egypt.  We may not have peace in the world today after we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord, but God will lead us safely to Heaven, our promised land, so we should never be tempted to try and return to where we were spiritually before we accepted Christ.  Verse eighteen declares, But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea: and the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt.  God lead them out with all their possessions by way of the Red Sea.  We cannot take our possessions when we go home to heaven, but God has promised that everything we need will already be there for us.  Vere nineteen states, And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him: for he had straitly sworn the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you; and ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you.  Moses took the bones of Joseph with him out of Egypt, as had been promised to Joseph all those year before.  Verse twenty adds, And they took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness.  They were finally on their way.  When we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord, we are on our way to our promised heavenly home from then on.  Vere twenty-one continues, And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:  Then verse twenty-two concludes, He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.  God gave the people of Israel a physical sign of His presence with them day and night.  We today as followers of Christ do not have a physical sign of God's presence with us, but we have something much greater, and that is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Exodus 13:1 says, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  Then verse two adds, Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine.  God spoke to Moses once again and told him to dedicate the first born of all the people and animals of the nation of Israel to God.  God had spared all their first born when He destroyed the first born of Egypt, so it was a reasonable request that they be dedicated to God.  God spares us from the penalty of sin when we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord, so it is a reasonable request that we dedicate ourselves to living for Him.  Verse three declares, And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out from this place: there shall no leavened bread be eaten.  The day that the people of Israel were delivered was to be remembered each year by eating unleavened bread.  We as followers of Christ today celebrate Easter for the same reason.  Easter is a celebration of the day that God delivered us from the power of sin and death.  Verse four adds, This day came ye out in the month Abib.  This verse specifies the time on their calendar of that day.  Verse five continues, And it shall be when the LORD shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee, a land flowing with milk and honey, that thou shalt keep this service in this month.  God told Moses that when God brought them to the land flowing with milk and honey that they were still to observe this day.  Sometimes, when God really prospers us, we tend to forget about serving Him, but we should always remember Who God is and what He wants of us as His followers.  Verse six states, Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to the LORD.  The people of Israel were to eat unleavened bread for a week, then have a feast to the LORD.  Verse seven adds, Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days; and there shall no leavened bread be seen with thee, neither shall there be leaven seen with thee in all thy quarters. Not only were they to eat unleavened bread, they were to have no leaven in their house.  This would remove any temptation to use it.  When we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord, we should attempt to remove all things from our lives that could lead us into temptation.  Verse eight continues,  And thou shalt shew thy son in that day, saying, This is done because of that which the LORD did unto me when I came forth out of Egypt. They were to teach their children why this was done, just as we are to tell our children about salvation through Christ today.  Verse nine states, And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that the LORD’s law may be in thy mouth: for with a strong hand hath the LORD brought thee out of Egypt.  They were to keep the memory of what God did before them at all times, just as we are to with the memory of what God did for us when Christ died for us,  Verse ten concludes, Thou shalt therefore keep this ordinance in his season from year to year. This was to be a yearly celebration.

