QT 3/4/2026 Exo 12:26-30, The story behind the Easter story

Exodus 12:26–30 (ESV) —

26 And when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ 27 you shall say, ‘It is the sacrifice of the Lord’s Passover, for he passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians but spared our houses.’ ” And the people bowed their heads and worshiped.

28 Then the people of Israel went and did so; as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.

29 At 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 captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of the livestock. 30 And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians. And there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where someone was not dead.

 

NOTE: It is interesting that this whole passage (chapter 12) is a command to include the teaching of the children. The Jews add the child's question into the ceremony. No Jewish child should ever not know the story of the Passover. Additionally, the feast of unleavened bread continue all week, with a solemn ceremony in the beginning and at the end. Every family in Egypt had a death from the throne to the dungeon, and even from the remaining animals. Now Egypt would understand the pain of killing babies. In a broader sense, we are all guilty before God of sin, and our judgment is also death. There is no escape.

 

Hebrews 9:27 (ESV) — And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,

 

But we do have a Passover lamb who saves us eternally.

 

Romans 6:23 (ESV) — For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

John 1:29 (ESV) — The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

1 Corinthians 5:7 (ESV) — Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.

 

Someday, this instruction of Passover will open the mind of the children of Israel and they will turn en masse to their savior.

 

PONDER:

1. Have you put your faith in our Passover lamb, Jesus, who was sacrificed in our place?

 

PRAYER: Father, this is a familiar story and it is the underlying story of Easter. I pray this Easter for people to come to know the savior and to begin a lifelong relationship with God.

QT 3/3/2026 Exo 12:1–11, A real hope and a real peace

Exodus 12:1–11 (ESV) —

1 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, 2 “This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you. 3 Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household. 4 And if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his nearest neighbor shall take according to the number of persons; according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb. 5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats, 6 and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight.

7 “Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. 8 They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it. 9 Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted, its head with its legs and its inner parts. 10 And you shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn. 11 In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s Passover.

 

NOTE: Everything about this meal is done fast. There is no waiting for water to boil or bread to rise. It is a reminder of a very specific day in the history of the world where God took Israel from Egypt. I tear up every time I hear the song "When you believe" from the Prince of Egypt. Hearing the children singing in Hebrew as they march out of Egypt is incredibly powerful. But even more importantly, Passover points to Jesus, our Passover lamb, who suffered and died for our sins so that we could be delivered from our slavery to sin. We are free of the devil's hold. We don't need to rage at the world because the world is no longer our concern. We have a future kingdom that is our inheritance. Our concern is for the lost, who need the peace that only Jesus offers.

 

PONDER:

1. Do events in the world lead you to worry and rage?
2. Give yourself completely to Jesus, and he will calm your soul.

 

PRAYER: Father, I have a future and a hope because of my savior, Jesus. I pray to be bold and courageous to share my hope with the world. I pray I would not shrink back. I pray for your grace and mercy to infuse all of my life.

QT 3/2/2026 Exo 11:1–10, True stories

Exodus 11:1–10 (ESV) —

1 The Lord said to Moses, “Yet one plague more I will bring upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt. Afterward he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will drive you away completely. 2 Speak now in the hearing of the people, that they ask, every man of his neighbor and every woman of her neighbor, for silver and gold jewelry.” 3 And the Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover, the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants and in the sight of the people.

4 So Moses said, “Thus says the Lord: ‘About midnight I will go out in the midst of Egypt, 5 and every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the slave girl who is behind the handmill, and all the firstborn of the cattle. 6 There shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there has never been, nor ever will be again. 7 But not a dog shall growl against any of the people of Israel, either man or beast, that you may know that the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.’ 8 And all these your servants shall come down to me and bow down to me, saying, ‘Get out, you and all the people who follow you.’ And after that I will go out.” And he went out from Pharaoh in hot anger. 9 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh will not listen to you, that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.”

10 Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh, and the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the people of Israel go out of his land.

 

NOTE: Exo  11:8 is an extension of the last interaction with Pharaoh at 10:28-29. Before Moses leaves, after he is threated, he pronounces the tenth and last plague. None of this is sudden, it was all predicted at the beginning, to include the plundering of the Egyptians by the Jews, and the death of the first born children. Also, Pharaoh is hardened by God in judgment against Egypt who had killed many of the boys of Israel in the Nile, all of Egypt will now experience the same death upon their families.

