Baby Moses is Sent Down the River, Beware Immorality

Today’s Reading:
• Exodus 1 - 2:10
• Proverbs 5: 1-6

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Exodus 1 - 2:10
At the end of Genesis the Israelites moved to Egypt where Joseph was second in command the entire nation.  Pharaoh knew what Joseph had done for him and was good to him.  In time, however, that Pharaoh died and a new Pharaoh came to power.  He realized that the Israelites were dangerously prolific and soon outnumbered the Egyptians.  He ordered the Israelites to be slaves and worked them very hard.  That only backfired as the Israelites multiplied even more quickly.  So the Pharaoh gave his famous order to kill all sons born to the Israelites.

The Pharaoh first ordered the midwives to kill the sons but they refused out of fear of God.  He then sent the order that all of the sons of Israelites should be thrown into the Nile River.  Forget the fact that the Pharaoh does not know God -- but where is that man's conscience?  How can someone order such a thing and then later live with themselves?  I know that we as a people have a sinful nature, but I don't think the majority of those who never did and never will know God could do such a thing as that.

I would be interested to know how many people followed the Pharaoh's orders, and the measures they took to hide their babies.  Was there a safe age for a boy child to reach?  Let's say they managed to hide a boy for 2-3 years, was he safe at that point if they brought him out?  How long was this order under effect?

The final section of the reading is one of my favorite parts of the story of Moses.  Moses's mother left him in a basket on the banks of the river in hopes that he would survive.  Not only did he survive, but the princess herself found him and then paid the mother of Moses to raise and nurse the child for awhile.  It says that Moses was brought back when he was older to be adopted by the princess.

How old was Moses when his mother brought him back to the princess?  How old was the sister, who watched in the weeds and suggested to the princess a woman to nurse the child?  I know it was all God's work, but did the princess suspect or know that the woman was Moses's own mother?  Regardless, the bottom line is God is GREAT and through him all things are possible, and these passages contain but one small example of His great works.

Proverbs 5: 1- 6
These first few verses of the fifth Proverb warn men to stay away from immoral women.  The immoral woman has lips as sweet as honey and a mouth that is smoother than oil (5:3), but in the end she is poison, she is dangerous,  and her feet lead to death (5:4-5).  Of course this verse is written to the men, but it certainly applies to women as well.  It applies to the women who are tempted to have an extramarital affair as well as those who are doing the tempting.

In those days a person really could be put to death for adultery.  These days, in the United States, that doesn't happen as often, although crimes of passion do occur.  In some countries it's not uncommon for a woman to be put to death (by her own family even!) if it is found that she isn't a virgin when she gets married.  Regardless of whether or not one will actually be put to death for having immoral sex, in the end it's still your relationship with God that winds up tarnished.  You can be forgiven and you can be cleansed, but each and every sin keeps you from becoming as close to God as you could and should be.  In the end, it's you who loses out.

Jacob Migrates to Egypt, Do Not Do as the Wicked Do

Today's Reading:
• Genesis 46:1 - 47:31
• Proverbs 4:14 - 19

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Genesis 46:1 - 47:31

Joseph's family moved from Canaan to the land of Goshen in Egypt.  The NLT version of the bible says that there were 70 total descendants of Jacob and that all made the journey to Egypt.  When they arrived they were given the very best land of Egypt to choose from.  I can hardly comprehend how well regarded Joseph was; to have Pharaoh tell Joseph to take the best of all his land had to offer for a full 70 people is extreme.  No doubt about it, Joseph was highly blessed for his faithful service.

Jacob was 130 years old when he moved to Egypt.  Then he lived 17 more years after that!  I noticed how Jacob said that he was old, but not as old as his ancestors (47:9).  I wonder what the average lifespan was?  Was it only Jacob who was especially blessed with long life?  We think about how much the lifespan has increased in the last century or two, and we feel accomplished to have an average lifespan of 78+ years.  Yet the bible tells of these incredibly long lives.  I have already seen it mentioned many times that if you follow the Lord wholeheartedly and listen to His wisdom and live right, you will be blessed with long life.  I wonder what the correlation is between current long life and being a Christian.  I'm not sure how we would even being to test that though, since we cannot see into a person's heart to see their true relationship with God.