Exodus 12:41 says, And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt.  The Israelites left Egypt after four hundred and thirty years.  That was a long time for people to be waiting for deliverance, but God did deliver them.  No matter how long it takes, Christ is returning again.  Verse forty-two states, It is a night to be much observed unto the LORD for bringing them out from the land of Egypt: this is that night of the LORD to be observed of all the children of Israel in their generations.  This was to be an important day for the Israelites to observe remembering God's deliverance.   As followers of Christ, we should always remember to honor God for His deliverance of us from the penalty of sin.  Verse forty-three adds, And the LORD said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the ordinance of the passover: There shall no stranger eat thereof:  The Passover would be for the Israelites alone.  Salvation today is only available for those who accept Christ as Savior and Lord.  Verse forty-four continues, But every man’s servant that is bought for money, when thou hast circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof.  Those who were servants bought for money who had been circumcised would be expected to observe the day.  As followers of Christ, we are not born into the nation of Israel, God's chosen people, but we are expected to live under God's law by our faith in Christ.  Verse forty-five continues, A foreigner and an hired servant shall not eat thereof.  Though those who were servants who had been bought were expected to observe the celebration, those who were just hired and foreigners were not.  Verse forty-six adds, In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth ought of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof.  Nothing was to be taken away from the feast.  We today can take nothing physical away from our relationship with Christ, but we must simply live by our faith in Him.  Verse forty-seven says, All the congregation of Israel shall keep it.  No one in Israel was exempt from the feast, since it represented a time when they were all delivered from Egypt.  Likewise, no believer in Christ is exempt from celebrating his or her deliverance from sin by the death, burial and resurrection of Christ.  Verse forty-eight states,  And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof.  Strangers had away to become the same as the Israelites before God.  They were to be circumcised and obey God's law.  There is a way for anyone to become part of the family of God, and that is by accepting Christ as Savior and Lord.  Verse forty-nine continues, One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.  All people were to be under the same law, and that was God's law, and the same is true today for those who follow Christ.  Verse fifty declares, Thus did all the children of Israel; as the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they. We are told that all the Israelites obeyed God's command.  Verse fifty-one concludes, And it came to pass the selfsame day, that the LORD did bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their armies.  That day, God delivered the people of Israel from Egypt.  The selfsame day we accept Christ, we are delivered from the power sin and the death penalty that it brings.

Exodus 12:29 says, And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle.  God delivered on His promise.  God had given Pharaoh and the Egyptians plenty of opportunities to let the Israelites go before this final plague, and God gives everyone an opportunity to repent and accept Christ today before the final judgment.  Verse thirty states, And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead.  Pharaoh and the Egyptians rose in the night with great anguish, because there was not any household that did not suffer the death of a family member.  Verse thirty-one declares, And he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve the LORD, as ye have said.  Pharaoh had told Moses that the next time he came before him he would die, but Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and told them to take the Israelites and go and serve God.  When we are freed from the bondage of sin it is so we can go and serve God.  Verse thirty-two adds, Also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone; and bless me also.  Pharaoh was no longer attempting to set conditions, and he also asked Moses and Aaron to bless him.  What he really needed to do was to ask God to forgive him.  Verse thirty-three declares, And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste; for they said, We be all dead men.  The Egyptians were anxious for the people of Israel to leave, because they figured that if they didn't, they were going to die.  We should have that same urgency about coming to Christ today, because if we don't, we are spiritually dead forever.  Verse thirty-four states, And the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneadingtroughs being bound up in their clothes upon their shoulders.  The people of Isael obeyed God's instructions, just as we must today.  Verse thirty-five adds, And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment:  Not only did they take the unleavened bread, but they borrowed gold and silver jewels and clothes from the Egyptians, as Moses and Aaron had instructed them to do.  They would never repay the Egyptians, just as we can never repay God for the gift of salvation and the things He blesses us with today.  Verse thirty-six declares, And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians.  Though the things loaned may have come from the Egyptians, it was God Who made it possible, just as He is behind all our blessings today.  Verse thirty-seven states, And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, beside children.  About six hundred thousand Israelites left Egypt.  God was fulfilling His promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  Verse thirty-eight adds, And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle.  There were others, a mixed multitude, who went with the Israelites, along with all their flocks and cattle.  This wasn't just a small group who were leaving.  Verse thirty-nine adds, And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought forth out of Egypt, for it was not leavened; because they were thrust out of Egypt, and could not tarry, neither had they prepared for themselves any victual.  The people ate the unlearned bread, because they had to leave too quickly to prepare anything else.  We are better off with unleavened bread following Christ than with the finest food in the world without Him.  Verse forty concludes, Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years.  The people of Israel had been in Egypt for four hundred and thirty years before God set them free.  No matter how long we have been in spiritual bondage, God stands ready to set us free.