 

The problem with miracles is that they are often forgotten or written off in times. People call these stories myths because they do not agree with their world view. But this is a true story, observed by 4 million Jews and an even greater number of Egyptians. It is a story that is remember by the nations in the area during the time of wilderness, and it is recorded for posterity. It is not made up. It is true. If you are deluding yourself by thinking that God could not or would never do this, you are badly and foolishly mistaken. And you need to know that much of the Exodus will be repeated during the judgment that is coming upon the earth in the tribulation.

 

The last plague occurred exactly 430 years after the time that Israel settled in Egypt. I don't know God's timing, but I do know we are approaching within 7 years of the 2000 year anniversary of the resurrection, and we are within 47 years of the 2000 year anniversary of the destruction of the temple. What does that mean? Nothing, but God does seem to keep track of years (see Exo 12:40-42).

 

PONDER:

1. The bible is true and historical, don't fall for Satan's trap that it is myth.

 

PRAYER: Father, protect us from foolishness. May we turn to you in full repentance of our sins and full commitment of our lives.

 

QT 2/27/2026 Exo 10:21–29, We need God's light, his word

Exodus 10:21–29 (ESV) —

21 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness to be felt.” 22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was pitch darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. 23 They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the people of Israel had light where they lived. 24 Then Pharaoh called Moses and said, “Go, serve the Lord; your little ones also may go with you; only let your flocks and your herds remain behind.” 25 But Moses said, “You must also let us have sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God. 26 Our livestock also must go with us; not a hoof shall be left behind, for we must take of them to serve the Lord our God, and we do not know with what we must serve the Lord until we arrive there.” 27 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let them go. 28 Then Pharaoh said to him, “Get away from me; take care never to see my face again, for on the day you see my face you shall die.” 29 Moses said, “As you say! I will not see your face again.”

 

NOTE: As mentioned yesterday, we have reached the point where it is not Pharaoh whose heart is hardened by his own evil desires, but God now is hardening his heart to judge Egypt for their treatment of the people and the killing of the young baby boys.

 

This particular plague would have been very difficult in ancient times. Today we suffer from light pollution. We don't know what true darkness is light, or the need for the moon and stars to help us see at night. But this darkness was absolute. It would have been incredibly frightful to have lived during this time. I suppose a person trapped in a cave with no light would understand this fear. Tremendous fear would have gripped the nation. A sense of doom and a light-deprived depression would have enveloped all people.

 

There is a saying that nothing good happens after midnight. It is a fearful thing to hear the phone ring at 2am. Imagine the night lasting three days, and being almost blind. As a metaphor, light is good. And Jesus is the light for all mankind. In scripture, Satan represents the darkness. We need to turn to the light and live in the light, because darkness leads to judgment.

 

PONDER:

1. God's word is a light to our feet -- do I regularly read God's word?

 

PRAYER: Father, it is critical for a Christian to spend daily time in the word of God, but so few actually do. Renew us and help us to see our great need for your word.

QT 2/26/2026 Exo 1:1-20, Judgment is that sick feeling when life comes back to haunt

Exodus 10:1–20 (ESV) —

1 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may show these signs of mine among them, 2 and that you may tell in the hearing of your son and of your grandson how I have dealt harshly with the Egyptians and what signs I have done among them, that you may know that I am the Lord.”

3 So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, that they may serve me. 4 For if you refuse to let my people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country, 5 and they shall cover the face of the land, so that no one can see the land. And they shall eat what is left to you after the hail, and they shall eat every tree of yours that grows in the field, 6 and they shall fill your houses and the houses of all your servants and of all the Egyptians, as neither your fathers nor your grandfathers have seen, from the day they came on earth to this day.’ ” Then he turned and went out from Pharaoh.

7 Then Pharaoh’s servants said to him, “How long shall this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, that they may serve the Lord their God. Do you not yet understand that Egypt is ruined?” 8 So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. And he said to them, “Go, serve the Lord your God. But which ones are to go?” 9 Moses said, “We will go with our young and our old. We will go with our sons and daughters and with our flocks and herds, for we must hold a feast to the Lord.” 10 But he said to them, “The Lord be with you, if ever I let you and your little ones go! Look, you have some evil purpose in mind. 11 No! Go, the men among you, and serve the Lord, for that is what you are asking.” And they were driven out from Pharaoh’s presence.

12 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, so that they may come upon the land of Egypt and eat every plant in the land, all that the hail has left.” 13 So Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt, and the Lord brought an east wind upon the land all that day and all that night. When it was morning, the east wind had brought the locusts. 14 The locusts came up over all the land of Egypt and settled on the whole country of Egypt, such a dense swarm of locusts as had never been before, nor ever will be again. 15 They covered the face of the whole land, so that the land was darkened, and they ate all the plants in the land and all the fruit of the trees that the hail had left. Not a green thing remained, neither tree nor plant of the field, through all the land of Egypt. 16 Then Pharaoh hastily called Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned against the Lord your God, and against you. 17 Now therefore, forgive my sin, please, only this once, and plead with the Lord your God only to remove this death from me.” 18 So he went out from Pharaoh and pleaded with the Lord. 19 And the Lord turned the wind into a very strong west wind, which lifted the locusts and drove them into the Red Sea. Not a single locust was left in all the country of Egypt. 20 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the people of Israel go.

