Exodus 1-3

by Paul Ice

Coincidence or Providence?

Three things from today’s passage that struck me.

1. Exodus 1 and 2 gives us the story of Moses.  From the very beginning God worked in special ways to preserve Moses’ life.  Even when Moses blew it and had to flee the country, God used that event in his life to bring about His purpose.  The interesting part is that God tells us he has a plan for each of us from the beginning.  When we get older we also can look back and see the story that God was working in our lives.

2. Since we have learned so much about Egypt in the last 100 years through archeology, it is fascinating to read these accounts in Exodus.  “They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses . . . So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field. In all their work they ruthlessly made them work as slaves.“  I wonder how much of what we know about Egypt today was built by God’s people.  And “Raamses,” that rings a bell doesn’t it.

3. And chapter 3: Don’t you sometimes wish God would just speak out loud his plan for you.  This way we would know exactly what he wants, and we would follow him no matter what.  Well, read chapter 3 and see Moses’ reaction.  I’m sure we would probably react the same way.  It has always been a matter of faith.