Monday, January 30, 2012

Bible Reading Challenge - Week 5 Day 1 Exodus 12-16

Our reading challenge for the day is Exodus 12-16. I'll hit a few highlights. You make comments too and fill in the gaps. What strikes you as specially significant?

Exodus 12-13 - After 430 years in captivity in Egypt God delivers his people at the Passover. Look at Passover through the lens of communion, with Jesus the lamb of God slain to redeem his people from death. This time is a testimony to all generations, as we tell the story of our rede;mption to explain what we enact together in communion.

Exodus 14-15 - God delivers his people by having them pass safely through the Red Sea. Their pursuers are destroyed. The people stop and reflect on this event, singing the praises of God. This is another event that Christians can view as particularly significant, calling to mind the deliverance from the waters of death which we experience in baptism. As he did with Noah, God sets aside his chosen people by bringing them safely through a watery grave.

Exodus 16 - God gives his people manna, bread which they did not know before, to eat in the wilderness. Notice how each day he gives them what they need for that day. They cannot gather more and put it aside for later. Yet on the sixth day of the week God has them gather twice as much. That day and only that day it will keep until the next day. Our Lord gives us our daily bread. We gather according to his abundance, knowing that it all comes from him. While we can put aside some of what we earn for future times, we realize that our dependence is always on God, not on our own foresight.

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