The famine continued to worsen, and Joseph doled out food to all.  First the people spent all their money on the food.  Then they spent all their livestock.  Finally, they sold Joseph all their land and promised their work to Pharaoh.  By the time the famine was done, Joseph obtained all the money of Egypt, all the livestock, and all of the land except that of the priests for Pharaoh.  Joseph also gave the people seed to grow crops, and told them they could keep all but one-fifth of their produce -- that part would be given to Pharaoh.

Such overwhelming responsibility was given to Joseph when he was told to prepare for this famine, yet he succeeded with flying colors.  How could he not, when the Lord chose him?  Through all of Joseph's major trials in life, never did he give up and never did he lose his spirit.  Some might argue say that they're tired of hearing the old story of Joseph, but Joseph was such an amazing example of how we should always trust the Lord and never give up.   Even in the worst situations in life, the Lord is there with us.  And the Lord has something planned for us that is better than we could ever have imagined. 

Proverbs 4:14 - 19
The message of these few verses are direct and simple: do not do as the wicked do.  Turn away, walk away in righteousness.  Being wicked is like being in complete darkness.  Or, like so many of our parents like to say: "If all your friends jumped off a bridge, would you jump too?"  Don't let the wickedness of others, the sins of others, the wrong doing of others, influence you to do what you know that you should not.  

Joseph Reveals Himself to his Brothers: True Forgiveness

Today's Reading:
• Genesis 44:1 - 45:28
• Proverbs 4:11 - 13

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Genesis 44:1 - 45:28
Finally I got to read about how Joseph told his brothers who he really was.  I thought perhaps the telling would be full of vengeance.  After all, Joseph was tormenting his brothers quite a bit by constantly baiting their bags with stolen goods.  He had manipulated them into bringing Benjamin to Egypt and then tried to keep Benjamin in Egypt as a slave.  But when Joseph confronted his brothers, he didn't even let them take any blame.  He told them not to be angry with themselves, for God did this so that they might have food to eat and not starve to death.  That is perfectly true forgiveness and serves as an example to us all.

Proverbs 4:11 - 13
These few versus from Proverbs tells us that if we listen to the Lord, learn and obey his teachings, and walk His straight path, that the Lord will give us a long good life.  Amen to that!

Joseph's Brothers Return to Egypt with Benjamin

Today's Reading:
• Genesis 42:18 - 43:34
• Proverbs 4:7 - 10

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Genesis 42:18 - 43:34

Joseph imprisoned Simeon and sent the rest of his brothers back to their home with instructions to bring back their youngest brother when they return.  Only then would Simeon be allowed to go free.  Joseph had the brothers' sacks filled with grain, and returned the payment for the grain on top of the bag. The brothers then went on their way.

The brothers returned home and told Jacob what had happened.  Jacob was devastated -- he had already lost Joseph, the son he loved so well, and now he had lost Simeon to prison.  And if the brothers had their way, Jacob would also lose Benjamin.  The thought was surely unbearable for Jacob and he stalled sending them off as long as possible.  The brothers remained until they were almost out of grain then once again begged Jacob to send Benjamin with them.  Jacob reluctantly agreed and the brothers returned to Egypt.  When they returned Joseph called for them to dine at his home.  There is where the story ends for today.

Proverbs 4:7 - 10

Wisdom and good judgement are two of the most important traits you can seek for yourself.  I have seen "Wisdom" referred to over and over again in Proverbs.  Referred to as a "she", she should be embraced and shared with others.  What makes a person wise, aside from life experience? 

Conclusion
I enjoy reading many different parts of the Bible each day.  It certainly helps me to not get bored or discouraged.  I don't have to "get through" all of the Old Testament to get to the accounts of Jesus.  But sometimes I wish that the stories weren't broken up so because I really want to read what happens next.  Yes, I know what happens next, and yes, I've read this far before in the Old Testament -- but I still want to see what happens next all over again.  Oh well, gives me something to look forward to!