 

NOTE: We have reached a point of judgment. God is specifically hardening Pharaoh's heart as he promised he would. And even when Pharaoh repents, God hardens his heart. This is judgment, it is too late to turn back. The slavery inflicted on Israel, the killing of the babies, and the treatment has come back upon Israel. There is no going back. There is no "I'm sorry." As the advisors recount, "Do you not yet understand that Egypt is ruined?" Yes, Egypt is ruined and will be ruined more. This has long ceased to be an issue of letting Israel go, but rather a judgment against the nation for their sin.

 

We have finished the eighth plague, there are only two left. At this point, the country is in near total ruin. And there does not appear to be an out. Earlier decisions have put Egypt where they are at this point in the story. The next two plagues will be terrifying to a nation of ancient times.

 

When God is trying to get our attention, it is best to listen before the volume gets too high. And don't think that you can get away with something because God will always forgive in the end.

 

PONDER:

1. Are we sold out to Jesus or just playing church?
2. What is God telling us to do that we are ignoring?

 

PRAYER: Father, all I can do is plead your mercy for my past failings. I know Jesus has forgiven every sin, but I do know that there can be consequences. I know that in your mercy you can even remove the consequences. Give me grace and mercy to live in a manner pleasing to you. Thank you that as an adopted son, I am completely loved, no matter what I have done or do.

QT 2/25/2026 Exo 9:13-35, Stupid responses to God

Exodus 9:13–35 (ESV) —

13 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Rise up early in the morning and present yourself before Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, “Let my people go, that they may serve me. 14 For this time I will send all my plagues on you yourself, and on your servants and your people, so that you may know that there is none like me in all the earth. 15 For by now I could have put out my hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth. 16 But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth. 17 You are still exalting yourself against my people and will not let them go. 18 Behold, about this time tomorrow I will cause very heavy hail to fall, such as never has been in Egypt from the day it was founded until now. 19 Now therefore send, get your livestock and all that you have in the field into safe shelter, for every man and beast that is in the field and is not brought home will die when the hail falls on them.” ’ ” 20 Then whoever feared the word of the Lord among the servants of Pharaoh hurried his slaves and his livestock into the houses, 21 but whoever did not pay attention to the word of the Lord left his slaves and his livestock in the field.

22 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, so that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, on man and beast and every plant of the field, in the land of Egypt.” 23 Then Moses stretched out his staff toward heaven, and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and fire ran down to the earth. And the Lord rained hail upon the land of Egypt. 24 There was hail and fire flashing continually in the midst of the hail, very heavy hail, such as had never been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. 25 The hail struck down everything that was in the field in all the land of Egypt, both man and beast. And the hail struck down every plant of the field and broke every tree of the field. 26 Only in the land of Goshen, where the people of Israel were, was there no hail.

27 Then Pharaoh sent and called Moses and Aaron and said to them, “This time I have sinned; the Lord is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong. 28 Plead with the Lord, for there has been enough of God’s thunder and hail. I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer.” 29 Moses said to him, “As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will stretch out my hands to the Lord. The thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, so that you may know that the earth is the Lord’s. 30 But as for you and your servants, I know that you do not yet fear the Lord God.” 31 (The flax and the barley were struck down, for the barley was in the ear and the flax was in bud. 32 But the wheat and the emmer were not struck down, for they are late in coming up.) 33 So Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh and stretched out his hands to the Lord, and the thunder and the hail ceased, and the rain no longer poured upon the earth. 34 But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder had ceased, he sinned yet again and hardened his heart, he and his servants. 35 So the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people of Israel go, just as the Lord had spoken through Moses.

 

NOTE: Many of the plagues that befall Egypt are similar to the plagues that befall the world in the tribulation period. One in particular is hail and fire. Except in Revelation, hail falls twice, once during the trumpet judgements, and then again during the bowl judgements. In the latter case, the  hail was 100 pounds each, enough to bring down buildings and homes.

 

God says to Pharaoh, that "you are still exalting yourself against my people and will not let them go." If Pharaoh though he held the ace card of the deck, he was badly mistaken. More likely, he held a two of clubs and God held the rest of the deck.

