Picture: “Sahara Desert” by James Barker on Freedigitalphotos.net

Why did the Exodus magicians have such great power? What compiled the secret arts which they used to perform their tricks?

In Exodus, Moses, with Aaron’s help, pleaded with Pharoah to let his people (Israel) go into the desert so that they could worship the Lord. The Lord hardened Pharoah’s heart, and He also struck Egypt with many plagues

Exodus 7:10-13New International Version (NIV)

¹⁰ So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake. ¹¹ Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts: ¹² Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. ¹³ Yet Pharaoh’s heart became hard and he would not listen to them, just as the Lord had said.

What, exactly, were the secret arts? Were the magicians’ snakes merely illusions? After all, Aaron’s staff swallowed up the magicians’ staffs.

Exodus 7:20-23New International Version (NIV)

²⁰ Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded. He raised his staff in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials and struck the water of the Nile, and all the water was changed into blood. ²¹ The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink its water. Blood was everywhere in Egypt.

²² But the Egyptian magicians did the same things by their secret arts, and Pharaoh’s heart became hard; he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said. ²³ Instead, he turned and went into his palace, and did not take even this to heart.

Again, I wonder about the magicians’ secret arts. How in the world could they turn water into blood, and make frogs appear in Egypt unless it was merely an illusion? This dreaded power almost seems to be a battle between Satan and God as they struggle with the tug of war between the Egyptians and the Israelites.

Exodus 8:17-19New International Version (NIV)

¹⁷ They did this, and when Aaron stretched out his hand with the staff and struck the dust of the ground, gnats came on people and animals. All the dust throughout the land of Egypt became gnats. ¹⁸ But when the magicians tried to produce gnats by their secret arts, they could not.

Since the gnats were on people and animals everywhere, ¹⁹ the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hard and he would not listen, just as the Lord had said.

The magicians say that the gnat infestation was from the finger of God – so they are obviously aware of the Lord’s power. This scripture is proof that their secret arts had no power over God. Would they not fear Him, no longer wanting to perform these secret arts which seem to go against God?

Exodus 9:10-12New International Version (NIV)

¹⁰ So they took soot from a furnace and stood before Pharaoh. Moses tossed it into the air, and festering boils broke out on people and animals. ¹¹ The magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils that were on them and on all the Egyptians.

Again, the magicians’ power is minimized because they are now covered with boils, no match for God’s power.

I wonder if these magicians realized how small and insignificant their power was when compared to God? I wonder if they still relied on these secret arts, and if they made a habit of deceiving others using their false power? How did they manage to conjure up this secret power? What did they say and do to make these things happen?

Share your thoughts!

Genesis 42:37 Then Reuben spoke to his father, saying, “Kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you; put him in my hands, and I will bring him back to you.”

Have you ever been puzzled by that scripture? What was going through Reuben’s mind when he made that promise to his father, Jacob?

The land was in the midst of a horrible famine. The only way for Jacob’s family to obtain food was for Joseph’s brothers to travel to Egypt to purchase grain from Joseph. When they arrived in Egypt, Joseph recognized his brothers, but, they did not recognize him. Joseph took one of his brothers hostage, (Simeon). Joseph then sent the rest of his brothers on their way, with grain for their starving household. He also demanded that the rest of them (his brothers) return with Benjamin (Joseph’s full brother – born of the same mother and father).

Meanwhile Jacob mistakenly thought his son, Joseph, was dead. And when they again ran out of grain, he was hesitant to send Benjamin back to Egypt with the rest of his children – after all, he’d already lost Joseph, his favorite son. Should he suffer and lose his other supposedly favored son, Benjamin?

Then Reuben tells Jacob that he can put his two sons to death if he did not return with Benjamin??

What??

I continue to be puzzled reading the Old Testament. I know it’s mostly historical information, but, sometimes, I wonder if people’s emotions were just different back then? What do you think?

I mean, do you honestly think that you could put two of your grandchildren to death, if your one of your sons breaks his promise, and doesn’t return with your child? It’s almost like Reuben is risking sacrificing one child in exchange for two children. What goes through your mind when you read this scripture?

This scripture reminds me of another weird Old Testament promise. Remember when the angels visited Lot, warning him to leave Sodom and Gomorrah? Some of the townsmen knocked on Lot’s door, wanting him to send the good-looking men outside so that they could have relations with them? Lot then offered his two virginal daughters to the crowd of men! Why?