Joseph is Put in Charge of Storing Crops for Egypt

Today's Reading:
• Genesis 41:17 - 42:17
  
• Proverbs 4:1 - 6
  

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Genesis 41:17 - 42:17
The story of Joseph is continued.  The Pharaoh of Egypt told Joseph of his dreams and Joseph told the Pharaoh there will be seven years of overabundance followed by seven years of famine so severe that everyone will forget the previous years had been so good.  Joseph told the Pharaoh to collect 1/5 of all crops during the next seven years and store them.

The Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of this matter.  Not only did he put him in charge of this task, he gave him such high status that Joseph himself was second only to the Pharaoh.  We are told that the entire kingdom bowed before Joseph himself.  The will and grace of God is truly outstanding, isn't it?  Joseph was bleakly sold into slavery, betrayed by his brothers and put into prison for a crime he refused to commit.  But then Joseph is positioned to rule all of Egypt.

The story of Joseph is such an astounding story because it proves that just because we don't see God's will when bad things happen, that doesn't mean it doesn't happen for a reason, and we are never forgotten in God's eyes.  Not only are we not forgotten, but we are exalted by the Lord for keeping our faith in Him during our times of tribulation.

Joseph's brothers then come to Egypt to buy grain.  Immediately upon arriving in Egypt his brothers all bow down before him, just as Joseph said would happen in his dream years before.  The reading ends with Joseph talking of imprisoning all the brothers except one until they return with their youngest brother Benjamin.


Proverbs 4:1 - 6
These verses from Proverbs teach us to listen to our Father; His wisdom, learning and correction is there to keep us safe so that we will live.  Thank you Lord for allowing me the great gift of being your daughter, for passing along your wisdom to me, for keeping me safe.  Amen.

Joseph is Sent to Prison

Today's Reading:
• Genesis 39:1 - 41:16
• Proverbs 3:33-35

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Genesis 39:1 - 41:16

Today I continued to read the story of Joseph.  Joseph was sold as a servant to the Egyptian captain of the guard.  Joseph succeeded in everything he did because the Lord was with him and soon Joseph was put in charge of his master's household, which in turn greatly succeeded.  But then the wife of Potiphar (Joseph's master) decided that she wanted to be with Joseph.  When Joseph refused her advances again and again, Potiphar's wife accused Joseph of rape.  Joseph was sent to prison.

Even in prison Joseph greatly succeeded.  Once again he was given a leadership role and was in charge of all the prisoners and all that happened in the prison.  To think by this point Joseph has been betrayed, sold into slavery, lied against and imprisoned for false reasons, yet the Lord was with him every step of the way.  Every step of the way, the Lord helped Joseph to prosper in everything he touched.  How many of us would have been discouraged and completely fed up with God by the time all that happened to us?  Yet Joseph kept his faith in the Lord, and the Lord kept him quite well.

In prison Joseph met two men -- a baker and a cup bearer -- who were imprisoned by the Pharaoh.  They each had dreams and Joseph interpreted those dreams through God.  Joseph never once claimed to interpret those dreams himself.  Instead he gave credit to God before he had even been told the dream.  Joseph evaluated the dreams with the Lord's understanding and told the cup-bearer he would be restored to his position and the baker would be put to death, impaled upon a pole.  Both would happen in three days time.  Sure enough, the dreams came true.

Joseph continued to sit in prison for another two years (I don't know how long he was in prison before that, I don't think it says, or if it did, I missed it), until the Pharaoh had a strong dream.  None could tell him what the dream meant.  That is when the cup-bearer spoke up and told the Pharaoh about Joseph.  Today's reading stops just before the Pharaoh tells Joseph what his dream was.

Proverbs 3:33-35

Three simple verses with three simple truths: the Lord blesses those who do right by him, who are humble, and who are wise.  Those who are wicked are cursed; those who scorn are scorned, and those who are foolish will be shamed.  Such simple rules, yet they can be very hard at times to adhere to. 