 

There are so many people like this. They think that if God exists, in death, they will have the perfect question which to put God in his place. They are beyond foolish. When they behold his majesty, all their stupid questions will disappear. They will fall down in great fear wondering how they could have been such imbeciles.

 

PONDER:

1. Are you banking on some incredible question that God can't answer to save your life? You are an imbecile then.

 

PRAYER: Father, I pray for people to wake up out of their stupor and turn to you in repentance and humility. We are so far beneath you in every possible way.

QT 2/24/2026 Exo 9:1-7, The effect of stubbornness is increased stupidity

 

Exodus 9:1–7 (ESV) —

1 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, “Let my people go, that they may serve me. 2 For if you refuse to let them go and still hold them, 3 behold, the hand of the Lord will fall with a very severe plague upon your livestock that are in the field, the horses, the donkeys, the camels, the herds, and the flocks. 4 But the Lord will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that nothing of all that belongs to the people of Israel shall die.” ’ ” 5 And the Lord set a time, saying, “Tomorrow the Lord will do this thing in the land.” 6 And the next day the Lord did this thing. All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one of the livestock of the people of Israel died. 7 And Pharaoh sent, and behold, not one of the livestock of Israel was dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go.

 

NOTE: The plagues now, starting with the flies, only affect the Egyptians. Whereas before they affected the persons, and caused inconveniences, they now attack the wealth of Egypt. The statement, all the livestock died, is probably a very common literary statement, hyperbole, which is an overstatement for the sake of emphasis. We know from other plagues that some livestock survive. This is the first time that Pharaoh 'checks' the validity of Moses' statement regarding the separation of Jew and Egyptian from the effects of a plague. The bull was a very important symbol to Egypt of its god Mnevis, as well as associated with the god Re. The attack on the wealth of Egypt is a huge step up from the previous plagues. Egypt is far from ruined, but with each plague, Egypt moves from one of the most powerful nations on earth, to one of the weakest nations -- at least for a time.

 

How does this apply to us? When God is trying to get my attention, what must it take to wake me up?

 

PONDER:

1. We need to pray Ps 139: 23-24 regularly less we fall like Egypt.

 

Psalm 139:23–24 (ESV) —

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart!

Try me and know my thoughts!

24 And see if there be any grievous way in me,

and lead me in the way everlasting!

 

PRAYER: Father, help me to see the things I don't want to see. Protect me from my own stupidity.

QT 2/23/2026 Exo 8:20–32, Negotiating with God, really?

Exodus 8:20–32 (ESV) —

20 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Rise up early in the morning and present yourself to Pharaoh, as he goes out to the water, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Let my people go, that they may serve me. 21 Or else, if you will not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and your servants and your people, and into your houses. And the houses of the Egyptians shall be filled with swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they stand. 22 But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where my people dwell, so that no swarms of flies shall be there, that you may know that I am the Lord in the midst of the earth. 23 Thus I will put a division between my people and your people. Tomorrow this sign shall happen.” ’ ” 24 And the Lord did so. There came great swarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh and into his servants’ houses. Throughout all the land of Egypt the land was ruined by the swarms of flies.

25 Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God within the land.” 26 But Moses said, “It would not be right to do so, for the offerings we shall sacrifice to the Lord our God are an abomination to the Egyptians. If we sacrifice offerings abominable to the Egyptians before their eyes, will they not stone us? 27 We must go three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the Lord our God as he tells us.” 28 So Pharaoh said, “I will let you go to sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness; only you must not go very far away. Plead for me.” 29 Then Moses said, “Behold, I am going out from you and I will plead with the Lord that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, tomorrow. Only let not Pharaoh cheat again by not letting the people go to sacrifice to the Lord.” 30 So Moses went out from Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord. 31 And the Lord did as Moses asked, and removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; not one remained. 32 But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and did not let the people go.

 

NOTE: At this point, Pharaoh is trying to negotiate on terms favorable to him. First, he wants them to stay in the land. Second, when that is rejected, he says to stay nearby. Moses replies that they need to travel three days but it is never determined if that fits in the definition of "nearby." When God says we are to do something or God commands us to do something, why do we try to negotiate with the God of the universe? Do we have any right to suggest another course of action? Certainly, Moses tried to do similarly (at the burning bush), so it is not just Pharaoh who is trying to sway God. It seems more obvious as Pharaoh tries to dictate to God the terms of the agreement. Why do we do it? In Pharaoh's case he is trying to control the situation. He wants to retrieve his slaves -- as if God is unaware of his hidden motives. I suppose, there is no contract between Israel and Egypt. They have no legal requirement to return, although feeding 4 million in the middle of the desert would be extremely difficult for any length of time.