Exodus 12:14  says, And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.  God told Moses that the people of Israel were to keep this feast as a memorial forever.  We today really don't celebrate the Passover as they did, though we do usually make note of it, but we celebrate the Lord's Supper, when the power of death passed over us by the blood of Christ.  Verse fifteen states, Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.  The people were of Israel were to eat unleavened bread for a week and if they didn't, they were not to considered a part of the nation of Israel.  Today, there is no ritual that keeps us from being a part of God's kingdom, but there is a relationship that does.  We must accept Christ as our Savior and Lord in order to be a part of God's kingdom.  Verse sixteen adds, And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you.  The first and last day of the feast were to be set aside for the worship of God, with only that work that was necessary being done.  Verse seventeen continues, And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever.  This was to be done on the day that God brought them out of the land of Egypt.  Our day of deliverance is the day that we accepted Christ as our Savior and Lord, and we should thank Him every day.  Verse eighteen says, In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even.  Then verse eighteen adds, Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses: for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger, or born in the land.  This was a repeat of the instructions given earlier, with the dates added and the fact that it would apply to strangers as well.  Verse twenty concludes, Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread.  This was to be an important event since God emphasized it so much.  The observance of the Lord's Supper is not emphasized as much, nor is there a time given when we are to observe it, but we are told that as often as we do, that we are to be sincere in our observance of it.  Verse twenty-one says, Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the passover.  Moses called the elders and told them to kill a lamb according to their families and make ready for the Passover.  Verse twenty-two adds, And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning. They were to put the blood of the lamb on their doors, and to stay in their houses.  We are saved by the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ, and should always remain under His blood.  Verse twenty-three continues, For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.  The blood was to be a sign that the people were to be spared, just as the blood of Christ is today.  The  people had a choice of whether to obey or not, just as people do today about believing in Christ.  Verse twenty-four proclaims, And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever.  Moses told the people of Israel that this was to be celebrated forever, just as salvation through Christ should be celebrated forever.  Verse twenty-five adds, And it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the land which the LORD will give you, according as he hath promised, that ye shall keep this service.  This observance was to go on in the land that God was going to give them.  Verse twenty-six adds, And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service?  Moses told them that their children would ask them why they did this.  Verse twenty-seven continues, That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the LORD’s passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped.  The people of Israel were to teach their children the meaning of the Passover, just as we must teach our children, the next generation, about the gospel of Christ.  Verse twenty-eight declares, And the children of Israel went away, and did as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they.  The people did as Mises and Aaron instructed them to do.  For the gospel to have effect for someone today, that person must come to Christ as the gospel says. God did not force the people of Israel to put th blood over their doors, and He doesn't force people today to accept the gift of salvation.

Exodus 12:1 says, And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying,  Then verse two adds, This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.  God told Moses and Aaron that the month that they left Egypt would be the beginning of a new year for the Israelites.  When we accept Christ as our Savior an Lord, it is a new start in life for us.  We may not literally start a new calendar, but we do have a new division in time, that being the time when we were doomed without hope and then when we claim everlasting life with Christ.  Verse three states, Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:  God begin to give Moses instructions for all the Israelites about what they were to do and how they were later to commemorate the day of deliverance.  Though we may not do anything special to commemorate the day we accept Christ, we should never forget it.  We do not celebrate it collectively because it is different for each individual.  Verse four adds, And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.  God told Moses that some households might be to small to sacrifice a lamb, but they were not exempt for the commemoration, but were to combine with another household for it.  We are never to small in our faith to celebrate our salvation, but fortunately we do not have to combine with others to do so, though it never hurts to do this  Verse five continues, Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:  The sacrifice was to be the best that the household had.  Once we come to God by faith in Christ, then we should sacrifice, or give, to Him the best of everything we have.  I believe that more accurately, we should give God everything we have, since it all belongs to Him anyway.  Verse six adds, And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.  They were to keep the lambs separated for four days, the assemble together for the sacrifice.  Verse seven goes on, And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.  They were to put the blood on the door post of the houses where they were to eat.  As followers of Christ, we are always living under the sacrifice of His shed blood.  Verse eight adds, And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.  They were to eat the meat with unleavened bread and bitter herbs that night.  This was to be a reminder of their deliverance from Egypt, just as the Lord's Supper is a reminder of our deliverance by Christ today.  Verse nine continues, Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.  They were to roast and eat all of the lamb.  Verse ten states, And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire.  Nothing was to remain of the lamb until morning, but if it did, then it was to be burned.  Verse eleven continues, And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD’s passover.  God told Moses to tell them to eat it ready to travel, because it was God's Passover, and in this first Passover observance, they were to leave Egypt.  When we celebrate the Lord's Supper, we should likewise be ready to go out into the world and witness to the lost people about what Christ has done for us.  Verse twelve continues, For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.  God said that He was going to pass through that night and execute His judgment on the Egyptians.  There is coming a day of judgment of everyone, and those who are not covered by the blood of Christ will suffer everlasting punishment.  Verse twelve concludes, And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.  The blood of the lamb on the doorpost then was to be a sign for God to Passover the house.  God did not just exempt all the Israelites, but required them to obey His instructions for deliverance.  God does not just save everyone today, but requires us to accept His gift of salvation through Christ.  Though salvation is a free gift from God, each individual must accept it in order to be cleansed by the blood of Christ.

