For Him, and for Them

Earlier, we studied how the priests were to dress and what they were to do and how they were to be commissioned, thus "set apart" for the work of priesthood. Here we will see it all play out......almost exactly as God instructed. God was training His people, teaching them daily about Himself. When God's instruction is not followed to the smallest detail, the consequences are serious.

The elders have gathered to witness the commissioning of Aaron as High Priest for Israel. The oil was poured on his head, different than the sprinkling we've seen before. Aaron and his sons were to be inside the Tabernacle for seven days, the eighth day meaning the purification was complete. First order of business: purify the High Priest. Did you find it interesting that after all the bulls and goats and sheep and birds, that a calf was chosen for Aaron to sacrifice? Hmmmmm. He, with instruction through Moses, gave sin-offering for himself, and for the people of Israel. After all of the details of the different sacrifices, Aaron lifted his hands up toward the people and blessed them. The glory of the Lord shone before them, and there came a FIRE from heaven upon the altar. God had accepted the service of sacrifice, and forgiven their sin. This was no ordinary fire!

Now, here's where we hit a bump in the road. In chapter 6, there was mention of how the fire should be kept burning and should never go out. Chapter 10 opens with two of the sons of Aaron offering "strange" fire before the Lord and their being immediately devoured by the holy fire of God! They drew near to God, but not on His terms and the consequence was death. (I read that it may have been like lightning, since the bodies were not consumed?) Moses spoke precious few words to his brother, Aaron, offering only a reminder that God gave instruction, and Aaron and his other sons were not to mourn for the loss. This may seem harsh to us, but Aaron seemed to acknowledge God's justice and was submitted to it.....he held his peace. The bodies were carried out, in their priestly clothes outside the camp.

We are about to read some tough chapters in God's word. We will not always understand, certainly because His ways are not ours. We must trust, through faith, that God is holy and just and loves us very much. Everything that is written is to teach us (Rom. 15:4). His purpose is to bring glory to Himself through a relationship with us. Pray and ask the Lord to reveal Himself to you in a new way today.

"Pharaoh, Pharaoh!"

"Pharaoh, Pharaoh, ohhhhhhh! Let My people go!" was the battle cry. The Lord God had assured deliverance for Israel, and He came down to see it through. I find it interesting the exact detail God gave Moses when preparing him for his meeting with Pharaoh.....go here, say this, do this, when he says that then you say this. I'm so glad that the Lord was very clear. One thing we know, all of Egypt would soon know the God in the great I AM. Whether they chose to recognize it, is another story entirely.

These chapters cover the ten plagues God brought upon the land of Egypt for the continual refusal of Pharaoh to "Let My people go, that they may serve Me." I find it interesting that the plagues were seemingly aimed at the ten deities in Egypt. When the water was turned to blood, the Egyptian god of the Nile was silent. When the frogs came upon the earth in Egypt, the frog-faced goddess of fertility said nothing. The Egyptian god of the earth was speechless when the dust turned to lice and the god of creation said nothing as the flies tormented the people, animals, and homes of the Egyptians. (It was at this point that Pharaoh attempts to "bargain" with the God of Israel.) Bargaining didn't work of course, but as the diseased livestock began to die during the fifth plague I wonder where the goddess of protection was? Do you think the Egyptians cried out to their goddess of medicine when the ashes turned to boils on their skin? Do you think they heard an answer? When the hail and fire rained down, the goddess of sky was silent. Nothing was heard from the god of disorder when the locusts consumed everything in sight. The sun god was helpless in three days of darkness. Certainly Pharaoh, a god himself....supposedly the "greatest of all Egyptian gods", was proven powerless when his own son died in the final plague.

The answer here is that there is only one God.

I also think we should mention the continued hardening of Pharaoh's heart during these events. With the plagues of water, frogs, lice, flies, and diseased livestock, Pharaoh's heart grew hard. He didn't want to believe his gods weren't real, or that the God of Israel was the one true God. I also find it interesting that some of the miracles, the pharaoh's magicians were able to falsify. I wonder why? And, how cool that the plagues affected the Egyptians only, and not the Israelites? You can almost hear the people asking, "Who is this God?" As the plagues continued with boils, hail, locusts, and darkness, I noticed "the Lord hardened his heart" and Pharaoh would not release the children of Israel to serve their God. Finally, the most devastating plague that proved total inability for Egyptian gods to protect their subjects...the death of the firstborn children. Indeed, God holds the heart of the king in His hand! May we not harden our hearts toward Him.

There are even a few Psalms written about this time in history of Israel. My favorite is Psalm 105:14, "He permitted no one to do them wrong; Yes, He rebuked kings for their sakes, saying, 'Do not touch My anointed ones, And do My prophets no harm.'" God brought His people out with joy and His chosen ones with gladness. Oh, praise Him!

We shouldn't judge this Pharaoh.....I can't help but ask some days, what will it take for us to believe God is who He says He is?