Exodus

Good morning sisters and brothers,
After nine previous plagues failed to convince Pharaoh to release Israel, God kills the first-born son of all the Egyptians. This is one of those stories in the Bible that I sometimes wish wasn't there. I love God's power and the fact that God acts for the oppressed, but I wish there was less "collateral damage" of God's salvation here. At the same time we know in history and in the news that pride, greed and stupidity on the part of powerful people doesn't just hurt them. The powerful almost always involve others in their mistakes as well. For better or for worse people are not islands; our actions affect others. So as we remember Israel's salvation, we also remember the cost. We pray for wisdom in our own lives to seek the well-being of all people as we consider our actions.

God bless,
Sam

Exodus 12:29-36

29At midnight the Lord struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the prisoner who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of the livestock. 30Pharaoh arose in the night, he and all his officials and all the Egyptians; and there was a loud cry in Egypt, for there was not a house without someone dead. 31Then he summoned Moses and Aaron in the night, and said, “Rise up, go away from my people, both you and the Israelites! Go, worship the Lord, as you said. 32Take your flocks and your herds, as you said, and be gone. And bring a blessing on me too!”


33The Egyptians urged the people to hasten their departure from the land, for they said, “We shall all be dead.” 34So the people took their dough before it was leavened, with their kneading bowls wrapped up in their cloaks on their shoulders. 35The Israelites had done as Moses told them; they had asked the Egyptians for jewelry of silver and gold, and for clothing, 36and the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked. And so they plundered the Egyptians.