Some Like it Hot
Exodus 9:8-12

Moses, still apparently in shorthand mode, tells us that God sends he and Aaron back with specific instructions for the next plague. No description of the pleads to go and worship, but I think it's implied, especially from the outcome of the plague.

They are to take handfuls of soot- and Moses is to throw them in the air. This soot will become dust and cause men and animals to break out in boils. The magicians don't even get the chance to try to match boil to boil because their boils are so bad that they can't stand before the dynamic duo. No mention of the Israelites being spared here- but maybe it should be implied as well- it references the boils that were "on them [the magicians] and all the Egyptians."

Two things are interesting to me here. First, why has Moses become the first author of Cliff's Notes. Don't get me wrong, I'm appreciative. These plague accounts are quite repetitive which tends to soften the drama. But it's interesting to me that Moses goes into shorthand here- when there are so many other sections of the Bible that might liven up with the work of a good editor (genealogies for example).

Obviously, God's constructing a plan for our salvation- and not trying to script a nail-biting, edge of your seat thrill ride- although parts of His story certainly live up to that hype. I just wonder why Moses shorthands the plagues.

Secondly, I'm struck by the diversity of plague delivery. Sometimes it's flashy- grab the soot and give 'er a good throw. And sometimes the plagues just happen. You get the feel they were spoken into being. I'm sure there's a rationale- if nothing more than God's whim- but like Moses- maybe there are times when God feels like making a big production- and others where He's just interested in forwarding the plot- putting the pieces in motion.

Maybe it all comes down to the mood of God. I think we tend to think of God's plan as cogs all clicking together toward the end result. And while I certainly believe that God has a final result in mind for both me and the world in general that will come to pass- maybe much of what He does depends on His mood.

No real definitive proof- except He does seem to change His mind now and again.

So does Pharoah. This time it doesn't sound like he ever considered letting them go. God hardens his heart, and he won't listen to a word they say.

Steak Buffett

Exodus 9: 1-7

Same story, next verse. This time livestock is in danger. If they don't value their health...we'll hit them in the wallets- or their stomachs. Either way it has the same result- hardening of the heart. The story seems to be told in an abbreviated format too. Even Moses is getting bored with it.

Just like last time, the Israelites were protected. But all around them total devastation. I wonder what it would have been like to be an average Joe (or Joseph) in this era. If you're an Egyptian you see an unyielding tyrant of a leader determined to have his way. As you look around you, your way of life is crumbling- you've endured horrible plagues, your livelihood has been stripped from you (if you depend on livestock for your way of life)- and it could all be spared so easily.

If you're an Israelite, you look around and see devastation- unable to change any of it. Granted, the context creates a little different picture than haves and have-nots. These are the captors suffering while the slaves thrive, but I wonder if the Israelites felt vindication, or pity. Look at what these people are enduring...and it's not their fault. Did they pray for the Egyptians? Did they offer them some of what they had? Or did they smirk and gloat?

And how do react today?

Come Fly With Me

Exodus 8: 20-32


So God tells Moe to meet Pharaoh at the watering hole early one morning and threaten an infiltration of flies if he won't relent and let God's people go and worship. He tells him that God will differentiate between His people and the Egyptians- Israelites will be fly-free while the Egyptians will be longing for some of those frogs to relieve some of their insectitude.

Interesting that God spares his own people this time- and not the other times (apparently, since it seems to be a novel thing in this reading). Maybe the lesson here can help us deal with our own issues, traumas and plagues. When we experience annoying or even painful experiences, it may not be a test for us (rain falling on the just and unjust, etc) but maybe sometimes these pains are the results of someone else's test- someone else's poor decisions- someone else's failure. The short term results don't change (our car still gets wrecked, our friend still gets cancer, there sure are a lot flies in the backyard)- but maybe it helps us to cope knowing that these things aren't because of something we've done- or some judgment made at our expense.

Secondly, when we move in the right direction things often get worse before they get better. The Israelites went through a lot- much of it deserved- but some of their suffering wasn't a reflection of their own shortcomings- their insistence to go and worship actually caused much of it. If Moses had let this sleeping dog lie, at least short-term, they would have been spared some of these atrocities. But instead, before they reached the land of milk and honey (dairy queen?) they endured a lot.

So Pharaoh calls Moe and Aaron back and says- what say you guys just worship here? Reasonable compromise? But they'll have none of it- our sacrifices won't go over well with the locals...and we'd just as soon not get stoned.

Interesting here. In an era where many evangelicals see fit to cram their specific brand of religion (dairy queen?) down the throat of anyone who differs, the Israelites preferred to take their worship off privately- far from the view of those that would object. Yes, for their own safety- but if God could send plagues of flies, surely he could protect his worshippers from flying stones if He so chose.

Fine Moses- take your people and go to the desert- just don't go too far! So Moses prays for Pharaoh- interesting in and of itself- and the next day the flies are gone. But inexplicably, when the flies fly away, so does Pharaoh's grace. And he says- make your people stay.

I wonder at what point Moses and Aaron start to question the productiveness of this mission. Cool mireacles, but we aren't getting anywhere. Maybe the big point here is that things happen in God's time, not ours.