Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Exodus 4:18-23
Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, “Please let me go back to my brothers in Egypt to see whether they are still alive.” And Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.” And the Lord said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all the men who were seeking your life are dead.” So Moses took his wife and his sons and had them ride on a donkey, and went back to the land of Egypt. And Moses took the staff of God in his hand.
And the Lord said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles that I have put in your power. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go. Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord, Israel is my firstborn son, and I say to you, “Let my son go that he may serve me.” If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son.’” (ESV)
by J. Gabriel Alegre
In this passage of scripture we find Moses with a very clear and concise directive: return to Egypt, demonstrate wonders before Pharaoh, and ask for the people of Israel to be set free—otherwise God will take the life of Pharaoh’s firstborn. It is interesting to note that God himself will harden the heart of Pharaoh—a fact which God mentions to Moses, perhaps to let him know how things will progress and what he (Moses) can anticipate. The relationship between God and Moses was close enough for God to share his plan with Moses before it happened.
Copyright Information
Daily Bible Meditations are taken from The Helping Hand,a Sabbath School student quarterly for youth and adults. Copyright © 2010, Seventh Day Baptist Board of Christian Education, Inc.
Scripture quotations marked "ESV" are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Text provided by the Crossway Bibles Web Service.