 

PONDER:

1. Do I try to negotiate obedience with God?
2. Or do I listen and obey God's voice?

 

PRAYER: Father, help me to hear, help me to obey. May I be a doer of your word and not just a hearer.

QT 2/20/2026 Exo 8:16-19, A world running from the truth

Exodus 8:16–19 (ESV) —

16 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, so that it may become gnats in all the land of Egypt.’ ” 17 And they did so. Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and there were gnats on man and beast. All the dust of the earth became gnats in all the land of Egypt. 18 The magicians tried by their secret arts to produce gnats, but they could not. So there were gnats on man and beast. 19 Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.

 

NOTE: This is the first time that the magicians (priests or wise ones) could not reproduce a miracle. This is third plague. These magicians are forced to admit that this is the finger of God, although not necessarily the God of Israel. Once again, Pharaoh heart is hardened, not by God but by himself. It won't be until the sixth plague that the Lord hardens Pharaoh's heart.

 

The gnats were especially irritating. They were small and would bit humans causing a painful itch. So, for the religious leaders, this was particularly vexing, both the being bit by the gnat and having to admit that this was God.

 

I saw a few videos of young men and women (who thought they were smart -- they were not) challenging various Christian spokesmen about the bible and life. I was so disappointed by the absurdity of the questioning. None of the arguments against the bible or God were good. On the surface, they sounded good, but a just a little study and common sense would have exposed the foolishness of the argument. I was depressed and disappoint, not because any of the arguments even had a hint of reasonableness, but that there were so many young men and women deceived by satanic arguments, that probably learned from their satanic instructors in college. How incredibly sad. They are the supposed "wisemen" being exposed to real truth. Personally, I don't have the patience for these fallacious reasonings, ad hominens, and false dilemmas, especially when I know that they are only smoke screens and excuses for not wanting to truly confront Jesus and believe in God.

 

PONDER:

1. The days are short, the most effective apologetic is the word of God. Do you have memorized verses (beyond John 3.16) that you can use to share the gospel with others?

 

PRAYER: Father, my heart aches for so many lost people who have an appearance of religion in their arguments but no true love for Jesus. Come Lord Jesus, come. Help us to be bold in sharing the gospel of Jesus to a truly lost and dying world.

QT 2/18/2026 Exo 7:14–24, Blinded by our own jaded vision

Exodus 7:14–24 (ESV) —

14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is hardened; he refuses to let the people go. 15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning, as he is going out to the water, and stand on the bank of the Nile to meet him. Take in your hand the staff that turned into a serpent. 16 And you shall say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you, saying, “Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness.” But so far, you have not obeyed. 17 Thus says the Lord, “By this you shall know that I am the Lord: behold, with the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water that is in the Nile, and it shall turn into blood. 18 The fish in the Nile shall die, and the Nile will stink, and the Egyptians will grow weary of drinking water from the Nile.” ’ ” 19 And the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, their canals, and their ponds, and all their pools of water, so that they may become blood, and there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, even in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.’ ”

20 Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded. In the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants he lifted up the staff and struck the water in the Nile, and all the water in the Nile turned into blood. 21 And the fish in the Nile died, and the Nile stank, so that the Egyptians could not drink water from the Nile. There was blood throughout all the land of Egypt. 22 But the magicians of Egypt did the same by their secret arts. So Pharaoh’s heart remained hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said. 23 Pharaoh turned and went into his house, and he did not take even this to heart. 24 And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile for water to drink, for they could not drink the water of the Nile.

 

NOTE: There are a number of ironies. Moses was cast into the Nile to die as many male babies of his time were. Now the Nile, the life blood of Egypt, is turned into blood and casts dead fish to Egypt. I am surprised by Pharaoh's lack of alarm. While it was apparently possible to dig along the Nile for fresh water, this would not have been good for the fishing industry, probably a major source of food. On the other hand, the blood was probably great for the irrigation industry and agriculture. Although, that would be a short reprieve. The turning of the Nile into blood is the first plague. The Nile was considered sacred and life-giving. It may not have affected Pharaoh (at least on the surface) but it would have caused near panic among the people.

 

How does this apply to us? Sometimes we are not even phased by the miraculous because our eyes are blinded by our own sin. Pharaoh could not see what should have been obvious, because he saw things with worldly eyes, opposed to God.

 

PONDER:

Do I miss the minor miracles of life because I am so jaded by life itself?

 

PRAYER: Father, help me to see your hand in even the small things. I give you praise for the answer to so many prayers. I know you are working for my good and the good of other believers.