Exodus 11:1 says, And the LORD said unto Moses, Yet will I bring one plague more upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt; afterwards he will let you go hence: when he shall let you go, he shall surely thrust you out hence altogether.  God tells Moses that He will bring one more plague on Egypt, after which Pharaoh would not only let the Israelites go, but he would thrust them out.  God's plans will never be defeated forever.  Verse two states, Speak now in the ears of the people, and let every man borrow of his neighbour, and every woman of her neighbour, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold.  God had Moses to instruct the Israelites to all borrow as much as they could from their Egyptian neighbors.  God will always provide a way to meet our needs and often will bless us with even more.  Verse three declares, And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants, and in the sight of the people.  God made Moses favorable in the sight of the Egyptians.  After all the plagues Moses had been used by God to tell about and participate in causing, this had to be God's work.  We should never underestimate the power of God.  Verse four states, And Moses said, Thus saith the LORD,  About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt:  God began to reveal His plan to Moses. Verse six adds, And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts.  God said that all the first born of the Egyptians would die, from the first born of the Pharaoh to the first born of the lowest servant, as well as the first born of all their cattle.  We might think this harsh or maybe even unjust, but all the Egyptians had opposed letting the Israelites go, and not just Pharaoh.  We may not always understand the way that God works, but we can be certain that He will always be fair in His judgment.  Verse six adds, And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more.  It is hard to imagine the way that the people of Egypt were going to feel.  The first born would not have been just babies, but people of all ages, and those left would know this.  Verse seven continues, But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast: that ye may know how that the LORD doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.  God once again said He would make a distinction between the Egyptians and the Israelites, who would not be harmed, so that the world would know that He was God.  Though we may not see as much of a physical distinction in the amount of suffering today, God gives those who follow Him by faith in Christ a distinction from the rest of the world.  In order for someone to claim that distinction, he or she must first know that God is indeed the only God.  Verse eight concludes, And all these thy servants shall come down unto me, and bow down themselves unto me, saying, Get thee out, and all the people that follow thee: and after that I will go out. And he went out from Pharaoh in a great anger.  After Moses delivered God's message, he went out from Pharaoh.  Once we have delivered God's message of salvation today, we can only go and leave it up to the person whether he or she will accept the message.  Verse nine declares, And the LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you; that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.  God told Moses that Pharaoh was not gong to listen so that God's wonders might be done in the land of Egypt.  I don't believe that God caused Pharaoh to not listen just so God could show off His power.  God shows us His wonders today, not with displays of power, but by faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, which is available to all who will believe.  Verse ten states, And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh: and the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go out of his land.  Just like Moses and Aaron, all we can do is present God's message to the world, and it is then up to them whether they accept it or harden their heart against God's word.

