Go (unto Pharaoh)

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This reading spans from Exodus 10:1-13:16.


Here is my summary/massage:


Chapter 10:
8th plague:
Yahweh tells Moses to go to Pharaoh because Yahweh has hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that the signs shown may be told to the generations after.
Moses and Aaron relates the words of Yahweh to Pharaoh, that if the people are not let go there will be locusts.
Pharaoh's servants urge Pharaoh to let them go.
Pharaoh says only men are allowed.
Yahweh tells Moses to stretch out his hand to bring the locusts.
Moses obeys, Yahweh bring an east wind all day and all night.
Locusts show, and destroys all greenery.
Pharaoh confesses sin against Yahweh and them.
Moses intreats Yahweh; Yahweh sends a west wind to take away the locusts.
Yahweh hardens Pharaoh's heart.
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9th plague:
Yahweh tells Moses to stretch out his hand to bring darkness.
Moses obeys and there was a thick darkness in Egypt for 3 days.
The children of Israel has light in their dwellings.
Pharaoh calls Moses and tells him to go serve Yahweh, but not to bring along any flocks.
Moses insists on bringing all their flocks to sacrifice to God Yahweh.
Yahweh hardens Pharaoh's heart;
Pharaoh tells Moses to get out and that he will not see his face any more.
Moses says he has spoken well.


Chapter 11:
Yahweh tells Moses there will be one more plague, and that the people are to plunder their neighbors by asking.
Moses relates the words of Yahweh to Pharaoh, and leaves in great anger.
Yahweh tells Moses Pharaoh will not listen, so that His wonders may be multiplied in Egypt.
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Thus Moses and Aaron performed all the wonders in front of Pharaoh,
and Yahweh hardened Pharaoh's heart.


Chapter 12:
Yahweh tells Moses and Aaron the current month becomes the first month of the year.
On the 10th day, a male lamb without blemish is to be selected.
It is to be killed on the 14th day, with its blood applied to the side and the top of the door posts.
The meat is to be eaten at night, roasted with fire, along with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.
The lamb is not to be eaten raw, nor boiled with water, but roasted.
Nothing should be left in the morning, any remains are to be burned.
When it is eaten, everyone is to be fully dressed with shoes and staff in hand, in a state of haste; it is the passover of Yahweh.
Yahweh will pass through Egypt smiting all the firstborn, man and beast, executing judgment on all the gods of Egypt.
The blood will be the symbol for Yahweh to pass over from destruction.
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The feast of unleavened bread is the same day as the exodus from Egypt.
There is to be a holy convocation on the 1st and 7th day; no work is to be done in them.
In the 1st month on the 14th day to the 21st day, unleavened bread is to be eaten.
No leaven is to be found in the houses, if anyone eats anything leavened, that person will be cut off from Israel.
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Moses relates in detail about what to do to the elders of Israel.
The children of Israel obey the words of Yahweh, as does Moses and Aaron.
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10th plague:
Yahweh smites the firstborn in Egypt.
There is a great cry.
Pharaoh calls Moses and Aaron at night to let the children of Israel go to serve Yahweh, and ask their blessing.
The Egyptians urge the people to go.
The people take the dough without it being leavened, along with their kneading troughs and their clothes on their shoulders.
The children of Israel ask for the jewels of Egyptians, as Moses told them.
Yahweh gives the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, and thus plunders them.
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The children of Israel go from Ramses to Succoth; 600,000 men not counting kids; also a mixed multitude go with them.
The people bake unleavened bread because of the urgency.
The children of Israel were in Egypt for exactly 430 years, and the hosts of Yahweh went out from Egypt.
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Yahweh tells Moses and Aaron the passover is not to be eaten by strangers, but only by the circumcised; it is to be eaten inside the house, and not to be taken out; no bones are to be broken; all the congregation of Israel must keep it; if a stranger is to eat of it, he must be circumcised.
The children of Israel obey Yahweh's commandment.
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That was the day Yahweh brought the children of Israel out of Egypt.


Chapter 13:
Yahweh tells Moses the sanctify all firstborn among the children of Israel, both man and beast.
Moses tells the people to remember this day, in what Yahweh did, in observing the passover, that the law of Yahweh may be in their mouth, keeping the ordinance every year.

They are to set apart unto Yahweh every firstling of all animals; the firstling of a donkey is to be redeemed by a lamb, it is to be killed if it is not redeemed.
The firstborn of all men must be redeemed.

When their children ask about these things, they are to tell them how Yahweh brought them out of bondage from Egypt; how Pharaoh would not let them go, but Yahweh slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both of men and beast; thus the reason to sacrifice to Yahweh all that are born male, and the firstborn of the children are redeemed.

It is to be a sign on their hand and frontlets between their eyes; for by a strong hand Yahweh brought them out of Egypt.


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For the last week or so, I've been running into topics related to free will vs. predestination. In the passages from this week and the previous week, we see Pharaoh's heart hardened, either by himself, or by Yahweh.

The controversy is, if God hardens Pharaoh's heart, how can Pharaoh be held responsible for his actions? This is a very heated debate, and of course, I don't plan to put an end to such a thing.



What I plan to say is the ideas/thoughts/meditations that have formed through these passages in the last few weeks.

One of the things that have prominently synthesized in my thoughts is the idea of holding onto one's pride.

At first, this may not sound at all related to free will vs. predestination, but here is the train of thought that went into such synthesis:

(The ideas may be somewhat scattered, so hopefully the following won't be too confusing...)



We start from the concept of taking responsibility for one's actions, whether if there is a "reward" or a "punishment" involved.

Being the selfish animals we are, human nature is quick to claim for credit anything good for ourselves, and even quicker to denounce the responsibility of anything bad.

(*)If we insist that we be held responsible for everything we do, as fair as it may sound, this would not be a happy endeavor for anybody living on this planet, if we are able to be truly honest with ourselves (if not, the reader should stop reading any further).

Pride will strongly insist on such a responsibility.

Having the humility to recognize the seriousness of such a condition (holding onto our pride) is not always easy, in fact, I dare say it requires divine intervention.

The trickiest part of this situation is that pride will deny the existence of such a malady, and sadly as well as unfortunately, one will not seek any help for such a condition, which is exactly how I see the situation with Pharaoh in these passages.

Now the question of God hardening Pharaoh's heart; does Pharaoh have the responsibility from his actions? I dare say once again,


pride (on Pharaoh's part) will strongly insist on such a responsibility, and not seek any divine intervention.


Is that fair? See (*); because all in all, we know that



God is just.


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