QT 2/17/2026 Exo 7:8–13, Major decisions need to go through God

Exodus 7:8–13 (ESV) —

8 Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 9 “When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Prove yourselves by working a miracle,’ then you shall say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and cast it down before Pharaoh, that it may become a serpent.’ ” 10 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron cast down his staff before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent. 11 Then Pharaoh summoned the wise men and the sorcerers, and they, the magicians of Egypt, also did the same by their secret arts. 12 For each man cast down his staff, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. 13 Still Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.

 

NOTE: This is the second time that Pharaoh is required to respond to God's command (although the full conversation is not given). At this point, Pharaoh's heart is hardened, not by God, but by himself. It is Pharaoh who would not listen.

 

I believe that God's sovereignty and Man's free will coexist in God's universe in a way that I can't understand (because the bible refers to both as true). Pharaoh does have a choice, but God has a purpose. At some point, Pharaoh is judged, and is no longer given a choice. Technically, Egypt deserved no choice when it decided to kill the Jewish male babies. The blood of those babies was on Egypt's hands and it deserved whatever judgment God decided. I suppose my country is not much different. For years we have allowed abortion to reign in our lands. It was not forced, it was a choice of parents, but the blood of 60 million babies is still on our hands. God will judge our nation for our disregard of life. There may be cases where it was justified, but when that decision was made for material reasons, it was wrong.

 

PONDER:

Do I seek God's will in the major decisions of life, or do I do what is most economically beneficial to myself regardless of ethical considerations?

 

PRAYER: Father, I know these are difficult subjects, but they are things that we must wrestle with deeply. I don't pretend to have answers where things are really not as black and white as they sound, but I do pray that we, that I would seek in the major decisions of life.

QT 2/16/2026 Exo 6:28-7:7, The results are God's

Exodus 6:28–7:7 (ESV) —

28 On the day when the Lord spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt, 29 the Lord said to Moses, “I am the Lord; tell Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say to you.” 30 But Moses said to the Lord, “Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips. How will Pharaoh listen to me?”

1 And the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet. 2 You shall speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron shall tell Pharaoh to let the people of Israel go out of his land. 3 But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, 4 Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and bring my hosts, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment. 5 The Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring out the people of Israel from among them.” 6 Moses and Aaron did so; they did just as the Lord commanded them. 7 Now Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron eighty-three years old, when they spoke to Pharaoh.

 

NOTE: It is a big task for two 80-year old men, proving that God can use us at any age to perform his will. We are never too old to serve. Moses spent his first 40 years thinking he as a somebody, and the next 40 years realizing he was a nobody. His next 40 years is proof that God can use somebodies who find out they are nobodies (D.L. Moody). God's answer to Moses fear, is that it is not Moses respect that is on the line. God himself is speaking to Egypt and the people of Israel. They will know he is God. In other words, God will make it work. God uses these two men, but he could use any two men, because his glory was at stake. This is not a project that had any chance of failure. God will intervene when needed. I would argue that is why at later stages, God hardens Pharaoh's heart, because he was not finished with what he planned.

 

When God give us a task to do, we need to trust him to bring the results and not our insignificant efforts.

 

PONDER:

1. What has God called me to do?
2. What do I fear to undertake?

 

PRAYER: Father, give me courage and strength to continue in the things you have called me to. The work is not dependent upon my efforts. It is for your glory and not mine. Give me grace to be faithful to your calling.

QT 2/13/2026 Exo 6:22-27, Learning to grow in your gifts

Exodus 6:22–27 (ESV) —

22 The sons of Uzziel: Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri. 23 Aaron took as his wife Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab and the sister of Nahshon, and she bore him Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 24 The sons of Korah: Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph; these are the clans of the Korahites. 25 Eleazar, Aaron’s son, took as his wife one of the daughters of Putiel, and she bore him Phinehas. These are the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites by their clans.

26 These are the Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said: “Bring out the people of Israel from the land of Egypt by their hosts.” 27 It was they who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt about bringing out the people of Israel from Egypt, this Moses and this Aaron.

 

NOTE: At this point in the story, only God knows that he will choose Levi to be ministers in the temple, and the line of Aaron to be the priests. They weren't trained to be priests. They were brick layers like almost everyone else. Not surprisingly, he sons will make mistakes. They do not realize the seriousness of the role that God will give them. I don't know if anyone is ready for the role God gives them. But if God has placed you in a situation, you must believe that he knows what is best and is using it for good in your life and in others. Our job is to be faithful, to improve in the job we are given. I believe I have a ministry of teaching. I also, have a gift of teaching. But I can still improve my teaching abilities.

