Exodus

            When I was reading through Exodus, it quickly became apparent that it was very much a time of development in the relationship between God and his people. Having read this story many times through the course of my life, I was surprised at how much the Israelites and Egyptians experienced. We are first introduced to the enslavement of the Israelites and the hatred of the Egyptians, and the weight of the situation fell upon Moses.

            Throughout the text, I was repeatedly faced with challenges to the way that I thought about God. First of all, the thought that God would allow his people to be enslaved and to have to go through such trials. The Israelites had been through an incredible amount, and it is no wonder that they were a bitter people. Also, the fact that it says that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart that he would not believe Moses was hard for me to accept. Further, it all of the plagues that were sent upon Egypt, and the deaths of many Egyptians seemed over the top to me. The extent of many of Moses’ and God’s actions were questionable to me.

            When I reached the end of Israel’s exodus, however, I was more clearly able to see the point of all that had happened. In the end, Exodus is a story of redemption: the deliverance of God’s people from slavery, and the creation of a new relationship. Through repeated miraculous acts, God was able to demonstrate to the world, without a doubt, that he is the only God. We often need to realize the true power of God and, in this case, God showed this power through drastic and influential acts. When it comes to how God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, he knew how Pharaoh would act on his own, and he just utilized this to further his own objective. He shows us that when we commit to follow God through everything we do, he will always be there to protect us and love us.

            Other things that stood out to me as I read include that God does not only call the best or most qualified people to serve. Moses insisted that he was not prepared to speak for God, but God persisted and helped Moses to achieve everything that he had planned. Also, the Israelites were not always happy about what God was doing in their lives, and they often were angry. While it may not always seem like God’s plan is right, or that specific incidents in our lives are good, we need to be able to trust that God does have a plan and that it includes our best interest.