These devotionals will serve as a guide for your time with the Lord
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Opening Prayer
-- Song: "He Is Lord"
Devotional #7: Moses, the Prophet & Aaron, the Priest
Scripture
Exodus 6:14-30
14 These are the heads of their fathers' houses: the sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi; these are the clans of Reuben. 15 The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman; these are the clans of Simeon. 16 These are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, the years of the life of Levi being 137 years. 17 The sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei, by their clans. 18 The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, the years of the life of Kohath being 133 years. 19 The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites according to their generations. 20 Amram took as his wife Jochebed his father's sister, and she bore him Aaron and Moses, the years of the life of Amram being 137 years. 21 The sons of Izhar: Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri. 22 The sons of Uzziel: Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri. 23 Aaron took as his wife Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab and the sister of Nahshon, and she bore him Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 24 The sons of Korah: Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph; these are the clans of the Korahites. 25 Eleazar, Aaron's son, took as his wife one of the daughters of Putiel, and she bore him Phinehas. These are the heads of the fathers' houses of the Levites by their clans.
26 These are the Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said: “Bring out the people of Israel from the land of Egypt by their hosts.” 27 It was they who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt about bringing out the people of Israel from Egypt, this Moses and this Aaron. 28 On the day when the Lord spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt, 29 the Lord said to Moses, “I am the Lord; tell Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say to you.” 30 But Moses said to the Lord, “Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips. How will Pharaoh listen to me?” Devotional #7: Moses, the Prophet & Aaron, the Priest
Genealogies are an overlooked but vital instrument in telling the story of God’s redemption. The list of tongue-twisting names demonstrates God’s ongoing fulfilment of His promises. At times, the biblical writer list names to show that God has indeed made Israelites as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. In Genesis 46, Jacob blesses his sons, revealing the promised descendants of Abraham. 1 Chronicles catalogs the names of all the Israelites from Adam to the post-exilic community, linking their heritage to the same Abrahamic promise.
Genealogies are also employed to verify the lineage of the three important roles of Prophet, Priest, and King. Our passage today links Moses and Aaron to the Levitical priestly line. Aaron and his sons are to be the priests over the temple of God, offering sacrifices from their community, standing as an intercessor between God and them. Both were deliberately chosen from the tribe of Levi whose sole responsibility would be the care of the tabernacle and then the temple of God. What about a genealogy for prophets? No tribe was designated as a prophetic tribe. God would call each prophet according to the needs of the time and from wherever He pleased. In Genesis 7:1, Moses is called a prophet and would be the mouthpiece for the Lord. No one would surpass Moses as the greatest prophet (Deuteronomy 34:1-12) until the coming of Christ. Question
God’s faithfulness to each of our families looks different. Who in your families have been Christian? Pray for your families and the generations to come.
Challenge: Test your Bible Knowledge: Do you recognize any names in the genealogy?
Devotional #8: First Plague, Water To Blood, Hardened Heart
Scripture
Exodus 7:14-25
14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh's heart is hardened; he refuses to let the people go. 15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning, as he is going out to the water. Stand on the bank of the Nile to meet him, and take in your hand the staff that turned into a serpent. 16 And you shall say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you, saying, “Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness.” But so far, you have not obeyed. 17 Thus says the Lord, “By this you shall know that I am the Lord: behold, with the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water that is in the Nile, and it shall turn into blood. 18 The fish in the Nile shall die, and the Nile will stink, and the Egyptians will grow weary of drinking water from the Nile.”’” 19 And the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, their canals, and their ponds, and all their pools of water, so that they may become blood, and there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, even in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.’”