 

PONDER:

1. Do you try to improve how you exercise your spiritual gifts?
2. Or do you already think you are perfect? I hope not.

 

PRAYER: Father, thank you for the lessons I am learning. Continue to teach me how to teach others and how to encourage them to apply your word.

QT 2/12/2026 Exo 5:22-6:12, There can be hard parts to obedience

Exodus 5:22–6:13 (ESV) —

22 Then Moses turned to the Lord and said, “O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me? 23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not delivered your people at all.”

1 But the Lord said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.”

2 God spoke to Moses and said to him, “I am the Lord. 3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to 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 lived as sojourners. 5 Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel whom the Egyptians hold as slaves, and I have remembered my covenant. 6 Say therefore to the people of Israel, ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. 7 I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. 8 I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession. I am the Lord.’ ” 9 Moses spoke thus to the people of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery.

10 So the Lord said to Moses, 11 “Go in, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the people of Israel go out of his land.” 12 But Moses said to the Lord, “Behold, the people of Israel have not listened to me. How then shall Pharaoh listen to me, for I am of uncircumcised lips?” 13 But the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and gave them a charge about the people of Israel and about Pharaoh king of Egypt: to bring the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt.

 

NOTE: Moses is distraught. His effort for the people has ended in disaster. Not only is Pharaoh against him, but so are his own people. It is very lonely to be a leader that no one wants to listen to. God ignores Moses' complaint, instead telling him what is going to happen. He reiterates what he said before. It has a different response from the people. Before they were encouraged but now they don't want to listen. Moses is ostracized by the people out of fear that worst things may happen if they support Moses. When Moses relates all this, God's response is to give them a charge. This is what you are  called to do. In essence, there is a point where God is telling Moses to stop whining about the results, trust God and do the job.

 

That is a hard message to hear, and clearly it is what Moses needed to hear. I guess I would have like to hear something about this going exactly as planned. Which incidentally, God did say that Pharaoh would resist all the way up to the point of the death of his firstborn son. But we tend to forget the parts that seem harsh and focus on only the good things.

 

PONDER:

1. What is God asking me to do that seems too hard?
2. What am I forgetting about what has already revealed to me?

 

PRAYER: Father, lead and guide me in the days ahead. There are some great opportunities, but I don't want promises to blind me to your will in my life. Thank you for opportunities. May I trust you in all things.

QT 2/11/2026 Exo 5:15-21, Reacting with empathy, not distrust

Exodus 5:15–21 (ESV) —

15 Then the foremen of the people of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, “Why do you treat your servants like this? 16 No straw is given to your servants, yet they say to us, ‘Make bricks!’ And behold, your servants are beaten; but the fault is in your own people.” 17 But he said, “You are idle, you are idle; that is why you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.’ 18 Go now and work. No straw will be given you, but you must still deliver the same number of bricks.” 19 The foremen of the people of Israel saw that they were in trouble when they said, “You shall by no means reduce your number of bricks, your daily task each day.” 20 They met Moses and Aaron, who were waiting for them, as they came out from Pharaoh; 21 and they said to them, “The Lord look on you and judge, because you have made us stink in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.”

 

NOTE: The Israelites believe the Egyptians are at fault. The Pharaoh tells them that they are not working hard enough if they have time to discuss "going to a sacrifice." Obviously, it is not the best way to treat your workers, whatever the reason. What was Pharaoh's big time crunch that he could not have let the go for three days? Of course, he did have a fear that they would not return. He could have sent troops with them. I believe he was the only great power at the time, there were no threats. And God has not even hardened his heart yet. He makes a classic mistake of poor and young leadership, "turn the screws harder." Rehoboam will makes the same mistake 500 years later and split the country into two entities. Part of the problem is that we tend to NOT "think the  best" but assume the worst. If Pharaoh had dealt with it in a more empathetic way, maybe things could have been different.

 

Which leads us to the other difficult question -- was the request to worship deceptive since it was intended to get the people out of the country? While the excuse held through all the negotiations, it was Pharaoh who came after the people with his army to destroy them and was destroyed himself. So any obligations were lost when Pharaoh decides to attack. If this wasn't the worse of all the Pharaohs, things could have turned differently, but God knew how he would react, and in the process, God later hardened Pharaoh's heart (in response to Pharaoh's repeated hardening). Pharaoh and Egypt were judged for what they did to Israel. God knew what he was doing. And the story becomes an important part of the gospel, since Jesus is the Passover lamb for all of mankind.

 

PONDER:

True leadership cares for the employee. Are those who work for me a means to the end, or the end itself? Most employers never figure that one out.

