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Sunday 20 July 2014

Exodus chapter 6



EXODUS

 CHAPTER 

6


1. Then the LORD said to Moses, "Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh indeed, by a mighty hand he will let them go; by a mighty hand he will drive them out of his land."

(Exodus chapter 6 verse 1)


Now that  the Hebrew taskmasters had summoned up their courage and did their share of the intervention before the Pharaoh even, though without having achieved the desired success, now it was God's time to intervene with all His might and power. This may come as a shock for some. Some people may have portrayed God as being the sweet baby of Bethlehem as in the New Testament, however God is just, mighty and powerful as much as He is sweet and kind. God is able to use the powers of nature on our behalf, and unleash forces beyond the comprehension of humanity. The power of praise is enough to stimulate God to act in full force on our behalf. God hates to see us suffer. He loves us so much. At times the needed power is within us, while at other times it is beyond us. However God is always the primary source of all positive energy that He unleashes for our benefit and that of humanity.


2. God also spoke to Moses and said to him: " I am the LORD. 3. I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name 'The LORD' I did not make myself known to them. 4. I also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they resided as aliens. 5 I have also heard the groaning of the Israelites whom the Egyptians are holding as slaves, and I have remembered my covenant. 6. Say therefore to the Israelites, 'I am the LORD, and I will free you from the burdens of the Egyptians and deliver you from slavery to them. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of Judgement. 7. I will take you as my people, and I will be your God. You shall know that I am the LORD your God, who has freed you from the burdens of the Egyptians. 6. I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; I will give it to you for a possession I am the LORD.' 9. Moses told this to the Israelites; but they would not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and their cruel slavery.


(Exodus chapter 6 verses 2 to 9)


God senses our fears and frustration. Moses was in hot water up to his neck buffeted by his brothers the Hebrew chosen people of God from one side, the Pharaoh from the other side and God from the other side. God kept on insisting that He was their God and that He would deliver the people from the bondage of Egypt and keep the promise that He had made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.


At times we end up in a situation where we say, 'Oh God! 'I truly believe in You, I also believe that Your will be done but please do something! I cannot take it anymore, I have no more cards to play, my situation is desperate, my life, my family, my career is all falling apart, Heeeeeeeeeeeeelp me please. That is the time when God gives us His loving smile and says:


"I am in control do not worry, rest assured that I permitted these things to happen for your own good, in the same way I can restore order in your life, when you have passed the test and fulfilled My will instead of yours in the given situation. Trust in Me and  I will deliver you from the situation, for I am Your father and your are my flesh and blood."


10. Then the LORD spoke to Moses, 11. 'Go and tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites go out of his land." 12. But Moses spoke to the LORD, "The Israelites have not listened to me; how then shall Pharaoh listen to me, poor speaker that I am?" 13. Thus the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron and gave them orders regarding the Israelites and Pharaoh king of Egypt, charging them to free the Israelites from the land of Egypt.

(Exodus chapter 6 verses 10 to 13)


God insists to Moses that he was to obey God rather than me and face the opposition even though the latter was becoming stronger and more demanding on both the people and on Moses and Aaron. Although Moses had been given the signs in order to demonstrate that he was from God, Moses was still thinking as a human. When we are under stress the two commands that our brain gives us is either to fight or that of flight. Moses was already tired from fighting and now he was considering that of fleeing from the situation by trying to convince God that he was not his man for the job. However God reminded Moses, that in order to help Moses, God had sent him his brother Aaron as support to compensate for his weakness. When we calm down and look around us, we will become aware that even though our situation appears bleak it is not hopeless. God gives us other alternatives that when under stress we are not able to become aware of them.



In order to reduce the tension of this chapter the biblical author as inspired by God distracts us the readers of this chapter by changing the subject, the main issue at hand. Therefore we are directed on to a more positive note that shows us how much the people of God had continued to grow while experiencing the bondage of Egypt. As God had promised Abraham out of his line of descent, a new nation will come to be, that would be uncountable like the stars in heaven and the sand on the seashore.



14. The following are the heads of their ancestral houses; the sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron and Carmi; these are the families of Reuben. 15. The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman; these are the families of Simeon. 16 The following are the names of the sons of Levi according to their genealogies: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, and the length of Levi's life was one hundred thirty seven years. 17. The sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimel by their families. 18. The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, and the length of Kohath's life was one hundred thirty three years. 19. The sons of Merari: Mh.li and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their genealogies. 20 Amram married Jochebed his father's sister and she bore him Aaron and Moses, and the length of Amram's life was one hundred thirty-seven years. 21. The sons of Izhar: Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri. 22. The sons of Uzziel: Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri. 23. Aaron married Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab and sister of Nahshon, and she bore him Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 24. The sons of KOrah: Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph: these are the families of the Korahites. 25 Aaron's son Eleazar married one of the daughters of Putiel, and she bore him Phinehas. These are the heads of the ancestral houses of the Levites by their families.

(Exodus chapter 6 verses 14 to 25)



After having read verses 14 to 25 please refer to the updated list carried forward from  Genesis chapter 25 of this Bible Analysis (19 June 2014)




Kohath lived 133 years fathered sons 

Ishmael lived for 137 years

Levi lived 137 years and fathered sons 

Amram lived 137 years (father of Aaron and Moses)

Jacob lived 147 years

Abram fathered children when he was eighty-six years old (died at 175 years)

Shem when 100 years old fathered children and died at 500 year

Shem when 100 years old fathered children and died at 500 years

Arpachshad when 35 years old fathered children and died at 400 years.

Arpachshad when 35 years old fathered children and died at 400 years.

Shelah when 30 years old fathered children and died at 403 years.

Shelah when 30 years old fathered children and died at 403 years.
Eber fathered children when 34 years old and died at 430 years.

Eber fathered children when 34 years old and died at 430 years


Serug fathered children at 30 years old and died at 200 years

Serug fathered children at 30 years old and died at 200 years.

Reu fathered children at 32 years old and died at 207 years.


Reu fathered children at 32 years old and died at 207 years
Peleg fathered children at 30 years old and died at 209 years.


Peleg fathered children at 30 years old and died at 209 years.
Nahor fathered children at 29 years old.

Isaac 60 years old when fathering children




Nahor fathered children at 29 years old.


(Genesis Chapter 25 of this Bible Analysis)


26. It was this same Aaron and Moses to whom the LORD said, "Bring the Israelites out of the land of Egypt, company by company." 27 It was they who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt to bring the Israelites out of Egypt, the same Moses and Aaron.

(Exodus chapter 6 verses 26 to 27)

The biblical author seems to make a special emphasis on the identity of Aaron and Moses thus reflecting the special role that God had assigned them to fulfil.


I would like to end this chapter with the following prayer:


Oh God Lord Almighty blessed be Your Name both in heaven and on earth.  I would like to thank You for the roles that you have given me throughout the days of my life. Thank You for making me a father to my daughter Maria, a husband to my wife Shirley, a friend to Mr. Devain Pewar, a friend to all my friends on face book, Twitter and G+, a colleague at my place of work, a Christian and brother to the World, thanks for the followers and readers of this Analysis, even if you have read it only once, and not least the co author of this Analysis with the help of God who is the real author.


Thank You for all the support you have never stopped giving me throughout all these years of reflecting and praying on Your Word. Thanks for those moments of persecution when I had to delete 28 chapters of this Analysis of the Bible. Thanks You  for having changed the negative outcome to a positive one. Thanks for the moments of stress and agony that I have experienced in my life. Thank You for delivering me from many trying situations. 

Thank You God


  

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