20 Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded. In the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants he lifted up the staff and struck the water in the Nile, and all the water in the Nile turned into blood. 21 And the fish in the Nile died, and the Nile stank, so that the Egyptians could not drink water from the Nile. There was blood throughout all the land of Egypt. 22 But the magicians of Egypt did the same by their secret arts. So Pharaoh's heart remained hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said. 23 Pharaoh turned and went into his house, and he did not take even this to heart. 24 And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile for water to drink, for they could not drink the water of the Nile. 25 Seven full days passed after the Lord had struck the Nile. Devotional #8: First Plague, Water To Blood, Hardened Heart
The first plague targeted the Nile River, the source of water for drinking and agriculture. When Aaron took his staff and stretched his hands, not only the Nile but every water source became blood. The Nile smelled since all the fish died and the only source of drinking water was found along the Nile. God had challenged the Egyptian gods of the Nile: Hapi, Isis, and Khnua. God alone is sovereign over water and hence over all of life.
A refrain that will echo throughout the ten plagues is the hardness of Pharoah’s heart. No matter how much God would demonstrate his power, Pharoah refused to allow the Israelites to leave and worship Him. Even the magicians of Egypt would copy the miracles, confirming to Pharoah that the Egyptian gods were just as powerful. The stubbornness of Pharoah’s heart will be on full display through the ten plagues. God will eventually show him, Egypt, and the Israelites, that He stands alone as the Sovereign God. Questions
Devotional #9: Second Plague, Frogs, Change Of Mind
Scripture
Exodus 8:1-15
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Let my people go, that they may serve me. 2 But if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will plague all your country with frogs. 3 The Nile shall swarm with frogs that shall come up into your house and into your bedroom and on your bed and into the houses of your servants and your people, and into your ovens and your kneading bowls. 4 The frogs shall come up on you and on your people and on all your servants.”’” 5 And the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers, over the canals and over the pools, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt!’” 6 So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. 7 But the magicians did the same by their secret arts and made frogs come up on the land of Egypt.
8 Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said, “Plead with the Lord to take away the frogs from me and from my people, and I will let the people go to sacrifice to the Lord.” 9 Moses said to Pharaoh, “Be pleased to command me when I am to plead for you and for your servants and for your people, that the frogs be cut off from you and your houses and be left only in the Nile.” 10 And he said, “Tomorrow.” Moses said, “Be it as you say, so that you may know that there is no one like the Lord our God. 11 The frogs shall go away from you and your houses and your servants and your people. They shall be left only in the Nile.” 12 So Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, and Moses cried to the Lord about the frogs, as he had agreed with Pharaoh.[d] 13 And the Lord did according to the word of Moses. The frogs died out in the houses, the courtyards, and the fields. 14 And they gathered them together in heaps, and the land stank. 15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was a respite, he hardened his heart and would not listen to them, as the Lord had said. Devotional #9: Second Plague, Frogs, Change Of Mind
Pharoah refused to let Israel go after the first plague, and so the Lord sent frogs upon the entire land of Egypt. For the third time, the magicians of the Egyptians copied this miracle. This time, Pharoah recognizes that even if his magicians could perform a cheap copy, they could not make the frogs go away. Pharoah appeals to Moses and says he would let the Israelites go if he would stop the plague. Moses appeals to the Lord and the frogs begin to die. But after Pharoah sees that the plague had stopped, he changes his mind and hardens his heart once more. He did not release the Israelites.
The plague of frogs is again a challenge against Egypt’s polytheism. Hapt is the goddess of fertility pictured as a frog. Yet God is the one who is sovereign over the fertility of the people. Perhaps God is telling Pharoah that he cannot control the population of Israel. God is the one who blesses or curses nations. Question
After two plagues, the smell of dead fish and dead frogs would be overwhelming. A reminder to the Egyptians that their gods of the Nile and fertility were no match for the God of Israel. As God’s people we unfortunately allow ourselves to live with the stench of disobedience and sin—selfishness, pride, lust, hatred, etc…. What ways can we help each other hate sin and love righteousness?
Challenge: What are the four Egyptian god names we encountered so far?
Prayer Time
(Closing Prayer by head of household) -- Lord's Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, The power, and the glory, Forever and ever. Amen.
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