 

PRAYER: Father, I am retired now, but fortunately I learned this lesson early on from good bosses. Even though I was fortunate, I don't see very many people who understand the importance of taking care of their employees. I pray for opportunities to teach and display these principles even in my retirement.

QT 2/10/2026 Exo 4:27-31, Trying to see our circumstances from God's perspective

Exodus 4:27–31 (ESV) —

27 The Lord said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” So he went and met him at the mountain of God and kissed him. 28 And Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord with which he had sent him to speak, and all the signs that he had commanded him to do. 29 Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the people of Israel. 30 Aaron spoke all the words that the Lord had spoken to Moses and did the signs in the sight of the people. 31 And the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had visited the people of Israel and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped.

 

NOTE: Many times a project will start out well, but early on it collapses because of unforeseen obstacles. God warned in the preceding verses that Pharaoh will refuse to let the people go, and that God himself will be a part of that by hardening his heart. But at this point, Moses does not share that part with Aaron (at least that we know) and Aaron does not share that with the people. What they are doing will not be easy, and I don't think they are ready for the response of Pharaoh. They want the promised easy life -- deliverance from slavery -- not knowing that it will include an even harsher form of slavery. We tend to view things from a short term perspective. We miss out on what God is doing because we don't look at the long term gain. Some people "play" the long game, but most of us are too impatient.

 

PONDER:

1. Have I ever stopped and looked at my circumstances and wondered at what the long term results might be?
2. Am I trying to learn from my circumstances or just get out of them?

 

PRAYER: Father, it is not easy to  be in the midst of something you don't like. It is hard. The short term is all you see. Actually, you end up living day to day. Help us to step back and see your grand picture, to see what you are doing and what you are going to do with our life.

QT 2/9/2026 Exo 4:1-17, We need to stop trying to fix God's word to make it more "palatable"

Exodus 4:10–17 (ESV) —

10 But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” 11 Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” 13 But he said, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.” 14 Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses and he said, “Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Behold, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. 15 You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth, and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you both what to do. 16 He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and you shall be as God to him. 17 And take in your hand this staff, with which you shall do the signs.”

 

NOTE: I don't know, but these last two objections are answered by God as the same subject. Moses continues to share his fears and objections, and God was patient with him, until he says, "send someone else." Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses. God can takes our fears, our questions, our worries, and even our anger. But refusal to obey is where the line is drawn. God gives him Aaron to speak and to go with him (support). As the events progress, Moses ends up doing most of the talking anyway, so in reality, he did not need Aaron. I'm sure it helped his courage. Later on, Aaron would mistakenly lead the people into a grave sin. In some way, Moses' fears led to the exultation of Aaron, and potentially led to the golden calf.

 

We are always trying to improve upon God's word and God's plan. I wonder what would happen if we just take God at his word and ignore the outside voices that try to tell us to compromise just a little. I think it is true in sex, sexual relationships, sexual roles, leadership, and a whole host of other commands that the world does not accept.

 

PONDER:

1. Have I twisted God's word in a way to make myself comfortable?
2. Do I believe God's way is really the best way?

 

PRAYER: Father, forgive me for trying to make your world palatable in a culture that does not accept it. Your word is truth and your word brings life. When I "adjust" it, I take away what makes is special, it is TRUTH that brings healing to our souls.

QT 2/6/2026 Exo 3:16-22, Making bad choices

Exodus 3:16–22 (ESV) —

16 Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, “I have observed you and what has been done to you in Egypt, 17 and I promise that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey.” ’ 18 And they will listen to your voice, and you and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us; and now, please let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.’ 19 But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand. 20 So I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all the wonders that I will do in it; after that he will let you go. 21 And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and when you go, you shall not go empty, 22 but each woman shall ask of her neighbor, and any woman who lives in her house, for silver and gold jewelry, and for clothing. You shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So you shall plunder the Egyptians.”

 

NOTE: There is an interesting dynamic in these verses. God says that Pharaoh won't let the people go unless compelled by a mighty hand. As we see later in the book, God foretells that he will harden Pharaoh's heart, but before he does, Pharaoh hardens his own heart, multiple times. At some point, God then hardens his heart. So Pharaoh had a choice, and God knew his heart. He knew that he would need to be compelled. It is not to the end that he literally screams "go!" But by then, Egypt is almost destroyed. Pharaoh will destroy the Army last in his rage.

 

PONDER:

• God knows our heart better than we do. He is in control but he does give us free will. Are there areas in my life where I am hardening my heart to God?

 

PRAYER: Father, help me to see when I am hardening my heart to your commands. Be gracious and merciful to me. And to my children, speak to their heart and be merciful.