Exodus 10-12

Exodus 10-12

This year, I plan on reading the Old Testament of the Bible within the 2012 calendar year. Follow me on this journey! Please, if you have questions or comments... let me know! 

Scripture Thought (What I Learned):

Chapter 10: Darkness and Plagues

                The Lord tells Moses to go in unto Pharaoh and ask him (as if God was speaking) "...how long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me? Let me people go, that they may serve me." (Exodus 10:3)

                God tells Moses that he continues to harden Pharaoh's heart that he might bring about these plagues to show Egypt his power. Moses asks Pharaoh to let the people go and he asks Moses who will be going. Moses responds with everyone and Pharaoh tells him and Aaron to go and serve the Lord and removes them from his presence. So the Lord tells Moses to stretch his rod over the land of Egypt to bring the locusts. 

The Locusts come and cover the land, Pharaoh tells Moses and Aaron that he has sinned and Moses has a strong wind blow the Locusts into the Red Sea, but again the Lord hardens Pharaoh's heart and refuses to let them go. So the Lord commands Moses to stretch his hand toward heaven and cause a thick darkness to cover the land of Egypt for 3 days. Pharaoh agrees to let the Hebrews go, but does not agree to let the animals go with them. Moses tells Pharaoh that they need sacrifices and must go with the animals. Pharaoh's heart is hardened and tells Moses to come in unto him no more, or else he will have him killed. So Moses promises to not come back to see Pharaoh.

Chapter 11: Promise to Slay

                The Lord tells Moses that one more plague will occur in the land of Egypt, and then Pharaoh will let the Hebrew people go, but to be ready to quickly leave all together when the moment is right.

                All of the firstborn of the land of Egypt shall be killed at midnight, except the Hebrew first born children.

Chapter 12: The Passover

                The Lord speaks unto Moses and Aaron; "This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you." (Exodus 12:2) The Passover.

                Every household is to gather an unblemished male lamb of its first year; kill it and eat it. Then they are commanded to take the blood and strike it on two side posts and on the upper door post. They are commanded to eat the meat that night with unleavened bread and only cooked by fire. If meat is left after the feast it must be burned.

                The blood shall be a token for the Hebrews that when the Lord sees the blood he will pass by the house and will not destroy it. This will be an ordinance for the Jews for ever. But we learn in the Book of Mormon (when Jesus visited the Lamanites in America) that he will no longer require offerings, besides a broken heart and a contrite spirit (3 Nephi 9:19-20).

                In the first seven days the Hebrews are commanded to only eat unleavened bread. Anyone caught with leaven or eating leavened bread during those seven days shall be cut off from the presence of Israel. On the first day there will be a Holy Meeting and on the seventh day as well.   

                So the Lord commands them to do this and the night comes, at midnight the Lord killed all of the first born of the land of Egypt. Pharaoh wakes up in the morning and finds that in every house throughout Egypt there is at least one dead. Pharaoh calls Moses and tells him to gather all their people and things and make haste. The Egyptians push the Hebrews out of the land, for fear of more dead. The Egyptians give them what they need, supplies, jewels etc. The Israelites had spent a total of 430 years in the land of Egypt.

                The Hebrews leave Egypt and Moses tells them that no stranger may participate in the Passover without first being circumcised.