Exodus 10:21 says, And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.  God told Moses to stretch out his hand toward heaven, and that there would be a darkness that could be felt.  The Creator of light was going to remove the light for a time.  God really didn't need Moses in order to accomplish this, but He chose to work through Moses, and God doesn't really need us today to accomplish His will but He choses to work through us.  Verse twenty-two states, And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days:  Once more Moses did what God told him to do, and God delivered on His promise.  It was dark for three days, just as there was a spiritual darkness for three days when Jesus was in the tomb.  Verse twenty-three adds, They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of  Israel had lights in their dwellings.  The darkness was just on the Egyptians and not the Israelites.  Today, those who are not followers of Christ live in spiritual darkness.  Verse twenty-four declares, And Pharaoh called unto Moses, and said, Go ye, serve the LORD; only let your flocks and your herds be stayed: let your little ones also go with you.  Pharaoh tried to compromise once more, saying all the people could go but not the herds.  People too often attempt to compromise with God, wanting to accept part of what God's word says, but not all.  Verse twenty-five proclaims, And Moses said, Thou must give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice unto the LORD our God.  Moses told Pharaoh that he must give the Israelites something to sacrifice to God.  All we can really sacrifice to God is our life.  Everything else is already His, but we can only become His by willingly sacrificing ourselves to Him.  Verse twenty-six adds, Our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not an hoof be left behind; for thereof must we take to serve the LORD our God; and we know not with what we must serve the LORD, until we come thither.  Moses then said that all their cattle had to go as well.  We must bring everything to God if we are to truly worship Him.  Verse twenty-seven declares, But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let them go.  Once more, Pharaoh's heart was hardened and he changed his mind.  Verse twenty-eight continues, And Pharaoh said unto him, Get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more; for in that day thou seest my face thou shalt die.  Pharaoh told Moses to leave and if he came again Pharaoh would kill him.  We may never face such a test of our faith, but if we do we must be ready to stand firm.  Verse twenty-nine concludes, And Moses said, Thou hast spoken well, I will see thy face again no more.  Moses told Pharaoh that he would see him no more.  If we give up on a person accepting Christ, we must make sure that God has told us to do so.

Exodus 10:12 says, And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail hath left.  God sent locusts to destroy the rest of the crops.  Just like the Egyptians and Pharaoh, we might not lose everything at once when we go against God's will, we will lose everything gained that way eventually.  Verse thirteen states, And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and the LORD brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and all that night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts.  Once again, God waited until the next day to send the plague.   Pharaoh could have still changed his mind and have let the Israelites go.   We can be sure that God will always give everyone ample opportunity to respond to His gift of salvation.  Verse fourteen declares, And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the coasts of Egypt: very grievous were they; before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such.  There was an unprecedented swarm of locusts.  There will come an unprecedented punishment for those who do not accept the free gift of salvation.  Verse fifteen adds, For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left: and there remained not any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the field, through all the land of Egypt.   We would think that Pharaoh would have believed God by now, but he still didn't.  Some people today refuse to believe God, no matter how much evidence they are confronted with.  Verse sixteen declares, Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste; and he said, I have sinned against the LORD your God, and against you.  Pharaoh once again called Moses and Aaron and confessed his sin, but there was really no sincerity to his confession.  When in a bad situation today, many people will call on God and make any promise, but as soon as the problem goes away, they forget their promise.  Verse seventeen adds, Now therefore forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once, and intreat the LORD your God, that he may take away from me this death only.  Pharaoh asked Moses and Aaron to forget His sin this one time and ask God for His forgiveness.  I believe the implication was that he wouldn't sin again.  Verse eighteen states, And he went out from Pharaoh, and intreated the LORD.  Moses once again prayed to God for Pharaoh.  I am not sure that Moses believed Pharaoh, but I believe that his prayer was sincere.  We may not have a lot of confidence in a person's declaration of faith and their asking us to pray for their forgiveness, but we must be sincere when we pray if they ask us to.  Pharaoh's obedience was between him and God and was not up to Moses to judge.  Verse nineteen declares, And the LORD turned a mighty strong west wind, which took away the locusts, and cast them into the Red sea; there remained not one locust in all the coasts of Egypt. God granted Moses' prayer for Pharaoh and got rid of all the locusts.  When we ask God for salvation through Jesus Christ, He gets rid of all our sins.  Verse twenty concludes, But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go.  Pharaoh once again failed to live up to his promise to God, just as some people today refuse to live up to promises made to God simply to get out of a bad situation.

