Pillars - the ongoing presence of God with the peopleHardening Pharaoh's heart - again, is this for sure God spoke this or a later interpretation of why Pharaoh keeps doing what he doesIsraelites' reaction to the Egyptians returning?  Fear.  They have been conditioned to this - they haven't seen the full power and ongoing presence of God.  Understandable that they would react this wayLove this lin...  Read More

First part of this feels like a bit of a later addition.  Steps out of the narrativeThe deaths of the firstborn - heartbreaking.  Not to be celebrated.  Why couldn't there have been a different way?Huge numbers - 600,000 men not including women and children430 years they were in Egypt.  Generations.  And at the end, again a step out of the narrative - laws being to be introduced Healing of the bli...  Read More

The beginnings of the Passover.  It is hard to take this story because it is the innocents who are being punished for the Pharaoh's stubbornness.  But unfortunately isn't that how life always is?  The powerful don't face the same sufferings... Parable now to illustrate what Jesus just said in the previous verse.  Last first, first last.  The story now begins to shift towards Jerusalem - on the way...  Read More

Did God harden Pharaoh's heart or is that just an interpretation to try to explain why he was so hard headed?How do we see modern parallels to the Pharaoh and his responses and actions? Children again - and the disciples not getting it (again).  But...how do we do the same?How do you experience wealth and possessions getting in the way of discipleship?Was Jesus' command to the rich man a blanket c...  Read More

Moses - when it got hard, he wanted to give up.  Again pretty human.  Watch for his growth through the story though6:3 - "I did not make myself known to them" - feels like an acknoweldgment that the form of faith was still not fully there for the Hebrew people.  God was still (and is still) speakingGenealogy - notice that we learn the parents of Moses hereIs the "hardening" an interpretation of "w...  Read More

Moses - so human.  Resisting the call, giving excuses, as all of us have done and still do.  Moses lies to Jethro, his father-in-law about why he wants to go back to Egypt4:24 - I feel like there's a story or something that got lost in the communication here of why this happensThe oppression of the Hebrews - a story as old as time and continues to repeat itself to the modern day What does a child'...  Read More

Moses - murderer.  Yes to save another but a murderer nonethelessNote - another "Well" momentHoly Ground - the place where we learn the deepest truth of the world?Name of God - truly this is an unpronounceable and nearly-impossible-to-translate word Why did Matthew put this healing here.  No other healings around this one.  Temple tax - another one that I am honestly not sure what to do with it Ps...  Read More

When the days of weeping for him were past.  What a beautiful description of grief.  Joseph's graceWhat was the progression of the Egyptians' hatred for the Hebrews?Courage of two women - Shiphrah and Puah - Moses would likely not have survived without their courageous disobedience Who do you say that I am?  Who do others say Jesus is?  How do we put ourselves in the way of God's work?Reading the ...  Read More

Cycles repeating themselves is a theme in the Bible.  The last first, the first last.  Where else have you seen this?Last blessing - yikes.  Better to be flatly honest in the blessing or not?Jacob - gathered to his people.  Once again, I love this phrase.   Healing on the Mount - and then a feeding on the mount!Request for a sign - Oh how we are never satisfiedJesus uses yeast here in a negative w...  Read More

This Jacob has become so different.  Do we allow space for people to truly change?  "We are more than the worst mistake we ever made" - Bryan StevensonVerse 28 - how does your translation cover it?  In the Hebrew, it is simply "he".  However, NRSV says "Israel" - example of an interpretation decisionJoseph acknowledges the prejudices of the EgyptiansBut notice what Joseph and the Pharaoh do when t...  Read More

The reveal - so now that it is all "out" - how do you feel about what Joseph did?  Serves his brothers right?  Over the top?  Other?Joseph - Coming to see God's hand in how things turned out.  But was it that God guided the whole thing or that God worked in the midst of it?  Changes our way of understanding God depending on our answer?  What a gift for Jacob to hear that Joseph is alive Context - ...  Read More

Joseph feels like he's really piling on here.  Remember Joseph's dream that he had back in the day?  Well, it is fulfilled here.  His brothers bowing down to himI call this section "grace-ish" from Joseph Another kingdom parable - justice and choosingMessage translation of 13:52 - Helps me in the understanding of what is said there - He said, “Then you see how every student well-trained in God’s k...  Read More