What do you think? Were adults just not as emotionally bonded with their children as we are today? The people that I’m referring to are godly men, following the Lord. How could they be so cold and unfeeling towards their children?

Do you think that the Lord can speak to us in our dreams? Do you usually remember your dreams?

In Genesis, Joseph foolishly tells his brothers about a dream he’s had. In his dream, Joseph reigns over his brothers – they bow down to him. Then, in prison, Joseph accurately interprets the dreams of the cupbearer and the baker. Joseph tells them that his ability to interpret dreams comes from God:

Genesis 40:7So he asked Pharaoh’s officers who were with him in the custody of his lord’s house, saying, “Why do you look so sad today?”8And they said to him, “We each have had a dream, and there is no interpreter of it.”So Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell them to me, please.”

Do you think that currently some dream interpretations belong to God? I also wondered about the cupbearer and the baker’s statement regarding seeking an interpreter. Did people, back in old testament times, seek out interpreters for dreams? I’m wondering if Joseph had not been available, would the cupbearer and baker have sought out a magician or sorcerer to interpret their dreams after they got out of prison?

Do you remember your dreams? Do you feel that God is speaking to you through your dreams?

I’ve always been fascinated with dreams, wondering why we dream as we do. Why do we dream? What do our dreams mean? I was so fascinated that I did a paper in high school about dreams, finding out that they’re linked to our subconscious. While sleeping, dreams can sometimes help us solve our problems, give us insight about ourselves in a symbolic manner.

So, do you think that God still speaks to some of his His believers through dreams? Do you think that God currently uses some of His followers to interpret the dreams of others – just as he did with Joseph in the old testament?

Please share your thoughts!

Why was life so seemingly hard and unfair during old testament times?

I’m going to talk about Genesis, chapter 38:6-29. I’ve copied and pasted it below, with my questions/comments bolded throughout the text:

Judah and Tamar

38 ⁶ Then Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. ⁷ But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord killed him. Why did the Lord kill Er? What did he do? What made him so wicked? There are lots of evil people in the world today, but, if they make changes, and accept Jesus, then, they’re automatically accepted into the family of God, and they get eternal life. Does Er not have the hope of eternal life since he was born too early? If he were born during or after Jesus’s coming, I’m assuming the Lord already knew Er’s heart was hardened, and that he’d deny the gift of eternal life?

⁸ And Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife and marry her, and raise up an heir to your brother.” ⁹ But Onan knew that the heir would not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in to his brother’s wife, that he emitted on the ground, lest he should give an heir to his brother. ¹⁰ And the thing which he did displeased the Lord; therefore He killed him also.

Doing this, during old testament times, would get you killed by the Lord? I’m not saying that it’s not wrong, but, I’m sure there are people out there today who do this, but, they are not struck down by God after doing this act. I’m assuming that they ask for forgiveness for doing this? I don’t usually delve into the realm of sexual topics on this blog, but, what Onan did is similar to birth control – does that mean it’s wrong to do this now? Any form of BC is wrong? Or, was the law so sacred back then, that, people had to adhere to it, exactly, or they’d be put to death by the Lord? Had Onan missed his chance for eternal life since Jesus had not yet come to earth? Or, was he disobeying the Lord’s command to produce an heir? Judah wanted Onan to produce an heir for his brother – was having an heir (during old testament times) so sacred that Onan’s disobedience cost him his life?

¹¹ Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow in your father’s house till my son Shelah is grown.” For he said, “Lest he also die like his brothers.” And Tamar went and dwelt in her father’s house.

¹² Now in the process of time the daughter of Shua, Judah’s wife, died; and Judah was comforted, and went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. ¹³ And it was told Tamar, saying, “Look, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.” ¹⁴ So she took off her widow’s garments, covered herself with a veil and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place which was on the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given to him as a wife.

It was okay for Judah to break his promise to Tamar, and not give Shelah to her as a husband? This kind of sin  was not as bad as Omar’s and Er’s? The Lord did not kill Judah for doing this? ¹⁵ When Judah saw her, he thought she was a harlot, because she had covered her face. ¹⁶ Then he turned to her by the way, and said, “Please let me come in to you”; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law.

Does the Lord not frown upon Judah seemingly sleeping with a harlot? The Lord knows it’s Tamar, but, Judah’s actions were not punished by death, unlike his son, Omar. Why? Is it because the Lord chose to forgive Judah since the Lord wanted Tamar to have an heir? Was this all a part of God’s will?

So she said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?”