Exodus 10:1 says, And the LORD said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might shew these my signs before him:  God told Moses to once again go to Pharaoh.  This time it says that God had hardened Pharaoh's heart, but I still believe that Pharaoh had a choice in whether to believe God or not.  Even though I know we are told that there will come a time when God will no longer offer His mercy to someone who continually rejects it, I don't believe that God ever causes anyone to eject His mercy.  Verse two adds, And that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son’s son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that ye may know how that I am the LORD,  God told Moses to tell Pharaoh that he would tell his children and grandchildren what things God had done in Egypt that they might know that He is the LORD.  God's work in the world should always be evident to those who will acknowledge it.  Verse three states, And Moses and Aaron came in unto Pharaoh, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me? let my people go, that they may serve me.  This is the question that everyone ultimately has to answer, and that is how long will he or she refuse to humble themselves before God.  Verse four adds, Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to morrow will I bring the locusts into thy coast:  Of course, with Pharaoh there was the requirement to let God's people go after Pharaoh humbled himself, and with us it is to let our sins go.  Verse five continues, And they shall cover the face of the earth, that one cannot be able to see the earth: and they shall eat the residue of that which is escaped, which remaineth unto you from the hail, and shall eat every tree which groweth for you out of the field:  God once again gave Pharaoh time to obey.  This time, God said He was going to send locusts to eat up what was left of the crops of the Egyptians.  God gives everyone plenty of opportunities to come to Him for salvation.  Verse six concludes, And they shall fill thy houses, and the houses of all thy servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians; which neither thy fathers, nor thy fathers’ fathers have seen, since the day that they were upon the earth unto this day. And he turned himself, and went out from Pharaoh.  Moses told Pharaoh that this was to be a swarm of locusts like had never been seen before.  Then, Moses left.  Once we have delivered the gospel to someone, especially if they continually refuse to refuse to accept it, there may come a time when all we can do is leave.  Verse seven declares, And Pharaoh’s servants said unto him, How long shall this man be a snare unto us? let the men go, that they may serve the LORD their God: knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed?  Pharaoh's servants were even advising Pharaoh to let the Israelites go, but they could not make the decision for him.  Just like Pharaoh, each individual must decide whether to accept or reject God.  No one else can do it for them.  Verse eight states, And Moses and Aaron were brought again unto Pharaoh: and he said unto them, Go, serve the LORD your God: but who are they that shall go?  Moses and Aaron were brought back, told to go, but then were asked who would be going.  Pharaoh was still attempting to control the situation, just as many people attempt to put conditions on God's salvation today.  Verse nine declares,  And Moses said, We will go with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will we go; for we must hold a feast unto the LORD.  Moses said all the Israelites were going and they were taking their possessions with them.  When we come to Christ, we must bring everything that we have with us, though we cannot accept salvation for others.  Verse ten states, And he said unto them, Let the LORD be so with you, as I will let you go, and your little ones: look to it; for evil is before you. Then verse eleven adds, Not so: go now ye that are men, and serve the LORD; for that ye did desire. And they were driven out from Pharaoh’s presence.  Pharaoh said he would let the men go, but not the children. Once more he thought he was still in control and more powerful than God.  This is a dangerous place to be.  We cannot attempt to compromise with God.

Exodus 9:27 says, And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned this time: the LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.  Pharaoh once more sent for Moses and Aaron.  This time Pharaoh acknowledged the truth, and that was that his people and he had sinned against God.  We need to remember that it was not just Pharaoh, but the people of Egypt as well who were afraid of the Israelites becoming too powerful.  Though the leaders of the world today may call for Christians to be persecuted, it is often just the people of the world themselves who persecute them without the government endorsing it.  Verse twenty-eight states, Intreat the LORD (for it is enough) that there be no more mighty thunderings and hail; and I will let you go, and ye shall stay no longer.  Pharaoh again asked for Moses and Aaron to speak to God on his behalf.  He said he had endured enough and he would let the Israelites go.  If we ask for God to help us, we need to be sincere in our promise to do what He wants us to do.  Verse twenty-nine declares, And Moses said unto him, As soon as I am gone out of the city, I will spread abroad my hands unto the LORD; and the thunder shall cease, neither shall there be any more hail; that thou mayest know how that the earth is the LORD’s.  What Moses told Pharaoh he would do to stop the storm should have proven beyond a doubt that God was the One causing the storms.  We do not have such a sign today, but God will still make Himself know to everyone in a way that cannot be denied other than by refusal to believe.  Verse thirty adds, But as for thee and thy servants, I know that ye will not yet fear the LORD God.  Moses said he would do what Pharaoh asked, even though he knew that Pharaoh and the Egyptians still did not believe God.  Verse thirty-one says,  And the flax and the barley was smitten: for the barley was in the ear, and the flax was bolled.  Then verse thirty-two adds, But the wheat and the rie were not smitten: for they were not grown up.  Though the Egyptians had lost part of their crops, they had not lost everything.  Ultimately, sin will cost us everything that we gain by it, though we may not lose everything in this life.  Verse thirty-three states, And Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh, and spread abroad his hands unto the LORD: and the thunders and hail ceased, and the rain was not poured upon the earth. Moses did what he told Pharaoh he would do, and God did as Moses asked.  When we act on God's behalf, knowing we are following His will, then He will answer our prayers.  Verse thirty-four declares, And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants.  Once God did what He said He would do, the Egyptians and Pharaoh once again hardened their hearts.  Verse thirty five concludes, And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, neither would he let the children of Israel go; as the LORD had spoken by Moses.  Pharaoh again refused to let the children of Israel go.  We should never make a commitment to God when we need His help and then refuse to follow through once He has delivered us from the problem.

Exodus 9:13 says, And the LORD said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me.  Moses could only deliver God's message, just as we can only deliver the gospel today.  Verse fourteen states, For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth.  God told Moses that He would send plagues on the heart of Pharaoh and the people, so that they would know that He was God.  God does not send plagues on people today, but He does touch the heart of each individual in such a way that that person will know that He is God.  Verse fifteen adds, For now I will stretch out my hand, that I may smite thee and thy people with pestilence; and thou shalt be cut off from the earth.  God said He was going to make their suffering even worse than it had been.  I believe that people will always suffer spiritually when they reject God's gift of salvation, but the more and the longer they reject it, the harder their hearts will become toward God.  Verse sixteen continues, And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.  Some people would interpret this to mean that God had caused Pharaoh to be as he was so that God could show the world His power, but I believe that it means that God had allowed Pharaoh to become this powerful.  God could just remove all those in power that do not believe in and follow Him, but He allows people to make their own choices, and some become quite powerful.  Verse seventeen asks, As yet exaltest thou thyself against my people, that thou wilt not let them go?  God asked Pharaoh if he would still exalt himself above God, and this is the question everyone eventually has to answer for himself or herself.  When we reject the gospel, we are putting our will above God's will.  Verse eighteen declares, Behold, to morrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof even until now.  God gave Pharaoh a warning that about the same time the next day that it was going to hail as it had never hailed before.  God has already given us His warming of the coming destruction of the world because of its sin and rebellion, and it may not happen tomorrow, but it indeed could.  Verse nineteen adds, Send therefore now, and gather thy cattle, and all that thou hast in the field; for upon every man and beast which shall be found in the field, and shall not be brought home, the hail shall come down upon them, and they shall die.  God warned Pharaoh to not let anyone or anything be caught out in the hail storm or they or it would die.  We today have God's warning to not be caught out in the coming storm of judgment without Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Verse twenty states, He that feared the word of the LORD among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his cattle flee into the houses:  Those that believed God fled to their houses and got their cattle under shelter.  We today who believe God's word will flee from the world to the shelter of the cross.  Of course, we cannot save the material things of the earth when we do, but we can place everything under God's guidance and protection.  Verse twenty-one adds, And he that regarded not the word of the LORD left his servants and his cattle in the field.  Just as there were people then who did not believe God, there are people today who will not believe God and accept His gift of salvation.  Verse twenty-two declares, And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch forth thine hand toward heaven, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, upon man, and upon beast, and upon every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt.  God had Moses stretch out his hand for the hail to begin.  Moses represented God, and God wanted there to be no mistake that He was behind the hail.  I believe that when God sends His judgment , there can never be another explanation for what is happening.  Verse twenty-three states, And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven: and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground; and the LORD rained hail upon the land of Egypt.  Moses did what God told him to do, and God did what He said He would do.   We today are to share the gospel with the world, and God will save those who believe, but He will also allow those who do not to go away into everlasting punishment.  Just as the people of Egypt had but two choices, so do people today.  Verse twenty-four declares, So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous, such as there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. Then verse twenty-five adds, And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail smote every herb of the field, and brake every tree of the field.  I have seen some bad hail storms, but never one that had fire mixed in with the hail.  This was indeed God's act of judgment, and everything caught outside was destroyed.  Everybody who does not accept Christ as Savior and Lord will face an even worse punishment, and that is everlasting suffering separated from God.  Verse twenty-six proclaims, Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, was there no hail.  Once more, this was what we would call a precision strike, because God's people were spared the destruction, just as we will be today if we accept God's gift of salvation through Christ.

Exodus 9:1 says, Then the LORD said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh, and tell him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me.  God once again sent Mose to Pharaoh with the same message.  Pharaoh was to let God's people go, so that they might serve Him.  When God frees us from sin today, it is so that we might go and serve Him.  Verse two adds, For if thou refuse to let them go, and wilt hold them still,  Verse three continues, Behold, the hand of the LORD is upon thy cattle which is in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the oxen, and upon the sheep: there shall be a very grievous murrain.  God was going to expand the punishment so that now it would affect their animals, which the Egyptians used for food and to do work with.  Disobeying God will ultimately affect everything we have.  Verse four continues, And the LORD shall sever between the cattle of Israel and the cattle of Egypt: and there shall nothing die of all that is the children’s of Israel.  Once more, there was going to be a distinction between the animals of the Egyptians and the animals of the Israelites, just as there is a difference spiritually between those that follow Christ today and the rest of the world.  We may suffer from the same problems, but we have God's forever deliverance from the penalty of sin.  Verse five declares, And the LORD appointed a set time, saying, To morrow the LORD shall do this thing in the land.  God set a time for this to happen if Pharaoh did not obey.  God always gave Pharaoh an opportunity to obey, just as he does with everyone today.  Verse six adds, And the LORD did that thing on the morrow, and all the cattle of Egypt died: but of the cattle of the children of Israel died not one.  Pharaoh did not let the Israelites go, so God did what He said He would do.  God will always keep His promises, but He will also give everyone an opportunity to repent nd come to Him.  Otherwise, He would be an unfair God.  Verse seven states,  And Pharaoh sent, and, behold, there was not one of the cattle of the Israelites dead. And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go.  Even when Pharaoh saw that God had done what He said He would do, Pharaoh would not let the people of Israel go.  There are many, many people today, who even though they can see the results of God's creative work, who still will not even acknowledge that there is a God.  Verse eight declares, And the LORD said unto Moses and unto Aaron, Take to you handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the heaven in the sight of Pharaoh.  God once again sent Aaron and Moses to Pharaoh with another sign.  Verse nine adds, And it shall become small dust in all the land of Egypt, and shall be a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast, throughout all the land of Egypt.  Moses and Aaron were to throw dust into the air, and it was to cause boils on all the people of Egypt.  The plagues were becoming more personal for the Egyptians.  They were now going to be affected physically themselves.  God's punishment of sin will always be personal, even if it does not occur until the coming judgment.  Verse ten states, And they took ashes of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it up toward heaven; and it became a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast.  Moses and Aaron did what God commanded, just as we must today, and God delivered on His promise, just as He will today.  Verse eleven adds, And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boil was upon the magicians, and upon all the Egyptians.  The magicians were no longer able to duplicate the plague, because they were suffering the effects of it themselves.  Verse twelve concludes, And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had spoken unto Moses.  Once more, I don't believe that God made Pharaoh not listen to Moses and Aaron and believe in God's power, but that God knew the nature of Pharaoh.  If someone does not accept Christ as Savior and Lord today, it is not because God causes them to not be able to.  Pharaoh could have still made the right choice, otherwise God was punishing the Egyptians for something that they had no control over.