Passover lamb (Exodus 12:1-13)
Exod 12:1-13 As Christians, we often try to squeeze every last drop of meaning from the details of rituals important for us (like Passover or sacrifices). The truth is that while some aspects are significant, others are simply accidents of…
Mercy and judgment (Exodus 11)
Exodus 11:1-10 The last plague may raise for us a number of questions. First, we may feel a little cynical as we read God’s overwhelming response to Israel and think that it is all very well for God to have…
Walking backwards into the future (Exod 10:1-29)
Exod 10:1-29 As we engage with plagues 8-9 (locusts and darkness), God explains to Moses that these events are happening so that Israel might tell it to their children and grandchildren (Exod 10:1-2). The Māori proverb Ka mua ka muri…
Heeding God’s word (Exod 9:1-35)
Exod 9:1-35 When NZ first moved into lockdown, there were a lot of questions over what this meant in individual cases, what was allowed and what wasn’t. It took days of repeated communication, patient repetition of the principles before clarity…
Worship in Egypt (Exod 8:20-32)
Exod 8:20-32 An older friend of mine whose family immigrated to West Germany in the 1960s told me about the debates her parents had as they were trying to decide what to do. Communism was in full swing in Hungary…
What triggers change? (Exod 8:1-19)
Exod 8:1-19 I once read the testimony of a couple who, by their own admission, were extremely obese. The weight gain crept up on them over time and they lived with it for years. Then one day they were flying…
Eyes of faith (Exod 7:8-25)
Exod 7:8-25 Have you ever wondered why God sent the plagues on Egypt when He could have freed Israel in a much more efficient way? He could have struck Pharaoh down at the outset, appeared in all His glory and…
On the King’s business (Exod 6:10–7:7)
Exod 6:10-30; Exod 7:1-7 Despite God’s encouragement, Moses is still struggling with a sense of failure (Exod 6:10-12). He communicates God’s affirmation to Israel, but the people in their despondent state (the Hebrew says they are ‘short of spirit’, Exod…
The LORD, our Redeemer (Exod 5:22-23; 6:1-9)
Exod 5:22-23; Exod 6:1-9 After such a bumpy start, the focus returns back to Moses and his reaction. Once again, he loses courage and bombards God with questions of why (Exod 5:22-23). I am grateful that Scripture recounts these setbacks…
God’s people, servants of Pharaoh (Exod 5:1-21)
Exod 5:1-21 When I was growing up, my family lived in an apartment next door to a man who regularly abused his partner, an intelligent woman with a secure job. It was distressing to hear her running footsteps and screams…