Joseph is Sold Into Slavery; Judah Impregnates Tumar

Today's Reading:
• Genesis 37:1 - 38:30
• Proverbs 3:27-32

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Genesis 37:1 - 38:30

We begin the reading today by being introduced to a famous man of the bible: Joseph.  Joseph is Jacob's favorite son.  The introduction of Joseph jumps right into his dreams; dreams where his brothers, the sun and the universe all bow before him.  If I had those dreams, I think I  would wonder what those dreams meant myself, but I'm not sure I would I have told my entire family that I dreamed that one day they would all bow before me.  In today's times, birthright rank does not seem to be taken as severely as it was then.  I imagine the thought of all the elder brothers bowing before Joseph was not only absurd, but highly offensive. Nonetheless this does not give cause for what the brothers did.  The brothers sold Joseph into slavery (Judah convinced his brothers to do this instead of leaving Joseph for dead) and dipped Joseph's lovely coat, given to him by Jacob, into blood and sent it back to their father.  Joseph was taken to Egypt.  

In chapter 38 we learned that Judah left the encampment and married a Canaanite woman, Hirah.  I wonder, did Judah leave out of guilt for what they did to Joseph?  Judah had three sons, the first of which (Er) married a woman named Tamar.  The bible says that Er was wicked and therefore the Lord killed him.  Judah then instructed his second son, Onan, to marry Tamar and produce an heir for his brother.  Onan married Tamar as instructed.  He slept with her but would not leave his seed inside her to become pregnant.  I find that entirely loathsome and hurtful.  Apparently the Lord was also outraged because he also killed Onan.  Judah then promised Tamar he would give his third son, Shelah, to Tamar when he was of age, but Judah lied.  He did not want Shelah to die as his other two sons had.

Tamar decided she would have her heir, so she disguised herself as a prostitute and waited for Judah.  Judah took the bait and slept with Tamar, who then became pregnant with twins.  What amazes me is that Judah called for Tamar to be burned for acting like a prostitute, yet what about him?  He also solicited sex from a prostitute.  Tamar then informed Judah that he was the father of her babies by showing him the belongings he left with her.  Judah then proclaimed that she was more righteous than he, because he should have given Shelah to her as he had promised.  When Tamar's twins were born, one twin started to emerge first, when the other twin managed to somehow get ahead of his brother and come out first. 

Proverbs 3:27-32

The verse that stuck out most to me in this set is verse 3:27.  It tells us not to withhold good from those who deserve it, and to help those who ask for it right now.  Of course it's not going to be convenient for us, it rarely is.  But don't turn it away.  If someone needs your help -- emotional, financial, spiritual, physical -- give it to them right now, right when they need it.  This verse stuck out most to be because I know I could go out of my way more than I do to help those in need.  Too often do I find excuses to why the time is not now right to help them.  I must be must more conscious of this and not only take opportunities to help others, but to also seek out ways to help those that do not come to me.

The Birth of Jesus Christ

Today's Reading:

• Matthew 1:1-2:12
• Psalm 1:1-6

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Matthew 1:1-2:12

Let me start by saying that I can’t believe I haven’t never attempted a bible reading plan before. All of my other attempts have been to read straight through, and I’ve never made it further than Leviticus. Therefore it was so exciting to read part of Matthew. I actually got to read about the birth of Jesus on my second day of bible study. 

I was dismayed when I immediately came to a generation list, but all that changed when I realized I recognized so many of the names in that list. Jesus came from the noblest of lines! I guess I should have realized that, and I know that I’ve heard it, but I just hadn’t seen it for myself. Another thing that amazes me when I read these lists is that they could even keep track of 42 generations. These days one has to really dig back to get their lineage, but I guess back then they kept that information going forward instead of trying to trace their way back.

The second chapter told about the virgin Mary and the angel appearing to Joseph. I have heard the story over and over again, but what I failed to realize was that Joseph had decided to break off the engagement directly before he was spoken to. I had always heard stuff like “he had his doubts,” but I didn’t know he had called the whole marriage off.

It's hard to even imagine how an unwed pregnancy would affect anyone back then when we live in such different times now. I wonder about the events that led up to that point. How many people knew she was pregnant? What happened to women back then who became pregnant, yet had no one to marry?

Psalm 1:1-6

 1 Oh the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.

The closer I try to become to God, the more I realize how just being in sinful situations tears me away from his presence. It seems I don’t have to “join in with mockers”, because just “stand[ing] around with sinners” is enough to bring me down. I am working at tearing myself away from these situations, but I still surround myself with people and situations that I just shouldn’t be in. I am getting better and I shall continue to work on it.