¹⁷ And he said, “I will send a young goat from the flock.”

So she said, “Will you give me a pledge till you send it?”

¹⁸ Then he said, “What pledge shall I give you?”

So she said, “Your signet and cord, and your staff that is in your hand.” Then he gave them to her, and went in to her, and she conceived by him. ¹⁹ So she arose and went away, and laid aside her veil and put on the garments of her widowhood.

So, was this the way the Lord wanted Tamar to produce an heir, through deceit, trickery and dishonesty?

²⁰ And Judah sent the young goat by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman’s hand, but he did not find her. ²¹ Then he asked the men of that place, saying, “Where is the harlot who was openly by the roadside?”

And they said, “There was no harlot in this place.”

²² So he returned to Judah and said, “I cannot find her. Also, the men of the place said there was no harlot in this place.”

²³ Then Judah said, “Let her take them for herself, lest we be shamed; for I sent this young goat and you have not found her.”

²⁴ And it came to pass, about three months after, that Judah was told, saying, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has played the harlot; furthermore she is with child by harlotry.”

So Judah said, “Bring her out and let her be burned!”

What?? Judah has the power to act as God, burning someone for their sins, killing them – yet, he seemingly slept with a harlot? Seems quite unfair that Judah would have this kind of power, live this kind of life, yet want to kill others when he’s guilty of being a party to the same sin.

²⁵ When she was brought out, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, “By the man to whom these belong, I am with child.” And she said, “Please determine whose these are—the signet and cord, and staff.”

²⁶ So Judah acknowledged them and said, “She has been more righteous than I, because I did not give her to Shelah my son.” And he never knew her again.

He admits he’s wrong, but, I’m still deeply troubled by Judah’s attitude. The fact that he’d initially wanted to burn Tamar down for harlotry leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

²⁷ Now it came to pass, at the time for giving birth, that behold, twins were in her womb. ²⁸ And so it was, when she was giving birth, that the one put out his hand; and the midwife took a scarlet thread and bound it on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.” ²⁹ Then it happened, as he drew back his hand, that his brother came out unexpectedly; and she said, “How did you break through? This breach be upon you!” Therefore his name was called Perez. ³⁰ Afterward his brother came out who had the scarlet thread on his hand. And his name was called Zerah.

Please provide any comments or insight about this scripture!

Was the land of Gerar evil, like Sodom and Gomorrah?

In Chapter 26 of Genesis, it’s mentioned that there was a famine in the land and that the Lord told Isaac to settle down in Gerar. He took his wife, Rebekah, with him, but, told the people that she was his sister. When he was caught in a passionate moment with Rebekah it was revealed that Rebekah was his wife. King Abimelech issued an order – no one could molest Isaac or Rebekah. If they did, they’d be put to death.

My question is, was molesting one another, both male and female, a common practice in this land?

Later, Issac was told to leave since he’d gained so much wealth. Abimelech felt Isaac had become too powerful to stay. Later Abimelech and his men found Isaac, wanting to make a treaty with him. They knew the Lord was with Isaac, so, since they had not molested Isaac or his wife, he wanted peace between them – he did not want Isaac doing them any harm. Since the molestation issue was mentioned again, I still wondered about this land and all that occurred there. They feared Isaac, since the Lord was with him. But, I wondered how life was in Gerar during this time? How evil was it? The Lord had told Isaac to stay in that land, so, perhaps Isaac was there to fulfill some kind of purpose for the Lord (other than escaping the famine.)

Please, share your thoughts!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Isn’t it hard to imagine that Esau came out of Rebekah’s womb, covered with hair?

Infants are usually smooth-skinned, perhaps a bit wrinkled, with sometimes hair on their head, maybe some eyebrows. I’ve just never seen a hairy baby before. Also, just the thought of Jacob grasping Esau’s heel, coming out of the womb – just sounds so awesome – a hairy baby coming out, with his brother grasping his heel.

Also, Esau despised his birthright. He sold his birthright to his brother for some lentil stew?

Jacob probably knew that Esau despised his birthright, so, he took advantage of that fact by asking his brother to sell it to him in exchange for the stew.

Was it the Lord’s will for Jacob to do this?

Why couldn’t Jacob simply shared, given his brother something to eat without mentioning the birthright?

On a different note, anybody have a good recipe for lentil stew? I also wonder what was used to season the lentil stew. I wonder how lentil stew tasted when it was made during old testament times. I wonder if we ate it, if we’d think it was good.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

21Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. 22The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord.